Theft of Swords

Riyria Revelations, Volume 1

By: Michael J. Sullivan

Narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds

Length: 22 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Nominee, Fantasy, 2013

Acclaimed author Michael J. Sullivan created instant best sellers with his spellbinding Riyria Revelations series. This first volume introduces Royce Melborn and Hadrian Blackwater, two enterprising thieves who end up running for their lives when they’re framed for the death of the king. Trapped in a conspiracy bigger than they can imagine, their only hope is unraveling an ancient mystery - before it’s too late.

Theft of Swords contains The Crown Conspiracy and Avempartha, books 1 and 2 of Riyria Revelations.

©2011 Michael J. Sullivan (P)2012 Recorded Books, LLC

Fun story, fun characters, GREAT narration!

Where does Theft of Swords rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book is simply entertaining . . . it's not going to cure polio . . . but it a great way to pass the time and enjoy the journey.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Theft of Swords?

The story line is not totally predictable-- sometimes you have a sense of what may happen, but the author puts a twist on it. The voices he uses really bring the characters to life.

Which scene was your favorite?

The description inside the tower was vivid and well done... I felt like I was there seeing it all for myself.

Low fat Game of Thrones

Loved Game of Thrones at first but it seemed to get increasingly violent and sadistic for no literary purpose other than to shock the readers.
This book is not as well written or as deep but is very entertaining with plenty of action. Sullivan does not try to shock and horrify but entertain. More a PG where Game is an R or X. The narrator was spot on and added to the enjoyable listen.

VERY ENJOYABLE!!!

Very, very, enjoyable tale in the 17th century of, England (?) Full of adventures, chuckles, sword fighting, and light romance.

For those who like to read about a flying monster that has a appetizing need for meat. All kinds of flesh! That I'm sure will TASTE your fancy...!?!

Great

I totally enjoyed the writing, story and narration. Imagine characters with a wry sense of humor. Great job all around

This Series is the Best!

I have listened to the 3 books in this series 4 times through now! I love the characters and the performance. These books have everything an adventure/fantasy lover could ask for: elves, wizards, dwarves, goblins, heros, villians, princesses, dragons, magic gems and swords...everything! All the books tie together with very little repetition since this is combination of the individual books. All the characters are solid. This is the first book I've listened to where my mind didn't wander. I remember the names of all the characters, even the names of the towns and cities they visited on their journey. Hadrian and Royce reminded me of a Monty Python cast members! I would start laughing outloud to the stares of others around me. The narrator did a perfect job with the expression of all the characters, even the females. Sometimes, I've found that the narration of a female by a male is too patronizing, or over the top, but not this narrator. I would highly recommend this whole series. "Theft of Swords", "Rise of Empire", and "Heir of Novron".

Great start to a series!!

If you like adventure and humor mixed with an amazing story, then buckle up and prepare for the ride!!

Good fun story. Looking forward to completing the

Fun fantasy story. Well narrated. Looking forward to the next books . Story flowed well

Monty Python Meets Tolkien

First of all, I’d like to thank the Audible reviewers who urged patience and persistence in getting past the first book in favor of the stronger story in the second book. I gave me hope during the slow passages, and I did indeed find the second part an improvement.

Unfortunately I remained disappointed in the overall work. I enjoyed the two main characters immensely, but the supporting cast was less well developed. I know it’s fantasy so the author can make it anything he wants to, but for a world built so similar to medieval Europe, the tone is too modern for my taste. The relentless anachronisms pulled me out of the story too often to feel truly connected. The narration enhanced this disconnect. In spite of the reader’s wide range of voices, his style was overly dramatic, almost cartoonic in many cases. I could just see the villains gnashing their teeth as they twirled the end of their mustaches. It was like hearing John Cleese reading Tolkien. This may have been what made the story enjoyable for the majority of readers rating it 5 stars, but it just didn't work as well for me. I am rounding up to 4 stars for what was really more of a 3.5, but extra credit is given for enthusiastic effort. But I don’t think I’m interested enough to push through the remainder of the series.

A Cross Between Robin Hood and Lord of the Rings

On top of discovering one of my new favorite narrators, I found an amusing, swashbuckling, romp of a fantasy. Serious themes and violence erupt in the second volume and the results are not always to the reader's liking. But overall, Theft of Swords is an exciting new trilogy for me. How often to you meet thieves and murders with hearts of gold. Royce and Hadrian are a pairing close to Stryker and Robin Hood. They don't hide the fact that they steal and kill for a living, but they seem to have so much fun while accomplishing their jobs. I am well into Book 2 and I am enjoying it just as much.

I especially appreciate that adult men and women can have adventures together without the story being bogged down by sexual innuendo and tension. Not that Royce and Hadrian aren't manly men, but their romantic involvements are secondary to the main story. The same is true for Princess Arista, the main female protagonist.

I do agree with others that the long lectures about the country's religion and culture can be a bit of a snore but the author finds fascinating secondary characters to tell those stories and keep them interesting.Myron comes to mind, as does Ezra Harding. I would have give the story 5 stars except for the this feature.

I hope that Book 3 takes the tale to a satisfactory conclusion, which rarely seems to be the case these days. The third volume of the Hunger Games saga was such a downer I couldn't finish it.

Fun, easy listen, but a bit cliche

I read this book immediately after finishing "The Name of the Wind" and its sequel, so my bar for fantasy writing was set pretty high. Theft of Swords was a lightweight in comparison.

The story is exciting enough... and it does keep you guessing. The plot starts off strong, and the main characters are likable. It's fair to say that the book kept me engaged the whole time. Not as much of a page turner as some, but I didn't find myself getting bored.

I was a bit bothered by the over-use of cliches: elves, dwarves, dragons and wizards. I also felt that Sullivan did a mediocre job building suspense. I was never nervous for the characters, despite the perils in the plot.

The two main characters are really fun, and I their unflagging confidence was the highlight of the experience for me. It brought a bit of humor to the story, and it's what set the tone for the book.

As with any book series, my feelings about the first book are really solidified when its time to decide if I want to continue on to the second one. In this case I'm fairly sure that I will read the second book.... but I also wanted to take a break and try something different first. That kind of sums it up, doesn't it?