Theft of Swords

Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan is a two book fantasy in one volume that introduces an interesting pair of characters named Hadrian and Royce who combine a wealth of skills.  The interaction between the two is a combination of quirky humor, absolute trust and acceptance.  Each has his own secrets that the other respects, fighting skills that all others are astounded by and a code of behavior that holds them to a higher standard than most of their fellow beings would ever consider.  The adventures presented in this volume are a series of cliffhangers that combine suspense and humor and a wealth of quirky secondary characters and are mixed with the requisite petitioners with virtually impossible goals which give a nice texture to the tales. 

There is a short story available on Amazon at this link that gives an introduction to the intriguing pair but it is not necessary to have read this one before jumping into the series.  There are some inconsistencies in the behavior of some of the characters but not enough to detract from the entertaining quality of the story.  Clues are gradually revealed about the background of these extraordinary beings and the overall linking theme of all of the books makes the endings necessarily inconclusive but not irritatingly so.  My review on Amazon is at this link under ELF2060.  I would appreciate a 'yes, this was helpful' vote if you are so inclined.

There are two more volumes in the series (Rise of Empire and Heir of Novron) which I will review as I finish reading them.

My thanks to the author for providing a copy of this entertaining tale as well as Rise of Empire so that I would better understand the background for Heir of Novron (which I won on Goodreads).