Book Two of The Legends of the First Empire - Age of Swords

What a creative story line with great characters with just the right amount of tension and conflict. I will certainly read the next installment. I can't wait to find out what happens to the two civilizations.

Loving this series - wish I didn't have to wait for the rest to come out - I'm a binge reader and don't like to wait between books. Want to read it all the way through before I forget all the details.

The first one was better. Dove too deep into how "primitive" humans were and distracted from the story.

Spoiler alert!

The demon in the dherg lands was also kind of a rip off the balgarog of Lord of the rings. I still enjoyed the characters and overall enjoyed the book.

The story is fascinating. Finding out all the characters that were referred to in the original Rirya tales are not what we thought they might be is interesting. However there are some parts in writing which let me down a little. Would have given 3.5. Still, a must read for all the Rirya fans out there.

Much like every one of his books I've read I feel as though I've come to know each character as if I've grown up with them. It is beautifully and seamlessly written and I couldn't put it down until I finished it. The ended about killed me. The wait for the next book will be hard.

I'm really no good at reviews so this is just something for Michael J Sullivan you never fail to make me cry laugh and want more. I can't wait for the Next book and I have read all your books several times and I will read them again in the future thank you

Michael J. Sullivan's fine Legends of the First Empire series continues in this excellent second volume.

War is coming. Persephone, Raithe, Suri, Moya, Brin, Arion, and Roan realize that conflict between the Fhrey and Rhunes is inevitable. Knowing this, Persephone has set off in a quest to unite the remaining clans in order to face the Fhrey in force. But how will these clans be able to defeat such a force as the powerful Fhrey?

The answer lies in a land across the sea. In a land inhabited by dwarves, Persephone and the others will find what they will need to defeat the Fhrey. But there are things so evil there that it will take all of their combined strength just to survive. Plus, the dwarves dislike both the Fhrey and Rhunes, so there is no guarantee that they'd be willing to help. Will the small group survive?

This series has quickly become one of my favorites. The characters are all well-developed, and the story is fantastic and is filled with action and suspense throughout. "The Legends of the First Empire" series is set to become one of the best epic fantasy series ever. Highly, highly recommended

I really liked the first book Age of Myth (AoM) and couldn't wait to start Age of Swords (AoS). In AoS I enjoyed some of the storylines (Siri, Persephone, and Roan) but what about the male characters? Raithe was an interesting character in AoM, but what in the world has happened to him? Raithes character went down a path that most men, in my opinion, would never forgive and find irredeemable. So what is going on with the male characters in this story? There isn’t a likable one apart from Gifford.

I’m not sure what the next book has in store and really could care less. It’s sad the story has gone down this path. If Suri and Roan were not such strong and interesting characters I don’t think I would have finished the book. The timeline is crazy from AoM to AoS it’s only been no more than a couple of months. During this time major advancements were discovered, etc. Decisions were made that I don’t understand (Suri’s sacrifice ie). I won’t explain the above since I don’t want to add spoilers, but....

yes this is fantasy but...

never mind.

I have a feeling that Gifford will get a set of magic legs, like Forest Gump (healed) and will become a male hero in the next book. He is the only male character in the story now that has positive qualities. This of course is my opinion.

I think that other reviews with a similar rating captured my reasoning well enough, though that the fact that all the geniuses in the books were female didn't even cross my mind until I read them. Not only does the totally ridiculous rate of technological progression obliterate suspension of disbelief, it also makes waste of the one thing that made the setting unique. From book one, you might have believed that you were getting a story of stone aged humans throwing off advanced alien oppressors, but by the end of book two, they're in the iron age. From book one, you might have thought MJS was trying to do something original with the other fantasy races. By the end of book two, they're being called elves and dwarves. At least he was consistent about his villains being two-dimensional mustache-twirlers.

A few years ago my husband gave me "Theft of Swords" as a birthday present and I got hooked on Riyria Chronicles which is one of my favorite fantasy series of all times with wonderful characters, plots, stories and re-read value. I wasn't sure whether I'd like this new sort of "prequel" series or not, but my doubts were erased the instant I started reading "Age of Myth" and in my opinion "Age of Swords" is just as good if not better. Michael Sullivan is an amazing storyteller with interesting stories and plots but in my eyes his strength is the amazing characters he puts on the page. As a female reader I love that his women are so amazing. Not perfect, but flawed, real, human, self-doubting, wondering people. Some horrific things happen in the stories but I love that the overall tone, drive and endings of the books are hopeful and feel good. I love these books and would recommend them whole-heartedly to anyone who enjoys this genre. I can't wait for the next one!

I found this book to be an enjoyable, exciting addition to the Legends of the First Empire series. As others have noted, there are a number of strong, capable, and likeable female characters which adds much to my enjoyment. I feel that the major male characters (with one exception) are strong and capable in their own right, so the storyline has a good balance.

The plot is sufficiently advancing--I read it in a quick timeframe for me, which means I was kept interested. It does set up some situations for the next book, and I'm looking forward to it.

I laughed, I cried, I was scared, I was mad, I was excited, I've just been on an emotional roller coaster. I finished it in 24hrs & 14 min & that's only because I made myself put it down because I didn't want it to be over. I just could never leave it down long, greedy for more. Michael J Sullivan is my absolute favorite storyteller. He paints the picture so well you feel like you're really there. I really can't say enough good things....not just about this book (was AMAZING btw) but about everything he's written !! The count down to book three has begun!

Best book written my Micheal Sullivan. I enjoyed every minute of it and found it fantastic. Having read the Riyria books twice, I was enjoying figuring out the finer details of the plot in terms of who was who and what really happened compared to the myths brought up in the Riyria books. I'm a total fan and can't believe the publishing date of the next book changed from February to April! Not many people take that long to read a book! (Hopefully someone that has some sway in this matter sees this.

I've loved Michael J. Sullivan's books since reading the first page of the Ryria Chronicles. This book is set in the same world but much further back in time. It continues the saga of Persephone and her efforts to protect her clan against the impending war with the Frey. I love that the book is filled with smart, strong female characters who rely on their loyalty and love for each other to overcome the obstacles in their paths. I like catching some of the references to things that appear in the Ryria books (though I'm sure I'm missing most but that's another reason to go back and re-read them!) Can't wait for the next book to be released!

The second book in the series. it took me a little while to get into the book but once I was back in the world I had a wonderful time reading.

What I love about this book is that it features strong female characters and that the heroes of the stories aren’t the ones you expect. the pieces are starting to fall together in this book. And i loved the little snippets from The Book of Brin at the beginning of each chapter, that set the tone for the chapter.

I normally try not to review until I read a whole series but these are big adventurous books. Both books enveloped me in a world that becomes an alternative reality. Well pictured and developed as a solid science fiction world should be. I could envision the world, the characters and their behavior in a solid way and come to enjoy their adventures within a well defined structure. Great sci-fi. Cannot wait for the next book.

Pretty good. I I think (and hope) it's a set up book for the next one. I guess it's no use bitching about these egotistical multi volume opuses but for the record I don't like them. It's them or nothing though.
One detail that I didn't care for, two or three of our heroes invented the wheel, writing, bow and arrow, and steel all within a couple of weeks. I realize it's a fantasy but it's a hell of stretch and not really necessary to the story.

No one writes like Michael! The stories are everything you would wish for. I read all the time. More than is healthy - and I would trade a night's sleep for hours of pleasure in a book like this. So full of magic, adventure and people in all their passion & pettiness, weakness & heroism. Unpredictable, clean and fascinating. I can't wait for the next one.

Ok really enjoyed this. My only gripe being the whole "sacrifice" part and aftermath of which kind of made me nauseous(and not in a good depraved Michael Manning way lol). Anyway the book got so good again I will let slide. Just an awesome story, primeval while being intricately detailed. Can't wait for book 3!!!

I've loved everything this guy has written. The Riyria series is excellent, and I'm glad to return to that world with this new series. One of the things I like about his writing is that he puts so much effort into making sure it's well-written but also well-edited, well-proofread, and so on.

I highly recommend this book and all his books.

I found this book to be just as entertaining as the previous book. Endless suspense, I had trouble putting the book down. There are a few sad spots and yes, I did cry. Overall a great read. Only complaint I have was the price.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this world/universe. I miss Hadrian and Royce but have fallen in love with the founders of their legends like Persephone and Nyphron. My teenage son is still finishing Hadrian and Royce's story and showing him this new branch will be fun. Also a GREAT example of how quickly and easily stories and rumors can be manipulated. Anxious for more!!!!

★✩ A solid 4 ‘call me Fhreyhyndia’ stars ✩★

I loved Age of Myth. It was on my top 5 fantasy reads of 2016 (I read over 150 fantasy books so that is an accomplishment.). This is a really good story and I enjoyed most of it, even the parts that broke my heart a little or a lot, but I didn’t love it quite as much as the first book of the series. That isn’t to say it wasn’t still a fantastic follow up to Age of Myth. It would have been really difficult to top that book for me.

ஓ Every life is a journey filled with crossroads. And then there are the bridges, those truly frightening choices that span what always was, from what will forever be. Finding the courage, or stupidity, to cross such bridges changes everything. ஓ

Heroes can come from unexpected places and Age of Swords was full of them. The best part for me is that most end up being women. I love the MJS has a cast full of strong female characters that all heroic in their own ways:

ஐ - Persephone always trying to everything possible to save her people no matter the cost to herself.

ஐ - Moya proving to everyone that she is braver in the face of danger than any man. I love her so much. She is fearless and pushes the boundaries of everything. She flirts with the Elves, fights with tradition and proves that just because you are beautiful and could have any man you don’t necessarily need one to save you.

ஐ - Brin who loses so much in this book but in the face of it all looks for how she can best keep the history of a people alive for eternity. She will walk into any danger to be able to chronicle these moments for the future.

ஐ -Roan who is brilliant but broken. I think I might love her the most just because she needs it more than any other character in the book. She survived beatings and slavery and thrived into becoming a mechanical genius. I ship her and Gifford so hard and they better get a little happiness eventually since each completely deserves it.

ஐ - Then there is Suri…well she sacrificed more than I wanted her to and showed us what the cost was to change from a caterpillar into a butterfly.

*** There’s always a cost. And I can’t imagine those pretty wings come cheap. Nothing has so far.” ***

Age of Myth was an introduction into this world and Age of Swords shows how the Rhunic people are evolving, Once they were roaming families that later settled and became clans. Now they need to become even more if they are going to go to war with the Fhrey and that means that all of them must come together as a people if they are going to stand a chance.

I always love the story arcs with the women and even Raithe’s arc was really good. This time the Fane’s young son Mawyndulë had a PoV which was the readers inside as to what was happening within the Fhrey. That was the hardest PoV to read as he is really more like a petulant child. He is incredibly young for an Elf and has been sheltered most of his life so his sense of entitlement and superiority were a bit too much at times that I just ended up being angry at him. Still the machinations in the heart of the Fhrey lands are great and maybe even a little more twisted than I originally thought. These were really the only parts of the book that read slow for me.

I did like getting to visit the Dwarven lands and meeting a few decent dwarves. The Dherg were not quite what I was expecting but I think Nyphron was closer than I thought he’d be.

