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Age of Empyre
(The Legends of the First Empire #6)
by
A DOOR OPENS. AN ARMY OF DRAGONS ADVANCES. AND THE FATE OF THE LIVING RESTS WITH THE DEAD.
After obtaining the secret to creating dragons, the leader of the Fhrey has turned the tide of war once more—but gaining the advantage has come at a terrible price. While Imaly plots to overthrow the fane for transgressions against his people, a mystic and a Keeper are the only hope f ...more
After obtaining the secret to creating dragons, the leader of the Fhrey has turned the tide of war once more—but gaining the advantage has come at a terrible price. While Imaly plots to overthrow the fane for transgressions against his people, a mystic and a Keeper are the only hope f ...more
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Kindle Edition, 395 pages
Published
May 5th 2020
by Riyria Enterprises, LLC
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Start your review of Age of Empyre (The Legends of the First Empire, #6)

As you probably already know, I use the "review" space of Goodreads for status updates. So here goes...
Update 11/12/20 - I'm pleased to report that Age of Empyre was added to round 2 of the Goodreads Choice Awards. Robin and I wish to thank all the people who did the write-in to make this happen. That makes 9 nominations in 11 years. I'm so honored.
Update 6/23/20 - Well, today is the day! The hardcover for Age of Empyre is finally releasing through the retail chains. It was supposed to release i ...more
Update 11/12/20 - I'm pleased to report that Age of Empyre was added to round 2 of the Goodreads Choice Awards. Robin and I wish to thank all the people who did the write-in to make this happen. That makes 9 nominations in 11 years. I'm so honored.
Update 6/23/20 - Well, today is the day! The hardcover for Age of Empyre is finally releasing through the retail chains. It was supposed to release i ...more

Apr 18, 2020
Claudia
rated it
liked it
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review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
z-to-a-m-j-sullivan
That’s what stories are for[…]. They are magic that aid people in times like this. They provide hope, a light to see by when all others are snuffed out.
I eagerly awaited the conclusion to this series, but I must say I’m a bit disappointed.
It was too long on most parts, and the ones that really mattered were rushed, especially in the end.
Having read Riyria Revelations, I knew the main outcome, but I expected each of the main characters to have a proper conclusion to their stories. Well, they did ...more
I eagerly awaited the conclusion to this series, but I must say I’m a bit disappointed.
It was too long on most parts, and the ones that really mattered were rushed, especially in the end.
Having read Riyria Revelations, I knew the main outcome, but I expected each of the main characters to have a proper conclusion to their stories. Well, they did ...more

The Fhrey have their own dragons and intend to set them against Nyphron and his forces. Imaly's plot is in place and Malcolm's plan seems to be unraveling. It's a race against time to see if Rhunes will survive.
Age of Empyre was a really strong conclusion to The Legends of the First Empire. Michael J. Sullivan does a masterful job at displaying the history of his world in a thought provoking and at times heartbreaking way. I wasn't expecting happy ever after, but I'm devastated at the outcomes I ...more
Age of Empyre was a really strong conclusion to The Legends of the First Empire. Michael J. Sullivan does a masterful job at displaying the history of his world in a thought provoking and at times heartbreaking way. I wasn't expecting happy ever after, but I'm devastated at the outcomes I ...more

Age of Empyre proves once again that Michael J. Sullivan is a masterful storyteller that really knows how to captivate and conclude a well-crafted tale. As I turned the final page, I couldn't help feeling that I'm going to miss all the wonderful characters that I've grown to love.
Sullivan became one of my favourite authors with his first series, Riyria Revelations. Its finale, Heir of Novron, comprising the last two books of the series that was initially self-published but subsequently got publ ...more
Sullivan became one of my favourite authors with his first series, Riyria Revelations. Its finale, Heir of Novron, comprising the last two books of the series that was initially self-published but subsequently got publ ...more

