Name: Rise of Empire
ISBN: 9780316192439

Michael J. Sullivan

The adventure continues as Royce and Hadrian aid the struggling kingdom of Melengar as it alone stands in defiance against the newly formed empire. War approaches and a desperate gamble behind enemy lines is their only chance at forming an alliance with the Nationalists to the south. But Royce has plans of his own as he uses this opportunity to discover if an ancient wizard is using Riyria as pawns in his own bid for power. To find the truth, Royce must unravel Hadrian's hidden past. What he discovers will lead them to the end of the known world, on a journey rife with treachery and intrigue. 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.

Rise of Empire

"The birth of the Nyphron Empire has brought war to Melengar. To save her kingdom, Princess Arista runs a desperate gamble when she defies her brother and hires Royce and Hadrian to perform a dangerous mission behind enemy lines"--Provided by publisher.

Rise of empire

Celeste Richardson

Full review now posted!
Original review can be found at Booknest.

What a way to end the year!

Theft of Swords was the first book I started in 2017. Between all of the new books and authors I stumbled across and became obsessed with, the rest of Riyria somehow got lost in the mix. But I’m so happy to be ending my reading year on such a high note; the wait feels worth it.

I loved Theft of Swords because it was fun and engaging and harkened back to some of the foundations of the fantasy genre. I loved the relationship between Hadrian and Royce, and I wanted to know more about who they are and the events that formed them. In this second omnibus, I got some of the information I sought, especially regarding Hadrian. I got more bromance and more moral conflict, which made me happy. Hadrian and Royce aren’t my absolute favorite bromance, because that title will always be reserved for Scott Lynch’s Locke and Jean, but they’re definitely in my top five. I love their development in Rise of Empire, and I can’t wait to see how they further develop in Heir of Novron. 

Yet again, there is a cast of secondary characters that is absolutely wonderful. The book starts with the introduction of Amilia, a maid in the castle of the new Empress. Through a series of random events, she finds herself promoted from maid to secretary of the Empress, tasked with bringing Modina out of her shell and helping form her into the Empress the Empire believes she should be. Amilia is in over her head, but she is intelligent and diligent and, most importantly, fiercely loyal to her ward.

We also meet Wesley, a midshipman aboard the Emerald Storm. Wesley is incredibly straight-laced and can often appear stuck-up, but there’s much more to him. This nobleman turned sailor is the epitome of honor, loyal and honest and fair to a fault. Though his manners may be stilted, he never backs down from making the hard decision, even when it’s not in his personal best interest.

But my absolute favorite character in this book is one we met in Theft of Swords: Princess Arista. In Theft of Swords, Arista was interesting but definitely a background character. In Rise of Empire, Arista’s character develops dramatically, taking centerstage even over Hadrian and Royce. In my opinion, she’s the character with the most richness and depth in the entire series, and I can’t wait to see how she further develops in the last omnibus of the series. I’ve read a lot of fantasy, and I have no qualms about saying that Arista Essendon is one of the best developed female characters I’ve come across in the genre.

There was one character from the first omnibus who wasn’t present in the second and who I really missed: Myron. He’s the cutest, sweetest cinnamon roll of a man I’ve ever come across, and I wish there was an entire series just about him. However, I’ve been informed by reliable sources that he’ll be more present in Heir of Novron, and I’m thrilled at the prospect of seeing him again.

Again, I hate that I waited so long (almost a year!) between reading Theft of Swords and Rise of Empire, but I have no regrets. I was able to end the year with a book that I absolutely love, and I have what I’ve been told is an amazing conclusion to look forward to as my first read of 2018. It’s been a wonderful year, full of fantastic stories and friendships founded on a mutual love of books, and I’m excited to see what the new years brings. 

Happy New Year, everyone! May your 2018 be incredible, and stuffed to the brim with fabulous books!

Jenna Kathleen

It's already over?! I turned the last page, thinking there must be a chapter or two left, but all I found was a glossary and a preview for the next book! It's quite rare that I'm not relieved and/or satisfied to be finished when I reach the end of a book - even if I love it. Rise of Empire has left me hungry for more and I don't think that will go away until I've had all the Riyria I can get my hands on.

Amilia was a new character I thought was great and I found myself enjoying watching her and Modina just as much as Hadrian and Royce. Well, maybe not quite as much, but it's pretty hard to be better than Hadrian and Royce.

There is quite a bit more world-building in this one than in the first one which was nice to see, especially a lot of places relating to Hadrian and Royce's pasts. I did feel like giving Hadrian a nice kick in the butt to stop moping around, and of course, he didn't disappoint me. I really liked the different atmosphere of the ship in The Emerald Storm. I enjoyed Nyphron Rising just a tad more, but seeing Hadrian and Royce on a ship was different than usual and hilarious.

Cori McCarthy

I really can't thank my friend, Isabella, and my English teacher enough for getting me to read this series, because it has already ended up as one of my top favorites, and I am not even done with it! I really shouldn't be surprised about how much I loved this book, and I would find myself getting so fully immersed into the story that hours would go by without my noticing!

I just love Hadrian and Royce's relationship so much, and reading this second book, we get to dive deeper into their pasts and truly learn more about them as people. I really didn't think with the character development, that the author could have gotten me to fall in love with the character even more than the first book, but he did! I also love the world building in these books, and how in every story, there is a new land that we get to see in rich detail that I can see so clearly in my head! 

I love when you can find a book or series where you feel as though you can reread it a hundred times and still learn more and love it even more than the first time. I feel like no matter I read this series, I will still gain more knowledge and see things that I didn't see the first time. I can't wait to get my hands on this next book and see where this adventure continues on!

“Breathe the air, taste the wine, kiss the girls, and always remember that the tales of another are never as wondrous as your own.”
― Michael J. Sullivan, Rise of Empire