*** “The Dherg are notoriously untrustworthy. Deceit is their first language and selfishness their creed, so they expect the same from others. They launched a war with my people because they thought we concealed a fruit that granted eternal life. When we told them no such fruit existed, they thought we were lying because it’s what they would have done. They’ll do anything to get what they want. Personally, I’d never broker a deal with them, but this is a good gamble. ***

The world and the cultures become even richer with every chapter in this series. I like that things are laid out for us slowly so that even those who read MJS’s other series have new peoples and places introduced all the time.

For those of you who have read The RIyera books I think that there are lots of little Easter eggs (view spoiler) in here for you as well. For me I think learning that what they believe 3000 years from now has been much skewed from the events that actually took place. I really like how well MJS is playing with this idea. The only author who I think did it just as well or better is Brandon Sanderson when he took the Mistborn world of books 1-3 and then skipped ahead 300+ years with Mistborn 4-6 and you could see how history was remembered.

Nyphron, well I’m not quite sure what I think of that guy. I definitely get his motivations and since I’ve read the other series I know a little of the lore behind him. I honestly can’t wait to learn the truth behind the story that became Nyphron and Persephone. Especially since I’m shipping her with someone that isn’t Nyphron.

This is currently one of my favorite fantasy series and even though Age of Myth was a bit stronger for me I like the direction of the story and LOVED the twists at the end. I was actually pretty surprised in those last chapters and so into everything that was happening that the end hit me hard. I'm so excited to find out more about the door watching Trilos and what he is doing.

And now we wait.

Excellent book, enjoyed the twists and turns in character development and importance in the plot. Makes you think about patterns in human history, how leadership, history, engineering emerged in a very refreshing fantasy story.

I read this book in one day and could hardly put it down. This series has great characters and interesting ties to the Riyria books. I liked seeing clues to Death of Duluth scenes and foreshadowing to what will happen to new characters. The development of technology is fast but this is a fantasy book so it didn't bother me as some other reviewers have noted. Can't wait for the next book - Age of War!

I have thoroughly enjoyed this world/universe. I miss Hadrian and Royce but have fallen in love with the founders of their legends like Persephone and Nyphron. My teenage son is still finishing Hadrian and Royce's story and showing him this new branch will be fun. Also a GREAT example of how quickly and easily stories and rumors can be manipulated. Anxious for more!!!!

★✩ A solid 4 ‘call me Fhreyhyndia’ stars ✩★

I loved Age of Myth. It was on my top 5 fantasy reads of 2016 (I read over 150 fantasy books so that is an accomplishment.). This is a really good story and I enjoyed most of it, even the parts that broke my heart a little or a lot, but I didn’t love it quite as much as the first book of the series. That isn’t to say it wasn’t still a fantastic follow up to Age of Myth. It would have been really difficult to top that book for me.

ஓ Every life is a journey filled with crossroads. And then there are the bridges, those truly frightening choices that span what always was, from what will forever be. Finding the courage, or stupidity, to cross such bridges changes everything. ஓ

Heroes can come from unexpected places and Age of Swords was full of them. The best part for me is that most end up being women. I love the MJS has a cast full of strong female characters that all heroic in their own ways:

ஐ - Persephone always trying to everything possible to save her people no matter the cost to herself.

ஐ - Moya proving to everyone that she is braver in the face of danger than any man. I love her so much. She is fearless and pushes the boundaries of everything. She flirts with the Elves, fights with tradition and proves that just because you are beautiful and could have any man you don’t necessarily need one to save you.

ஐ - Brin who loses so much in this book but in the face of it all looks for how she can best keep the history of a people alive for eternity. She will walk into any danger to be able to chronicle these moments for the future.

ஐ -Roan who is brilliant but broken. I think I might love her the most just because she needs it more than any other character in the book. She survived beatings and slavery and thrived into becoming a mechanical genius. I ship her and Gifford so hard and they better get a little happiness eventually since each completely deserves it.

ஐ - Then there is Suri…well she sacrificed more than I wanted her to and showed us what the cost was to change from a caterpillar into a butterfly.

*** There’s always a cost. And I can’t imagine those pretty wings come cheap. Nothing has so far.” ***

Age of Myth was an introduction into this world and Age of Swords shows how the Rhunic people are evolving, Once they were roaming families that later settled and became clans. Now they need to become even more if they are going to go to war with the Fhrey and that means that all of them must come together as a people if they are going to stand a chance.

I always love the story arcs with the women and even Raithe’s arc was really good. This time the Fane’s young son Mawyndulë had a PoV which was the readers inside as to what was happening within the Fhrey. That was the hardest PoV to read as he is really more like a petulant child. He is incredibly young for an Elf and has been sheltered most of his life so his sense of entitlement and superiority were a bit too much at times that I just ended up being angry at him. Still the machinations in the heart of the Fhrey lands are great and maybe even a little more twisted than I originally thought. These were really the only parts of the book that read slow for me.

I did like getting to visit the Dwarven lands and meeting a few decent dwarves. The Dherg were not quite what I was expecting but I think Nyphron was closer than I thought he’d be.

*** “The Dherg are notoriously untrustworthy. Deceit is their first language and selfishness their creed, so they expect the same from others. They launched a war with my people because they thought we concealed a fruit that granted eternal life. When we told them no such fruit existed, they thought we were lying because it’s what they would have done. They’ll do anything to get what they want. Personally, I’d never broker a deal with them, but this is a good gamble. ***

The world and the cultures become even richer with every chapter in this series. I like that things are laid out for us slowly so that even those who read MJS’s other series have new peoples and places introduced all the time.

For those of you who have read The RIyera books I think that there are lots of little Easter eggs (view spoiler) in here for you as well. For me I think learning that what they believe 3000 years from now has been much skewed from the events that actually took place. I really like how well MJS is playing with this idea. The only author who I think did it just as well or better is Brandon Sanderson when he took the Mistborn world of books 1-3 and then skipped ahead 300+ years with Mistborn 4-6 and you could see how history was remembered.

Nyphron, well I’m not quite sure what I think of that guy. I definitely get his motivations and since I’ve read the other series I know a little of the lore behind him. I honestly can’t wait to learn the truth behind the story that became Nyphron and Persephone. Especially since I’m shipping her with someone that isn’t Nyphron.

This is currently one of my favorite fantasy series and even though Age of Myth was a bit stronger for me I like the direction of the story and LOVED the twists at the end. I was actually pretty surprised in those last chapters and so into everything that was happening that the end hit me hard. I'm so excited to find out more about the door watching Trilos and what he is doing.

And now we wait.

Excellent book, enjoyed the twists and turns in character development and importance in the plot. Makes you think about patterns in human history, how leadership, history, engineering emerged in a very refreshing fantasy story.

I read this book in one day and could hardly put it down. This series has great characters and interesting ties to the Riyria books. I liked seeing clues to Death of Duluth scenes and foreshadowing to what will happen to new characters. The development of technology is fast but this is a fantasy book so it didn't bother me as some other reviewers have noted. Can't wait for the next book - Age of War!

I was going to give this book 1/2 a star, but the grading system wouldn't let me. Honestly, the half star wouldn't even have represented literary excellence by the author, more so that the periods and question marks are in the right place. To say this is a step back would be an understatement, and I'm not interested enough to see if the series can right the ship. Other reviewers have pointed out the ludicrous nature of how the author advances the story....namely have innovations coming so fast and furious it defies any sort of sense. Not to mention the lack of representation by the most interesting characters from the first book. If you are looking for a feminist fairy tale though, by all means dive in.

This book is well written but thats all the good i ccan say about it. In this book the story is basically a long women empowerment story the men are weak and stupid. While the women are all marvelous talents and heave the will power of gods. It gets old fast

As a fan of Sullivan and owner of all his previous books, I couldn't have been more disappointed. What started with a strong premise and mostly interesting characters turned into the most painful of girl-power trope drivel.

I enjoy strong female characters and have no problem with them in pretty much any role (or even all roles!). What made this book frustrating, however, was the constant hammering of how women are just as good -- if not better -- than men:
Raithe, the "godkiller" from the previous book who was shown as being the most skilled human fighter, is suddenly afraid and "sure" he'll lose to an enemy tribe leader disregarding his new advantage of better weaponry. The bad guy shows up tells the women to shut up and "let men handle this". They choose a girl with a bow to fight the bad guy in Raithe's place, and after the fight Raithe tells everyone he had no chance to win and the girl is clearly superior. He also makes sure to hammer over multiple pages that Persephone (the female clan leader) is clearly the best leader ever. Then another of the evil clan leaders runs up to her and declares her the bravest ever and demands she becomes blood-brothers with him.

I stopped reading after the second-to-last chapter because I couldn't take endless hammering "me strong man no accept weak woman! ouch! weak woman too strong, me accept much stronger and braver and awesomer woman!". It's possible to address gender issues in books, and this is definitely not the way.

Completely hooked, as always when it comes to his work. This series is a bit more somber at times, and the world within it seems larger than with Hadrian and Royce, but I believe that was the point. Can't wait to get my hands on "Age of War."

This is only the second book in a series of 6 (all of which are already written, though the remaining 4 are yet to be released), so I will reserve my more extensive and well informed comments on the story itself for when I have read the entire series, in a couple of years time. But these first two books were already great reads on their own, with the typical for Michael J. Sullivan style - smooth and easy to digest, and yet not shallow by any means. With where the plot goes in these two books already, and how the characters are developed, the series promises to be at least as good as the previous epic 6-book series by this author - the Riyria Revelations. So I can't wait to read each of the next 4 books, as soon as they are released.

And yes, I do sound a bit biased already. I admit - Michael J. Sullivan is my favorite fantasy writer of all time, and his Riyria Revelations series is my favorite fantasy series I have ever read (yes, even better than the almost universally loved LOTR and ASoIaF series, in my humble opinion... especially since ASoIaF is not finished and, sorry I have to say it, we are not sure if it will ever be...).

Age of Swords, and this entire First Empire series, is set in the same world, but 3000 years earlier than the Riyria books, so it doesn't have that pair of protagonists whom everyone loves - Royce and Hadrian - but it has a large and diverse cast of character, who are also very interesting and some of them - awesome too (e.g. many readers tend to fall in love with Suri; I do like her too, and I like many of the others). I even like the young villain (or at least he is supposed to be one, probably in the sequels; his story-arc is still separate from the others in this book) - Mawyndule. He is flawed, but not "pure evil", and I can't wait to see how he develops in the sequels. This book also has a fun plot, with quite a few plot twists. While many people, who don't pay much attention and read too quickly, might dismiss Sullivan's books as "too light", they are actually much deeper than one might think... but that is, as I said, if you bother to think a bit more about the events and the characters. Those rare "haters" probably just like to read brutally dark and cynical fantasy, with huge amounts of gore and sex, and everyone being a villain and a backstabber (by the way, I like the ASoIaF books despite those things, not because of them... But I shouldn't digress, and should go back to my review of the actual book I'm reviewing). Obviously, Sullivan's style is not like that at all, and that is exactly what I love about his writing - while in his books there are enough bad people and bad situations to create conflicts and drive the plot forward, there are also quite a few decent people, whom you can sympathize with, and some feel-good (or even cute) situations once in a while, and I think that is much more realistic and similar to the real world, unlike all the depressing and brutal grim-dark "fantasy" that is so fashionable today. The real world is not hell, people!
Also, there are strong female characters, but unlike the silly modern tendencies, Sullivan doesn't magically turn them into fearless and aggressive bad-ass warriors, having enormous plot-armor, and being able to beat any big muscular man at his game - they are strong in their unique female ways, which in my opinion is much more realistic, even in a fantasy setting.

