Michael J. Sullivan's Blog, page 30

Goodread's Hottest Books of the Summer

Less than two weeks before Age of War's release and I'm honored and thrilled that it was picked by Goodreads as one of the Hottest Sci-fi and Fantasy reads of the summer.  Here are all five selections:













I've also pulled some of the information about each book from Goodreads.

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik | 21,604 shelvings | 4.47 rating | 271 reviews

Age of War by Michael J. Sullivan | 12,196 shelvings | 4.46 rating | 259 reviews

Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews | 18,319 shelvings | 4.58 rating | 588 reviws

Thrawn by Timothy Zahn | 30,330 shelvings | 4.28 rating | 12,555 reviews

Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers | 13,008 shelvings | 4.54 rating | 146 reviews

I know I'm looking forward to Spinning Silver (also from Del Rey) because I enjoyed her latest book, Uprooted, so much. It looks like it's going to be a great summer for reading.

Barnes and Noble's favorite 12 Fantasy Heist Novels

I'm thrilled that when Barnes and Nobel's Sci-fi and Fantasy Blog went looking for "rogues [who] are witty, engaging, and will rob you blind with a rakish wink and a smile" that Royce and Hadrian made their list of twelve favorite heist books with a fantasy twist.  What's even better is the amazing company it's been included with. Here are all of B&N's picks:


















Here's a bit about each book and review/rating information from Goodreads. Note: books marked with an * indicate omnibus editions and the review data is a compilation including the individual titles.

The Adventures of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser* | Fritz Leiber | 3.97 | 18,852 reviews
Artemis Fowl | Eoin Colfer | 3.83 | 422,994 reviews
Bridge of Birds | Barry Hughart | 4.29 | 8,679 reviews
Clockwork Boys | T. Kingfisher | 4.31 | 1,170 reviews
Darker Shade of Magic | VE Schwab | 4.09 | 106,284 reviews
Holver Alley Crew | Marshall Ryan Maresca | 3.99 | 175 reviews
The Legend of Eli Monpress* | Rachel Aaron | 4.00 | 20,309 reviews
Lies of Locke Lamora | Scott Lynch | 4.30 | 157,502 reviews
Mistborn | Brandon Sanderson | Mistborn | 4.44 | 271,729 reviews
Steal the Sky | Megan O’Keefe | 3.53 | 434 reviews
Theft of Swords* | Michael J. Sullivan | 4.22 64,918 reviews
Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn | Tyler Whitesides | 4.13| 39 reviews

I know I found some books that weren't on my radar due to this list. I hope you find some new great reads as well.

Age of War goes into its second printing!

We've been fighting a battle with flood waters here on the land, so I've not been online much. But I did get some good news today about how well Age of War is pre-selling. A second printing has been ordered, a good sign indeed especially given we are still more than 2 weeks out from the release date. For those who love first editions, you better get your pre-orders in fast ;-).  I also have some books ordered for direct selling once the book goes live, so I should have some of the first editions as well.  
And thanks, everyone for early support of the work. I'm so glad people are as excited as I am. July 3rd can't come soon enough from where I sit!  Now, if you excuse me I have to go use an excavator to install a huge culvert between the garden and the pool so we don't flood out for a third time !

Last day for Goodreads Giveaway of Age of War ARC

There are just a few hours left for your last chance to get an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) of Age of War. More than 12,000 people have added the book to their Goodreads shelves and the 94% of the 285+ early rating/reviews have liked the book. All this, and the fact that the vast majority of the reviewers have given it 5 stars makes me cautiously optimistic the book will continue the legacy of Legends series by providing an entertaining read.

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Goodreads Book Giveaway Age of War by Michael J. Sullivan Giveaway ends May 31, 2018.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter Giveaway So, if you want to read the book a month before everyone else, sign up for the giveaway and keep your fingers crossed!

Age of War is available on NetGalley

We are just 40 days away from the release of Age of War...that's less than six weeks! And I was just notified that the book has gone live on NetGalley.


















