The Crown Tower: The Riyria Chronicles, Book 1

I am a huge fan of Michael J. Sullivan and his Riyria crew. The Riyria Revelations saga was a great read, and one of my favorite fantasy series.So, how does that translate back to the prequel? Pretty good, actually. It was great to read about Hadrian and Royce again, and get the details of the origins of their intrepid partnership. All of the same items were present - easy to read story, humor, adventure, and intrigue.But, that being said, I thought something was missing. Maybe it was that I was already familiar with the basics of the origin story due to references in Revelations. It may also be due to the fact that I read Revelations a number of years ago, and therefore had forgotten some of the side characters, which means I missed many of the easter eggs and references from Chronicles that would make much more sense if the world and characters were more fresh in my mind.There were a few parts of the story that I thought were a bit implausible, and a bit too convenient, but I can't go into details because I don't want to spoil anything. And finally, it felt to me like Chronicles was a bit more juvenile - more swearing, and a bit darker descriptions and circumstances in the sexuality category as well.But, like I said, still a great story, and still worth your time.---------------I noticed Amazon and Goodreads have a slightly different meanings to their 5-point scale. I thought it was odd to have a different rating for the same book on two different sites, so I came up with my own scale below. For the record, it is fairly close to Amazon's scale, but allows me to be consistent between the two sites.5 - Fantastic. Life-altering. Maybe only 25 in a lifetime.4 - Very good.3 - Worth your time.2 - Not very good.1 - Atrocious.

I was a little worried to read this prequel. I totally LoVeD Hadrian and Royce in the Riyria Revelations and it is a completed series. Did I really want to go back to their beginnings to see how it all started??? And the answer is….YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESSSSSS!!!!!!MJS is not that author who couldn’t figure out what to write next and so decided hey I’ll write more books in the same world because $$$. Nope not at all, he wrote it because his wife fell in love with another man.***It’s the classic story of a husband whose wife falls for another man—a more dashing and charming gent. It sounds tragic, but this tale is a bit different because the love affair is between a real woman and a fictional man. My wife—let’s call her Robin (because that’s her name)—has developed an infatuation for Hadrian Blackwater. I’m not sure how I feel about enabling my wife’s relationship with another man, but at least I know this guy is trustworthy ***As soon as I read that in the dedication I KNEW that MJS was not just pumping out more books for the sake of $$$ but definitely for the love of the world, the characters and his wife. After that I just relaxed and had a great time with it.Can you read this first???Yes, there aren’t any spoilers for the future series. BUT….that said I will say that I really liked catching the little hints and cameos of characters that we get to know better later on. My personal recommendation is to read The Riyria Revelations first and then move on to these.But won’t I be a little bored since I already kind of know what happens from Riyria Revelations?I was also a little worried about that. The answer is a resounding NO…you will not be bored at all. There are so many great things in this. One of the first things I was really excited about is that we get a Gwen PoV and it is fantastic.***Why did we leave Calis? Why did you give me a northern name? And most importantly, Why does it mean so much to you for us to go to this mythical place called Medford? Stubbornly her mother had refused to answer, except to say that God had told her to go. When Gwen asked which god, her mother had replied, “The one who walks as a man.”***The second thing is that Royce and Hadrian are just starting out and you can see how completely different they are from each other. Hadrian is pretty naive and trusting…while Royce well he was raised by wolves so trust isn’t something he understands at all.***“You have any friends?”“One.”“Arcadius?”“No.”“Where is this friend?”“No idea.”“When was the last time you saw him?”“When he framed me for murder and sent me to prison.”“I don’t think you understand the meaning of the word friend.”“And I think you live in a fairy-tale world where words have consistent meanings…”***I really enjoyed this getting to know each other part of their relationship. You can see the threads of the bromance that it will become but you can also see the rocky road they will travel to get there.This story went so fast for me and I couldn’t wait to get to some of the moments I knew had to be coming because of the snippets we were told in Riyria Revelations.As MJS said he could write one book covering a year in Harian and Royce’s life leading up to Riyria Revelations which is 12 books. You know what…. I WOULD READ THEM ALL if they are even close to as good as this one.

This was a really great way to get myself back into the world of Elan. I don't think I realized how much I missed this world and the characters. Hadrian and Royce were so easy to get back in touch with. I will say the plot was just a little, I don't know non-existent. I mean the title pf the book was The Crown Tower and that aspect o the book was maybe the last 100ish pages or so.I did still really enjoy seeing how Hadrian and Royce first met and even getting to see Gwen start up Medford Place. Michael J. Sullivan, you can just tell he really knows what he is doing when it comes to this world and character. I mean this prequel series cam out after the original series, so you as a reader if you read the first already have an idea of how the story is going to go. Sullivan though makes the journey feel new and fresh even with knowing the outcome.Really excited to be back with Hadrian and Royce and looking forward to seeing where the story goes in The Rose and the Thorn. I know there are more books in this series but I believe these 2 can be read more back to back and that is what I am here for. I mean according to Sullivan this prequel series is still ongoing and we don't know when we are getting the next book.

