Ask the Author: Michael J. Sullivan
Answered Questions (527)
Michael J. Sullivan
Hey Lisa. I'm being pretty closed mouth about "The Cycle." To date I've not disclosed "how far" down the timeline and "what characters" will be in it.
As for a 'young Hadrian' story - well, I wasn't expectiving to write a "young Royce' until the opportunity arose. In that case, someone needed something for an anthology and given the "theme" of the anthology an early Royce tale just seemed to fit.
I just realized that I'm really not giving you much "help" on answering your question. But in many cases until I cross a fork I don't know which direction I'll take.
As for a 'young Hadrian' story - well, I wasn't expectiving to write a "young Royce' until the opportunity arose. In that case, someone needed something for an anthology and given the "theme" of the anthology an early Royce tale just seemed to fit.
I just realized that I'm really not giving you much "help" on answering your question. But in many cases until I cross a fork I don't know which direction I'll take.
Michael J. Sullivan
This question falls under the - very late answer but might as well finish it anyway category. So te Rise and the Fall is 3 books: Nolyn, Farilane, and Esrahaddon. Each focuses on a particular time in the history of Elan through the eyes of three important characters. These books are a bit more "standalone" than say Riyria Revelations or Legends, primiarly because they (for the most part) don't share characters and are separated by large spans of time.
The idea here was for this series to be the "bridge" between Legends and Riyria, and as there are 3,000+ years between the two series, that's a lot of ground ot cover so I had to "spread them out."
All that said, recently I have announced a new series "After the Fall" - it, too is a three book series, and it picks up "right after" the last events in Esrahaddon and the fall of the great Novronian empire - but that was pretty muchh a "gimme" by the title of the series.
So if you get done reading the last book of The Rise and Fall - Esrahaddon - and you want to know more, then you'll have it soon. Book #1 is written, and it's next steps are:
- August beta reading,
- September - making changes from beta read
- October - copy editing
- December - book layout
- January - gamma reading
- June - audio book recording.
This is a book that I've written with a co-author (Lorian Ellis), and it will be her debut novel. Robin and I couldn't be happier with how it came out. And we can't wait to share it with everyone.
That said,
The idea here was for this series to be the "bridge" between Legends and Riyria, and as there are 3,000+ years between the two series, that's a lot of ground ot cover so I had to "spread them out."
All that said, recently I have announced a new series "After the Fall" - it, too is a three book series, and it picks up "right after" the last events in Esrahaddon and the fall of the great Novronian empire - but that was pretty muchh a "gimme" by the title of the series.
So if you get done reading the last book of The Rise and Fall - Esrahaddon - and you want to know more, then you'll have it soon. Book #1 is written, and it's next steps are:
- August beta reading,
- September - making changes from beta read
- October - copy editing
- December - book layout
- January - gamma reading
- June - audio book recording.
This is a book that I've written with a co-author (Lorian Ellis), and it will be her debut novel. Robin and I couldn't be happier with how it came out. And we can't wait to share it with everyone.
That said,
Michael J. Sullivan
Hey, thanks for asking. We get to Detroit from time to time as we still have friends and family there. As for meeting us in person, in Detroit or anywhere else for that matter, we have a little
"sign up form" (click here to access it)
where people can input their city, state, and email. Then, when we travel, we reach out to people from this list and meetu up for a drink or a chat.
As for deluxe editions of Legends of the first empire, the answer is YES! Recently, Del Rey put the hardcover editions "out of print" and they reverted that right to us so we are free to produce versions of our own. Those will likely be the next deluxe books produced. But Robin wants to have them all laid out and ready for the press before we launch the editions. We'll do those three books at a time. Click here to sign up for notifications
As for deluxe editions of Legends of the first empire, the answer is YES! Recently, Del Rey put the hardcover editions "out of print" and they reverted that right to us so we are free to produce versions of our own. Those will likely be the next deluxe books produced. But Robin wants to have them all laid out and ready for the press before we launch the editions. We'll do those three books at a time. Click here to sign up for notifications
Michael J. Sullivan
Hey Lottie, thanks for asking. By it's vary nature, The Cycle will have a VERY large cast. Basically you may see an appearance by any character from all of the 20 books currently released, so it's very much an ensemble like Legends.
People might wonder how that would be possible - after all the saga takes place over the course of thousands of years and most don't live that long. Well, the answer to that is found in the second half of Legends of the First Empire (books #4 - #6). For those who have read that (or are doing a re-read) pay particular attention to any mention of the Golrok - that will provide a big clue.
People might wonder how that would be possible - after all the saga takes place over the course of thousands of years and most don't live that long. Well, the answer to that is found in the second half of Legends of the First Empire (books #4 - #6). For those who have read that (or are doing a re-read) pay particular attention to any mention of the Golrok - that will provide a big clue.
Michael J. Sullivan
It's sometimes difficult when writing a book because I'm on a tightrope. I want to give clues about various motivations and it gives readers a sense of satisfaction when they put the pieces together. Sometimes there is what my wife calls "a jump too far" - where I don't provide enough information and it leaves people with unanswered questions. You might want to re-read the scene where Royce is speaking to Hadrian on the subject.
I'm working on "The Cycle" which is a post-Riyria Revelations series and it's meant to answer all questions people have. As part of that there will be a set of short stories that fill in important information, and this might be a candidate for one of those - I'll make a note of it. The other possible way to give you closure on this would be through the Elan Compendium - which is a kind of reference book that can be used when reading the cycle which provides "memory joggers" for important points. There might be a place in there to provide additional details on this subject.
