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4.26 AVERAGE
4.26 AVERAGE
4.25/5. Yesterday I finished 'The Rose and the Thorn' and I have a bittersweet feeling. I am happy because I loved the book; but sad because now I only have 2 books left from the Riyria universe. And after 8 books and until Drumindor gets published it already feels like saying goodbye to an old friend.
The Rose and the Thorn is the second book of The Riyria Chronicles, prequel series to The Riyria Revelations. The story follows Hadrian and Royce as they try to find out what happened to their friend Gwen. In doing so, they will find themselves in the middle of a conspirancy that may be more dangerous than they first anticipated.
I think this book is darker than the others and different in terms of pace - most of the action takes place in just a couple of days. The first half is a bit slower, building the characters and setting their inner conflicts, whereas the second has more action. I loved the balance between both parts and, as in all Sullivan's novels, everything wrapped up so nicely.
There was a lot of foreshadowing in the novel and I really enjoyed how some characters that interacted a lot in the Riyria Revelations were so close to meet each other in this story, which takes place around 10 years prior. It is as if destiny was already setting things in motion. We could also see how some key events that are mentioned in the Revelations actually unfolded and get to see how Riyria is born - it is so epic!
Although I would have liked to see more Hadrian and Royce's interactions, I felt the story was incredible and had very interesting themes, such as love, ambition or revenge. The characters were amazing, with a well defined arc. We get to see Hadrian's self doubts, Royce's violence and first hints of a willingness to change, Gwen's kindness and Hilfred's unyielding loyalty.
All in all, this book was amazing to know in depth some key events of the Riyria series and have a better understanding of the characters. I can't wait to read the next one!
The Rose and the Thorn is the second book of The Riyria Chronicles, prequel series to The Riyria Revelations. The story follows Hadrian and Royce as they try to find out what happened to their friend Gwen. In doing so, they will find themselves in the middle of a conspirancy that may be more dangerous than they first anticipated.
I think this book is darker than the others and different in terms of pace - most of the action takes place in just a couple of days. The first half is a bit slower, building the characters and setting their inner conflicts, whereas the second has more action. I loved the balance between both parts and, as in all Sullivan's novels, everything wrapped up so nicely.
There was a lot of foreshadowing in the novel and I really enjoyed how some characters that interacted a lot in the Riyria Revelations were so close to meet each other in this story, which takes place around 10 years prior. It is as if destiny was already setting things in motion. We could also see how some key events that are mentioned in the Revelations actually unfolded and get to see how Riyria is born - it is so epic!
Although I would have liked to see more Hadrian and Royce's interactions, I felt the story was incredible and had very interesting themes, such as love, ambition or revenge. The characters were amazing, with a well defined arc. We get to see Hadrian's self doubts, Royce's violence and first hints of a willingness to change, Gwen's kindness and Hilfred's unyielding loyalty.
All in all, this book was amazing to know in depth some key events of the Riyria series and have a better understanding of the characters. I can't wait to read the next one!
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
SO MANY FEELSSS GOSH, I LOVE THIS SERIES SO MUCH.
the thing gwen told hadrian when he asked her to tell him what she saw in his palm breaks me. having read the revelations, that makes sense to me and damn it hurt. it still does. it makes me wanna just hug the three of them (royce, hadrian, gwen) and tell them everything's gonna be okay at the end.
the thing gwen told hadrian when he asked her to tell him what she saw in his palm breaks me. having read the revelations, that makes sense to me and damn it hurt. it still does. it makes me wanna just hug the three of them (royce, hadrian, gwen) and tell them everything's gonna be okay at the end.
I hope it never ends.
Even though we already know how the story of Royce and Hadrian finishes, the fact that we now have a series of prequels had given us hope. We will likely be able to read about these amazing characters for a few years to come. Sullivan has given us two books already in the Chronicles and has managed to create interesting plots with clear connections to what most of us already read in Revelations. I do have to point out that even though the author says the books can be read in both orders, publication or timeline within the story, I have a marked preference for reading them in order of publication. While I was reading this book I was thinking how I would perceive the story if I had not read Revelations yet, and how this book would have affected my reading of the trilogy. I came to the clear conclusion that starting with the prequel is not the best idea.
