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4th out of 135 books
—
88 voters
The Emerald Storm (The Riyria Revelations #4)
by
Michael J. Sullivan (Goodreads Author)
A MESSAGE IS INTERCEPTED. A SINISTER PLAN LAUNCHED. TWO THIEVES STAND IN THE WAY.
Ex-mercenary Hadrian Blackwater sets course on a high seas adventure to find the lost Heir of Novron. His only hope lies in confronting the ruthless and cunning Merrick Marius. Fearing Hadrian is not up to the challenge, Royce Melborn joins his ex-partner for one last mission. Their journey fi...more
Ex-mercenary Hadrian Blackwater sets course on a high seas adventure to find the lost Heir of Novron. His only hope lies in confronting the ruthless and cunning Merrick Marius. Fearing Hadrian is not up to the challenge, Royce Melborn joins his ex-partner for one last mission. Their journey fi...more
Paperback, 375 pages
Published
April 2nd 2010
by Ridan Publishing
(first published 2010)
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This one was good, but I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the previous book. What bothered me the most in this book was the broken English used for the multiple characters, it really ruined the flow. I just found it annoying, and while I understand what the author was going for I don't think it was necessary especially at the amount it was used. A decent amount of this book took place on a ship (the Emerald Storm), which was Ok, but I didn't love it. However, there were some great moments, along...more
Once again Michael Sullivan takes us on another wonderfully written adventure featuring our favorite thief and hero. This book is all about adventure, sailing the seas, trekking through jungles, daring rescues, and great escapes. I really do enjoy the fast paced plot line. I find the more we learn about our heroes, the more that I like the series as a whole. However, that being that being said, I really do believe that the series would be richer and deeper if Sullivan invested some time into wor...more
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This evening I had the pleasure of finishing Michael J. Sullivan’s latest installment of the fantasy series Riyria Revelations, Wintertide.
In short, I am amazed.
One of the things that make the Riyria Revelations different is that they were conceived as a single tale, told in six installments. Each book could stand alone, but they are oh-so-much better when the reader builds on the story that came before. Another outstanding quality is that these books are completely appropriate for any audie...more
In short, I am amazed.
One of the things that make the Riyria Revelations different is that they were conceived as a single tale, told in six installments. Each book could stand alone, but they are oh-so-much better when the reader builds on the story that came before. Another outstanding quality is that these books are completely appropriate for any audie...more
Disclaimer-If you read the review and feel there is a spoiler in it, please let me know and I will remove that section. Also, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. Thank you.
The Emerald Storm is the fourth book in the Riyria Revelations. The first book is The Crown Conspiracy, the second is Avempartha, the third book is Nyphron Rising, with the fifth book-Wintertide, and sixth and final book-Percepliquis having a tentative release sometime in April 2011.
The Emerald Strom is the next...more
The Emerald Storm is the fourth book in the Riyria Revelations. The first book is The Crown Conspiracy, the second is Avempartha, the third book is Nyphron Rising, with the fifth book-Wintertide, and sixth and final book-Percepliquis having a tentative release sometime in April 2011.
The Emerald Strom is the next...more
In the beginning of the book, Hadrian mentioned about visiting the monk Myron in his abbey. I was excited because he was such a likable character in the very first book in the series. To my disappointment, that didn't happen at all! OK, so most people won't care about Myron like I do but I seriously thought the author could have done so much with his character in the series. But what's done is done. When I then found out that Hadrian and Royce would board a ship (I mean, how could you not? Look...more
All I can say is wow! This story keeps getting better and better! Just when I think Michael cannot fool me, he twists the story when I least expect it. This is the first book of the series that really leaves the reader with a huge cliffhanger. There is so much I want to talk about but I don't want to spoil it for anyone so I'll reserve my spoiler discussions for the Riyria Revelations group at Goodreads.com.
What I will say is I was a skeptical reader when I read the first book of the series (Th...more
What I will say is I was a skeptical reader when I read the first book of the series (Th...more
Michael has outdone himself, again. With each book I am amazed at how the story has grown, and each book is better than the last - which were impressive in themselves. Michael keeps raising the bar with each book.
