The unlikely friendship

Riyria Revelations

Michael J. Sullivan

A cynical thief, an idealistic swordsman, and a partnership that gives an expanding adventure its heart. Three omnibus volumes collect six novels.

Cory’s perspective

Royce hooked me because he was mysterious, angry, dependable, and honestly just a straight-up killer.

He’s a dark character, but I still see him as a good character underneath all of that.

A huge part of why he works is Hadrian.

Hadrian brings the humor, but he also brings the honor.

He may be a thief, but he has lines he doesn’t want to cross. He doesn’t want to kill somebody just because he can, and he actually wants to help people.

Royce is much more likely to look out for himself first, so Hadrian balances him out.

Their humor hooked me pretty fast, but their friendship became better as the series went on.

They went through hard times together, kept going, and their relationship built naturally because of what they survived together.

I also like that the series does not only focus on Royce and Hadrian.

There has to be a story.

There has to be a mission, a quest, politics, or something they’re actually trying to accomplish.

Their relationship makes me care about what happens, but the bigger story gives them somewhere to go.

By the end, one of my biggest reactions was that I didn’t want it to be over.

I liked the reveals. I liked where the characters ended up.

Mostly, I wanted more.

That’s usually a pretty good sign that a series worked for me.

Who I’d recommend it to

This is the series I’d be most comfortable recommending to someone newer to fantasy. The books move faster than something like The Wheel of Time, the characters grab you quickly, and the commitment is smaller.