Age of Myth
Ratings161
Average rating4.2
The characters were one dimensional and interchangeable. Too many introduced too fast. I didn't care in the slightest what might happen to any of them. I was bored from the start until I gave up. I'm going to leave this book on my phone for when I next have insomnia.
4.5 ⭐️
What a fun read!
This book featured some very interesting characters and an intricate and surprising plot.
I love Michael J. Sullivan's writing and sense of humor. It was so much fun to see how backwards our Riyria Revelations' characters had gotten the history (and I will advise to read this series after the Riyria Revelations).
Some of the themes were a little on the nose, which is why I took away half a star, but other than that I really enjoyed the book. Especially the 2 big twists at the end and the mystery with the door.
Can't wait to continue the series!
This is my tenth (?) Michael J. Sullivan book and I'm still so in love with this fantasy world he's created!
I can't say that I loved it as much as the Riyria Revelations series. The biggest difference was that it took me so much time to get connected to the characters in this one. Maybe it's the fact that the other series started with just 2 main characters and expanded from there. I felt like there was a bit too much focus on too many characters from the start and it took a while for me to care about all of them.
But the worldbuilding and plot are definitely an upgrade on Revelations IMO. I really love the way his endings come together.
Sullivan has become such a comfort author for me. I might not give his books 5 stars, but the enjoyment and comfort factor I get from his books really works for me.
Humans have long worshipped the Fhrey, a race a people that are superior in every way. However, when one of them is killed by a human, word quickly spreads that the Fhrey may not be as invincible as they seem. In one of these communities, Persephone has just lost her son and her husband to a bear in their woods. When her path crosses with a young mystic and the god-killer, they must all work together to protect their communities from the Fhrey and from the human-killing bear.
I really, really enjoyed this book. I believe I'm reading Sullivan's books in a different order than most, but I decided to read this one first so I could understand all of the references in the later books. I went into this book knowing next to nothing about what to expect. I thought the strongest part of this book is the characters. The banter was all funny and personal, and they all created such touching relationships. The plot was also incredible. I didn't see any of the plot twists coming. Sullivan did a great job of not giving many hints and then just dropping a huge plot twist. I thought the last 25% of the book was so fast paced and wild and I couldn't stop listening.
All in all, I am very excited to continue with this series and Sullivan's other series. I would recommend this book to fantasy lovers everywhere.
TW: ableism, amputation, animal death, assault, attempted murder, blood, bones, cannibalism (mentioned), cheating, child abandonment, death, demons, famine, fire, gore, miscarriage, misogyny, slavery, starvation, violence
Okay, this is a difficult one. I would say, I enjoyed about 2/3 of the book a lot. But then, around the middle, there was this chunk that just bore me so much it's not even funny.
Fhrey are basically like elves. They live a long life, they have a very developed society, their skills are superhuman and some of them can even do magic that makes them a league of their own.
Humans obviously see them gods, unbeatable creatures they need to fear. Until one day, some accidental things lead to Raithe, a normal human tribesman killing one of them and starting people out on realising that while Fhrey are tough, they are perfectly killable.
As so much fantasy now, this one also has multiple viewpoints; Raithe, of course, but also Penelope, the widow of a human tribe leader trying to keep her people alive, Suri, a wild little girl who is a mystic and also Arion, an esteemed Fhrey magic user and teacher.
What I liked about this is how it dealt with the differences between humans and supernatural creatures. How the simple fact of a different lifespan made their understanding of the world so different. The misconceptions that came from that. It makes sense; a human can't understand a race with millenia-old members.
It was also fun to see how random occurrences that turned out fortunate can transform into legends either through deliberate exaggerations or... well, just because things like that happen. Or intentionally?
One of my big issues that ruined Riyria to me was the princess character. She was such an annoying piece of shit, I couldn't handle one more chapter of her whining for something, getting it, then whining more because it wasn't as easy and fun as she thought. Many people told me she was “just depressed”, like half of us aren't right now and like that excused annoyingly written characters.
