Best Michael J. Sullivan Books
Michael J. Sullivan built his fantasy career the old-fashioned way — writing the entire Riyria Revelations series before publishing a single book, which shows in how tightly plotted and satisfying the whole arc feels. Theft of Swords introduces Royce and Hadrian, a thief-and-swords partnership so well-drawn that their banter carries the books as much as the intrigue does. Sullivan's prose is clean and propulsive, favoring momentum over ornamentation, with mysteries and political conspiracies that unfold with genuine elegance. The Legends of the First Empire prequel series, beginning with Age of Myth, adds mythic scope and richer worldbuilding to the same world. Readers who've grown tired of grimdark excess and want heroic fantasy with actual heart — plus plotting that doesn't cheat them — will find Sullivan one of the most reliably satisfying writers in the genre.
Where to Start with Michael J. Sullivan
- Best entry point → The Crown Tower : The Riyria Chronicles 1 (Riyria Chronicles)
- Best standalone → When Swords Fall Silent: An Assassination Anthology
- Start The Legends of the First Empire series → Age of Myth
- What readers keep coming back to → Theft of Swords
- Highest rated by readers → Heir of Novron (The Riyria Revelations #5-6 #3)
Best Michael J. Sullivan Books
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Heir of Novron
The Riyria Revelations #5-6 • Book 3
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Two condemned traitors await execution while the New Empire plans a forced royal wedding, but thieves Royce and Hadrian have other plans in this series finale.
★ 4.51 Goodreads (55.5K ratings) - 2
Age of War
The Legends of the First Empire • Book 3
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Humans and rebel Fhrey prepare for war against the godlike beings who once ruled them, but their fragile alliance threatens to shatter under pressure. Sullivan builds to an epic confrontation where magic and courage collide in spectacular fashion.
★ 4.43 Goodreads (21.3K ratings) - 3
The Rose and the Thorn : The Riyria Chronicles 2 (Riyria Chronicles)
The Riyria Chronicles • Book 2
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Two master thieves discover their savior has become a victim of aristocratic brutality, launching them into a web of corruption and revenge. Sullivan weaves compelling character arcs with sharp political intrigue.
★ 4.40 Goodreads (31.0K ratings) - 4
The Rose and the Thorn
The Riyria Chronicles • Book 2
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Royce's obsession with saving Gwen from her noble abuser threatens to destroy everything he and Hadrian have built together. Sullivan explores how trauma shapes both victim and rescuer in unexpected ways.
★ 4.40 Goodreads (31.0K ratings) - 5
Rise of Empire
The Riyria Revelations #3-4 • Book 2
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Thieves become pawns in a wizard's game as war erupts between nations and the true heir remains hidden. Sullivan weaves palace intrigue with sword-and-sorcery adventure.
★ 4.36 Goodreads (57.6K ratings) - 6
The Crown Tower : The Riyria Chronicles 1 (Riyria Chronicles)
The Riyria Chronicles • Book 1
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Before they became legends, Hadrian the warrior and Royce the assassin were forced together to steal an impossible treasure from the realm's most secure fortress.
★ 4.33 Goodreads (43.5K ratings) - 7
The Crown Tower
The Riyria Chronicles • Book 1
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Two men who despise each other—a cynical assassin and idealistic warrior—must infiltrate an impregnable fortress to steal something more valuable than gold or jewels.
★ 4.33 Goodreads (43.5K ratings) - 8
The Death of Dulgath
The Riyria Chronicles • Book 3
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Sullivan weaves political intrigue around Riyria's mission to protect the final heir of Avryn's oldest family from professional killers. Three years of partnership haven't prepared the rogues for this level of deadly complexity.
★ 4.37 Goodreads (21.3K ratings) - 9
Age of Empyre
The Legends of the First Empire • Book 6
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Dragons advance as the Fhrey leader's terrible price for victory becomes clear, leaving a mystic and Keeper as the last hope while time runs out.
★ 4.39 Goodreads (12.8K ratings) - 10
Age of Legend (2 of 2)
The Legends of the First Empire • Book 4
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Humanity's ragtag alliance pushes the immortal Fhrey to their breaking point in this explosive conclusion to the war that will forge the legends of future ages.
