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Age of Myth  By  cover art

Age of Myth

By: Michael J. Sullivan
Narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds
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Publisher's summary

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 humans and those they thought were gods changes forever. Now only a few stand between humankind and annihilation: Raithe, reluctant to embrace his destiny as the 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.

©2016 Michael J. Sullivan (P)2016 Recorded Books

What listeners say about Age of Myth

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    5 out of 5 stars

Stop what you are doing and buy this book.

Any additional comments?

Let me start by saying that I read a lot of fantasy books. I read a lot of books period. We are at the end of June and I have finished nearly 70 books this year. That being said AGE OF MYTH IS THE BEST BOOK I HAVE READ THIS YEAR. It is already one of my favorite books ever. Oh and the last few chapters are an absolute roller coaster ride, and I didn't want to get off.
Michael J Sullivan is such an amazing storyteller. He does such a brilliant job painting a picture of this world and these people. Not only that but the story is fresh and unique. I read so many stories that just seem to be a slight deviation of the same old story. This book is not like that. If you want to read a book full of adventure and deceit with strong male and female characters, but not full of violence and sex, this is the perfect book for you.
I had just finished a book right before this came out so I was able to start listening the morning it was released. I couldn't put it down. I just had to keep listening. It was so good and I was so invested in the story. Have you ever had a meal that was so good you just couldn't stop eating? As you get closer to finishing the meal you realize that it is almost gone and you won't have anymore, so you want to slow down and savor each bite. Maybe you will leave a little piece so you can enjoy it later. But it is just to good, you can't help yourself. You finish every last bite. You are completely satisfied, but down deep you are sad because it is gone forever, you may be able to eat it again but it may never be this good again. That is how I feel about this book. It was so good I didn't want to stop reading, but I kept getting closer to the end and I was panicking because I didn't want the story to end. Thank goodness their is a series that is already written. I don't have to worry that the next book will be years away, or possibly never released. Their are 4 more books in this series and I can't wait to see where this all ends up.
Tim Gerard Reynolds is a brilliant narrator. I have never heard him do a sub par job on a book and he was brilliant reading this one. He does such a great job with emotion and communicating the feelings and emotions of the characters. I can't think of a better author/narrator team than Reynolds and Sullivan.
Simply put this book is a must read especially for fans of epic fantasy. Let's see how this series plays out but if the rest of the series lives up to Age of Myth, this series will be a masterpiece.
Age of Myth gets my highest recommendation.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

I Tried to Love This Book, Really I Did!

I mean, after all, it's Michael J. Sullivan for heaven's sake!
But hear me out.
First, it starts off slow, is totally put-downable, which knocked a star off a "Perfect" rating. Then it has the typical characters: Wise Waif, Strong Woman, Ultra-Strong Man Who Just Wants Someone to Love, and of course, The Snarky Sidekick. Oh, wait. There's The True Believer Who Learns She's Been Wrong and Becomes the Greatest Advocate. But I was easily able to drop what would've been eye-rolling because Sullivan writes them very well, and I cared about them.
Then... there is no tension anywhere. Sure, they get into some terrific scrapes and situations, but there's absolutely no fear about how things are going to turn out for our heroes. Okay, so I was willing to go along with that. Perhaps the first book is just for set-up: We're learning to love the characters so that in FUTURE books, THEN we'll feel the tension and fear. Besides. while I learned that things were always going to go okay (This is not a spoiler. The writing bears it out from the get-go), I did wonder HOW things were going to twist themselves around so that they would turn out okay, and that kept me humming along.
But the last straw was the 180 degree twist in the last five minutes. The LAST FIVE Minutes of the entire book. What I guess Sullivan was going for was the twist that'll make you antsy to see what the heck just happened. Things get so weird, it was exactly the first and only twist in the entire book, that I was quite simply offended. Make me want to get the next book because I care, because there's more story, because I spent two days listening to wonderful plot and characterization. NOT because I'm wondering: What?!? Total manipulation.
I don't know if that's his style as I have his other books but haven't gotten around to listening to them, but now I'm not sure that I want to do that to myself. I'm a fan of his, simply because his premises are so wonderful, his promise of characters sure to be memorable is so compelling.
But really? This?!?
Falling on deaf ears, I know, and an unpopular review, most definitely. I'm just saying it's a disappointing start to what might be a decent series.
For more reviews of all genres, check out Audiobook Accomplice!

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Almost an Epic Fantasy

I really, really enjoyed Age of Myth. After reading some of the best fantasy has to offer (at least in my humble opinion) like George R. R. Martin, Patrick Rothfuss, and Brandon Sanderson it can be really difficult to get into new fantasy novels. And yet I've continued my long search for new series to jump into. For some reason (probably the cover art) I decided to try out Michael J. Sullivan's prequel novels set in the same world as his previous series the Riyria Revelation and Chronicles. It felt a little odd jumping into the world that's already had so many book entries, but that was put to ease.

At the start of the audiobook for Age of Myth, Sullivan himself gives a ten-minute rundown that basically tells you that you don't need to have read the other series to jump in here. This series is set in the same world but happens thousands of years before his other series. Age of Myth doesn't make the best first impression and was to be a bit tedious. Luckily both the world and the characters open up and the novel begins to take shape about 20% in. That starts with his character development as we start to get introduced to the very complex and multifaceted string of main characters that take us through this adventure.

What makes me want to invest in a fantasy series is learning about both the characters and the world dynamics combine. I love understanding the customs, politics, and religion. In this world there are basically two types of humans in this world, one who lives for a normal human lifetime (under a hundred years), and there are the Gods of this world that live for thousands. What's interesting is the two sects don't know each other very well and the dynamics between the two are tinkered with throughout the book. There is also a magic system in Age of Myth in which the Gods utilize to show dominance over the rest of the world. Unlike books from Brandon Sanderson, the magic is more implied to be a thing and isn't described or over complicated with rules.

