Christomir Rackov asked Michael J. Sullivan:

Will the The First Empire, when the last book of it is released, possibly spoil the amazing denouement of the Riyria Revelations? I mean - hypothetically, if someone hasn't read the Revelations, and decides to wait several years and read all the First Empire books first, and only THEN pick up the Revelations, would that take the edge off their enjoyment that comes from all the surprise revelations in Percepliquis?

Michael J. Sullivan Hey Christomir, thanks for the question. I guess that depends on WHICH revelations you are are speaking about and what you consider a spoiler ;-) The series does go back 3,000 years and explains the TRUE story about events that are spoken about in Revelations so there there are definitely connections between the two series. But there are lies in legends and truth in myths so depending on which order you read the books the experience will be different...but they should be equally enjoyable.

Keep in mind that the Legend of the First Empire books aren't Riyria prequels. Yes, they happen chronologically before Riyria, but the two series tell very different tales with different people and cultures. As such, each series stands on it's own and you don't NEED to know anything about "the other" (no matter which "the other" is). But for those who DO read both, then they will have what I hope is an even better experience...the sum of the parts being larger than whole if you will.

Bottom line, depending on which you read first, you'll come to the other series with additional information and as such your experience will be different than a virgin reader. Will that spoil things? It'll change the experience to be sure, but in many ways "being in the know" on certain aspects will provide a different perspective which will provide its own sense of satisfaction. So, reading Legends first will provide "spoilers" for Riyria just as reading Riyria first will provide "spoilers" for Legends. What I mean by that is your pool of information changes the experience, but I've worked hard so that both experiences are rewarding in their own right.

It's hard to speak without details, but let me try to illustrate. In Legends, you'll meet people who are "historical figures" in Revelations. But history is written by the victors and what we remember about them depends on how their events are recorded. If you lived in the United States in the 1770's would you have a different perspective on people like Jefferson, Adams, and Washington then we do today? I would think so. Similarly, were there other people during those times who have been completely forgotten even though their contributions might have been equally monumental? Again, I would think so. It's exploring the differences between perception and reality that really attracted me to this project.

One thing I learned since the release of The Riyria Chronicles (which truly is a prequel) is that people have read both chronologically and in order of publication and each insists that THEIR way led to the most satisfying experience. I'm really pleased that both approaches work, as that was one of the prime goals I was shooting for. I suspect there will be a similar reaction when people come to Elan starting from two different starting points. At least that is what I've set out to do once again. Time and readers will ultimately decide if I met this goal as well.

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