*** 4.75 ***
"...“Life is full of risk, Nolyn, but you should never let that hold you back. You can’t let fear stop you from living. Just make certain the chances you take are worth the risk.”..."
I believe the last two books in this series would have an impact on everyone in different ways, depending on the place they are in their emotional development and self discovery. The series is a classic Fantasy with adventure elements, and the first four books follow a pretty familiar, but still singular ...more
"...“Life is full of risk, Nolyn, but you should never let that hold you back. You can’t let fear stop you from living. Just make certain the chances you take are worth the risk.”..."
I believe the last two books in this series would have an impact on everyone in different ways, depending on the place they are in their emotional development and self discovery. The series is a classic Fantasy with adventure elements, and the first four books follow a pretty familiar, but still singular ...more

Writing this review and trying to verbalise my thoughts, I actually don’t know what I want to say. Since it is the last book in the series there’s really not much that I can say without giving away spoilers.
All in all a very satisfying conclusion. A lot of it was pretty obvious, since this is a prequel series of sorts. One of the best things reading this series has been seeing and making all the easter eggs and connections with the “Riyria era” series. And, of course meeting many amazing charac ...more
All in all a very satisfying conclusion. A lot of it was pretty obvious, since this is a prequel series of sorts. One of the best things reading this series has been seeing and making all the easter eggs and connections with the “Riyria era” series. And, of course meeting many amazing charac ...more

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
4.5 hearts
As most endings to series, Age of Empyre left me with bittersweet feelings. The final book in the Legends of the First Empire series is one of the better series completions I have read, tying up most of the threads in the storylines and enlightening the r ...more
4.5 hearts
“That’s what stories are for, Brin realized. They are magic that aid people in times like this. They provide hope, a light to see by when all others are snuffed out”.
As most endings to series, Age of Empyre left me with bittersweet feelings. The final book in the Legends of the First Empire series is one of the better series completions I have read, tying up most of the threads in the storylines and enlightening the r ...more

A predictable if not satisfying conclusion to a fantastic 6 book fantasy series.
When I first read the first installment in this series, Age of Myth, I’d never heard of Michael Sullivan or his previous series. I was honestly attracted to the cover art and the decent reviews. I was pretty blown away. Sullivan had managed to take very derivative fantasy elements and make them feel fresh. He presents a mostly female cast of flawed and easily loved characters. Sullivan unabashedly takes the familiari ...more
When I first read the first installment in this series, Age of Myth, I’d never heard of Michael Sullivan or his previous series. I was honestly attracted to the cover art and the decent reviews. I was pretty blown away. Sullivan had managed to take very derivative fantasy elements and make them feel fresh. He presents a mostly female cast of flawed and easily loved characters. Sullivan unabashedly takes the familiari ...more

4.5 stars
Gamma read:
I did not notice any changes. A few things were clearer, and I am not sure if that is because I was reading a second time or if a few things were indeed changed a little.
----------------------------------------------
Beta read:
Okay, I had my review of the book all typed up weeks ago but somehow failed to post it:

As the sixth and final book of Legends of the First Empire, this book is an avalanche of conclusions: We wrap up the stories of Persephone and Nyphron; Suri and Makare ...more
Gamma read:
I did not notice any changes. A few things were clearer, and I am not sure if that is because I was reading a second time or if a few things were indeed changed a little.
----------------------------------------------
Beta read:
Okay, I had my review of the book all typed up weeks ago but somehow failed to post it:

As the sixth and final book of Legends of the First Empire, this book is an avalanche of conclusions: We wrap up the stories of Persephone and Nyphron; Suri and Makare ...more

This book has some cool sections but too much time is spent in the underworld — Rel, Nifrel, The Abyss, and Alysin. Too much guilt, regret, meditations on sin, redemption, and forgiveness. To escape the Abyss, the characters had to forgive, which meant they had some soul-searching to do about the things that weighed them down. Ugh. Got to feel a bit preachy. And sooo melodramatic.
Brin is suddenly cast as the savior, the angel, the radiant one, bright and thistledown light. Melodrama. Brin learn ...more
Brin is suddenly cast as the savior, the angel, the radiant one, bright and thistledown light. Melodrama. Brin learn ...more

