Caught between his partner’s moral compass and a father’s desire for vengeance, will Royce turn the rivers of Rochelle red?

When Gabriel Winter’s daughter mysteriously disappears and is presumed dead, the wealthy whiskey baron seeks revenge. Having lived in Colnora during the infamous Year of Fear, he hires the one man he knows can deliver a bloody retribution—the notorious Duster.

Ride with Royce and Hadrian as the cynical ex-assassin and idealistic ex-mercenary travel to a mysterious old-world city filled with nobles claiming descent from imperial aristocracy. Riyria’s job appears easy: discover what happened to the missing duchess and, if she lives, bring her home . . . if not, punish those responsible. But nothing is simple in the crowded, narrow, mist-filled streets of Rochelle, where more than one ancient legend lurks.

I've been eagerly awaiting this one to become available on December 5th and finished it last night. I love Riyria and would recommend the series to basically everyone with a thing for fantasy. Be aware, though, that you might not find this book on Amazon just yet. The eBook and print are available directly through the author's website for now, and the Audiobook is available on Audible, but a wider release is still a few months out. This one's also a result of a successful Kickstarter campaign.

The Story:

"Caught between his partner’s moral compass and a father’s desire for vengeance, will Royce turn the rivers of Rochelle red?

When Gabriel Winter’s daughter mysteriously disappears and is presumed dead, the wealthy whiskey baron seeks revenge. Having lived in Colnora during the infamous Year of Fear, he hires the one man he knows can deliver a bloody retribution—the notorious Duster.

Ride with Royce and Hadrian as the cynical ex-assassin and idealistic ex-mercenary travel to a mysterious old-world city filled with nobles claiming descent from imperial aristocracy. Riyria’s job appears easy: discover what happened to the missing duchess and, if she lives, bring her home . . . if not, punish those responsible. But nothing is simple in the crowded, narrow, mist-filled streets of Rochelle, where more than one ancient legend lurks."

The Review:

The Disappearance of Winter's Daughter was a book I had been looking forward to since, well, since it was still titled Riyria Chronicles 4, unwritten and not even Kickstarted yet. Expectations were high, this being the 10th Riyria novel in total (6 Revelations and 3 Chronicles preceding it).

I still remember picking up Theft of Swords, the book collecting the first two novels, more on a whim than anything. The cover wasn't even that special, something that has changed since Marc Simonetti got to provide incredible art for The Death of Dulgath, Legends of the First Empire and now Winter's Daughter. Back then, I started listening to the audiobook of Theft of Swords while cooking dinner and found myself enjoying the first chapter of The Crown Conspiracy a great deal for how it introduced the heroes Royce and Hadrian in a somewhat whimsical manner while setting the stage for the world they inhabited. I felt comfortable with the duo pretty much immediately, and blasted through the entire 6 Riyria Revelations novels in short order.

Since then, I have read Michael J. Sullivan's first two Legends of the First Empire novels, Hollow World, and the four Riyria Chronicles novels so far. There has been no book that I haven't enjoyed in the lineup, and Winter's Daughter is no exception. Michael always says in his fore/afterwords of Chronicles that he writes them as stand-alone experiences and didn't want to drag the series out unnecessarily, but as long as people want more of Hadrian and Royce, there's room for sequels to the prequels.

I'm glad to say that The Disappearance of Winter's Daughter should easily secure at least a Chronicles 5, and is already poised with plot hooks for it. Nothing in this particular novel shows signs of Michael slowing down when it comes to the Riyria duo. From prose to pacing to interesting plot ideas, a fantastic cast of side characters and the ever-expected witty dialogue and squabbling between the two friends, Winter's Daughter feels once more like coming home. Or, to put it differently, like inviting two old friends back into your home, having waffles for breakfast and having awkward conversations about unicorns and polka dots. In yet other words, I loved it.

The Disappearance of Winter's Daughter takes our rogues to the city of Rochelle to bring down bloody vengeance on the Duke for possibly having murdered his wife, the daughter of whiskey baron Gabriel Winter. Things aren't quite so easily solved, however, and with conspiracies, revolutions and a race against time unfolding, Royce and Hadrian are forced to reflect not only on the living situations of Mir, elf-human mixed breeds, dwarves and Calians in an ancient gothic city raised on tradition, piety and superstition, but also on their own lives and choices throughout.

