Wintertide
core novel 2010 Riyria / Legends of the First Empire
Record
| First published | 2010 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 4.46 (12,457 ratings, collected 2026-09-13) |
| Page count | 317 |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780982514580 |
| Internal chronology | 10 |
Synopsis
The fifth book of the Riyria Revelations centers on the high holiday of Wintertide, when the New Empire plans to publicly execute two prisoners and force the Empress into an arranged marriage intended to consolidate imperial power. Royce and Hadrian's ongoing search for the long-lost Heir of Novron complicates the empire's plans, as their efforts threaten to undermine the legitimacy the marriage is meant to secure. As the holiday approaches, the pair must race against time to intervene before the executions and the wedding can be carried out, while political factions within the empire maneuver for advantage around the looming ceremonies. The book follows the mounting pressure on all sides as Wintertide itself draws near.
Where it sits
- Universe: Riyria / Legends of the First Empire
- Series: The Riyria Revelations core; position 5 of 6 in the series' recorded order
- Author: Michael J. Sullivan
Notes
- From the series record (The Riyria Revelations): True first editions are the 2008-2011 self-published novels (Ridan Publishing, run by the author's wife Robin Sullivan), the 3-omnibus repackaging commonly seen today (Theft of Swords, Rise of Empire, Heir of Novron, Orbit Books, 2011-2012) is a LATER combination of these 6 originals, not the first edition. Robin Sullivan is the publisher/business partner, not a co-author, on any title.
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings and are never conflated: a book's place in one says nothing about its place in the other.
- Publication order, within the series The Riyria Revelations: position 5 of 6: previous The Emerald Storm (2010) · next Percepliquis (2011)
- Internal chronology, within Riyria / Legends of the First Empire: position 19 of 20: previous Esrahaddon (2023) · next Percepliquis (2011)
Sources
← Riyria / Legends of the First Empire dossier · All universes
Part of the Library. Fields without an identified source are omitted, never guessed.