The Crown Tower by Michael J Sullivan

Two men who hate each other. One impossible mission. A legend in the making.

Hadrian Blackwater, a warrior with nothing to fight for is paired with Royce Melborn, a thieving assassin with nothing to lose. Together they must steal a treasure that no one can reach. The Crown Tower is the impregnable remains of the grandest fortress ever built and home to the realm's most prized possessions. But it isn't gold or jewels that the old wizard is after, and if he can just keep them from killing each other, just might do it.
Publication Order

[*]Theft of Swords (Riyria Revelations #1 & #2): contains The Crown Conspiracy & Avempartha
[*]Rise of Empire   (Riyria Revelations #3 & #4): contains Nyphron Rising & The Emerald Storm
[*]Heir of Novron  (Riyria Revelations #5 & #6): contains Wintertide & Percepliquis
[*]The Crown Tower (Riyria Chronicles #1)
[*]The Rose and the Thorn (Riyria Chronicles #2)

Chronological Order

[*]The Crown Tower (Riyria Chronicles #1)
[*]The Rose and the Thorn (Riyria Chronicles #2)
[*]Theft of Swords (Riyria Revelations #1 & #2): contains The Crown Conspiracy & Avempartha
[*]Rise of Empire   (Riyria Revelations #3 & #4): contains Nyphron Rising & The Emerald Storm
[*]Heir of Novron  (Riyria Revelations #5 & #6): contains Wintertide & Percepliquis


Fantasy Faction's Top 10 Anticipated Books for 2013 
BestFantasyBooks.com Most Anticipated Books of 2013
Ranting Dragon's 50 Fantasy & Sci-Fi Novels to Look Forward to in 2013

Review
"Filled with adventure and clever dialog and featuring a pair of not-quite-heroes whose loyalties to each other provide them with their greatest strength, this epic fantasy showcases the arrival of a master storyteller... A winning debut for fantasy lovers." (Library Journal on Theft of Swords)

"Hair-raising escapes, flashy sword fights, and faithful friendship complete the formula for good old-fashioned escapist fun." (Publishers Weekly on Theft of Swords)

"A whirlwind of twists, earth-shattering surprises and deadly betrayal." (Literary Magic on The Crown Conspiracy)

"Mr. Sullivan continues to impress. In Royce and Hadrian he has created some of the best characters the genre has seen in some time, and in Avempartha he shows that he knows what to do with them. These books should be in every bookstore and I really hope that they are someday." (Speculative Fiction Junkie on Avempartha)

From the Author
Welcome to the Riyria Chronicles.

If you're new to the world of Elan, you might want to read this introduction to help determine where to start your journey, because it might not be here. If you're a veteran of The Riyria Revelations you might want to read this just for a bit of perspective for future books.

The Riyria Chronicles are prequels to my debut series, the Riyria Revelations (published by Orbit from Nov 2011- Jan 2012). If you prefer your tales in chronological order, please do so, as I've taken great care to avoid spoilers. That being said, Chronicles were actually designed to be readafter the Riyria Revelations, and veteran readers will be treated to Easter eggs, made possible by having the inside scoop on the entire story arc. These won't be significant plot points, just little extra surprises for those in the know. The bottom line is that readers, both old and new, should find a rewarding experience, and no prior knowledge of Revelations is expected or required.

One thing I'd like to mention is the difference of structure between the two series. For those that don't know, I wrote all six books of The Riyria Revelations before publishing any of them. This was absolutely necessary for that particular tale. While I gave each book its own conflict and resolution, there were a number of threads interwoven across the entire series. Mysteries were hinted at, geese needed chasing, and everything was built to support the grand finale. Being a first work, I could afford such luxury. It didn't matter that it took more than a decade to create. After all, no one would be waiting on the next installment.

I'm approaching The Riyria Chronicles quite differently. I have no idea how many there will be (beyond the first two books, which are already done), so I'm designing this as an open-ended series, rather than a single tale divided into episodes. The stories are intended to be more like stand-alone novels with less integration from one book to another. The reason is simple. I'm very sensitive about having Royce and Hadrian overstay their welcome. We all know of series, both book and television, that went on longer than they should have. It's sad to see something that was once loved and cherished becoming a shadow of its former self. So by designing Chronicles in this way I can play it by ear when determining whether to release the next adventure.

I'm fortunate enough to make my living from writing, and a story, no matter how much I enjoy writing it, doesn't put food on the table if no one is interested. Being a writer in this day and age provides the possibility for more interaction then when Hemingway or Steinbeck wrote. Emails, forum posts, tweets, blog comments, and even a survey I ran made it clear that I hadn't yet reached the point where my characters were being asked to politely find somewhere else to go. So it is the readers who are partially responsible for this series existence and will also play a major role in any additional books. To that end, when you finish this book, please email me at michael.sullivan.dc@gmail.com and let me know whether you want more or would prefer me to go on to something else. After all you provide me with the income to support my family, the least I can do is give you want you want to read.

12/12/12 Edit: Thank you to the folks at Fantasy Faction for including The Crown Tower in their Top 10 Anticipated Books for 2013. I'm honored to be included with such industry greats as Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, Brent Weeks, Peter V. Brett, Scott Lynch, and Mark Charan Newton as well as new authors Mark Lawrence, Myke Cole, and Douglas Hulick

12/15/12 Edit: Thanks also to the folks at BestFantasyBooks.com for including The Crown Tower on their own Most Anticiated Fantasy Books for 2013. It appears alongside some familiar faces from the other list: Jordan, Sanderson, Brett, Lawrence but is also joined by Daniel Abraham, Neil Gaiman, Robin Hobb, Guy Gavriel Kay, and Richard K. Morgan.
01/05/13 Edit: Thanks to Ranting Dragon for including The Crown Tower on their Fifty Fantasy and Science Fiction Novels to Look for in 2013.  Other authors include: Jordan, Sanderson, Cole, Brett, Hulick, Lawrence, Hearne, Gaiman, Scalzi, Grossman, Novik, Zahn, Wendig, Scull, Brennan, Beaulieu, Wexler, Christopher, Williams, Hines, McGuire, Briggs, Kay, Abraham, Morgan, Sniegoski, Donaldson, Farland, McClellan, Beukes, Newman, Almasi, Kowal, Bear, Cargill, Newton, Corey, Koch, Hobb, Blackmore, Bennett, Carriger, Modesitt, Bledsoe, and Lord.

01/11/13 Edit: Another Thank you to Angels of Retributions who also included The Crown Tower to their Most Anticipated Releases for 2013 list. His list is quite extensive and I'm pleased that they selected some fellow Orbit authors including: John R. Fultz, Gail Z. Martin, Francis Knight, Peter Higgins, Amanda Carlson, Ian Irvine, Brian McClellan, & Rachel Aaron.

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