Michael J. Sullivan’s Age of Empyre (The Legends of the First Empire #6)
Description
They died, now they need to come back – the very fate of mankind depends on it.
At the height of the battle between elves and men, a small group of humans traveled to the underworld in a desperate attempt to save a captured friend. Now they find themselves divided, trapped, and losing hope that any of them will make it back out.
Meanwhile, the war grows more dire, and brewing internal conflicts begin to flare on both sides. Everything could hinge on a few actions, could tilt on a few choices, could sway with an unexpected new influence.
Disclosure
I personally bought this book. There was no agreement with the author, publisher, or any third party that I would publish a review. The following review is unsolicited, unbiased, and all opinions are my own.
Review – Spoiler Free
This is the 6th book in Michael J. Sullivan’s The Legends of the First Empire series (read my review of book I, Age of Myth, here). It picks up right where the 5th book left off (read my review of book 5, Age of Death, here), and carries through to how the Empyre begins.
There is a lot in this book. The feel really mirrors book 5, Age of Death, with there being a lot of time spent in the underworld, and a lot of Elan’s history being revealed. I love learning the accurate history of the world and the peoples, and it’s interesting to see how things have been twisted, forgotten, or misunderstood through time.
I loved the obvious messages about redemption and capability that were laced through this book. I also loved the many Easter Eggs tucked within it for those who have read Sullivan’s Riyria books.
Sometimes this book had a strange feel of too-much-yet-too-little, there was a small shadow of this feeling in book 5, Age of Death, too. It’s hard to put a finger on, but there were a number of situations that felt like they were dragging, but also felt like they needed more time to be fleshed out properly. It seemed to be mostly when characters were struggling with specific self-development or self-awareness, and I think they were swept through their struggle too quickly by necessity for the story to continue.
Aside from those few bits with weird pacing, the story clips forward with good action, like I expect from any Sullivan book. This was probably the slowest book of the series, but it pulls together for a strong ending that ties all the story threads rather neatly.
Overall, this was another good book, though I can’t say it was as good as some of the others in this series. I’m happy with the ending and how it wrapped up the story, and am excited to read what Sullivan gives us next!
Quote
“I am evil.”
“You were not born that way.”
“But I became so.”
“Yes, which means you have the power to unbecome it.”
Age of Empyre, Michael J. Sullivan
Ratings
- Quality of Writing – 3
- Plot – 3
- World Building – 4
- Characters – 4
- Ease of Reading – 5
- Pictures/ Illustrations – 3 (loved the cover, map was OK)
- Overall Enjoyment – 4
- Final Rating – 4 (Actual: 3.7) – Really Liked It
Want to learn more about the numbers I use for rating, and the qualities I’m thinking about when writing a book review? Check out my post How I Rate and Review.