The Crown Tower (The Riyria Chronicles)

I've already read the Riyria Revelations and I was very happy to learn that the author was going to release "prequel" stories. This story has a great pace and to me "just flows". I did find the plotline with Gwen not as exciting as Hadrian and Royce meeting however I understand Gwen's importance due to her role in later books in the series. Basically I find this story to be an enjoyable read and I highly recommend it.

A WONDERFUL tale. The relationship between the leads, Hadrian and Royce, is well developed and brightly displayed with dialogue befitting any buddy-movie seen today or in the past. Mostly the banter reminded me a great deal of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It's been a long time since I fell in love with main characters and could not wait to sit down and read again. I'm definitely gifting this story to my youngest son who is in college. I imagine he'll be as engaged as I was; we share many of the same literary loves. Mr. Sullivan clearly is not afraid to allow his readers some levity while keeping his characters and periphery characters, engaging and a plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

It's a well woven tale that you will enjoy reading.

I absolutely love this entire series, starting with Theft of Swords. This is the first, kind of prequel. Apparently we owe a great deal to the author's wife, who didn't want him to give up the series...thus prompting the prequels! All I can say is "Thank You "Robin"!!

While I was genuinely pleased with the ending of the Heir of Novron (Riyria Revelations) and how Sullivan wrapped the series up neatly, I was devistated that Hadiran and Royce were walking out of my lives. And then I stumbled upon The Riyria Chronicles. Let me just say they have been my post-Revelations salvation!

I have always been a little skeptical about prequels, whether in movies or books but my reluctance with The Crown Tower was certainly unfounded. I absolutely loved this book. This book goes a long way to providing the answers to questions left over from the first (or is that last) 3 books in regards to how the characters got to where they were going but manages not to give away any crucial information for those readers who are yet to read the Riyria Revelations. Love it, love it, love it. Do yourself a favour and buy all 5 books today.

I read the entire Riyria Revelations trilogy in about 4 days and loved it, so I was very excited when I heard there were going to be more books about Royce and Hadrian, this time focusing on their early adventures together. This book describes the famous crown tower heist that was their first job together, and which cemented them into the inseparable duo they become in the later books. It shares many of the qualities that I enjoyed from the original series: the writing is snappy, the plot is fun, and Royce and Hadrian are as awesome as ever.

But when I finished the book, I was left feeling a little...empty. It's always tricky writing prequels because your audience already knows what the eventual outcome has to be, but you can still end up with a great book by really fleshing out the characters' backstories and adding new aspects to the story. The problem with The Crown Tower is that I didn't feel it really added much to my understanding of this episode beyond the two-line summary we get in the original books. It started well, with all the craziness surrounding Hadrian's trip up the river, but after that everything happened pretty much exactly how I would have expected, without any surprising twists or additional character development. Hadrian and Royce's personalities came across to me as just slightly more extreme versions of their personalities in Revelations, since of course they haven't had time yet to work their influence on each other. The only person I thought we really learned anything new about was Gwen, but her story was treated as almost an afterthought. The book also felt rather short, almost like a novella, which is odd because it's not that short. I think it might be because the plot is very straightforward, and it ended somewhat abruptly.

I still enjoyed the novel and I think fans of the Riyria Revelations will as well, but I wouldn't recommend starting here for new readers, and I just felt like it could have been so much more.

For anyone who liked the initial series this story of the beginnings of how their relationship began is a worthwhile read. The storytelling is of the same high quality as the initial books. I look forward to the continuation of this series.

Michael J. Sullivan will continue to be my number one recommended author. The plots and twists are impossible to figure out. And in the end the author gives a better ending than I could have ever imagined, only one other author has ever been able to deliver that. If you like sci-fi fantasy novels you will love all his books(if you read them in his recommended order).

I've reviewed the preview and basically said this series is a must read for all fantasy fans. Well written, highly entertaining with well developed characters and plotting. Highly recommended.

This series deserves to be widely read.

There is a quality of freshness to the writing that I found delightful. Characters are believable and there is no convenient life changing event, at this point, to reveal a greater then human destiny for an otherwise unremarkable set of heroes.

For anyone who liked the initial series this story of the beginnings of how their relationship began is a worthwhile read. The storytelling is of the same high quality as the initial books. I look forward to the continuation of this series.

Michael J. Sullivan will continue to be my number one recommended author. The plots and twists are impossible to figure out. And in the end the author gives a better ending than I could have ever imagined, only one other author has ever been able to deliver that. If you like sci-fi fantasy novels you will love all his books(if you read them in his recommended order).

I've reviewed the preview and basically said this series is a must read for all fantasy fans. Well written, highly entertaining with well developed characters and plotting. Highly recommended.

This series deserves to be widely read.

There is a quality of freshness to the writing that I found delightful. Characters are believable and there is no convenient life changing event, at this point, to reveal a greater then human destiny for an otherwise unremarkable set of heroes.

A friend suggested I read Theft of Swords and that was it. I bought all eight books and read them in two weeks - fortunately, I was scheduled for some time off and these books were just ticket to spend my time well. My only complaint is I tended to stay up too late reading and was quite tired by the end of my time off...engaging characters, intriguing plots, excellent character development, mystery, magic, adventure, tragedy....what more could a reader of fantasy fiction ask for? And no, I am not a friend of the authors. Just of his books.

Another entertaining installment in the Riyria series. If you enjoyed the original six-book set, you'll like this as well.

It's not particularly deep or wildly imaginative, but it's *fun*, and sometimes that's what matters.

After finishing chronicles, reading this was just awesome. You get to see all of the events they refer to throughout the saga. I found myself saying aha almost the whole time and I'm sure I missed some. Onto rose and thorn

Having read the Riyria books , this is a great prelude showing how Royce and Hadrian get together. The book also builds the character of Gwen and reveals at the end how she and Royce get together. Good storytelling which gives us some very satisfying background of the beloved trio.

A bit far fetched although Royce is an extraordinary character so nothing should surprise the reader....he is larger than life or death and the feats in this book are in keeping with the need to suspend common sense. The relationship with Hadrian is evolving.

I'm addicted to the series!! I, like Michael Sullivan's wife, love Hadrian!

Just got started reading and already hooked! Hadrian just got off the mysterious barge ride and Gwen just took a leap of faith!

I really enjoy the great writing without the need to over indulge in violence and sex. Very refreshing to have a great story that isn't reliant on explicit sex and violence. I can recommend to my friends without the disclaimer on X rated scenes!!!

I loved seeing the friendship unfold between Hadrian and Royce. I did feel that Royce opened up a bit too quickly. Hadrian was always an open book, but I felt it would take longer for Royce to talk. Still, I enjoyed it, read it twice and then reread Theft of Swords. Getting to know Gwen's back story was a nice bonus. I know the author is doing other prequels, I wonder if he will explore Archadias's story at some point?

I have enjoyed every book in the Riyria series. The stories and characters are unique and engaging. It is very difficult to find a series that can keep the reader captivated not by just the storyline but by learning about each character involved.

Royce: A murderous thief who is just plain unfriendly.
Hadrian: A skilled swordsman with a sunny disposition.

Put them together on a job and you get a good deal of entertainment.

Oh and there is also Gwen: One tough lady!
There is a lot to enjoy in this story.

Finally, the story on how Hadrian and Royce met! So how exactly does an idealistic unbeatable warrior and an expert lock pick assassin form a team? Through much arm twisting and outside manipulation. It was fun to read younger versions of the Riyria duo try to figure out how to steal something without killing each other first. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have read it multiple times. If you are just starting the Riyria series, I suggest this one first. Then you can see them develop into the amazing funny team in chronological order.