Theft of Swords

Michael J. Sullivan

Nov 2011 · Sold by Orbit

About this ebook

Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater, make a profitable living carrying out dangerous assignments for conspiring nobles-until they are hired to pilfer a famed sword. What appears to be just a simple job finds them framed for the murder of the king and trapped in a conspiracy that uncovers a plot far greater than the mere overthrow of a tiny kingdom.

Can a self-serving thief and an idealistic swordsman survive long enough to unravel the first part of an ancient mystery that has toppled kings and destroyed empires?

And so begins the first 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.

Ratings and reviews

Excellent beginning of what I expect (having not read the complete series) to be a classic in any avid readers library. The adventure, intrigue, camaraderie, action, and magic are very well balanced in this one (and I’ve read believe me). I’m 37 years old, well read in various novels (Just finished Mistborn Trilogy and The Omen Machine) and I’m not easily impressed. I had a fabulous time reading this one and I think you would too. Keep in mind as I finished this book I realized that it was a ‘beginning novel’. While the story was complete in of itself, it opened up many avenues of possibilities for the series. I look forward for more fun in reading the ones ahead. Good Luck and happy hunting for your next novel series.

One of the best stories I've read in awhile, the brotherly-type bond between the 2 main characters is just awesome. The plot was amazing. It felt like I read a whole book based on the amount of story I was given in the first part of the book (Prince's arc). There were some parts that were boring though, like the scenes from the 'villains' are point of view, I was just ready to flip back to the heros and read on but I pushed through, it was worth it. The cliffhanger though, wow...

Despite the story and characters being so completely cliched, full of ham-handed allusions, and fulfilling nearly every single fantasy trope ever, it was an entertaining read and the banter was genuinely funny at times. I'll be giving book #2 a try to see if the writing and story improve

About the author

Born in Detroit, Michigan, Michael J. Sullivan has lived in Vermont, North Carolina, and Virginia. He worked as a commercial artist and illustrator, founding his own advertising agency in 1996, which he closed in 2005 to pursue writing full-time. The Crown Conspiracy is his first published work. He currently resides in Fairfax, Virginia with his wife and three children. The author's website can be found at www.riyria.com and on twitter @author_sullivan.