The book is chock-full with great moments, adds background to Hadrian and Royce alike, brings the couple even closer together and, to my delight, ties a few more knots to connect the prequel Chronicles to the Revelations. Michael J. Sullivan is a master at making his world of Elan feeling interconnected and dynamic, whether it be through small easter eggs or a wider mythology. I'm sure I even overlooked a few of these points of interest due to how long it has been since I read the Riyria Revelations - which only encourages me more to do a full re-read of the series. But even if you haven't read them yet in the first place, you'll eventually appreciate how much clever little foreshadowing happens here as well.

The new, and expanded on, side characters were honestly delightful as well. From Mercator Sikara, the Mir trying to find compromises and protect her people, over Evelyn Hemsworth, the old "hag" renting out her room to Royce and Hadrian and always, always added a motherly snark to a scene, to Duchess 'Genny' herself, the novel is stocked with interesting, dynamic and even inspiring characters. The villains, too, feel authentic and offer a proper challenge or three. There was never a dull moment, but plenty of laughter. It is incredible to me how well this entry straddles the line between being a depressing story about real oppression where even children may end up dead in an alley, and being a humorous adventure full of Jiggery-Pokery.

It is a rare series that, even 10 books in, with a 6 novel ancient-prequel series written and for the most part ready for publication, and a bridge series in the planning stages, can feel at the same time utterly comfortable and yet exciting and refreshing, like a soft spring breeze that manages to brush away the past winter's frustrations. With Riyria, I know what I'm in for before picking the book up for the first time; I know that I'll enjoy myself, the story and the characters and can just lean back and enjoy the ride. It puts me into an awkward position between wanting to finish the novels quickly and drawing them out as best I can, to have something to look forward to the following day as well.

In the end though, I really don't want to spoil the adventure. I'll just say that, whether or not you have read Riyria before, this book will entertain and excite you on its own merits, and if you have read other installments, you'll end up with even more to appreciate.

And one more note on the audiobook release, since that was my go-to format for a Sullivan novel as well:
Tim Gerard Reynolds hits it out of the park yet again (making me even sadder that Haikasoru hasn't been commissioning him for Legend of the Galactic Heroes audiobooks lately, or rather, stopped doing them entirely, because then I'd be in for another ride with the man right now!). Tim has been one of my absolute favorite narrators for a while, and his chemistry with Michael's books is astounding. He is the voice of Royce and Hadrian and, even when reading an unrecorded short story, his voice rings in my head. With the entire series available on Audible, I'd encourage you to give his narrations a try if you have even a passing interest in having books read to you.

Now, I really just want to know about that sodding diary, so please, Michael, write Chronicles 5 plenty soon, alright?

The Disappearance of Winter's Daughter on Goodreads

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2016 has been a great year for me as far as books are concerned. I've gotten to read a lot of solid and amazing books over the past twelve months, and I am inclined to point fingers to a bunch of stories, from short to long, that I enjoyed most. It will come as no surprise that I've reviewed most of them in the past, which I am happy about; my review-output has drastically improved over 2016 as well.

To preface, though, I'll keep it to books that have released in 2016, at least in english. Some titles like Legend of the Galactic Heroes may be ancient, originally published in Japan over the 80s, but they've only now received international releases, so I am including those. If the book has been out in one format but gotten a paperback, audiobook or whichever else this year, that won't make the list, even if I may have read it this year. If a pre-release dropped in late 2015 but the general street date was in 2016, the book still qualifies.
I also tried to limit myself to one book per author, even though some of them had me wondering which I'd go with for a while.

With that out of the way, let's begin. Here's hoping some of these will find their way into your homes or onto your eReaders!

Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Dawn by Yoshiki Tanaka

You know I like science fiction/space operas and largely character-driven stories. This one's got those bases covered. I read books one to three over the course of 2016, and am eagerly waiting for my preorder of volume 4 in summer 2017. I've preordered all of the books since reading the 1st (in fact, I had preordered Ambition before I even finished Dawn), and despite Endurance arriving an entire month after its release date(!), which was half a month after e- and audiobook versions as it is, I am happy to continue to do so for the rest of the series.
I was so eager to dig into volume 2 this summer, I bought it at Barnes & Noble while visiting my girlfriend in the States, knowing that I'd have my copy the day after returning back home anyway, and left the book for her to read, as she was currently on Dawn.

