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Jan 13, 2012

Kylaia (Formerly known as Klymene) marked it as to-read

I'll probably read this one just because there are two super hot guys on the cover. *covers her face, ashamedly* and because they are thieves. That's just... wow

And then look. There aren't any girls in the picture. Major plus. Just saying.

They have that preview thing on the side now and I'm just dying. Don't bother me more then necessary. I wonder what their names are?

I haven't even read the book yet and I'm in love. If I had a top ten hottest guys from books More...

6 comments like (8 people liked it)

Aug 20, 2011

Emily rated it:

I'm loving this book so far! I'm happy there's so much left :D

8/14: finished book one, the Crown Conspiracy. Awesome!

8/18: Finished. Wow, great books. I'll write a longer review later, but I'm going to buy Nyphron Rising RIGHT NOW. Sleep? Pah!

8/20:
I was lucky enough to snag this ARC. This book was actually originally two books: The Crown Conspiracy and Avempartha. They were self-published along with a couple other books in the Riyria Revelations, and th More...

6 comments like (4 people liked it)

Jan 30, 2012

Anachronist rated it:

This book was originally self-published in two parts, entitled The Crown Conspiracy and Avempartha.

Royce Melborn, a skilled thief-for-hire, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater, make a profitable living carrying out dangerous assignments for conspiring nobles, often double-crossing them in the meantime. One day, however, they accept a deceptively easy and too-profitable-to-be-true job. All they have to do is to pilfer a famed sword, preventing a death of an innocent man. The More...

3 comments like (5 people liked it)

Jan 22, 2012

Andy rated it:

Only just started this and already the characters feel like old friends. Well written and promising to be a phenominal series.

13/12/11
Just finished 'The Crown Conspiracy' (book 1 of 2 in this volume) and thoroughly enjoyed it. If David Eddings had written the Three Musketeers and thrown in a bit of Indiana Jones this is what the result would have been.
Two theives are set up for the murder of the king, but these are no ordinary theives, these are the stuff of legend and we More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Jan 17, 2012

Melissa rated it:

Mystery, Adventure, and Epic. If you like these three things in a book, this is the read for you. There are Kings, thieves, wizards, monks dwarves, and elves…Then you have Murder, lost magic, history, religion, politics, and rivalry.

Many times the starts of a new book and world have me slightly lost until I figure out the pieces, Michael Sullivan has made the beginning easier on me and I LOVE it. The book starts right out with the deception and conniving of the Noble world that in More...

2 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jan 04, 2012

Ritesh rated it:

Posted here: http://riteshkala.wordpress.com/

The Riyria Revelations follows the exploits of a unique couple of friends. They are unique in the sense, that one of them is a talented thief while the other is a former mercenary adept at warfare. They are famous (or notorious, as the case may be) for taking on the toughest jobs, which no one else will touch, and succeeding at them. Both the books in the Theft of Swords omnibus have such jobs as the starting point. Their reputation of bei More...

6 comments like (3 people liked it)

Feb 21, 2012

Meg rated it:

Review of Theft of Swords

I won the fifth and sixth books of the series in a Goodreads giveaway, and the author very kindly provided me with the earlier books so I would not have to start in the middle.

And I am quite glad he did.

The basic premise of the first book in Theft of Swords is that the two main characters, Royce and Hadrian, get framed for a murder and inadvertently end up going on a grand adventure, which I feel fine telling you because it's in the de More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Jan 05, 2012

Stefan rated it:

The first thing you should know about Theft of Swords is that it’s not a fine dining experience. This book is not the literary equivalent of going to a fancy restaurant and getting one of those huge plates that are mostly empty except for a tiny stalk of asparagus artfully drizzled with a delicate sauce. Instead, it’s more like sitting down hungry and getting a big, tasty burger you can just grab and sink your teeth into. (Vegetarians, please substitute for the vegetarian equivalent of a big, ta More...

4 comments like (6 people liked it)

Nov 21, 2011

Seak (Bryce L.) rated it:

Theft of Swords is an omnibus of the first two books in the Riyria Reveleations, The Crown Conspiracy and Avempartha. It's also somewhat the story of an independently published author turned major publishing success as is nicely explained here by Iceberg Ink.

I have to first confess that this is exactly the type of story I love, so pardon my overlooking of any of the faults.

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Theft of Swords is that it's "traditional" More...

12 comments like (14 people liked it)

Dec 22, 2011

Fantasizer rated it:

Introduction: I have known about this series for a time now because of Fantasy Book Critic i.e.Liviu’s excellent reviews of the books, and had been planning on reading the books. So when the author’s publicist sent us a review copy, Theft of Swords jumped to the top of my reading list. Theft of Swords published by Orbit Books is actually an omnibus consisting of two novels (The Crown Conspiracy &Avempartha) previously published separately by indie publisher,Aspirations Media Inc. The books are More...

