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Michael J. Sullivan

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The Death of Dulgath Kindle Edition

by Michael J. Sullivan (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.6 3,238 ratings

Book 3 of 4: The Riyria Chronicles

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Three times they tried to kill her. Then a professional was hired. So was Riyria. When the last member of the oldest noble family in Avryn is targeted for assassination, Riyria is hired to foil the plot. Three years have passed since the war-weary mercenary Hadrian and the cynical ex-assassin Royce joined forces to start life as rogues-for-hire. Things have gone well enough until they're asked to help prevent a murder. Now they must venture into an ancient corner of the world to save a mysterious woman who knows more about Royce than is safe and cares less about herself than is sane. From the best-selling author of The Riyria Revelations comes the third installment of The Riyria Chronicles. Although part of a series, it's designed to thrill both new readers looking for fun, fast-paced fantasy and Riyria veterans wishing to reunite with old friends. For those who do wish to experience the entire Riyria saga, two reading options exist: Order of Publication: Theft of Swords Rise of Empire Heir of Novron The Crown Tower The Rose and the Thorn The Death of Dulgath Chronological Order: The Crown Tower The Rose and the Thorn The Death of Dulgath Theft of Swords Rise of Empire Heir of Novron PRAISE FOR MICHAEL'S RIYRIA BOOKS “This epic fantasy showcases the arrival of a master storyteller.” — Library Journal on Theft of Swords “A delightful, entertaining and page-turning read that reminds us just how enjoyable, and how good The Riyria Revelations series is. A must-buy for all fantasy lovers.” — The Founding Fields on Rise of Empire “Heir of Novron is the conclusion to the Riyria Revelations, cementing it in a position as a new classic of modern fantasy: traditional in setting, but extremely unconventional in, well, everything else.” — Drying Ink on Heir of Novron “Snappy banter, desperate stakes, pulse-pounding swordplay, and good old-fashioned heroics are all on full display here.” — 52 Book Reviews on The Crown Tower “The Rose and the Thorn is full of mystery, adventure, betrayal and just plain awesome.” — Fantasy Faction on The Rose and the Thorn

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PRAISE FOR MICHAEL'S RIYRIA BOOKS

"This epic fantasy showcases the arrival of a master storyteller." — Library Journal on Theft of Swords

"A delightful, entertaining and page-turning read that reminds us just how enjoyable, and how good The Riyria Revelations series is. A must-buy for all fantasy lovers." — The Founding Fields on Rise of Empire

"Heir of Novron is the conclusion to the Riyria Revelations, cementing it in a position as a new classic of modern fantasy: traditional in setting, but extremely unconventional in, well, everything else." — Drying Ink on Heir of Novron

"Snappy banter, desperate stakes, pulse-pounding swordplay, and good old-fashioned heroics are all on full display here." — 52 Book Reviews on The Crown Tower

"The Rose and the Thorn is full of mystery, adventure, betrayal and just plain awesome." — Fantasy Faction on The Rose and the Thorn

"The Death of Dulgath was not only a fine addition to Michael J. Sullivan's Riyria world, but a great book all on its own. This would serve as a great starting point for anyone wanting to find out about Riyria, and will open the door to other great books." — The Fantasy Book Review on The Death of Dulgath

From the Author

I've been locked in a room for over two-and-a-half years, the only light--the soft glow of a computer screen. That's how I remember it, anyway. After finishing Hollow World, I began working on what was supposed to be a trilogy called The First Empire. Three books became five, and two-and-a-half years slipped away.

Readers of The Riyria Chronicles began requesting book three immediately after The Rose and Thorn's release in September 2013. The Chronicles--previously expected to be a flop because prequels are the third rail of publishing--did surprisingly well. I apologize to everyone who has been anxiously awaiting this book, but at least the wait is over!

If you are new to the Riyria stories, you certainly can start with this book. The first two Riyria Chronicles told the origin story of how Royce and Hadrian met. With that tale told, this book was freed to tell a standalone adventure. If you do want to read other Riyria novels, then you should know there are two different ways you can approach the saga.

