I have since bought a copy of this book as well as the rest of the series.

I would like to thank Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey, and Michael J. Sullivan for the opportunity to read and review this ebook.

I wanted to read Age of Swords the moment I had finished reading Age of Myth. This book is soaked in the tradition of classical fantasy, but it still manages to hold its own in today's canvas of modern fantasy books. Even though, we have become accustomed to familiar, in fact repetitive tropes in classical fantasy, much of the story-telling likes in the execution.

Sullivan's Ryria Revelation stories are essentially wonderful tales of camaraderie and Swashbuckle that uses the traditional canvas of fantasy mainly as a backdrop. However, this series sets the lore for the Ryria world. There were a lot of rewarding easter eggs that tie into the Ryria Revelations that it makes this story enjoyable more to someone who has read MJS's first series that shot him to fame. This is a truly enjoyable series- cool characters, deeply layered, interesting plot, lots of potential, and c’mon the covers are awesome! Recommended. I am eager to read the other books now that the series is concluded.

I've enjoyed this series but not as much as I did the Riyara chronicles. I loved learning more about the origins of this world but I just haven't connected to the characters as much as I have with Royce and Hadrian.

Age of Swords is the second book in a planned six-book series. The story is set thousands of years before the Riyria Revelations and explores how the empires in those books developed and who the major players were. It is a fascinating look at the legends and people who shaped the events in one of my favourite series.

There are many things happening in this book, many of which will definitely continue into the next book, but I like how the author does kind of give you closure for each book while still giving you tantalizing clues as to what could happen in the next one. This book is full of heroes, but what I especially liked, was the involvement of women and how women features in this book. The book was full of strong women, each different in their own way, with different weaknesses and strengths, but they all worked together to pull of the impossible. First of all, there is Persephone, a born leader, always pushing herself for her people no matter the cost to herself. My favourite character, Moya, who has to prove herself over and over again that she is just as brave and talented as any man, someone who can train hard and learn good weapons skills to defend her land and her people. And then Brin, who is developing a written language so their deeds are never forgotten. And even though I have to sort of look the other way on this one, I loved the concept of how it developed. Roan, so brilliant, but so...broken? My heart goes out to her so much. And then there is Suri, poor Suri.

The story has several different POV, all of them interesting in their own way. I really liked Raithe's POV as he continued to struggle with taking on a leadership role and what that would mean both for him and his people, and if it could cost his people everything. It was interesting to see the byplay of thoughts among the different groups of people as to the possible outcomes so when an unexpected solution came up, I was a bit caught off guard though I thought it was perfect. Mawyndule's story line was a bit harder to read simply because he was so young and didn't have a lot of experience so he was quite gullible. He was also spoiled and a bit petulant about his circumstances which is why it was easy to predict what would happen to him. I don't dislike his character but he is a bit annoying, which is how I think he is supposed to be.

Who I can't quite figure out at the moment is Nyphron and how he fits into the whole story line. I think the author is really playing with the idea of how history changes so if you are familiar with the Riyria Revelations, you can see the changes from the true history to what is believed in those books, and that is how it should be. I am really curious to learn about Nyphron and Persephone but so far, nothing.

Age of Swords is a really good book and I really like where the story is going. And while it is lacking the amazing banter of Royce and Hadrian, there is much to recommend both in the characters and in the story. I have always enjoyed the author's writing style and while the pacing is a bit slower, it didn't really bother me as I enjoyed learning about the different characters as well as visiting the different places. I am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in this series, Age of War.