3 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jan 03, 2012

David rated it:

I enjoyed this more than expected and I definitely want to own this at some point (and the rest of this series). The author does a great job at keeping the action focused around the two main characters even though this is epic fantasy where their actions have far-reaching effects. This book is actually two books combined. The first one is particularly strong since it establishes everything well, leaves plenty to be explained, and has a satisfying ending. I also like how the church is sort of More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Jan 20, 2012

Elizabeth rated it:

I've read this series in its previous format (well books 1 - 5 at least). I've been waiting on pins and needles for the last book to come out and I'm happy to see he's been picked up by a big publisher - as the books really deserve a large audience.

This series is being read by the Fantasy Book Group Series Group and I'm looking forward to participating in the discussions. I'm also interested in seeing how the book has changed from the first release.

I can't remember More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Feb 13, 2012

Text rated it:

I debated between one and two stars for a while before settling on one.

An ominous way to start, eh? Actually it’s not all bad – Sullivan has a good authorial voice, an excellent line in witty banter, engaging characters, and a bunch of interesting ideas.

The problem is, this trilogy of books needed better editing. I’ve gathered that Sullivan is one of the handful of authors who’ve made the transition from self-published to published, which is great for him. But Orbit Books More...

2 comments like

Jan 31, 2012

Ranting rated it:

http://www.rantingdragon.com/theft-of-sw...

If you follow e-publications, you’ve likely already heard about Michael J. Sullivan and his Riyria Revelations, but I’ll repeat it for those who are like me and desperately hanging on to old fashioned paper and ink books. Sullivan originally self-published this series in e-book format. One thing lead to another… and sixty-thousand copies later, Orbit picked him up for traditional publication of all six of his completed novels. Theft More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Jan 18, 2012

Jeanbooknerd rated it:

At first glance, Theft of Swords (The Riyria Revelations Series) seem like your familiar fantasy series attached with everything that you have come to expect from that genre. The one thing that makes this stand out from the rest is how the author, Michael J. Sullivan, takes those familiarities and twists them into a refreshing approach, yet keeping that fantasy feel. The characters within the pages were radiantly crafted with care and the chemistry between them was strong and vivid.

T More...

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 01, 2012

Connie rated it:

Normally, I don't review books that I didn't finish, but I think it depends on why I didn't finish the book, and I'll make an exception in this case. In part, I want to share my feelings on this book, because everyone on goodreads seems to love it--I bought it based off the reviews I read here, and I feel gypped!

I was looking for something light and fun, with sort of a goofy story and some likeable characters; just a fluff adventure book. And that's just what this is--the story is n More...

2 comments like (2 people liked it)

Dec 19, 2011

Alex rated it:

What began as a challenge to entertain his daughter has taken Michael J. Sullivan on an unusual but productive publishing career, through self-publishing and promotion on to publication with Orbit books. The Riyria Revelations at first seems a familiar fantasy series, with predictable tropes, but it’s how Sullivan uses them, and its strong, unique and interesting characters, that make this series one well worth reading. Theft of Swords collects the first two volumes of the six-book series in a More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jan 29, 2012

Laurie rated it:

I'm a slow reader. It isn't often I read a book in 2 days, but that is exactly what happened with Theft of Swords. I stumbled across it on Amazon purely by happenstance and I'm so glad I bought it. It isn't high fantasy or deep thought provoking fantasy and most definitely not the grim fantasy that is in fashion. It is just pure fun with two main characters that have quickly moved towards the top of my "people I would like to hang out with" list. I love the banter (man I love witty ban More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Dec 03, 2011

Bane of Kings rated it:

How many traditional epic fantasy authors are there out there? Obviously, you’ve got JRR Tolkien, Terry Brooks, Brandon Sanderson, Robert E. Howard, Robert Jordan, George RR Martin…. the list could go on forever. You think people would be getting bored of hearing the phase ‘The next Tolkien’, thrown on the front cover of novels over and over again by now. That’s not to say that all of the above authors are the next Tolkien, (okay, one of them may just be Tolkien himself, but that doesn’t count), More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Dec 19, 2011

Snail in Danger (Sid) added it

I actually did read the first part of this omnibus, and a decent chunk of the second one, but then I just ... ran out of steam. It feels ... slightly like the author is still trying to evolve a style of writing? Not bad but ... somehow unfinished. Naive, almost. I was actually more interested in the afterword, where the author talks about his adventures in selling this book in various ways. (Self-published, small press, traditionally.)