The Emerald Storm starts shortly after Nyphron Rising's ending. The first chapter catches you up with happenings of the last three books, yet blends in many new happenings; an assassination plan, and a whole new set of issues now present in the change of seasons and rules.
Many old chara...more
The Emerald Storm starts shortly after Nyphron Rising's ending. The first chapter catches you up with happenings of the last three books, yet blends in many new happenings; an assassination plan, and a whole new set of issues now present in the change of seasons and rules.
Many old chara...more
This novel was awesome and it finally fulfills the strong potential of the Ryria series at its max; it also made me reconsider Nyphron Rising which sets this one up and reads much more fulfilling once we can continue the story started there and of course the part cliffhanger ending makes Wintertide a big asap, but The Emerald Storm sits well on its own and lots of things happen, while we have great, great stuff in opening more the world and exploring stranger parts of it, duels, magic, suspense...more
Starts with a compelling hook, but slides downhill after the first few chapters. Gratuitous cruelty and violence abound and everyone has a tragic past brought about by some other character. This is a cheap way to simulate conflict. Individual actions seemed to be disconnected from the rest of the story and after a while I disconnected from the characters. Maybe you have to read the others in the series to get it, but that's a poor way to write a novel. It should at least have a chance to stand a...more
This book came closest to losing a star than any of the others...but only because I just don't care for "sea adventures". There are a few books however that "overwhelm" my basic "blah" attitude about sea stories. So, like the Hornblower novels, or Captain Blood this book drew me in just because I like the characters and I like the story.
In this novel we get a little more of a look at Hadrian and Royce. The overall plot moves forward and what could in the hands of a less skilled writer become a...more
In this novel we get a little more of a look at Hadrian and Royce. The overall plot moves forward and what could in the hands of a less skilled writer become a...more
This is another excellent installment in The Riyria Revelations series! There is lots of fast-paced action that makes the book hard to put down. I found I liked it even better the second time reading through it, but I don't think it's as good as its predecessors. I'm not sure why - I can't put a finger on what it is. But, it is still VERY good.
I must say that there are things from Royce and Hadrian's past - former jobs they had - that are discussed a lot. I'd LOVE to see Michael give us the WHO...more
I must say that there are things from Royce and Hadrian's past - former jobs they had - that are discussed a lot. I'd LOVE to see Michael give us the WHO...more
I've given most of the books up to this point in the series 5 stars (the first got a 4 star because of some ridiculousness and Marry Sueness). This is another I have to give 4 stars too, in this case it is because of Arista. While the men in this series can act intelligently and rationally, for some reason the women, Arista especially, act stupidly and irresponsibly. I some kind of subtle sexism that probably the author didn't intend but exists in this book none-the-less. I suspect she acted irr...more
This installment was darker much than the earlier books. Our heroes have been betrayed and played. My only consolation is that I am 100% sure Royce & Hadrian will go all Samuel L. Jackson on somebody and kick some serious ass in the last two books.
