Age of Myth (Legends of the First Empire Series #1)

Can't wait for the next installment. Good character development and lots of action.

As usual, Sullivan's book has wonderful characters and an engaging story. Buy it now!

I loved the imagination, the fast pace and the continuous surprises in plots. Was a joy to read. Cant wait for the next books to become available!

It’s hard to find a title that actually lives up to the Epic Fantasy genre claim. Many try, and fall very short of reaching the standards some, possibly just I?, have when it comes to Epic Fantasy. Age of Myth by Michael J Sullivan, however, manages to take the genre and run with it, creating his own new and unique world that feels very epic and very fantasy, without falling into tired tropes. It is very fast-paced, possibly too fast, which is what I felt was its main downfall, knocking it down a star. There is so much new information packed into Age of Myth, it feels very dense at the start. I felt a bit bombarded learning all of this new information, new words, and having no reference point. It was a bit like being swept away with the current and just trying to enjoy the ride. Thankfully, about 20% into the book, I felt centered. I knew what was happening (or so I thought) and was excited, so much so that I finished the book that very sitting. Pacing was very fast. I think that was a greater problem for me than feeling lost by new words and new worlds. The author tried too quickly to create this world and prep the story, which is a common problem sometimes with introductory books in a fantasy series. Pacing is a hard thing to get right with long series’. Either they go too slow, trying to keep information for subsequent books, or too fast, which was the case in Age of Myth by Michael J Sullivan. Other than pacing, book was great! Characters were fantastic, especially Penelope and Suri! Raithe was well fleshed out, while Malcolm’s appearances were always fun. I’ll talk more about the characters during my spoiler vlog on the book tomorrow! More akin to George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, than Lord of the Rings at the moment, Age of Myth by Michael J Sullivan does an impressive job of creative a grand new world with fully fleshed characters, keeping fresh in the epic fantasy genre. // I received this title for free in exchange for an honest review //

If you have read Michael J. Sullivans Riyria Revelations or Riyria Chronicles, you may be familiar with how he tells the story of his fantasy worlds on both massive scales, but also through small personal narratives. This book is like entering into J.R.R. Tolkiens Middle Earth, but instead of being thrown into the epic scale of the fight between good and evil, you really get to dive into life in the Shire. Although the series, as a whole, ramps up quickly to a massive scale, in this first book you get to know the world of Elan during the Age of Myth, by seeing the dynamics of one village. By focusing on the Dal, you begin to understand the world's culture. Michael J Sullivan builds a vision of Elan naturally and seamlessly without the exposition you may see in other fantasy novels. Michael J. Sullivan's Age of Myth is one of effortless books to comprehend, read, enjoy, and think about, without feeling like you need a break. Jump into this book, and read Age of Sword and War too, as they are fantastic additions to the genre.

A new prequel series for the world of Elan. This novel introduces us to many characters that we have heard of before but only as legends and stories from the Revelations and Chronicles. You finally get to see what really happened and how many became the legends that they are now known for in the Revelations.

The first thing that jumped out at me was the gorgeous cover (I know, shame on me), but like its cover, the story within is captivating. While the story starts with an interesting and exciting hook, the narrative plods along for near the next two thirds of the pages. Here and there a few moments of surprise or excitement pop up, but overall the pacing is quite slow (which isn't necessarily a bad thing!). These moments tend to appear at the very end of a chapter or section, making the albeit slow progress to the next one worth it. The characters, while not as life-like as others have described, seem to come in two flavors: Extensively fleshed out, multi-faceted protagonists, and then basically everyone else. Those that drive the narrative [naturally] have great agency, but those that remain in the background act more as set pieces. Let's say that someone related to a protagonist dies suddenly, this event affects the character deeply, changing their viewpoint or course of action. The character[s] that died on the other hand? Hardly knew them (at one point I had to look at the book's cast of characters to see who actually died). The biggest positive for me is the setting. Rarely do you see a more mainstream title take place in a fantasy styled bronze age. Technology is limited and in-world conveniences aren't [always] immediately chalked up to 'because magic'. Overall this title, while not reinventing the fantasy genre or really doing anything new, is an enjoyable read. It sets up what is to be a series in a solid way and seems to know its scope. It doesn't feel as grandiose as the Lord of the Rings nor as expansive or gritty as A Song of Ice and Fire, but it strikes a nice middle ground.

Timely book of a country whose people fight to become free within bondage to an older society. Establishes several characters who will become more important to the story line as more is written.

This is a fun, well-crafted traditional fantasy. The good guys are good, the bad guys are bad. There's no deep social or political subtext. It's pure escapist fun.