I had serious trouble wanting to finish this book, unfortunately. It took me to about 3/4 of the way through, before I started to find it enjoyable. The first 3/4 I struggled through, feeling detached from the characters and, more than anything, wondering about the psychological motives for the way the characters were written. I felt the characters lacked depth pretty consistently. You started to feel like you were getting to know some of the characters better in the second half of the book, but ultimately I was disappointed. I have no problem with the females being the hero of the story mind you. Next, my version of the book was about 375 pages. I would consider this short and don't feel jumping perspectives frequently gives enough time to get into the individual characters. Some of these characters don't even interact in any significant way in this book, just a build up. This plays significantly into my issue with Age of Swords that the characters lack depth. You don't ever really know who or if there is a main character. You aren't fed enough attributes of the characters to really find them interesting and likable. I will just say I was disappointed in the book ending as much more would be a spoiler. This was a book I would likely have DNF'd except that I was given a free preview copy. It has the feeling it is being dumbed down for a young adult audience. Lot's of stories take a cleaner less mature path without feeling dumbed down, but Age of Swords fails here. I did feel the author's writing style seemed to be pretty easy to read and the story seemed to flow pretty well, despite the brevity of its depth. To the downside of this, I found the names of things to be annoying, especially when you found out they were just elongated versions of things you would have already known and readily identified. There is a certain disrespect to the legacy that Tolkien created in this book, in the naming of races, and likely only Tolkien fans will catch it, but if you're doing fantasy I mean how could you disregard what he's done and go with spellcheck. I finally became interested in the last quarter of this book and I thought some of the characters might come to a meaningful ending. The ending was still disappointing, but if the whole book had been as good as the last quarter I could have given it a better rating.

I can't believe I forgot to review this. I really love Sullivan's other books, specifically the Riyria ones (I've read all 10 of them). This series is related to the Riyria books in that it's set in the distant past within the same world. I like the books with Hadrian and Royce more, but these are well-written and exciting. The pacing is a little different - maybe a little slower - but I don't really mind. I'm eager to read the rest of this series.

An awesome sequel in a fantastical world! I absolutely loved the expansion of the stories established in the first and cannot wait for the next one!

A fantastic continuation of the series started with Age of Myth. This continues to world building prequal and sets the stage for the events that were made legend in the Riyria Chronicles. I like the smaller scale of these books (at least in comparison) and the focus on the individual character growth. The storyline is somewhat familiar if you read the Riyria Chronicles but separates the myth from reality with some great twists and turns.

I love this series. This one was even better than the first. I loved how the title was totally fitting for this book. I loved how far the characters came and developed. I love that the end was a cliffhanger, but not so much that I wanted to chuck the book across the room after.
I would definitely recommend this series to anyone who loves a good fantasy that is well written and you can't help but love.

*I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

This book took me a LONG time to get through and I wasn't feeling it for the most part. The 5 star rating I gave the first book had me convinced to keep going through, that and how I haven't read a book like this in a while and was out of practice.

Saying all of the above, it isn't like I disliked what I was reading -- in fact, I was really into the story and still am. The story is just slow for me, but there is so much going on. If you are interested in world development/building, this is totally a book for you. Literally weapons are being discovered, the written languages are being created, and things are changing. This is a book about a world going through huge changes they don't even realize the magnitude of. At first, because I wanted a more fast-paced book this annoyed me, but once I got into the swing of things I was excited for Brin and Roan -- in fact Roan is one of my favorite characters along with Moya and Suri.... well, all the girls.

The parts in Fhrey annoyed me. These chapters are the ones that had me looking at my % completed. I'd always finish the chapters before putting the book down, otherwise I was afraid I wouldn't pick the book back up :/

Now, until about 70% this book was going to get a 3 star rating and I wasn't sure if I would continue the series -- then WOW. Things happen, everything that has been learned and discovered is utilized, and the girls get shit DONE. And the ending is a somewhat cliffhanger. I finished the book thinking "YEAH!" and wanting the next, even though it took me days to get through this one.
So, will I get the next book? Possibly... I don't want to dread reading it, but I do want to know what will happen.

This is a book I will/do recommend to people.

I've had Michael J. Sullivan on my list of authors I simply must read for a few years now, but haven't had the opportunity to get my hands on one of his physical books before Age of Myth. I had my reservations near the beginning of the first book, but it ended up being a really strong start to a fantasy series and quite a pleasant surprise (or maybe not, it is MJS after all). Age of Swords has followed the story and taken us a step further into MJS fantastic world building. As long as you go into it knowing that it's more a simmer and less and out-and-out explosion of fantasy mayhem straight from the start (though, you will not be bored, at all), I think you'll discover there's lots to appreciate here. I'm very keen on seeing where MJS takes the journey next.