I loved their chapters on the boat. I also loved the structure of the book as it inter-cut Arista's increasingly fraught journey with Royce and Hadrian's more action-packed adventurous one. At least they had each other, she was all alone. I was alw...more
I loved their chapters on the boat. I also loved the structure of the book as it inter-cut Arista's increasingly fraught journey with Royce and Hadrian's more action-packed adventurous one. At least they had each other, she was all alone. I was alw...more
4.5 stars
The plot pace mirrors the development of the series as a whole. There is no slow boil here. Something is always happening, yet in the midst of Sullivan’s quickly moving plots are some incredible character developments. The series is at once bold and subtle, serious and fun and so is this book. Sullivan toys with tried and true sword and sorcery tropes and twists them into something new and fresh. Readers will want to be invested in the series before they embark on The Emerald Storm, but...more
The plot pace mirrors the development of the series as a whole. There is no slow boil here. Something is always happening, yet in the midst of Sullivan’s quickly moving plots are some incredible character developments. The series is at once bold and subtle, serious and fun and so is this book. Sullivan toys with tried and true sword and sorcery tropes and twists them into something new and fresh. Readers will want to be invested in the series before they embark on The Emerald Storm, but...more
This book, being a middle book, got somewhat boring for me. All of the naval/sailing terms and jargon wore me down as I read through Royce and Hadrian's stint on the Emerald Storm and I found myself skipping around a little (I HATE doing that) to get to the meaty parts. Arista's development as a character was totally awesome though. All in all I thought it was wonderful. I gave it 3 stars because the way I see it is this - 1 is below average, 2 is average, 3 is above average, 4 is amazing, and 5...more
I did not like this book as much as its predecessors. I have had difficulty pinpointing why. I feel like it's missing something for me. However, after my book club discussion, I decided that part of the problem is my perception that new characters were introduced who to merely take the main characters from point A to point B. This is not in and of itself bad, but I think it just made me care less about those characters because I viewed them as expendable and unlikely to be part of future books....more
I didn't enjoy this book as much as the others, possibly as there was so much going on and it seemed to jump around a lot with each part a bit short and ending abruptly. (view spoiler) However this was still a good read, just not as good as the previous books. After finishing th...more
Well a 3.5 would be more like it. The adventure is now rollicking along at pace. Emerald Storm takes us out to sea and you can't help be reminded of the adventures of Drizzt. The major difference is that the Elves and Dwarfs in this storyline are all in the past. Michael broadens the scale quite effortlessly with this book. He introduces to us new characters and then kills them off effortlessly sometimes too effortlessly for my liking. Killing off key characters is an art and needs to set Boromi...more
Despite a rocky third book in the series, I knew I would be continuing. I genuinely like the characters and want to see how this entire series ends!
While Hadrian is not up to his perky old shelf, I enjoyed his character a lot more in this book than in the last. He has a purpose, but he's not entirely sure what to do about it. I think he really would like to retire but now realizes that it might not be in the cards. He and Royce end up on a ship with no clear destination at first in hopes to reco...more
While Hadrian is not up to his perky old shelf, I enjoyed his character a lot more in this book than in the last. He has a purpose, but he's not entirely sure what to do about it. I think he really would like to retire but now realizes that it might not be in the cards. He and Royce end up on a ship with no clear destination at first in hopes to reco...more
What a great adventure...we're introduced to the devious Merrick Marius - and while he is hardly ever seen his hand can be found in any number of schemes and he certainly earns the title of master planner in how he has manipulated all the people in The Emerald Storm.
Continuing to prove that no character is safe - the book starts off with the death of a major character that I thought for sure would be playing a role up to the very end of the series.
I think one of the things I liked most about th...more
Continuing to prove that no character is safe - the book starts off with the death of a major character that I thought for sure would be playing a role up to the very end of the series.
I think one of the things I liked most about th...more
[Edited after reread, additional comments below]
This is the fourth of a six-part series of connected stories set in the same world, which can supposedly all be read as stand-alones. There are references to earlier events, and foreshadowing of the larger picture, but this does read quite well as an independent story, even though it is probably more sensible to read the books in sequence.
Many of the same characters reappear, of course, not just Hadrian and Royce, the likeable rogues now royal prot...more
This is the fourth of a six-part series of connected stories set in the same world, which can supposedly all be read as stand-alones. There are references to earlier events, and foreshadowing of the larger picture, but this does read quite well as an independent story, even though it is probably more sensible to read the books in sequence.
Many of the same characters reappear, of course, not just Hadrian and Royce, the likeable rogues now royal prot...more
In the fourth book of the Riyria Revelations, Michael J. Sullivan does what every fantasy author should do with an epic series and an interesting and complex map: he takes his characters to new and interesting place. The Emerald Storm is in a fact and mighty sea vessel that travels across the seas to new lands and places, where new and interesting people are met and the overall story of the Riyria Revelations is furthered along.