I'm working on "The Cycle" which is a post-Riyria Revelations series and it's meant to answer all questions people have. As part of that there will be a set of short stories that fill in important information, and this might be a candidate for one of those - I'll make a note of it. The other possible way to give you closure on this would be through the Elan Compendium - which is a kind of reference book that can be used when reading the cycle which provides "memory joggers" for important points. There might be a place in there to provide additional details on this subject.
Michael J. Sullivan
My personal preference is "writing order" which is a slightly modified "publication order" - I say modified because some books were written but due to contractural obligations they were released at a different time then when written. So I suggest:
- Revelations 1 - 6: Theft of Swords > Rise of Empire > Heir of Novron
- Chronicles 1 - 2: The Crown Tower > The Rose and the Thorn
- Legends 1 - 3: Age of Myth > Age of Swords >Age of War
- Chronicles 3 - 4: The Death of Dulgath > The Disappearance of Winter's Daughter
- Legends 4 - 6: Age of Legend > Age of Death > Age of Empyre
- Rise and Fall 1- 3: Farialane > Nolyn > Esrahaddon
- Chronicles 5: Drumindor
- Revelations 1 - 6: Theft of Swords > Rise of Empire > Heir of Novron
- Chronicles 1 - 2: The Crown Tower > The Rose and the Thorn
- Legends 1 - 3: Age of Myth > Age of Swords >Age of War
- Chronicles 3 - 4: The Death of Dulgath > The Disappearance of Winter's Daughter
- Legends 4 - 6: Age of Legend > Age of Death > Age of Empyre
- Rise and Fall 1- 3: Farialane > Nolyn > Esrahaddon
- Chronicles 5: Drumindor
Michael J. Sullivan
Hey Lottie, thanks for the questions.
I'm surprised that anyone has read my books at all - so yeah, really shocked that my characters are so popular. I mean, I love them, but then again I "make up imaginary friends" for a living, so it stands to reason I enjoy my own creations.
With regard to someone who is more popular than I expeced . . . Raithe (from Legends of the First Empire) is more beloved than I would have thought. I knew Suri would be a big hit, and of course Minna, and I suspected that Gifford and Malcolm would get a lot of attention and they have. But a lot of people latched on to him in a way I wasn't intending. In many ways he was (at least to me) a minor character of Legends, but people have put him on a pedestal that I wasn't aiming for.
Gwen (from Riyria) is well-loved, so I don't feel she suffers on that front, but I always thought she needed more of the spotlight than she got in The Revelations, so I was really glad to give her expanded screen time in The Crown Tower, The Rose and the Thorn, and Drumindor.
The one big surprise was negative feedback about Roan. I think of her mind on the same level as Leonardo da Vinci, which is why she was credited for inventing things - but A LOT of people took issue with that. And complain that she "invents EVERYTHING" - which is a gross exaggeration. Yes, she made . . . the pocket, a hanging chair, and an arrow. but her big achievements (the wheel and steel) were mainly done because of her interactions with the dwarves. They were the ones that mastered these things, Roan just learned from them and brought that technology to humankind.
A big surprise to me is how much Robin (my wife) is loving the new characters in "The Cycle" - which I'm writing now. In many ways, that series is a love letter to my loyal fanbase (those who have read all my books rather than just one series or another). As such, it draws from A LOT of the "fan favorites" and I expected her (as she is the only one to have read any of the cycle so far), so I expected that would be where her heart was drawn, but in many ways, it's the new characters that she's enjoying the most and that makes me very happy.
I'm surprised that anyone has read my books at all - so yeah, really shocked that my characters are so popular. I mean, I love them, but then again I "make up imaginary friends" for a living, so it stands to reason I enjoy my own creations.
With regard to someone who is more popular than I expeced . . . Raithe (from Legends of the First Empire) is more beloved than I would have thought. I knew Suri would be a big hit, and of course Minna, and I suspected that Gifford and Malcolm would get a lot of attention and they have. But a lot of people latched on to him in a way I wasn't intending. In many ways he was (at least to me) a minor character of Legends, but people have put him on a pedestal that I wasn't aiming for.
Gwen (from Riyria) is well-loved, so I don't feel she suffers on that front, but I always thought she needed more of the spotlight than she got in The Revelations, so I was really glad to give her expanded screen time in The Crown Tower, The Rose and the Thorn, and Drumindor.
The one big surprise was negative feedback about Roan. I think of her mind on the same level as Leonardo da Vinci, which is why she was credited for inventing things - but A LOT of people took issue with that. And complain that she "invents EVERYTHING" - which is a gross exaggeration. Yes, she made . . . the pocket, a hanging chair, and an arrow. but her big achievements (the wheel and steel) were mainly done because of her interactions with the dwarves. They were the ones that mastered these things, Roan just learned from them and brought that technology to humankind.
A big surprise to me is how much Robin (my wife) is loving the new characters in "The Cycle" - which I'm writing now. In many ways, that series is a love letter to my loyal fanbase (those who have read all my books rather than just one series or another). As such, it draws from A LOT of the "fan favorites" and I expected her (as she is the only one to have read any of the cycle so far), so I expected that would be where her heart was drawn, but in many ways, it's the new characters that she's enjoying the most and that makes me very happy.
Michael J. Sullivan
Yes, I'm answering something from 10 years ago. Actually there is quite a backlog of questions, and I thought instead of ignoring them, I should commit some time to going back and "clearing the slate" as it were.
So, I'm trying to think back 10 years to 2015. At that time, I had re-released the six books of the Riyria Revelations (sold by Orbit as three two book omnibus editions) and two of the Riyria Chronicles.
Later that year, I was planning on releasing The Death of Dulgath, and depending on where in the year we were, I was about to sign over the Legends of the First Empire books to Del Rey.