All that speaks of commitment to the series and its stellar characters, spearheaded by admiral Yang Wenli and count Reinhard von Lohengramm. Their stories and the ongoing war between the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance, and their political shifts and switching of spots, have me excited every time, and listening to the audiobooks narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds just adds a cherry on top. The characters feel alive and engaging, growing with the tale.

Legend of the Galactic Heroes Vol.1: Dawn on Goodreads

Legends of the Dark Millennium: Genestealer Cults by Peter Fehervari

I had long anticipated more stories, especially novels, by Peter Fehervari. Ever since reading Fire Caste, he's had me. Fehervari brings something to the table that most Black Library and 40k authors seem to miss more often than not: The bitter bleakness of the setting. There are no clear victories in his stories, no real hope for the future. Everything is a losing battle, driving characters insane and hopeless.

Genestealer Cults is no exception. If anything, it drives people insane in more ways than you'd expect, by reintroducing the alien cults back to the wider setting after returning to the tabletop for the first time in decades. Mind control, manipulation, vile zealotry, they're all in the book and result in an explosive combination. Once again he references his other works of the Dark Coil here and there, enriching the novel for those in the know and adding even more depth to his growing mythos.
The atmosphere is thick, the action leaving nothing to be desired, and his choice of battlefield is as intriguing and full of mystery as basically anything he writes. My only gripe was that it was a short novel, not a full length one, and that it left me wanting more.

I'm happy to see this book also catching on with the fans of the franchise on various forums, because this definitely deserves recognition. Fehervari is a genius when it comes to exposing the dark nature of the IP, and stare into the abyss of human hearts and minds. Genestealer Cults makes that abundantly clear once again. It is a psychological horror story the likes of which you'll rarely find in the franchise.

Legends of the Dark Millennium: Genestealer Cults on Goodreads

Age of Myth by Michael J. Sullivan

I read almost the entire book while staying at my girlfriend's over in the USA. The audiobook, narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds as well (like Sullivan's Riyria), kept me company on the way back home as well, while I was stuck at that annoying Chicago airport for a day. Surely I'd have gone even more insane without this novel's aid!

When I found Riyria a couple of years ago, I didn't know what to expect, but found something amazing. The Legends of the First Empire aim to be an independent, mythological prequel to the tales of Royce and Hadrian, set thousands of years earlier. Seeing certain things from Riyria gaining new context or a different spin was great, but even newcomers will be able to enjoy this greatly

Once again, Michael J. Sullivan scores with his easy to like and relate to characters, which also includes some very nifty female leads, a wolf and a lot of cleverly interwoven themes. This being a book that focuses on humanity's early existence, it doesn't miss a beat to remind us that these are more primitive, more superstitious and, in a way, more magical times. That brings a certain purity to the table which reminds me of Tolkien's expanded mythology around Beleriand and the First Age. But unlike Tolkien, Sullivan manages to squarely focus on the characters shaping the world, with little of what many readers found tedious about J.R.R.'s stories. The pacing felt great, the humor refreshing and with Sullivan having written almost the entire series besides some polishing work already, this will be a book I'll gladly re-read once the series is finished and I went through the first time.

Age of Myth on Goodreads

United States of Japan by Peter Tieryas

I read The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick in 2016, and look at that: A spiritual successor featuring giant mecha and political and military intrigue! This book was very exciting, owing to its kick-ass concept, the well-paced unravelling of mysteries surrounding the characters, and also the action sequences. There was much to enjoy (or avert your eyes from) here, and Tieryas certainly did not pull any punches!

This book won't be for everyone, and a certain maturity is needed to really pick up on the themes, so while giant robots may be exciting to kids and early teens (I know they were for me, though I always prefered Kaiju/Dinosaurs over robots), best not hand it to them without knowing what you're doing. This book is violent, and disturbing in places, but oh it all clicks together so well in part because of that.

If you've ever wondered what might have happened if the Axis forces had won World War II, and split the United States up among themselves, this is the book for you. It won't be pretty, but it will be one hell of a ride, and a ride through hell.