Michael's writing is indeed very character-driven and, while book #1 was a good set-up for the series, in terms of introducing to us many of those diverse and fascinating characters, this one is where we now get to know them more closely, and some of them really start to flourish. And since I already mentioned the women, here's a very obscure spoiler - in one of the main plot-lines of this book we have something like an all-female "fellowship" (although, as I said, not one made up of some sort of "women-warriors") going on a weird and somewhat crazy quest. And yet I'm pretty sure Michael didn't make the gang all female to cater to the feminists, or anything like that - it just happened naturally; and yes, it's kinda cute. :)

I can't wait to read Age of War! ...despite its title alluding to my (usually) least favorite aspect of fantasy narratives - war and battles. But I'm sure the book will have a little bit of everything again.

I LOVE HIS BOOKS! VERY ENTERTAINING, WELL DEVELOPED CHARACTERS, GOOD AMOUNT OF ACTION, AND VERY DEVELOPED PLOT.THIS ONE SEEMED TO LEAN TOWARDS A Y/A LEVEL OR FAIRYTALE LEVEL BUT I HEAR THE NEXT ONE GROWS UP A BIT. FANTASTIC STORY IN THIS BOOK ALSO!

I have listened to all of Michael's other books in this general world/storyline, and for the most part enjoyed them. It came as a bit of a shock as to how poorly conceived this story turned out. In a nut shell the main characters are poorly developed, the suspension of disbelief is far out of bounds even for a fiction story, (personal bias) the whole intro to the dwarves is horrible, and it's "feminist fairy tale" storyline can't be ignored.

below is a more in-depth explanation of why I didn't like this book but contains story plot line SPOILIERS:
************Plot line Spoilers below*************

1. The development of the "hero/good guys" of the story is done is the worst way. Instead of prevailing against difficult odds or challenges, thus, rising above the average person, or defeating a worthy opponent Michaels elevates them by pitting them against blooming idiots or obvious to overcome challenges. They stand out in the world not only because they are better, but because everyone else is supremely stupid and incompetent. Most opponents can't come up with a competent scheme, worthy of a heroic story, and easily/cowardly back down to threats or shows of force. Many obstacles are over come by sheer luck or "well the they are the good guys so things just happen when they need them to." Which leads to point #2.

2. There is too much suspension of disbelief that continuously pulls you away from the story. Oh how to count all the examples of this. First the bow, a weapon/tool developed by virtually every culture or group of people on earth is only invented by 1 super genius, just in time to defeat a demon and win a 1 on 1 fight.
-Same super genius shortly earlier was the only human on the planet to ever invent or conceive of the wheel, just in time to help with the evacuation of a town.
-Another super genius goes from inventing pictography to writing to understanding a foreign language (in months maybe). It should be noted she still only speaks 1 language.
-A "evil" opponent stupidly allows his enemies to observe his smiths making a steel sword (steel being a highly guarded secret).
-Another super genius becomes one of the most powerful magic users within months, just in time to same them from a demon.
-The elves are easily and illogically manipulated into a war with the humans.
-Even though in our earths history metallurgy is very difficult to develop and learn even when you understand the principles of how metal properties are made and work, the "super genius" can observe 1 sword being made and instantly understand how it's done + do it better.
-All the world's major inventions are created by 2-3 people all from the same town all by themselves. No "meeting of the minds" or trade of ideas amongst the thousands of people to move things ahead. Just these 2-3, and within something like a year.
-I could go on and on, but I feel the above is enough to give example to the point.

3. Personal bias on my part, but I am a fan of dwarves. I was given reason (perhaps falsely) this book would finally showcase the dwarves in Michael's fantasy world. As his dwarves were hardly touched on in his previous books I was looking forward to it, oh how disappointing this was.

Not only does he not give a 1st person view point from any of the dwarves (as he has with the other major races) his "world/city of dwarves" amounts to essentially: They have a big stone made city, but it is ugly and horrible to live in because... reasons, they don't like outsiders, they are scum of the earth cheats, greedy, cowardly, and dumb. Only 1 dwarf does not fit the description, and is barely brought into the story.
-Despite the main human characters living in 1 to maybe 3 story mud huts, they are barely awed or even interested in the dwarves city, which as a result gets little description.
-Despite the dwarves being know as builders and craftsman, there is barley any mention of the various tools/structures they've built and have in their city.
-Despite having working sail ships, "push button to open" stone doors, use of other simple machine tools/equipment (wheel and such) they never invented the bow or crossbow. Fine, but when they see the bow they can't understand the combination lever and spring machine and think its "magic."
-Despite having ink and a form of paper (animal skin) + a form of pictography (using marks to track debts and such) they never developed writing. Fine, but when they see writing they can't comprehend the use of symbols for sounds or using the symbols to create patterns to store knowledge it's "magic."
-Despite working with metals and their alloys for centuries, they don't have a single smith in their entire population as good at metal work as the "super genius" seeing serious metal working for her fist time.
-The dwarf empire which was able to challenge and beat the elves up until they developed magic is composed of cowardly warriors who spend the entire time they show up backing down to threats from virtually unarmed women.
-And of course every dwarf save 1 is shown to be cowardly, greedy, and deceitful to the point of being stupid.
-Again I could go on.

3. The feminist fairy tale story. I try and keep away from the whole he vs her crap being slung around everywhere these days. When is shows up in things like stories I can usually ignore it and focus on the story, but this book throws it in your face so blatantly it pulls you out of the story.
-The above geniuses are of course all women. And they never make any serious mistakes, if they gamble or guess at something it's always right. They have virtually no negative personality traits (or they aren't viewed as such by others in the world).
-Every male is one or more of the following: stupid, cowardly, evil, deceitful, arrogant (which ends up hurting them, but never any of the women when they are arrogant, deceitful, or cowardly), or trailing after one of the women like a love sick puppy.
-Every male is immediately out done at their role/strong trait in the book as soon as a female decides to try their hand at the subject: leadership, building, fighting, evaluating situations.
-Women never need the men for anything... except when there may be consequences to their actions. Steal something, let the cripple man receive the punishment. Stand by and let a friend or at least good neighbor be beaten with out acting in their defense, let the male who was also there, but has no friendly connection to the guy be berated and called a coward in front of everyone for doing nothing instead.
-The leading male character spends the whole book mopping, and bringing everyone else down. When a duel comes up in the story, and his role in the book so far has been the warrior, he chickens out and needs a women to step in.
-The leading female character arrives to a clan meeting and instantly solves years of infighting and brings everyone together into one happy family.

Ugh... probably much of the above wouldn't have bothered me if it was just small bits here and there, but it was so prevalent, even the small things started to stand out. Much like getting punched in the same spot so often a bruise develops making every resulting touch much worse than it would have been.

As description states, I didn't like the book. It was made worse by the fact that I've read other books by Michael J Sullivan and know he is capable of doing better.

Wow! And I thought Book One was good. I just turned the last page on this second book of the “Legends of the First Empire” series and feel blown away! It’s the best feeling I’ve had when finishing an epic fantasy novel in quite some time. Of course, this series is a prequel series to the much-loved Riyria books (Revelations and Chronicles), set 3000 years before those. To quote the author’s blog about book one, ”Age of Myth is a small story that will launch an epic tale that will lay the foundations for a world where in three thousand years two thieves will uncover much of what was lost, but so many more revelations remain to be discovered.” Age of Swords most definitely launches that epic tale in full force.

I will resist spewing out a plot summary because I would never do it justice and it would come out sounding like many other fantasy books written over the past 30 years or so. However, I will say that it picks up shortly after the events of “Age of Myth” with the same major characters and revolves around the need for the human clans to become more practical in order to deal with the very real threat from the long-lived and magic-wielding Fhrey (elves). Along the way, other major characters are introduced as well as the dwarven race (properly called “Belgriclungreians), whose impact on events cannot be overstated.

The author’s world building is once again in evidence but now is solidifying more. I have a much greater understanding of the political situation, especially the Fhrey due to several very engrossing chapters about what is happening concurrently in their part of the world. What seemed vast in the first book now seems more concrete, with each of the clans displaying unique personalities, much like the characters themselves. Normally I tend to shy away from books with lots of characters; they seem to blend together so often and I lose track of who is doing what to whom. But here, the author really shows his writing chops. Every character, even the minor ones, are distinctive and personalized, all of which led to my own sinking completely in to the story.

I also enjoyed watching our main characters learn from the other races, achieving great advancements quickly such as learning about the wheel, developing carts, wagons, baskets, barrels, and discovering writing as well as the bow and arrow. And of course, since this is the “Age of Swords” they advance from simple copper weapons to bronze, iron, and what appears to be steel. Perhaps the most satisfying parts of the story are how they use their brains to leverage this information and techniques to achieve what was previously thought impossible, making heroes out of some and chumps out of others. I would be remiss to not also show some love for Suri and her remarkable transformation in the use of the Art. I foresee great things coming from her.

This is, indeed, a complex world but Mr. Sullivan has a way of making it all completely understandable and relatable. He balances the earthiness and texture of the human clans with the political intrigue and royal factions of the advanced race of Fhrey and tosses in the engineering skills and comic relief of the dwarves. The ending of this book was emotional and extremely satisfying and certainly sets a high mark for the following novels in the series still to come.

Highest recommendation!

This is the second book in the Legends of the First Empire series. Book one is Age of Myth: Book One of The Legends of the First Empire and there will be six books total in the series. You really need to read the first book before reading this one because there is no re-cap of the events in the first book and, unless the finished book has one that my advanced readers copy did not, there is no cast of characters to give background information. After I read this book, I discovered the author's web site for this series has a glossary for Age of Myth that should help you with a number of the characters. If you have the time, it might even be worth skimming through the first book to refresh yourself on what happened. It had been a year or so since I read the first book and it took me a little while to be comfortable with the characters.

The story in this book starts some months after the end of Age of Myth and as I mentioned above, the author jumps right back into the story without a recap. Having read the first book, there were enough things sprinkled in that refreshed my memory of that book, but had I not read the first book, I would have struggled to understand what was happening.

Given the title of this book, I was expecting this to be a battle-heavy story. The title is very apt, but in a completely different way than I expected. There is enough fighting to appease the readers who like their fantasy to have a lot of action, but the female characters do most of the "heavy lifting" in this installment of the series. That being the case, there is a lot that happens that is not driven by physical dominance. I really liked how the story developed in this book -- even more than I enjoyed the first book.

It was while reading this book that I truly appreciated how primitive the Rhune people are. They achieve some technological breakthroughs in this book that really paint the picture of exactly how backwards a people they are in a way that saying they are primitive never did. I loved those parts of this book.

It is hard to talk much about this book without spoiling it for readers. Let me just say that it continues the story of the developing conflict between the Rhunes and the Frey and the plotting and scheming continues in the Fhrey world while the Rhune people are trying to find a way to survive. I really enjoyed the direction the author took the series in this book and I look forward to reading the next installment.