At that time, a book's release was pretty important to my overall financial stability. My wife had quit her day job, and so I became our sole income producer. So, I certainly was "anxious" but I wouldn't classify my state of mind as "worried."
These days, there is no concern on the financial front. We live a "small life" (compared to our income), have no debt, and are "getting up there" in age, so even if I never sold another book for the rest of my life we could live out the remaining years on our savings. It's a freedom that I'm very conscious of, and I'm eternally thankful to my readers who make that possible.
And then and now, I always "hope someone will like it," but first and foremost I'm concerned about creating a book that I want to read, and one that my wife will adore (it's my secret ingredient for keeping our 45 years together going).
So, I'm trying to think back 10 years to 2015. At that time, I had re-released the six books of the Riyria Revelations (sold by Orbit as three two book omnibus editions) and two of the Riyria Chronicles.
Later that year, I was planning on releasing The Death of Dulgath, and depending on where in the year we were, I was about to sign over the Legends of the First Empire books to Del Rey.
At that time, a book's release was pretty important to my overall financial stability. My wife had quit her day job, and so I became our sole income producer. So, I certainly was "anxious" but I wouldn't classify my state of mind as "worried."
These days, there is no concern on the financial front. We live a "small life" (compared to our income), have no debt, and are "getting up there" in age, so even if I never sold another book for the rest of my life we could live out the remaining years on our savings. It's a freedom that I'm very conscious of, and I'm eternally thankful to my readers who make that possible.
And then and now, I always "hope someone will like it," but first and foremost I'm concerned about creating a book that I want to read, and one that my wife will adore (it's my secret ingredient for keeping our 45 years together going).
Michael J. Sullivan
Hey Betule, yes, most of my books 17 of those based in Elan have Graphic audio formats available. The exceptions are the three books of the Rise and Fall series (Nolyn, Farilane, Esrahaddon). Why are there no versions of these books? Well, the advance on that particular series for the non-dramatic version was very generous (seven figures to be exact), and while I technically COULD have the dramatic audio rights to those books created, I feel they would directly compete with the non-dramatic version so I'm holding off. The contract on those books expire after 10 years and once they do, the rights will revert to me and I'll have the graphic audio versions made.
And you are correct in that those versions cannot be purchased from my website. Why? Well, graphic audio versions are VERY expensive to create and as such only the production company (Graphic Audio) can sell copies of those versions, and therefore, they are the only one that can sell them.
As to where you to find them, they have "wide" distribution, so you can pickup copies from
- GraphicAudio.com
- Audible.com
- Libro.fm
- audiobooks.com
- Google play
- Apple
And you are correct in that those versions cannot be purchased from my website. Why? Well, graphic audio versions are VERY expensive to create and as such only the production company (Graphic Audio) can sell copies of those versions, and therefore, they are the only one that can sell them.
As to where you to find them, they have "wide" distribution, so you can pickup copies from
- GraphicAudio.com
- Audible.com
- Libro.fm
- audiobooks.com
- Google play
- Apple
Michael J. Sullivan
Hey Josh, I'm so sorry to hear about your tough times - but thrilled that the books have helped you get some respite.
As for dramatized versions of Nolyn, Farilane, and Esrahaddon - yes and no. You see, the company that does the graphic audio versions is owned by a company called Recorded Books, but the non-dramatic (single narrator) versions are licensed to Audible Studios and they gave me a VERY generous advance for those rights (7 figures in fact). So while I legally CAN sub-license to Graphic Audio, I feel it would be "bad form" to introduce a "competing" audio format that would steal sales from Audible Studios and put money into their direct competition's pockets.
That said, unlike traditional "print" contracts (which go on forever - well nearly forever - life of copyright which means 30 years after my death), the audio rights renew after a set number of years. So once those rights are back in our hands, it's likely we'll authorize a dramatic version.
Now, all that is assuming that GA would want to produce a version - but since they ask me about it frequently, I'd say they are definitely interested.
As for dramatized versions of Nolyn, Farilane, and Esrahaddon - yes and no. You see, the company that does the graphic audio versions is owned by a company called Recorded Books, but the non-dramatic (single narrator) versions are licensed to Audible Studios and they gave me a VERY generous advance for those rights (7 figures in fact). So while I legally CAN sub-license to Graphic Audio, I feel it would be "bad form" to introduce a "competing" audio format that would steal sales from Audible Studios and put money into their direct competition's pockets.
That said, unlike traditional "print" contracts (which go on forever - well nearly forever - life of copyright which means 30 years after my death), the audio rights renew after a set number of years. So once those rights are back in our hands, it's likely we'll authorize a dramatic version.
Now, all that is assuming that GA would want to produce a version - but since they ask me about it frequently, I'd say they are definitely interested.
Michael J. Sullivan
Hey there, thanks for asking. Until it's written (or at least started), there is no guarantee as to whether a novel will exist or not. While some series (Riyria Revelations, Legends of the First Empire, Rise and Fall, and The Cycle) requires all the books to be written before the first is released, the Riyria Chronicles isn't designed in the same fashion as those other works.
The structure of the Riyria Chronicles has been:
- Books #1 & #2 - provide the "origin story" of Riyria
- Each book after those two - are both standalone and also connecting tissue between Riyria and legends.
Standalone, in the respect each story is self contained and if you haven't read the other books you shouldn't be "lost" - but connective in that it has threads that weave between the "Legends Books" and the "Riyria books." In other words, for those who have read both stories, there is some bonus material for those "in the know."
For my last several books - in particular Farilane, Esrahaddon, and Drumindor. A lot of those books have foundational pillars for the "possibility" of the Cycle - and therefore certain plot elements were added that will "play out in the Cycle.
