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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
Not only do I enjoy the thieving duo Hadrian and Royce, but all the side characters and their stories are also very entertaining.
The Rose and the Thorn is the second book in Michael J. Sullivan's Riyria Chronicles. The series serves as a prequel to his series The Riyria Revelations.
Taking place a year after the events in The Crown Tower. Royce and Hadrian have been working together the entire time, slowly getting to know each other and pulling assorted small jobs. The two of them are still vastly different in their outlooks--Royce thinks that anyone and everyone is out to get you no matter what so you should strike first and Hadrian is still ready to give people the benefit of the doubt. That being said, each has somehow managed to rub off just a little on the other--Hadrian isn't quite as naive although he still is willing to trust everyone and Royce is slowly starting to understand that killing everyone isn't necessarily the only option. They've decided to head back to Medford to visit with Gwen and the girls of Medford House (although mostly Gwen). When they return to Medford, they're shocked when Gwen refuses to see them. She's doing it in an attempt to save their lives, but she's going to learn just what lengths the two will go to in order to protect those they care about.
Hadrian, Royce and Gwen may be the biggest stars of this book, there is so much more going on. We get to meet Viscount Albert Winslow--a noble without land, the royal family of Medford--King Amrath, Queen Ann, Prince Alric and Princess Arista, the Pickerings, Bishop Saldur, Percy Braga--newly appointed Chancellor who's related to the King through marriage, Lord High Constable Simon Exeter--a man with designs on the throne and Reuben Hilfred--a boy with no title who's destined to be a knight but looked down upon by other because he doesn't come from money and his father wasn't married to his mother. Throughout the story, some of Royce's history comes to light; Reuben pines for a young woman he can never have and he fights to prove that he's actually worth something; Gwen fights to keep Medford House up and running in between being worried about Royce and Hadrian and one of her girls who's gone missing.
Sullivan does a good job of managing to give each character their own unique personality, rounding them off with their own history, problems, hopes and dreams, fears in and amongst also managing to weave the various plot lines seamlessly.
We even get more of Hadrian and Royce's camaraderie, which has developed in the time they've been together and still continues to grow. I can't wait to see what trouble the two manage to get into next ;)
If you haven't read The Crown Tower, I recommend starting there as some of the back story in this book could leave readers slightly confused if this is your first foray into Riyria.
Taking place a year after the events in The Crown Tower. Royce and Hadrian have been working together the entire time, slowly getting to know each other and pulling assorted small jobs. The two of them are still vastly different in their outlooks--Royce thinks that anyone and everyone is out to get you no matter what so you should strike first and Hadrian is still ready to give people the benefit of the doubt. That being said, each has somehow managed to rub off just a little on the other--Hadrian isn't quite as naive although he still is willing to trust everyone and Royce is slowly starting to understand that killing everyone isn't necessarily the only option. They've decided to head back to Medford to visit with Gwen and the girls of Medford House (although mostly Gwen). When they return to Medford, they're shocked when Gwen refuses to see them. She's doing it in an attempt to save their lives, but she's going to learn just what lengths the two will go to in order to protect those they care about.
Hadrian, Royce and Gwen may be the biggest stars of this book, there is so much more going on. We get to meet Viscount Albert Winslow--a noble without land, the royal family of Medford--King Amrath, Queen Ann, Prince Alric and Princess Arista, the Pickerings, Bishop Saldur, Percy Braga--newly appointed Chancellor who's related to the King through marriage, Lord High Constable Simon Exeter--a man with designs on the throne and Reuben Hilfred--a boy with no title who's destined to be a knight but looked down upon by other because he doesn't come from money and his father wasn't married to his mother. Throughout the story, some of Royce's history comes to light; Reuben pines for a young woman he can never have and he fights to prove that he's actually worth something; Gwen fights to keep Medford House up and running in between being worried about Royce and Hadrian and one of her girls who's gone missing.
