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beaktastic's review against another edition
5.0
The second book in Michael J. Sullivan's Riyria Chronicles book, but the eighth published Riyria book overall. Another amazing Riyria book. Loved it!
In The Rose and the Thorn, Hadrian and Royce return to Medford, where a year ago they were saved from the brink of death by brothel owner Gwen, whom Royce has since fallen for. On their way they meet landless and penniless viscount Albert Winslow, and the three strike up an agreement to benefit them all. Arriving in Medford though, Hadrian and Royce find that Gwen refuses to see the pair, much to their confusion, and they seek to discover the reasons why and rectify the problem. Meanwhile, at the castle, Reuben Hilfred is about to turn 16 and begin life as a castle guard. He soon makes some unlikely friends and finds himself caught up in an unusual situation, forced to re-consider everything his father told him...
I LOVED this book. I've read all the previous Riyria books (the entire Riyria Revelations series as well as The Crown Tower), and I loved this chance to revisit the world and characters I'd come to love. Again it was a good, enjoyable adventure in itself, and even if you haven't read the entire Riyria Revelations, and just read The Crown Tower (or even just this book maybe...) it's still really enjoyable. Sullivan still throws in a few little hints that veterans of the books will enjoy, hinting at things that happen later without revealing everything to readers new to the series, which I think is best and works well.
Being set in Medford and featuring more characters that I knew from Riyria Revelations made me enjoy this book more than The Crown Tower I think, just because of the familiarity. I just settled into the story a lot quicker this time around and I loved being back with Riyria.
It was nice to see Hadrian and Royce's continuing and developing relationship. They've obviously become a lot closer since the events of The Crown Tower and it's nice to see this friendship and respect developing. They still are not at the same level of easy friendship and partnership from the Riyria Revelations, but you can see it starting to develop, whilst they still admit they don't entirely know each other or fully understand each other. It's nice to see this slowly happening, but I also enjoyed seeing them a bit closer as I know them from books later chronologically.
Like The Crown Tower, The Rose and the Thorn features another important past event that is mentioned several times in Riyria Revelations but we don't see, and so it was nice to see this lived out and fleshed out in this book, as a veteran reader. It was still really good and exciting for new readers as well I'm sure, possibly more so as they would not have known the outcome of the events in the same way that I did.
I'd be interested to hear more of what new readers to the series, who haven't read Revelations, thought of it and if foresaw/foresee any future twists that might happen in the books, as obviously I was already aware of them.
I enjoyed looking for these little hints and references to future books though, it made reading these books really enjoyable and exciting for a fan of the series like me. And also,
Overall, an amazing read and a great adventure. It was a great read for a veteran of the series, full of hidden references, but also a enjoyable romp for those new to the series as well. A step up from The Crown Tower in my opinion. I loved it!
In The Rose and the Thorn, Hadrian and Royce return to Medford, where a year ago they were saved from the brink of death by brothel owner Gwen, whom Royce has since fallen for. On their way they meet landless and penniless viscount Albert Winslow, and the three strike up an agreement to benefit them all. Arriving in Medford though, Hadrian and Royce find that Gwen refuses to see the pair, much to their confusion, and they seek to discover the reasons why and rectify the problem. Meanwhile, at the castle, Reuben Hilfred is about to turn 16 and begin life as a castle guard. He soon makes some unlikely friends and finds himself caught up in an unusual situation, forced to re-consider everything his father told him...
I LOVED this book. I've read all the previous Riyria books (the entire Riyria Revelations series as well as The Crown Tower), and I loved this chance to revisit the world and characters I'd come to love. Again it was a good, enjoyable adventure in itself, and even if you haven't read the entire Riyria Revelations, and just read The Crown Tower (or even just this book maybe...) it's still really enjoyable. Sullivan still throws in a few little hints that veterans of the books will enjoy, hinting at things that happen later without revealing everything to readers new to the series, which I think is best and works well.
Being set in Medford and featuring more characters that I knew from Riyria Revelations made me enjoy this book more than The Crown Tower I think, just because of the familiarity. I just settled into the story a lot quicker this time around and I loved being back with Riyria.
It was nice to see Hadrian and Royce's continuing and developing relationship. They've obviously become a lot closer since the events of The Crown Tower and it's nice to see this friendship and respect developing. They still are not at the same level of easy friendship and partnership from the Riyria Revelations, but you can see it starting to develop, whilst they still admit they don't entirely know each other or fully understand each other. It's nice to see this slowly happening, but I also enjoyed seeing them a bit closer as I know them from books later chronologically.
Spoiler
It was also nice seeing a bit more of Dark Royce. Scary!Like The Crown Tower, The Rose and the Thorn features another important past event that is mentioned several times in Riyria Revelations but we don't see, and so it was nice to see this lived out and fleshed out in this book, as a veteran reader. It was still really good and exciting for new readers as well I'm sure, possibly more so as they would not have known the outcome of the events in the same way that I did.
