Michael J. Sullivan Announces New Series
Michael J. Sullivan's upcoming series *Out of the Ashes* (After the Fall #1), co-authored with Lorian Ellis, is scheduled for release on August 3, 2026. The post-apocalyptic fantasy already holds a 4.33 Goodreads rating from early reviewers and may appeal to fans of Sanderson's blend of action, lore, and character-driven narratives.
- The *After the Fall* series is set in the world of Elan, the same universe as Sullivan's other fantasy series, including *The Riyria Revelations* and *Legends of the First Empire*. It is chronologically positioned after the events of *The Rise and Fall* trilogy, following the destruction of the capital city of Percepliquis. - This series marks Sullivan's first major collaboration. Co-author Lorian Ellis is a debut novelist who was mentored by Sullivan after she sent him an email expressing admiration for his work. - *Out of the Ashes* is the first of a planned trilogy. The subsequent books are titled *Into the Darkness* and *Between Two Evils*. - Unlike Sullivan's usual process of completing a whole series before publishing the first book, the *After the Fall* books will be released as they are written, though each is promised to have a conclusive ending. - The plot will follow three central characters as they navigate the collapse of the Novronian Empire and will feature the return of the wizard Esrahaddon, a key figure from a previous series. - Sullivan is a prolific user of Kickstarter to fund his novels and at one point held 5 of the top 10 spots for most-funded fiction projects on the platform. *Out of the Ashes* will also be launched via a Kickstarter campaign. - Sullivan originally began writing his first series, *The Riyria Revelations*, to help his daughter who was struggling with dyslexia. That series was initially self-published and sold 90,000 copies before being picked up by Orbit Books.