The Crown Conspiracy
by Michael J. Sullivan
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Book Summary Information
Author: Michael J. SullivanEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-10-01
ISBN: 0980003431
Number of pages: 310
Publisher: Aspirations Media Inc
Book Reviews of The Crown Conspiracy
Book Review: A delightful adventure ... downright enjoyable!
Summary: 5 Stars
The Crown Conspiracy is one of the more entertaining adventure novels that I've read in a while. It's an easy read, but very well written, and as a result it fulfills the occasional need for "brain candy" without all those proverbial brain calories. In other words, it's light, but well-written and respectable. Thinking back to why I enjoyed The Crown Conspiracy so much, I believe it all boils down to the pacing, which keeps the pages turning without disappointing in terms of setting, character, plot and action. Speaking of which ...
1) Setting. The Crown Conspiracy *feels* like an epic, but unlike most epics, it is a refreshingly concise 310 pages. In contrast, I recently slogged through the first few of Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth books, The Legend of The Seeker, and The Stone of Tears ... great books, but each is an 800+ commitment (and, as you'll see in my reviews of those books, often unnecessarily verbose). Those 310 pages, while short in comparison to some of the heavier fantasy tomes out there, is still packed with the history and lore that make a solid fantasy world. The difference I think is that rather than explaining that history and lore to you ad infinitum, it's provided to you in an almost off-hand manner, which adds the depth and context of an epic but with less effort on the part of the reader.
2) Characters. The characters are very likable. Our two protagonists, Hadrian and Royce, play well off of each other. One is your more typical mysterious and calculating thief, and the other a more headstrong and heroic warrior-type ... however, it's the way they interact that makes the duo great. You can really feel that these two have worked together for years, and their comfort with each other comes through the pages. The supporting characters seemed to fall into two categories: defined by their social class (lords, nobles, whores, merchants, etc) or by their occupation. One risk that most fantasy novels take is that, by using well-established sword-and-sorcery settings and mechanics, they can seem unfairly cliche. The Crown Conspiracy, thankfully, dodged that arrow. Those characters that could have easily been written as stereotypes based on a character class and race from AD&D (a thief, a warrior, a magician, an elf, etc.) were obviously crafted with care against a new world built entirely by the author. While elves and magicians are certainly not new, Sullivan did manage to put a twist on them that made these characters fresh. The portrayal of elves as a heavily oppressed "dirty" race that has barely evolved past slavery is counter to most fantasy novels that I've read. I also can't stress enough how I was very quickly won over by Sullivan's ability to write characters. I could see the action playing out in my mind as a movie or TV series -- one of those fantasy shows made in the fun-loving tradition of Xena or Legend of the Seeker (the show, not the books). Unlike those shows, though, Crown had a quality story line, which brings me to ...
3) The plot. I think that's a triple entendre. Everyone was plotting against everyone else. The book earned its title of "Crown Conspiracy" by being stuffed to the tip of its tiara with social and political intrigue. Some of the plots and machinations were more obvious, and some were subtle, but they all played together to create one heck of a great story ... and there's no doubt in my mind that the sequels will both hold new schemes and their own unique intrigues, and also continue a more central plot that will again define this as a true epic. I certainly hope so, anyway - I'll be reading the others and posting followup reviews as I make that journey.
4) Action! The action in The Crown Conspiracy was ... again, I'll use the word 'entertaining.' It was used appropriately, rather than dominating the story, and when the action did heat up, it was creative, well told, quick, and fun. It was *almost* over the top, and sometimes came close to breaking the laws of physics and reality (I'm thinking specifically of the tower scene at the end), but the whole story is such a lovely example of fantasy entertainment, that it was easy enough to suspend disbelief and extend the definition of 'reality' so that these scenes really worked. In fact, I could totally imagine most of these scenes as movie scenes. The aforementioned tower scene, for example, would look awesome on film. For some reason, I imagine Owen Wilson as Hadrian, and Johnny Depp as Royce. Don't ask me why, and don't ask me what drugs a movie producer would have to take before casting those two together, for that matter. But I digress ... Anyway, suffice it to say that the action is well written, fast-paced, and fun.
In summary, The Crown Conspiracy is a delightful adventure. I'm looking forward to reading the remaining five books, and continuing that adventure. It is well conceived, well written, intriguing, entertaining, and downright enjoyable.
Writing Style/Quality: 5 stars
Characterization: 5 stars
Plot/Story: 5 stars
Setting / Lore: 5 stars
Action: 4 stars
Pacing: 5 stars
Overall Score: 5 stars
Summary of The Crown Conspiracy
THEY KILLED THE KING. THEY PINNED IT ON TWO MEN. THEY CHOSE POORLY
There is no ancient evil to defeat, no orphan destined for greatness, just two guys in the wrong place at the wrong time. Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater make a profitable living carrying out dangerous assignments for conspiring nobles until they become the unwitting scapegoats in a plot to murder the king. Sentenced to death, they have only one way out...and so begins this tale of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and legend.
ABOUT THE SERIES
The Crown Conspiracy is the first book in the captivating Riyria Revelations. Instead of a string of sequels this six-book fantasy series was conceived as a single epic tale divided into individual episodes. All were written before the first was released so that plot elements are intertwined, yet each book has its only story and conclusion.
BOOKS OF THE RIYRIA REVELATIONS (Ridan Publishing)
The Crown Conspiracy (October 2008)
Avempartha (April 2009)
Nyphron Rising (October 2009)
The Emerald Storm (April 2010)
Wintertide (October 2010)
Percepliquis (January 2012)
OMNIBUS EDITIONS (Orbit Publishing)
Theft of Swords (November 2011)
Rise of Empire (December 2011)
Heir of Novron (January 2012)
*Will be released as a standalone limited edition coinciding with Heir of Novron release to allow for completion of series in its original format.
There is no ancient evil to defeat, no orphan destined for greatness, just two guys in the wrong place at the wrong time. Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater make a profitable living carrying out dangerous assignments for conspiring nobles until they become the unwitting scapegoats in a plot to murder the king. Sentenced to death, they have only one way out...and so begins this tale of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and legend.
ABOUT THE SERIES
The Crown Conspiracy is the first book in the captivating Riyria Revelations. Instead of a string of sequels this six-book fantasy series was conceived as a single epic tale divided into individual episodes. All were written before the first was released so that plot elements are intertwined, yet each book has its only story and conclusion.
BOOKS OF THE RIYRIA REVELATIONS (Ridan Publishing)
The Crown Conspiracy (October 2008)
Avempartha (April 2009)
Nyphron Rising (October 2009)
The Emerald Storm (April 2010)
Wintertide (October 2010)
Percepliquis (January 2012)
OMNIBUS EDITIONS (Orbit Publishing)
Theft of Swords (November 2011)
Rise of Empire (December 2011)
Heir of Novron (January 2012)
*Will be released as a standalone limited edition coinciding with Heir of Novron release to allow for completion of series in its original format.
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