I'd be interested to hear more of what new readers to the series, who haven't read Revelations, thought of it and if foresaw/foresee any future twists that might happen in the books, as obviously I was already aware of them.
I enjoyed looking for these little hints and references to future books though, it made reading these books really enjoyable and exciting for a fan of the series like me. And also,
Spoiler
I wonder if I'm the only one who looks out for more hints akin to the whole Kine twist that occurred at the end of Heir of Novron? Haha.Overall, an amazing read and a great adventure. It was a great read for a veteran of the series, full of hidden references, but also a enjoyable romp for those new to the series as well. A step up from The Crown Tower in my opinion. I loved it!
belkissmisa's review against another edition
4.0
either 3.75 or 4. I'm not sure yet
I loved this book and everything that happend with Hadrian and Royce but at the same I didn't enjoy Reuben's chapters.
I loved this book and everything that happend with Hadrian and Royce but at the same I didn't enjoy Reuben's chapters.
stepriot's review against another edition
2.0
This book makes me pretty uncomfortable with Royce being anything like a protagonist in any of the other books. I may have to go back and read Revelations again because I remembered him as an antihero, not a less humorous Jorg Ancrath. I'm glad I read Revelations first because I'm not seeing a single reason to keep thinking this character is worth investing in. He's presented with such an obvious purpose it is hard to suspend any disbelief. There are a slew of problems with this book, but I find Royce's actions to be incompatible with the storyline that follows.
*spoiler for Rose and Thorn only* Glockta and Jorg are characters who can be cruel and still likeable because there's no intention of redemption. You can't have someone with such an illustrious career as a monster then tell me, sorry he had a bad upbringing and a now he'll change and be a hero. Glockta does heroic things but he's an asshole consistently. None of his actions contradicted his nature. Jorge is a monster and sometimes does things that happen to benefit others, but he's consistently all about Jorg. Royce is straight up serial killer and you want me to think he's a sacred object worth saving? He didn't get carried away a time or two, that we can somehow forgive in a book. His job didn't require occasional acts of dispassionate brutality. He's fucking BTK and you are asking me to root for him. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to see past that. Not to mention Hadrian I-feel-so-much-regret-for-all-of-my-killing Blackwater just shrugging the whole thing off like its a perfectly normal and reasonable response to provocation. That's all very weird and not in the good eldritch way.
*spoiler for Rose and Thorn only* Glockta and Jorg are characters who can be cruel and still likeable because there's no intention of redemption. You can't have someone with such an illustrious career as a monster then tell me, sorry he had a bad upbringing and a now he'll change and be a hero. Glockta does heroic things but he's an asshole consistently. None of his actions contradicted his nature. Jorge is a monster and sometimes does things that happen to benefit others, but he's consistently all about Jorg. Royce is straight up serial killer and you want me to think he's a sacred object worth saving? He didn't get carried away a time or two, that we can somehow forgive in a book. His job didn't require occasional acts of dispassionate brutality. He's fucking BTK and you are asking me to root for him. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to see past that. Not to mention Hadrian I-feel-so-much-regret-for-all-of-my-killing Blackwater just shrugging the whole thing off like its a perfectly normal and reasonable response to provocation. That's all very weird and not in the good eldritch way.
iono's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, and Torture
Moderate: Sexism, Misogyny, and Violence
Minor: Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Child abuse, Confinement, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
baldwinme40's review against another edition
3.0
probably more like 3.5 - this is not to say that I didn't squeal with delight at certain parts or get really engaged and yell at certain characters!
but for contemporary fiction I am incapable of shutting down the feminist center of my brain and demanding that at least one female character have any shred of agency. we know you can do it, considering Gwen's arc in the last book! come onnn!
also not over how the 16 y/o boy had a crush on a 12-year-old and nobody said anything. i mean obvs medieval values place different weight on age and you could easily argue that he was just idealizing her as the princess and not actually attracted to her but iiihhhh still not exactly okay imo
still gonna keep going with the series. I've officially adopted royce and hadrian now they're my sons i have to see this through
but for contemporary fiction I am incapable of shutting down the feminist center of my brain and demanding that at least one female character have any shred of agency. we know you can do it, considering Gwen's arc in the last book! come onnn!
also not over how the 16 y/o boy had a crush on a 12-year-old and nobody said anything. i mean obvs medieval values place different weight on age and you could easily argue that he was just idealizing her as the princess and not actually attracted to her but iiihhhh still not exactly okay imo
still gonna keep going with the series. I've officially adopted royce and hadrian now they're my sons i have to see this through
piamikaela's review against another edition
5.0
it's always so enjoyable revisiting riyria-- royce and hadrian are unforgettable. the best prequels are those that keep you engaged even when you already know what's to happen, and sullivan just doesn't disappoint.
vosteguin09's review against another edition
4.0
includes one of my favorite scenes from the Riyria books so far. Royce going apeshit AND mastermind??? Love that man