**The book was reviewed for the San Francisco and Seattle Book Reviews

Age of Swords is second in Michael J Sullivan's Legends of the First Empire series. War continues to loom between Fhrey and Rhune. A vicious attack leaves those of Dahl Rhen without a home, and more determined than ever to shake free of the yoke of Fhrey oppression. Persephone, now chieftain of Dahl Rhen, issues invitations to all the Rhune clans, even the feared and fearsome Gula, to a summit to appoint a keenig who will lead the united clans against the Fhrey.

Trouble plagues the effort from the beginning. No clan wants another's chieftain to be keenig. The most logical choice refuses to even consider it because he thinks superior numbers, and Nyphron’s training mean nothing without weapons at least equal to their opponents. While the council continues to argue it out, Persephone and a band of intrepid females set out to the Dherg nation to barter for weapons of quality. What they are required to pay, and what they find are far beyond their imagination. Question is- will it be enough?

I love Sullivan's writing! He has dynamic characters and engaging, immersive story. Swords was no exception. Each character continues to grow, even as they struggle with inner and outer demons. For the women, Neith becomes their crucible, forging alchemic change. This is especially true of Suri, who pays the highest price of all for their cause. Persephone and the others grow as well. Brin and Roan, the two youngest, step into greater maturity. Moya finds her true confidence

I love that alchemic themes are teased at with Mawyndulë also. The secret Miralyth meetings are under the Rose Bridge, they are sub rosa, beneath the rose. This begins Mawyndulë's transformation, which continues in the Airenthenon. He is young, with much potential, and at a critical age for shaping ethics. I admit, I didn't like him at first. He seemed petty, shallow, and childish. These things get stripped from him in the fires of his own Calcination.

This book is all about alchemic change. It isn't just the individuals, but entire cultures. Sullivan does a masterful job showing cultural diffusion, as Rhune, Dherg, and Fhrey cultures begin to bleed into one another, sharing technology and information, however reluctantly. This diffusion sparks a great deal of growth in Rhune culture. Being the least insular, and shortest-lived seems to have made them quite adaptable. It's a great message, too, that the majority of change is instigated by women, often despite the men’s behaviour and beliefs.

I'll admit. It is a rare book that can make me actually cry. Not just tear up, but sit bawling, hugging my very confused, and increasingly irritated kitty cat. In the depths of Neith, I truly shared Suri’s sorrow. Sullivan plays the heartstrings of imagination as Suri plucks the strings of creation. Powerful magic indeed.

📚📚📚📚📚

“Funny how things that shouldn’t matter actually meant so much and how things as permanent as homes moved”

THIS. BOOK.

I haven’t cried like a baby for a character in a VERY long time but then this book comes along and BAM! My emotions are scattered in the wind and so is my emotional sanity.

Age of Swords starts almost immediately where we left off.

The war that a Rhune named Raithe had started with the Fhrey by killing one of them and hence proving that they weren’t God, is still in the works.

The leader of one of the Rhune clans, Persephone, has decided that the only way to win the battle against the Fhrey is to unite all the clans.

But Persephone, Raithe and the rest of the clans are all aware that neither great numbers nor training from a group of soldier Fhreys can help them win the war. And so a small band of misfits end up in the depths of Elan, a dwarf land, where they hope they can find some help.

On the other hand, a gifted young Suri is being trained by a Fhrey, a sorceress named Arion, who hopes that once the rest of the Fhrey realise that Rhunes are just like them, they would seize the war and accept peace.

PROS:

Michael J. Sullivan has become one of my favourite authors. Even though I’ve only read two of his books so far, the way he weaves his stories, the way the characters are built, it’s just beautiful. His writing is so phenomenal. It’s almost impossible for me to stop reading it once I begin.

Let me list down some really important reasons why you should consider reading this book:

1. A female character who was previously seen as nothing but the Chieftain’s wife is finally seen as the true leader that she is.
2. A female character who was previously seen as nothing but being beautiful has finally become the warrior and scribe she was bound to become.
3. Accurate and insightful representation of disabled people and how they are usually treated by the abled who are clearly a-holes
4. A female character, who cannot stand being touched because she grew up being physically and emotionally abused by her father, becomes a strong survivor. One who doesn’t let her past ruin her from being the master crafter that she is.
5. Acceptance of different races for who they are and NOT intentionally offending them.
6. Internalised misogyny and how it needs to die.
7. THE BEST FEMALE REPRESENTATION IN A HIGH FANTASY EVER!

