Review: Esrahaddon by Michael J. Sullivan

Title: Esrahaddon
Author: Michael J. Sullivan
Series: The Rise and Fall #3
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
Publisher: Riyria Enterprises (Self-Pub)
Publication Date: August 20, 2023
Edition: Kindle
Source: Library
Purchase: Amazon US | Apple Books | Barnes & Noble | BAM | Bookshop | Powell's | 

Synopsis:

A hero to some. A villain to many. The truth forever buried.
   The man who became known as Esrahaddon is reported to have destroyed the world’s greatest empire—but there are those who believe he saved it. Few individuals are as divisive, but all agree on three facts: He was exiled to the wilderness, hunted by a goblin priestess, and sentenced to death by a god—all before the age of eight. How he managed to survive and why people continued to fear his name a thousand years later has always been a mystery...until now.

 

 

**********

 

 It feels a little strange being almost done with all the World of Elan books. The first third of this book was fantastic, the middle lagged a little. The last 3-4 chapters were really fast paced and when everything came together.

I loved learning more about Esrahaddon (Ezra). I really liked him in Riyria Revelations, he was this mysterious powerful character who was instrumental to the fall of the Empire for unknown reasons. In this book we find out why he did it. And where he got his magical robe.

Knowing where he came from, a small village called Haddon) and what he went through before he found his way to the Percepliquis and learned how to use the power that got him thrown out of his village as a child, and learning who he was raised by paints the picture of his where his sense of morality. He has morals, and he will protect others, but also doesn't think everybody deserves to be protected. 

It did annoy me when he got presumptuous about Rappaport, with out ever talking to her. I know they didn't see each other often after he joined the Cenzars, but he still should've said something. He did eventually realize he was being unfair. I wish he had gotten the chance to tell her he was sorry before things went to shit. 

I liked getting to know Jerish, he was a briefly annoying for a bit. But that was in part due to the brainwashing of the "Bishop", and assuming that Ezra thought he was better than everybody else. I am glad that he got over that, and all it took was someone from the outside pointing out that Jerish has never actually talked to Ezra, and is just assuming things about him. It doesn't help that Ezra is very blunt and that can be off-putting for most people. 

Mawyndulë is back, hiding out as a bishop of the church he founded to needle his way into control. And he continue to behave like a petulant child even though he's nearly 2000 years old. I forgot that at the start of Age of Myth he was 30, because he acted like he was 13. He is hated by everybody who truly knows him. He is a good actor though, a master manipulator. 

Trilos is in this book a lot, brother of Turin (who is known through most of the series' by either Malcolm or Kile). I actually enjoyed his role in this book a lot. I had thought him as only a villain since the end of the Legend of the First Empire series. So getting to know him more was really cool, and how Ezra's fancy role played into that. 

 

The ending of this book was really intense, and makes me wonder what's to come. I know I can't be the only one who wants to learn more about what happens next or after the Empire came back. There's a couple of loose ends that I want to know more about, but those might very well have been answered in Riyria Chronicles, which I plan to read next.