Heir of Novron, Vol. 3(Riyria Revelations) [Paperback]

Michael J. Sullivan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 31, 2012 | Series: Riyria Revelations (Book 3)

A forced wedding. A double execution. Two thieves have other plans.

The New Empire intends to mark its victory over the Nationalists with a bloody celebration. On the high holiday of Wintertide, the Witch of Melengar will be burned and the Heir of Novron executed. On that same day the Empress faces a forced marriage, with a fatal accident soon to follow. The New Empire is confident in the totality of its triumph, but there's just one problem--Royce and Hadrian have finally found the Heir of Novron and they have their own holiday plans.

And so concludes the final tale 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)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...delivers a fun story with plenty of sword fighting and some genuine surprises." -- Publisher's Weekly 

"What started out as a straightforward fantasy adventure in The Crown Conspiracy has evolved into a full-blown epic in Percepliquis." -- Fantasy Literature

"Heir of Novron is the conclusion to the Riyria Revelations, cementing it in a position as a new classic of modern fantasy: traditional in setting, but extremely unconventional in - well - everything else." -- Drying Ink

"Fans of the first two volumes, then, will be comforted to know the Riyria Revelations come to a close in fine fashion. Sullivan will have kept a few twists up his sleeve to the very end, while we as readers will have been enthralled by the extraordinary deeds of Royce and Hadrian. I heartily recommend Heir of Novron and its predecessors to fans of classic epic fantasy tales. " - LEC Book Reviews

"All in all, I have to say that the two novels together as the omnibus Heir of Novron are just plain awesome. No two ways about it. " -- The Founding Field

From the Author

NOTE: Heir of Novron contains the last two books in my Riyria Revelations series: Wintertide (#5) and Percepliquis (#6).
 
And so it comes to a close, a tale that banged around in my head for over fifteen years. My intention was to write a series that started out simply, but have mysteries deepen, character backgrounds revealed slowly, and stakes escalate across the entire tale. I must say I'm very happy with the final result, and Percepliquis is by far my favorite book of the series. This shouldn't be a huge surprise as I've said from the beginning that my intention was to make each book better than the one that came before. 

Constructing the series as I did was a risk.  After all, it means the first books will be the weakest links by design.  That really didn't matter when I started writing, because I had no intention on publishing.  My audience was myself, and a few close friends and family, so reading all the volumes was pretty much a guarantee. As that goal changed, I considered restructuring the books to a more traditional "front loaded" design but ultimately decided that the original approach provided the most satisfying read.  Yes, there will be those that drop out early who determine the book to "light" or "lacking depth," but my focus is on the opinion of readers who view the picture in its entirety, rather than just the first 1/3. 

As I write this it is mid-November 2012.  A full year since the release of Theft of Swords and more than ten-months since the final book.  I'm floored that all the books have remained on Amazon's Bestselling Historical Fantasy books since their release.  But what's more amazing is that Heir of Novron is routinely found on the following Top Rated Lists:

• #1 (US) & #2 (UK) Historical Fantasy
• #3 (US) & #4 (UK) Epic Fantasy
• #11 (US) & #12 (UK) Fantasy
• #1 (US) Men's Adventure
• #6 (US) Action & Adventure
• #73 (US) & #75 (UK) Fiction

To be rated in the top 100 of all fiction titles on Amazon can only be described as surreal.  I want to publicly thank all those people who have not only read the books, but taken the time to leave a review which is the whole reason the book has made these lists.  I guess my decision to keep the series structure was a good one.

Many people have written me and asked, begged, and even pleaded to continue the series as they want more adventures with Royce and Hadrian. I of course had hoped that would be the case, but honestly, I never wanted to dream that may come true.  Although the series was carefully designed to begin and end where it has, I did have various spin-offs and ancillary stories that could be told. As it became apparent that there was a demand for more adventures, I put a poll on my blog offering various options for future works.

The overwhelming consensus was to go back in time and show the founding of Riyria and the earlier adventures of Royce and Hadrian.  To that end I've written a new series, The Riyria Chronicles and I'm pleased to announce that Orbit has once again agreed to release them.  At this time the books written are:

• The Crown Tower (Aug 1, 2013) - which explores the first assignment that Royce and Hadrian did together.
• The Rose and the Thorn (Sep 5, 2013) - which explores the actual founding of Riyria and introduces Albert Winslow (as liaison to the gentry), and Gwen DeLancy becoming the proprietor of The Rose and Thorn Tavern which acts as the duo's base of operations.

If you finish Heir of Novron and find yourself "jonsing" for more adventures with Royce and Hadrian, I hope you'll tune in for these next two books. I'm very pleased with how they came out, and even more importantly, my wife Robin loves them.  She is the barometer by which I decide such things and if her enthusiasm is any indication, I think you'll enjoy the ride.

