Avempartha (The Riyria Revelations, #2)

Avempartha (The Riyria Revelations #2)

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4.22 of 5 stars 4.22  ·  rating details  ·  1,724 ratings  ·  170 reviews
THE SECRET IS IN THE TOWER. THE PROBLEM IS THE BEAST. THE ANSWER IS TWO THIEVES.
When a destitute young woman hires two thieves to help save her remote village from nocturnal attacks, they are drawn into the schemes of the wizard Esrahaddon. While Royce struggles to breech the secrets of an ancient elven tower, Hadrian attempts to rally the villagers to defend themselves ag...more
Paperback, 331 pages
Published April 1st 2009 by Ridan Publishing (first published 2009)
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Jim
March 2012: Reading the book this time & in order. It was good on a re-read, better in order.

Feb 2009: I have the ARC pdf to review. It was a really good, fun read. It should have been a quick one, but reading a pdf just isn't that easy for me. I can't wait to sit down with the first book & hope the next one is done soon.

Yes, I read the 2d book first & still enjoyed it. That's surprising. The second book stands just fine alone, makes me want to read the first & the one that come...more
Jeanna
So, I got an ARC copy of this book from the author's wife (and let me just say I was proud of myself for ignoring the typos that get edited out before publication; being an editor is sometimes a curse). It's the second book in the series of six (curses! I broke my rule of only reading completed series again!), and I’ve now finished the first one as well. I wanted to know if they really could go out of order without being a problem, and overall it was fine. There was obviously some backstory refe...more
Chris
For the first half of this book, I was a little disappointed. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it - it was great to be reunited with old friends such as Hadrian, Royce, Arista, and good (or is he evil?) ole Esrahaddon. The new developments with the church of Nyphron and their schemes, plus Arista's new assignment to serve as ambassador were all nice to read about. But it just didn't have the heart pacing action I'd come to expect after reading The Crown Conspiracy.

But talk about calm before the...more
Liviu
Excellent followup to The Crown Conspiracy. Though followup may not be the right word, since The Crown Conspiracy was essentially a standalone with hints of the larger picture, while Avempartha goes straight into the deeper issues of Mr. Sullivan's richly imagined universe.

After a superb re-acquittance with Royce and Hadrian in the first several pages, the novel actually continues more as a series opening with a lot of build-up in the first half, while the second half is just superb non-stop...more
Robin
Mar 17, 2009 Robin rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone
So it's been a long while since the last time I read this book and a lot has been added since then because my husband added some seeds into it as he was working on books 3 - 6. I really like the way it came out. The first chapter is completly reworked - The original first chapter was thrown away completly and the new first chapter is probably my favorite of all the chapters in the series - which is like - I'm not sure maybe 70 chapters?

Anyway I recalled this book being my least favorite of the...more
Allison
This wasn't quite as fun as the first one, as it's taken a turn for the darker. It's still very enjoyable, but it feels more like a warm-up for the next book - which I think I'm going to have to start right away. Much is left hanging at the end, and my curiosity is piqued!

There's more magic here than in the first, more tantalizing hints about the elves, and more involvement with dwarves and wizards, all of which made me happy. I am glad the main focus was with the thieves again, but with enough...more
Jon
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Sarah
It had been some time since I read the fantasy genre. In March I stumbled across The Crown Conspiracy, the first book in the series. I first noticed it in the Giveaway section. It sounded so interesting and seemed so well received by other readers that my curiosity was piqued.

I ordered it directly from the author and read it immediately. It was wonderful. Exciting story, great characters, I couldn't ask for more from a fantasy story. I was pleased to see Avempartha was scheduled for release in...more
Danielle
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
KristenR
I am really enjoying this series!!!

I said this about The Crown Conspiracy, but it's true...it's very light and fun, but the characters are very well drawn out (I liked the confirmation I got on the theories I had while reading the first book). I enjoyed the deepening of the themes/plot that were introduced in the first book, and definitely liked that there wasn't a maddening cliffhanger.

Can't wait to read the next installment!
Night Fury
It's not the book that will win the 'Bestest-est Book Of The Year' Award - and yet, it is a brilliant, fantastic, mind-blowing, on fire kinda book. The kind of book you can devour again and again and NEVER cease experiencing the up-and-down roll of emotions while embarking on the legendary adventures of the 'Riyria' - that means two in elfish...