Sullivan does a good job of managing to give each character their own unique personality, rounding them off with their own history, problems, hopes and dreams, fears in and amongst also managing to weave the various plot lines seamlessly.
We even get more of Hadrian and Royce's camaraderie, which has developed in the time they've been together and still continues to grow. I can't wait to see what trouble the two manage to get into next ;)
If you haven't read The Crown Tower, I recommend starting there as some of the back story in this book could leave readers slightly confused if this is your first foray into Riyria.
Whew, what a whirlwind of a book. I loved tying together events from Revelations and Chronicles. If you ever wanted a deeper background on Reuben Hilfred, Arista's faithful bodyguard, this book has you covered. Royce and Hadrian never disappoint. I also think I've decided on their alignments: Royce is solidly Chaotic Neutral, sometimes leaning into Evil territory simply because he does things, like murder, out of pure self-interest. But now that he has a family to care about, he's got something else to fight for. Hadrian is Neutral Good. He lives outside the law, but has a moral code and desires only to do good, even though he's a thief for hire.
3.5/5
A step up over the first book, I did enjoy learning about some characters and what happened before the first series, but do prefer the Hadrain and Royce chapters the most. Easy read too which is always nice.
A step up over the first book, I did enjoy learning about some characters and what happened before the first series, but do prefer the Hadrain and Royce chapters the most. Easy read too which is always nice.
The Rose and Thorn is simultaneously: 1) A heartbreaking story that gives backstory to some of Riyria's main protagonists, 2) an interesting character study in some of the side characters we never focused on in the first series, and 3) a true who-dun-it in the vein of Agatha Christie Novel. I highly recommend this novel, but encourage people to save the Riyria Chronicles until after the read Riyria Revelations, to avoid potential spoilers.
Actual rating: 4.5 stars, rounded up.
I love a good origin story. While The Crown Tower shared the story of how Hadrian and Royce were first thrown together, we see their relationship cemented in this installment. And while the previous book gave us a lot of Gwen’s background, it is in this book that her relationship with Royce truly begins. We also get to meet quite a few of the royal and noble characters who will have page time in the original Riyria series. I adore both Hadrian and Royce, and seeing them grow and their relationships evolve is incredibly gratifying. All in all, this book was a lot of fun, and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next.
I love a good origin story. While The Crown Tower shared the story of how Hadrian and Royce were first thrown together, we see their relationship cemented in this installment. And while the previous book gave us a lot of Gwen’s background, it is in this book that her relationship with Royce truly begins. We also get to meet quite a few of the royal and noble characters who will have page time in the original Riyria series. I adore both Hadrian and Royce, and seeing them grow and their relationships evolve is incredibly gratifying. All in all, this book was a lot of fun, and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next.
I didn't love it quite as much as The Crown Tower, which I gave a full 5 stars. But it is still a truly enjoyable book. We didn't see as much of Royce and Hadrian as I'd have liked (and expected), and I felt like some important events were skipped between the end of book one and beginning of book two. (I wanted to see those relationships develop, damn it!) But I enjoyed the characters we did spend time with and I liked the foreshadowing for the future plot. I can't wait to read more of it.
Is it even possible for this man to write a book that I don't like? I really hope not, because I am loving that I love these books. If you are wanting to start the adventures of Royce and Hadrian, I would personally recommend that you begin with the Riyria Revelations ([b:Theft of Swords|10790290|Theft of Swords (The Riyria Revelations, #1-2)|Michael J. Sullivan|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1307959785s/10790290.jpg|15702572] being the beginning), and then come back for the Chronicles. These give a lot of insight into little things from that series, so I think you can appreciate them more.
But let's stop talking about that and get into talking about this book. Because it was great, it really was. There may be slight spoilers for The Crown Tower in this. I am going to avoid them as much as possible.
The plot of this one is darker than that of The Crown Tower in a lot of ways. Gwen, one of our main characters from that first novel, is badly beaten by a high ranking noble for not adequately answering his questions. When Royce and Hadrian return to Medford, they are not happy, to say the least.