Michael.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 960 pages
• Publisher: Orbit; 1 edition (January 31, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316187712
• ISBN-13: 978-0316187718
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1.8 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (154 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,089 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

After finding a manual typewriter in the basement of a friend's house, Michael inserted a blank piece of paper and typed: It was a dark and stormy night and a shot rang out. He was just eight years old at the time. But the desire to fill the blank page and see what doors the typewriter keys would unlock wouldn't let him go. For ten years Michael developed his craft by studying authors such as Stephen King, Ernest Hemingway, and John Steinbeck...just to name a few. During that time he wrote twelve novels, and after finding no traction in publishing, he quit and vowed never to write creatively again.

Michael discovered that never is a very long time, and he ended his hiatus from writing after a decade. The itch returned when he decided to create a series of books for his then thirteen-year-old daughter, who was struggling in school due to dyslexia.

Michael is one of the few authors who have successfully published through all three routes: small press, self, and big six. He has been named to io9's Most Successful Self-Published Sci-Fi and Fantasy Authors list as well as making #6 on EMG's 25 Self Published Authors to Watch. As of January 2013, he has sold more than 250,000 books, been translated to 14 languages, and has had books appear on more than 65 "best of" or "most anticipated" lists including:

* 2013 Audie Award Finalist for Theft of Swords
* Fantasy Book Review's top 6 (non-hyped) Anticipated Reads of 2013
* Fantasy Faction's Top 10 Anticipated Reads of 2013
* goodreads Choice Award Nominees for Fantasy in 2010 and 2012
* Audible's 2012 5-star The Best of Everything List
* Library Journal's 2011 Best Books for Fantasy/Sci-Fi
* Barnes & Noble Blog's Best Fantasy Releases of 2011
* Fantasy Book Critic's #1 Indie Fantasy for 2010

Today, Michael continues to fill blank pages and has several projects under development: Antithesis (modern fantasy) and The First Empire Series (traditional fantasy).

THE RIYRIA REVELATIONS (Omnibus Editions)
* Theft of Swords: contains The Crown Tower & Avempartha
* Rise of Empire: contains Nyphron Rising & The Emerald Storm
* Heir of Novron: contains Wintertide & Percepliquis

THE RIYRIA CHRONICLES
* The Crown Tower: coming Aug 6, 2013
* The Rose and the Thorn: coming Sep 17, 2013

STANDALONE NOVELS
* Hollow World: coming Jan 20, 2014
* Antithesis: release date to be determined
* Burden to the Earth: release date to b determined

ORIGINAL BOOKS OF THE RIYRIA REVELATIONS (out of print)
* The Crown Conspiracy
* Avempartha
* Nyphron Rising
* The Emerald Storm
* Wintertide
* Percepliquis

SHORT STORIES
* The Viscount and the Witch (Riyria Chronicles #1.5)
* Greener Grass (time-travel science fiction)

ANTHOLOGIES
* Triumph Over Tragedy (Traditions)
* The End - Visions of Apocalypse (Burning Alexandria)
* The Fantasy Faction Anthology (Autumn Mists) Mar 2013
* Unfettered (The Jester) May 2013

AWARDS & ACCOLADES
The Crown Tower (coming Aug 2013)
* 2013 Fantasy Book Review's Six (non-hyped) Most Anticipated Books
* 2013 Fantasy Faction's Top 10 Most Anticipated Books
* 2013 Ranting Dragon's 50 Fantasy and Sci-Fi Novels to Look Forward
* 2013 BestFantasyBooks.com's Most Anticipated Fantasy Reads
* 2013 Angels of Retribution's Most Anticipated Releases
* 2013 A Fantasy Reader's Eager Meter Nominee
* 2013 Draumr Kopa Fantasy Book Blog Waiting on Wednesday

The Riyria Revelations
* 2013 Rule The Waves Top 10 Tuesdays
* 2012 Confessions of an Avid Reader Top 12 (#2)
* 2009 Dark Wolf Fantasy Reviews Top 10 Books