I really loved the journey of Age of Myth and it only fell a little short towards the very end. For the majority of this book, I anticipated giving it a perfect 5/5 score. The characters are great, the world is interesting, and the mysteries of the world kept me wanting more. However, at the very end you realize that Sullivan showed his hand quite a bit during the book, and by the last couple of paragraphs, the obvious conclusion was the actual one. And although I know I will continue on with the series, the lackluster ending kept this back from being a top-tier fantasy novel.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Sullivan Takes Us Far Far Away

There are so many wonderful things about this work, its hard to gather my thoughts. Perhaps I should start with a personal note. It made me feel part of a new world. Fiction, particularly great Fantasy can do that. Sullivan may not be another Tolkien, but he doesnt try to be. His writing is modern, clever and relevant.

Second, the combination of Sullivan's story telling and its interpretation by narrator Tim Reynolds creates an audible masterpiece. Wit and humor require timing when performed and these two are a perfect combination.

The story's timeline is set 3000 years before the Ryira Chronicles occur. Though the characters are far different, Sullivan's wit and flair will be familiar to fans of both Ryira series. And Sullivan explains in the opening that he wrote a completed series before publishing the first. So those of us who love his work will not have to wait as long for additional stories.

Age of Myth is a pure joy to behold.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

M. J. Sullivan is my favorite modern author but...

In this one Sullivan takes a little too much time introducing the characters and locations in the world. I was a little bored at times and I imagine this five part series could have been pared down to 4 books.

There are some great moments in this book but there is NEVER a dull moment in the Riyria Revelations and the Riyria Chronicles. I'm sad to say there are a few here.

Tim Gerard Reynolds is perfect for this book and he does a masterful job of the narration.

Sullivan remains my favorite author and so of course I will be buying the next book. But I have to say this one (and Hollow World) didn't meet my very high expectations. His own fault I guess for being so amazing.

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Outstanding

Magnificent read as we fans expected... The story is beautifully layered and woven w plot elements that continue asking questions that are answered w/ some seriously action packed consequences... The pace is excellent and had me gobbling up the story in one complete sittin... Very tired now, but absolutely worth it... The characters and narration are nothing short of superior, w/ intensity and adventure leaking out everywhere... An outstanding book that only gets better as the engaging story ramps up, and it ramps up constantly... The last quarter or so of the book has some masterfully accomplished twists and turns - just when you think you have a handle on things, you're wrong, or at least not entirely right;). Worth the credit and I can't wait for the next relese in this sequence...

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    4 out of 5 stars

A great look at the past and a good start.

Some of us read Michael's other books and were interested in what happened in the early years of the empire. It was kind of odd listening to this book since I believed that I knew at least a good amount of what happened before, but there are actually many surprises. I am waiting for certain things to happen that i guessed from reading the authors other books. This book does start out a bit slow, but it is worth it in the end. There are a couple twists that I was dumbfounded that I did not see. The only gripe I really had with this book is that some of the romance in it seems like it will become annoying in later books. If you are looking for a new fantasy book though, this one is a good one to start with.

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    5 out of 5 stars

The True History of Elan---Is Incredible!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Abso-freaking-lutly. The narration is on point as always with TGR and the Story was amazing. Whether you're first entering Elan or if you've read/listened to his previous series, this is for you. I cannot recommend this enough

What other book might you compare Age of Myth to and why?

Shannara Chronicles, would be a good fit. Both have Human, Elf/Fhrey, and Dwarf relations, the differences, similarities etc.

Which character – as performed by Tim Gerard Reynolds – was your favorite?

Raithe and Malcolm, and Suri were my favorites. The banter and interaction between Raithe and Malcolm is different than Royce and Hadrian's but just as fun to listen too. Suri is just completely upbeat and fun. She steals every scene she's in

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Nesirabad!Finish the book and you'll get it.

Any additional comments?

For anyone who DID read the previous books, know this. Sullivan states in the first chapter (Kind of a note to the reader) That the legend of Nefron, the battle with the Fhrey, and the history of Elan was purposefully distorted for that series. This is the beginning of the True History of Elan not what it eventually becomes. My only issue is that, although Michael Sullivan writes all the books at once and sets them out a year at a time and not all at once so I can Binge like a Netflix Original Series

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A nice book, but shockingly predictable

This is a prequel to The Riyria Chronicles which takes part roughly 3000 years before.
It's a nice take on the genre of prequels... and the character interaction (Wraith and Malcolm) are pretty nice...

However, It is a pale comparison to The Riyria Chronicles. The characters so far are far less rounded and interesting (apart from Suri) and are shockingly stupid in seeing obvious stuff...

I won't spoil anything, but there are a few "twists" near the end that are supposed to be shocking both to us and the characters... I personally saw them coming from the very beginning...

All in all, it's a nice book, nothing too special and sadly not even close to the quality of The Riyria Chronicles.
I'll continue to the next one in hopes it gets better.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A LEADER DOES NOT TELL PPL THEY ARE A LEADER

THE WORSE THING THAT CAN HAPPEN IS YOU'LL DIE
This is my favorite from Sullivan, and that is saying a lot. If you have never read him before this is the perfect place to start. This world is much different from our own, yet you as the reader will never feel lost. From the first page, you will be in the story and none of it will feel foreign to you. There is magic but not overwhelming magic, there are characters that you will care about and there is comic relief. I strongly urge you to listen to the talented Reynolds read this entertaining and fun book.

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