The formatting is messed up in the kindle version, bad enough that it's making it difficult for me to read. Every couple of page there is a break in the text, like you'd see in the middle of a chapter when the scene changes or the narrator of the story changes. My mind keeps wanting to pause like you would in a normal book, making the reading choppy. It's really stealing the enjoyment from the book for me.

Michael J. Sullivan is quickly becoming my favorite writer of epic fantasy. First off, I love that he has written his entire series first and then releases them. So, those of us who unfortunately READ vs. watched Game of Thrones or have got bogged down in the never ending Wheel of Time series will appreciate that Michael Sullivan finishes his books first. Age of Swords is an excellent sequel to the Excellent Age of Myth. What makes both books excellent???? CHARACTERS that are INTERESTING and that you care about! There are too many sci fi books and fantasy books that try to make the social justice aspects of the books the main part of the story, meaning some non-European location or having a character that meets some social justice check list is more important than story. That is NOT the case with Michael Sullivan, his books are great because the story and characters are interesting. Much like the Wonder Woman movie, you can have a strong female character that people like because the story is great, not simply because they are a female character. The human, elf, and dwarf characters in both of the books that have been released in this series are interesting. This is a very worthy sequel to a series that is a prequel to the excellent Riyria books. Sullivan's writing is very smooth, they are detailed there is plenty of back story, and yet neither book in this series is a 1000 page door stopper! I have read that there is some behind the scenes stuff with the publisher and the audio books that may effect the release of the next books, but again I like that either way, the series is done and will get to us readers in a timely manner unlike George RR Martin or the late Robert Jordan or some other authors out there. I liked the Riyria books that I read very much and I have enjoyed the two books in this series very much. Strong characters, human, elf, and dwarf, great story. This is good old fashion fun epic fantasy.

This is the second book by Michael J. Sullivan that I’ve read. I found that it was an easy read that held my interest from chapter to chapter and made me look forward to the next book in this series.

“Age of Swords” is book two of the six book Legends of the First Empire by this author, continuing on the heels of the first book, “Age of Myth”. The action begins almost immediately with Persephone, the widow of the clan’s previous chieftain Reglan, continuing to serve her clan, the inhabitants of Dahl Rhen, by trying to unite and protect them after the epic upheaval of the previous book. The thrilling saga weaves the struggles involved in the daunting task of uniting all the tribes of Rhun, to prepare for an apparently inevitable war with the universally feared and hated godlike Fhrey tribe, the Miralyuth. Encounters with outcast Fhrey, Dherg, Galantians and the occasional goblin among others, underscore her struggle in her attempt to unite the backward Rhun to a common goal, that of defending all Rhun against the anticipated genocide at the hands of the Miralyuth. All the while clan of Dahl Rhen struggles to evolve under a new generation of leadership from book one. The story line leads individuals of the clan thru journeys that reveal to each their individual character and their relationships to one another as they discover their own hidden strengths.

Michael Sullivan, who self professes to write the entire series before publishing has apparently already written the subsequent books in this series. According to him, it allows for a greater flexibility contributing to the fluid transition of one book to another while enabling him to maintain a consistent and coherent thread. After reading both this and “Age of Myth” I very much look forward to the rest of the series and as they have already been written and as he has said in the Audible version of book one, they will be finished even if he is “hit by a bus” which I sincerely hope never happens. I look forward to reading with great enthusiasm his other book series.

Book one laid the groundwork, book two begins the action! The book picks up exactly where the previous left off. (If you haven't read book one, stop reading this review, there will be spoilers for you.)

The Fhrey are angry. They have put themselves in the place of gods and the Rhunes have bought it. Well, not anymore. Thanks to Malcom and Raithe they have been proven to be mortal. And they don't like it. They take revenge and begin plotting and planning for the total destruction of Rhunes. The Fane has internal pressures to contend with, partly from his son.

The Rhunes are resilient though. Persephone calls for a full tribe council to elect a "keenig" to lead them into battle. They gather in Tirre, with a squad of Fhrey outlaws and three Dhergs. But in order to have any chance in the war, they must be trained by the Galantians and have the dwarves help them make weapons. And of course, there are dangers with both.

The interpersonal relationships between the characters get more attention in this book. Moya, Brin, Roan and Suri are more involved in the story and we spend more time with the councils and characters of the Fhrey. And of course, we're introduced to the dwarves (who do not like being called Dhergs!) and their cultures and quirks.

It's shaping up to be a great series. It's going to be hard to wait a year for the next one. I have a whole TV miniseries running through my head with what could be done.

Very disappointing. His previous works are fantastic. Royce and Hadrian were amazing. But then he does a complete 180 with Age of Swords and let me down.

I only have two gripes, but they are pervasive throughout the book.

1) The blatant over-compensating for the issue of "weak female characters in fantasy". He wrote all the main female characters as world-changing super-heroines who can do no wrong. All of them. Not only that, but they made their climb to greatness in literally a matter of days. Conversely, all of the main male characters are weak-minded belly scratching buffoons. Heck, he even took the master swordsman and famed god-killer from the first book and neutered him. Raithe spends the entire book as an indecisive selfish moron until the end when he spontaneously morphs into the spokesman for the feminist movement. This weird male bashing, girl power thing came out of the blue from Sullivan and turned what could have been a phenomenal story into a painful read.

2) Inventing the wheel, written language and archery in a week? And perfecting iron working after an evening of observation? C'mon. I know it's fantasy, but really? Not to mention Suri mastering the Art in less than a month when it normally takes centuries. Talk about some massive eye-rolls here Sullivan. You're better than this.

Please Note: I received an advance reader's copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence the opinions of my review in any way.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is a sweeping tale of discovery in a mythical time. The characters, story, and Bronze Age setting make this a highly entertaining second installment. Can book three please come out soon?

My Review:
About a year ago, I was fortunate enough to be approved for the ARC of Age of Myth, by Michael J. Sullivan. I loved the characters, and epic storytelling. My only frustration was that the story ended and I would need to wait a year to read the next installment!

I finally was able to receive the ARC of the next book in the series, Age of Swords, and it was worth the wait! Everything that I loved about the first book is amplified in the next. Plus, the characters journey on an epic adventure worthy of The Lord of the Rings, trilogy.

What I Liked:
Characters:

In a book where all the characters are preparing for war, you might be surprised that the focus of the story is on the many outstanding female characters. Here are just a few of my favorites:

Persephone is the widow of the Rhune chieftain, Reglan, who is the obvious choice to succeed him. Even in this patriarchal society, everyone can see Persephone is a strong leader (and was probably advising Reglan). She is fiercely devoted to her clan, and will do whatever it takes to make sure they survive, even leading her people into a war with the Frhey.

Arion is one of the Fhrey, an elf-like race of people that were thought (until recently) to be gods. She is powerful in the "Art", which means she can manipulate the elements to do magic. She is the natural enemy of the Rhune (primitive people), but has switched sides and is helping the Rhune to find a way to fight the Fhrey. I enjoyed how she mentored Suri and became almost a big sister to her. I think she embodied the spirit of sisterhood that some women are luck enough to tap for comfort and support.

Stunningly beautiful, Moya has been written off as nothing more than a whore. But she longs to be useful and trains for combat so she can be Persephone's "Shield" (bodyguard). I loved her spirit and determination. She knows what others think of her. And, while she is hurt, she pushes past everyone's perceptions of her to forge her own identity.

Roan is also a damaged soul. The ex-slave has been through horrible abuse and can't stand to be even casually touched. She is the group's tinkerer and comes to invent many useful devices for her people. Reading about her bursts of inspiration was a delight.

Teen-aged Suri is the group's mystic and seems to possess Arion's talent for The Art. She had the toughest journey in the novel, going from carefree child to an adult who must assume responsibility far too soon.

Setting:

Although this is a fantasy novel, it seems to be set in the Bronze Age. I loved this because of all the amazing technical innovations that the characters made throughout the book. I also enjoyed the mix of historical fiction and fantasy. It almost seems possible that in a time of world-changing discoveries (that must have seemed to be magic) there would be elves, demons, and gods.

Story:

I love storytelling which focuses on characters finding out who they are meant to be. Discovering these talents is not always joyous. It means sacrificing some desires to make room for the work of becoming your true self.

In the book, several of the characters must travel to a faraway land in order to find what they need to defeat the Fhrey. Everyone thinks they are fools to do it. And those who go are tested beyond almost all reason. But they emerge with wisdom, and are transformed. I can't say more without revealing spoilers, but this is a Bronze Age road trip to end all road trip

Ahoy there me mateys! If ye haven’t read the first book in this series, age of myth, then ye might want to skip this post and go read the first book. Worth the read. If ye keep reading this log then ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .

Ye see a ways back in time, I won me a book which happened to be the first book in this series: age of myth. It was also me first experience reading the works of Mr. Sullivan. The novel was one of the best books I read in 2016 and I adored it. Then I got me a copy of this one. The only problem was finding an uninterrupted day where I could lock meself in me cabin with the understanding that anyone who bothered me was going to be run through by me cutlass! But of course being Captain, I recently had me heart's desire and read this gem in one sitting. It be first-rate.

The highlight fer me was how this story continued to portray strong female characters. While there are side stories in this novel, the main action involved me favorite women from the first novel including, but not limited to, Suri, Persephone, Moya, Brin, Roan, and Arion. In fact this group is a powerhouse of different strengths and talents who work together and trust each other. Empowering and awesome. Many of the men sit back on the sidelines arguing and accomplishing nothing. Made me laugh. Of course not all of the male characters are pointless. We get to see me other male favorites like Raithe and Gifford as well. There are a quite a few new characters introduced that I know I will enjoy discovering in later books.

The storytelling overall was full of action and the time spent reading whirled right by. I was completely enthralled for 99.99% of the novel. I perhaps even shed more than a few salty tears. There were only a few quirks that made this novel slightly less fun than the first.

One was the point of view chapters of Mawyndule. He is a hateful, spoiled, annoying brat. While I understand his existence, his naivete and attitude made me sigh when I had to hear what was inside his head again. I would love to make him walk the plank and then be eaten by treacherous sharks with the remainder of him sunk to the bottom of Davy Jones' Locker never to be heard from again.

The other minor problem was that a large portion of the book took place in what felt like the mines of Moria with the Balrog. As I read that famous trilogy every year for 16 years, it took me a little bit to shake the sensation of deja vu. I decided in me head that it was deliberate homage and got over it. Besides even though it is an epic fantasy, the characters are me true joy and I loved watching the consequences of their choices whether it be heartbreak or growth.

This is not to say that the plot, politics, world building, magic, and other elements of the story don't float me boat. They did. Plus the ending was delightfully foreshadowy. I loved this novel and already know I want the other four. The author suspects we might be able to get our hands on the rest of the series on an accelerated schedule. Arrrr!

Side note: for an excellent breakdown of the different series by Michael Sullivan and his advice for reading same, check out his series page on his website.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for me honest musings. Arrrr!

Age of Swords is the second installment of The Legend of the First Empire series. This is a series that is better off read consecutively. There is some background information given that would help grasp what happened in the first installment but to fully understand the overarching plot you really need to read these books in series order.