When you combine sheer wit with fiery hearts, (well, sort of), unique characters with mountain-shaking tenacity, and death-defying feats thrown at you th...more
Elise
Shortly following the events of The Crown Conspiracy, thieves Royce and Hadrian are called upon once again, this time to stop a beast from terrorizing a village. Like last time however, what appears to be a simple task, is not so simple. The sequel, Avempartha, far surpasses the first book on many levels. Character development is more improved upon and they all have more of a depth to them. You learn more about their background history, as well as the history of Elan. This information is all tol...more
Colleen
2.5

When I read the first book in this series, I wasn't impressed. I found the characters one-dimensional, the action to be lacking, and some of the situations to be absurd. As such, I wasn't really looking forward to continuing with the series, but this came up as a group-read, and I got a free ebook copy, so I thought I'd give it a go.

The opening was very good, and showed a lot of promise. Unfortunately, the story didn't quite keep to the promise of the opening, but it was still better and more...more
Ron
See Second reading comments:

Not even as good as The Crown Conspiracy, though Avempartha advances the greater story. Not content with saving a kingdom, he's set about resurrecting an empire and maybe (in future books) saving the human race.

What's not to like? First, he stole his elves (and dwarves), almost verbatim, from J. R. R. Tolkien. Second, his evil, conspiring church is so commonplace that's almost as if he stole it, too. Neither showed much imagination. Contrast this with Rothfuss' create...more
Vespertine
This book confirmed one thing : this series is definitely AMAZING ! It's not that this book is better than the first one, but the plot thickens and now you can see the different plot lines and mysteries in place for the outcome. I really admire the author's skill to weave a "simple" story (a mission for our two heroes) into something politically epic and captivating. It's also thrilling to see the same characters evolve and interact in those books and to get more and more attached to them. And y...more
Haralambi Markov
Standing at 344 pages [according to Amazon; my edition has 321 or so] ‘Avempartha’ offers an adventurous two-day trip through the lands of Elan, escorted by your intrepid duo and their royal contacts. Despite being a second novel, ‘Avempartha’ can be read as a standalone with no discomfort on the reader’s part. It shares several similarities with ‘The Crown Conspiracy’ in the sense that both novels follow the model: heavy stage setting, followed by adrenaline packed resolution. Also the loose ti...more
Brandon Zarzyczny
I think I might have liked the debut book of the series a little better, but this book is great in its own right. This book has less of the political intrigue and mystery of the first, but does have a bit more adventuring flare. I love how each book could be a standalone novel, while at the same time advancing the story arc of the series. My main complaint about this book would be that there isn't a very strong villain. The church doesn't provide too much of a threat, and the dragon (I forget th...more
Melissa Hayden
When I started reading the book I had thought it was going one direction, but was very pleased when it went a different direction. I had thought in the beginning the book was moving a little slow, but now realize I was getting a lot of character details which I needed to come to my speculations. These details help me in trying to figure out the bigger picture with the lingering thoughts I have in the end of the book. In all these details are worth it and needed in the end.

The books tell a comple...more
Todd Fonseca
Avempartha – A Strong Follow-up to The Crown Conspiracy
Rating: 4.5 of 5
Author: Michael Sullivan
Available: Paperback, Kindle

In order to save her village from the unseen beast that nightly has taken the lives of so many including her brother and mother, a young woman named Thrace sets out to find help. Hearing of two brave and cunning thieves whose reputations have spread throughout the land, she finds herself in danger from the lowlife elements of the larger towns. After saving her life, Hadrian...more
Cheryl
Skilled thief, Royce Melborn and his good friend and mercenary, Hadrian Blackwater are back. After barely escaping from Essendon Castle, Royce and Hadrian have had enough excitement for a while. They were set up by the wizard, Esrahaddon.

While walking, Royce and Hadrian come upon a girl being robbed by a man. They rescue her. The girl is from the village of Dahlgren. She asks for Royce and Hadrian’s help. She tells them she will pay them. Her village is being attacked by a demon, who is a minio...more
Dirk Grobbelaar
My wife commented on the fairly ambiguous nature of my review for The Crown Conspiracy. I did enjoy the book, hence the three star rating, but it didn't exactly blow me away.

Avempartha, on the other hand, comes a lot closer to doing just that. The very title of the novel intrigued me. I wasn't going to read the book quite yet, as I had some other ones lined up, but I was curious as to what the title referred to. Was it the name of a person? A city? An artifact?

A character that really annoyed me...more
Lydia Presley
The thing I love most about Sullivan's writing is how accessible he makes the fantasy genre for those who may not have a lot of experience reading it. I'll admit, sometimes it's hard to find your way into the world, figure out the magic system and wrap your imagination around fantastic things ... but that's not the case in these Riyia stories.

