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A review by ailurophile_bibliophile89
Age of War by Michael J. Sullivan
5.0
5 Stars
I've been obsessed with this series since I first picked up Age of Myth in the bargain section at the local Books-A-Million. And I am so glad that I did because, honestly, it's been incredibly hard for me to find something to get so hyped up on. I mean, there's been some series but nothing like Harry Potter (and one trilogy ended up being such a disappointment that I'm contemplating giving those books to Goodwill - something I NEVER EVER EVER DO).
Unlike HP, Sullivan writes all the books in a series before he stars publishing (that is, he writes them but edits and tweaks them continually). Therefore, I can reasonably expect a book each year. While I don't mind waiting - indeed, the anticipation is half the appeal - I've found that Sullivan really enjoys leaving his readers hanging.
Wow. I'm not kidding. WOW. One of the reasons I like this series so much is the depth of emotion Sullivan manages to convey when writing. Here I'm going to enter a Spoiler Alert for the time being.
SPOILER ALERT
I legitimately cried when Raithe sacrificed himself. Seriously. I cried when Suri turns Minna into a dragon not only because Minna was the one thing she truly loved but also because it was a choice between Minna and a choice between Arion. But this....these are the types of choices that people have had to make in real life: do I sacrifice my love for the greater good? Those types of choices can't be easy, whether in reality or in fantasy.
And this is what makes Sullivan such a prolific writer. He doesn't skimp on the tough stuff (but he also doesn't overdue it like George R.R. Martin - although I suppose Westeros is a different type of world then the one of Legends of the First Empire.)
Also......WHO THE FUCK IS MALCOLM!?!?!? In the first book, he was just a nobody, a slave that popped up that didn't seem to know how to keep his mouth shut. In the second, there were tidbits that hinted something was off, but it really wasn't a whole lot, just a slight speculation. But I REALLY WANT TO KNOW BECAUSE HE'S A GIANT ENIGMA TO HUMAN, FREY, AND READER AND JUST UGH. It really bothers me.
END SPOILERS
In any case, I really like Sullivan and at some point I will get around to reading the "sequel" (from what I understand, this is somewhat of a prequel series).
But seriously. Wow. 5 Stars.
I've been obsessed with this series since I first picked up Age of Myth in the bargain section at the local Books-A-Million. And I am so glad that I did because, honestly, it's been incredibly hard for me to find something to get so hyped up on. I mean, there's been some series but nothing like Harry Potter (and one trilogy ended up being such a disappointment that I'm contemplating giving those books to Goodwill - something I NEVER EVER EVER DO).
Unlike HP, Sullivan writes all the books in a series before he stars publishing (that is, he writes them but edits and tweaks them continually). Therefore, I can reasonably expect a book each year. While I don't mind waiting - indeed, the anticipation is half the appeal - I've found that Sullivan really enjoys leaving his readers hanging.
Wow. I'm not kidding. WOW. One of the reasons I like this series so much is the depth of emotion Sullivan manages to convey when writing. Here I'm going to enter a Spoiler Alert for the time being.
SPOILER ALERT
I legitimately cried when Raithe sacrificed himself. Seriously. I cried when Suri turns Minna into a dragon not only because Minna was the one thing she truly loved but also because it was a choice between Minna and a choice between Arion. But this....these are the types of choices that people have had to make in real life: do I sacrifice my love for the greater good? Those types of choices can't be easy, whether in reality or in fantasy.
And this is what makes Sullivan such a prolific writer. He doesn't skimp on the tough stuff (but he also doesn't overdue it like George R.R. Martin - although I suppose Westeros is a different type of world then the one of Legends of the First Empire.)
Also......WHO THE FUCK IS MALCOLM!?!?!? In the first book, he was just a nobody, a slave that popped up that didn't seem to know how to keep his mouth shut. In the second, there were tidbits that hinted something was off, but it really wasn't a whole lot, just a slight speculation. But I REALLY WANT TO KNOW BECAUSE HE'S A GIANT ENIGMA TO HUMAN, FREY, AND READER AND JUST UGH. It really bothers me.
END SPOILERS
In any case, I really like Sullivan and at some point I will get around to reading the "sequel" (from what I understand, this is somewhat of a prequel series).
But seriously. Wow. 5 Stars.