Order of Publication: Theft of Swords * Rise of Empire * Heir of Novron * The Crown Tower * The Rose and the Thorn * The Death of Dulgath

Chronological Order:  The Crown Tower * The Rose and the Thorn * The Death of Dulgath * Theft of Swords * Rise of Empire * Heir of Novron

Personally, I prefer order of publication, but I've heard from people who have read chronologically and they've been equally pleased with the experience.

If you are wondering if there will be a next Royce and Hadrian story, the answer is: I just don't know. As I've mentioned elsewhere, I'm protective of the duo and would rather have them leave early than stay too long. Because of that, I never know if there will be more until after a Chronicle's release. If you want to advocate for more, by all means drop me an email. Even if you don't, you can still reach out. I always love hearing from people. My address is: michael. sullivan.dc@gmail.com.

One of the really cool things about this project was the ability to showcase an aspiring writer's work. We asked for submissions from anyone and everyone. I sifted through 176 entries and narrowed it down to fifteen good stories. From there it went to the final three. Robin helped me decide on the winner. I wish all of them could have been included--each one was deserving. In today's super-saturated world of publishing, exposure often makes the difference between success and failure. Robin and I hope that you'll like the story we've included, and if you do, please look for more from T.C. Powell and help spread the word.
One last thing I should mention. If you are interested in learning more about the novel creation process, I've created an e-book entitled: The Making of the Death of Dulgath. It's free, so just drop me an email at the address above. Some people might find the process interesting.

Thank you for your interest, I hope you'll be interested to turn the page, tap the screen, or adjust the volume. Old friends are waiting to take you on a new adventure.

Thanks for all the amazing support.
Michael J. Sullivan
September 2015

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B014WOCH0A
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Riyria Enterprises, LLC; 1st edition (October 15, 2015)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 15, 2015
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1506 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 408 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #90,182 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #517 in Historical Fantasy (Kindle Store)
- #820 in Historical Fantasy (Books)
- #1,789 in Sword & Sorcery Fantasy (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.6 3,238 ratings

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Michael J. Sullivan

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Michael J. Sullivan is a New York Times, USA Today, and Washington Post bestselling author, and no one is more surprised by those facts than he. When just a boy, Michael found a typewriter in the basement of a friend's house, inserted a blank piece of paper, and typed, "It was a dark and stormy night." He was just ten years old and mimicking the only writer he knew at the time: Snoopy. That spark ignited a flame, and Michael's desire to fill blank pages became a life-long obsession. As an adult, Michael spent more than ten years developing his craft by studying authors such as Stephen King, Ernest Hemingway, and John Steinbeck. During that time, he wrote thirteen novels but found no interest from the publishing industry. Since insanity is repeating the same action while expecting a different result, he made the rational choice and quit, vowing never to write creatively again.

Never turned out to be too long for Michael, and after a decade, he returned to the keyboard in his forties, but with one condition: He wouldn't seek publication. Instead, he wrote a series of books that had been building in his head during his hiatus. His first reading love was fantasy, and he hoped to foster a similar reaction in his then thirteen-year-old daughter who struggled due to dyslexia. After reading the third book of this series, his wife insisted that the novels had to "get out there." When Michael refused to jump back onto the query-go-round, Robin took over the publication tasks, and she has run the business side of his writing ever since.

Currently, Michael has released eighteen novels (and written twenty): The Riyria Revelations (6 books in 3 two-book omnibus editions from Orbit), The Riyria Chronicles (2 books from Orbit and 2 indie-published), Legends of the First Empire (3 books from Del Rey and 3 indie-published), Rise and Fall (Nolyn (2021, Farilane (coming 2022), Esrhadon (coming 2023) and a standalone science fiction thriller called Hollow World (from Tachyon Publications).

The next Riyria novel, Drumindor, has been green-lighted, but no publication date has been released.

