FREE: The Jester (A Riyria Chronicles Tale)

Remember the beginning of Raiders of the Lost Ark where a whole adventure happens before the opening credits? This is sort of like that, plenty happens in a brief time. It's probably not as much fun for those who don't already know our heroes, but I hope people try it out and go on to listen to the whole series. The ending made me laugh out loud. I hope there is a law that Tim Reynolds is the only person allowed to read Riyria books, as I wouldn't be able to stand any different voice.

The write-up for The Jester assured me that no prior knowledge of the characters or their previous stories is necessary to enjoy this short story. So for free and less than an hour it seemed like a good bet to test drive what sounded like interesting new (to me) literary territory. And what a ride. From the first words, thrown top speed into action that had already started and never let up, yet caught the reader up on the events with clean direct writing. To survive, they need to solve a puzzle that reminded me of Indiana Jones having to choose the right cup in the "The Last Crusade". Loved the characters and the narration. If the author hoped to attract new readers, he certainly attracted me. I'm adding to my Wish List now.

To me, one of the most best things about the three volumes of "Riyria Revelations" was the seamless way everything came together over the course of the saga and, especially, at the end. There are no bewildering meanderings by pointless characters; the whole enterprise is beautifully conceived and well written (and the narration is also very good). "The Jester" encapsulates all these qualities into a short, neat 1-hour package. Immediately, we are plunged (literally) into the adventure with no idea of what's going on, but over the course of a few pages all becomes clear and winds up in a poignant "wow" moment that's very satisfying.

It probably helps to have a little "Riyria" background -- at least enough to know who Hadrian and Royce and Riyria are -- but in terms of the story "The Jester" stands alone. Well done, Mr. Sullivan!

Action, action, and more action from start to finish. This is a short story with a lot of bang for it's size.

The Riyria books are written so well that you form a very quick attachment with the two lead characters. Even in this short story you see how different they are on the surface but a lot more alike when you burrow deeper.

I also really enjoyed the forward written by Michael Sullivan telling about his struggle writing something to be successful and then deciding to write just for himself. Gave wonderful insight to the entire series, original; & prequels.

Tim Gerard Reynolds brings these characters to life and I am always amazed of the variety of voices and inflections he brings to these stories.

If you have not read any of the Riyria books, please give them a try. You won't be disappointed though I do recommend starting with the original Riyria Revelations and then diving into the prequels.

I wouldn't compare The Jester to another 'book', per se, as it think it's quite unique. However, there were some elements in it that I likened to, believe it or not, the "Saw" franchise of movies. And not because there's blood, gore, torture, and the like. Because there isn't. Instead, I thought of this given the predicament Hadrian and Royce find themselves in. And like any 'ticking time bomb' storyline, they have to think fast before it's too late.

Everything. Tim's an excellent narrator who I happily followed through all six (three) of the Revelations books. He's in my top five narrators for fantasy, hands down. He's a "purchase maker" in my view.

I can't even put into words how I was excited about learning that Michael J. Sullivan had written something new about Royce and Hadrian. For the first time, I had been depressed when a series ended. I got so emotionally wrapped up in the Riyria Chronicles, that when I read the last word, I honestly didn't want to read another book for a few days.

When Mr. Sullivan informed me that there was a new short story out, "The Jester," I was actually jumping up and down for joy. Then to find that this was in audio book format made me even more excited. Once checking out "The Jester" I noticed it was free! There was nothing that was going to stop me from getting this story RIGHT NOW! I had always used the text-to-speech mode on my books when I was working around the house or driving. The mechanical voice that my kindle uses can sometimes drive you mad.

There is no way to explain how blown away I was when I finally listened to the opening of this story. There was this beautiful and magical voice of Tim Gerard Reynolds flowing through my ear buds. I have no clue what dialect I was hearing, English or Irish, but it made me just melt. The smile that I had plastered on my face was making those around me question what I was listening to. It's unfortunate for those that I made listen, because they didn't appreciate what was being spoken the way I did. But then, they also don't appreciate books the way I do.

"The Jester," is a stand alone story that falls between the books of "The Rose and the Thorn" and "Theft of Swords." We find Royce and Hadrian in stuck in the middle of another adventure that is turning into a huge mess. They have fallen into a cave that holds some sort of treasure that belongs to "The Jester." Along on this adventure, Royce and Hadrian have Wilmer, the pig farmer and Myra the candlemaker. (Sounds like the set up of a joke.)

Royce being the dry witted man that he is, tries to find the path that they are to follow. Hadrian, now suffering from a broken leg and other injuries, is trying to make sure that Wilmer and Myra are safe from their fall into the cave. Once everyone is accounted for, and that all has survived, the task of the treasure is at hand.

This is such a short tale, only 7,200 words, I can't give much in detail of what is going on. All I can say is that Royce and Hadrian have their hands full with the two additional companions on this trip.

I was laughing at how Myra and Wilbur were bickering between themselves. The way Tim Reynolds would narrate Myra and Wilbur was just comical. I have an active imagination that has always allowed me to see and hear what I thought characters sounded like. But to actually hear this being narrated was just priceless.

This was just a magical 54 minutes for me on so many levels. I had never listened to an actual "audio" book. So the magic of hearing it being told with the beautiful voice of a narrator was perfect. Then to find that Mr. Sullivan hadn't forgotten Royce and Hadrian, just tickled me pink.

I would tell anyone that has read even one of the Riyria books, to grab this up now! It may be short, but it's just oh so sweet.

His voice is like honey...smooth and sweet

I loved when he was doing the arguments between the Wilbur and Myra

The only problem I have with this is that it is not a full book but just a short story.

Come on Michael Sullivan, write some more books for this series. We demand it!

I like that this story was not one that you needed to know the universe that the other stories were created in to enjoy it. I like the fact that it was a stand alone and you did not feel the need to have read the other books in the series to understand what was going on.

If you're familiar with the Riyria duo you'll already know and love the characters. It's like a scrumptious morsel of something you already have a taste for. What's not to like?

I loved this short from Michael Sullivan, he always writes with such originality. Royce and Hadrian are hired, along with some others that they don't really trust, to retrieve a treasure that has been buried with a Jester. To obtain the treasure they must go spelunking and the choices that they each make will determine who makes it out of the cave alive. Only the wise and true of heart will be successful.