Since time before memory, mortal men and women have lived in Rhuneland, the wild lands beyond the river, forbidden
to cross into the lusher, green realm of the Fhrey - the beings that have long been worshiped as gods, and who in
turn see humans as despicable animals. It was only desperation that led Raithe and his father to cross the waters in
search of better lands to homestead, the older man counting on good will earned fighting in one of the Fhrey's
occasional wars... but things go terribly wrong, and soon there are two dead bodies on the ground: one Raithe's
father, and one a Fhrey lord. With those deaths ends many human lifetimes of relative peace between the races, and
even as Raithe and a former slave of the fallen lord flee into the wilderness, the repercussions spread.
In the fortified hill settlement of Dhal Rhen, the widow Persephone was once the most powerful woman, second chair
at the side of her chieftain husband... a husband who is now dead, slain by a vicious brown bear prowling the
forests, a bear that already killed her last surviving son. Displaced from her home by the new chieftain and his
ambitious wife, who wastes no time spreading dark rumors about Persephone, her future couldn't be much worse - but
the young seer from the woods, Suri, comes bearing grim news. Dark times are coming, the seer warns, terrible
threats that may well end not only Dhal Rhen but humanity's tenuous toehold on survival. Someone has angered the
godlike Fhrey, who are turning their near-divine powers and wrath upon the people of Rhuneland, a brave (or foolish)
warrior who already has been dubbed the God Killer... a man who turns up in Dhal Rhen just as Persephone and the
settlement could use the disruption the least.
Back in the capital of the Fhrey, the rise of a new thane brings with it a tangle of politics and grievances as one
clan among them seeks to secure a stranglehold on power, for now and the future. Rumors of a human killing a Fhrey
lord on the barbaric frontier only further feed what could become a grand conflagration, threatening to split apart
the monarchy, the capital, and perhaps the world itself.
Review
I've heard decent things about Sullivan's other series (the Riyria Chronicles books), so when I found this title
available through Libby - the start of a new series, technically related to Riyria but self-contained - I decided to
give it a try. As promised by the cover and blurb, Age of Myth is an epic fantasy with many familiar
trappings dating at least back to Tolkien, set in a world where humans have yet to enter the Bronze Age and where
superstition mixes and mingles with true powers and inhuman beings, often in unpredictable ways; not every dark shadow
is a demon or lurking witch, but not every omen is a false alarm, either. The Fhrey are cruel elven beings,
exceptionally long lived and highly cultured, who barely consider human beings as more than bipedal rats despite the
possibility of them being distantly related. Even among their own kind, there are hierarchies and prejudices that
belie their seemingly more evolved veneer, with Fhrey proving every bit as manipulative and prone to lies (to each
other and themselves) as the lowest of humans, not to mention every bit as prone to hubris. The humans (or "Rhunes"
as they're often called, a Fhrey word that has crept into common mortal languages as part of the overall - if
generally distant - Fhrey dominance of the world) are consumed by their own struggles, for power and mere survival,
with everyone in the story pulled into at least one machination or another. Most are convinced of the divinity of the
Fhrey, even though they also worship less tangible gods and spirits, and even though the capriciousness of divnities
is well known, many are convinced that their adherence to the Fhrey treaties means that the anger of the
near-immortal beings will spare them. Meanwhile, greater threats and portents loom over everyone, the promise of a
coming storm that will remake (or destroy) the worlds of Rhune and Fhrey alike if they can't stop their squabblings
to notice the danger. Of such grand, world-altering movements are epic fantasies made, but without the human (or
human equivalent) elements, they can fall flat as easily as they soar. Sullivan presents a collection of decent, if
not wholly original, characters to move things along and give the world life, and if they sometimes felt a little
too familiar, they did a decent enough job keeping the story moving. There are few lulls in the plot, and it all
builds to a solid climax that sets up future complications and installments in the series. The whole makes for a
fairly good epic fantasy with an old-school feel, set in a nicely lived-in world of magic and myth.