I mean honestly, if these don’t pull you in already I cannot possibly imagine what will.

Maybe knowing that that one part of this book will make you cry like a baby? Because when I reached that part I was pretty much bawling. I went through hundreds of tissues and oh god my heart still aches just thinking about it. I even went crying to Beez (who is in India right now so I was basically cry-texting her).

While I love each and every character in this book, my heart beats for Suri and her wolf the MOST.

I also love how the book tackles a LOT of topics that are relevant in our world right now. It tackles, sexism, racism, classism, power-hungry dominance, family, love, friendship and just GAH! Reading this book made me feel like I was home. Great, I’m gonna cry again.

One thing you need to know is that the Rhunes are like past us. WAAAAAAAY past us. They are still discovering things like wheels, barrels, wagons and writing. And it’s those things that make me love this book even more if that’s even possible. I feel this excitement when they figure out something new. It’s like watching your sims reach success without your help.

My favourite part is definitely when Persephone and her group went into the deep caves of the dwarf land because SO MUCH happened there.

CONS

No.


I have always worshipped heroes in stories. I had no idea I was surrounded by them.

-THE BOOK OF BRIN

4 stars for the second book in the Legends of the First Empire series! It took me a few months to pick this book up. Only because I had to reread the first one to really grasp what was going on. It really is that detailed but that is what you expect of a high fantasy series. Welcome back to the war against the Fhrey. Tensions are high and the story picks up with Persephone, Arion, Suri and Minna on a quest to defeat the demon, Balgargarth.

Full of humor and adventure. I could not put this book down once I picked it up! The pacing was on point and I really enjoyed the character growth -- especially with Suri who is finally starting to accept who she is. I was a bit aggrieved by the twist in the end but it only makes me want the next book all that much more.

4 stars for avoiding the sophomoric book slump and for kick-ass female characters!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC!

Once again Michael hits it out of the park. While not completely breaking traditional tropes, he still adds enough of a spin that it feels fresh. He also writes some of the best female protagonists that I’ve read.

He knows how to create wonderfully intense characters. He doesn’t make them jump from the frying pan to the fire, to the inferno, to the inferno of hell and so one until suspension of disbelief is impossible. I am tired of characters that manage to walk ten miles on two broken legs. Sullivan’s plots are believable, in the realms he has created, and they are surprising.

I try not to judge a fantasy series by the first or second book. Sometimes the second book is stronger than the first, sometimes it is weaker, and other times it is about the same. In this case, Age of Swords wasn’t quite as strong as Age of Myth, but it was still pretty epic. A war is raging and legends will be made.

I have great hope for upcoming books in this series and will definitely be reading on to see where the story line goes. The characters continue to grow and the plot is moving forward steadily. If you like epic fantasy series that will soon be legendary, start reading now.

I loved the first book in the series. It had many unique elements and twists. This one seemed more middle of the road. Growing pains are common in book two, however, so I look ahead with great expectation to the next book in series.

Continuation of the new cycle series. Frankly, I felt a bit underwhelmed as was losing my interest at times. I am not too certain I will continue to follow this series.

I would recommend this book for the fans of the book 1 and readers of YA fantasy readers that would like to try out something from the neighbouring genre (start from the book 1 though)

Another solid offering from Sullivan--though I have to say, there were a few times that I felt he gave in to the cliches of dwarves and dragon myths, which always makes me a little sad. However, I am fairly vested in the characters, especially Suri, so it was nice to be able to see how they continue.

One thing--if you have issues with continuity (like...they don't have writing yet, and suddenly, they go from nothing to chillizing in stone to velum to writing a book all within a few days...and you are really annoyed because that just condensed decades of time into seconds), then this book might drive you bonkers...but Sullivan gets kudos for having smart women take major parts in everything.