United States of Japan on Goodreads

The Emperor's Railroad by Guy Haley

Disclaimer: I got an early review copy for this book thanks to the author putting me in contact with the publisher.

This was the first review copy I received from Tor in 2016, surprisingly. I remember seeing it listed on Amazon before it even had a cover, and preordering it on the name on the page alone. Guy Haley's been one of my favorite authors in recent years, ever since I read his Skarsnik and Baneblade when he joined Black Library.

Seeing him kicking off a new series of novellas in his own, original fantasy post-apocalypse was incredibly satisfying. The first thing that caught my attention, of course, was the strong narrating voice. Written from the perspective of one character involved in the book, telling his story to an unknown audience many years after the fact, it felt eccentric and fresh. The story itself is set around Virginia in the future, long after what appears to be a nuclear war that brought mankind back to the middle-ages - including faith in the spiritual, weird technology-turned-magic and superstition. There's a lot to love here, which only got expanded in The Ghoul King, book two, and I hope to see many more stories in the series.

Haley really nailed this blend between traditional fantasy and science fiction, presenting the entire thing as a sort of travel tale, revealing us, the readers in the know, a world full of disasters that the characters cannot even begin to really understand. I was worried that the zombies in the novella would be dull or too much of a focus, but neither turned out to be true. Instead they were used just the right amount, complementing the world and events that Haley wanted to present.

The novella is still available for a buck or your regional equivalent on Amazon for Kindle, and I'd encourage you to give it a try. Heck, I want to see where this series can go in the future, so I bought a copy of both books even though I had access to the review copies. If the Kindle store wasn't stupidly region-locked, I'd have gifted copies to friends already...

The Emperor's Railroad on Goodreads

Manglers Never Lose by Josh Reynolds

Oh, Josh Reynolds. You magnificent bastard. I knew you were going to be on the list, but it took me some back and forth to pinpoint which of your works to put on here. To my shame, I haven't managed to get really into The Infernal Express yet (out of hope for a print release, actually), but Fabius Bile: Primogenitor was a strong contender for this spot. But then I decided to go with the Manglers instead, even though 'tis but a short story.

Because I loved it. It was fun. It was so silly, so stupid, but also oh so satisfying and nostalgic. Who'd have thought that the first new Blood Bowl story released by Black Library would be that tiny gateway back to the Old World of Warhammer Fantasy Battles, even if just through easter eggs and references to Josh's other works. The unadulterated humor found here is glorious. This short story plays to Josh's strengths, and it made me laugh out loud in many instances. The way he handles inherently silly circumstances and makes them seem mundane in the Blood Bowl setting had me in stitches.

The dialogue too is something that this story got perfectly right. There's back and forths between characters all over, and I actually ended up reading them in various voices to myself while trying not to laugh.

‘Served him right, after what he did to my sister… my brother… my cousins… our goat…’ He trailed off. ‘He was an honourless dog.’

Even if you don't have a clue about Blood Bowl, this story is worth reading. Fantasy Football with orcs, dwarves and humans, with all the madness and violence you'd expect, but also utterly ridiculous and self-aware. Lovely job, Josh!

Manglers Never Lose on Goodreads

Wrath by John Gwynne

Wrath is the final book I read and reviewed in 2016. It is also my favorite. It was an amazing, emotional finale to a series I've devoured between January and February 2016, and then had to wait seemingly forever for the conclusion to. John Gwynne did something amazing in wrapping everything up so magnificently, giving me so many characters to love and/or hate, and he made me go from cheering to weeping over the course of the book.

It does so many things right, I am actually really annoyed by the fact that the trade paperback release won't be in my home until May, which tempts me to rebuy the entire series in hardback. That's how good this book, and the series as a whole, were. The Faithful and the Fallen grew bigger and more impressive with every installment. Whereas Malice felt familiar and nostalgic, I didn't expect things to get so big and emotional. It surprised me, with many of those surprises, good and ill, coming with Wrath. And unlike a lot of ambitious fantasy series, Wrath ended exactly where it should have, with the perfect bittersweet tone it needed. It didn't overstay its welcome, it ended plotlines satisfyingly, and left the rest up to the reader's imagination, not overexplaining. Of course, a new trilogy is in the works, called Of Blood and Bone, with the first book in the editing stages, and you can bet I'll be there to devour that, too.

