By Michael Sullivan
Rating: 4/5
Three-Word Summary: Fantastic unknown fantasy
In the vast scope of fantasy literature, Michael Sullivan’s land of Apelandorn is relatively forgettable.
As a testament to that fact, it took me five minutes of searching Google before I was even able to recall that uninspiring name.
While reading Rise of Empire, I was occasionally confused by the names of cities and kingdoms. They obviously play a significant role in the story, but I had trouble keeping them straight. This required frequent referencing of a difficult to find map and appendix.
Despite all of those negative observations, I still have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed Rise of Empire, the second installment in the Riyria Revelations trilogy.
Because the characters are so much more important than the landscape. I had trouble remembering where Hardian and Royce were traveling on their many adventures. What I cannot forget is their witty banter and enthralling character development.
The most effective stories are those with characters who elicit emotion from the audience. This means characters you love, or hate, or fear. You root for the protagonist and hope that the antagonist fails. Or, occasionally, vice versa. For this to happen, these characters need to be memorable.
I can genuinely say that many of the characters in the Riyria Revelations saga fit that bill. There are a number of likable good guys and plenty of despicable villains. Better yet, there are even some plucky minor characters who you know you will miss once they inevitably die.
These characters are all caught up in a whirlwind of a plot that involves struggling to gain power over the forgettable Apelandorn. There are several parties who are vying for control, but they are all looking for the Heir of Novoron (which is coincidentally the name of the last book in the series).
This search for the lost heir and a number of other secrets surrounding the protagonists’ mysterious backgrounds keeps the plot set at page-turning speed. It’s difficult to divulge much more of the plot of an 800+ page book, so I’ll just leave it to you to read.
The make-believe land of Riyria may not be as legendary as those of Narnia or Middle Earth or Pern, but its people should eventually establish these novels with a place among the best of high fantasy.