I was thrilled that some of the races that were mentioned in the first book, such as the Dhergs and Grenmorians, were brought to life in the Age of Swords. Yay! I enjoyed learning a little about the giants but better than that was the interactions with the Dhergs, also known as the dwarves. Not only were these characters introduced but I was taken on a journey to their home land. There a rich history of the three races unfolded as well as extreme testing of Persephone and the band of rhunes that accompanied her to the kingdom of the dwarves.

There was an introduction of many new characters and further development of the characters we had already come to know. I applaud the Author for his strong female characters. They are all feminine but at the same time tough enough to endure trials. Their development is not forced and nothing they do is beyond the realm of reason for how their characters were written. They are just natural in their own skin. I admire these female characters and am excited to be a part of their adventures.

This story is told in alternating narratives between the story unfolding for man, dwarves, and elves but the main focus is on mankind and how they are preparing for an upcoming conflict. I really enjoyed how the rhunes from the Dahl Rhen clan made discoveries that was akin to watching them evolve from cavemen to something other. Between their new alliances and their evolution, the rhunes are having advantages never before available to them. They are more than the dogs that the fhrey akin them to. The fhrey who are intent on the rhunes destruction fail to give them enough credit and this will give the rhunes several advantages in the upcoming war.

The scenes in this book are depicted so vividly. All I can say is wow! I was able to visualize everything from the clothing that the characters wore, the environment they were in, to the scenery that surrounded them. This was a truly mesmerizing story that engaged all my senses. The complexity of magic used in this world is phenomenal. The way that the Art is explained and demonstrated is just captivating. I did not want to stop learning about it!

This story is truly about an age of swords as the rhunes struggle to find the weaponry necessary to mount a defense against the forces that are coming to destroy them. Although this is a story that deals with some dark issues, such as war and impending doom, but there is a blending of humor, friendship, new discoveries, love, and sacrifice as well. This complex weaving of elements give this story a feeling of hope and rallying against the odds. It left me feeling optimistic for the situation as well as cringing for what is to come. Age of Swords is one epic fantasy that I highly recommend to all readers.

This review is based on a complimentary book I received from NetGalley. It is an honest and voluntary review. The complimentary receipt of it in no way affected my review or rating.

Not sure what I expected but this fell far from my expectations. I listened to the novel. Of course, Tim Gerard Reynolds is brilliant, lending his acting talent to make characters come alive. I struggled to keep focus on the story. The part dealing with the Fhrey is always interesting but we get so little time and attention on the Fhrey. Wish the book was more about their role, or equal parts with the Rhunes, also even Nyphron and his Galantians were left on the side of the road. There was no war no fighting other than verbal fights. The problem is the predictability of the story and what we know before even beginning this series. We know Nyphron, Raithe, Brin and Persephone are successful from the Riyria stories. This poses a challenge for the novel's success in terms of its brilliance and uniqueness. Is it a stand out book? No. If it wasn't for the Riyria series setting the tone, I wouldn't necessarily mark the next book's release date on my calendar. The novel needed to be surprising. It wasn't really. I wouldn't say I predicted outcomes, I just didn't love the conclusions. Even Suri mastering the art, when did this happen? She merely used it. The Galantians not having a larger role doesn't make sense when they provide the intel for the fight with the Fhreys. Nyphron being blamed is silly. The Fhrey are supposed to be smart and next to godliness. Yet blame was so easy despite the lack of evidence, or simply common sense. More over the Fhrey set an agenda they already had: kill Nyphron and now in book two reduce the Rhune populace. What difference does double jeopardy make in this case?

The second book in this series has everything that made the first one great and more. Readers will come away with a better understanding of the world and the races that reside there. All our favorite characters are back and there are some new characters. We also find out the some we thought were allies are not and are only exploiting them for their own motives. How long will this continue and will the former slave ever stop and realize that what he is doing is not in his best interest.

Suri is still my favorite character, but Roan is a close second with Moya in a close third. In this book Suri must make some terribly hard choices and I have to admit that the author had me in tears not just once, but twice. Padra said some things to Gifford about what Tura told his mother while she was pregnant and I think Suri will be instrumental in these things coming to pass.
I have to say that I loathe the character of the fanes son (he fane is not much better), but I think that we are supposed to. You would think after being manipulated by the Gray Cloaks he wouldn’t allow himself to be led so easily again. I know he is young and when you live a couple of thousand of years or longer it’s easy to imagine that you don’t have much common sense until you are several hundred years old. So why aren’t they treated as children until they are at least 100?
I like how the author is writing the ruling class of the elves, how some of them have become because they can wield the Art that they are gods and everything and everyone else is below them. I can see how after thousands of years of this being the norm that some would come to believe they are divine and I cannot wait until they find out about Suri. I also don’t think that she will be the only one, there must be others among other tribes and while there powers might not be as great as hers they will be needed. Persephone and the others have performed a miracle, returning with the knowledge of how to make weapons so that they will have a chance when fighting the elves that do not have magic but they will need magic to fight magic and they will need more than two.

Now the hard part begins, waiting for the next chapter in this series which will not be released until the summer of 2018.

5/5 STARS: **I want to thank the author and/or publisher for providing me with a copy of this book via the store’s Vine Program in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are mine.**

Dues ex Machina - a plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem is suddenly and abruptly resolved by the inspired and unexpected intervention of some new event, character, ability or object.

Spoiler Alert: I loved the first book, but half way through Age of Swords, I got the feeling Michael Sullivan got hit with the lazy writer syndrome and just yanked every fantasy trope and meme out of the bag for this story. Dwarves, Elves and men forced into a distrusting and necessary partership? Where have we heard this one before? Team of seven off to an underground mine system to destroy a demon? I seem to have read that once. So on and so on. But what really makes me give this book a three star rating is the shear number of times Sullivan resorts to a deus ex machina plot device. I'll keep it simple. We have a race that is basically barely above neanderthal level in terms of tools and life style, and in the space of one half of a book, they invent the wheel, they invent bows and arrows, new building structures, and of course, they discovered art and develop the ability to read and write other people's languages. It's just too much to believe and I know this is fantasy, but I like good fantasy, and Sullivan certainly has the ability to write superior stories and invent new worlds, but this series and this book in particular is one of his lesser works.

I'll still move on and get the next book, hoping this was just an writing burp, but I found it too detract greatly from the story. The narration is excellent and gets five story, the story only two, so the final average is 2-1/2.

3.5 Stars. I really like Sullivan's writing and have thoroughly enjoyed all of his previous books. However, this entry in the Legends series did not match Sullivan's capabilities. The story was basically engaging, but there were a number of things that seriously detracted from it.

SPOILERS BELOW:

1. The character of Raithe was very different from the first in the series. I enjoyed his character in the first book, but he devolved into a moody, weak character here.
2. The story required way too much suspension of reality. How on earth could a couple of young women invent the wheel, bows and arrows, writing, and advanced metallurgy in a matter of a few months?
3. Suri had to kill her beloved wolf, Mina, to save the others, and then had to kill the Mina-dragon to keep the dragon from being left alone in the caves. To me, it was absolutely horrible to kill off two loving, completely trusting animals. Surely a way could have been found to free Mina-dragon.
4. I found it hard to believe that anyone could be as oblivious as Mawyndule. Surely the royal heir would have had much more extensive instruction.
5. Too much time spend going over and over and over the "Art."

Age of Swords picks up shortly after the events in Age of Myth, Book One of The Legends of the First Empire by Michael Sullivan.

In Myth, Raithe proved that the Fhrey were not gods by killing two of them. As Sword opens it becomes clear that appeasement is not an option as a magical storm and an attack by giants destroys Dahl Rhen. Persephone, now chieftain of Dahl Rhen, calls all the tribes together to select a Keenig, or single ruler to lead the tribes in the now inevitable war with the Fhrey, or elves. The only advantage the Rhunes, or humans, have is numbers. Fhrey are long-lived, but slow breeding. They have better weapons, strength, and tactics, not to mention magic.

It turns out the Rhunes have a few secret weapons of their own, namely some strong and clever women. As the other chieftains bicker over who should be Keenig, Persephone strikes a deal with some dwarves who need someone to defeat a demon who has barred them from their home. Persephone agrees to lead a group to fight the demon in exchange for weapons that can be used in the war against the Fhrey. The group includes Brin, the clan record keeper, Suri, the young mystic who has demonstrated the ability to wield magic like the Fhrey, renegade Fhrey Arion, Roan, the former slave with an almost single-minded focus on inventing things, and Moya, the beautiful girl with hidden depths and strengths who takes on the role of Persephone’s protector.

One of the things that sets this series apart is the complete lack of technology among the Rhune. The sense of wonder and opportunity that come along with the invention of the items like the wheel and iron weapons are interestingly captured here. Events move steadily forward towards war with the Fhrey, even as the Rhune must learn to work together. Persephone’s practical leadership and strategic thinking propel the story forward. Time spent among the Rhune and the dwarves is the most enjoyable. Much like the first book, time spent in Fhrey society is less interesting. There is scheming and the seeds of intrigue planted there, but the lack of sympathetic characters among them are the weak point of the story. The emotional core of the story is Persephone and her group. Their determination and sacrifice drives home the magnitude and stakes of what awaits them. The very survival of humanity may depend on their success.

The audio version of the book is dedicated to its narrator, Tim Gerrard Reynolds, and it is easy to see why. His narration complements the story at every turn with distinct character voices and great pace. He conveys the emotion present in the scenes and amplifies the humor. Although the books can be enjoyed in either print or audio, Reynolds skillful narration makes the audio my preference.

Age of Swords is an excellent follow up to Age of Myth and will be sure to please fans of Sullivan’s work. I’m looking forward to the next volume. Highly recommended.

I was fortunate to receive a copy of this audiobook from the publisher.

The Age of Swords is the second book of the five book Legends of the First Empire series. (*See my remarks about series below.) It picks up shortly after where Age of Myth ends. Dahl Rhen is destroyed in a retaliatory raid ordered by the Fhrey. Persephone, the new chieftain, gathered together what remained of her clan and fled to a neighboring dahl. There she hopes to unite the clans in war against the Fhrey. But talking folks into going to war against gods is easier said than done, especially without effective weapons so soon Persephone and a small band of women take ship to the city of Neith to negotiate with dwarves for a supply of swords. The price? Just kill a giant, only Balgrgarath isn’t really a giant. He’s a demon. As Brin said, “The name should have been a clue. When something sounds like a giant vomiting up a dwarf, you shouldn’t expect sunshine and daisies.”

What I liked most about this book was its cast of strong female characters. One can’t be blamed for thinking a handful of women could stand a chance against a demon but this isn’t your typical handful. Persephone has already shown her mettle as a leader in Age of Myth, as have Arion the Fhrey refugee and Suri, her apprentice in the magical arts. Also with them are Brinn, keeper of the clan’s stories who is fascinated with the idea or turning sounds into marks on tablets; the inquisitive Roan, who confronts every obstacle with the thought that there must be a better way, and Moya, who makes up in bravery what she lacks in other qualities.

Bottom line: There are so many fantasy series out there that it takes a lot to make one stand out and keep the readers coming back for more. This series has a compelling plot, well-developed characters that are easy to relate to, and just the right combination of thrills and humor to keep me interested. I highly recommend Michael Sullivan’s Legends of the First Empire series.