With the events of Nyphron Rising now at a close, the elusive duo, R...more
With the events of Nyphron Rising now at a close, the elusive duo, R...more
2.5 stars but I'll round up and be gracious.
Many new characters, bit part cast members, introduced in this episode, and just like their infamous red shirted ST:TOS forebearers, they dropped like flies before the credits rolled. I felt disconnected from most of the characters, with the exception of Modina and Wesley. The plot jerked, jumped and ultimately crumbled. Not even the expected banter between Royce and Hadrian could inspire a smile.
The acute flowering romance between Arista and her lif...more
Many new characters, bit part cast members, introduced in this episode, and just like their infamous red shirted ST:TOS forebearers, they dropped like flies before the credits rolled. I felt disconnected from most of the characters, with the exception of Modina and Wesley. The plot jerked, jumped and ultimately crumbled. Not even the expected banter between Royce and Hadrian could inspire a smile.
The acute flowering romance between Arista and her lif...more
I have truly enjoyed all 4 of The Riyria Revelations, and I highly recommend this series. The 5th one will be available in October, 2010. The 6th and final in April, 2011 according to Wikipedia.
However, I don't think I have ever, ever read anything so poorly edited! There are so many grammatical errors that I began highlighting them, which is quite easy to accomplish in a Kindle. Because the multitude of errors were a distraction, I rated all currently published Riyria Revelations 3-star, rather...more
However, I don't think I have ever, ever read anything so poorly edited! There are so many grammatical errors that I began highlighting them, which is quite easy to accomplish in a Kindle. Because the multitude of errors were a distraction, I rated all currently published Riyria Revelations 3-star, rather...more
I made a valiant attempt to read a pdf ARC of The Emerald Storm on my nook and failed utterly. This is no fault of Mr. Sullivan’s but the problem with reading pdfs on ereaders (i.e. painful). Thankfully the published version of the novel was available from bn.com for the nook. Previous volumes in the Riyria Revelations have hinted at events to come and The Emerald Storm continues that trend offering another glimpse and a dark promise the dangerous water lay ahead. The Emerald Storm sees Hadrian...more
The Emerald Storm is the 4th book int he Riyria series by Michael J Sullivan. It follows the ongoing trials and tribulations of Royce and Hadrian the two would be heroes who are saving the world one job at a time. I really enjoyed this novel because Michael took the characters out of their normal element and in turn sent them on another crazy adventure on a ship and eventually into the dark dangerous jungle. I'm no sailor or anything but I felt like he really did his homework when describing lif...more
This is such an enjoyable series. This story focuses on Hadrian and Royce (of course) and the only other character (at least so exclusively) is Arista, who I enjoy quite a bit. I hope we learn more about Marius in the last two books - or at least see a few more things from his point of view. I love a good evil genius.
The Emerald Storm is the first of the books to have what I would consider a true cliffhanger. I guess by the time you've invested in four books, you're in it for keeps.
The Emerald Storm is the first of the books to have what I would consider a true cliffhanger. I guess by the time you've invested in four books, you're in it for keeps.
Another solid story by Sullivan. Character development continued, with more revelations of Hadrian and Royce's pasts - more so regarding Hadrian. The weaving of the two different story lines was a little awkward in places, but not to the point that it detracted from the story or the advancement of the overreaching plot.
And if Hadrian and Arista aren't a couple by the end of the series, all the hints thrown out since Nyphron Rising have been wasted!
And if Hadrian and Arista aren't a couple by the end of the series, all the hints thrown out since Nyphron Rising have been wasted!
I enjoyed this book, especially the parts on the Emerald Storm and the battle. I noticed some hints about the relationship of Hadrian and Arista from the last time, but this time I didn't find out any more. Like I said, the crisis lies within the covers of the 5th and 6th volumes, so readers all feel they're prepared for something big that should come later. But still, although I had suspected that there would be some unexpected occurences on the way and braced myself for them, the twists in the...more
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A giveaway is currently running for The Crown Tower Click to sign-up. This is the first book in my Riyria Chronicles and can be read independent from The Riyria Revelations.
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 desi...more
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