The Death of Dulgath

Praise for Michael J. Sullivan

“This epic fantasy showcases the arrival of a master storyteller.”
— Library Journal on Theft of Swords

“A delightful, entertaining and page-turning read that reminds us just how enjoyable, and how good The Riyria Revelations series is. A must-buy for all fantasy lovers.”
— The Founding Fields on Rise of Empire

“Heir of Novron is the conclusion to the Riyria Revelations, cementing it in a position as a new classic of modern fantasy: traditional in setting, but extremely unconventional in, well, everything else.”
— Drying Ink on Heir of Novron

“Snappy banter, desperate stakes, pulse pounding sword play, and good old fashioned heroics are all on full display here.”
— 52 Book Reviews on The Crown Tower

“With less gore and a smaller cast of characters than George R.R. Martin’s “Song of Ice & Fire” but equally satisfying, Sullivan’s epic fantasy will be gaining fans at exponential rates.”
— Library Journal on The Rose and the Thorn

“This is social science fiction that H.G. Wells or Isaac Asimov could have written, with the cultural touchstones of today. A modernized classic, Hollow World is the perfect novel for both new and nostalgic science fiction readers.”
— Staffer’s Book Reviews on Hollow World

 
Death of Dulgath Copyright © 2015 by Michael J. Sullivan
Cover Illustration © 2015 Marc Simonetti
Cover design & maps © 2015 Michael J. Sullivan
The Methuselah Treatment © 2015 T. C. Powell
Published by Riyria Enterprises, LLC
The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental
and not intended by the author. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the copying, scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book (other than for
review purposes) without permission is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from this book, prior written
permission can be obtained by contacting the author at
[email protected]
. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
ebook Version 1.02 - October 2015
978-1-943363-02-5 — Hardcover
978-1-943363-01-8 — Trade Paperback
978-1-943363-00-1 — e-book
978-1-943363-05-6 — Limited Edition Hardcover
978-1-943363-06-3 — Rare Edition Hardcover
All rights reserved.
Learn more about Michael’s writing at
www.riyria.com
To contact Michael, email him at
[email protected]
.
MICHAEL’S NOVELS INCLUDE:
The First Empire Series:
Age of Myth
 • 
Age of Swords
 • 
Age of War
 • 
Age of Legends
 • 
Age of Empire
The Riyria Revelations:
Theft of Swords
 • 
Rise of Empire
 • 
Heir of Novron
The Riyria Chronicles:
The Crown Tower
 • 
The Rose and the Thorn
 • 
The Death of Dulgath
Standalone Titles:
Hollow World

About The Death of Dulgath
(from the back cover)
 
Three times they tried to kill her. Then a professional was hired. So was Riyria.

When the last member of the oldest noble family in Avryn is targeted for assassination, Riyria’s Royce and Hadrian are hired to foil the plot. Three years have passed since Hadrian, the war-weary mercenary, and Royce, the cynical ex-assassin, joined forces to become rogues-for-hire. All has gone well until they’re asked to help prevent a murder. Now they must venture into an ancient corner of the world to save a mysterious woman who knows more about Royce than is safe and cares less about herself than is sane.

From the best-selling author of the Riyria novels comes the third installment of The Riyria Chronicles. Although part of a series, it’s designed to thrill both new readers looking for a fun, fast-paced fantasy and Riyria veterans wishing to reunite with old friends. For those wishing to experience the entire Riyria saga, two reading options exist:

 
Publication Order:
Theft of Swords
•
Rise of Empire
•
Heir of Novron
•
The Crown Tower
•
The Rose and the Thorn
•
The Death of Dulgath
Chronological Order:
The Crown Tower
•
The Rose and the Thorn
•
The Death of Dulgath
•
Theft of Swords
•
Rise of Empire
•
Heir of Novron

