Age of Swords

The Legends of the First Empire, Book 2

By: Michael J. Sullivan

Narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds

Length: 20 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

The gods have been proven mortal, and new heroes will arise as the battle continues in the sequel to Age of Myth - from the author of the Riyria Revelations and Riyria Chronicles series.

In Age of Myth, fantasy master Michael J. Sullivan launched listeners on an epic journey of magic and adventure, heroism and betrayal, love and loss. Now the thrilling saga continues as the human uprising is threatened by powerful enemies from without - and bitter rivalries from within.

Raithe, the God Killer, may have started the rebellion by killing a Fhrey, but longstanding enmities dividing the Rhune make it all but impossible to unite against the common foe. And even if the clans can join forces, how will they defeat an enemy whose magical prowess renders them indistinguishable from gods?

The answer lies across the sea in a faraway land populated by a reclusive and dour race who feel nothing but disdain for both Fhrey and mankind. With time running out, Persephone leads the gifted young seer Suri, the Fhrey sorceress Arion, and a small band of misfits in a desperate search for aid - a quest that will take them into the darkest depths of Elan, where waits an ancient adversary as fearsome as it is deadly.

©2017 Michael J. Sullivan (P)2017 Recorded Books

The Epic Adventure Continues

What made the experience of listening to Age of Swords the most enjoyable?

The amazing characters and the action set in an original world.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Age of Swords?

Can't say, it would be a spoiler and I hate those.

Have you listened to any of Tim Gerard Reynolds’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, to many, he is always awesome!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

Michael J. Sullivan is one of my favorite Fantasy writers out there, alongside Justin Cronin, George R.R. Martin and Robert Jordan. He is the bestselling author of the Riyria Revelations series, Riyria Chronicles series and now he has just released the second volume in the Legends of the First Empire series, called Age of Swords.

Before I get into the review thing, I want to tell you that I listened to all of Mr. Sullivan‘s books and that I enjoyed each and everyone of them tremendously. There are 6 in the Riyria Revelations collection with them packed 2 by 2 on Audible, so you get 2 audiobooks for the price of one. After that, we have 3 prequels in the Riyria Chronicles series and 6 more in the Legends of the First Empire, of witch just 2 are out now. If you want to fall in love with Michael J. Sullivan‘s work, read or listen to the books in the way I mentioned above, although you could start every series at its beginning. There are two Free short stories which I suggest that you grab to see how good this team of author and narrator really is.

Age of Swords continues the epic adventure started in Age of Myth in which a group of humans fight for their lives as they try to survive an all out war between them and the Fhrey, the almost immortal beings that we know as Elves. To find out how and why this conflict began you have to read the first book, because I don’t want to spoil anything for you, but let me assure you that it is excellent as well. Our heroes have to find a way to fight a more powerful enemy, equipped with better weapons and commanding The Art (magic). Luckily, heroes will rise, they will embark on an epic journey to bring on help and weapons, but this new adventure is filled with deadly perils at every step. Will they survive? Do they have a chance even if they succeed in their endeavors?

The story is great, very well written and delivered with such vividness that you can imagine everything in your minds eye. The characters feel alive and I deeply cared for them, the threat is terrible, the enemy is merciless and the fate of the human race is in the balance.

I found myself instantly immersed into this new spellbinding story set in the world of Elan and that’s in part because of the fantastic performance delivered by Tim Gerard Reynolds and part thanks to the riveting storytelling abilities shown once again by Michael J. Sullivan. The fact that all the other audiobooks by Mr. Sullivan are narrated by Tim has to be mentioned in this review, as you may know that we, the audiobooks fans love the same narrator on all books set in a certain universe.

The amazing narrator, voice over artist and actor Tim Gerard Reynolds brings every character to life with passion and professionalism. He uses different voices, accents and subtile changes in tone and cadence to help the listener easily differentiate who is talking at a specific time. He can be in once scene a worried Elf, a frightened child, a ruthless warrior and a treacherous dwarf, switching between them with ease and style.

I want to say a big Thank You to both Michael and Tim for the respect with witch they treat the audiobooks community and for the amazing time spent in to this magical world they created and brought to life, with love and passion, for us!

I loved this new thrilling, unputdownable a audiobook and can’t wait for the 3rd installment into the Legends of the First Empire series.

Please vote Yes below if you found my review helpful and visit theAudiobookBlog dot com for more of them.

Than you,

Victor

Nicely Done

I'm rounding up from 4.5*... It's a great series, and think I enjoyed this one more than the first entry... Mainly due to the expanding understanding of the world itself, its cultural evolutions, and the magical system's deeper exploration... I particularly appreciate the prequel to the prequel of Revelations, and how the author excels at telling the story/history backwards... Unique... Great characters, both previously met, and newly introduced... Fantastic humor and snark, not to mention machinations and intrigue... Much of the sub plots have to do w/ finding your true self, whether you like it or not;). Love the tech advancements, but have to admit they come a bit fast and convenient, which is the only reason I rate down just a tad... Performance is stellar and an all around fabulous read for most all ages...

Thoroughly enjoyable book 2

Outstanding in every respect. The story picks up where Age of Myth leaves off and continues the thread seamlessly. TGR brings another masterful performance. I felt that the story was not a crisp as the first book but the author continued to develop the main characters in delightful ways. Anyone who is either a Michael J Sullivan or TGR fall will thoroughly enjoy this series. Most highly recommended.

amazing characters!!!

of all the fantasy books I've read (listened to)... age of swords has got to have the best bunch of female heros. their individual and collective strengths remind me so much of many of my most beloved ladies in my life! I love all of the characters (both male and female) and can't wait to cheer them on through the next books in the series! Gifford is especially closer to my heart. he reminds me so much of my brother who has​ CP and has the same optimistically tenacious attitude towards life that Gifford does... the way that Michael Sullivan consistently melds fantastic sorry telling with the beautiful virtues of his characters touches my heart. can't wait for more!

Amazing Story -- Really Good Book

It's difficult to explain, but I feel the quality of this book doesn't meet the quality of the story... however, the story is so good that the book is still better than most. The narration of course is top notch notch. Most of the characters are well developed, with the exception of one or two.

What to say?

This author will make you love the characters, put them into impossible situations, and give you the choice to either stop reading or have your heart broken and stomped on. It's so close to being perfect. But I had a really hard time stomaching one particular part of this story.

feminism sucks

this is Michael J Sullivan on a feminist binge. unrealistic to a fault. all of Humanity saved by strong female characters, all by their lonesome. give me a break..

Incredible book and wonderful narration

I'm obsessed with the world of Elan that Michael J Sullivan has created. Can't wait for the next book in the series.

I liked it

Female voices could be better, but overall a compelling story and great performance. Would but again.

A fine example of low fantasy.

A nice story of a low-magic world, where the characters are interesting and realistic, and the pacing is on point. while not every chapter will leave you craving the next, many will.