Drumindor
Riyria Chronicles, Book 5
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Drumindor
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Narrated by:
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Tim Gerard Reynolds
About this listen
HE PLANNED TO OBLITERATE AN ENTIRE CITY. HE THOUGHT NO ONE COULD STAND IN HIS WAY. BUT HE HADN'T HEARD OF RIYRIA.
When a master-craftsmen dwarf is fired, he threatens retaliation. The rogues-for-hire known as Riyria are commissioned to find and stop him. Traveling to the paradise resort of Tur Del Fur, the two are granted a lavish allowance that, along with the easy job, promises to turn the trip into a vacation.
Everything would have been perfect except that the disgruntled employee’s last name is Berling and the target of his wrath is the legendary towers of Drumindor.
It's been more than five years since the last adventure with Royce Melborn (a cynical ex-assassin) and Hadrian Blackwater (an idealistic ex-mercenary), a pair whose bonds of friendship are bound with blood. This is the 20th novel based in the world of Elan and the fifth in the Riyria Chronicle series.
©2024 Michael J. Sullivan (P)2024 Recorded BooksListeners also enjoyed...
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Royce and Hadrian Rule!!
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Made me laugh out loud and smile many times.
Great to get to know some of the other characters better too. Superbly read by Tim Gerard Reynolds as always. Love anything by this author.
Great light hearted adventure
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Did not disappoint
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Our heroes, Royce and Hadrian, are hired to go to the city of Tur Del Fur, which sits on the steep coast next to Drumindor, an ancient fort that acts to keep a lid on volcanic emissions. A disgruntled dwarf is threatening sabotage and Riyria are to track him down and stop him. Along for the ride come three of the supporting characters, Gwen, Albert, and (bizarrely) Arcadius.
What we get is a fun plot that shifts between priorities, and subplots, and character arcs against the backdrop of this fantasy world's Mediterranean-style luxury resort town (Sullivan conveys a Monaco/South-of-France/ Italian Riviera feeling). The dialogue and banter is sharp and, of course, you're only reading this 10th book with Royce and Hadrian in because you love them!
Yet it felt to me at times that Michael has tried to cram too much in. We get story arcs for Royce, for Hadrian, but also for Gwen, and for Royce and Gwen. Then we have Arcadius and Albert soaking up space, plus some old characters popping up, plus several chapters of the dwarf Gravis Berling as a POV character. Add to this Michael's penchant for lore and world-building, especially here for dwarf history, lots of comments about technology, culture, general world trivia, nostalgia, references to prior novels, perhaps nods to his other series set in this world's past... and it chokes the pace. Even as we head into the finale quarter we get (useful but slow) lore dumps that kill the escalation. To use a TTRPG comparison there's lots of shopping episode here, or padding as TV series would call it.
Of course, ultimately there's pay off. The conclusion is great. We love Royce and Hadrian all the more, and get more depth for them both. But perhaps for the first time in a Riyira book I felt it dragged.
Four stars nonetheless, and I hope we will visit them again in a couple of years
Solid installment, if over long
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Brilliant
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