This book begins my love affair with Michael J. Sullivan's writing. Strong female characters. Engrossing plots. Friendships, quests, elves, dwarves, wizards, swords, unlikely heroes in a thief and an ex-mercenary. The series tackles social issues, civil issues, political issues, religious issues, but it doesn't feel heavy. Instead it pulls you in and before you know it you've finished the book, not noticing the time, and possibly in trouble for not getting things done or really tired the next day from lack of sleep. Ordinary people stepping out to help others even when it puts them in danger.So this book is part of the newer series but chronologically it comes before the earlier series The Riyria Revelations. I've read the series in chronological order rather than publication order. For me this worked out fine. The author recommends publication order.I received an eARC from netgalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review. (less)

The jacket blurb from Library Journal and Publisher's Weekly describe the arrival of a 'master storyteller' who writes about 'hair-raising escapes, flashy sword fights and faithful friendship' and believe me when I tell you that by page 216 - where I've reached at the time of writing - this could hardly be further from the truth. The escapes have been leisurely and uneventful, nobody has so much as raised a sword in anger and the two central characters hate each other. Oh, somebody did receive a hot pie in the face around page 200.If you like long, descriptive passages and endless dialogue which, by the way, is repetitive and does little to move things along, then this may well be the book for you. Otherwise, I'd leave it. I'm going to plod on to the end mainly because I've bought it and I've invested some time in getting through it this far, but I am confident that nothing much will change by the end, I won't care anyway and I won't be seeking out the next thrilling installment !If I'm wrong, I'll write another review to that effect, I promise.

I reread this book twice in a week when it arrived. Like all the Riyria books, I was hooked from page 1. I love and would read any story about Royce and Hadrian but more than that I find all of the books set in Elan to be easy to read, addictive from page 1 and full of characters that I’m invested in from page 1. For me that’s unusual as it’s rare I don’t find fantasy hero’s self righteous and annoying. From someone who needs a happy ending at the end of book and to be able to trust an author not to destroy my dreams, I can honestly say that you should read this book. And all the others from this author set in the world of Elan. Specifically on this book, it’s my favourite because I read the revelations first and I know where the characters end up so it’s beautiful to see the start. Also funny. It’s like Robert Jordan merged with Terry Pratchett to be the best of both worlds together.

I started reading "Theft of Swords" and couldn't understand why the two main protagonists were playing second fiddle to some of the minor cast. Although I love the way Royce and Hadrian are left to your imagination, how two very different people grew to be so close was a nagging mystery to me, so I was exceptionally glad to come across "The Crown Tower", which I decided to read before continuing Riyria Revelations.And I was not disappointed; I could tell that the writer had improved since the first series came out and the mature narrative with its smooth pacing and description really added to my overall enjoyment. While it's taken for granted that the main leads get along well and have a water-tight partnership throughout Revelations, here in Chronicles you immediately realise just how much effort went into bringing this difficult duo together.What seems like a straightforward mission - steal a book and put it back again without the owner noticing - soon becomes a succession of failures, despite Hadrian's numerous attempts to thaw the icy distance between himself and Royce. No matter what Hadrian does, he cannot seem to impress or soften the dark-hooded stranger who refuses to compromise or cooperate as the mission progresses. So what is he to do? Entertainingly hard to know where the turning point will be, but the build-up was pleasantly worth it and I thought some of their moments were surprisingly funny (ie. when Royce thinks, through his particular logic, that Hadrian did not climb down the tower first because the man couldn't locate the rope!)Elsewhere, Sullivan fills in the gaps, introducing us to the origins of Gwen and how events in her own life lead her to meet Hadrian and Royce at a time when they need help most. Some stories simply overlook what a woman in the comfort trade needs to do to rise above her modest station; however, Sullivan cleverly demonstrates the extent to which Gwen fights the odds against her, approaching the authorities for a license and planning permit before transforming a building from a run-down inn to a thriving, independent business. I learnt from the process and really appreciated the time Sullivan spent on outlining Gwen's business plan, even if she appeared to be making it up on the spot.As Revelations has already concluded the lives of every character within the Riyria universe, readers have remarked on the lack of danger they feel for Royce and Hadrian as they battle opponents along their quests. Due to my interest in their relationship from the start, this aspect of the prequel does not bother me but makes it following their lives before that grand ending all the more interesting. I think Riyria is much like the Shakespeare play "Othello", in that you need to have experienced what the characters are going through in order to deeply value the purpose of the tale. In "Othello", you need to have fallen in love and felt jealousy in love to comprehend how a man like Iago could slowly turn the life of a 'friend' into terminal misery; in "The Crown Tower", you need to have made and lost a friend, seeing them both as a fond reference in a long-ago part of your life in addition to a hindrance you would rather not see or hear at all.A very good read!

This is arguably one of the best prequel novels ever written! This, the first book in the Riyria Chronicles, takes place twelve years before Theft of Swords. Hadrian Blackwater is youthful mercenary fighter returning to his homeland after being away for some time, he has received the summons of a Professor at Sheridan University and so the story of Riyria begins!This is an excellent well written novel in Michael's easy to read style with some great action scenes and intrigue, mirrored by the story of Gwen and where she came from.

Was looking for a new read while waiting for the next volume of other series and saw this series recommended. Hoped it would be good and was not disappointed!Can be tricky finding new authors that give you the escapism you are looking for but Michael J Sullivan has done just that.Thoroughly enjoyed the next 2 revelations books and ready for the next volume.