The Viscount and The Witch by Michael J. Sullivan
I have been eagerly awaiting the final book in Michael J. Sullivan’s Riyria series. Percepliquis underwent a few delays due to a new publishing deal (congratulations to the author!) that will bring Royce Melbourn and Hadrian Blackwater to even more fantasy enthusiasts around the globe. This is excellent news as Michael J. Sullivan is an outstanding new force in the world of fantasy, and I wish him nothing but good luck and good fortune with the new releases of his Riyria series. For those of us who jumped on board earlier on, however, it’s been difficult waiting for the conclusion to Riyria.
To sate his fans needs for more of Royce, Hadrian, Alric, Arista and their friends, Sullivan released this short story for free to his fans. I jumped in thinking that even a taste of Riyria was better than waiting patiently for Percepliquis. Unfortunately, it was like trying to eat just one chocolate chip cookie…You promise yourself that a little taste will be enough, but then you wish you could eat the whole bag.
What I Liked
The Viscount and The Witch is a short story set before the beginning of the Riyria Chronicles. It depicts Royce and Hadrian on the road early in their careers and friendship before they’ve learned to trust and confide in one another. Their relationship is still very rough around the edges, and there is little trust between the two thieves. Sullivan quickly puts them in a situation (no spoilers!) where their individual expertise and personalities begin to emerge. I don’t want to say more than that as fans of the series deserve to experience it first hand, and new-comers should enjoy this glimpse into what was before digging into the real meat and potatoes of the full series.
As with all his writing, Sullivan is adept at bringing his characters to life quickly through unique voicing. It is very easy to imagine the differences between Royce and Hadrian even during their quick back and forth conversations. Yes, I already love these characters, which likely makes me a bit biased. However, it is still testament to Sullivan’s understanding of his craft that he can draft such a succinct short story wherein he breathes life into his characters so quickly. He writes great characters, and that’s some of the best praise I can give to any author.
What I Didn’t Like
It’s too short! I know…I know. It’s a short story to show Royce and Hadrian before the events of the Riyria series, and it does an excellent job of giving the reader a brief overview of the dynamic relationship between them. It’s just that the two are such powerful characters with entertaining and engaging personalities and voices that a short story becomes a severe tease to the reader. How could I not want more knowing where these two have taken me thus far? I thought waiting for Percepliquis was hard before. Now I understand just how difficult it’s going to be.
Why You Should Read This Book
If you are already a fan of the Riyria Chronicles, you should certainly take a look at The Viscount and The Witch if only to see an earlier rendition of Royce and Hadrian. If you are brand new to the series, you should enjoy seeing how the characters begin in contrast to where you’ll find them now. If you’ve never read any of Michael J. Sullivan’s work, please take some time to do so. He’s writing some of the best action and adventure fantasy in the genre right now that hearkens back to the classics that made me fall in love with these kinds of stories as a teen. If you enjoy fantasy at all, I can guarantee that you will fall in love with Royce and Hadrian. Spend some time with The Viscount and The Witch. It’s what you should be reading.
Book Information
Description: THE VISCOUNT AND THE WITCH (A Riyria Chronicles Short #1) - Eleven years before they were framed for the murder of a king, before even assuming the title of Riyria, Royce Melborn and Hadrian Blackwater were practically strangers. Unlikely associates, this cynical thief and idealist swordsman, were just learning how to work together as a team. In this standalone first installment of The Riyria Chronicles, Royce is determined to teach his naive partner a lesson about good deeds. Join Royce and Hadrian in this short story (5,400 words) about one of their earliest adventures.
Author: After finding a manual typewriter in the basement of a friend’s house, Michael J. Sullivan inserted a blank piece of paper and typed: It was a dark and stormy night, and a shot rang out. He was just eight. Still, the desire to fill the blank page and see where the keys would take him next wouldn’t let go. For ten years Michael developed his writing craft by studying authors such as Stephen King, Ayn Rand, and John Steinbeck, to name a few. He wrote thirteen novels, and after finding no traction in publishing he quit, vowing to never write creatively again.
His hiatus from writing lasted nearly ten years. The itch returned when he decided to write books for his then thirteen-year-old daughter, who was struggling because of dyslexia. Intrigued by the idea of a series with an overarching story line told through individual, self-contained episodes, he created the Riyria Revelations. He wrote the series with no intention of publishing it, but upon presenting his book in manuscript form to his daughter, she declared that it had to be a “real” book, bound and formatted, in order for her to be able to read it.
So began his second adventure on the road to publication that included drafting his wife to be his business manager, signing with a small independent press, and creating his own publishing company. He sold more than sixty thousand books as a self-published author and leveraged this success to achieve mainstream publication though Orbit (the fantasy imprint of Hachette Book Group) as well as foreign translation rights for France, Germany, Spain, Russia, Poland and the Czech Republic.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, Michael presently lives in Fairfax, Virginia, with his wife and three children and continues to fill the blank pages with three projects under development: a modern fantasy novel, a literary fiction piece, and a prequel to his best-selling Riyria Revelations. [Official Homepage]
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