REVIEW: Percepliquis By Michael J Sullivan

Percepliquis By Michael J Sullivan
Publishing information: Kindle Edition
Publisher: Ridan Publishing; 16 January 2012
ISBN 10: 1937475018
ISBN 13: 978-1937475017
ASIN: B005IGVSIO
Series: Book 6 of the Riyria Revelations
Copy: Provided by publisher
Reviewer: Tyson

Synopsis: "IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS...THE ELVES HAVE CROSSED THE NIDWALDEN. TWO THIEVES WILL DECIDE THE FUTURE.

"I saw a great journey. Ten upon the road, she who wears the light will lead the way. The road goes deep into the earth, and into despair. The voices of the dead guide your steps. You walk back in time. The three-thousand-year battle begins again. Cold grips the world, death comes to all, and a choice is before you." -- Fan Irlanu, Tenkin Seerer of Oudorro Village

Percepliquis is the final installment of the epic fantasy, The Riyria Revelations. In this saga that began with The Crown Conspiracy, two thieves caught in the wrong place at the right time were launched on a series of ever escalating adventures that have all lead to this moment. Three thousand years have passed and the time for Novron's heir to act has arrived."

The adventure was bound to end at some time and I am a little sad that it has. The Riyria Revelations has to be one of my favorite series in all of fantasy. I was a little late to the show when The Crown Conspiracy was released, but once I read it, I was hooked. I was then lucky enough to be on good terms with his publishing company and the author himself, and received advanced copies of nearly every one of the books from that point on. I am also fortunate to have received the final installment of the series in advance as well.

The beginning Percepliquis moves at a much slower pace than the past installments. It does turn up the heat towards the end of the book. But before you get there the pace seemed a bit off, as there was a lot of questing and not much action. There are a lot of loose ends tied up in this novel that will have people wondering how they could have missed all of the clues. I like how the novel does its best to answer all of the questions fans and readers have had over the course of the series. The big questions that everyone had on their mind was answered for me before the big reveal which lessened its impact when it finally came to light.

The problem that I had with the novel is the ending. The ending was a little too over the top for me. The reason I have enjoyed the previous installments of The Riyria Revelations is that it is a gritty story that can be told to anyone. At the end of Percepliquis, that does not occur. The grittiness that readers have come to expect is missing.

Now that the series is complete, I still recommend the series whole-heartedly, but this is the weakest novel in the series by far. The pacing is slow and the ending is way too happy for my taste. It was a bit of a let down. Sullivan is still of on my favorite authors and may actually be my favorite author in all of fantasy, but I was expecting something much darker or at the very least grey and the ending that I received was a rainbow at full blast.

Plot 7/10

Characters 9/10

Style 6/10

Overall 7/10

If you want to read the series now I recommend that you check out the trilogy versions instead:

Book 1 - Rise of Empire (contains The Crown Conspiracy & Avempartha)
Book 2 - Theft of Swords (contains Nyphron Rising & The Emerald Storm)
Book 3 - Heir of Novron (to be released 31 January 2012) (Wintertide & Percepliquis)