This was the perfect book to end the year on. An emotional rollercoaster, just like 2016 as a whole. Exciting, scratching all the itches, and leaving me with hope for 2017.

Wrath on Goodreads

And that's it, folks. These are the standout books 2016 had in stock for me. I've read a bunch more, of course, but I had to narrow it done a bunch. Books that didn't make the list just had to go up against some very strong and enjoyable stories this year.

Hopefully 2017 will be able to keep up! I know I got a bunch of releases on my radar already, and the list is only going to grow as more get revealed and I get invested in series that have passed me by so far.

I wish you all the best in the coming year, at any rate. If you'd like, let me know via the comments or Twitter or the likes what releases you liked best in 2016, and what your highly anticipated reads for 2017 are. Maybe I'll find some new gems that way too!

Happy New Year!

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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.

This series had me excited since it was announced, years ago. Back then, the titles and covers were still very much placeholders, but I still feel fond of the original title of the novel: Rhune. Having read the book now, the title is more fitting than ever, but certain concessions have to be made for the sake of clearer marketing, I guess. Either way, the novel met my expectations and I am looking forward to the coming years' releases.

The Story:

"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."

The Review:

Age of Myth is a wonderful novel. I had long anticipated its release, and I was not disappointed by anything but the fact that there are five more novels in the series to go, most likely to be released annualy. While I love that this turned into six whole books while Sullivan was writing it (as he tends to finish a series before putting the first book out there), this means that it will likely take til 2020 for me to finish it. On the flipside, it also means a great summer read every year to come.

Stylistically, Age of Myth is a typical Sullivan novel. It is family friendly, avoiding grimdark slaughter killing for its own sake (though it is not afraid to depict killing and maiming if it serves the plot and characters!), it doesn't descend into vile language, and the characters are all easily relatable. There is also a sense of humor about the dialogue and exposition, many quotable scenes, and a good dose of hope even in the darkest hours of the story. Like with Riyria, both Revelations and Chronicles, it is easy to recommend this novel to fans of fantasy epics, and might even be a good choice for a young teen's first fantasy novel. It is approachable, endearing and something you can put down with a good feeling.

While the Legends of the First Empire series shares its setting with Riyria, it is set thousands of years earlier in the timeline. It sets out to tell us of the real events that led to the formation of the First Empire of Novron, since, while there were many hints and revelations spread out through the Riyria Revelations, history is written by the winners, and much is lost over the millennia. This series is going to set the record straight, and in doing so give a new perspective to old readers, while having no entry barriers for newcomers. It is a great recipe for a series like this, offering almost a blank slate for the author to build upon myths, and in turn avoiding heavy spoilers across series.

The story of Age of Myth primarily follows five characters: Raithe the "Godkiller", Malcolm the ex-slave, Persephone, the old village chief's wife, Suri, a young mystic whose friend is a wolf, Minna, and Fhrey magician Arion, tutor to the prince. While initially completely unrelated to one another, the four come together throughout the story and it is a marvel to see their relationships grow, both between them and with the other inhabitants of the Dahl Rhen village.

It all kicks off with Raithe and his father crossing the border into Fhrey territory, upsetting an elven noble. He slays Raithe's dad and in turn ends up getting knocked out by his slave, Malcolm, and consecutively killed by Raithe. This earns him the reputation as "Godkiller", but as word of his deed spreads and people start questioning the Fhrey's godly and immortal nature, the elves take vengeance on the tribes of men.
Young mystic Suri gets wind of impending doom for humanity, the Rhune, as the species is called by their elven overlords, and goes to warn Dahl Rhen's chieftain of it all. Persephone welcomes her, but has to take things into her own hands as with the death of her husband, leadership passes on to an incompetent and selfish fool. She ventures out with Suri to ask the ancient oak Magda (seen on the cover) for advice in preventing her people's extinction.
Beset by brigands, the two women are saved by Raithe and Malcolm, and thus the core group is formed.