Once, the humans of Rhuneland looked to the Fhrey as gods, and godlike indeed they seemed to be: tall, elegant,
often living three thousand years, masters of all manner of unknowable arts, and bearing both unstoppable metal
blades and unbeatable magicks. That was before the coming of the God Killer, the young man Raithe who, helped by
an escaping slave, killed a Fhrey lord. He fled to the walled hilltop village of Dhal Rhen, and it was here that
humans, a band of renegade outcast Fhrey, a friendly giant, and a young mystic girl who had somehow learned the
trick of elven magic threw back the forces of Fane Lothian of the Forest Throne.
That insult will not be allowed to stand unchallenged.
When the fane's reprisal levels the village and calls for genocide against the whole human race, Raithe, newly
risen clan leader Persephone, and the rest of Dhal Rhen's surviving citizens flee southward. There, Persephone
means to do something no chieftain has managed before: unite all the human clans, even the wild northern warriors,
under one keening. It's their only chance against the coming war. But they'll need more than numbers and a leader
to win against Fhrey magic and Fhrey weapons. There's not much they can do about the former - only the wildborn
girl Suri has ever managed Fhrey-like magic - but the latter may have a solution, across the waters in the stony
halls of the dwarfs. But they are a mistrustful race that already lost a war with the elven Fhrey, and handing
over armaments to humans will almost certainly bring the wrath of the fane down upon them again. It will take
daring, cleverness, bravery, and more than a little deception to get them to part with their treasures.
Meanwhile, back in the Fhrey capital, Prince Manwyndule, the spoiled son of Lothian, chafes under the thumb of a
father who still sees him as a child. He longs to exact revenge upon the whole of the human race for striking
down his friend and mentor at the battle of Dhal Rhen, even as he seethes over how his former teacher turned
traitor to help the upstarts. When he encounters a secret society of other young men and women of his kind who
feel, as he does, that the magic-wielding Miralyith tribe are truly the superior of all the Fhrey, akin to the
gods themselves, and should be worshiped as such, he faces choices and temptations that could deliver everything
he dreams of - or turn into his worst nightmare.
Review
This year, I'm making a conscious effort to follow through on some series I keep telling myself I'll get back
to "someday". Having enjoyed Sullivan's Age of Myth (despite not having previously read any of his Riyria
books, which this series is evidently a prequel to), I figured this is one of those "get back to it" series worth
following up on. I was also in the mood for a nice epic fantasy. Fortunately, this book both scratched that epic
itch and lived up to the first volume, making for an enjoyable read (or listen, this being another audiobook).
It picks up more or less where the previous book left off - just as Fhrey magic (and attacking giants) deliver the
fane's answer to the battle in the previous book, with lightning and hail and tornadoes. In the aftermath, with
barely one stone left atop another in what was Dhal Rhen, chieftain Persephone - who, by chance, encountered a
trio of dwarfs while fleeing for her life - only grows more determined that the only way to save her people is to
rally the rest of her species against the Fhrey. Several familiar faces return, with a few new ones picked up
along the way, as the clan treks southward to the coastal village of Dhal Tirre... but what they find is not the
welcome they had hoped, and uniting the clans seems almost impossible from the start, even without the fractious
northern clans involved (yet). It doesn't help that most won't take her seriously as a chieftain because of her
gender. They'd rather have the God Killer, Raithe, as their keening... but he still rejects all efforts to drop
big responsibilities onto his shoulders. As far as he's concerned, the war is already as good as lost: few among
the humans even have so much as copper blades, no match at all for the bronze of the Fhrey, even disregarding the
problems presented by Fhrey magic. Persephone, however, refuses to give up, a drive that leads her into the
forbidden stronghold of the dwarfs with a group of young women, the Fhrey woman Arion (still endeavoring to teach
the young mystic Suri how to use her unexpected abilities), and the trio she met earlier, who were not as honest
as perhaps they should have been about what awaits the humans. Meanwhile, back among the Fhrey, the spoiled young
princeling seethes at still being treated like the child he so often behaves like, making him the perfect patsy
when targeted by schemers with their own ideas on the future of the ancient race.