★ 4.35 Goodreads (15.9K ratings) - 11
Theft of Swords
Riyria Revelations • Book 1
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Two rogues-for-hire steal the wrong sword and wind up framed for murder in this fantasy that proves the best adventures start with the worst plans.
★ 4.23 Goodreads (77.8K ratings) - 12
Age of Swords
The Legends of the First Empire • Book 2
by Michael J. Sullivan, Marc Simonetti
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With divine immortality shattered, Raithe rallies human tribes against the Fhrey while Persephone seeks the secret of iron weapons. Sullivan escalates his mythology with higher stakes and deeper world-building.
★ 4.29 Goodreads (26.6K ratings) - 13
Age of Myth
The Legends of the First Empire • Book 1
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Sullivan upends traditional fantasy by making the gods real people with superior technology, until one human's desperate act proves they're not immortal. Epic fantasy that questions the nature of divinity itself.
★ 4.22 Goodreads (41.5K ratings) - 14
Drumindor (Dramatized Adaptation): The Riyria Chronicles
The Riyria Chronicles • Book 5
by Michael J. Sullivan, Full Cast
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Riyria takes what seems like an easy job stopping a vengeful dwarf craftsman, but their luxury resort mission in Tur Del Fur quickly spirals into city-threatening chaos.
★ 4.37 Goodreads (4.1K ratings) - 15
Drumindor
The Riyria Chronicles • Book 5
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What starts as a luxury assignment to stop a fired master craftsman's revenge plot becomes Riyria's most dangerous job yet in the paradise resort of Tur Del Fur.
★ 4.37 Goodreads (4.0K ratings) - 16
Age of Death (1 of 2)
The Legends of the First Empire • Book 5
by Michael J. Sullivan, Amanda Forstrom, Terence Aselford, Todd Scofield, Nora Achrati, Bradley Smith, Nanette Savard, Yasmin Tuazon, Kimberly Gilbert, Colleen Delany, Tracy Olivera, Tia Shearer
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Blocked by the tower of Avempartha, the human army must find another route to the Fhrey homeland before dragons tip the balance. Sullivan's fifth book races toward the series conclusion.
★ 4.28 Goodreads (13.3K ratings) - 17
Professional Integrity
The Riyria Chronicles #2.6
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Several years into their successful partnership, Riyria's "jobs" for various nobles take an unexpected turn that challenges Hadrian and Royce's professional standards.
★ 4.19 Goodreads (4.3K ratings) - 18
The Jester
The Riyria Chronicles #2.5
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When Royce and Hadrian match wits with a dwarf jester guarding his treasure, they discover their opponent is nobody's fool. Sullivan delivers another clever heist story that balances humor with genuine stakes.
★ 3.94 Goodreads (6.7K ratings) - 19
Unbound
Annwn Cycle #The Dead's Revenant • Book 1
by Shawn Speakman, Terry Brooks, Seanan McGuire, Mark Lawrence, Anthony Ryan, Tim Marquitz, Brian Staveley, Michael J. Sullivan, John Marco, Peter Orullian, Kat Richardson, Sam Sykes, Kristen Britain, Mazarkis Williams, Jim Butcher, Rachel Caine, Harry Connolly, Delilah S. Dawson, David Anthony Durham, Jason M. Hough, Mary Robinette Kowal, Joe Abercrombie
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Complete creative freedom yields twenty-three original tales spanning fantasy's full emotional spectrum. Some stories will devastate you while others demand late-night page-turning in this unthemed anthology.
★ 3.96 Goodreads (1.0K ratings) - 20
Unfettered II: New Tales
Gunnie Rose #0.0 - The Gunnie
by Shawn Speakman, Naomi Novik, Brandon Sanderson, Jim Butcher, Charlaine Harris, Michael J. Sullivan, Janny Wurts, Bradley P. Beaulieu, Mark Lawrence, Seanan McGuire, Peter Orullian, Aidan Moher, Erin Lindsey, John A. Pitts, Anthony Ryan, Scott Sigler, Django Wexler, Rachel Caine, Sarah Beth Durst, David Farland, Terry Brooks
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Fantasy's biggest names—Sanderson, Butcher, Brooks—donate original stories for charity, resulting in an anthology that reads like a who's who of modern genre fiction.
★ 3.92 Goodreads (1.1K ratings)