Questions About The Crown Conspiracy (The Riyria Revelations, #1)
by
Michael J. Sullivan (Goodreads Author)
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
The Crown Conspiracy,
please sign up.
Answered Questions (12)
Michael
You may be confused between "The Crown Tower" and "The Crown Conspiracy."
* The Crown Conspiracy is book #1 of the Riyria Revelations and it can be fo…moreYou may be confused between "The Crown Tower" and "The Crown Conspiracy."
* The Crown Conspiracy is book #1 of the Riyria Revelations and it can be found as the first novel in the Theft of Swords Omnibus (which also includes Avempartha)
* The Crown Tower is book #1 of the Riyria Chronicles, and yes in that book I mentioned you should start with Theft of Swords rather than The Crown Tower.(less)
* The Crown Conspiracy is book #1 of the Riyria Revelations and it can be fo…moreYou may be confused between "The Crown Tower" and "The Crown Conspiracy."
* The Crown Conspiracy is book #1 of the Riyria Revelations and it can be found as the first novel in the Theft of Swords Omnibus (which also includes Avempartha)
* The Crown Tower is book #1 of the Riyria Chronicles, and yes in that book I mentioned you should start with Theft of Swords rather than The Crown Tower.(less)
Michael
Sure thing. Reading order is a question I'm often asked. And it's a bit more complicated now that we have 2 books out in Legends. Let me start by talk…moreSure thing. Reading order is a question I'm often asked. And it's a bit more complicated now that we have 2 books out in Legends. Let me start by talking about Riyria: (and whether Revelations or Chronicles should be first).
When I wrote The Riyria Revelations (Theft of Swords | Rise of Empire | Heir of Novron), I penned the entire series before publishing the first book. I had a very particular starting point, and a well determined end, and that was all I expected to write.
Well, after the series was released, my wife (and others) were lamenting that they missed the pair (Royce and Hadrian - my two main protagonists). Seeing as how Riyria Revelation ended in what I though was a very satisfying manner, I didn't want to "tack on" and risk ruining something that was, in my mind, pretty special.
Then it occurred to me that Riyria had been together for twelve years before the first pages of Theft of Swords, so I decided I could "bring them back" if I went to the other end the timeline. In other words, explore in detail how they met and their early years adventuring together. Hence, the Riyria Chronicles was created. Now, because I'm still protective of the pair, I'd rather have them leave too soon than stay around too long. To that end, I don't know how many Chronicle books there will be. I've plotted out an arc that has a total of 11 books, but my moods operandi is to release a book, take the temperature of the readers, and only if it seems like they want more to release another. So, presently that series is kinda "open ended" and the books are much more "stand alone" while Revelations is a single tale broken down into six self-contained episodes.
That's a long way of saying there are several things that come into play when deciding what to read.
Do you like completed series? - Start with Theft of Swords
Do you like to read chronologically? - start with The Crown Tower
Do you like reading in order of publication - start with Theft of Swords
There are also some other factors, and those make me suggest Theft of Swords first. Here's why:
* It's a better value - each book is two full-length novels in one volume, and since all the books cost the same, you get two books for the price of one.
* It's the way I wanted to introduce readers to the characters and the world. I start out simply (holding a lot back so I can expose character backgrounds and world building across the whole narrative). And I ramp up the stakes with each subsequent novel. The idea was to make each book better than the previous, and feedback indicates I hit that goal.
* I put little Easter eggs in Chronicles for people who have read Revelations. These aren't anything that would affect the plot, just little winks and nods for "people in the know."
Now, all that said, I've heard from plenty of readers who have gone "chronologically" as that is their preference and I've yet to hear anyone regret that choice. The consensus seems to be that both orders work (although obviously a slightly different experience as you'll learn certain aspects at different times). But I will say that it was a high priority of mine to make both possible choices work, and I think the jury is in on that and I'm happy to say I hit the goal I was aiming at.
So...my suggestion is to start with Theft of Swords, but if you REALLY REALLY enjoy your books in chronological order, than by all means you'll still get a good experience starting with The Crown Tower.
Okay, so that covers where to start if you start with Riyria, but what about when you put Legends in the mix. Should you start with Legends or Riyria? Well, both work. Legends is my latest work and therefore "better written" then Theft of Swords which I wrote 13 year ago. But I do have a presence for "reading order." So I would still start with Theft of Swords.(less)
When I wrote The Riyria Revelations (Theft of Swords | Rise of Empire | Heir of Novron), I penned the entire series before publishing the first book. I had a very particular starting point, and a well determined end, and that was all I expected to write.
Well, after the series was released, my wife (and others) were lamenting that they missed the pair (Royce and Hadrian - my two main protagonists). Seeing as how Riyria Revelation ended in what I though was a very satisfying manner, I didn't want to "tack on" and risk ruining something that was, in my mind, pretty special.