As before, the story doesn't have too much down time, moving along almost from the first page with plenty of
action and intrigue, punctuated by moments of emotion and humor and wonder. As in the first volume, there are
familiar tropes at play, but for the most part they're interesting and work here, though some of the side
characters can feel a bit flat. Overall, though, it makes for a solid continuation of the series, retaining that
nice, old-school epic fantasy feel and sense of wonder without feeling at all stale. I'll be looking forward to
the third installment.
The impossible has happened: the many human tribes have united under a single keening to face the threat of
Fane Lothian and the Fhrey race... none other than Persephone of Dhal Rhen. The next step will require them to
place more trust than ever in the exiled Galantian warriors and their leader Nyphron - a man who has made
little effort to mask his own ambitions to replace Lothian on the Forest Throne. Nyphron was once the commander
of the garrison at Alon Rhyst, the Fhrey city at the Grandford gorge between human and elven lands. He is
confident that his name still holds enough weight to convince the residents and soldiers to allow him to return
despite him being an exile, even if they're unlikely to go so far as to actively take up arms and support the
humans. At Alon Rhyst, they'll control a chokepoint between the realms, and they'll be taking the coming war to
the Fane instead of waiting for Fhrey armies to sweep across Rhuneland toward them. With that advantage, and
with their new weapons - secrets of iron stolen from the dwarfs, bows and arrows and the world's first archers,
and Suri, the first human known to have mastered the magical Art once exclusively wielded by the Fhrey clan of
Miralyith - the humans just might stand a slim chance of surviving Fane Lothian's wrath. But, though the Fhrey
are no gods (as humans long believed), they are still formidable foes, and even the greatest of sacrifices may
not be enough to endure the might of the elven empire.
Review
The third volume of this epic series marks a pivotal point in the history of the world. It was the beginning
of the end of an era when Raithe became the first human to strike down a Fhrey lord, revealing the elves to be
mere mortals after all. Now, as Persephone, the survivors of Dhal Rhen, and the rest of humanity marches toward
open warfare with their former masters, so much has changed, yet they still have a long way to go to begin to
stand a chance against the ancient civilization of the Fhrey, even notwithstanding the threat of their magic;
one half-wild girl outlier, no matter how innately talented, cannot stand alone against an entire clan of mages
who have trained for centuries. As greater changes move through human society - iron tools, arrows, the wheel,
and other innovations, often the work of the prodigal young woman Roan - the characters find their own roles
and futures changing in ways they never imagined. Raithe has gone from being the lone survivor of a clan with
an unsavory reputation to a hero... and from the man who once wanted nothing more than to turn his back on his
fellow humans, to run away and live out his days far away from elves and wars and responsibilities, to a man
willing to sacrifice his own happiness for the sake of his race - and for Persephone, whom he still loves, even
if her new rank and responsibilities (and some missteps on his part) move her further and further away from his
reach. Persephone, meanwhile, is still getting used to the burden of leadership; it was one thing to be wife of
a chieftain, and later the chiefain herself of her small clan, but quite another to be keening of all the
humans... a keening in a time of unprecedented change and a coming war that may well see the Rhunelands swept
clean of her kind. She finds herself increasingly torn between love and duty, feeling every loss yet forced to
move forward if those losses are to have any meaning. The rest of the core cast also find their roles and lives
shifting. None of them are the simple villagers they were at the start of the first book, and not everyone is
guaranteed a happy ending.
On the Fhrey side, the spoiled Prince Manwyndule of the Fhrey has, predictably, not learned as much as he should
have after the events of the previous book, already editing his memories to a version he prefers to live with.
Like his father, he still sees humans as little more than flies to be swatted away, not taking the threat before
them seriously; he's more indignant than alarmed that things still haven't been resolved, though he's sure war
will be an interesting, even fun little excursion (and perhaps a chance to finally impress his father, whose
disappointment in his presumptive heir is palpable in every moment they're together).
