Short Book Reviews // Rise of Empire by Michael J. Sullivan (Part Two)

If you want to familiarise yourself with the series before reading the review, visit this page, because my Short Book Reviews don't include information about what happens in the books.

Book Four of Riyria Revelations, Emerald Storm, by Michael J. Sullivan, is the best in the series so far. It kept me engaged till the end and managed even to move me to some measure, which is quite a remarkable achievement for any work of fiction nowadays. 

There's more action in Emerald Storm than in the first three books, making it a gripping read. Some of the plot twists made me almost hate the author and wonder whether he hates his characters, especially the female ones. Is there truly no limit to the suffering of those poor women? Not that the male characters aren't getting their share of difficulties and pain, but not one of the female characters seems to be struggling towards a happily-ever-after.

Regardless, I would've given Emerald Storm five stars if not for the tediously detailed descriptions of managing a sailing vessel. I know, as a fiction writer, that fiction writers sprinkle their stories with hard facts to make them more plausible, but (here it comes again, the infamous and ominous but) there's a difference between sprinkling and loading. Sprinkling is fine. I don't mind learning a few facts and a handful of new words about a specific subject, even from a fantasy book. However, when I read fiction, I want it to remain fiction from beginning to end, instead of occasionally turning into an instruction manual on anything. I know many epic fantasy readers, perhaps even the majority, like a book the better, the more generous in factual details it is. Yet to me, lessons on fencing, sailing, playing chess, and whatnot are nothing if not distracting at their best and totally off-putting at their worst. The sailing blaah-blaah-blaah in Emerald Storm verges on being off-putting. If the book weren't so damn good aside from the aforementioned bits, I would drop it into my three-star pile.

All in all, I enjoyed Emerald Storm and could scarcely wait to move on to the next book in the series. I'm currently reading Heir of Novron and regret to say that, at least for now, book five, Wintertide, hasn't managed to impress me. Let's not write a review on an unfinished read, however. Who knows what surprises lurk on the pages I am yet to turn, so it would be most unfair to judge the whole book by the first fifteen chapters. 

Short Book Reviews // Rise of Empire by Michael J. Sullivan (Part One)

I finished reading Book Three of Riyria Revelations, Nyphron Rising, by Michael J. Sullivan, and though these books come in packs of two, I saw it best to write the review on this one before starting Book Four, because -and I am a tad ashamed to admit this- I don't think I'll remember much of Nyphron Rising once I've finished the fourth book. I mentioned in my review of Theft of Swords (which contains the first two books of Riyria Revelations) that this series, despite being intriguing, isn't one to linger in my head for long. If you want to know more about the series, visit this page, because my Short Book Reviews don't include information about what happens in the books.

I enjoyed Theft of Swords, and Nyphron Rising turned out to be even more captivating. I struggled to put my tablet down at times (I'm reading the series as eBooks). Since the first page, the story anticipated a major plot twist, and on the last page, it was finally provided. Between the beginning and the end, a lot was going on. Theft of Swords is, in my opinion, a fast-paced book, but Nyphron Rising rolls on at a breakneck speed. Still, it manages to provide a few brief moments of quiet, much needed to balance out the avalanche of twists and turns the story takes. 

Regardless of keeping me hooked, Nyphron Rising failed to move me. Just like Theft of Swords, it's gripping and entertaining (and written better than the first two books), but doesn't provoke emotions. There are good characters, but no Joffrey Baratheons and Tyrion Lannisters. Despite many of them suffering greatly, I cannot feel their pain, nor can I rejoice for their victories. The sad truth is that even among the main characters, anyone could die, and I wouldn't mourn for them. I suspect I'd even remember them once I turned the page. I am starting to wonder whether I should read something else before continuing to Book Four, to make sure the fault isn't in me, rather than the characters, for they are all well-written with full backgrounds and everything else needed to make a parade of excellent book characters, they just lack that something that makes an imaginary person relatable. 

Nonetheless, Nyphron Rising is a quick and entertaining read that should provide enough action even to the less patient readers. I'll rate it four stars and look forward to reading The Emerald Storm, Book Four of Riyria Revelations.

Welcome // Tervetuloa

Welcome, wanderer, to Aspenn Fantasy, a new blog about reading and writing (epic) fantasy books. On this blog, I'll share book reviews, opinions (most of which are unpopular), writing tips, and stuff about my epic adventure fantasy series. If you love books, follow and consider subscribing for special offers on my books!

Tervetuloa uuteen blogiini! Täältä löydät juttua fantasiakirjoista niin lukijan kuin kirjoittajankin näkökulmasta, kirja-arvosteluja ja mielipiteitä, joista suurin osa lienee sieltä epäsuositummasta päästä, ehkä jopa vinkkejä kirjoittamiseen sekä taustatietoa työnalla olevasta fantasiakirjasarjastani (korkea/seikkailufantasia). Jos olet kirjaihminen, seuraa ja liity tilaajaksi! Tilaajille luvassa erikoistarjouksia kirjoistani.