Kickstarted Gamma Read, E-Book edition:
I'm not disappointed. I'm not.
But this also wasn't... quite what I expected?
Like, this book as a standalone? 3.75-4 stars. This book as a part of a series? I'm not quite sure. There's a tonal jump between the 2nd and 4th books. Looking back now, I'm not convinced the 3rd was enough to gap it, the same way I'm not sure this was enough to cap it.
We got the lore I was looking forward to, for sure. Secrets of the gods and all that. World structure, sure. At s ...more
I'm not disappointed. I'm not.
But this also wasn't... quite what I expected?
Like, this book as a standalone? 3.75-4 stars. This book as a part of a series? I'm not quite sure. There's a tonal jump between the 2nd and 4th books. Looking back now, I'm not convinced the 3rd was enough to gap it, the same way I'm not sure this was enough to cap it.
We got the lore I was looking forward to, for sure. Secrets of the gods and all that. World structure, sure. At s ...more

But... but I don't want it to end. I want more of this wonderful world and it's amazing stories. Which I know we'll get summer next year but do you know how long it's till then?! Maybe not as long as eternity, but still. I feel like Brin deserves a shoutout. She's too pure and precious for this world and I will miss her the most. I won't miss all the constant heartbreak tho. Well not constant but bad enough to last a lifetime (still not an eternity, thankfully).
It's quite late now and I'm havin ...more
It's quite late now and I'm havin ...more

“The stories I write might be fantasy, but the depiction of the feelings people share for each other is real.”
I’m cheating. The above quote is not from the actual content but from Michael’s afterword. I chose it for the simple fact that, to me at least, this is what makes Michael’s books “work” for me. But we’ll come to that yet…
First, I have to admit that I was actually afraid of reading this book. “Age of Death”, this book’s predecessor, was not exactly my favourite. It felt long, uninspired, ...more
I’m cheating. The above quote is not from the actual content but from Michael’s afterword. I chose it for the simple fact that, to me at least, this is what makes Michael’s books “work” for me. But we’ll come to that yet…
First, I have to admit that I was actually afraid of reading this book. “Age of Death”, this book’s predecessor, was not exactly my favourite. It felt long, uninspired, ...more

If you loved the last three books in this series by Michael J Sullivan....I am truly, truly envious. It started off so strong. Book 1 was 5 stars. Books 2 & 3 were 4 stars. Books 4 & 5 were 3 stars....but barely. And now this one...gets 2. I struggled to get through this one. I had the same issues with this one that I have had with the last two. Overall, it felt slow, excessively wordy, and a little more telling than I like in a book. I even bumped up the speed on the audio around the halfway po
...more

"Extended trips are the most frightening to begin, sheer cliffs the most difficult to climb, long falls the most painful to endure, but it is invisible chains that are the hardest to break."
A tale of redemption, of transformation and strength of characters. The Legends of the First Empire was a splendid and endearing series. It was an emotionally impactful journey with the deeply compelling and inspiring characters ever crafted. The underdogs, the outcasts, my beloved unlikely heroes. The be ...more
A tale of redemption, of transformation and strength of characters. The Legends of the First Empire was a splendid and endearing series. It was an emotionally impactful journey with the deeply compelling and inspiring characters ever crafted. The underdogs, the outcasts, my beloved unlikely heroes. The be ...more

3.5*'s
Probably a lot to ask but I was hoping for the last book of Riyria Revelations type of epic ending. This was a good series but I never fell for the characters and story like I did with that series. Still worth the read. ...more
Probably a lot to ask but I was hoping for the last book of Riyria Revelations type of epic ending. This was a good series but I never fell for the characters and story like I did with that series. Still worth the read. ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

