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Theft of Swords  By  cover art

Theft of Swords

By: Michael J. Sullivan
Narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds
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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

Featured Article: The top 100 fantasy listens of all time


When compiling our list of the best fantasy listening out there, we immediately came up against the age-old question: Is this fantasy or science fiction? The distinction is not as clear as you may think. Dragons, elves, and wizards are definitely fantasy, but what about wizards that also fly space ships? (Looking at you, Star Wars.) For the sake of fantasy purity, the top 100 fantasy listens include the best audio works in all manner of fantasy subgenres.

What listeners say about Theft of Swords

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Story
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great fun...surprisingly good.

If you could sum up Theft of Swords in three words, what would they be?

Twists, turns, fun.

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

Interaction with old thieving "friends"...no longer friendly.

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

Royce and Hadrian both.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Laugh more than cry.

Any additional comments?

Please note my review of Rise of Empire is/was premature, and really meant for this book! Will update when appropriate!!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A pleasent surprise

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

Much better than average

What did you like best about this story?

I found myself really getting into the story.

Any additional comments?

I had run out of books to listen to and downloaded this on a whim. It turned out to be well worth my credit and I have really been pulled into the series. The book is very long but well broken up so i stayed into it.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Excellent Fantasy Adventure

Excellent world building, great characters, interesting use of standard fantasy lore and a great story! Narration provided by Tim Reynolds was also excellent. Looking forward to the next in the series!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Adventure with humor what more could I want

I had a wonderful time listening to this series. I picked up #1 on a sale and couldn't wait to get the rest. I love it when a author can combine great action with wit, we all can use some laughter in our day. I hope Mr. Sullivan will continue these books, I will watch for them. In the mean time here are some other authors I love with witty dialog that kept me entertained throughout, Rhys Bowen, Gail Carriger, Gemma Halliday, Molly Harper, Kim Harrison, Beth Hoffman, Lisa Kleypas (Wallflowers), Katie MacAlister, Elizabeth Peters, Jonathan Stroud (Bartimaeus). Any one of these authors will make you at least smile if not down right gut rolling laughter, happy listening.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good old fashioned fantasy!

So lets start with my favorite things about this book. It is adult fantasy, and when I say adult I do not mean it is a romance with a few vampires mixed in to be able to loosely call it fantasy. This is not to say I don't enjoy a romance from time to time or YA fantasies but it is refreshing that the fantasy has a strong plot and is not entrenched in the romance to keep the story going.

The book is classic in its structure. You have your thieves who somehow get involved with saving the royal family and the kingdom. You have commoners who have historical royal or noble connections, and you have magic. You may think I am belittling this when I say it that way but I'm not. This story has its own twists and turns and you do have to pay attention.

It is worth the read, and I'm excited that it is an epic fantasy. This is a long story and has several more long installments. It does not appear to be Wheel of Time epic but I think that is more than ok. I loved the Wheel of Time series but it is quite the commitment to say the least.

Read this because the characters are strong. None of them are perfect but you don't hate them either. They just have their own little piccadillos. Neither the women or men are stereotypical versions of their gender roles. Thank heavens! You don't have to worry if you have a teenager reading the books that you will be disappointed by what they might inadvertantly absorb.

The narrator Tim Gerald Reynolds did a fantastic job. I believe this is one I might prefer to listen to than read, but not having read it first, I can't be sure. He is very good at differentiating his characters, and he has quite a few, so that is saying something.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A FOUR TIME LISTEN

I really can say it all, when I state that I have read this book four times. Also the first book. this happens to be my idea of great entertainment.The Rose and the Thorn, and Heir of Navron, were my least favorites so I only read them twice!! I LOVE the characters, and the narration takes it to my five star experience. It is often quirky when it comes to idiomatic plausibility, but I just chalk it up to daring writing and making the characters have real personality. It would be hard to create the intimacy one feels with the main characters, if we were subjected to the language that would have been appropriate for its' time. It would have distanced us from the engaging nature of Hadrian, and the powerful magnetism of Royce. I really enjoyed this series. !!!!!!!!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Had me from the beginning

From the open scene where they two are ambushed on the road, I loved how this book flowed and the personality of two main characters. When I finished the book I knew I wanted to listen to the full series. The author leaves a few questions hang as the story is told, but thankful answers the mysteries instead of leaving them unanswered.

I occasionally lost tract of who was who as I stated listening but it not the readers fault, it takes some time for you to get a feel for the characters. Great listen.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely Brilliant!

What did you love best about Theft of Swords?

Incredible plot twists and character development.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Hadrian Blackwater is a fantastic humble hero.

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

Hadrian Blackwater

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There is that spot where you find out they have no qualms about working both sides of a job.

Any additional comments?

This was incredible, and so were the subsequent books.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

The beginning of an enjoyable journey.

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

I would give the book a 7 out of 10 and the narrator 10 out of 10.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A Fun Journey!!

This was a well thought out story with characters that become beloved “friends .” The main characters are nicely developed and their journeys complex and sometimes surprising.

I love this narrator - he never fails to enrich a great story!

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