As I write the Cycle, there is often the need for other foundational pillars. Sometimes that can be done through a short story - such as "The Strom" (coming out in the UnAvowed Anthology by Shawn Speakman) and "The Eternal Winter" (coming out in the Unbroken Anthology by Peter Orullian). But some elements are big enough that they will require a full novel - hence Blythin Castle (which I'm working on now).
Now, all that is to say that the number of Chronicles (which is 8 at this point). But that might shrink as the Cycle is fleshed out depending on the paths I travel. It may mean the elimination of certain aspects, or doing some of the foundation work through short stories rather than novels. Or, conversely the number may grow - because later work in the Cycle might require some additional foundations to be laid.
So, I guess the short answer is 8 is still the number, but it might not be the final number when all is said and done. Part of the reason I'm working on Blythin Castle now, rather than writing Book #3 of the cycle, is the completion of Blythin will highly effect the direction of books 3 - 5 of Cycle. And likewise the completion of book #3 of the cycle might add or remove the requirement of Chronicles #7 and so on.
That's a long way to say - that as it stands now, the number hasn't changed, but that might not be the same answer come a year or two from now.
The structure of the Riyria Chronicles has been:
- Books #1 & #2 - provide the "origin story" of Riyria
- Each book after those two - are both standalone and also connecting tissue between Riyria and legends.
Standalone, in the respect each story is self contained and if you haven't read the other books you shouldn't be "lost" - but connective in that it has threads that weave between the "Legends Books" and the "Riyria books." In other words, for those who have read both stories, there is some bonus material for those "in the know."
For my last several books - in particular Farilane, Esrahaddon, and Drumindor. A lot of those books have foundational pillars for the "possibility" of the Cycle - and therefore certain plot elements were added that will "play out in the Cycle.
As I write the Cycle, there is often the need for other foundational pillars. Sometimes that can be done through a short story - such as "The Strom" (coming out in the UnAvowed Anthology by Shawn Speakman) and "The Eternal Winter" (coming out in the Unbroken Anthology by Peter Orullian). But some elements are big enough that they will require a full novel - hence Blythin Castle (which I'm working on now).
Now, all that is to say that the number of Chronicles (which is 8 at this point). But that might shrink as the Cycle is fleshed out depending on the paths I travel. It may mean the elimination of certain aspects, or doing some of the foundation work through short stories rather than novels. Or, conversely the number may grow - because later work in the Cycle might require some additional foundations to be laid.
So, I guess the short answer is 8 is still the number, but it might not be the final number when all is said and done. Part of the reason I'm working on Blythin Castle now, rather than writing Book #3 of the cycle, is the completion of Blythin will highly effect the direction of books 3 - 5 of Cycle. And likewise the completion of book #3 of the cycle might add or remove the requirement of Chronicles #7 and so on.
That's a long way to say - that as it stands now, the number hasn't changed, but that might not be the same answer come a year or two from now.
Michael J. Sullivan
He Anna, Thanks for asking. There are A LOT of authors named Michael Sullivan (even a few going by Michael J. Sullivan). I just went through all my listed books and removed 4 or 5 books that were added to my account that shouldn't have been. I'm a goodreads librarian so I can do that, and I have fixed it in the past but it looks like some new ones crept in.
In some ways, it'd be really cool if all the other Michael Sullivan's were me, because not only would I be a fantasy author but I'd also be...
• The author of more than a hundred advanced math textbooks
• An expert on Chinese art
• A sports expert
• A wine and beer expert
• Savvy when it comes to international politics
• I'd know a lot about elections, social welfare, and public policy
• A history buff with knowledge of everything from the secret love affairs of presidents to Orville and Wilber Wright
• An expert on writing emails that sell
• A tax lawyer that can tell you about the secrets for IRS settlements
• one of three children's authors with 15 books between them
• I'd also have a few more novels under my belt.
I think the "other Michael Sullivan" that I'm confused with the most often is Michael John Sullivan (for the record my middle name is James). He writes Christian-based novels books he's written include:
• Necessary Heartbreak
• An Angel Comes Home
• Everybody's Daughter
• The Greatest Gift.
• The Shattered Cross
But even that Michael is cross-referenced with another Michael John Sullivan as there is another author who does kids fiction and I think these are his books:
• Whoosh! Whoosh! The SockKids Are Here!
• The SockKids Meet Lincoln
• The SockKids Say NO to Bullying
• The SockKids Help Ben Franklin
• The SockKids STOP A Bully!
• The SockKids Go Dancing
• Nick Knitley and The SockKids: Surviving The Oddly Strange Town of Millbottom
Then there is the Michael J. Sullivan who wrote:
• Forgotten Flowers
• The Journey Home
• The Journey's End
I think there's also a Michael J. Sullivan that I scared off his name because his first novel used it, but he now is publishing under the name Michael Stinger his books include:
• Runner's Dawn
• Future's Demise
• Agent Jana Rojas - Peacemaker Mission
• Royal Heist of Kasai
Another Michael Sullivan (who recently changed his name to Mike Sullivan), who is a novelist who wrote:
• Dead Girl Beach
• Ransom Drop
• Eden2
• Fort Drake Island
There is another Michael Sullivan that writes children books including:
• The Day That Granny Got Blown Away
• The Day Granny Went to the Zoo
• Who's Afraid of Mr. Bear
• Amaya and Mr. Bear go camping
• The Rabbit, the carrot, and the Ghosts
• Leave our Trees alone
And that's not all - There are are these other Michael Sullivan books (none of which are me:
• Beyond Demon
• Blood Trail
• The Dream Seeker: Jazz Man in the Pocket
• Indianersommer
•The Girl in the Second World
Had I known this was such a popular name, and that I would eventually be published, I would have selected something else :-)
In some ways, it'd be really cool if all the other Michael Sullivan's were me, because not only would I be a fantasy author but I'd also be...