Arion, meanwhile, is sent out by the Fane, ruler of the elves, to bring back the wayward Fhrey Nyphron, who has turned his back on his peers after his father was humiliated by the Fane in what should have been an honourable duel. Through her, we see the misconceptions of her people when it comes to the outside world and the Rhune in particular. She is a very sympathetic character who is hard to dislike, and values wisdom over raw power, which puts her into stark contrast with one of the book's antagonists, First Minister Gryndal.

Other characters join the cast as the story progresses, including a dangerous, man-eating bear, Nyphron's band of outlaws and Persephone's friends at home. The latter are very interesting to me, and will be instrumental in the following installments. The girl Roan, for example, is very shy and withdrawn due to past trauma, but also highly inventive and puts into context just how undeveloped the Rhune truly are, despite their familiar mannerisms. To give an example, she invents a pocket!

“A pock-et. That’s what I call it. You know, like a poke—a little sack? But this is a tiny one. So it’s a pocket. See?” Roan picked up a bit of string from her worktable and slipped it in. Then she let go, leaving it there as if she’d performed a magic trick. “Because it’s open on top, I can put stuff in and take it out with one hand, and it’s always with me.”

Then we have headstrong but alluring Moya, who is adored by almost everyone despite her sharp tongue. Brin, apprentice to Keeper of the Ways Maeve, also prefaces every chapter with a note on characters, environment, and the times they live in. Then there is the old hag Padera, who is snarky and full of life hacks. But I particularly liked poor Gifford the potter, who was born deformed and has a speech impediment. His relationship with Roan is touching in all the right ways, but also sad. The excerpt for book two, Age of Swords, which is added at the back as an extra, mainly concerns these two, making me very excited to see their characters grow in the future - for now, however, they were well-established and are some of my favorites from the book's side characters.

Surprisingly, Nyphron isn't as prominent in the novel as Riyria readers might expect. His role is established firmly, and he has many good scenes, but he is left ambiguous as well. I actually liked that. His time will come, but this book was primarily about Persephone and Suri, with Raithe close by and Malcolm as a strong support yet also left ambiguous in many ways.

From the list of characters I have given, you'll notice that the book is fairly heavy on female characters. While men are involved too, especially on chieftain Konniger's side of things or the Fhrey, I feel that the female cast is particularly strong and all encompassing, with virtues and vices included. Of course, Sullivan has a history of writing compelling, relatable and authentic women; Arista, Gwen, Thrace, Rose and co all spring to mind from Riyria. But here I feel he has crafted a tight-knit group of women who complement one another so well, special praise is in order.
In a way, you could even say that Age of Myth is an emancipation story, heralding a shift in societal norms, all without being preachy or devolving into self-righteousness or being judgemental.

Honestly, I was in love with this book from the start. Sullivan's prose is inviting as ever, marrying familiar tones with a great, unknown world full of new discoveries waiting for its inhabitants. It is a much more magical setting than the "present day" Riyria books present Elan as. There are many hints and ties between the two, which are fun to explore.

But the adventures of the characters here are very different from the outgoing nature of Riyria stories. Where every new novel saw Royce and Hadrian venture out to new locations and perform different tasks, Age of Myth is more concerned with the story of Dahl Rhen and its people, and constructing a fledgling society and putting its patrons and main gears into place. It is something I liked a lot about Graham McNeill's Legend of Sigmar trilogy; it took myths from millenia after the facts got lost, put them into context and explored the origins of what people in the present day take for granted. Age of Myth provides a new, fresh perspective with many original ideas in quite the same way.

Sullivan has a way with telling emotional, mature stories that still know to appeal to younger audiences as well. This book is no exception. It had me curse my Kindle's batteries on many occassions, especially while stuck at the airport for almost a day. Getting to hear the story narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds once again also helped; he truly is the voice of Sullivan's works, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
It is an addictive novel that I had to force myself to put down when my girlfriend got home. It made me smile and laugh and fear and fret. Its dark and grim moments were carefully balanced against the lighter tones and hope for the future, despite looming threats to all Rhune. I had to force myself to walk away from bookshelves on vacation and not to buy a hardcover copy right there and then; I was already pushing the weight limits on my luggage!

Age of Myth is a damn good book, and I am glad that all my excitement of the past few years since announcement paid off. It is one of 2016's greatest hits for sure.

Age of Myth on Goodreads

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