Then it occurred to me that Riyria had been together for twelve years before the first pages of Theft of Swords, so I decided I could "bring them back" if I went to the other end the timeline. In other words, explore in detail how they met and their early years adventuring together. Hence, the Riyria Chronicles was created. Now, because I'm still protective of the pair, I'd rather have them leave too soon than stay around too long. To that end, I don't know how many Chronicle books there will be. I've plotted out an arc that has a total of 11 books, but my moods operandi is to release a book, take the temperature of the readers, and only if it seems like they want more to release another. So, presently that series is kinda "open ended" and the books are much more "stand alone" while Revelations is a single tale broken down into six self-contained episodes.
That's a long way of saying there are several things that come into play when deciding what to read.
Do you like completed series? - Start with Theft of Swords
Do you like to read chronologically? - start with The Crown Tower
Do you like reading in order of publication - start with Theft of Swords
There are also some other factors, and those make me suggest Theft of Swords first. Here's why:
* It's a better value - each book is two full-length novels in one volume, and since all the books cost the same, you get two books for the price of one.
* It's the way I wanted to introduce readers to the characters and the world. I start out simply (holding a lot back so I can expose character backgrounds and world building across the whole narrative). And I ramp up the stakes with each subsequent novel. The idea was to make each book better than the previous, and feedback indicates I hit that goal.
* I put little Easter eggs in Chronicles for people who have read Revelations. These aren't anything that would affect the plot, just little winks and nods for "people in the know."
Now, all that said, I've heard from plenty of readers who have gone "chronologically" as that is their preference and I've yet to hear anyone regret that choice. The consensus seems to be that both orders work (although obviously a slightly different experience as you'll learn certain aspects at different times). But I will say that it was a high priority of mine to make both possible choices work, and I think the jury is in on that and I'm happy to say I hit the goal I was aiming at.
So...my suggestion is to start with Theft of Swords, but if you REALLY REALLY enjoy your books in chronological order, than by all means you'll still get a good experience starting with The Crown Tower.
Okay, so that covers where to start if you start with Riyria, but what about when you put Legends in the mix. Should you start with Legends or Riyria? Well, both work. Legends is my latest work and therefore "better written" then Theft of Swords which I wrote 13 year ago. But I do have a presence for "reading order." So I would still start with Theft of Swords.(less)
Michael
It depends on what type of stories you like. The series have different approaches.
Revelations was a series that was carefully designed with regards to…moreIt depends on what type of stories you like. The series have different approaches.
Revelations was a series that was carefully designed with regards to how/where it starts and ends. I wrote the entire series before publishing any of the books and this allowed me to build the story slowly with multiple plot threads and an overarching story line that exists across the entire series. For me, I really like seeing various "clues" along the way and trying to piece together how its all going to play out in the end. I have what I feel is a very satisfying conclusion (confirmed by those who have read all the books) and while the series might seem to start out slow and simple, most who finish realize there was a method to my madness and the decisions make sense once everything is "revealed."
The Chronicles are a different animal. I have no idea how many there will be and instead of one long tail divided into individual episodes they are more "standalone" in design. The reason why I don't know how many there will be is because I don't want Royce and Hadrian to "overstay" their welcome. For this reason, I'm releasing a book, then gauging whether people still want more. If they do, well I have plenty of stories to tell. If not, well I have plenty of OTHER stories to tell.
Personally, I have a soft spot for Revelations because it fits my reading style better (interwoven plots) than Chronicles. That being said, I've seen tons of reviews for people finishing up Chronicles with statements like "best one yet." Part of that may be because I'm a more experienced author (Chronicles were written in 2011 where as Revelations were worked on starting in 2002).
As for what "order" to read them in..I recommend starting with Revelations first (Theft of Swords)...unless you are a person who REALLY prefers chronological order. Here are some thoughts on the reasons why.
1. Reading in "publication" order exposes you to the world and characters as I originally intended you to "meet" them. Unlike some novels that do a lot of "front-loading" I expose the background of the characters (and a lot of the detail about the world) across the whole series so you'll always have more to learn about them. In the prequels, the characters are pretty much "fully formed" and I don't retread background that was already discussed in the Revelations series.
2. I have planted some Easter eggs for readers of Revelations to find. They aren't big plot points, just little nods and winks to "those in the know."
All that being said, the books were designed so you CAN read them in either order, and in fact I've heard from a lot of "chronological" readers who insist theirs was the best way to go. So, all in all I think you'll enjoy the books either way. But since you asked, I say starting with Theft of Swords is my preferred method...FWIW.(less)
Revelations was a series that was carefully designed with regards to…moreIt depends on what type of stories you like. The series have different approaches.