As before, the plot moves along at a decent enough pace, though there are a few times when people seem to dither
and drag out moments that call for more alacrity. There are also a few surprises I didn't see coming - in a good
way, not in an eye-rolling are-you-kidding-me way. The ending sets things up for an exciting next installment,
which is apparently a pivot to a second trilogy. Which is a good thing, as the book would've lost a half-mark if
it had left things where they are. (According to a foreword, Sullivan almost did that; I suppose, if I'd read
the original Riyria books first as I was probably supposed to, I would be able to infer the events in the gap
between the ending of Age of War and the beginning of the original series. But he looked at his work
and realized it wasn't finished, and so wrote on. Thus, I will read on.)
After their hard-won victory at Alon Rhyst, the human forces of the Rhunelands continue their
advancement into Fhrey territory, but the going is slow, a years-long slog that ends in a stalemate, neither
side able to budge against the other. Persephone still holds a dim hope that perhaps the years of bloodshed
and heavy losses on both sides have softened the Fhrey fane Lothian to negotiating a peace treaty, while her
elven consort Nyphron is convinced that victory will only come when the Forest Throne is in flames. Now, the
words of Malcolm - the man who is more than a mere man, who may be older than the hills and has more secrets
than the stars - might offer a path forward... if any are brave (or foolish) enough to follow.
In the Fhrey capital of Estramnadon, the war is also taking a heavy toll: the elves still see "Rhunes" as
nothing more than bipedal animals, and cannot fathom how such beasts are causing so much trouble. Lothian
himself is nearly driven to insanity by his failures, particularly vexed by the "dragon" that arrived at
Alon Rhyst and continues to accompany the advancing human army. Still not believing that the "lesser"
species could have practitioners of the Art, he's determined to figure out how they conjured the beast, no
matter the cost.
The longer the stalemate in the war lasts, the more desperate both sides become, until each will take risks
that might end in catastrophic consequences for all involved...
Review
After the relatively fast pace of the first three installments of this series, this book slows down a
little, spanning several grueling years of war and loss and sacrifice that change everyone, not always for
the better. Persephone continues to reign as the human keening, though despite a half-elven son her
relationship with Nyphron continues to be more professional and political courtesy than anything resembling
love; her heart still belongs to the late Raithe, for all that she still understands and accepts the
necessity of the sacrifice and her choice. Keeper Brin continues her work on her book and the new art of
writing, though her relationship with warrior Tesh undergoes some serious strain as he becomes more and more
enamored of bloodshed... particularly Fhrey blood, not necessarily making a distinction between ally and
enemy. Inventor Roan and potter/fledgling mage Gifford are at last together, though her post-traumatic
reactions after a lifetime of abuse still present some obstacles. Her inventions don't take center stage as
much in this stretch of the tale, but she still has some significant contributions to the story, while
Gifford begins to grow into his power more even beyond Suri's tutelage. As for the mystic Suri, her life
remains hard and isolated, as people still ask so much of her without truly understanding the costs of what
she's already done. When given a chance to act as ambassador to the Fhrey as a possible means to end the
war, she is as eager as the keening for the violence and sacrifices to end, so she can finally be done with
the whole business of humans and go back to her old home in the hawthorn glen beyond Dhal Rhen... though,
of course, things do not go as smoothly as either envisioned. With that plan fouled, clan outcast Tressa
steps up with a message from Malcolm, but few are willing to listen to her - and those who do may end up
in more danger than Suri, a journey to a destination straight out of legend and a literal leap of
faith.
On the elven side, fane Lothian starts to crack under the strain of a war he cannot truly fathom against an
enemy he refuses to understand. Even having witnessed firsthand the incredible power unleashed by the human
mystic, he will not even consider that "Rhunes" are more than simple beasts. Naturally, his spoiled son
Manwyndule is even worse, though he also personally witnessed the same attack and defeat, yet even he sees
how his father's grip is slipping; the prince remains as insufferable and ineducable as ever, though his
role in the tale is relatively small. There's also some follow-up on Imaldy, who has her own ideas on the
future of her people, though ultimately the Fhrey side of things feels a bit sidelined in this volume, with
little tangible advancement.
