July 3, 2009  Speculative Fiction Junkie gave Michael Sullivan's Avempartha a 9/10 tieing the 9/10 rating that was given to Sullivan's Crown Conspiracy earlier this year.  The bar was obviously set high as the review started out with the following comment:

Michael J. Sullivan's The Crown Conspiracy (review Click here) was one of the most pleasantly surprising books I've read so far this year...I was predictably excited about reading the sequel, Avempartha.

Even with these high expectations, Sullivan exceeded the mark as indicated here:

Avempartha is every bit as enjoyable as its predecessor was, and is in some respects even better. The primary reason for this is the extra dose of world building (and to a lesser extent political intrigue) Mr. Sullivan has included in this tale. We learn a lot more about the history of the land and of the relationship between humans and elves that has shaped the world of Elan. In addition to being interesting because of how it affects the story being told in the book, this also contributes a lot to the reader's interest in the series as a whole. It is this aspect that makes me truly anticipate the next book in the series, Nyphron Rising.

The review concluded with:

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. The Riyria Revelations prove that the fantasy genre is nowhere near exhausted and that there is as much treasure to be mined in its traditional forms as there are in the newer varieties.

Click here. For more details on Michael, and his other books, visit the Ridan website at: Click here.

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