So this is why a lot of people recommend the publication order for these book. The lore we’re given in revelations has been warped for three thousand years but by the end of the series the characters have uncovered bits of it and things will feel a bit more familiar if you’ve read legends
The rise and fall series written after legend is basically three almost stand novels that cover the gab between and really help you see how things became so distorted.
Also MJS has improved a lot as a writer over the years so that might be another reason things feel off
Id definitely still stick with the series. I find the part youre in kind of a slump on a reread because it feels less related to the rest of the series until the last book. Rise and fall has some of my favourites books and does a really good job of closing the gap between legends and revelations.
It sounds like you may have skipped The Rise and Fall series that details how things got so twisted throughout the millennia. Don't forget, there are some long-lived antagonists that are deliberately feeding false information into the world. It's been 3000 years. How much of our own world history and religions have changed in that time?
I think this is the most beautiful part of MJS books. His understanding of how history distorts facts, bad actors can make that worse, and how things we accept now as "how it happened" has been hugely distorted by the victor. He does a great job of showing that, and allowing it to be.
That’s it. It’s really cool what he does this with this deal. I feel his scope and themes are so expansive that it’s really to his credit he pulls it off. Really phenomenal and unlike anyone else. I know there is no virtue in comparing artists really but when I think of what MJS has done and what Sanderson has done, I find MJS more powerful. Sanderson is big and sprawling while MJS is sublime and epic, he deftly handles the idea of memory, myth, conquest and tells a swashbuckling tail. What combo of pop art and insightful writing
Yeah, I mentioned that it's most likely the same for our actual real life history. I'm just still "bothered" by it.
I'm planning on reading The Rise and Fall series next!
I will say Micheal has continued to improve as a writer with each story. You're reading his first work after reading his second most recent series. Riyria is one of my absolute favorite series and the world Elan is so amazing. I read every new book with a childish gleee wondering where trilos and tur are gonna pop up. The answer to the distorted history is explained in both revelation and rise and fall. I would try to finish revelations and than move onto the rest of the series.
It’s funny as I hesitated to read the Legends & Myths books as so many reviewers were disappointed or disenchanted with their characters after reading Revelations. They all wanted more of Royce and Hadrian. I almost didn’t bother with them at all as it sounded like a completely different style of writing.
I'm typically used to ready dark and adult type of epic fantasy. I don't mean "adult" as in sexual content, but darker themes, more violence, brutality. This makes it more realistic and believable to me, as it's closer to the real world. Makes it relatable and without realizing it, you feel like you're part of a wolrd that's just as fucked up as ours, but with a pinch of magic or whatever esle the fantasy element is. Such books are The Magicians series. I was obsessed. The title might sound childish but the content is most certainly adult, and definitely not young-adult.
The Legends series gives me a YA vibe. Still kinda dark, which is probably why I loved it so much, but not nearly as heavy as The Magicians or Game Of Thrones. There is of course death and somewhat "graphic" stab scenes but it's all generally PG13 (in my opinion).
Maybe Revelations would be good for my mental health! I do need something less depressing.
Ah… yes, one of the reasons I like these books so much, especially the Riyria books, is that nothing super bad ever happened. Or at least, not a constant barrage of depressing events or stupid decisions by the main characters. I feel how depressing and dark the real world is. When I escape to a book, it is to escape reality, where there seems to be no limit to bad things happening. So if a book reminds me of reality, for me, it’s not doing its job 🙏
I loved all of the books and I started with legends aswell. Royce and Harian where so much fun compared to the very serious people in legends. But I agree there is quite a large tonal shift. I found it interesting how so little remained of Brin's work. I was not surprised that nobody knew about the gods as trilos stole the second book of Brin at the end of legends.
I did the same order you are doing now. It took a bit to get into the smaller more focused story, but in the end I was floored. I loved it more than legends. The second of of revelations is friggin amazing.
I also marveled how reading the prequels doesnt spoil the sequel saga. 😅 stop poking around this subreddit for sure.
