Thoughts on : Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan
Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan
Narration : Tim Gerard Reynolds
Genre : Fantasy
Series : The Riyria Revelations, book 1
About the Book :
THEY KILLED THE KING. THEY PINNED IT ON TWO MEN. THEY CHOSE POORLY.
There’s no ancient evil to defeat or orphan destined for greatness, just unlikely heroes and classic adventure.
Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater, are two enterprising rogues who end up running for their lives when they’re framed for the murder of the king. Trapped in a conspiracy that goes beyond the overthrow of a tiny kingdom, their only hope is unraveling an ancient mystery before it’s too late.
My Thoughts :
Theft of Swords has all the workings of a typical fantasy novel : kings and princesses, murderous political plots, adventurers resting at an inn, a strange magician, a dangerous creature hiding in a tower, elves and dwarves, and so on.
It doesn’t sound terribly original, does it? But Michael J. Sullivan made it a ton of fun. If you’re looking for a fantasy novel where stakes are high but where things aren’t all doom and gloom, this is one you might enjoy.
From what I understand, this series was first self-published as six books rather than three, meaning Theft of Swords includes the first two books. This is why part one and two feel so different, more like different books than two parts of a same one. I felt that part two was a lot more serious in tone. Part one often reads like a comedy; the interactions Hadrian and Royce have with Alaric are a laugh, as well as their interactions with other characters met later on.
And this is probably the biggest strength of the book : the characters. Hadrian and Royce form a typical but entertaining duo, and I was quickly interested in knowing more about them. I also appreciated Arista and Thrace, which I hoped to see again once I closed the book. Arista is the typical “sheltered princess forced to learn about the world outside her castle walls”, but though she is flawed, I never found her annoying or shallow.
As for the worldbuilding, I found the book to be lacking a little. We don’t know much about the world when we’re first thrown in; it’s a pretty typical fantasy world (so far, anyway!), so I didn’t feel lost or confused, but I also didn’t have a clear image of what the world was like.
But overall, I really enjoyed this first book, and I immediately went and listened to book 2 (to be honest, I just started book 3 today). The humor was great, the pace was quick without overpowering the story, and I thought that, while not the most original, the story had many twists that surprised me or entertained me. And I couldn’t ask for more!
