Reviews

Age of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan

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lukehoop's review against another edition

5.0

Enjoyed it more than the first. All of plot lines developed into something very interesting and resolved nicely while still setting up the next book. Loving the characters. The growth of Brin and Roan into their important historical roles was very fun to read.

2nd Read:

jmrathburn's review against another edition

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5.0

Simply put: there is something special about a series where the characters experiences can bring you to tears, either good or bad. Few authors have ever done that in my life. First Sanderson, now Sullivan. How grand. Waiting with baited breath for book 3.

elfduchess's review against another edition

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4.0

Attempted to Reread in October 2021

DNF - PG 88

Why?

I'm okay with fantasy books that offer me nothing new. Look, I get that everyone (maybe not, everyone, everyone, but you understand the hyperbole) wants to be Tolkien, so everyone writes the same elves, the same dwarves, the same humans. That's fine - even though at the danger of getting my fantasy reader cred revoked, I never liked Tolkien.

But I still don't care about these people. I mean, they have no spark. They're like 90% of the rest of the adult fantasy characters (and why it's so hard to find adult fantasy books I actually like). They're dreary. There's never any fun in this book. (In the series?)

And, for me, I could overlook and forgive most of the little problems I had, if I was at all interested in reading about these people. I'm not. I keep reading this series, hoping that I will find a little of the spark of what made me like Royce and Hadrian, but I don't. These people are all so serious, all so doom and gloom, all so argumentative and dreary and unpleasant and unlikable.

Why force my way through a book I'm not enjoying to read four more books that look to be much the same?

(Side note: I truly think the only reason I claimed to like the first book five stars and this book four stars the first time around was because they're from the same author as my beloved Riyria. I totally understand past me doing this. And it also explains why I never read the third book. I thought it was on me that I didn't love the books (bad timing/bad mood, maybe) so I told myself that I loved them. It's not on me. I just don't like them. It's also quite telling that in my original review of this book, I don't actually mention liking any of the characters.)

Original Review

This book killed me, resurrected me and then killed me again. (Quite possibly killed my brain too, so don't expect much of a review.) I don't know the last time I went through a gamut of emotions while reading a single book like I did with this one.

I do want to make special note of a couple things I specifically like. The world building is spectacular. The way magic is handled is reasonable and definitely not overpowered. There are costs. Also, the advancement - or, lack thereof - of human technology: most fantasy settings never deal with how the humans discovered writing or iron or invented the wheel or the arrow. While sometimes I think the leaps are a little quick (but, then again, I've never invented anything and I'm pretty sure Roan would be considered a genius by modern standards) it's really fun to read about. Then there is the strength that all the women exhibit in a time/setting that is, at it's core, rather sexist. I mean, just seeing the way Moya and Persephone are willing to stand up and be, truthfully, more awesome than ANY of the men is nice. (And it's also nice that the setting is sexist but the book certainly ISN'T.)