In this installment, we get to find out more about the origins on the plot to kill the king of Medford and also about the childhood of Hilfred, who is a pivotal character in revelations. One of the most interesting aspects has to do with the evolving relationship between Royce and Hadrian. Of course, in my case, anything that has to do with Gwen is absolutely mesmerizing, since this is my favorite character in the series. Her role in this book is not as prominent as in the previous one, but she still has an important part in this story.
There are some minor inconsistencies, mainly in what has to do with the personality of some characters (and I am thinking of one in particular). This is not a major drawback, and it is not completely unexpected when the author is constrained in what he can create now given we know a lot of what happens in the future and how the characters behave.
Michael Sullivan has made it pretty clear that he will continue to write books in this prequel series for as long as the readers enjoy them. He can rest assured that at this point in time this reader will continue to read books about Riyria as soon as they come out. This is currently my favorite fantasy series and I will be looking forward to additional installments.
Even though we already know how the story of Royce and Hadrian finishes, the fact that we now have a series of prequels had given us hope. We will likely be able to read about these amazing characters for a few years to come. Sullivan has given us two books already in the Chronicles and has managed to create interesting plots with clear connections to what most of us already read in Revelations. I do have to point out that even though the author says the books can be read in both orders, publication or timeline within the story, I have a marked preference for reading them in order of publication. While I was reading this book I was thinking how I would perceive the story if I had not read Revelations yet, and how this book would have affected my reading of the trilogy. I came to the clear conclusion that starting with the prequel is not the best idea.
In this installment, we get to find out more about the origins on the plot to kill the king of Medford and also about the childhood of Hilfred, who is a pivotal character in revelations. One of the most interesting aspects has to do with the evolving relationship between Royce and Hadrian. Of course, in my case, anything that has to do with Gwen is absolutely mesmerizing, since this is my favorite character in the series. Her role in this book is not as prominent as in the previous one, but she still has an important part in this story.
There are some minor inconsistencies, mainly in what has to do with the personality of some characters (and I am thinking of one in particular). This is not a major drawback, and it is not completely unexpected when the author is constrained in what he can create now given we know a lot of what happens in the future and how the characters behave.
Michael Sullivan has made it pretty clear that he will continue to write books in this prequel series for as long as the readers enjoy them. He can rest assured that at this point in time this reader will continue to read books about Riyria as soon as they come out. This is currently my favorite fantasy series and I will be looking forward to additional installments.
Niesamowity duet, czyli Hadrian i Royce, w jednej z swoich pierwszych przygód. Uwielbiam ich przekomarzania i cięty humor!
If you've read the riyaria revelations and fell in love with royce and Hadrian then you will love book 2 in the riyaria chronicles. If you haven't read the riyaria revelations I probably would stop reading the chronicles right now and pick up the theft of swords as this book holds the answer to one of the plot twists found in that series.
Otherwise thos gave some great context and major NO NO YOURE DOING THE WRONG THING moments from knowing what happens in the revelations. Definitely left me wondering what would have happened in the revelations series if Exeter had never gone to the house and spoken with gwen.
Otherwise thos gave some great context and major NO NO YOURE DOING THE WRONG THING moments from knowing what happens in the revelations. Definitely left me wondering what would have happened in the revelations series if Exeter had never gone to the house and spoken with gwen.
Read 10% and forgot about it for a while, then knocked out the rest in a night. Once it gets going it's hard to put down.
I've been thinking about what was missing in this adventure and I believe it was a lack of agency amongst the supporting cast. And some of the new characters we were introduced to (or reintroduced) felt like more hollow versions of their old selves.
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love reading the stories in real time. I love the addition of Hilfred and learning about his past!