RISE OF EMPIRE

Royce watched the courier ride out of sight before taking off his imperial uniform. Turning to face Hadrian, he said, “Well, that wasn’t so hard.”

“Will?” Hadrian asked as the two slipped into the forest.

Royce nodded. “Remember yesterday you complained that you’d rather be an actor? I was giving you a part: Will, the Imperial Checkpoint Sentry. I thought you did rather well with the role.”

“You know, you don’t need to mock all my ideas.” Hadrian frowned as he pulled his own tabard over his head. “Besides, I still think we should consider it. We could travel from town to town performing in dramatic plays, even a few comedies.” Hadrian gave his smaller partner an appraising look. “Though maybe you should stick to drama—perhaps tragedies.”

Royce glared back.

“What? I think I would make a superb actor. I see myself as a dashing leading man. We could definitely land parts in The Crown Conspiracy. I’ll play the handsome swordsman that fights the villain, and you—well, you can be the other one.”

BY MICHAEL J. SULLIVAN

The Riyria Revelations

Theft of Swords

Rise of Empire

Heir of Novron

COPYRIGHT

Published by Hachette Digital

ISBN: 978-0-748-13136-5

All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright © 2011 by Michael J. Sullivan
(Nyphron Rising © 2009 and The Emerald Storm © 2010)
Map by Michael J. Sullivan

Excerpt from Heir of Novron by Michael J. Sullivan
Copyright © 2011 by Michael J. Sullivan

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

Hachette Digital

Little, Brown Book Group

100 Victoria Embankment

London, EC4Y 0DY

To Robin, for breathing life into Amilia,
giving comfort to Modina, and saving
two others from death

To the members of goodreads.com and
the book blogging community, both of which
have supported the series and invited
others to join the adventure

And to the members of the Arlington
Writers Group, for their generous support,
assistance, and feedback

CONTENTS

Rise of Empire

By Michael J. Sullivan

Copyright

BOOK III

Nyphron Rising

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

BOOK IV

The Emerald Storm

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Glossary of Terms and Names

Extras

About the Author

Heir of Novron

Chapter 1: Aquesta

KNOWN REGIONS OF THE WORLD OF ELAN

Estrendor: Northern wastes

Erivan Empire: Elvenlands

Apeladorn: Nations of man

Ba Ran Archipelago: Islands of goblins

Westerlands: Western wastes

Dacca: Isle of south men

NATIONS OF APELADORN

Avryn: Central wealthy kingdoms

Trent: Northern mountainous kingdoms

Calis: Southeastern tropical region ruled by warlords

Delgos: Southern republic

KINGDOMS OF AVRYN