Drumindor by Michael J. Sullivan – Review

Published: October 21, 2024

Publisher: Riyria Enterprises, LLC

Series: Riyria Chronicles #5

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 626 (Kindle)

My Rating: 4 Stars

Synopsis:
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 craftsman dwarf is fired and threatens retaliation, the rogues-for-hire enterprise known as Riyria is commissioned to stop him. Traveling to the paradise resort of Tur Del Fur, the two are granted a lavish allowance that, along with an easy task, promises to turn a job into a vacation. Everything would have been perfect except that the disgruntled worker’s last name is Berling, and the targets of his wrath are the legendary towers of Drumindor.

Welcome to the fifth installment of The Riyria Chronicles, from Michael J. Sullivan, the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. This is the eleventh book starring the cynical ex-assassin Royce Melborn and the idealistic ex-mercenary Hadrian Blackwater. While part of a much larger tale, this novel is written such that you can enjoy it even if you’ve not read any of the other books in the series. But for those who are fans of the pair, it’s been over six years since we last saw them, and we’re hoping you’ll be pleased to be reunited. Either way, we hope you enjoy this adventure!

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Ever since picking up the Riyria Revelations I’ve been horribly curious about the events surrounding the Drumindor job. Royce’s hatred for dwarves is well known and this book goes a long way in explaining exactly why he despises the diminutive craftsmen. Not only have I been curious about this particular job, but it was a treat to read a new story following Royce and Hadrian after so many years with other characters in the world of Elan.

As one can deduce from the title, the majority of the book is spent near Drumindor, specifically in Tur Del Fur, a gorgeous coastal city filled with food and entertainment and a surprising amount of diversity (elves, dwarves, humans and even some goblins all coexist fairly peacefully). To truly get things started though, we must back up to where the job begins. Royce has just completed a job that didn’t result in the death he thought it might have, but did end in the death of a strange red-headed man who showed up and started asking about a book. The duo return to Medford, meeting up with Gwen, Albert, and surprisingly, Professor Arcadius who seems to have some sort of motive of his own for tagging along to Tur Del Fur. Unfortunately for Royce, the red-headed man shows up again on the journey to the coast but surely, with his head removed from his body he couldn’t possibly keep up with them now…

Even though the group are treating the Drumindor job as a nice vacation opportunity, there is work to be done. Royce and Hadrian are supposed to be tracking down a dwarf that was recently fired from his lifelong post at Drumindor and has been threatening to break in and sabotage the fortress. That being said, the majority of the book is actually focused on our group of characters and their relationships. Royce and Gwen and finally moving into the same orbit after secretly harboring feelings for one another for years. Hadrian continues to look for love, though admittedly it’s unsuccessful. While I did enjoy this, it almost slowed the pace of the story too much for my taste. I kept wondering when things would finally start to happen – where was the action? Well, rest assured the pace does pick up substantially but not until near the very end of the book.

Overall, I enjoyed Drumindor and was intrigued by how some older legends were being tied into the Riyria stories. This wasn’t my favorite of all the stories set in Elan, but it did leave me wanting to do an eventual re-read of the Riyria Revelations so I can fully appreciate that part of the story once again. As always Tim Gerard Reynolds did a spectacular job with his narration and I will always recommend the audiobooks of both the Riyria Chronicles and Revelations.