What a beautiful story. I loved how much Michael developed the different realms of Phyre. It felt so real! And, after the dullness of Rel and the despair of Nifrel, seeing a favorite character and a figure out of Legend in blessed Alysin was amazing!
I think every character received a satisfactory ending to his/her character arc. I was awesome to see Suri get to finally go back home! And her display of sheer power at Avempartha?!? Nice touch, Michael!
There was, of course, some sadness involved . ...more
I think every character received a satisfactory ending to his/her character arc. I was awesome to see Suri get to finally go back home! And her display of sheer power at Avempartha?!? Nice touch, Michael!
There was, of course, some sadness involved . ...more

All too often, that which we are most certain of is that which we are most wrong about; and that which we are wrong about can change everything.
-The Book of Brin
It has been a long journey. What was started in Age of Legend comes to a conclusion in Age of Empyre, the final book in Michael J. Sullivan's Legends of the First Empire series. I can't say the story comes to an end as history has no end. As far as this series goes this is a satisfying, if melancholy, conclusion. I've grown fond of some ...more
-The Book of Brin
It has been a long journey. What was started in Age of Legend comes to a conclusion in Age of Empyre, the final book in Michael J. Sullivan's Legends of the First Empire series. I can't say the story comes to an end as history has no end. As far as this series goes this is a satisfying, if melancholy, conclusion. I've grown fond of some ...more

A door opens. An army of dragons advance. And the fate of the living rests with the dead.
After obtaining the secret to creating dragons, the leader of the Fhrey has turned the tide of war once more—but gaining the advantage has come at a terrible price. While Imaly plots to overthrow the fane for transgressions against his people, a mystic and a keeper are the only hope for the Rhunes. Time is short, and the future of both races hangs in the balance. In this exciting conclusion to the Legends of ...more
After obtaining the secret to creating dragons, the leader of the Fhrey has turned the tide of war once more—but gaining the advantage has come at a terrible price. While Imaly plots to overthrow the fane for transgressions against his people, a mystic and a keeper are the only hope for the Rhunes. Time is short, and the future of both races hangs in the balance. In this exciting conclusion to the Legends of ...more

“What do butterflies do?”
Wow! I knew there would be more references in the end to the Riyria Revelations but I’m still in shock. And I’m so glad that this was not just a trilogy!
I enjoyed the adventure throughout these six books a lot, even though my heart broke perhaps way too much. Death was a main theme from the very first chapters so I should have expected this, but still.
I really liked how all the loose ends wrapped up in the end. Of course, I still have tons of questions, the m ...more

Just finished and it was disappointing. It was too short and merely tied up some loose ends, but nothing really spectacular occurred. More Suri was definitely needed. Her storyline didn't do enough. There wasn't enough meat to it. More like life lessons about forgiving oneself & others.
...more

Finished the gamma version last night. Not quite sure how I feel about it. All Michaels other works seem to have a satisfying conclusion but I really feel there could be at least a novella to finish this series off. Quite an intense read with many twists and turns that were quite unexpected. Some of the characters I thought were starting to develope suddenly disappeared.
A gripping yarn but needs a better ending in my opinion.
A gripping yarn but needs a better ending in my opinion.

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Legends of the Fi...: Age of Empyre | 77 | 181 | Sep 26, 2020 05:21AM | |
Fantasy Buddy Reads: Age of Empyre [July 25, 2020] | 55 | 43 | Aug 06, 2020 05:18PM | |
Polls for our souls: Happy book birthday Michael J. Sullivan | 4 | 36 | May 19, 2020 05:43PM | |
How do you rate a book that doesn't exist? | 1 | 24 | May 19, 2017 04:54PM |
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“That’s what stories are for, Brin realized. They are magic that aid people in times like this. They provide hope, a light to see by when all others are snuffed out.”
—
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“Wars don't end by deaths," Malcom added, "but because someone stops killing.”
—
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