Nathaniel Farnum
asked
Michael J. Sullivan:
Hi Mr. Sullivan, Do you ever plan to write a book about Royce and Merrick Marius? I would to love read about them before Riyria. I would also just like to thank you for the Riyria Revelations.
Michael J. Sullivan
Hey Nathaniel,
Thanks for writing a question. You are not the only one that wants to see a story with Royce and Merrick (my wife included). There are several problems with this.
1. I have a list of books I want to write that is still about 10 - 12 deep. Some books have been outlined and waiting for several years. Rarely a book idea will come to me that pushes others out of the way (Hollow World was one of these), but for the most part I go through them in sequence and a Royce/Merrick book hasn't yet made that list...primarily because of....
2. Royce was a much different sort during his stint with the Black Diamond when Merrick was his main influence and not Hadrian and Gwen (as seen in the Riyria Revelations). If I were to write him "true to character" he'd be a pretty vile person to be sure. He'd be so foul, in fact, that I'm afraid it would make people who currently like him to change their opinion of the man.
A big part of the Riyria Revelations was about the "redemption of Royce." how he was learning to become a better man. In some ways I feel like writing that part of his life would be going too far into his past. We already see him much more violent in The Rose and the Thorn, but to take him to the violence level of that time in his life?? Well, not even Royce liked how he was in those days and the readers may not either.
Still, it's something that is a possibility, but as I said, there are other things with higher priority. What are some of those?
- Well books #3 - #6 of Legends has to come out to finish out Nyphron and Persephone's backstory.
- A new series (tentatively called The Fall of Percepliquis) would give Esrahaddon's, Jerish's, and Nevrik's backstory
- A post-Riyria Revelations story could have a Yolric and Kile show down
- If Chronicles continue to be well received I have 7 more books in that series that are a possibility
- A Hollow World sequel (fans of that series have been waiting a long time.
- A book I have no title for yet, but is told from the "Goblin" perspective after the events of Revelations.
- A horror story that I have 50% of the outline completed.
So, as you can see I have a lot in the works. We'll see how those go ;-)
Thanks for writing a question. You are not the only one that wants to see a story with Royce and Merrick (my wife included). There are several problems with this.
1. I have a list of books I want to write that is still about 10 - 12 deep. Some books have been outlined and waiting for several years. Rarely a book idea will come to me that pushes others out of the way (Hollow World was one of these), but for the most part I go through them in sequence and a Royce/Merrick book hasn't yet made that list...primarily because of....
2. Royce was a much different sort during his stint with the Black Diamond when Merrick was his main influence and not Hadrian and Gwen (as seen in the Riyria Revelations). If I were to write him "true to character" he'd be a pretty vile person to be sure. He'd be so foul, in fact, that I'm afraid it would make people who currently like him to change their opinion of the man.
A big part of the Riyria Revelations was about the "redemption of Royce." how he was learning to become a better man. In some ways I feel like writing that part of his life would be going too far into his past. We already see him much more violent in The Rose and the Thorn, but to take him to the violence level of that time in his life?? Well, not even Royce liked how he was in those days and the readers may not either.
Still, it's something that is a possibility, but as I said, there are other things with higher priority. What are some of those?
- Well books #3 - #6 of Legends has to come out to finish out Nyphron and Persephone's backstory.
- A new series (tentatively called The Fall of Percepliquis) would give Esrahaddon's, Jerish's, and Nevrik's backstory
- A post-Riyria Revelations story could have a Yolric and Kile show down
- If Chronicles continue to be well received I have 7 more books in that series that are a possibility
- A Hollow World sequel (fans of that series have been waiting a long time.
- A book I have no title for yet, but is told from the "Goblin" perspective after the events of Revelations.
- A horror story that I have 50% of the outline completed.
So, as you can see I have a lot in the works. We'll see how those go ;-)
More Answered Questions
Trine Lise
asked
Michael J. Sullivan:
I'm exited that we’ll get another Riyria book this year, and I already know what I'm getting my dad for Christmas. There’s one thing I haven't seen you mention about the issue, though: an audio book. Would it be possible to release the audio book in 2016 since the book is already out, or does it count as an individual competing work? If so, might it be produced after Rhist comes out? It’s just not Riyria without Tim.
MK
asked
Michael J. Sullivan:
Hi Michael :) I'm reading & listening (amazon whispersyncing) a book called Calculating God, by Robert J Sawyer. I looked up the narrator (Jonathan Davis), because he's very very good! I noticed that he also narrated your :Hollow World, on audible, which I thought was pretty neat. How does the narrator for your book get chosen? Do you choose yourself, or does your publisher? Someone else?
A Goodreads user
asked
Michael J. Sullivan:
Hi Michael, I would love to start reading your work, but was wondering where to start. Are the Riyria books best read in publication order?
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