• The author of more than a hundred advanced math textbooks
• An expert on Chinese art
• A sports expert
• A wine and beer expert
• Savvy when it comes to international politics
• I'd know a lot about elections, social welfare, and public policy
• A history buff with knowledge of everything from the secret love affairs of presidents to Orville and Wilber Wright
• An expert on writing emails that sell
• A tax lawyer that can tell you about the secrets for IRS settlements
• one of three children's authors with 15 books between them
• I'd also have a few more novels under my belt.
I think the "other Michael Sullivan" that I'm confused with the most often is Michael John Sullivan (for the record my middle name is James). He writes Christian-based novels books he's written include:
• Necessary Heartbreak
• An Angel Comes Home
• Everybody's Daughter
• The Greatest Gift.
• The Shattered Cross
But even that Michael is cross-referenced with another Michael John Sullivan as there is another author who does kids fiction and I think these are his books:
• Whoosh! Whoosh! The SockKids Are Here!
• The SockKids Meet Lincoln
• The SockKids Say NO to Bullying
• The SockKids Help Ben Franklin
• The SockKids STOP A Bully!
• The SockKids Go Dancing
• Nick Knitley and The SockKids: Surviving The Oddly Strange Town of Millbottom
Then there is the Michael J. Sullivan who wrote:
• Forgotten Flowers
• The Journey Home
• The Journey's End
I think there's also a Michael J. Sullivan that I scared off his name because his first novel used it, but he now is publishing under the name Michael Stinger his books include:
• Runner's Dawn
• Future's Demise
• Agent Jana Rojas - Peacemaker Mission
• Royal Heist of Kasai
Another Michael Sullivan (who recently changed his name to Mike Sullivan), who is a novelist who wrote:
• Dead Girl Beach
• Ransom Drop
• Eden2
• Fort Drake Island
There is another Michael Sullivan that writes children books including:
• The Day That Granny Got Blown Away
• The Day Granny Went to the Zoo
• Who's Afraid of Mr. Bear
• Amaya and Mr. Bear go camping
• The Rabbit, the carrot, and the Ghosts
• Leave our Trees alone
And that's not all - There are are these other Michael Sullivan books (none of which are me:
• Beyond Demon
• Blood Trail
• The Dream Seeker: Jazz Man in the Pocket
• Indianersommer
•The Girl in the Second World
Had I known this was such a popular name, and that I would eventually be published, I would have selected something else :-)
Michael J. Sullivan
Thanks for asking. I have three projects under development at present:
1 - Blythin Castle - is what I'm currently writing - it'll be the 6th Riyria Chronicle book.
2 - Out of the Ashes - is book #1 of the After the Fall series, which takes place just after the events of Esrahaddon in the overall timeline. This series is being co-authored by Lorian Ellis, a debut author that came to my attention when she sent me a fanfic of Royce and Hadrian she had written. Lorian is finishing up the last few chapters of it, and that will probably be my next released title just because it's the furthest along.
3 - The Cycle - while I said I would never write further down the timeline (i.e post The Riyria Revelations), that was mainly because I couldn't think of any way to top the ending of Heir of Novron. But now that I've gone back in time with the Legends of the First Empire and the Rise an Fall books, I have a story with even greater stakes that can intertwine across all 20 books I've written so far that, if I can pull it off, will top the ending of Heir of Novron. The problem is it's an extremely challenging series to write, and I won't "officially" announce it until all five books are written and it turns out as good as I hoped it would. If it falls short of the bar, I'll file the whole thing in the vertical file. But if it turns out good, then it's going to be love-letter to my most ardant fans as it should scratch just about every itch I can think of.
1 - Blythin Castle - is what I'm currently writing - it'll be the 6th Riyria Chronicle book.
2 - Out of the Ashes - is book #1 of the After the Fall series, which takes place just after the events of Esrahaddon in the overall timeline. This series is being co-authored by Lorian Ellis, a debut author that came to my attention when she sent me a fanfic of Royce and Hadrian she had written. Lorian is finishing up the last few chapters of it, and that will probably be my next released title just because it's the furthest along.
3 - The Cycle - while I said I would never write further down the timeline (i.e post The Riyria Revelations), that was mainly because I couldn't think of any way to top the ending of Heir of Novron. But now that I've gone back in time with the Legends of the First Empire and the Rise an Fall books, I have a story with even greater stakes that can intertwine across all 20 books I've written so far that, if I can pull it off, will top the ending of Heir of Novron. The problem is it's an extremely challenging series to write, and I won't "officially" announce it until all five books are written and it turns out as good as I hoped it would. If it falls short of the bar, I'll file the whole thing in the vertical file. But if it turns out good, then it's going to be love-letter to my most ardant fans as it should scratch just about every itch I can think of.
Michael J. Sullivan
Why hello there Dee! You are one of my oldest goodreads friends. I'm honored by your words. It's been a more than sixteen years since we first met. Who would have thought that I'd be where I am now? Certainly not me or Robin!
Unfortunately, no I'm not a hockey fan - really I'm not into many sports. Although I do admit that listening to a baseball game on a hot summer day while sitting on the porch and drinking something cool has a nostalgic quality that takes me back to my days as a youth sitting next to my dear old dad.
I hope you and yours are well. I think of you often.
Unfortunately, no I'm not a hockey fan - really I'm not into many sports. Although I do admit that listening to a baseball game on a hot summer day while sitting on the porch and drinking something cool has a nostalgic quality that takes me back to my days as a youth sitting next to my dear old dad.
I hope you and yours are well. I think of you often.