* Some people insist on reading series in order starting at the beginning. I believe that this is absolutely necessary with some series and unnecessary in others. In my reviews, I assign books in a series a score of one to five in which the higher score denotes increased importance of reading the book in order. A series with returning villains, an ongoing story arc, and evolving family dynamics will rate higher than one where the plot in each book is totally unrelated to the others. As an example, a Nancy Drew book would be a one. There is no evolving story arc. Nancy hasn’t grown any older in fifty years and, face it, Ned is never going to propose to her. The Lord of the Rings, on the other hand, is a five. Reading the trilogy in order is essential to fully understanding and appreciating the story. One book picks up right where its predecessor leaves off and Fellowship of the Ring contains information that readers of The Two Towers really need to know. Besides, Tolkien originally wrote it as a single volume.
I rate This book a 3.5 to 4 on the series scale. The dominant story line is the long story, which is made more evident when we learn that Michael Sullivan wrote all five volumes before the first volume went into print. Even so, the events in Age of Swords, while a contributing part of the overall story, can be read as standalone without losing too much difficulty in comprehension. I don’t recommend it, but if a copy of Age of Myth is unavailable, it can be done.

**Quotations are cited from an advanced reading copy and may not be the same as appears in the final published edition. The review was based on an advanced reading copy obtained at no cost from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review. While this does take any ‘not worth what I paid for it’ statements out of my review, it otherwise has no impact on the content of my review.

FYI: On a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:
*5 Stars – Nothing at all. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
*4 Stars – It could stand for a few tweaks here and there but it’s pretty good as it is.
*3 Stars – A solid C grade. Some serious rewriting would be needed in order for this book to be considered great or memorable.
*2 Stars – This book needs a lot of work. A good start would be to change the plot, the character development, the writing style and the ending.
*1 Star – The only thing that would improve this book is a good bonfire.

The following review is based on the audible book, which I would highly recommend.
In this second book in the series the author decides to split up our favorite band of heroes. Spoilers ahead for those of you interested. Persephone ends up taking Suri, Minna, Arion, Moya, Roan and Brin to a land where they are not welcomed in order to gather weapons and shields for the up coming battle against the Fhrey. Going up an ancient foe for payment on the weapons, they end up winning at a high cost.
There is a fight back and forth on said payment and the group is almost put to death. In the end they come away with the knowledge of how to manufacture the weapons and shields along with a new tool which they made, a bow.
Some might say it's all girl power in this book however I disagree. Yes there is a lot of male chest thumping at times. But what do you expect when you get the leaders together to see who is head chieftain. The other side stories include an attempted coup in among the Fhrey with Mawyndule being manipulated like a puppet which is very interesting. Back at the camp, Raithe has second thoughts about sticking around. But in the end he stays since his love for Persephone is just too strong.
Persephone and some of the group return just in time for a battle over who is king among the tribes. She is nominated by Raithe. One Dahl wants their leader to be king. On a one on one battle, he takes on Moya and with the bow she kills him. There is another interesting twist with Malcolm at the end.
Overall I love how this story is playing out. The characters are above and beyond what drives the story into being great. In the past I've read books by outstanding authors like P. Bacigalupi, N. Stevenson, T. Zahn, A. Donnelly, C. Gray, R.E. McDermott and P. Cawdron. I've also read what I consider bad books from the likes of K. Hearne and C. Wendig. I would have to put Mr. Sullivan with the top part of my most liked author's list.

I gave this book only four stars instead of five because I had such a hard time suspending disbelief when one character seemed to invent or improve every modern innovation, including: scissors, the pocket, the bow and arrow AND written language - all in like a year (and all while psychologically broken). I can buy genius and a pre-historic renaissance, but it was too much for me swallow. There are many (too many?) strong or saint-like women who are the power or force behind mostly clueless men and not many men who are admirable, but that is a mild complaint and as I am a woman....it doesn't bother me all that much.

And, as usual, this was a rousing adventure with lots of lovely characters and an overarching commentary on how history is made and remembered.

Three and a half stars. A good but not great sequel to Age of Myth. Sullivan writes a good story and there is one here but he transitions from the heavy world building and action of the first book into a more character driven tale and it falls flat.

I love character driven stories of all sorts and Sullivan does a great job building strong female characters which is a pleasant change from so much fantasy and SciFi. The characters are so busy doing things in the story that they don't really build or drive the story arc itself. While a naturally gifted and strong magician is well within the realm of high fantasy; the incredible pace of mundane developments from Roan and Brin stretch the imagination. Other reviewers have commented on this, mostly on Roan's invention of the wheel and the archery all in a week. Where I had more trouble was Brin going from trying to develop a pictographic writing system to reading an ancient language (that no one speaks) in a day. Even in high fantasy that goes too far.

The entire set of chapters in the Frey (elven) kingdom could have been omitted. While there are events that might tie into later books; these just seemed to detract from this story with the exception of Trillos. The similarity of names to the ancient prisoner just seems a little too obvious. I am not done with this series, but this was just okay.

I've been waiting months for the next instalment in Michael J. Sullivan's latest fantasy epic. Not only were my expectations met, they were exceeded. Just as with AGE OF MYTH, this sequel is a powerful, emotional tale that truly makes you feel like you're going on an adventure with unforgettable characters. I don't know where to begin because I just loved this book so much! The characters were exceptional. Raithe, one of my favourites, played a smaller role in this story, but the rest of it was completely dominated by Persephone, Suri, Moya, Brin, and Roan. If you're looking for a fantasy epic with strong, unconventional female characters, THIS is the book you've been waiting for. Proof that it doesn't matter who you are or how high the odds might be stacked against you––if you believe in something, you can fight for and achieve it. Another aspect I loved was the further depth into the world's lore. What makes this series so unique is that it's unconventional fantasy; these people and characters, more or less, are primitive, but far from stupid. Witnessing them learn and utilize weapons and creations we take for granted today was one of the highlights in what continues to be a fantastic series. And of course, there was the action! There were epic battles and betrayals and bloodshed, all leading to a satisfying climax and an ending chapter that already has be biting my nails and stressing. And if all of that isn't enough to convince you that you NEED these books in your life, look at that cover. Just look at it. I haven't seen many covers as beautiful as this. I need it framed on my wall. AGE OF SWORDS is not a book to be missed, and will undoubtedly land on my Best Books of the Year List. Read it now!!!

Book two in the Legends of the First Empire continues exactly where the previous book left off and moves on with the plot without wasting time reiterating events. Personally I like this approach in book series where the author is confident that readers are already familiar with what has happened.

While the plot continues on as before, we do get a lot more characters and the concentration is on different view points than previous. On occasion this is a bit annoying; it feels like we only some get a full account of some while so many others are left to the wayside. Fortunately all the points of view are interesting save one - that of Mawyndulë the elven prince whose chapters of whining teenager idiocy were quite hard to get through. A few plot elements felt maybe a bit too Lord of the Rings-esque. And honestly, the main heroines inventing the writing, the wheel,AND the bow within what must be just weeks requires quite a bit of suspension of belief. Still, the main plot of the upcoming war feels solid, with the politics and logistics feeling even surprisingly realistic.

Writing is good as ever and pacing feels perfect (except, again, with the prince). I did miss a bit of the odd couple dry humor that exists in Sullivan's Riyria books, and in the first volume of this series between Raithe and Malcolm.

All in all, I enjoyed this book a lot and am quite looking forward to the next installment.

I think it's difficult for an author like Sullivan to follow up something as refreshingly new as The Age of Myth. Inherent in the second book is that it's no longer new or fresh. The world has been fleshed out and the impetus falls to the author to capture the reader again while propelling deepening character exposition. Many, many fantasy genre books have the book two hump, and unfortunately, Age of Swords is no exception.

The scale of Age of Swords zooms in to meet its focus on character development, but the characters who I found so interesting in Age of Myth were bogged down, sometimes quite suddenly (ahem... Suri), in what seem like contrived foibles to make them more human. Which should make sense in the plot of this series, but instead I found myself caring less and less for each of them, and the thin veil of nouveau fantasy began to reveal some pretty stale tropes.

Will I read Age of War? Probably. Unlike some readers, I didn't *hate* Age of Swords. I just hope Mr Sullivan takes the necessary time to craft the story and re-engage what had been an epic beginning of a series.

Very good second part in the series. It is very much action-packed, especially the second half of the book. It was fun and fast read. "Rhunes" are the focus of the story in the book, and they are so backwards, they barely started agriculture, with no wheel or writing and metalworking and such, intentionally kept in the dark by Fhrey, yet in the book they pick up or reinvent a lot and advance their culture to new levels. We will see where it leads them. There is a logical ending for the book, but of course, story does not end there.
I will definitely watch for next books in the series.
I have not read the series that this one is a prequel to, and I think I should.

I was a little disappointed with this book, but I'm over that, now. I'm still going to read the rest of the series because I enjoy the characters. I also think that this book was a segue to book #3 in the series. Others have commented on the miraculous nature of the technological discoveries in this book and the gender politic'ing going on, and I have to admit that I was a little bemused by those events. I wasn't put off by them, however. Persephone has been a strong character from the very start of the series, and I've been frustrated watching her grow into her big shoes. I feel like the next book will show Persephone, Raithe, Suri, and others living in the roles that Sullivan has envisioned for them, and this book was the final step in that process of getting them there. It wasn't the smoothest journey, but a character progression isn't supposed to be, I think. So, maybe there was a method behind the madness, as they set up the story arc for progress in later books in the series.

Before continuing, note some mild spoilers contained in the second paragraph. In an email I received from the author (who is an extremely personable individual), this was described as his favorite of the series. I'm not sure how to feel about, nor what to make of that assertion. While this time around, the story moves along at a much more rapid pace, its focus seems off and its characters confused.
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The bulk of this book takes place away from the familiar villages and forests of man and instead sees a smaller cast of characters from the first book traveling in the land of the dwarves. While on their adventure, they all grow as characters with more complicated goals and ambitions. However, during this time, it seems as though all those left behind begin to degenerate. Raithe, the Conan-lite character from the first book, the only one capable of defeating an enemy once thought of as immortal, a man that is literally called the 'god killer'? Apparently during Persephone's absence he forgets how to fight, his goals and ambitions are reduced to a one-dimensional cry for mercy. Roan, on the other hand, one of the ones traveling along with Persephone, flourishes into a convenient plot device. I'm not positive if it was as apparent in the first book, but Roan's engineering genius seems to be mentioned every other chapter here. The wheel? Roan made it. Pockets? Check. Roan. Bows and arrows (did they really need a cute reason to be called 'arrows'?) You bet, it was Roan. Pulling humankind out of the bronze age by learning how to forge iron? Roan does that too. That's not to mention that written language simultaneously gets created along the way and humans can now learn magic.
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Overall, having a predominately female cast is great, we need more of that in mainstream genre fiction. But the way it is presented here, with the protagonists the only ones advancing in terms of ability or mental capacity while everyone else either stays ignorant or regresses is silly.
At the very least, the cover is still beautifully done.

One of the things that I liked the best about the book was the very strong female characters, but I also liked the main character Raithe.
The story has some good twists and turns and really explores some interesting viewpoints about human nature.
I did a lot of cheering (in my mind) for my favorite characters during their trials and tribulations that evolve within the story.
There is an uncommon amount of bravery coming from the female characters, more than you normally see in this type of fantasy story.
That really made me feel good about the book.

