I spoke about this book a fair bit last year–you know, the one that was the subject of one of the top most successful Kickstarter literature campaigns ever? Well, I finally got it, and I finally got a chance to read it. Is it good? Yes! Is it $150 good? (the amount I pledged on Kickstarter.) Probably not, but I’m not sure how any book could be. It wasn’t the book alone I was pledging that amount for. Some writers deserve to be encouraged.
So, the novel. The Death of Dulgath is a Riyria Chronicles book, which means while it happens in a specific time in relation to all the other novels, it’s not dependent on any of them. I actually haven’t read The Crown Tower or The Rose and Thorn yet, and it didn’t matter. I don’t think it would even have mattered if I hadn’t read any or all of the Riyria Revelations books yet. It’s intended to be a stand-alone book, and as that it does just fine.
The story picks up with Royce and Hadrian, two rogues-for-hire who have been commissioned to travel to the remote land of Dulgath and advise on how to protect Lady Dulgath, the heiress-to-be. But not everyone wishes Lady Dulgath well, and even fewer wish Royce and Hadrian well. Before long our heroes find themselves up to their necks in intrigue.
This is not a mystery, mind you. You know who is evil and what they are planning well in advance. It’s action-adventure, so instead the book focuses in on how our protagonists get themselves through it all in one piece.
Sullivan delivers the goods. His lush descriptions, fun characters, humor, action, twists and turns–they’re all there. The Death of Dulgath doesn’t break new ground or reveal any earth-shattering information. It can’t. He’s somewhat hemmed himself in on where he can go with his prequels. But that’s not the point. What we’re offered is more fun with Royce and Hadrian, and that’s what we get. It’s a great set-piece novel that further develops how Riyria came to be who they are at the beginning of Revelations without undermining that series in any way.
Also worth the time is the short story Sullivan included at the end of the book. As part of the Kickstarter he wanted to give an undiscovered writer some exposure. Over 700 writers submitted entries. Perhaps twenty made the first cut (I was one of them). T. C. Powell won, with his short story The Methuselah Treatment. He deserved to win. It’s a good story.