With a brand-new installment in the Elan saga—the world in which the Riyria Revelations, Riyria Chronicles, and Legends of the First Empire take place—Michael J. Sullivan and beloved narrator Tim Gerard Reynolds return with another epic audio adventure.

Audible: This story fits into the Elan universe as the second installment of The Rise and Fall trilogy. Do listeners need to be familiar with Nolyn to enjoy Farilane?

Michael J. Sullivan: The Rise and Fall trilogy is quite different than most series. Usually, you follow the same character (or group of people) across the entire tale. But in The Rise and Fall, I show the creation and destruction of the greatest empire in Elan during its 2,000 years of existence. And I pull off this magic trick without resorting to a dozen or more books. To do this, I chose to focus on three important individuals who lived at pivotal points in the empire's history, and these books are separated by large spans of time. This means that each book is essentially standalone in design, so there isn't the usual dependence on the prior book when reading the next one. So, yes, you can certainly jump right into Farilane if you've not listened to Nolyn. What's more, if you start with Farilane, you can go back to Nolyn, book one of the series—assuming, of course, that you enjoyed my writing style.

What was your favorite part of the story to explore and to write?

Oh, how I wish I could tell you! Unfortunately, the part I liked writing the most would require spilling the beans on a huge spoiler... or maybe even more than one. So, I'll have to confine myself to other aspects. My second favorite part would be Farilane herself. She was a great character to write about: intelligent, adventurous, and living her life to the fullest. Her mother gave her the following advice: "Don’t allow being a princess to become a burden or a chain. Forget being proper. Do what you like. Wait on nothing. Listen to no one. Go out into the world and live each day to the fullest. Be adventurous. Be reckless. Defy everyone." Farilane certainly heeded that advice, and having a character with such unbridled enthusiasm made writing her a joy.

Many early listeners have told us that Farilane as a character is especially compelling, and she has exceptionally lively dialogue. How did she come to you during the writing process?

You know, I wish I knew where any of my characters originated from. Sometimes I jest that when it comes to the creative aspects of writing, there's a guy named Eddy who hangs out under a bridge in Central Park. If you slip him a 20, he'll give you an envelope with a story idea, a character profile, or a plot twist. It would at least give me an answer to this question, which I'm often asked. But, barring a few exceptions, the truth of the matter is that most of my characters just show up on their own, knocking on the door of my subconscious. Sometimes I'll bump into what I suspect were their inspirations years later. And for others, I have no idea from whence they came. The thing is, they all appear in "seed form," and then they grow into their personalities as the story unfolds. I already mentioned that Farilane has a no-holds-barred aspect to her. That's a great kernel to start with, and then I put her into interesting situations and watch what she does. For the most part, I'm an observer, writing down what I witness.

I'm literally on the edge of my seat while listening to Tim's narration, and when he delivers a line with just the right emotion, I lose myself and think, "Wow, that was good—did I write that?"

Tim Gerard Reynolds, who narrated Nolyn, returns to voice Farilane. What made you choose him to perform this series?

Hmmm... It could be because I didn't want to be pulled apart by rabid dogs that would surely be set upon me if I used anyone else. Seriously, my fans would have me torn to shreds if Tim wasn't the narrator, but even if that weren't the case, I would never dream of anyone but him doing one of my Elan stories. I've seriously considered hiring a full-time bodyguard to shadow Tim wherever he goes to make sure no harm can come to him.

In this book, a Teshlor Knight announces his loyalty to Farilane when he says, "Nothing but death will stop me.” That pretty much sums up my feelings toward Tim but in reverse. Nothing but his death would prevent me from begging him to continue in his role as "the voice of Elan."

While we're on the subject of Tim and Farilane, I want to mention just a few things. The first is that every book that Tim has narrated for me has been beyond amazing. I often say, "Tim makes me sound better than I am." And I believe that 100 percent. I'm literally on the edge of my seat while listening to Tim's narration, and when he delivers a line with just the right emotion, I lose myself and think, "Wow, that was good—did I write that?"

But when it comes to Farilane, Tim turned the amps up to 11 and did what I feel is his best performance yet. There are some really emotional scenes in this book, and Tim's narration was pitch-perfect. You can hear the quaver in his voice at certain key moments, and you can feel the exasperation and desperation at other times. I'm not sure if a middle book has ever been nominated for an Audie, but Tim certainly deserves one for this book. I'm not generally one of those people who says, "Buy my book, buy my book." But trust me, Tim's performance is more than worth the price of admission. Pick up Farilane to hear what he does with what I scribbled on the page. You'll thank me. I know you will.

What do you hope listeners take away from Farilane?

First and foremost, I hope they will be entertained. The book starts out with a nod to one of my favorite movies of all time, The Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the two share a sense of adventure and the intrigue of searching for an ancient relic. The second thing is I hope the characters will work their way into the listener's heart, and I'll move them emotionally. For me, the "sweet spot" in writing is making people laugh or cry. And I think there are many moments in Farilane for both.

Third, there's probably nothing I love more than a character that stays with you long after the last page, and I hope Farilane will be one of those. That payoff is even better if you have to warm to the character over time. The early feedback from beta and gamma readers is that Farilane comes off as a bit of a know-it-all, which some found off-putting. But I did that on purpose because I knew things she didn't. It was great fun to play with her blind spots and prove she really isn't as smart as she thinks she is.

Lastly, I hope I'll earn the listener's trust such that they'll want to return for the concluding volume, Esrahaddon. It's already finished, and it turned out to be my longest book to date. It's also a perfect bridge between Elan's past and future in that it centers on a character who makes a rather mysterious appearance in the Riyria Revelation series.

I love the Teshlor, now the Teshlor Knights. Will they be in the final story of the trilogy?

Yes, they will! I mentioned earlier that the time span doesn't allow for following the same characters from one book to the next, but I can have continuity through various institutions. The Teshlor Knights (named for "swift of hand") were formalized in Nolyn, and the Cenzlyor ("swift of mind") are officially established in Farilane. These two groups are integral to the events that play out in Esrahaddon. One is dedicated to physical prowess, and the other relies on magic. As you might imagine, they don't always see eye to eye, and that tension provides some great fodder for a storyteller.