I am ready for more, and hoping that the release of book 3 will be soon, this story cycle is like a drug : )

Sullivan's second entry in this series picks up right where the first one left off...which was a little confusing for the first two chapters! Luckily, my memory returned as to which characters were which, and the story is engaging with lots of humor, action, magic, and revelations galore. Fans of fantasy novels by Abercrombie, Jordan, Sanderson, Goodkind, Brooks, and Tolkien will enjoy this fast-paced outing. Fans of longer somber fare by Martin will also enjoy this. Highly recommended.

I was looking forward this book, since I've like Micheal Sullivan's previous books very much. So as soon as it came out I bought the audible version of it. To my big surprise it was very VERY BORING, and after listening to 1/3 of the book I couldn't take it any more and returned the book. I do not know what happened To Micheal Sullivan, but the book is full of cheap little tricks (like one girl inventing the wheel) and long boring preach of what Art is , very amateurishly done. No Micheal, either you didn't write the book yourself or you lost the spark which you had before. if that spark returns I will gladly buy your books, but until then, no thanks.

I think I enjoyed this even more than book one, perhaps because I've already met many of the characters. In this second book, Persephone attempts to unite the people of Rhune - a difficult task since they have been enemies for centuries. She is a strong character, but I like her friends even more. There are some funny parts, and one part in particular made me cry. We also meet another race, and learn more about the politics of all three races. I definitely recommend this series.

I haven't yet finished the book. I'm about fifty pages from the end and he's a good enough writer so I will, but I was so annoyed just now that I had to come and leave a review to warn other readers.

First, the "inventing everything under the sun" thing got old for me FAST. I started skimming paragraphs anytime characters started talking about some brilliant new thing they'd discovered.. Pockets, writing, wheels, bows, the words dwarf and elf...Seriously, no. I had pretty much decided I wasn't reading book three just on the basis of that. But I wouldn't have written a review about it.

The part that had me cussing the author was the section I just finished. A character had to make a tough decision to save everyone. One that meant harming another. And the one they chose to harm and the way it was portrayed in the story had me literally cussing out the author. First, when I realized that was where things were headed, second when I realized they'd done it to manipulate me but were going to save the character so that was supposed to make it all okay, and third when another character made the comment along the lines of "If they could've given their consent for what you did, I'm sure they would've." Nope, nope, nope. The invention thing was annoying, but the handling of that situation is why I won't read this author again.

Michael J. Sullivan has a unique approach, writing all the volumes in a series before publishing the first, so there’s more consistency and a smoother flow – both of which are evident in “Age of Swords” (Del Rey, $28, 446 pages), book two (of six) in The Legends of the First Empire.

The book is set in a pre-industrial world with magic, elves and dwarves, but it doesn’t tread the familiar paths. And every time the pace lags a bit, Sullivan throws in a twist that keeps the pages turning. Definitely, though, start with “Age of Myth” and settle in for a long ride.

If you read the first book, you might be wondering what's behind that door? Well, better keep reading. :)

Mr. Sullivan's first book in this series was a delight to read, and the first of it set the book up for a great story.

Book 2, Age of Swords, is good, but it took a while for it to become as engaging as the first. For much of the book, it felt like the characters were reacting instead of taking action. The tale also broadens a bit in character point of views as we engage deeper with other characters. That left it feeling thinner than the first book until Persephone decides to take action, and makes a little trip that the gorgeous cover is based on. If you look closely at the cover, you can see who made the trip (a white wolf being among them).

It's at this point that the book really picks up because the characters are actively pursuing a goal. The ending is satisfying, but also sets up for the next book.

Like some other reviewers had pointed out, the dialog at times didn't feel authentic to the period. Some of the word choice and idioms kicked me out of the story.

All said, it's a good book from a great author, and I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.

Let's kill our best friend because we need a sacrifice! Evidently, it was too difficult to find a good plot line and Mr Sullivan thinks it is appropriate to kill your best friend to advance yourself in sorcery..... I own all of Mr. Sullivan's books. I think perhaps this will be my last.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

1.) Age of Myth ★★★★★

“Every life is a journey filled with crossroads. And then there are the bridges, those truly frightening choices that span what always was, from what will forever be. Finding the courage, or stupidity, to cross such bridges changes everything.”

It hurts my heart, but I didn't love this one as much as I loved Age of Myth! It was still a really solid addition to an epic fantasy series that I know is going to continue to be one of my favorites. And this book still follows some of my favorite characters of all time, while also introducing us to some new faces and even new races! Be still, my dwarf loving heart.

This series is set 3,000 years before Michael J. Sullivan's Riyria Revelations, but this series is meant to be read separately and there will be no spoilers if you haven't completed it or even started it. I'm guessing it will only add to the reading experience, but you won't be hindered going in blind, like me.

Age of Myth is the book that starts this epic tale, where we get to see many different characters, with their own perspectives and paths, be woven together because of a war that shouldn't be happening in the first place. We have a recently dead Chieftain's wife of one of the Rhunes (humans) clans, who is now forced into the role, even though other men want to constantly fight her for it, yet she is without a doubt the best person to lead. We get to see a young girl and her sidekick pet wolf, who have grown up in the magical forests in this world and has more power than she even knows. We learn about the Fhrey (elf) clans, who believe themselves Gods, and we get to see their inner turmoil and we also get to focus in on one unbelievably strong woman who is forced to make tough choice after tough choice. Lastly, we get to follow a poor Rhune man, who hasn't had the easiest of lives, forced into choosing between running forever or saving the very people who have stripped him of his faith in humanity all his life.

“Losing leaves a bitter taste that lingers long after the sweetness of victory has been forgotten.”

Yet, in Age of Swords we get to see these characters develop more, while also seeing a few side characters shine just as brightly. As I said above, we learn about Dwarves, or Dhergs, or Belgriclungreians, who are nothing short of amazing. We get to see disabled representation, and the way that uncivilized human clans, and some of the world leaders we have today, treat those individuals. We also have representation of a surviving girl, coping with her pain and grief, unable to be touched by others, becoming one of the most important Rhunes in existence with her craft. We get to see the primal beauty of a girl learning to craft a written language so her, her clan, and her family's stories are never forgotten. We get to see a woman who was only valued for her beauty, become the warrior she has always wanted to be. And lastly, we get to see a young Fhrey boy coming to terms with the power he holds, while also being given the choice of what kind of leader he wants to be. Oh, and we get giants and demons and dragons and old gods, too!

Have I sold you yet? Because Michael J. Sullivan truly crafts some completely unforgettable characters. The magical girl with the wolf sidekick, Suri, is one of my favorite characters in all of literature. She is written expertly and impossible not to love. This series is worth a try just for the privilege of meeting her alone. I don't mean to gush about Suri, but she is so important to me and it's downright impossible to not gush about her! And in general, Michael J. Sullivan writes some amazing and strong female representation that is sometimes hard to find in high fantasy.

But besides Suri, this book is about winning smaller battles to eventually try to win a much larger war that seems pretty impossible to win. This book is about how we segregate people who are different than us. This book is about hope, and having faith in the darkest of times. This book is about found families and how you should surround yourself with people who will love you unconditionally and without question or reward. This book is about love and the reckless and desperate things we will do to find or keep it.

“Funny how things that shouldn’t matter actually meant so much and how things as permanent as homes moved.”

I feel like I can't say too much without giving away spoilers, but my favorite scenes in Age of Swords were, hands down, the ones with the quest inside the mountain. They were so amazing, and I felt like I was right there and a part of the adventure. I also felt so many Hobbit feels and I was completely living for this entire journey.

I also love the message about how the Fhrey and Rhune clans are divided. See, the Rhunes are split up into seven clans because they live in different regions, but the Fhrey are split into seven clans completely based on power and privilege. The Fhrey honestly have a working class at the bottom and a class that believes themselves Gods at the top. There is a huge discussion in this book about how the highest clan wants to keep the lower clans down, and it is a really important message that I think many people could see parallels in to our actual world today. I really appreciated it, and I loved reading about it.

“The gathering that changed the course of human history was nothing more than a circle of chairs filled mainly with stupid, vain men.”

Speaking of the Fhrey people, Michael J. Sullivan is going to torment me until book six about the mysterious door, isn't he?

This world is huge in this book, which means there is a lot of world building, and I completely understand the necessity of making this story cohesive, but I just felt myself not as invested in some of the other storylines as I would have liked. Again, Suri's storyline is my favorite, and I also really enjoy Persephone's, but the rest just fell a little flat for me.

I loved seeing a new language being created. I loved the new characters and races. I loved seeing sacrifice, even though I felt like my heart was being shattered in a million pieces. I loved seeing so many characters faced with moral dilemmas that brought about the constant question of what is the right thing to do. And I loved seeing these characters slowly, but surely, realize that past torment and pain does not make you broken.

Yet, even with all of this being said, not that much happened in this book. There were very few exciting moments, but for the most part this book just felt mostly boring to me. I simply couldn't put down Age of Myth, but I mostly made myself pick up Age of Swords. I know this book was setting up important ground work for the rest of the series, which I wholeheartedly appreciate, but it's ultimately the reason I have to give this a lower rating.

I still completely recommend this series, and I truly believe with my whole heart that this is going to be a series I carry with me forever. The characters, the messages, the greater picture at hand, all of these things are building up into something unforgettable, and I can't wait to get my hands on Age of War!

“Persephone had been so fixated on getting swords that she never considered the perils of where the path might lead, or what she’d need to suffer to travel it.”

*The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

This is such a comprehensive fantasy. One really steps into a details filled reality that is a completely another world. A total fantasy experience. This is a signature for this particular author. Nothing is ever lacking in his novels. They are all inclusive. All types of human failings and heroes, vice and virtue, coming together in a visit to another world, created so thoroughly, one wonders if it really exists.

Michael Sullvan burst onto the fantasy scene a few years ago with some self-published books and has since been snapped up by a major publisher, and rightly so. What this means for his fans, however, is a longer wait between books, which is INFURIATING!!! His books are incredible and should definitely rank right up there at the top of any GREAT FANTASY BOOKS list.

I was very disappointed when what was otherwise an enjoyable read was ruined by a heroines (and my fave character) decision to engage in murder of the innocent in exchange for personal survival. Must avoid details so I don't spoil the surprise but I just could not get past that tremendous act of cowardice making it impossible for me to care about the fate of the supposed "good" guys!

That moment when the tale gives you goosebumps. When you realize exactly what it is you are reading. That moment when you understand that a true author is not to be underestimated.
It was done well Michael J. Sullivan.
So very well.

This is very good high fantasy. All the trope elements are here, magic- check-, swordsman -check-, elves -check-.... happily the story telling is good enough that it just works. While not full of surprises, there are some great twists and a few "I really didn't see that coming" moments. While not tense, the author does build a solid, steady and fairly suspenseful plot arc.