Heir of Novon / Wintertide & Percepliquis
* 2012 SFWorld's Top 10 Favorite Books (Percepliquis)
* 2012 goodreads Choice Award Nominee (Percepliquis)
* 2012 Audible's August Customer Favorites (Heir of Novron)
* 2012 Bookworm Blues Top 10 (#4) (Percepliquis)
* 2012 Founding Field's Best Books (Percepliquis)
* 2012 Angels of Retribution's Best of the Best Part 1 (Heir of Novron)
* 2012 Patrick's Book Awards (#10) (Heir of Novron)
* 2012 Bane of King's Best Novels of First Half of 2012 (Percepliquis)
* 2012 GoddessCarlie Top 5: #2 (Heir of Novron)
* 2012 MathiasCavanaugh Top 10 Books (#4) (Heir of Novron)
* 2012 Angels of Retribution's Reading Award for February ( Percepliquis)
* 2012 Fantasy Book Critic's Top 5 Anticipated Releases for Q1 (Heir of Novron)
* 2012 Civilian Reader's 6 Most Anticipated Reads for January (Heir of Novron)
* 2012 Staffer's Review's Books I Most Want to Read in Early 2012 (Heir of Novron)
* 2010 Fantasy Book Critic #1 Indie Fantasy (Wintertide)
* 2010 Fantasy Book Critic Top 25 Novels (Wintertide)
* 2010 Fantasy Book Critic: Cindy's Anticipated Reads List (Wintertide)
* 2010 Fantasy Book Critic Top Independent Novels (Wintertide)
* 2010 Fantasy Book Critic Top 5 Novels of Second Half of 2010 (Wintertide)

Rise of Empire / Nyphron Rising & The Emerald Storm
* 2012 Mathias Cavanaugh Top 10 Books (#3) (Rise of Empire)
* 2012 Timothy C. Ward Top 10 Reads (#8) (Rise of Empire)
* 2012 Patrick's Book Awards (#9) (Rise of Empire)
* 2011 Civilian Reader's 6 Most Anticipated Reads for Dec (Rise of Empire)
* 2010 goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Fantasy (The Emerald Storm)
* 2010 Fantasy Book Critic #1 Indie Fantasy (The Emerald Storm)
* 2010 Fantasy Book Critic Top 25 Novels for (The Emerald Storm)
* 2010 Fantasy Book Critic: Cindy's Anticipated Reads List (The Emerald Storm)
* 2010 Fantasy Book Critic Top Independent Novels (The Emerald Storm)
* 2010 Fantasy Book Critic Top 12 Novels as of First Quarter (The Emerald Storm)
* 2010 Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Finalist (Nyphron Rising)

Theft of Swords / The Crown Conspiracy Avempartha
* 2013 Audie Award Finalist (Theft of Swords)
* 2012 Audible's 5-star The Best of Everything (Theft of Swords)
* 2012 Audible's Best of 2012 Editor's Picks (Theft of Swords)
* 2012 Audible's 5-star Sci-fi & Fantasy (Theft of Swords)
* 2012 WordTipping Top 3 Favorite Reads (Theft of Swords)
* 2012 Angels of Retribution's Best of the Best Part 2 (Theft of Swords - audio)
* 2012 MathiasCavanaugh Top 10 Books (#7) (Theft of Swords)
* 2012 BattleHymns Books of the Year: Honorable Mention (Theft of Swords)
* 2012 AudioBookaneers Favorite Listens, Runner up (Theft of Swords)
* 2012 Patrick's Book Awards (#10) (Theft of Swords)
* 2011 Library Journal's Best Books for Fantasy/Sci-Fi (Theft of Swords)
* 2011 Civilian Reader's 5 Most Anticipated Reads for Nov (Theft of Swords)
* 2011 Black Gate Noteworthy Fantasy Debuts (Theft of Swords)
* 2011 Library Journal's Fantasy/Sci-Fi Debut For September (Theft of Swords)
* 2011 Dribble of Ink's Favorite Novels (Theft of Swords)
* 2011 Drying Ink's Best Epic Fantasy (Theft of Swords)
* 2011 Graeme's Fantasy Book Review Favourite (Theft of Swords)
* 2011 Only the Best Science Fiction and Fantasy's Top 10 (#2) (Theft of Swords)
* 2011 Best Fantasy Releases by Barnes and Noble Blog (Theft of Swords)
* 2011 Lost Entwive's Top Ten Underrated Books (The Crown Conspiracy)
* 2010 Iceberg Ink Award Best Read (Avempartha)
* 2010 Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Finalist (Avempartha)
* 2010 Only the Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Top 10 Read (The Crown Conspiracy)
* 2010 Bookworm Blues Overall Best Reads of 2010 (Avempartha)
* 2009 Winner of Book Spot Central's Fantasy Tournament of Books (Avempartha)
* 2009 Speculative Fiction Junkie's Top 5 Close Contender(The Crown Conspiracy)
* 2009 National Indie Book Award Finalist (The Crown Conspiracy)
* 2008 ReaderViews Annual Literary Award Finalist (The Crown Conspiracy)
* 2007 Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Finalist (The Crown Conspiracy)

