Age of Myth (The Legends of the First Empire #1)

Just a few more people, I promise. My love for the artwork of Marc Simonetti is well known, and I’m thrilled that his stunning illustration is once again gracing the cover of my book. When it came time to choose a cover artist, Tricia and Del Rey’s art director Dave Stevenson asked me to propose some of my favorite artists, and, of course, Marc was at the top of my list. Not only did Dave select an exceptional illustrator, but he and Tricia worked closely with Robin and myself for developing the brand of the series. Dave, I hope we didn’t give you too many gray hairs, and we’re thrilled with the final result. Thank you for your talent and for including us in the process.

Like my feelings toward Marc, my devotion to Tim Gerard Reynolds is also well known, and once more he lends his exceptional narration to this and all the books of the series. If you’ve not listened to his audiobooks before, give him a try. I have a number of free shorts on audible.com (“Professional Integrity” and “The Jester”), so you can try him out without cost. He’s making quite a name for himself—something I’m proud to have played a small part in. Thanks, Tim, you’ll always be the voice of Riyria and The Legends of the First Empire, and I’m hoping to have many more books for you to narrate in the future.

I also want to thank three talented copy editors: Eric Lowenkron, Linda Branam, and Laura Jorstad. This was my first time working with Eric, but I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with Laura and Linda before (both were editors on The Death of Dulgath, and Laura was one of the editors for Hollow World). Anyone who has seen my advice on self-publishing will know the importance I place on professional editing, and these three individuals epitomize the highest level of skill; their contributions can’t be overemphasized. I must say I’m in awe of the things these three have caught and overjoyed with the improvements they’ve made. Because they have done their jobs so well, I look good. I assure my readers, these are the unsung heroes of this book, as only I, and Tricia, know their full contributions, but trust me, they’re nothing short of monumental. So thank you all.

And last, but certainly not least, I want to thank my readers for your enthusiastic love of my work. It is you who pay the salaries of myself and all these incredibly talented people. We are forever grateful for your support, and pleasing you is what pushes each of us to produce our very best work. I hope you’ll conclude that we cleared the high bar we’ve set for ourselves.

Before I go, I’d like to mention just how much I enjoy hearing from you. So if you like this book (and even if you don’t), feel free to drop me a line at [email protected]. I’m always interested in hearing what you have to say.

Well, that’s all, folks, until next time. I plan to keep writing, and I hope you’ll keep reading.





BY MICHAEL J. SULLIVAN


THE LEGENDS OF THE FIRST EMPIRE


Age of Myth Forthcoming: Age of Swords ? Age of War ? Age of Legends ? Age of Empire





THE RIYRIA REVELATIONS


Theft of Swords (contains The Crown Conspiracy and Avempartha) Rise of Empire (contains Nyphron Rising and The Emerald Storm) Heir of Novron (contains Wintertide and Percepliquis)





THE RIYRIA CHRONICLES


The Crown Tower

The Rose and the Thorn

The Death of Dulgath





STANDALONE NOVEL


Hollow World





ANTHOLOGIES


Unfettered: The Jester (Fantasy: The Riyria Chronicles) Blackguards: Professional Integrity (Fantasy: The Riyria Chronicles) Unbound: The Game (Fantasy: Contemporary) Unfettered II: Little Wren and the Big Forest (Fantasy: The Legends of the First Empire) The End: Visions of the Apocalypse: Burning Alexandria (Dystopian Science Fiction) Triumph over Tragedy: Traditions (Fantasy: Tales from Elan) The Fantasy Faction Anthology: Autumn Mists (Fantasy: Contemporary) Help Fund My Robot Army: Be Careful What You Wish For (Fantasy)





ABOUT THE AUTHOR




MICHAEL J. SULLIVAN is the bestselling author of the Riyria Revelations and Riyria Chronicles series. Like most authors, his road to publication has been both a lifelong dream and a difficult road to travel. Michael was just eight years old when he discovered a manual typewriter in the basement of a friend’s house during a game of hide-and-seek. He inserted a blank piece of paper and channeled the only writer he knew at the time…Charles M. Schulz’s Snoopy. Yes, he actually typed the iconic line: It was a dark and stormy night.

That spark ignited a flame, and the desire to fill blank pages became an obsession. As an adult, Michael spent more than ten years developing his craft by studying authors such as Stephen King, Ernest Hemingway, and John Steinbeck. During that time, he wrote thirteen novels but found no traction in publishing. So he did the only sane thing he could think of (since insanity is repeating the same act but expecting a different result). He quit writing altogether and vowed never to write creatively again.

Michael stayed away from writing for over a decade and returned to the keyboard in his forties…but with one condition: He wouldn’t seek publication. Instead, he wrote a series of books that had been forming in his head during his hiatus. Michael’s first reading love had been fantasy, and his hope was to foster an appreciation for the genre in his then thirteen-year-old daughter, who struggled with the written word due to severe dyslexia.

After reading the third book of this series, his wife, Robin, insisted that the novels needed to get out there. When Michael refused to jump back onto the query-go-round, she took over the publication tasks and has run the business side of his writing career ever since.

In today’s turbulent publishing environment, Michael and Robin embrace hybrid authorship and utilize self-publication, small presses, and Big Five publishers to ensure that Michael’s works are available to the widest audience possible. They also actively help fellow authors (both aspiring and established) by sharing what they’ve learned through online posts, free in-person seminars, and courses for Writer’s Digest. Michael can be reached at:



Website: riyria.com

Facebook: author.michael.sullivan

Twitter: @author_sullivan

Email: [email protected]





READ ON FOR A SNEAK PEEK AT


Age OF Swords





BOOK TWO OF The Legends of the First Empire




We hope you have enjoyed Age of Myth, the first book in the Legends of the First Empire series. We’re pleased to present you with a sneak peek of the second book, Age of Swords, releasing in the summer of 2017. Enjoy!





CHAPTER ONE


Broken




Most people believe the first battle of the Great War occurred at Grandford in the autumn, but the truth is it started three months before on a beautiful summer’s day in Dahl Rhen.

—THE BOOK OF BRIN





Gifford knew he would never win a footrace. He was late coming to this realization; everyone else knew it the day he was born. His left leg didn’t have much feeling, couldn’t support his weight, and dragged. His back wasn’t much better: Badly twisted, it forced his hips one direction and his shoulders another. For years he held out hope he’d get better. He’d believed that if he tried hard enough, long enough, he could straighten up and stand on two feet. It never happened.

But his leg and back weren’t the worst of it.

Gifford was cursed with only half a face. He had the other half, exactly where it ought to be, but like his leg, it, too, was useless. The left side didn’t move at all, making it difficult to see and torturous to talk.

But his face wasn’t the worst of it.

When he was eight, Gavin Killian had dubbed him the goblin, and Myrtis, the brewmaster’s daughter, said he was broken. Of the two he preferred goblin—at the time he’d had a crush on Myrtis. When growing up it seemed everyone had called him something, none complimentary. Over the years the names faded. No one called him the goblin anymore, and although people probably still thought he was broken, no one said it—at least not to his face.

But the name-calling wasn’t the worst of it.