Michael J. Sullivan
Because we've started a few projects recently. I'm going to list both "released books" as well as those under development.
Released books:
Age of Myth >> Age of Swords >> Age of War >> Age of Legend >> Age of Death >> Age of Empyre >> Nolyn >> Farilane >> Esrahaddon >> The Crown Tower >> The Rose and the Thorn >> The Death of Dulgath >> The Disappearance of Winter's Daughter >> Drumindor >> Theft of Swords >> Rise of Empire >> Heir of Novron.
If including works in progress:
Released books:
Age of Myth >> Age of Swords >> Age of War >> Age of Legend >> Age of Death >> Age of Empyre >> Nolyn >> Farilane >> Esrahaddon >> Out of the Ashes >> Into the Darkness >> Between Two Evils >> The Crown Tower >> The Rose and the Thorn >> The Death of Dulgath >> The Disappearance of Winter's Daughter >> Drumindor >> Blythin Castle >> Theft of Swords >> Rise of Empire >> Heir of Novron >> Cycle #1 >> Cycle #2 >> Cycle #3 >> Cycle #4 >> Cycle #5.
Cycle #1 and #2 are written. Out of the Ashes is 90% done. Blythin Castle is just starting (3 chapters written)
Released books:
Age of Myth >> Age of Swords >> Age of War >> Age of Legend >> Age of Death >> Age of Empyre >> Nolyn >> Farilane >> Esrahaddon >> The Crown Tower >> The Rose and the Thorn >> The Death of Dulgath >> The Disappearance of Winter's Daughter >> Drumindor >> Theft of Swords >> Rise of Empire >> Heir of Novron.
If including works in progress:
Released books:
Age of Myth >> Age of Swords >> Age of War >> Age of Legend >> Age of Death >> Age of Empyre >> Nolyn >> Farilane >> Esrahaddon >> Out of the Ashes >> Into the Darkness >> Between Two Evils >> The Crown Tower >> The Rose and the Thorn >> The Death of Dulgath >> The Disappearance of Winter's Daughter >> Drumindor >> Blythin Castle >> Theft of Swords >> Rise of Empire >> Heir of Novron >> Cycle #1 >> Cycle #2 >> Cycle #3 >> Cycle #4 >> Cycle #5.
Cycle #1 and #2 are written. Out of the Ashes is 90% done. Blythin Castle is just starting (3 chapters written)
Michael J. Sullivan
It's funny you should ask that - I've never read any Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, or any Fritz Lieber works for that matter. I discovered these books existed when I was reading a good reads review that gave me credit for being clever when talking about the Grey Mouse Tavern. After a bit of Internet searching I discovered the works in question, and realized the readers were giving me far too much credit.
Also interestingly, a fan gave me a copy of one of the books. I was at a publisher event in New York City with some other authors (Terry Brooks, Peter V. Brett, and others who I don't recall). He, had heard that I hadn't read about the pair, and thought I might like the tales.
Since discovering their existence, I've purposefully avoided the books because I was afraid it would change my writing of Royce and/or Hadrian. I keep that fan's book on my shelf and one day, I'll open it up and start reading. But that day will be when I'm 100% sure I won't be writing about my duo again. Seeing as how I'm on chapter two of Blythin Castle (The Sixth Riyria Chronicle book, and the 12 Royce and Hadrian story), that day hasn't yet arrived.
I do look forward to it, though. So many people have seen corollaries between mine and his work, that I'm interested to see for myself what they are. I just need to do so at a time when I know it won't impact my writing at all.
Thanks for asking.
Also interestingly, a fan gave me a copy of one of the books. I was at a publisher event in New York City with some other authors (Terry Brooks, Peter V. Brett, and others who I don't recall). He, had heard that I hadn't read about the pair, and thought I might like the tales.
Since discovering their existence, I've purposefully avoided the books because I was afraid it would change my writing of Royce and/or Hadrian. I keep that fan's book on my shelf and one day, I'll open it up and start reading. But that day will be when I'm 100% sure I won't be writing about my duo again. Seeing as how I'm on chapter two of Blythin Castle (The Sixth Riyria Chronicle book, and the 12 Royce and Hadrian story), that day hasn't yet arrived.
I do look forward to it, though. So many people have seen corollaries between mine and his work, that I'm interested to see for myself what they are. I just need to do so at a time when I know it won't impact my writing at all.
Thanks for asking.
Michael J. Sullivan
Hey Lisa, wow that's a lot of questions. I'll do my best with them.
1. Because I wrote all six books before releasing the first one, there isn't anything I would change . . . because if there were, I would have changed it. In fact, I had an entirely different ending for the series when I first wrote it, but I knew it wasn't "good enough." When I finally came up with "the right ending," I had to go back to the early books and add characters and scenes, and build a whole foundation to support the really amazing ending I came up with. So, by not publishing anything early, I had no regrets, but that is a luxury that came from no one wanting the books more than foresight on my part. Still, the technique worked so well for me that I did it for Legends of the First Empire, and The Rise and Fall series, and I'm now employing that method for "The Cycle."
Yes, and no. There was a scene I wrote in Nyphron Rising that was cut. Robin (my wife) was concerned the book needed a bit of levity, so I wrote this really cool scene where Royce and Hadrian are robbed - or I should say someone tried to rob them. It didn't "fit" with Nyphron Rising so it was cut. Years later, when the series was picked up by Orbit, that scene became a new first chapter to Theft of Swords, so while it was cut from Book #3, it made it's way back into Book #1.
3. That's a better question for Robin, because when I hear "relate" I think "which of your characters is most like you." She'd say I'm a combination of Royce and Hadrian. Hadrian most of the time, but when there is danger to any member of my family I become Royce pretty quickly.