Michael is one of the few authors who has successfully published through all three routes: small press, self, and big five. Some key accomplishments of his career include:

* New York Times, USA Today, and Washington Post bestselling author

* 9 Goodreads Choice Award Nominations

* Named to io9's Most Successful Self-Published Sci-Fi and Fantasy authors

* Sold more than 2 Million English copies

* Been translated into 15 foreign language

* Spent more than 6 years on Amazon's Bestselling Fantasy Author's list

* His books have been named to more than 250 best-of or most-anticipated lists including those compiled by Library Journal, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Goodreads.com, and Audible.com

Contact Info:

* email: michael @ michaelsullivan-author.com

* Twitter: @ author_sullivan

* Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2063919.Michael_J_Sullivan

* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.james.sullivan

Sign up for Michael's Newsletter at: http://bit.ly/36P5GUs

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Robin Snyder

They Just Keep Getting Better.

Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2016

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I’m going to say again just how impressed I am with these Prequels. I usually hate prequels, they don’t normally do a lot for the characters or the main body of stories that I really like. But that isn’t the case here. Sure it is a prequel but whether you already read the Riyria Chronicles or you just started with these I think nothing is diminished if anything it makes me think that the Riyria Chronicles are even better.

First, I loved this story. It was interesting, full of action and suspense and a bit of a mystery as well. Someone is trying to kill the Lady Dulgath and Royce and Hadrian are supposed to plot how someone could do it so that the Sheriff can protect her. What could possibly go wrong???

Second, I always like Hadrian and Royce together they are so different and yet they compliment each other so well. Hadrian the ever trusting swordsman that doesn’t want to kill anymore and Royce the cynical, untrusting ‘I’d rather kill you than have to deal with you again later’ make the perfect odd coupling.

*** “Churches don’t kill people,” Hadrian told her. “They burn incense, collect tithes, and mutter words in forgotten languages—they don’t put out contracts on high-ranking nobles.”
Scarlett and Royce exchanged glances, then both shook their heads.
Royce hooked a thumb in Hadrian’s direction. “See what I have to put up with?”
“Adorable,” Scarlett said. ***

Third, there is the Lady Dulgath herself. I tried most of the book to figure out what she was and I never figured it out. I love it when that happens. Especially when later when you do know it makes complete sense and is great. Her interactions with Royce were really good and I liked the way she played with him and made him uncomfortable.

*** “I wonder who your parents are,” she said, leaving Royce baffled.
“What?”
“Your parents—who are they?”
“Hatred and disillusionment, how about you?”
She smiled at him, the same unperturbed grin, as if he were great fun.
“You know,” Royce said, “most young ladies would be terrified to find someone like me in their room.”
“You know, most men would be terrified to be caught uninvited in the bedroom of a countess, but then…” She took a slow step forward. “You’re not a man, are you?” ***

Fourth, you are never quite sure who is on who’s side until the last minute…and even then it isn’t always absolutely clear.

Fifth, is the in the background romance. I love fantasy but I have a shippy heart and I need a couple to root for and be excited about to really love a fantasy book. It doesn’t have to overtake the story I just like it to be a thought or footnote. Even though this is so far from the meat of the story Royce actually says a few of the sweetest things about Gwen. They are few and far between but I love every world of his thoughts on Gwen.

*** He’d would never admit it, not to Hadrian, and certainly not to Gwen—didn’t even like thinking it to himself—but somehow Gwen had become his fifth thing. To survive, Royce had only ever required four things: air, food, water, and sleep. He was less bothered by heat and cold than others and could live in a forest or field if need be. But those other four things were absolutes.
Reluctantly, he had discovered Gwen had become the fifth. He could last longer without her than any of the others, but if too much time past, he felt the effects. Sick wasn’t the right word; empty was closer, but even it didn’t fit. Thin. He nodded to himself at the thought. That was it. He felt translucent, as if less of him existed when she wasn’t there.
I just never noticed how little of me existed before; I was a shadow without a person.
He didn’t know when it had happened or how he’d let it happen, but somehow when he was without her he felt less than whole. Gwen had stolen part of him and—No, she hasn’t taken anything. She’s given me something I’ve never had, and now I can’t live without it. ***

And with that I just swooned for Royce.

I think this is the best of all the Prequels and so I really look forward to reading more with Hadrian and Royce if MJS has more stories of them in his head.

