Scope in Epic Fantasy: Thoughts on Riyria Revelations

I first picked up Michael J. Sullivan's Theft of Swords in January, and zoomed through it once I found that the difference between epic and dark fantasy is murky at best. My definition before ToS was that dark fantasy constituted what I had read in the anthology Swords & Dark Magic, a gateway for me to many beloved authors (Glen Cook and Joe Abercrombie, to name my favorites). I formulated a loose definition that dark fantasy needed to handle issues with a gritty but ambiguous tone, wicked humor, and slice and dice combat for flavor and action. It was like dark fantasy had become the fantastic equivalent to the thriller (Bond, James Patterson heroes, etc.).

The problem with any kind of constraints on a genre is that there are inevitably examples outside that definition, and I do believe that if a term or concept is going to be defined, you have to account for those exceptions. Michael J. Sullivan helped take down my own "neat" delineation between epic and dark fantasy. ToS is a combined edition of The Crown Conspiracy and Avempartha, and there is a lot of plot ground to cover. The first half of ToS introduced Hadrian Blackwater and Royce Melbourn, two mercs who make up Riyria (a famed pair within the world), and are set up to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and therefore take the blame for a regicide. The main plot whether or not Hadrian and Royce could clear their names, clean up on another job they had taken, and restore the crown prince to his rightful place. Although other characters vie for attention, and the reader gets other perspectives, Hadrian and Royce are unarguably the protagonists.

The Crown Conspiracy is where Sullivan's writing glowed brilliantly for me, from the introduction and dynamic between Hadrian and Royce, to the initial setup of the plot. All of the characters from the initial story are likable, ambiguous in motive, and in general trying to ram the gears of their machinations over the obstacles around them. Sullivan described the setting deftly, setting a countryside simmering in unrest and with danger around every corner. Having now read Rise of Empire, I realize I appreciated how the scope was narrow, even though at the time of reading it felt monumental. It was set in Melengar, which is said later in the series to be a tiny, even isolated country, but during Conspiracy, Melengar was the jewel all of the characters were competing for.

Conspiracy gave way to Avempartha, which had some of the same fun as reading Conspiracy, but not to the same degree. When Hadrian and Royce travel to a different country and take up official roles within Melengar, I had a creeping feeling that they were losing their way from the original mercs-with-honor role. Having just finished Rise of Empire, I can appreciate how this is probably to show maturation and depth in Riyria. I like Riyria enough to ride through any doubts Hadrian and Royce have about each other and themselves, but I definitely missed the seamless loyalty and fun they had in Conspiracy. Especially RoE, Hadrian and Royce's partner- and friendship began to feel forced. 

Avempartha laid ground for all of the characters (Princess Arista, Thrace, etc.) to get caught up in the fate the world in RoE. Hadrian and Royce get to fight and save people, and it's clear that although they officially work for the king of Melengar, their roles are still unclear. There begin to be lots of weird moments where people and things from Conspiracy catch up to Riyria, like conflicts with the Church (pseudo Catholicism at its best) and the ancient wizard Esrahaddon. Although these elements moved the plot along, I felt like they were distraction or simple obstacles for Riyria to overcome, instead of tenacious ideas that develop even more further into the series.

I could feel in Avempartha, that while I enjoyed it, it definitely wasn't Conspiracy. Having just finished RoE, it felt like those distractions that overwhelmed the plot. RoE focuses far more on developing other characters and subplots than on Riyria themselves, and the partnership between Hadrian and Royce gets strained immensely. By the end of RoE, I was ready to throw in the towel, too. I probably will finish the rest of the Riyria Revelations out of loyalty to Conspiracy. I may not have done the story justice in this post, but there were other aspects of the Riyria Revelations that buzzed in my head.

My first reaction to Conspiracy was that despite the dudes-with-swords photographic cover favored by dark fantasy, the story felt a lot like epic fantasy. Violence was present, yes, but it wasn't graphic in nature. We had dark, cynical, and jaded in Riyria (particularly in Royce), but omnipotent narration kept the darkness from feeling overwhelming or even ever-present as it does in other dark fantasy. Although Hadrian and Royce are technically scoundrels in the sense that they don't earn a conventional living, they're aware of it (especially Hadrian) and unlike in dark fantasy narratives, they don't see this a horrible reflection of society. Instead, the partnership of Royce and Hadrian feels like Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead--they constantly exchange jokes and wry asides, and their interactions are flawless. While the plots of the books center around conspiracy, there's a pervasive sense of optimism that proves to be correct, mostly.

So the Riyria Revelations aren't dark fantasy, but it's not your typical epic fantasy fare, either. I came to enjoy how I could get the same action and wicked humor of dark fantasy without having to read about how some dude's intestines decorated the cobblestones after a deft swing of a short sword (and that's a rather mild example). I think part of the reason why I felt dragged down in RoE was the fact that Hadrian and Royce developed more of a pessimistic and bleak outlook, and it just seemed rather foreign to their story. Even though RoE definitely had more swashbuckling adventure, once it left the scope of Melengar, the story seemed to come derailed.

In a recent post on the r/fantasy sub-Reddit, Sullivan talked about how Conspiracy/Theft of Swords was meant to seem simple, so that he could add layers of complexity in the plot as the books went further. For me, it read as more of a transition into more orthodox dark fantasy, particularly in the political themes, mental instability of various characters (not just Modina), and wanton death. The Riyria books are finished and I'm not certain Sullivan will return to them with his new venture into science fiction, but I will miss the unabashed fun of The Crown Conspiracy. I don't know the fates of Hadrian and Royce (although RoE hints several times at a potentially dark ending), but Sullivan at least helped develop respect for contemporary epic fantasy to go alongside my penchant for grimdark.