Access depends on what type of reviewer you are here's the schedule:Available Now: Booksellers, Librarian, and people in the MediaAvailable 06/04: Bloogers, YouTubers, and  Book ReviewersIf you've not read the first two books, or have and want some refreshers, recaps are posted.Age of Myth recapAge of Swords recapI can't wait to hear what people think!

Summer Listening 2-For-1 Sale: Get the first Riyria Chronicle at 1/2 off!

I'm pleased to announce that The Crown Tower (The Riyria Chronicle #1) is now on sale as part of Audible's 2-For-1 Summer Listening Sale.












There are a ton of great titles in the sale including 8 terrific epic fantasy tales by the likes of Brandon Sanderson, Robin Hobb, Naomi Novik, Anthony Ryan, and many more.



















Here's the full list of epic fantasy (sorted by rating and # of reviews). But there are a lot more titles on the sale, so if you only see one epic fantasy you are interested in, I'm sure you can find another book to round out your selection.

Dawn of Wonder | Jonathan Renshaw | Wakening #1 | Tim Gerard Reynolds | 4.7 | 28,834
Crown Tower | Michael J. Sullivan | Riyria Chronicles 1 | Tim Gerard Reynolds | 4.7 | 9,961
The Red Sea | Edward W. Robertson |  Cycle of Galand #1 | Tim Gerard Reynolds | 4.6 | 7,912
Elantris | Brandon Sanderson |  | N/A| N/A | Jack Garrett | 4.6 | 5,812 reviews
Spellmonger | Terry Mancour  | Spellmonger #1 | John Lee | 4.4 | 5,212 reviews
Fool's Assassin | Robin Hobb | Fitz and the Fool #1 | Elliot Hill | 4.4 | 2,757 reviews
The Waking Fire | Anthony Ryan | Draconis Memoria #1 | Steven Brand | 4.4 | 1,507 reviews
Uprooted | Naomi Novik  N/A | N/A | Julia Emelin | 4.3 | 3,239 reviews

The sale is only running for a few days so you'll have to hurry. I hope you find something great to listen to.

Creative Writing Career Podcast

Recently I had a lot of fun as a guest on the Creative Writing Career Podcast. Justin Sloan (a prolific writer in his own right) was the host, and we talked on all kinds of subjects that may be of interest to both writers and readers.

So if you want a peek inside my brain (and I can't imagine why you would want that), come on over and check it out.

And thanks to Justin for taking the time to have me on the show.

5 Days and less than $3,000...let's hit this Kickstarter stretch goal!

I love Kickstarters, Shark Tank, and all things entrepreneurial. I have a ton of products from them, and I've never regretted a single purchase. Some have made their goals, others have fallen short, but I always feel good about supporting people who are working hard to make their dreams become a reality.

Recently, an author friend of mine launched his first Kickstarter (in no small part because I dragged him to do it).



He has a following...more than 160,000 books sold to date, is a great story teller (this Kickstarter is for his third major fantasy series), and I believe he'll definitely be in the "writing business" for many years to come. He's one of what I call the professional self-published. Those that release books with the same commitment to quality that the big publishers are putting out.

So, Phil funded almost immediately, and has reached a number of stretch goals, but his most recent goal is one I'm particularly interested in. Phil has rallied some of his self-published friends and for everyone  that backs at the $10 or more level, they'll receive the first book in some really great indie  series.

 

So what books are coming if Phil reaches the next stretch goal?Dyrk Ashton's Paternus  Davis Ashura's William Wilde and the Necrosed  AC Cobble's Benjamin Ashwood  David Estes' Fatemarked  Ben Galley's Blood Rush  Jeramy Goble's Coven Queen Like Phil, these authors are absolutely killing it in the self-published space. One of the things that most people outside the business of publishing (and inside it for that matter) is just how successful these authors are -- even though you may have never heard their names. And again, I attribute their success to producing high quality books that stand toe-to-toe with books put out by the big name publishers.
I'd love for Phil to hit this next stretch goal. It has the potential to expose these amazing authors to a larger audience, and I think you'll find some new series to love. Not to mention. It's an amazing deal! For just $10 you can receive 7 ebooks (a $35 value) and if you prefer print or audio versions you can get those at the $25 and $35 levels.
But don't take my recommendation of this Kickstarter on blind faith. Phil has an excerpt of the book (which is fully written, edited, and ready to ship after the Kickstarter closes), posted and you can read the first few chapters now. That way you can "try before you buy."

