Theft of Swords (Riyria Revelations Series, Volume 1)

by Michael J. Sullivan

Overview

Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater, make a profitable living carrying out dangerous assignments for conspiring nobles-until they are hired to pilfer a famed sword. What appears to be just a simple job finds them framed for the murder of the king and trapped in a conspiracy that uncovers a plot far greater than the mere overthrow of a tiny kingdom.

Can a self-serving thief and an idealistic swordsman survive long enough to unravel the first part of an ancient mystery that has toppled kings and destroyed empires?

And so begins the first tale of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and legend.

When author Michael J. Sullivan self-published the first books of his Riyria Revelations, they rapidly became ebook bestsellers. Now, Orbit is pleased to present the complete series for the first time in bookstores everywhere.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316187749
Publisher:	Orbit
Publication date:	11/23/2011
Series:	Riyria Revelations Series
Pages:	704
Sales rank:	57,301
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 2.00(d)

About the Author

Born in Detroit, Michigan, Michael J. Sullivan has lived in Vermont, North Carolina, and Virginia. He worked as a commercial artist and illustrator, founding his own advertising agency in 1996, which he closed in 2005 to pursue writing full-time. The Crown Conspiracy is his first published work. He currently resides in Fairfax, Virginia with his wife and three children. The author's website can be found at www.riyria.com and on twitter @author_sullivan.

Editorial Reviews

Sullivan succeeds with simplicity in his originally self-published epic fantasy debut. Hadrian Blackwater and Royce Melborn are a pair of thieves and mercenaries. They aren't mentioned in any prophecies or the lost heirs to anything; they're just criminals who happen to have hearts of gold. Going by the inexplicably pretentious shared name of "Riyria," they steal incriminating letters from a blackmailer, kidnap a young king to save his life, and protect a village menaced by a terrible monster. Along the way, they meet a clever princess, an unlucky monk, a 1,000-year-old wizard with no hands, and a naïve but heroic farm girl. There's even the beginning of a series story arc as the powerful Church of Nyphron secretly schemes to control the world. Hair-raising escapes, flashy sword fights, and faithful friendship complete the formula for good old-fashioned escapist fun. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for the Riyria Revelations:

"Mr. Sullivan continues to impress. In Royce and Hadrian he has created some of the best characters the genre has seen in some time, and in Avempartha he shows that he knows what to do with them. These books should be in every bookstore and I really hope that they are someday." — Speculative Fiction Junkie

"A whirlwind of twists, earth-shattering surprises and deadly betrayal." — Literary Magic

"Hair-raising escapes, flashy sword fights, and faithful friendship complete the formula for good old-fashioned escapist fun."

—Publishers Weekly

"This epic fantasy showcases the arrival of a master storyteller."—Library Journal

From the Publisher

Together known as Riyria, Mercenary soldier Hadrian Blackwater and his partner, talented thief Royce Melborn, pride themselves on their ability to execute impossible tasks for the right price. When a commission to steal a sword leads to their implication in the murder of the king, the pair must rely on every skill they possess to save their lives—and some they discover along the way. Sullivan's debut, originally self-published as an ebook, became a Kindle best seller. Now this trilogy opener is presented in print, along with its succeeding volumes (Rise of Empire; Heir of Novron), to be published this December and January 2012, respectively. Filled with adventure and clever dialog and featuring a pair of not-quite-heroes whose loyalties to each other provide them with their greatest strength, this epic fantasy showcases the arrival of a master storyteller. VERDICT Fans of Fritz Leiber's classic "Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser" novels should welcome the adventures of Hadrian and Royce. A winning debut for fantasy lovers.

Library Journal