Percepliquis: The Riyria Revelations

Last summer, when I purchased "The Crown Conspiracy" for my Kindle, I appreciated that it was structured as a stand-alone fantasy novel, whose characters avoided many of the archetypal shortcomings. I thought that fantasy as a genre needed more of what Mr. Sullivan was delivering with The Crown Conspiracy and I tore through the novel like an alcoholic through whiskey. I didn't think I wanted another fantasy epic; but how could I have known that Elan, the world in which the novels that compose the Riyria Revelations is set, would be the most memorable world in recent years?And so, as Percepliquis' tagline rightly declares, it has all come down to this: An unstoppable army of elves has crossed the Nidwalden, the traditional border between the human and elven nations. Mankind's reborn Empire is buckling beneath the strain of the invasion and a team of adventurers is sent to the lost city of Percepliquis. If they can't retrieve the Horn of Gylindora from the tomb of Novron, the mythical founder of the first Empire, then all is lost.That about sums up the basic plot of Percepliquis, however what goes unsaid in the tagline and plot summary is the sheer emotional vitality of this book. Of course we learn about the Uli Vermar, and about Gaunt's role as the heir, and about the horrible things Esrahaddon did to keep Novron's bloodline alive. But what's most important is that Percepliquis offers a stunning final chapter to a group of characters who are so fully realized that parting with them is bittersweet. Of foremost interest are Modina, Arista, and Royce; characters that have been thoroughly developed with unique voices and fascinating perspectives, bringing joy and grief to the narrative in their own impressive (and addicting) ways. That's not to say there isn't a cacophony of other voices in Percepliquis, which is a novel that reintroduces nearly every other side character in the previous books. While distracting at times, this impressive array of characters broadens the novel's scope and reassures readers that, yes, the world is on the line and that, yes, the world will end if Royce, Hadrian, and the others don't succeed.Without a doubt Percepliquis' most victorious moments have everything to do with the sequences in the forgotten capital--as it was a treat to see a fragment of the old Empire, to see and hear its story firsthand for a change. As always, great dialogue continues to be one of Mr. Sullivan's most striking successes, which only ramps up as the novel speeds towards its finish. Brilliantly realized in their conversations and thoughts, the voices of the characters are the truest sign that we'll be saying goodbye to Elan soon enough, a stronger indicator than any apocalyptic battle. Yet, Percepliquis accomplishes all the hallmarks of a lovingly crafted grand finale to the best fantasy series of the new decade: shedding new light on old lore, testing old characters in new ways, and challenging everyone to craft the future they want for themselves.Having completed Percepliquis, the crown jewel of the Riyria Revelations, I entrust the series to new readers who will hopefully discover it in the omnibus versions available through Orbit. I view the presence of the individual eBook versions on my Kindle as a mark of pride. I experienced the Riyria Revelations. How could I have known that I'd miss them this much when they were over?Bravo--and long live the Empress!

"Percepliquis" is the final book in the 'Riyria Revelations' fantasy series by author Michael J. Sullivan. The book comes in two forms... a paperback edition that is 570 pages long and retails for $15.25 and a Kindle e-version that is a 908 Kb download and is selling for $7.99 at the time of writing this review.SPOILERSThe elves have crossed the Nidwalden River and are invading (and conquering) the northern territories with surprising ease. Now they threaten the entire continent of Elan. It is left to Royce, Hadrian and a small group of adventures to try and save the day... and saving the day means a trip to the underground city of Percepliquis where they will encounter some unknown dangers and learn some surprising information.END SPOILERS.Impressions: I liked...1.) author Sullivan demonstrates his superb sense of pace and timing as this latest adventure slowly unfolds. This is a well written story of intrigue, mystery and exploration, resulting in several thrilling encounters.2.a) liked the final tidying-up chapter. Where everyone said their fond (and often sad) farewells before drifting off in different directions. A nice touch for a six book series.2.b) loved the final paragraph...a complete but beautiful surprise...brilliant.3.) map...a global map of Elan, well drawn with lots of detail (see cons: below)4.) glossary...the end of the book has a list of all the people and places that were accounted for in this and previous books. A very thorough and comprehensive undertaking, and much appreciated.Minor, minor complaints. (some would say picky, and they might be correct)...1.) would loved to have had a brief 'what's gone on before' section at the beginning of this book. I must admit that the time in-between this book and the last, I forgot some details...took me a while to understand what was happening early on.2,) the map...(from a Kindle perspective) was really hard to make out the names of places because the printing was so tiny. Expanding the Kindle maps only made the names more indistinct rather than larger.3.) the relationship between Royce and Hadrian. I missed, in this novel, the usual steady and ongoing kibitzing banter and camaraderie between our two heroes. Yes, there was some...it just seemed there was less in this novel than in previous one. It was part of this series that attracted me the most to these two characters.Conclusion.A great series with an outstanding and satisfying ending to this final book.Sorry to see it end.As it is...5 Stars.Ray Nicholson

Honestly, this series is very (and I mean *very*) derivative of Tolkien. But while that means it gets negative one from me for originality, it also gets a plus four for the kinds of memorable characters and scenes that Tolkien would write. And that means it's a thoroughly entertaining tale that kept me reading through 6 books, which is a major accomplishment in a time when I hate series.I also have to say that while I guessed some of the surprises the author had in store for us, some still completely caught me off guard, allowing me to be both smug and full of admiration for his slights of hand. ;D And darned if the man didn't leave clues for all of them along the way.The author's writing also improved over the course of these books. I think this last is far and away the best of the series, and the characters were written beautifully, something I couldn't always say in the earlier books. (I still find myself wishing we'd had more time with Gwen. Of all the characters, hers was the one that intrigued me most. I'm hoping that one day if the author gets a chance he'll write a short about her possibly concerning her childhood, so we'll get to know her better.)This is a throwback to the fantasies of the 70s, and if you've missed stories with an overall positive vibe where ordinary people can be heroic and make a difference, this is a good series to read.

Don't make the same mistake I did this is one of the six books in the Revelations series but they come under the trilogy of books. As a stand alone book fantastic but save your money and buy the trilogy. The two main characters a very entertaining I laughed I cried I loved it. Can't wait for the Chronicles

It was not clear that Percepliquis was included as part of the Riyria Revelations series. I only realised this once I had purchased it. I therefore had to send it back.Books that tend to have new covers or as in this case already part of a series that has already been published should be made clearer to the reader as this can be misleading.

just the right amount of everything really. The only point is the use of present day North American words. Mom,butt,gonna etc but tht's just me being picky. If you want a good read then this (and its predecessors) are the ones are for you.

Großartiges Ende der Riyria Reihe. Michael J. Sullivan hat die Geschichte der beiden Diebe Hadrian und Royce zu einem großartigen Abschluss gebracht. Die ersten fünf Bücher gibt es bis jetzt in deutsch, Percepliquis ist noch nicht ins Deutsche übersetzt.........für alle, die nicht warten können oder wollen.

Love all the books in this series by Michael J Sullivan. I was loaning the paperbacks from my brother but couldn't wait for him to finish reading his copy!