In this one, the exact opposite happened. I found a character I disliked immensely, namely Arion, but it was because she was so... I don't know? Clinical? Detail-oriented? Basically the woman was walking exposition. Her chapters were so dang boring until she meets up with the rest. And don't get me wrong, there were interesting ideas with the Fhrey, but if I have to read one more line about bullshit about architecture and such, I will cry.
It added nothing to the story that we know how much Fhrey obsess about architecture. Adding all the details about them could have been done much more gradually, without overloading us on about 5 different mysteries and political conflicts and the magical school and the freaking class conflicts, the mysterious door hiding something, etc. Too much, too dry.
It didn't help that these chapters ran parallel to ones where Penelope and the other villagers are sitting around, basically kissing each other's ass. Yes, yes, Moya is soooo beautiful and braaaave.
There are a bunch of interesting storylines in this. Malcolm. The mole people. Suri being Suri. I just really hope we are going to work on those more, instead of the already forming awkward love story or Arion being a bore.
I don't regret reading this, it's already a huge improvement compared to Riyria to me, but also... I'm not the biggest fan of the things the author picks for his focus.
Sullivan is back and its with the good stuff. Legends of the first empire initially reminds you of our two thieves but soon introduces plenty of new and interesting characters. The broad background has been set up but its the smaller story within the larger plot that captures the readers interest. Cant wait for the next one.
Wauw...
Interesting world.
Fascinating.
Magic system is a bit flat (in book one at least).
A good cliffhanger.
A bit predictable, but also a lot of unexpected turns.
I'm looking forward for book 2!!
Really good! Enjoyed it a lot. Persephone was my favorite character in this
Entertaining and competently written. Hugely formulaic, built on tons of familiar tropes, beginning to end, but well-enough put together. I might listen to more. Early on, the freed slave gives this small out-of-nowhere Ayn Rand rant about the value of struggling to survive that almost made me put down the book. But in the end I didn't get a ton of that—in fact I got some stuff that was at times quite contrary to it—so I'm happy to have finished it. I might read the next one.
Takes a long time to present a plot, there is waaaaaayyyyy to much character development. Something in the following lines:
‘And Raithe found out the man who killed his father. The sun was bright, and he remembered when he was a child of a sunny day like this. He went out to play with his friends, John and Anne. But not Joseph. Oh no, he did not like Joseph. They played until... [skip 3 pages for the plot to continue]'
My complaint is the same as Wheel of Time. The whole book in 3 pages would be an bellow average book in this case though. I tried to give this a chance because I like this style of story.
Other things that bothered me was the stereotyped villain and hero. The hero is faced with world annihilation, and he is the only one capable to save it. But he doesn't want to, because he doesn't believe in fate, don't like violence, and would rather go to a quiet place to start a family and teach his son better. Well, I hate to break it to him but, ‘a quit place' is still inside the world.
The villain is the typical ‘I'm more powerful then everybody else, so they should bend to my will. I will kill anyone who disagrees with me'.
Read 11:02/16:55 65%
Very enjoyable story. This is the first of Sullivan's books I've read and I was impressed with his worldbuilding. I've learned a few lessons from his prose. I listened on Audible, and the narrator was excellent. Highly recommend.
This may have been a case of mismanaged expectations. I fully expected to be in love with it and having this be a new favorite series, as I really love anything Riyria and I like Michael J. Sullivan's writing, but for some reason this just didn't do it for me. I kept waiting for the moment I'd be so engrossed in it I'd barely realize I was almost at the end, but instead this just took ages for me to finish because I was so bored.
I may have just not been in the mood for this at this particular time or something like that, and I might give the second book a shot if it improves just like Riyria did. Talking about Riyria though, I wasn't in love with that from the beginning, but I at least was in love with the characters, and the ones in this just never clicked for me.
I fell in love with this world when I read Riyria Revelations. Each book in the trilogy was better than the one before, and it was obvious that Sullivan improved as a storyteller and writer while working on the series.