Hadrian and Royce are back after a dashing adventure in The Crown Conspiracy, and this time they are aiding a seemingly helpless young woman to save her vi...more
Mike (the Paladin)
Every now and then it happens that we find a book or a series of books that we really enjoy. That's very nice when it happens after a long run of mediocre..."meh" reads. That's what happened here. I like the first book in this "series" and I liked this one just as well.

(complete disclosure I'm reading these in a compilation volume that contains volumes 1 and 2.)

We are slowly learning about "Riyria" here and as we do so we get an exciting and enjoyable story of what's happening "currently". Thes...more
Simon
Avempartha is a decent followup but it can no way compare to the first. This book just didn't have the "oomph" compared to the first and didn't quite have that magic to hold me over until the very last page. However, as with the first, the writing is excellent. The author truly has a gift in this field of work. While he can't be compared to other epic fantasy authors in the field, his easy writing and dialogue, although shallow at a few times, can still hold its own. The Riyria series consists o...more
Aarti
It is very difficult to write a plot summary for a book that is in the middle of a series, and even harder to then review the book without giving away spoilers, but here goes.

Avempartha is the second in the Riyria Revelations series. One thing I noticed immediately is that most characters in his books use modern language, not the somewhat higher-brow or slightly archaic English usually found in epic fantasy novels. However, once you get used to that, it's easy to stay with the rhythm. I was comp...more
Sam
Theft of Swords: Volume 1 of the Riyria Revelations

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Avempartha

When a destitute young woman hires two thieves to help save her remote village from nocturnal attacks, they are drawn into the schemes of the wizard Esrahaddon. While Royce struggles to breach the secrets of an ancient elven tower, Hadrian attempts to rally the villagers to defend themselves against the unseen killer. What begins with the simple theft of a sword places the two thieves at the center of a firesto...more
Eric
Apr 06, 2009 Eric rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Lackey, Brooks, and other straightforward fantasy.
Shelves: ebooks, fantasy, kindle
Like this book's predecessor, this was a very enjoyable read with several weaknesses.

The book has two primary story lines. The first is a rather straight-forward "save the village" tale. A young woman hires Our Heroes to help her father retrieve the special weapon with which to protect her village from the Terrible Monster.

The other storyline is a political/mystery story. The Church is looking for the long lost heir to the Empire, and has been shown to be ruthless in its objectives.

The two story...more
Adam Franklin
Rarely do I find a second book in the series that "holds up" to the first especially when I really like the first one. Avempartha certainly exceeded the high expectations I had after reading The Crown Conspiracy.

Royce and Hadrian continue to be the best part of these books,though the wizard Esrahaddon is fascinating to me and I'm not sure whether he is "good or bad" in any case he certainly has his "own agenda" and seems to have no quams about using others to reach his goals.

There are many memor...more
Marc
I didn't particularly like the first book in this series. I liked the two thieves and that was about it. But people told me to give the series another chance because it gets better. So I did. I am looking for a good long fantasy series that I haven't read. That said, I actually enjoyed this one less than the previous book. The first book had interesting supporting characters that don't play much of a role here except for one whom I didn't like.

As before, I liked reading about Royce and Hadrian....more
Mikaela
The book:
Avemparta by Michael J Sullivan


The Particulars: Epic Fantasy, Ridan publishing, available both in print and e-book

Why was it in my TBR? I had heard about him, and when they offered it for free in November or so, I took the chance.

The Review:

The blurb:
When a destitute young woman hires two thieves to help save her remote village from nocturnal attacks, they are drawn into the schemes of the wizard Esrahaddon. While Royce struggles to breech the secrets of an ancient elven tower, Hadrian...more
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Avempartha (The Riyria Revelations, #2)
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Avempartha (The Riyria Revelations, #2)
De Elfentoren (De Openbaringen van Riyria, #2)
La Tour Elfique (Les Révélations de Riyria, #2)

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After finding a manual typewriter in the basement of a friend's house, Michael inserted a blank piece of paper and typed: It was a dark and stormy night and a shot rang out. He was just eight years old at the time. But the desire to fill the blank page and see what doors the typewriter keys would unlock wouldn't let him go. For ten years Michael developed his craft by studying authors such as Step...more
More about Michael J. Sullivan...
Theft of Swords (The Riyria Revelations, #1-2) Rise of Empire (The Riyria Revelations, #3-4) Heir of Novron (The Riyria Revelations, #5-6) The Crown Conspiracy (The Riyria Revelations, #1) Nyphron Rising (The Riyria Revelations, #3)

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