Description:

A puppet is crowned. The true heir remains hidden. A rogue's secret could could change everything.

War has come to Melengar and once more Royce and Hadrian are hired to make a desperate gamble and form an alliance with the Nationalists who are fighting the Imperialists in the south. But Royce has plans of his own and uses this opportunity to discover if an ancient wizard is using Riyria as pawns in his own bid for power. To find the truth, he must unravel the secret of Hadrian's past--what he discovers may end their friendship and break Riyria in two.

And so continues the second volume of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and legend.

When author Michael J. Sullivan self-published the first books of his Riyria Revelations, they rapidly became ebook bestsellers. Now, Orbit is pleased to present the complete series for the first time in bookstores everywhere.

BOOKS IN THE RIYRIA REVELATIONS

• Theft of Swords (contains: The Crown Conspiracy & Avempartha)
• Rise of Empire   (contains: Nyphron Rising & The Emerald Storm)
• Heir of Novron   (contains: Wintertide & Percepliquis)

BOOKS IN THE RIYRIA CHRONICLES

• The Crown Tower (coming Aug 2013)
• The Rose and the Thorn (coming Sep 2013)

Review

"Every time I finish a book in this series it makes me want the next one instantly...Michael Sullivan shows that he isn't just a one book wonder, or that his other novels were random hits. His Riyria Revelations series is taking shape very nicely, and it'll be amazing to watch where he takes the other novels after this because with each novel there is a new surprise or approach to his writing." -- Fantasy Book Critic

"A delightful, entertaining and page-turning read that reminds us just how enjoyable, and how good - the Riyria Revelations series is. A must-buy for all fantasy lovers." -- The Founding Fields

"Readers of fast paced adventure stories will enjoy the Riyria Revelations and readers of high fantasy will enjoy the direction the series overall takes.  These books however have been some of my favorites from this year and I'd recommend them to any genre fan, sans specifics." -- Reading Realms

"As much as I enjoyed "Theft of Swords," "Rise of Empire" is even better, bringing new dimensions to the story." -- The Royal Library

"Four novels/two omnibii into The Riyria Revelations and I'm gaining an understanding of why Mr. Sullivan acquired such a devoted fanbase over the past few years when these were small press books - he crafts a story that appeals to many of the hallmarks that make Epic Fantasy popular." -  sffworld

From the Author

In many ways, the The Riyria Revelations is the story of two rogues who become unlikely heroes as they find themselves in the midst of the political shifts in the world in which they live.  For myself, who knows the arc of the entire series, I've always considered the series to have four main protagonists: two men and two women.  

The women in Riyria take a little longer to get to center stage, but the reader is rewarded with living through the events that shape them into what they will become...strong characters who stand toe-to-toe with their male counterparts. Much of their transformation comes in Rise of Empire and it was very rewarding to see the butterflies that emerge from the cocoons of this book in the final installment, Heir of Novron. 

That's not to say that Royce and Hadrian don't have their own trials and tribulations.  The middle books are an interesting time in the friendship of Riyria.  Hadrian's growing frustration with his profession has left him melancholy and desirous of a new vocation.  As independent as Royce likes to portray himself, losing Hadrian will be his only tether to a civilized life, and he is haunted by his old rival Merrick Marius and ties to a past he would like to forget. 

Middle books are tricky things...the wonder of the world (as shown in the first books) has worn off, and the exciting conclusion is far in the distance.  How then, to make a middle book gripping and entertaining?  For me, it was using the middle books to expand beyond Royce and Hadrian and give the readers a peek into the broader implications of the events and how the world of Elan is evolving.  Also, I held back key details about our duos past, exposing their histories a bit at a time, so much of this book explores the roots of both of these fascinating men.

I do hope you will enjoy this next installment in the series.  As I mentioned in my Author's note from the first book, my intention was to escalate the tension, and deepen the mysteries with each book so by the end of this story you should be deeply invested in where the books are going.  I promise you a conclusion that will tie all the threads together and answer all the questions that Rise of Empire starts to expose.  Buckle up...it's going to be a wild ride!

Michael.