Then, I read the three published Riyria Chronicles books. The stories were tighter and more self-contained than the original series, but the quality of writing was superb from the start. Again, it was clear that Sullivan improves with each book he writes.
Finally, I read Age of Myth, and all I can say is....WOW! It's incredible to see the start of what will surely be an epic series by an author who has finely-tuned his craft for so long. This will likely be my favorite “Riyria” series, and probably one of my favorite book series in any genre. The characters are superb, the bronze-age setting is unique, and the easter eggs present for Riyria readers are just immensely satisfying.
This book can easily stand on its own from the other series set in the same world. While it is a “prequel” series, taking place 3000 years before the events of the original books means that just about anything can happen and the story isn't limited by having to keep lots of events consistent.
Also, the audio version of this book is excellent. Tim Gerard Reynolds does a great job (as always) of fully immersing the listener in the world and the story.
Five stars all around, and I can't wait for Age of Swords.
ReRead in September 2021
Adjusted rating more like 2 stars
Well, this is awkward.
I was one of those people that loved Riyria Revelations (I do plan on rereading that sometime soon-ish to see if I still do) and was super excited for a new series by who was probably my favorite author at the time. I think that goes far in explaining why there's such a disparity in my ratings. (Also explains why I didn't originally read past the second book in the series.)
Anyway, this book is ... okay. It was just okay. The things that set it apart from the other fantasy I read, I've realized that I don't actually like.
And by that, I mean the setting. This is an early culture. This is stone age. (If you play Civ, they haven't even made their way through the ancient era yet.) I've learnt, reading this book and how awkward and uncomfortable I was at times, that I like more advanced cultures even in my fantasy.
I don't care about the characters. I am a character reader. If I like the characters enough, I can forgive a lackluster (or lacking) plot. (Which is why I was such a fan of Riyria, because I loved Royce and Hadrian.) You could kill off literally anyone and I wouldn't feel anything. I don't love them, I don't hate them, they are just there, seeming pretty darn devoid of real personalities.
The book itself is dreary, filled with doom and gloom (and the usual casual sexism that is inherent to these cultures. Though with the addition of several strong women. YMMV if it makes it better or worse) and so much of the book felt like an uphill struggle for anything good to happen.
This isn't a case of ‘bad things happen, but people are mostly good' this is a case of ‘bad things happen, people are self-serving and then you die.' (Okay, fantasy books tend to get depressing, usually though, they wait until the second book of a trilogy. This book starts the series off depressingly as well as feeling like an overly long prologue.)
I just...I'm kind of in a bad mood and a little depressed after reading this book. I might continue the series. I do, after all, own the second book and I can get the rest from my library. (And I am super curious about the door. That's the whole of the plot that caught my attention. The door.)
Side note: there is one female Fhrey whose most recent ex is a female and is alluded to (by name) as having had male significant others, too.
Edited to Add
I keep forgetting to add this to my review for this book (and the sequel) there is a lot of violence towards animals. Typical of the more ‘ancient culture' fantasies, there are several battles against wolves and bears.
This was awesome! The world building was intricate, the characters are complex, and while there are a few instances where I can see GoT influences in it, it was still its own story. Raithe, Seph, Suri, and Malcom have captured my attention.
I am totally excited for the next book, but totally annoyed that it wont be out for another year. On the plus side, not only is this author already DONE with this series, props yo, but he doesn't rate his own books on GR, which is just a pet peeve of mine, AND I have seen him respond courteously and respectfully to negative reviews. Again, props, its hard to not to take criticism personally.