Just a little note having nothing to do with the book really: I want to say how impressed I am with Michael J Sullivan. Not only as a writer but just as a person in general. He is an author that I think uses goodreads to it’s fullest potential. He has commented on a few of my status updates for his books and reviews. Also he was kind enough to answer a PM I sent him and is my friend on Goodreads. I think he is really in touch with his readers and makes a lot of time for them. I know he became one of my favorite authors when I read the dedication he made to his wife in Heir of Novron

*** This book is entirely dedicated to my wife, Robin Sullivan.

Some have asked how it is I write such strong women without resorting to putting swords in their hands. It is because of her.

She is Arista
She is Thrace
She is Modina
She is Amilia
And she is my Gwen.

This series has been a tribute to her.

This is your book, Robin. ****

Michael J Sullivan is an author that I will happily recommend to anyone who is a fantasy lover.

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JCorrine

Sullivan tells an awesome story!

Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2016

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Royce and Hadrian are back at it, working and doing jobs. They head to a place called Dulgath where an unusual royal, the Lady Dulgath herself, needs help.

Dulgath is a beautiful, pleasant place with warm weather and rich crops. Despite the lovely landscape, the guys sense something is amiss. Soon after arriving, they stumble upon a crowd prepping to punish a man who Royce identifies as their client. In a strange turn of events, Royce runs into an old acquaintance who made the grave mistake of mistreating Hadrian. The person who initially tries to stop Riyria, ends up helping them complete their mission.

Very entertaining! I absolutely love the Riyia Series. The chronicles are an awesome telling of Royce and Hadrian's early years together. Sullivan's methods are ingenious. Definitely read his fore and afterwords. He explains his thought process, allowing readers to glimpse his world. Read the Riyria books as Sullivan advises.

Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2024

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As a middle aged man, I was hesitant when my daughter gave me the this series as a recommend reading assignment. She insisted. I am so glad she did. Great banter and well written so that you imagine yourself in that world. Would love even more on Hadrian and Royce.

Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2016

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How can I love Royce and Hadrian anymore? I can’t. I just can’t! I could read their stories forever. And ever. And never be bored.

Much like the other books in Sullivan’s Chronicles series, this follows Royce and Hadrian on one of their adventures. But what I loved even more about this book than the others is the banter between Royce and Hadrian. Now, it’s been a while since I read the other books, but it felt much more dialog focused, honed in on Royce and Hadrian’s give and take relationship. The two just clicked beautifully, in my opinion, which has made it my second favorite Sullivan book that I’ve read to date. I never wanted it to end. It made me ache to pick up the Revelations and Chronicles series again, and I admit to reading some of my favorite parts after I finished Death of Dulgath. I didn’t realize how much I missed the boys. Such a great dynamic between them.

I have a feeling this books ties into Sullivan’s new Legends of the First Empire series, which is set in the same world eons before Royce and Hadrian come to be. Eventually I’ll be finding out if I’m right or not. I don’t have much else to talk about. The plot is well laid out in the book description, and more than likely you’ve already read the other books if you’re considering this one. However, if you’ve never picked up a Sullivan book, you must. You absolutely must. If you’ve picked up the Revelations series and remotely liked it, then you really need to read the Chronicles. If you’re a diehard fan like I am, this book won’t disappoint.

Overall, I can’t rave about Sullivan enough and what a wonderful character he’s created in Royce. Matter of fact, Royce has risen to the top of my favorite characters of all time. He’s tied for first place with Raistlin Majere, which is a character I’ve been in love with since I was young. A few more books might even win Royce a sole position as number one. Hopefully Sullivan continues with the Chronicles and keeps Royce and Hadrian as the main focus of those books. That’s what made this one and The Crown Tower my two favorite books of all time.

6 people found this helpful

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Richard W. Salisbury

Great continuation of the Royce and Hadrian story

Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2023

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We love Michael Sullivan books. They are well-written and always exciting with wonderful banter between the main characters. I don't know how he does it, but the author makes you really feel like you are watching a grand movie- these are hard to put down but when you must, you can be assured it will be waiting for you and you will be instantly entertained yet again.

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Alexsandro Souza de Lima

Escritor esplêndido!