Works by Michael J. Sullivan

Novels
The First Empire
Age of Myth
(June 2016)
 • Age of Swords • Age of War • Age of Legends • Age of Empire
The Riyria Revelations
Theft of Swords
(
The Crown Conspiracy
and
Avempartha
)
Rise of Empire
(
Nyphron Rising
and
The Emerald Storm
)
Heir of Novron
(
Wintertide
and
Percepliquis
)
The Riyria Chronicles
The Crown Tower
The Rose and the Thorn
The Death of Dulgath
Standalone Novels
Hollow World

Anthologies
Unfettered:
The Jester
Unbound:
The Game
Unfettered II
: Little Wren and the Big Forest
Blackguards:
Professional Integrity
The End: Visions of the Apocalypse:
Burning Alexandria
Triumph Over Tragedy:
Traditions
The Fantasy Faction Anthology:
Autumn Mists
Help Fund My Robot Army:
Be Careful What You Wish For

Author’s Note
 

I’ve been locked in a room for over two-and-a-half years, the only light—the soft glow of a computer screen. That’s how I remember it, anyway. After finishing
Hollow World
, I began working on what was supposed to be a trilogy called The First Empire. Three books became five, and two-and-a-half years slipped away.

Readers of The Riyria Chronicles began requesting book three immediately after
The Rose and Thorn
’s release in September 2013. The Chronicles—previously expected to be a flop because prequels are the third rail of publishing—did surprisingly well. I apologize to everyone who has been anxiously awaiting this book, but at least the wait is over!

If you are new to the Riyria stories, you certainly can start with this book. The first two Riyria Chronicles told the origin story of how Royce and Hadrian met. With that tale told, this book was freed to tell a standalone adventure. If you do want to read other Riyria novels, then you should know there are two different ways you can approach the saga.

 
Publication Order:
Theft of Swords
•
Rise of Empire
•
Heir of Novron
•
The Crown Tower
•
The Rose and the Thorn
•
The Death of Dulgath
Chronological Order:
The Crown Tower
•
The Rose and the Thorn
•
The Death of Dulgath
•
Theft of Swords
•
Rise of Empire
•
Heir of Novron
 

Personally, I prefer order of publication, but I’ve heard from people who have read chronologically and they’ve been equally pleased with the experience.

If you are wondering if there will be a next Royce and Hadrian story, the answer is: I just don’t know. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I’m protective of the duo and would rather have them leave early than stay too long. Because of that, I never know if there will be more until after a Chronicle’s release. If you want to advocate for more, by all means drop me an email. Even if you don’t, you can still reach out. I always love hearing from people. My address is:
[email protected]
.

One of the really cool things about this project was the ability to showcase an aspiring writer’s work. We asked for submissions from anyone and everyone. I sifted through 176 entries and narrowed it down to fifteen good stories. From there it went to the final three. Robin helped me decide on the winner. I wish all of them could have been included—each one was deserving. In today’s super-saturated world of publishing, exposure often makes the difference between success and failure. Robin and I hope that you’ll like the story we’ve included, and if you do, please look for more from T.C. Powell and help spread the word.

One last thing I should mention. If you are interested in learning more about the novel creation process, I’ve created an e-book entitled:
The Making of the Death of Dulgath
. It’s free, so just drop me an email at the address above. Some people might find the process interesting.

Now turn the page, tap the screen, or adjust the volume. Old friends are waiting to take you on a new adventure.

 
Thanks for all the amazing support.
Michael J. Sullivan
October 2015

To 1,876 generous backers
and one amazingly supportive woman.
I couldn’t have done it without you.

Maps

It is difficult to get high resolution maps to show up well on some e-reader devices. For this reason, there are high resolution copies of the maps online, which you can reference at your pleasure.They can be found at:
http://www.michaelsullivan-author.com/maps.html
. You can also access them at the following links:
Map of Elan
|
Details of Dulgath Region
.
 

 
Detail Map of the area where
The Death of Dulgath
takes place.