This book was between 4 and 5 stars for me but the second half is a solid 5. The main problem is that this desperately needed a chapter 0 with "last time in The Legends of the First Empire". I read the first book a year ago and it damaged the immersion when I had to struggle to remember who was who from the first book. I can't remember if I have ever hit wikipedia to look up characters and I did for this. The first 100 pages have some nice touches but there is such a need to reintroduce characters it makes the book seem not as fresh. Probably because it was struggling to re-immerse the reader in the world, the first half of this book was not as fresh and crisp. While never stale, it is not as fun and immersive. The character development is flat in the first half. The second half, which has new locations and new personalities/traits just rocks.

While not as consistently good as the first book, this is a very good story and it is well worth your time if you liked the first.

About half way through, I actually became embarrassed that I was reading this. Age of Myth was good, but with some pointless crap (The ENTIRE Bear Subplot), but this book is shyte. Stopped with the ridiculous GRRRL Power SUPERTEAM in Dwarftown. LOL.

Glad I read Riyirah Revelations first, because had I read this garbage, I never would have picked up another book by the author, thus missing out on Hadrian, Royce, and Arista.

I don't know what all the negative reviews are taking about. I thought this was an amazing second book in the series and I can't wait for the next one. It was a wonderful continuation of the characters from the first book. He has created some amazing female characters. At one point I told my husband I was reading a book where a bunch of women save the world! My favorite part of this series though is still that having read his first series, you kind of know the ending but you know the myths that have been remembered. It is wonderful to see those myths come alive and the differences between myth and reality.

This book kept up the high standards of the Age Of Myth. The plot was intricate and entertaining while the world building and characterizations were well done. Can he keep it up for the many planned volumes yet to come? Time will tell.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Ryria books, but I think the author is coming into his own with these stories. The writing is better; the characters more complex. I do love the tie-ins to the previous series. I’m also grateful for the self-sufficient nature of each book rather than ending with cliff hangers. Looking forward to the next one.

"Feminism, sacrificial witchcraft and Beta males"

The story starts out good with promising themes, unfortunately it then becomes a soap opera, with extremely drawn out and over wording simplistic chattering. The authors portrays characters in the book inconsistently as both wise and stupider than a rock, all at the same time. Male characters preform the task of beta males throughout. The main male character ends up doing exactly nothing in the entire book, except falling in love, and not even winning at that. The book spends a lot of time promoting occult witchcraft which includes detailed explanations of how and which sacrificial magic is beneficial and powerful. Maybe Satan was one of the editors.

This book is from winning to losing for Michael J. Sullivan. We went from Royce and Hadrian, to beta males. How Pathetic.

Favorite part of the story is when the narrator said the end. I finished so I could write an honest review.

Editor should have cut the occult witchcraft out of the book, specifically the explanations on how to do sacrificial magic. Fantasy magic is one thing, promotion of satanic real world craft is another.

Finally, Tim Gerard Reynolds' narration was amazing, as always. With out him, the book would have been returned for my credit.

Meh... And I hate to only give this book two stars. Love his other books. Absolutely no cohesion. Unbelievable characters. Drawn out dialogue in the most inappropriate situations. Women that obviously don't need men, and men that don't deserve women. It reads like a board game. Jumped here, rolled there. Established a sisterhood. Gosh, women don't require affirmative action! Shortcut logic all over the place. Disappointed.

Although I enjoyed book one ("Legends of the First Empire"), I found this one a little disappointing and simplistic. One of the things I Iiked about the other book was the complexity and unexpected twists, with things developing in directions I hadn't anticipated. In this book the characters seemed more flat--they each had 2 or 3 unique qualities (which is better than just having 1), but those same notes were hit repeatedly and never seemed to go anywhere new. I also found it super-annoying to witness "all the key milestones of a culture!" being invented in rapid sequence by a single person. Really? The wheel AND writing AND centralized government AND advanced weapons, all invented by the same person in less than a year? It strains credulity. Ditto on this book being the place where the old names were replaced with "elf" and "dwarf" etc.... why not just keep the new language rather than having a 10-second shift in which people suddenly come up with the generic fantasy terms? I found it reduced credibility in the story rather than adding interest. And it was annoying that when the inventor came up with the wheel, the dwarves suddenly said "oh! you've just invented The Wheel for your culture... let me tell you about axles, and spindles, and all these other things that will make it even better," like they're saying "we won't say a WORD until you hit XYZ point, but then we'll give you All The Information at once." It just seemed odd, and I couldn't quite follow the logic for it. (If it was just a case of "we're on your side now," then surely they could have shared a lot more than just advanced wheel technology, no?).

There were a couple of places where human interest and human complexity ran deeper than one might expect, but overall I found this was a shift toward a younger audience, vis-à-vis the previous book.

I read the first book in this series, Age of Myth, and had some issues with it which kept me from thinking it was more than just an okay read. I read it, however, because I wanted to be prepared for this second book so I would know if I will be continuing with the series and if I want to begin reading two other book series related to this one by this author. Michael J. Sullivan has done an adequate job of including concise backstory from the first book, but I think it will still be best for readers to read that first novel to understand this fantasy world.

Age of Swords brings the characters from the first book to the realization that they are going to be involved in a war, no matter how much they might wish to avoid that. Now we meet giants and dwarfs. The dwarfs have weaponry which the humans, called Rhunes here, haven't learned how to make yet but they want Persephone to handle a problem faced by their race before she can have the weapons. Persephone is now leading her clan and has planed to move away from their settlement in order to find safety in an area with other Rhunes. She knows that her followers will need to protect themselves during this journey so the first stage of the journey begins with a trip across the sea to the home of the dwarfs to acquire weapons.

Once again I found it hard to mentally place this race of humans in a setting where they had no knowledge of such basic inventions as a wooden cart to carry heavy loads and yet they speak in modern 21st Century language. It was most disconcerting. One example of this jarring disconnect comes when Raithe (known as The God Killer because....well, he killed a god) is talking to a man who was a slave before throwing his lot in with Raithe: "What did you do today, Mister Enterprising Ball of Ambition?" This coming from a man who is a fighter with all the skills of that craft but only rudimentary skills for anything else at all. This style of writing dialogue is just too noticeable when the narration deals with people who don't even know what a wheel is. Plus, even if there had not been the problem with the dialogue I still had the problem of being perfectly content to put this book aside for long periods and not even think about picking it up again. I just never became attached to most of the characters and certainly was not riveted to the page. I will not be continuing this series.

I actually ordered this and several other books for my granddaughter that's in high school. She's tore her ACL & meniscus playing on her soccer team. As I write this, she's having surgery. She asked me if I'd get her some books for her healing process. Which I did and this book being one of them. I told her I'd get her a variety of different books and hopefully she'd like most of them. She's very bright and really has enjoyed more medieval type of fantasy and science fiction books. So I believe she'll enjoy this book. We just got word she's in recovery for an hour or so, and she's doing well. I'm so thankful she's okay, and thankful for this angel of a granddaughter. If she gives me a book report later during her recovery, I'll come back and add it to the review.

The title is quite appropriate for this book. But, not only was it the age of swords, but the age of multiple inventions for the Rhunes. It was neat to see Roan working so hard to develop new ideas, and take those from their new dwarf friends, and turn them into inventions that the Rhunes can use in their inevitable war with the Fhrey. Something as simple as a wagon opens their world, making it easier to move heavy, and many, things from place to place. Roan is such a character, and deserves more credit from her people.

**somewhat of a spolier**The first part of the last chapter was a bit surprising. To find out Nyphron and Malcolm had their own agenda this whole time is somewhat disheartening. This whole time we thought they were just trying to help Persephone and the Rhen... but it seems it was all a ruse.

Overall, this was a great story. While not a lot of time passed, there was a lot accomplished for the Rhunes, and they will be more prepared for their war. The next story cannot come quick enough.

I've been waiting months for the next instalment in Michael J. Sullivan's latest fantasy epic. Not only were my expectations met, they were exceeded. Just as with AGE OF MYTH, this sequel is a powerful, emotional tale that truly makes you feel like you're going on an adventure with unforgettable characters. I don't know where to begin because I just loved this book so much! The characters were exceptional. Raithe, one of my favourites, played a smaller role in this story, but the rest of it was completely dominated by Persephone, Suri, Moya, Brin, and Roan. If you're looking for a fantasy epic with strong, unconventional female characters, THIS is the book you've been waiting for. Proof that it doesn't matter who you are or how high the odds might be stacked against you––if you believe in something, you can fight for and achieve it. Another aspect I loved was the further depth into the world's lore. What makes this series so unique is that it's unconventional fantasy; these people and characters, more or less, are primitive, but far from stupid. Witnessing them learn and utilize weapons and creations we take for granted today was one of the highlights in what continues to be a fantastic series. And of course, there was the action! There were epic battles and betrayals and bloodshed, all leading to a satisfying climax and an ending chapter that already has be biting my nails and stressing. And if all of that isn't enough to convince you that you NEED these books in your life, look at that cover. Just look at it. I haven't seen many covers as beautiful as this. I need it framed on my wall. AGE OF SWORDS is not a book to be missed, and will undoubtedly land on my Best Books of the Year List. Read it now!!!

I read the first book in this series, Age of Myth, and had some issues with it which kept me from thinking it was more than just an okay read. I read it, however, because I wanted to be prepared for this second book so I would know if I will be continuing with the series and if I want to begin reading two other book series related to this one by this author. Michael J. Sullivan has done an adequate job of including concise backstory from the first book, but I think it will still be best for readers to read that first novel to understand this fantasy world.

Age of Swords brings the characters from the first book to the realization that they are going to be involved in a war, no matter how much they might wish to avoid that. Now we meet giants and dwarfs. The dwarfs have weaponry which the humans, called Rhunes here, haven't learned how to make yet but they want Persephone to handle a problem faced by their race before she can have the weapons. Persephone is now leading her clan and has planed to move away from their settlement in order to find safety in an area with other Rhunes. She knows that her followers will need to protect themselves during this journey so the first stage of the journey begins with a trip across the sea to the home of the dwarfs to acquire weapons.

Once again I found it hard to mentally place this race of humans in a setting where they had no knowledge of such basic inventions as a wooden cart to carry heavy loads and yet they speak in modern 21st Century language. It was most disconcerting. One example of this jarring disconnect comes when Raithe (known as The God Killer because....well, he killed a god) is talking to a man who was a slave before throwing his lot in with Raithe: "What did you do today, Mister Enterprising Ball of Ambition?" This coming from a man who is a fighter with all the skills of that craft but only rudimentary skills for anything else at all. This style of writing dialogue is just too noticeable when the narration deals with people who don't even know what a wheel is. Plus, even if there had not been the problem with the dialogue I still had the problem of being perfectly content to put this book aside for long periods and not even think about picking it up again. I just never became attached to most of the characters and certainly was not riveted to the page. I will not be continuing this series.

I actually ordered this and several other books for my granddaughter that's in high school. She's tore her ACL & meniscus playing on her soccer team. As I write this, she's having surgery. She asked me if I'd get her some books for her healing process. Which I did and this book being one of them. I told her I'd get her a variety of different books and hopefully she'd like most of them. She's very bright and really has enjoyed more medieval type of fantasy and science fiction books. So I believe she'll enjoy this book. We just got word she's in recovery for an hour or so, and she's doing well. I'm so thankful she's okay, and thankful for this angel of a granddaughter. If she gives me a book report later during her recovery, I'll come back and add it to the review.