Hello! I’m Michael J. Sullivan, the author of Nolyn. This book is the first in my latest series, The Rise and Fall. If you had told me twenty-five years ago that I’d be a published author with twenty novels, I would have concluded you were insane. You see, as a young man, I spent more than a decade trying to get published. By October of 1995, when none of the thirteen books I had written went anywhere, I quit and vowed never to do anything creative again. So I started an advertising agency.

A decade later, I had proven to myself that I wasn’t a complete failure because my wife, Robin, and I had built a successful business. At just thirty-four years of age, I’d accomplished most of my life’s goals: I had a beautiful and intelligent wife, good children, a house, and financial stability. Times were good, but there was a problem. Both my wife and I had reached the top of the mountain and felt like Alexander with no more worlds to conquer . . . except one—the one that got away.

In the early 2000s, I picked up the first Harry Potter book for my daughter, who was struggling with dyslexia. Reading it, I remembered the joy of stepping between the covers of a book and tumbling into an immersive world, meeting people I wished were real-life friends. In my quest for publication by studying award-winning novels, I’d lost the fun. I’d forgotten the whole reason I started writing in the first place. I had refused to put pen to paper for over a decade, but that hadn’t stopped the stories. In particular, there were two insistent characters beating on the door to my consciousness, demanding to be let in.

In 2004, I sat down to write the first novel set in the world of Elan about an idealistic ex-mercenary and a cynical thief. But what made writing these books so truly crazy is that I had no intention to publish. That way led to the dark side—to the depression of waiting for a call that would never come. I abandoned that dream, and with the decision came the freedom to enjoy writing again.

I won’t bore you with the details of how the books eventually made it “into the world.” The short version is that my wife, who came to believe in the dream I had given up, willed them into existence using a combination of small press publishers, self-publishing, and finally, the Big Five. After finishing the Riyria Revelations, I never expected to return to the world of Elan. Still, Robin became depressed by the absence of her favorite duo (and so did many of my readers). So I created the Riyria Chronicles to provide some other standalone tales exploring how Royce and Hadrian had met and started working together.

Being a fantasy author, I had created thousands of years of history while building the world of Elan, but only a small fraction of my universe had made it onto the page. Having studied history, I knew there are always a significant difference between how people remember the past and what actually happened. Therefore, the Elan I created consisted of two realities: the truth and a web of lies intertwined with various myths and legends.

And that’s how The Legends of the First Empire series came into being. While Riyria centered on a pair of rogues with complementary skills, Legends focused on an unlikely group of ordinary people born in extraordinary times. Their ability to rise to the occasion ended up steering Elan’s future, even if many of their deeds would become lost to antiquity.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Unlike when I first finished Riyria, I knew that I would return to the world of Elan. In Legends, we begin in what would have been Elan’s Bronze Age, and we see the early formation of the First Great Empire. Having done that, it only made sense to show its eventual fall, which brings us to this series.

The three books are titled Nolyn, Farilane, and Esrahaddon. For those who have read my other stories, two of these names may be familiar. Nolyn is born in Age of War, the son of two of Elan’s most famous historical figures. Esrahaddon makes his rather mysterious appearance in Riyria during Theft of Swords. Truth be told, Farilane is briefly mentioned in both series, although I suspect many won’t remember her. She’s a scholar who is obsessed with history. Like Brin, who wrote the famed Book of Brin, Farilane pens The Migration of Peoples, a foundational historical record about my little invented world.

Now, if you are worried because you’ve never read any of my previous books, please don’t be. I write each of my series to stand independently, and no knowledge of the others is required. That said, if you finish this book and decide to venture further into the world of Elan, you’ll find yourself on an Easter egg hunt where there are various “winks and nods” for people in the know.

Okay, so what is Nolyn about? Well, it begins about eight hundred and fifty years after the Great War and the founding of the First Empire. Humanity is trending away from its barbaric roots and embracing a more sophisticated civilization. But Nolyn’s militaristic father still rules, and who is best suited to lead this emerging culture to its next evolutionary stage is in question.

Like both the Riyria Revelations and Legends of the First Empire, I penned this entire series before releasing the first book. I do this so I can ensure that the story wraps up in a satisfying way. Plus, I have the freedom to go back and add foundations in earlier books when a great idea comes to me later on. Also, writing in this manner means people won’t have to wait years (or decades) for the next installment. The plan is to release the books in the summer at one-year intervals. But for those who want the tales sooner, each title will have a pre-launch using Kickstarter. People who pre-order that way will get the books three to four months before their official retail release.

Before I go, I would like to discuss how I structured this series because it’s not conventional. In most fantasy tales, you follow the same group of characters across multiple books, but The Rise and Fall books are more akin to three standalone novels. As indicated by the titular names, each one focuses on an important figure who lives at a pivotal point in the First Empire’s 2,000-year history.

And with all that said, I’ll take my leave and let you dive into the first book. I want to extend my gratitude to you for giving Nolyn a try. If you haven’t read any of my other stories, I hope that reading this one opens the door to more tales from the world of Elan, of which there are many: six Riyria Revelations, four Riyria Chronicles, and six Legends of the First Empire books. As for reading order, I suggest starting with Age of Myth, since The Legends of the First Empire series and The Rise and Fall have some character cross-over. While you’re doing that, Robin and I will continue to edit and polish the remaining two books. You see, writing the book is only half the battle. There is plenty of work yet to do to ensure that you receive the best stories possible. Hopefully, I’ll see you again in the summer of 2022 for the release of Farilane.

Michael J. Sullivan

March 25, 2021