CONTACT INFORMATION
Riyria Blog: www.riyria.com
Hollow World Blog: www.hollowworldnovel.wordpress.com
First Empire Series Blog: www.firstempireseries.com
Twitter: @author_sullivan
Facebook: www.facebook.com/riyria & www.facebook.com/michael.james.sullivan

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#6 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Action & Adventure

#19 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy

#29 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy

#43 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction

#75 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Action & Adventure

#6 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Action & Adventure

#19 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy

#29 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy

#43 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction

#75 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Action & Adventure

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding journey, that left me in amazement. Wow. Just plain wow. Top Shelf keeper! January 17, 2012

By MelHay

Format:Paperback

2 bks separated
Wintertide:
Royce and Hadrian ride into Aquesta ragged and cold from the journey. Many people are coming to Aquesta for the upcoming Wintertide Celebration, one month away. The news has spread that Modina is to be married and the Nationalist leader Degan Gaunt will be executed, all as part of the celebrations. Melengar has fallen to the Imperial Empire. With this many worries come to mind...How's Gwen? Arista? Alric? So much to happen and worry about and questions to answer.

I got a chuckle at the beginning of this book with the small group of young thieves we meet. But, by now we are all well acquainted with the characters and ready for Michael to bring them back to life for us. I was excited to be back into this world ~ its comfortable to me and I want to see where we are going with the situations the characters were left in, in Emerald Storm. Again, I couldn't put it down. I just had to know what would happen to these characters left in a little bit of a tight spot.

Michael did a great job of setting up for this book with the previous ones and using what he had available in all aspects of the world. There is nothing new pulled out of thin air or make you wonder 'where did that come from', everything we need and know have been laid out for us, but now tied together to answer questions for us. Many of the smaller unknowns and lose ends are tied up here, within a captivating story in which Michael brings all the characters together and to demise, good or bad.

Percepliquis:
Men are fighting for their kingdom and homes against attackers we have feared would come. Arista's having horrible nightmares, Royce is depressed after the ending in Wintertide, and Hadrian feels guilt. The kingdoms are coming together under the ruling heir, Modina, as predicted, but without the horn it might all be destroyed. Our friends through the series have one last quest, that could be the death of them but with out it they will die anyway, they all want or need to go on, for different reasons but for the same result, to save man kind.

Screaming from the rooftops, MASTERFUL! This is THE way to end a magnificent fantasy series.

Michael weaves all the books together into this one, pulling pieces together and setting the world; past, present and future, in clear view for us. Just amazing the way Michael took two plain and simple thieves, to create an outstanding series and amazing ending.

This one book holds all the missing pieces we didn't realize we were missing, yet piecing all the secreted comments throughout the series together to complete everything. Michael has taken a series to all different levels through out this series, and this book is a fabulous ending to it all!

I laughed and cried and worried. Both for happiness and sadness, of many reasons -- the characters and their hardships and humor. I have to say I LOVED this book, such a perfect ending. I can't describe how well the ending fit for me, all the way to the last sentence. I don't think I can write a review that will give this book it's well deserved justice, or even the series itself. I am just floored with it all; the story, the characters, the depth of the world completed. All of it completed. And an action packed finale.

I was afraid the team wouldn't have their spark, but they had it. Oh they had it. Seeing the characters grow and live through emotions is what makes the book the best, digging deep in us to care. All the characters have their numerous shining moments.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Conclusion! January 31, 2012

By rwbaker

Format:Paperback

This series took me by surprise. I picked up "The Crown Conspiracy" because I have exhausted all the big names in the genre and saw it one day on an Amazon search for another book. I expected it to be in the third tier of fantasy fiction, however I was completely wrong. I was mesmerized by Hadrian and Royce from the first chapter until the last of the series. I can offer no real criticisms besides a few typos in my kindle version. The character development was a breath of fresh air. After reading authors who spend page upon page describing scenery and trying for intricate character development the witty dialogue and intricate plot gripped me. The story is filled with amazing characters both good and bad. I would suggest these books for anyone who loves fantasy fiction.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A GREAT end to a FANTASTIC series! January 31, 2012

By RachelOleo

Format:Paperback

I felt so sad to put it back on the shelf! The first tow I ordered on a whim, and I couldn't put them down! The character development is slow at the beginning of the series, but stick with it! You won't be disappointed!

While I would not put this on the level of McCaffrey or Martin, they were still very good and I wish they weren't over.

BUT, if you don't like the surprises to be hinted at, you may not enjoy this. Mr. Sullivan drops subtle and not so subtle hints about what will happen; if you would rather be told what happens rather than figure it out on your own, bear that in mind before reading.

Overall, wonderful!