Fantastical First Steps— A Fantasy Book Review of Age of Myth by Michael J. Sullivan

Art by Marc Simonetti

I think that there is a very solid argument for "judging a book by its cover," and Age of Myth by Michael J. Sullivan is an excellent example of this. I was enthralled enough with Marc Simonetti's breathtaking painting of a gigantic tree in a sweeping field, that I picked up this book without so much as a second thought. The contents of Age of Myth could have been completely different than the quality of the cover, but luckily, this wasn't the case.

First and foremost, I want to express that I admire the author. Michael J. Sullivan has some delightful stories, but he also is so engaging outside of the page that it is nearly impossible to not root for his success. He responds to fan mail, answers Reddit posts, and has nearly perfected the crowdfunding model for book publication. It's also just so neat that he and his wife partner in this business. So, hats off to you, Mr. Sullivan.

Age of Myth kicks off with one of my favorite prologues of all time. I was immediately endeared to the world, the POV character—and the situation he's found himself before the book even begins. The prologue is perhaps the most important part of a book, it's a make or break moment that has the power to set the reader on a journey, or give them the tools to decide that they're better off staying home. Michael J. Sullivan knows how to hook the reader. To send this home even further, I've re-read just this prologue a few times for fun.

The prose is decent. Nothing to write home about, really, but also not bare bones. I felt that I could picture the characters and setting fairly well, so it accomplishes everything it needs to. My bias is that I like extra detail for fantasy settings, but it's certainly not a need—just a preference.

The characters are great, but some hit better than others for me. Raithe was definitely my favorite. Suri was a delight. Persephone was strong. Arion's plotline really dragged for me. Gifford and Roan were endearing, but I felt that they were ultimately pretty shallow representations of people with disabilities. I appreciate what Sullivan was going for—we need more neurodivergent characters in fantasy—but these characters felt far too stereotyped and lacked depth.

The concept of a fantasy world in its early ages is very strong. It became gimmicky at times, but I loved the concept of the Fhrey (elves) as gods in the eyes of primitive humans. They really felt intimidating.

Something that is perhaps worth noting: I DNF'd the next book, Age of Swords. In my opinion, it is perhaps one of the most drastic descents in quality that I've seen from book to book—and these were published just a year apart. It's worth a review of its own, and this is a review of Age of Myth, not Age of Sword. However, I think it's worth noting

Age of Myth was a joy to read. There are some areas where it falls short—namely, some of the characters and execution of concepts—but it is overall a very fun read. If you are a completionist, I'd recommend reading some reviews for the continuing books, as their quality is varied. However, I enjoyed this book on its own and highly recommend it.

-H.