4. Totally Freaking Amazing - And I might substitute a different "F" word in the middle (if I weren't in polite society). Seriously, though it is truly an amazing piece of writing - at least at this point it is (with 2 books written). If the remaining 3 come out at least half as good as the first two (and the plan is for them to be even better than what I've written so far) then it will truly be my magnum opus. I've been proud of a great many of my books, but these are on a whole new level - and as such - they are incredibly difficult to write - which is why I love doing them so much. Fingers are crossed that they'll come out the way I think they will - it'll be "must reading" for anyone who is a fan. But I must warn people - DO NOT READ THE CYCLE if you've not read the other books. There will be no "hand holding" in that series, and it will pull from all 20 books that came before it. So the audience will be small, but for those few - it should blow their minds.
1. Because I wrote all six books before releasing the first one, there isn't anything I would change . . . because if there were, I would have changed it. In fact, I had an entirely different ending for the series when I first wrote it, but I knew it wasn't "good enough." When I finally came up with "the right ending," I had to go back to the early books and add characters and scenes, and build a whole foundation to support the really amazing ending I came up with. So, by not publishing anything early, I had no regrets, but that is a luxury that came from no one wanting the books more than foresight on my part. Still, the technique worked so well for me that I did it for Legends of the First Empire, and The Rise and Fall series, and I'm now employing that method for "The Cycle."
Yes, and no. There was a scene I wrote in Nyphron Rising that was cut. Robin (my wife) was concerned the book needed a bit of levity, so I wrote this really cool scene where Royce and Hadrian are robbed - or I should say someone tried to rob them. It didn't "fit" with Nyphron Rising so it was cut. Years later, when the series was picked up by Orbit, that scene became a new first chapter to Theft of Swords, so while it was cut from Book #3, it made it's way back into Book #1.
3. That's a better question for Robin, because when I hear "relate" I think "which of your characters is most like you." She'd say I'm a combination of Royce and Hadrian. Hadrian most of the time, but when there is danger to any member of my family I become Royce pretty quickly.
4. Totally Freaking Amazing - And I might substitute a different "F" word in the middle (if I weren't in polite society). Seriously, though it is truly an amazing piece of writing - at least at this point it is (with 2 books written). If the remaining 3 come out at least half as good as the first two (and the plan is for them to be even better than what I've written so far) then it will truly be my magnum opus. I've been proud of a great many of my books, but these are on a whole new level - and as such - they are incredibly difficult to write - which is why I love doing them so much. Fingers are crossed that they'll come out the way I think they will - it'll be "must reading" for anyone who is a fan. But I must warn people - DO NOT READ THE CYCLE if you've not read the other books. There will be no "hand holding" in that series, and it will pull from all 20 books that came before it. So the audience will be small, but for those few - it should blow their minds.
Michael J. Sullivan
"Who are you?" my wife said while backing away from my outstretched hand. That's when I knew the Alzheimer's had reached its final heart-breaking stage.
Michael J. Sullivan
There was a time . . . a long time in fact . . . To understand why I’ve resisted this idea you first need to know how I write my books.
I am not a fan of stories that start out fantastic and then quickly run out of steam with each added installment. Usually, this happens because the author puts all their “best stuff” up front to gain an audience. I don’t do that. When I started writing the Riyria Revelations, I didn’t think any of them would be published, so I wasn’t concerned about making a “big splash” with my initial offering. Instead, I saved all the juicy stuff for the end. As a result, the last book in that series has been the best — by design — mostly because it was the culmination of everything that came before. Knowing I couldn’t top that, I wasn’t about to try.
The entire notion was incomprehensible. How could I raise the stakes higher than they were? How could I make the climax more dramatic? The series-long plotline had been satisfied and there was simply no way to top Percepliquis. In order to do that I would need a larger, profounder, over-arching plot: something with even greater stakes, more characters, and a bigger bang at the end. Without knowing it, what people were asking me to do would require nothing less than creating a whole new series devoted to the forming of the world and the Novronian Empire. Then it would be necessary for me to write another series linking those books to the Riyria stories. And somehow in doing all that, I must nurture a growing desire — no, a desperate need — on the part of the readers to see how it all turns out.
And that is just crazy.
A good case could be made that I am not altogether sensible because, of course, that’s exactly what I did when I spent a decade writing the Legends of the First Empire and The Rise and Fall series. This effort, that culminating in the publication of Farilane and Esrahaddon, launched a new contender for the most requested suggestion that has rocketed to the top spot: the desire to know what happens to Turin.
In one sense this was good, as that was the point after all, to establish a hunger in my readers for something greater. But it’s also like getting everyone’s attention by grabbing the microphone at a wedding. The audience expects you to say something worth hearing, and as it turns out, laying the foundation was the easy part of this challenge.
The obstacles were overwhelming. I would need to invent new content and seamlessly marry it to aspects of Elan previously known only to myself. I also had to tie up twenty books in a comprehensive bow all while maintaining the established rules and laws of my world — meaning I couldn’t cheat. These pre-established, load-bearing walls that can’t be relocated or removed, would hinder, if not entirely prevent, me from creating my be-all, end-all masterpiece that could challenge Percepliquis for the top spot. Because of this, I didn’t know if what I hoped to do was even possible.
When facing such an insurmountable task, I did what any normal person would do in my situation. I formed a committee of highly skilled experts in the world of Elan and ordered them to deliberate on the feasibility of contemplating such a project. This became The Exploratory Committee and given the necessary requirements to sit on such an esteemed advisory council, the TEC became a committee of one — me.