Waiting to read books two and three

Enjoyed

A good read. Well developed characters, fast moving storyline, and surprises in action and direction.

Amazing, a great read. I don't usually reread books, but I am seriously considering rereading the previous books. I'm finding more interesting connections in the prequel books.

Age of Myth is a story set far enough back in the world of Sullivan's Ryria Revelations series world that you can read it as a stand alone series without spoiling anything. This is a very interesting plan, and as a fan of that series, I enjoyed seeing the history of this world. The set up has a son and father crossing a river that breaks the laws of their people and the gods on the other side. I enjoyed the immediate empathy we get with our main character and the suspenseful twists that will follow. All of the characters were relatable in a way that made me glad to have discovered this new cast of heroes and heroines. The basic story line is how our young hero crossing the river sets off a war with gods. I'm not great at summarizing plot, and it has been a few months since I read this, but my general take was that I enjoyed the story, but the plot line about who would be the new chieftain of one of the featured villages wasn't as entertaining as the story's other aspects. Sullivan weaved in some nice twists, and a strong emotional climax. The narrator is top notch, and overall, Age of Myth is a great example of fantasy that can bridge the gap between young readers and adults alike.

Michael J. Sullivan has done it again with his new five book series, "Legends of the First Empire." It has that L.O.T.R. vibe that I just cannot get enough of! This series is more of a prequel to his "Riyria Chronicles" and "Riyria Revelations" series, as it is set three millennia before the Chronicles. Mr. Sullivan calls this fantasy series "a separate entryway into the world of Elan." Indeed, this series dives right into an entire world of characters, plot lines, and settings. The book starts out on the very first page with its first myth. The Fhrey are Elves. Men (or Rhunes) think and believe that they are immortal Gods that can bring wrath and destruction to anything and everything inn their way). They cannot be killed nor defeated in battle. This segues into the beginning of the book. Raithe and his father are out in the woods hunting deer with their spears. They follow the wounded deer until it collapses and dies. They then begin to dress the deer, only they don't know that they have crossed the river into Fhrey territory, which is punishable by death. This causes one of the Fhrey to kill Raithe's father on the spot. Raithe, then, kills the Fhrey who killed his father and sets him on the run. He soon gets the nickname "God killer" (something no man is ABLE to do). Like L.O.T.R., this book is gritty but is great for children old enough to read all the way into adulthood. It has something for everyone. From an ancient, majestic old tree that answers questions, to a six pack of wolves that could tear you to shreds, a demonic huge bear, two young girls (that are as different as night is to day) that could become our heroines. It has swords and also lethal rocks when thrown the right way. It has the greatest people, settings, and plot lines. I will be reading this series and the prior series to see what there is yet to learn about them. You will highly enjoy this one as well. Thank you, Michael J. Sullivan, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Del Rey and NetGalley for giving me a free e-ARC of this book to read and give my honest review.

I would like to thank Del Rey & NetGalley for a copy of this e-ARC to review. Though I received this ebook for free, that has no impact upon the honesty of my review. Goodreads Teaser: "What does it mean if the gods can be killed? The first novel in an epic new fantasy series for readers of Brent Weeks, Brandon Sanderson, Peter V. Brett, and Scott Lynch. Michael J. Sullivan's trailblazing career began with the breakout success of his Riyria series: full-bodied, spellbinding fantasy adventures whose imaginative scope and sympathetic characters won a devoted readership. Now, Sullivan's stunning hardcover debut, Age of Myth, inaugurates an original five-book series, and one of fantasy's finest next-generation storytellers continues to break new ground. Since time immemorial, humans have worshipped the gods they call Fhrey, truly a race apart: invincible in battle, masters of magic, and seemingly immortal. But when a god falls to a human blade, the balance of power between men and those they thought were gods changes forever. Now, only a few stand between humankind and annihilation: Raithe, reluctant to embrace his destiny as the God Killer, Suri, a young seer burdened by signs of impending doom, and Persephone, who must overcome personal tragedy to lead her people. The Age of Myth is over; the time of rebellion has begun." Unfortunately I found myself struggling so much with this book that at about 3/4 of the way through I finally stopped trying. I almost never mark a book as Did Not Finish (DNF), but in this case after trying numerous times I simply thought it best if I stopped torturing myself. I was unable to connect with any of the characters, and thus their plight held no interest for me. I certainly hope others fared better than I with this book.

Typical Michael J. Sullivan book... Fantastic

A great read. Don't start until you have the time to read through.

I have rarely bee draw into a book so fast and it stayed strong the whole way

Good