The Fantasy Review’s review of Heir of Novron by Michael J. Sullivan, the third and final volume in The Riyria Revelations. This volume collects books five and six in the series, which are: Wintertide and Percepliquis.
You can read our review of volumes one and two in the series here:
Surprisingly Epic!
When you read Theft of Swords, it isn’t necessarily the writing or the world, or even the plot, that will hook you, but the characters. Rise of Empire upped the stakes, grounded the reader in the beginnings of a larger plot, and told an incredible adventure.
Heir of Novron is where things get truly epic!
The first book in the volume, Wintertide, is a relatively short book (only 30% of the whole volume), but it packs a punch. It was in this book I realised that these characters and this world started to mean something special to me. To see tragedy befall them, and an overwhelming opposition on the horizon, I gritted my teeth and set to work on the final book in the series.
Percepliquis is a masterpiece! It balances the atmosphere of brotherhood I loved from Theft of Swords and Rise of Empire, with a surprisingly epic tale of the world coming to an end.
If you like cozy fantasy with low stakes, you would love Theft of Swords, but that volume fools the reader into thinking this is just a story about two guys going on adventures together. The Riyria Revelations is an epic narrative with massive scope.
However, those of us who enjoyed the cozy feel of that first volume are not forgotten, as there is still an atmosphere of low-stakes in places, and the characters and writing style make for a comfortable, relaxing read.
Brilliant Payoff
All Michael J. Sullivan’s hard work on characterisation, foreshadowing, and worldbuilding come together at the end of The Riyria Revelations to create something amazing. Sullivan weaves mystery upon mystery throughout the series and gives the reader that satisfying cascade of reveals towards the end.
All reveals feel earned, with plenty of hints throughout the books. My only complaint is a spoiler, so I won’t mention it in this review of Heir of Novron, but it is minor and not something likely to bother anyone enough to make them dislike this book – I have given it five stars over on Goodreads, after all!
Final Thoughts
You need to read The Riyria Revelations if you haven’t already! This series has become a firm favourite, and I cannot wait to dive into the three other series set in this world; especially The Legends of the First Empire.