Executive Summary: As I've come to expect with Mr. Sullivan, this book was a lot of fun. I'm glad to know that the rest of the series is already written, because I don't want to wait for the next book.Audiobook: Anyone whose read my reviews or had a recommendation from me knows how much I like [a:Tim Gerard Reynolds 4132657 Tim Gerard Reynolds https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1370714999p2/4132657.jpg]. Mr. Sullivan knows how good he is too, and made it a point to get him on board for the audio book before even selling his book rights. He does not disappoint here, and I'll once again proclaim that audio is the best way to go for Mr. Sullivan's fantasy series.Full ReviewI'm always stingy with my five star ratings, but this was an easy choice. The start is a bit slow, but I was far from bored. There was a lot to setup with the start of a new series, even one in an already established world, but it was done quite well as usual.Mr. Sullivan's books have become my go to recommendation the last few years, because I rarely feel so good while/after reading a book. He seems to always strike the right balance between tension and fun. I know I can pick up his books without worry about constant bloodbaths, backstabbing and despicable characters. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy darker fantasy as well, but it's nice to read something on the lighter side.I've been looking forward to picking this series up since first learning about it a few years back. I love his Riyria books largely due to the characters he's created. What would a series set in the same world but 3000 years in the past hold in store?The answer should be unsurprising to fans of his work. Mr. Sullivan has once again created a cast of excellent characters who I can't help but love. Since I did the audio you'll have to forgive any misspellings on my part. Hands down my favorite of the bunch was Suri, whose bafflement of “the game” everyone plays of stating obvious things is only part of the reason she's so endearing.A close second is probably Persephone. She's smart and capable, and cares a great deal about her village and its inhabitants. It's also nice to get the perspective of at least one of the Fhrey with Arion. So unlike many fantasy books that seem to relegate women to minor or unimportant characters, all of my favorites here are women.Then there are Raithe and Malcolm, who make for a nearly as amusing pair as Royce and Hadrian. However not quite THAT good. And that doesn't get into all the excellent secondary and tertiary characters. Persephone's village is full of very interesting people who I look forward to seeing again in future novels.All and all this book does a great job of setting up the story and introducing us to an excellent characters without ever feeling boring or full of info-dumps. It's also fairly well self-contained despite being the start of what looks to be a six book series. Things come to a good stopping place, while leaving your eager for what will come next. I for one can't wait!
Excellent start to an epic story
Michael Sullivan is an amazing story teller. The narrative is tight and moving without sacrificing a rich description. I love the concept that history is not an accurate reflection of the events that happened. The only downside is now I have to wait for the next book to be out!
A great start to an exciting new series! Sullivan has created a rich world with well developed characters. There is a good balance between strong female and male characters, so the story should appeal to a wide audience. I look forward to the rest of the series!
★★★½ out of 5 via spikegelato.com/2016/06/28/review-age-of-myth/
It was thought to be impossible for man to kill the god-like Fhrey. When one Fhrey is killed by a lesser Rhune, potential war between the two races begins to brew. Meanwhile, a Rhune township named Dahl Rhen struggles with leadership upheaval, political maneuvering, and a menacing bear that threatens to rip their limbs and lives to shreds.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
To be honest, this novel only caught my eye because of its wonderful cover image. I have not read Michael J. Sullivan's other Riyria novels, but this Riyria prequel and series starter seemed like a good place to begin. What's admirable about this novel is that it tells a tight, self-contained story while also leaving enough loose threads to carry over into the subsequent sequels. Age of Myth feels like a quest in The Witcher video game series in the style of The Hobbit. Although dealing with the politics of racial inequality and the end of the world, the tale is lighter in tone than most other comparable fantasy series that trend towards the grimdark.
Sullivan positions his characters on far reaching parts of the map before their interests, fates, and motivations become intertwined. While the characters are apart, the story feels disjointed and lacking direction, but once these characters are thrust together things begin to click into place. The characters that Sullivan has placed in this world feel a bit hollow and underdeveloped, with the exception being Suri, the mystic girl who seems able to speak to trees, spirits, and her trusty wolf Minna. Suri is a fascinating and peculiar character who lights up every page that she graces. Suri's presence and Sullivan's knack for humor are a saving grace for a novel that I was not totally taken with at the outset. Buoyed by a strong third act filled with twists and monumental confrontations, the Age of Myth tells a satisfying tale that I would be interested in revisiting in the future–either in its sequel, Age of Swords, or Sullivan's other Riyria novels.