So, take a look, and if you like what you see, please back Phil's project. Like I said, it's already funded (and written) so the risk factor has been eliminated. But if we reach the next stretch goal you'll be introduced to a bunch of the new indie elite and I'm sure it'll open the door to some great new series for you to dive into.

Age of War: The First Review is in!

Advanced reading copies (ARC's) are starting to go out and about in the world, and I just received my first email from a blogger who reviewed Age of War. As you might imagine, being an author with a book coming out soon is a lot like a child waiting on Christmas. I'm excited; I can't wait for the day to arrive, and I want to know what I got!
For authors "what you get" is feedback on whether the book is loved or hated. Now, I must say, that I write books for myself and for Robin, so in many ways I've achieved what I wanted when I finally typed The End, but how could I not care about whether people liked it or not?
The first review posted is on Booknest . It's completely spoiler free, so feel free to jump over and see the whole thing...and check out some of the reviews of other author's books while you are there. The team at the site does an excellent job. Here's my favorite part from all the nice things that were said.

"The worst thing that can happen while reading is to feel nothing.  Stories are ultimately about the people in it and if one does not feel anything, whether it is love or hate, towards the characters then their stories are not likely to stay with you. For all that Sullivan is known for his light-hearted fantasy, he can be downright cruel sometimes.  The war exacted an immense cost on our beloved characters and no one who survived can be said to be the same again. At the end of this book, it is this transformation which sticks in my mind; surely a sign of a tale well-told."

I write books that will hopefully make you feel. The best times (for me) is when I can make you laugh and cry, and if I do it in the course of a single page it's like winning a trifecta. I'm glad that TS enjoyed the book and is looking forward to the next one in the series.

Save big on fantasy books May 1 - 5

Hey fantasy fans, it's time for great savings on books, and this multi-author sale is sure to have something you'd be interested in.

16 authors | 39 books | 40+ sale items | prices as low as $0.99  | savings up to 80%!

Davis Ashura  •  David Benem  •  David Estes  •  Ben Galley  •  T. L. Greylock  •  Megan HaskellSteven Kelliher  •  Michael R. Miller  •  Matt Moss  •  Quenby Olson  •  Benedict Patrick
Daniel Potter  •  Michael J. Sullivan  •. Phil Tucker  •  K. S. Villoso  •  Timandra Whitecastle


Here's what I'll have on sale:

70% savings on ebooks25% on paperbacks20% off hardcovers15% on limited editions 
Title Format   Savings   Regular Sale PriceDeath of Dulgath (RC #3)ebook70%$9.99$2.99Disappearance of Winter's Daughter (RC #4) ebook70%$9.99$2.99Hollow Worldebook70%$7.99$2.40Theft of Swords (RR #1 & #2) Trade Paperback 25%$16.00$12.00Rise of Empire (RR #3 & #4) Trade Paperback 25%$17.00$12.75Heir of Novron (RR #5 & #6) Trade Paperback 25%$17.00$12.75The Crown Tower (RC #1) Trade Paperback 25%$16.00$12.00The Rose and the Thorn (RC #2) Trade Paperback 25%$16.00$12.00Death of Dulgath (RC #3) Trade Paperback 25%$15.00$11.25Disappearance of Winter's Daughter (RC #4)  Trade Paperback 25%$17.00$12.75Hollow World Trade Paperback 25%$15.00$11.25Age of Myth (LoFE #1)Mass Market 25%$9.99$7.49Age of Swords (LoFE #2)Mass Market 25%$9.99$7.49Death of Dulgath  (RC #3) Limited Edition 15%$50$42.50Disappearance of Winter's Daughter  (RC #4)  Limited Edition 15%$50$42.50Age of Myth (LoFE #1) Hardcover20%$27$21.60Age of Swords (LoFE#2) Hardcover20%$28$22.40Death of Dulgath  (RC #3) Hardcover20%$27$21.60Disappearance of Winter's Daughter  (RC #4)  Hardcover20%$27$21.60