This review will apply to the entire series, since I read them all in one fell swoop and simply could not stop to distinguish one book from the next. 
 The only time I can recall reading fantasy this good, it was The Name of the Wind. I adored Hadrian and Royce from the start. Interspersed in their epic sword fights and suspenseful sneaking about, they have a priceless banter between them that is hilarious and endearing. They complement each other perfectly both in ability and in personality. A classic "bromance" that is endlessly entertaining and heartfelt. 
 The secondary characters are just as enjoyable. Arista and Thrace in particular manage to be strong, admirable women, without picking up a sword and trying to be a man. It's rare to see an author, especially a male author, who can create such strong female characters without compromising their femininity, but they never do. Our villains are not truly evil, either. They are misguided certainly, heartless of course, but there were times when I almost agreed with their aims. Just as Hadrian and Royce are good people who make a living doing evil, our villains are conflicted as well. 
 The world is not that unique, in the strictest sense. Sullivan did not set out to reinvent the fantasy wheel. He has his nations and geography, certainly, with the races you would expect: dwarves, elves, goblins. Where he makes this work unique is with the relationships and history between each race and each nation. Somehow I never had the feeling of an "information dump," but I learned a complex and fascinating history of this world. It's gradually revealed in such a way that you never feel overwhelmed or lectured, it simply becomes a part of your knowledge. 
 The way Sullivan writes becomes almost visual. Your eyes are moving over the words, but they flow so well it starts to play like a movie in your head. It's an intensely enjoyable reading experience. I couldn't read these fast enough. 
 The only thing I didn't love about these books was that they had to end. So far I haven't found anything else good enough to follow them. If you like fantasy in the slightest, these are absolutely not to be missed!