Mike Chaussee asked Michael J. Sullivan:

Riyria is the standard for me in fantasy. I mean it. I finished Revelations and Chronicles some time ago and the fellas still live with me. THANK YOU. But First Empire is great in a different way. There seemed to be more life lessons in that series, more thoughtful quotes. Was that intentional? Every day I think about Malcolm's quote about us believing the most outlandish lie that supports... Seriously, every day.

Michael J. Sullivan Hey Mike, Thanks for writing. So, here's my take on the various series.

Riyria Revelations was a carefully planned series created in an unusual way. It starts as a "fun romp" with two guys framed for the murder of the king. The intention was that with each subsequent book, I'd roll out a bit more about the characters, the world they live in, and weave mysteries while ramping up the stakes. The goal was that by the time the series ends it'll turn "epic in scope" and finish in a really satisfying way. Because I wrote the entire series before publishing any of the books, it allowed me to start deceptively simple, but once the whole tale was told it's revealed to be a story of redemption and how any person can change their life no matter how reprehensible they are. While it appears to be centered on a bromance, I've always thought of the book as having 4 leads (2 men and 2 women). Arista and Thrace/Modina don't really start their arcs until halfway through the series, but they have a much more dramatic growth trajectory than their male counterparts.

Legends of the First Empire was also completely written before the first book was published, but it was designed to be epic in scope from the first page. Unlike Riyria, which exists in a world dominated by a single race (humans), I wanted to explore two civilizations (one rather primitive and the other with significant advantages such as a long-live span, advanced technology, and access to magic). The Legends series starts at a pivotal time in Elan's history when the oppressed humans (Rhunes) revolt against their Fhrey (elven) rulers. Where Riyria has 4 main protagonists, Legends has an ensemble cast with different people stepping up to the plate to provide their contribution to Elan's history. Speaking of history, it also allowed me to tell the truth about various people and events from Riyria's past. History, after all, is written by the victors so there were always two realities in my books. The actual history which is chronicled in Legends, and a false narrative which had usurped the heroic deeds of several ordinary people.

Okay, with that foundation I can now answer your question. Yes, I intentionally wrote Legends differently than Riyria. There are several reasons for this. The first being that I didn't want to tread the same ground I had already walked over. So we exchange witty-banter between two highly skilled swordsmen with people (many of whom are women) who have to use their brains rather than brawn. The second is Legends was less "fun" and "more serious." It's a watershed moment in Elan's history so the "light hand" of Riyria didn't seem to be the right fit. Third, in Riyria, the "world" is merely a stage where the action plays out, but in Legends we get to look at the iceberg below the waterline and learn about the gods in ways that we just couldn't delve in Riyria.

But...as far as "life lessons" are concerned - if you want to call them that. Both series has them in equal measure because they are a part of my writing style. I think if you went through the two series and tallied up these little "great lines" you'd see a similar number of them in both.

TL:DR: Yes, I intentionally wrote Legends different than Riyria, but, no, the "thoughtful quotes" can be found in both series.

I hope some of this makes sense.

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