Revelations was a series that was carefully designed with regards to how/where it starts and ends. I wrote the entire series before publishing any of the books and this allowed me to build the story slowly with multiple plot threads and an overarching story line that exists across the entire series. For me, I really like seeing various "clues" along the way and trying to piece together how its all going to play out in the end. I have what I feel is a very satisfying conclusion (confirmed by those who have read all the books) and while the series might seem to start out slow and simple, most who finish realize there was a method to my madness and the decisions make sense once everything is "revealed."
The Chronicles are a different animal. I have no idea how many there will be and instead of one long tail divided into individual episodes they are more "standalone" in design. The reason why I don't know how many there will be is because I don't want Royce and Hadrian to "overstay" their welcome. For this reason, I'm releasing a book, then gauging whether people still want more. If they do, well I have plenty of stories to tell. If not, well I have plenty of OTHER stories to tell.
Personally, I have a soft spot for Revelations because it fits my reading style better (interwoven plots) than Chronicles. That being said, I've seen tons of reviews for people finishing up Chronicles with statements like "best one yet." Part of that may be because I'm a more experienced author (Chronicles were written in 2011 where as Revelations were worked on starting in 2002).
As for what "order" to read them in..I recommend starting with Revelations first (Theft of Swords)...unless you are a person who REALLY prefers chronological order. Here are some thoughts on the reasons why.
1. Reading in "publication" order exposes you to the world and characters as I originally intended you to "meet" them. Unlike some novels that do a lot of "front-loading" I expose the background of the characters (and a lot of the detail about the world) across the whole series so you'll always have more to learn about them. In the prequels, the characters are pretty much "fully formed" and I don't retread background that was already discussed in the Revelations series.
2. I have planted some Easter eggs for readers of Revelations to find. They aren't big plot points, just little nods and winks to "those in the know."
All that being said, the books were designed so you CAN read them in either order, and in fact I've heard from a lot of "chronological" readers who insist theirs was the best way to go. So, all in all I think you'll enjoy the books either way. But since you asked, I say starting with Theft of Swords is my preferred method...FWIW.(less)
Michael
Yes, but it's not titled what you think it is. The six books of the Riyria Revelations were originally self-published as individual books...but the se…moreYes, but it's not titled what you think it is. The six books of the Riyria Revelations were originally self-published as individual books...but the series was bought by Orbit (the fantasy imprint of Hachette Book Group) and they republished them as three, two-book omnibus editions. So this novel is now the "first half" of Theft of Swords and it is bundled with the second novel, "Avempartha"
So the series is now available as follows:
* Theft of Swords contains The Crown Conspiracy & Avempartha
* Rise of Empire contains Nyphron Rising & The Emerald Storm
* Heir of Novron contains Wintertide & Percepliquis(less)
So the series is now available as follows:
* Theft of Swords contains The Crown Conspiracy & Avempartha
* Rise of Empire contains Nyphron Rising & The Emerald Storm
* Heir of Novron contains Wintertide & Percepliquis(less)
Michael
S'il vous plaît pardonnez les erreurs que j'écris en anglais et en utilisant Google Translate. Espérons que cela se passera assez proche de quelque ch…moreS'il vous plaît pardonnez les erreurs que j'écris en anglais et en utilisant Google Translate. Espérons que cela se passera assez proche de quelque chose que vous pouvez lire.
Il y a six livres dans les Révélations de Riyria, mais quand ils ont été réédités, ils ont été combinés en trois, deux éditions de livre omnibus. Donc chaque "livre" comme deux "romans" à l'intérieur.
Je ne suis pas sûr de savoir comment les livres sont titrés en français mais dans les versions anglaises Theft of Swords a le livre # 1 (The Crown Conspiray) et le livre # 2 (Avempartha).
Maintenant, je crois à un moment en France que les livres étaient aussi vendus comme leurs livres indivudial (au moins pour les premiers plusieurs) mais finalement la série entière a été relasée dans les trois livres de 2 romans de format.
J'espère que vous pourrez en lire quelques-unes et cela aidera d'une certaine façon.(less)
Il y a six livres dans les Révélations de Riyria, mais quand ils ont été réédités, ils ont été combinés en trois, deux éditions de livre omnibus. Donc chaque "livre" comme deux "romans" à l'intérieur.
Je ne suis pas sûr de savoir comment les livres sont titrés en français mais dans les versions anglaises Theft of Swords a le livre # 1 (The Crown Conspiray) et le livre # 2 (Avempartha).
Maintenant, je crois à un moment en France que les livres étaient aussi vendus comme leurs livres indivudial (au moins pour les premiers plusieurs) mais finalement la série entière a été relasée dans les trois livres de 2 romans de format.
J'espère que vous pourrez en lire quelques-unes et cela aidera d'une certaine façon.(less)
Unanswered Questions
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more