Theft of Swords (The Riyria Revelations: Books 1 & 2) by Michael J. Sullivan
Reviewed By: Katie Smith, Reference Specialist
Genre: Fantasy
Suggested Age: Teen and Adult
What is the Book About? When a down-on-his-luck nobleman hires Riyria – the infamous duo of thieves, Hadrian and Royce – to steal a dueling sword from his rival, their “simple” heist takes a drastic, tragic turn for the worst. Pinned with the murder of their king, Riyria must kidnap the prince (the princess’ plan, not theirs) in order to escape captivity – and in doing so, they are unceremoniously thrown on an adventure that involves an ancient prophecy, the release of a powerful wizard held for millennia in captivity, magical beasts that can only be slain by their true name, and a conspiracy for world domination – and that’s just the beginning!
My Review: Michael J. Sullivan is a hidden gem, and I am very happy to have found this series. His books are surprisingly clean (no elicit relationships, excessive gore/violence, or swearing) and he draws from many classic fantasy tropes – such as the epic world-ending prophecies of Brandon Sanderson, the bardic one-off adventures of Patrick Rothfuss, and the “beloved duo” character dynamics of Scott Lynch – interweaving them perfectly, with plenty of plot twists to keep the reader on the edge of their seat. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the world of Sullivan’s creation; and you’ll meet one of the greatest friendship duos in fantasy fiction – Hadrian (an optimistic master swordsman) and Royce (a sarcastic ex-assassin)! If you are interested in epic fantasy, then you should definitely check out this series – and if you’re not, then this is a great entry point into the world of swords and magic.
Three Words that Describe the Book: Adventure, Intrigue, Friendship
Give this a try if you like … Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson, and Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.
Rating: 4.5/5
FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.