On February 23rd of the year 2022, The TEC entered the research and development room, and the door was nailed shut. For more than two and a half years the committee has deliberated in secrecy. Recently, however, there have been some leaks — both good and bad. Perhaps the worst is that “The Project” cannot receive a green light until all the required books have been written. I don’t like promising something I ultimately can’t deliver, so I won’t. The best news is that “The Project” has been officially renamed: The Cycle. This wouldn’t have happened if the committee didn’t have a high degree of confidence in the outcome because giving something a name has the power to breathe it into existence.
So . . . these days, the answer is quit different. I've finished the first two books and I'm very happy with them. If the project continues to go that way, the answer will turn to yes, but I won't be able to say so until I have it written.
TL:DR - Maybe. I'm working on it and we'll see how it goes.
I am not a fan of stories that start out fantastic and then quickly run out of steam with each added installment. Usually, this happens because the author puts all their “best stuff” up front to gain an audience. I don’t do that. When I started writing the Riyria Revelations, I didn’t think any of them would be published, so I wasn’t concerned about making a “big splash” with my initial offering. Instead, I saved all the juicy stuff for the end. As a result, the last book in that series has been the best — by design — mostly because it was the culmination of everything that came before. Knowing I couldn’t top that, I wasn’t about to try.
The entire notion was incomprehensible. How could I raise the stakes higher than they were? How could I make the climax more dramatic? The series-long plotline had been satisfied and there was simply no way to top Percepliquis. In order to do that I would need a larger, profounder, over-arching plot: something with even greater stakes, more characters, and a bigger bang at the end. Without knowing it, what people were asking me to do would require nothing less than creating a whole new series devoted to the forming of the world and the Novronian Empire. Then it would be necessary for me to write another series linking those books to the Riyria stories. And somehow in doing all that, I must nurture a growing desire — no, a desperate need — on the part of the readers to see how it all turns out.
And that is just crazy.
A good case could be made that I am not altogether sensible because, of course, that’s exactly what I did when I spent a decade writing the Legends of the First Empire and The Rise and Fall series. This effort, that culminating in the publication of Farilane and Esrahaddon, launched a new contender for the most requested suggestion that has rocketed to the top spot: the desire to know what happens to Turin.
In one sense this was good, as that was the point after all, to establish a hunger in my readers for something greater. But it’s also like getting everyone’s attention by grabbing the microphone at a wedding. The audience expects you to say something worth hearing, and as it turns out, laying the foundation was the easy part of this challenge.
The obstacles were overwhelming. I would need to invent new content and seamlessly marry it to aspects of Elan previously known only to myself. I also had to tie up twenty books in a comprehensive bow all while maintaining the established rules and laws of my world — meaning I couldn’t cheat. These pre-established, load-bearing walls that can’t be relocated or removed, would hinder, if not entirely prevent, me from creating my be-all, end-all masterpiece that could challenge Percepliquis for the top spot. Because of this, I didn’t know if what I hoped to do was even possible.
When facing such an insurmountable task, I did what any normal person would do in my situation. I formed a committee of highly skilled experts in the world of Elan and ordered them to deliberate on the feasibility of contemplating such a project. This became The Exploratory Committee and given the necessary requirements to sit on such an esteemed advisory council, the TEC became a committee of one — me.
On February 23rd of the year 2022, The TEC entered the research and development room, and the door was nailed shut. For more than two and a half years the committee has deliberated in secrecy. Recently, however, there have been some leaks — both good and bad. Perhaps the worst is that “The Project” cannot receive a green light until all the required books have been written. I don’t like promising something I ultimately can’t deliver, so I won’t. The best news is that “The Project” has been officially renamed: The Cycle. This wouldn’t have happened if the committee didn’t have a high degree of confidence in the outcome because giving something a name has the power to breathe it into existence.
So . . . these days, the answer is quit different. I've finished the first two books and I'm very happy with them. If the project continues to go that way, the answer will turn to yes, but I won't be able to say so until I have it written.
TL:DR - Maybe. I'm working on it and we'll see how it goes.
Michael J. Sullivan
Hey Lottie, the "cheeky" answer to that is, I could tell, but then I'd have to kill you. And of course neither of us would like that.
As you might imagine there is a lot of speculation going on about The Cycle, and I'm so glad that people are excited.
Step #1 is to see IF the series will be released. To do that I have to right all five and clear the very high bar I've set for myself.
Step #2 would be to start to fill people in on what to expect in the series. I don't want to "pry open the door" for something that I don't even know will exist, so for now, I'm keeping my mouth closed on any details about that project (other than
- it occurs after Riyria Revelations
- it's planned to be 5 books
- It will draw from the entire pantheon of my Elan work (all 20 books)
- It's really a love letter to my most ardant fans and only those who have read all the books in the series should consider it. I would hate for a new reader to start with this series, as I won't be doing much "hand holding" and I'll expect people to know the characters.
I've currently finished the second book, so you'll have to wait. a bit more to find the true answer to your question.
As you might imagine there is a lot of speculation going on about The Cycle, and I'm so glad that people are excited.
Step #1 is to see IF the series will be released. To do that I have to right all five and clear the very high bar I've set for myself.
Step #2 would be to start to fill people in on what to expect in the series. I don't want to "pry open the door" for something that I don't even know will exist, so for now, I'm keeping my mouth closed on any details about that project (other than
- it occurs after Riyria Revelations
- it's planned to be 5 books
- It will draw from the entire pantheon of my Elan work (all 20 books)
- It's really a love letter to my most ardant fans and only those who have read all the books in the series should consider it. I would hate for a new reader to start with this series, as I won't be doing much "hand holding" and I'll expect people to know the characters.
I've currently finished the second book, so you'll have to wait. a bit more to find the true answer to your question.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more
Aug 16, 2025 12:59PM · flag