Book Review: Age of Myth by Michael J. Sullivan

I received a free ecopy of this book from Del Rey via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my review in any way.

Title: Age of Myth

Author: Michael J. Sullivan

Series: The Legend of the First Empire #1

Publisher: Del Rey

Publication Date: June 28, 2016

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Length: 418 pages

Source: Netgalley

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Synopsis: 

Since time immemorial, humans have worshipped the gods they call Fhrey, truly a race apart: invincible in battle, masters of magic, and seemingly immortal. But when a god falls to a human blade, the balance of power between men and those they thought were gods changes forever. Now, only a few stand between humankind and annihilation: Raithe, reluctant to embrace his destiny as a God Killer, Suri a young seer burdened by signs of impending doom, and Persephone, who must overcome personal tragedy to lead her people. The Age of Myth is over; the time of rebellion has begun. 

My Thoughts: 

When Raithe avenges his father by killing a Fhrey, whom Rhunes (men) consider to be invincible gods, he sets off a chain of events that will change the lives of many. Word of the "God Killer's" deed spreads quickly and Raithe attempts to outrun his fate and the Fhrey that are most certainly going to kill him for it. When he and his companion end up rescuing the widow of a nearby clan's chiefton, he is pulled into a plot circling several characters that all play a role in the war that is to come between the Fhrey and Rhunes.

This series is set 3000 years before the author's previous Riyria Revelations series but from what I understand, it is not necessary to read that series before this one. This is my first time reading anything by Sullivan, though his name has been popping up more and more in my fantasy circles. I've been eager to read something of his, especially after learning that he writes his series in entirety before publishing the first. Why don't all authors do this? A series that has no plot holes, missing links, and doesn't have a bunch of pointless filler? I'm all in. 

The story starts out with the 'God Killer' and gives us a pretty good premise for the series but there are many different characters and many different povs that really round out this start to what I think will be an amazing series. Raithe quickly becomes the designated hero and his story intertwines with those of the other characters.

Suri, a mystic seer who dwells in the woods, talks to trees, and has a pet wolf, quickly became my favorite. I have a soft spot in my heart for characters like Suri. She is everything I love in a fantasy character; young, adventurous, rebellious, unique... She stands apart from the other characters in many ways.

Persephone, widow of the chiefton of Dahl Rhen, is the sage wisdom of the group, having been in a position of power for so very long while at the same time being humble and actually caring about her people.

Arion, a Miralyith who practices and teaches the 'art' of magic, and has lived thousands of years also caught most of my attention. I'm really eager to read more about her.

I really enjoyed this. I loved how we started out with separate story lines for the main characters but by the end, they had all converged. I loved all the interactions between the characters and can't wait to see what's in store for this group of allies.
 The story flowed really well and I could envision every step of the characters journeys. Mostly, I loved how these characters all seem to come together as if fate were setting them apart for some grand happening to take place in the future, which really just makes me excited for the next book. 

My Rating: 

5 stars