Reviewed in Brazil on May 1, 2021

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Eu me sinto como se conhece pessoalmente Roice Melborne e Hadrian Blackwater. A construção das personagens é densa e convincente, e a história é muito envolvente

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Cliente Amazon

No está en español

Reviewed in Spain on January 4, 2021

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Me encantan los libros de esta saga, lo malo es que sólo han traducido dos al español. Una pena porque Hadrian y Royce son un dúo protagonista que me encanta. La historia está genial, se lee rápido y aclara muchas cosas.

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jennifer

I really look forward to these two, and the messes they get themselves into.

Reviewed in Canada on February 25, 2019

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The Riyria series of books are always fun and I think of them as comfort food. After five of them, I find that they’re relaxing, humorous and the characters are like meeting up with old friends.

Death of Dulgath is no different.
Royce and Hadrian are hired to prevent a murder… well, actually they’re hired to tell how they would murder Nyssa, the princess of Dulgath, in an effort to prevent her murder- sort of like how companies hire past criminals to see if their security is up to standards. As you can imagine this little venture for Royce and Hadrian, turns out not to be quite as straight forward as all of that, and quickly turns into a big mess.

This takes place three years after Royce and Hadrian decide to become partners, so we have the beginnings of that easy camaraderie to their friendship that makes them such a great pair in later books, but with the fun of them learning to work around each other’s idiosyncrasies in their early relationship.

Like all the Riyria books, they always end up with a few more twists and turns to the plot than you’d expect (some expected and some not) and manage to do that while filling in all the little gaps in the world that you didn’t even know weren’t there in the first place… and I think that’s one of the things I love most about this series- it’s ability to build a world and story around two characters learning to be each others family and making an enjoyable read while doing so.

Another great entry into this series, and I hope Michael Sullivan (and the world) never tire of Royce and Hadrian because I really look forward to these two, and the messes they get themselves into.

RobertAlex

For those that want 120%

Reviewed in Germany on January 1, 2017

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Wow, I finally did it. After finishing "The Rose and The Thorn", I somehow felt like I just couldn't read the third volume of Chronicles, because the ending of Thorn just tied so brilliantly into the beginning of the Riyria Revelations, that I didn't want DoD to "spoil" this moment of utmost completion that iifelt at that time.But just before christmas I ran out of reading stuff and I just felt it, knew that what I needed at that moment was a Riyria novel - what a coincidence that there was one left to read on my kindle.

I wont lie: This novel felt like a filler. BUT - and this is the biggest "but" I've ever had when writing about a book - this is exactly what I came for. For me the 6 novels of Revelations and the first two of Chronicles are the main story line of Riyria, the books you need to read when you wanna have 100% of the Riyria experience. This third Chronicles book is for those that want 120%, that just want to have a fun time with Hadrian and Royce and need them in their lifes, like I do.

Now granted, I still haven't read the "First Empire" novels, but this book felt very different to the other Riyria books lorewise. Which is 100% understandable, since Michael - I think - had written all the first Empire books when he started Dulgath and so had a different pool of knowledge to use, which leads to this book not focussing on the whole Nyphron/ Novron stuff that is important for the actual Riyria plot line, but more often harks back to the times before that, to the days of "Age of Myth". Due to this, this book felt like a mix of a very solid Hadrian and Royce adventure and an appetizer for those that have yet to read the "Age of Myth". I was unsure I was going to or not, but after I finished Dulgath, I think I will definitely one day go for Michaels next series, though I think I will wait till more volumes than one are published ... ;D

I actually wanted to rate this book with four stars, because I completely forgot about the "Ten Fingers" moment. I just love Royce to go full psycho, and although the "Playing Chess" action was cool and by far the best punchline ever delivered in a novel, nothing beats Royce scaring the shit out of people, and holy hell, I think the "Ten Fingers" moment was just the best depiction of raw fear of a human being I have ever read about. Which is totally understandable, to be honest. Because Royce.

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jss

Best of the Ryria Chronicles series

Reviewed in India on January 18, 2017

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Best of the Ryria Chronicles series and up there with the original Ryria Revelations trilogy in terms of enjoyment

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