Sullivan is a solid fantasy writer, and his world is enjoyable. If you like fantasy, give him a try.

If this was a one-sentence review, all I would say is that I am so glad that I don't have to wait another full year to immerse myself in this wonderful tale again.

Age of Swords was a great sequel in developing the characters that I've grown to love from Age of Myth. I can see why MJS named this as his favourite book of the series even at this early stage. I believe every author should be fond of the characters that they have created and writing that one book that highlighted their development most of all had to be the most fulfilling.

After setting the scene in the first book regarding the differences between the Rhunes and the Fhrey, Age of Swords proceeded to demonstrate what occurs when the bonds of subjugation of the perceived inferior race start to fray. Similar to the progression of our human civilisation stemming from the ability to travel, whether through curiosity or conquest, and to communicate with other humans in different parts of the world, the co-mingling of the out-cast Fhrey amongst the Rhunes and a chance meeting of Dhergs or dwarves, enabled the same. The discovery of the reclusive and covetous Dherg, and their know-how played a significant role in this novel. I have to say that some of these "advancements" did occur almost all too expediently or conveniently. It didn't really bother me though as I find it fits well into the character development.

As before in Age of Myth, there wasn't a tremendous amount of plot progression in this book. The material sought to give the reader better appreciation of the key characters and why these characters are so important. As such, there were instances where the pacing slows down and lots of conversations took place. As far as I am concerned, this matter. For the main reason being that The Legends of the First Empire is a prequel series for me in its truest sense as I have read all of Riyria Revelations and Chronicles. As such, one can I say I already have knowledge of the final outcome or destination. Hence, the journey becomes important to me; i.e. how MJS tells the story of what was actual vs what was "retold" in Revelations. And speaking of which, there was just so much fun and delight in discovering the linkages and references to the Riyria series. Whenever something makes me go "Oh my gosh, is it..." or "Is that...", my heart does a little dance.

One thing for sure, if one ever feels disillusioned or displeased with how badly written female characters are in quite a significant number of fantasy books, no look further than Michael J Sullivan to break that funk.

Although men were strong like rocks, any stone could crack. Women were more like water. They nurtured life and could shape the hardest granite through unrelenting determination.

The female characters in this series are astounding. They are smart, courageous, resilient, compassionate and strong without once compromising what makes them women. Persephone, Moya, Roan, Brin and Suri - their stories truly shine. There is no better word to describe the character development of this stellar cast, which a lot of time was spent on.

This is in stark contrast to the men, who seemed to be stubbornly irritating. Well, except for one outright star which I will come to later. I was especially annoyed with Raithe and Mawyndule. Raithe's arc seemed to take a step backwards in here with his reluctance to act and pessimism leading to an almost cowardly course of action. I definitely wished to see more of Malcolm to temper his insufferable whining. Mawyndule's POV was completely dislikeable as it served to drive the point of how the Miralyth believed themselves to be above all others and deserved to be within the pantheon of the gods itself. It was, unfortunately, a necessary evil to shape the narrative of the larger story at hand.

The saving grace amongst the men was no other than Gifford. I was delighted that he actually received a fair bit of page-time in here. Damaged as he was, his strength of will, determination and courage was extraordinary. His relationship with Roan was especially heart-wrenchingly wonderful and sad at the same time. An outwardly crippled man who does not view himself as such, and a brilliant woman who is broken inside.

Another favourite aspect of this book is, finally, the explanation of the Art. Oh my gosh, it was so beautiful and I truly understand now why it is called the Art. The power of creation that exists in almost everything in the world; the threads and the chords and how it can be altered, manipulated by an Artist. Arising out of this particular narrative was an emotionally powerful sequence of scenes, definitely the most memorable for me from this book.

As much as I loved a whole lot of Age of Swords, it pained me that there are parts which I did not enjoy, namely Mawyndule's and the Miralyth arc. As necessary as it was, it was a bit longer than I would like it to be.

All in all, though, this is another really solid instalment into The Legends of the First Empire. Hopefully, with most of the key characters being established and judging from the ending of Age of Swords, we will finally be getting more action in the subsequent book, Age of War.