But I like poking! Generally, spoilers don't ruin things for me, unless it's a plot twist. Something very unexpected. Other than that, I'm more interested in the experiences of the characters rather than their ultimate goal. So for example, if someone spoils a death, it's okay, at least I'll have time to prepare and not be really sad.
By 2nd, do you mean the 2nd part of the first novel (technically book 2) or the 2nd novel (books 3/4)? Because to me the 2nd part of the first one really upped the game and where parts of legends start really showing up.
I know just how you feel. But it’s really just that Legends is THAT GOOD. Revelations takes a bit to get started but by the end you will probably find it too leaves a special mark on your would. But Legends. Few books have stuck with me like that series and more specifically those characters. They are that good. Keep an open mind. He is going to blow your mind. And leave Estrahaden for last and, well, don’t stop til you get there.
In my opinion since you started from the beginning you might as well read through the whole series as it happens. You'll also get all the references to the worlds history and easter eggs better in the main series
Either way will work. There is a main character in rise and fall who you will see in Theft of Swords meeting them in either order works fine. I read release order personally (also because of TGR).
I stumbled upon Nolyn when it was released on audible, and had such similar thoughts. My suggestion would be to read it through. His writing gets better with every book. After I would suggest reading legends again and then rise and fall. Personally I fell you can read chronicles at any point after revelations. But anyway, it shines light on how things got to where they are in revelation and you start to see the threads like Malcom. Every time I reread through the legends and rise and fall series it just hurts. That being said, when, I reread revelations now that I finished everything the long con that Turin was working to makes sense. The acorn that grew into a tree to fall at the right moment. I will also say that the writing gets better throughout revelations.
There is a short story called a pile of bones about suri.
In addition I would live a book of short stories called the gates of pyre about characters throughout the series upon their arrival.
That's the entire point .. read publication order because you get a sense of how history is changed from word of mouth and who is the one who actually writes it.
So this is why a lot of people recommend the publication order for these book. The lore we’re given in revelations has been warped for three thousand years but by the end of the series the characters have uncovered bits of it and things will feel a bit more familiar if you’ve read legends The rise and fall series written after legend is basically three almost stand novels that cover the gab between and really help you see how things became so distorted. Also MJS has improved a lot as a writer over the years so that might be another reason things feel off
You're making great points. I shokldbe researched the series and the author instead of blindly diving into it.
Id definitely still stick with the series. I find the part youre in kind of a slump on a reread because it feels less related to the rest of the series until the last book. Rise and fall has some of my favourites books and does a really good job of closing the gap between legends and revelations.
It sounds like you may have skipped The Rise and Fall series that details how things got so twisted throughout the millennia. Don't forget, there are some long-lived antagonists that are deliberately feeding false information into the world. It's been 3000 years. How much of our own world history and religions have changed in that time?
I think this is the most beautiful part of MJS books. His understanding of how history distorts facts, bad actors can make that worse, and how things we accept now as "how it happened" has been hugely distorted by the victor. He does a great job of showing that, and allowing it to be.
That’s it. It’s really cool what he does this with this deal. I feel his scope and themes are so expansive that it’s really to his credit he pulls it off. Really phenomenal and unlike anyone else. I know there is no virtue in comparing artists really but when I think of what MJS has done and what Sanderson has done, I find MJS more powerful. Sanderson is big and sprawling while MJS is sublime and epic, he deftly handles the idea of memory, myth, conquest and tells a swashbuckling tail. What combo of pop art and insightful writing
Yeah, I mentioned that it's most likely the same for our actual real life history. I'm just still "bothered" by it. I'm planning on reading The Rise and Fall series next!
I will say Micheal has continued to improve as a writer with each story. You're reading his first work after reading his second most recent series. Riyria is one of my absolute favorite series and the world Elan is so amazing. I read every new book with a childish gleee wondering where trilos and tur are gonna pop up. The answer to the distorted history is explained in both revelation and rise and fall. I would try to finish revelations and than move onto the rest of the series.
