Avempartha (The Riyria Revelations #2)
Librarian note: alternative cover (omnibus edition).
THE SECRET IS IN THE TOWER. THE PROBLEM IS THE BEAST. THE ANSWER IS TWO THIEVES.
When a destitute young woman hires two thieves to help save her remote village from nocturnal attacks, they are drawn into the schemes of the wizard Esrahaddon. While Royce struggles to breech the secrets of an ancient elven tower, Hadrian attempts to rally the villagers to defend themselves against the unseen killer. What begins with the simple theft of a sword places the two thieves at the center of a firestorm — that could change the future of Elan.
My Review:
Michael J. Sullivan's second book in the Riyria Revelations, titled 'Avempartha', certainly packs a punch in so many areas that the first book was missing. We've finally hit upon loads of fantasy elements, making this truly a fantasy book (my review of the first book, stated that there were lots of fantasy elements missing, making it feel more like a medieval novel than a fanstasy book. This book is where all that changes!!
The author's fantastic world-building and character building continues to a high degree in this book. We don't have all the characters in this book that appeared in the first, but that is a good thing: it allows us a chance to get a better insight into the two thieves and a few other characters, such as Princess Arista. True, we end up with a lot more *new* characters in this book, but they again, are all well thought out and believable (and necessary I'm sure to where the story is going).
The plot starts off at different points (the thieves - and princess Arista), but soon are brought together to form on ongoing story. We have a mysterious tower, a horrid magical beast, and that wizard (is he good or bad?) and naturally the hunt for the Heir continues. A pretty large amount of action and suspense in this book. Once it got started, it didn't let up and kept me interested in the story and wanting to know what happens next. I LOVE the fact, that our two thieves (they're supposed to be bad people - they're thieves, right!?), are doing more and more good and get sucked into something that is much, much bigger than the two of them. Will it end up good for them? Will the Wizard (I still don't trust him) be the ruin of them (and possibly the whole world)??
There's not too much I can write about here, because it just turns out to be one of those fantasy books that leaves you happy and craving for more. The 3rd book, Nyphron Rising, has been begun and I will certainly leave a review the moment I finish it. Happy reading!!
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