The whole volume offers intrigue, danger, magic, mystery, interesting characters, a little humor, and new
adventures... everything I read epic fantasy for. Sullivan has managed to maintain the quality, and my
interest as a reader, admirably well, for all that I'm getting a little tired of the whiny Fhrey prince
being so stubbornly whiny. The final pages end things on something of a cliffhanger for the major plot
threads, though, more than previous installments. Hopefully my library and Libby have the next installment
available sooner rather than later; I need closure here, dang it.
As another winter comes, the war between the humans and the elves looks more hopeless than ever. With the
human's only trained mystic Suri a captive of Lothian - probably even now being tortured into giving up the
secrets of the "dragon" that has defended the army - and the desperate expedition to rescue her lost in the
Swamp of Ith, it seems only a matter of time before the Rhunes and their "traitor" elven allies are swept
from the land. In this dark hour, Malcolm finally returns... but he brings little hope or comfort to a
people on the verge of the ultimate defeat.
In Phyre, the land of death, eight people still struggle to follow the thin trail left by Malcolm's cryptic
words that might turn the tide of the war - but things have gone terribly wrong in the afterlife,
threatening their journey. When they draw the unwanted attention of the gods lording over Rel and the depths
of Nifrel, doom seems all but certain...
Review
Yes, I just reviewed the forth book about a week ago. I did not like being left on a cliffhanger, so I
checked Libby for the next audiobook... only to find that the only copy available through my library was an
e-book (except for an abridged "graphic audio" edition, and I avoid abridged editions if I can at all help
it). So this is technically the first book in the series that I read in print. Whether that affected my
reaction or not, I cannot say, but I did start to detect a certain stretched feeling, which makes me wonder
if this "second trilogy" in the series really needed three full books to tell its story.
On the plus side, the pacing and characterization continues more or less at the same pace it has been, as
new threats are revealed and twists and revelations unfold. The two realms of death that Tressa, Brin,
Roan, Gifford, and the rest visit are intriguing takes on familiar tropes; the deeper realm of "Nifrel"
isn't so much a place for the worst people, but those who are too ambitious and greedy in some aspect to
settle for the more peaceful but undeniably duller ordinary afterlife of Rel, which is mostly like the
living world only without death or hunger or other inconveniences; Nifrel, by contrast, is a chaotic
fiery chasm of endless battles and repeated deaths. Nor are afterlives segregated by races, even if only
one god presides over each realm; elves, dwarves, humans, and even goblins and others can be found in any
realm that suits their soul's disposition. Just where each soul in the adventuring party "deserves" to be
creates some inner tensions, and more than one pairing discovers that their permanent afterlives
(assuming Malcolm spoke truly and they'll be able to return to life after their trek through all three
realms of death) may not be the happily ever after they anticipated. During their journey, they encounter
lost loved ones and relatives, as well as ancestors and cultural heroes, and have the expected perils and
tight scrapes and the odd betrayal. Along the way, Keeper Brin finally works out some of Malcolm's
secrets, which make her doubt the man's intentions even more, but they have little choice but to continue
following his breadcrumb trail now that they've literally committed their souls to its completion.
In the land of the living, not too much happens on the human side of things. Persephone and Nyphron react
to their ongoing stalemate in different ways, but have little to actually do. On the elven side of the
river, Suri finds some unexpected allies, and Imalya progresses her plan to challenge an increasingly
insane Lothian for the Forest Throne, while the mysterious figure Trilos still lurks and makes cryptic
comments; more backstory on him, the creator gods of the races, and Malcolm is filled in around the
edges, though I admit to some name overload here and won't pretend I'm keeping everyone straight in my
head. And, yes, the spoiled prince Manwyndule continues to be whiny and spoiled and cluelessly
self-absorbed.
Where this installment lost its half star was in some continued and excessive wallowing by the characters
- rolling in their helplessness and miseries and such without advancing the plot or actually attempting
to change the thing about themselves or their situations that's causing them so much distress - and the
fact that, once again, Sullivan ends on a cliffhanger, which is a trick you can only pull so many times
before the reader starts mistrusting you. Since there is only one more volume in the series, and since
I'm still enjoying it more than not, I'll be reading on, but I'll probably take a longer break between
installments this time.