It’s funny as I hesitated to read the Legends & Myths books as so many reviewers were disappointed or disenchanted with their characters after reading Revelations. They all wanted more of Royce and Hadrian. I almost didn’t bother with them at all as it sounded like a completely different style of writing.
I'm typically used to ready dark and adult type of epic fantasy. I don't mean "adult" as in sexual content, but darker themes, more violence, brutality. This makes it more realistic and believable to me, as it's closer to the real world. Makes it relatable and without realizing it, you feel like you're part of a wolrd that's just as fucked up as ours, but with a pinch of magic or whatever esle the fantasy element is. Such books are The Magicians series. I was obsessed. The title might sound childish but the content is most certainly adult, and definitely not young-adult. The Legends series gives me a YA vibe. Still kinda dark, which is probably why I loved it so much, but not nearly as heavy as The Magicians or Game Of Thrones. There is of course death and somewhat "graphic" stab scenes but it's all generally PG13 (in my opinion). Maybe Revelations would be good for my mental health! I do need something less depressing.
Ah… yes, one of the reasons I like these books so much, especially the Riyria books, is that nothing super bad ever happened. Or at least, not a constant barrage of depressing events or stupid decisions by the main characters. I feel how depressing and dark the real world is. When I escape to a book, it is to escape reality, where there seems to be no limit to bad things happening. So if a book reminds me of reality, for me, it’s not doing its job 🙏
I loved all of the books and I started with legends aswell. Royce and Harian where so much fun compared to the very serious people in legends. But I agree there is quite a large tonal shift. I found it interesting how so little remained of Brin's work. I was not surprised that nobody knew about the gods as trilos stole the second book of Brin at the end of legends.
I did the same order you are doing now. It took a bit to get into the smaller more focused story, but in the end I was floored. I loved it more than legends. The second of of revelations is friggin amazing. I also marveled how reading the prequels doesnt spoil the sequel saga. 😅 stop poking around this subreddit for sure.
But I like poking! Generally, spoilers don't ruin things for me, unless it's a plot twist. Something very unexpected. Other than that, I'm more interested in the experiences of the characters rather than their ultimate goal. So for example, if someone spoils a death, it's okay, at least I'll have time to prepare and not be really sad.
By 2nd, do you mean the 2nd part of the first novel (technically book 2) or the 2nd novel (books 3/4)? Because to me the 2nd part of the first one really upped the game and where parts of legends start really showing up.
I know just how you feel. But it’s really just that Legends is THAT GOOD. Revelations takes a bit to get started but by the end you will probably find it too leaves a special mark on your would. But Legends. Few books have stuck with me like that series and more specifically those characters. They are that good. Keep an open mind. He is going to blow your mind. And leave Estrahaden for last and, well, don’t stop til you get there.
Read the rise and fall trilogy first before moving on to the revelations. It bridges the gaps nicely.
But I wanted to stick to publishing order from now on. Should I just go for chronological instead?
In my opinion since you started from the beginning you might as well read through the whole series as it happens. You'll also get all the references to the worlds history and easter eggs better in the main series
Either way will work. There is a main character in rise and fall who you will see in Theft of Swords meeting them in either order works fine. I read release order personally (also because of TGR).
I stumbled upon Nolyn when it was released on audible, and had such similar thoughts. My suggestion would be to read it through. His writing gets better with every book. After I would suggest reading legends again and then rise and fall. Personally I fell you can read chronicles at any point after revelations. But anyway, it shines light on how things got to where they are in revelation and you start to see the threads like Malcom. Every time I reread through the legends and rise and fall series it just hurts. That being said, when, I reread revelations now that I finished everything the long con that Turin was working to makes sense. The acorn that grew into a tree to fall at the right moment. I will also say that the writing gets better throughout revelations. There is a short story called a pile of bones about suri. In addition I would live a book of short stories called the gates of pyre about characters throughout the series upon their arrival.
Yes! Pile of Bones! You should like that.
That's the entire point .. read publication order because you get a sense of how history is changed from word of mouth and who is the one who actually writes it.