"Orbit is pleased to announce that it has acquired the six-book Riyria Revelations series by author Michael J. Sullivan, in a six-figure deal with agent Teri Tobias of the Teri Tobias Agency LLC. Orbit will be publishing the six titles as three two-book omnibuses in consecutive months in Fall/Winter 2011-2012. The first volume, Theft of Swords, will be published in November 2011; the second volume, Rise of Empire, in December 2011, and the final volume, Heir of Novron, in January 2012.
Senior Editor Devi Pillai says: “This is the kind of fabulous new adventure fantasy that readers of Terry Brooks and Brent Weeks can fall in love with. Michael really delivers a great story that keeps to the idea of great epic fantasy while taking on fantasy clichés and having fun with the idea of two thieves caught in the wrong place, at the wrong time. I read the first book – and I was hooked.”
Michael J. Sullivan says: “"I couldn't be happier to have The Riyria Revelations released by Orbit. Of all the fantasy imprints, they have shown an unsurpassed eye for quality and I'm both excited and humbled to be included in a select group of authors as talented as Brent Weeks, Gail Carriger, and so many others."
The first book in the saga, The Crown Conspiracy, was self-published through Ridan Publishing, a company started by Sullivan’s wife. He’s been a Kindle bestseller in historical fantasy ever since.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, Michael J. Sullivan has lived in Vermont, North Carolina, and Virginia. He worked as a commercial artist and illustrator, founding his own advertising agency in 1996, which he closed in 2005 to pursue writing full-time. He currently resides in Fairfax, Virginia with his wife and three children."
Congratulations to Mr. Sullivan!Here are the FBC reviews of all five volumes so far:
Read FBC Review of The Crown Conspiracy
Read FBC Review of Avempartha
Read FBC Review of Nypron Rising
Read FBC Review of The Emerald Storm
Read FBC Review of Wintertide
Edit 2/23: As noted in comments Mr. Sullivan has a blog post about the announcement, discussing the issue of the 6th volume and in the comments there it is noted that while indeed the last book will be published in early 2012 rather than the expected Spring 2011, Orbit is looking into issuing it as a single volume too in addition to being part of omnibus 3 together with Wintertide, so people who have the first five volumes complete the set. I do not know how the issue will be addressed logistically since short print runs are quite expensive and POD is still in infancy, so it may be done only electronically, but it's good to know that people are listening to readers' concerns!
I also would like to note that while sure, I would have loved to have Percepliquis this spring, the delay is of the order of 8-9 months which is nothing in the traditional publishing slowly moving business model, however much it seems for us used to the fast moving internet world and I am very happy that the series has a chance to get the wide audience it deserves.