The main passage that caught my eye: "F More...

1 comment like

Dec 23, 2011

Anne Nikoline rated it:

Yes, I did buy this book because of its cover. Yes, it was quite expensive, and yes, I happened to like it. At the same time, I fee, quite ambivalent about this novel, which might also show in my rating; the thing is that Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan actually deserves more than three stars, however, my reason for not rating it any higher was because of the lack of depth. I wanted to love this book. I liked it well enough, but after all the hype, I was disappointed with it.

Th More...

5 comments like

Feb 19, 2012

Sylvie rated it:

3.5 rounded down - and this is why I really wish GR will allow for half-star ratings.

I saw the numerous ads in GR, checked out the overall summary, glossed over some reviews, and decided to give this series a try. The characters usually make or break a series for me - especially when it comes to fantasy. Both Royce and Hadrian are interesting enough - one a cunning thief assassin and the other an altruistic swordsman who's a bit like an eager puppy - but they are not fully fleshed ou More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 11, 2012

Abhinav Jain rated it:

Shadowhawk reviews the first volume in the Riyria Revelations series by Michael J. Sullivan, collecting together the novels The Crown Conspiracy and Avempartha.

"High fantasy at its best, Michael J. Sullivan creates a very compelling world filled with lovable archetypes and a healthy dose of mystery." ~The Founding Fields.

Note: The review is broken down into two parts: the first half is for The Crown Conspiracy, the first novel of the series, and the second is fo More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 27, 2012

Joshua rated it:

Good start to a promising series. I've had my eye on this series for some time and after enjoying Sullivan's short story "The Viscount and the Witch," I moved it up my reading list. Below are some of the pros and cons.

Pros:
- The relationship between the two main characters, Hadrian and Royce, is believable and comes across as very sincere.
- The dialog is well done and generally feels natural.
- The minor characters leave a good impression on the reader More...

3 comments like (5 people liked it)

Feb 01, 2012

Constance rated it:

Theft of Swords is good book for those looking for something light and simple to read. It's a very fun and breezy read and a good break from the seriousness of a lot of fantasy.

The book's strength is its characters and the plot is driven directly by them. The characters feel real and like people who would actually exist. They have strengths, flaws, insecurities and ignorances. Hadrian and Royce have friendship that feels real and reflects their natures well. They are honestly my fav More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Jan 27, 2012

Azhureheart rated it:

I really enjoyed reading Theft of Swords. It's a real page-turner. It's funny, there is always something happening even when Royce and Hadrian are just on the road.

I wouldn't have given 4 stars for The Crown Conspiracy on its own because I felt that the plot was a bit easy. I knew how everything would play from the start and even if it was very well executed, it wasn't original. But I'm a sucker for a funny fantasy bromance and it was really well done so I had no problem sticking with More...

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 19, 2012

Carl rated it:

Light read (I think I read it in 3 days) The two main characters are very interesting. Lots of little hints get dropped that makes me want to checkout the following books. Witty banner between the main characters made it hard to put down. The background characters suffer a bit though most are not flushed out at *all*. Typically I judge this as a bad thing. In this case it actually works because it keeps the focus where it should be, on the main characters. Felt like a YA book to me though I'm no More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Jan 14, 2012

Tom rated it:

On a Goodreads online discussion, author Michael J. Sullivan said about his books: "They are designed to be just enjoyable romps with a couple of likable main characters."

Either Sullivan is too self-effacing, or he underestimates the power of well-written books that are enjoyable romps with a couple of likable main characters.

Theft of Swords is the first of the fantasy Riyria trilogy, Theft of Swords, Rise of Empire, and Heir of Novron, published by Orbit Books. Su More...

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 20, 2012

Tara Lindsay rated it:

This review will apply to the entire series, since I read them all in one fell swoop and simply could not stop to distinguish one book from the next.

The only time I can recall reading fantasy this good, it was The Name of the Wind. I adored Hadrian and Royce from the start. Interspersed in their epic sword fights and suspenseful sneaking about, they have a priceless banter between them that is hilarious and endearing. They complement each other perfectly both in ability and in persona More...

0 comments like

Feb 10, 2012

Michael rated it:

I have to start by saying I really have not read a lot of books in the “Fantasy” genre and most of what I had read was when I was much younger. Things like Tolkien, and the old tales of Robin Hood and King Arthur were among my favorites growing up. As I got older, I drifted more towards thrillers like those written by the likes of Michael Crichton, Greg Iles, James Rollins, etc. But lately, I had been yearning for something different, something perhaps that took me back to the stories I read whe More...

4 comments like (1 person liked it)