Royce is by far my favorite character of all the Riyria books and I think I love him a little more after every one. He can be downright terrifying, but he's also extremely loyal if you give him a real reason to be. He's used to people being selfish, to everyone taking and no one giving, to surviving in a kill or be killed world. It can be hard to change from that mindset.
We get to see some of the darker side of Royce here, maybe the darkest we've seen him, as he sets out to protect those he cares about. After having seen this side of Royce, it just makes you wonder what he was like before. Crossing Royce now is a gamble you wouldn't want to take, but crossing him before... Well, that would not have been a good idea.
Every coin has a two sides and the other side of Royce's is Hadrian. Where Royce is dark, Hadrian is light. He's not an innocent kid, he's made mistakes, shed blood, but he's known friendship and love, he dreams of a life where blood doesn't have to be spilled to make a living, where people are honorable and good.
Hadrian struggles a lot in this book. He's haunted by his past and unsure of his future. Despite their differences, Royce is really the one constant he seems to have now. And reading about these two together is the best. Throughout the story, I really just wanted to reassure this guy. He puts up a good front for the world, but he can't be entirely happy, it seems. I can relate to that.
I don't know why, but I was surprised to have so many of the characters from Revelations show up in here. And I was particularly surprised to have Reuben Hilfred show up as a main character. But it was a pleasant surprise. It really made his character deeper than he had been before, knowing his background and what he had been through. It also made me really sad. Hilfred did not lead a happy life.
While I did enjoy all of Hilfred's story and getting to see the young Arista and Alric, as well as getting a better view of King Amrath, the real highlight of this side of the story was the Pickerings. I completely adore this entire family. Can I please have them? You have no idea the grin that split my face when Mauvin showed up for the first time. Sure, he was being a little bit of a punk, but he was only twelve. And he made up for it later.
This book was a great installment in the Riyria world. It delves more deeply into my favorite characters, and also gives some nice insight into what was happening in Medford before the events of The Crown Conspiracy. There were a few times that I just wanted to tell the characters who is who and who needs to be killed now. But then, we wouldn't have the Riyria Revelations if we did that, so I guess I'll have to be content.
There were a lot of dark and sad moments in here. There was death, betrayal, injury, humiliation, you name it. But there was also hope, love, and loyalty. The ending was satisfying and left Royce and Hadrian in a good place, on there way toward another adventure. I can't wait to read the next installment in this series, and hope that there are many more to come.
But let's stop talking about that and get into talking about this book. Because it was great, it really was. There may be slight spoilers for The Crown Tower in this. I am going to avoid them as much as possible.
"I don't have many friends. I can actually count them all on one hand and not use all my fingers. Like anything rare, they are precious. And yes, I get mad when one is hurt."
The plot of this one is darker than that of The Crown Tower in a lot of ways. Gwen, one of our main characters from that first novel, is badly beaten by a high ranking noble for not adequately answering his questions. When Royce and Hadrian return to Medford, they are not happy, to say the least.
Royce is by far my favorite character of all the Riyria books and I think I love him a little more after every one. He can be downright terrifying, but he's also extremely loyal if you give him a real reason to be. He's used to people being selfish, to everyone taking and no one giving, to surviving in a kill or be killed world. It can be hard to change from that mindset.
We get to see some of the darker side of Royce here, maybe the darkest we've seen him, as he sets out to protect those he cares about. After having seen this side of Royce, it just makes you wonder what he was like before. Crossing Royce now is a gamble you wouldn't want to take, but crossing him before... Well, that would not have been a good idea.
"He wanted to wash the blood off, but he could never rid himself of the stain."
Every coin has a two sides and the other side of Royce's is Hadrian. Where Royce is dark, Hadrian is light. He's not an innocent kid, he's made mistakes, shed blood, but he's known friendship and love, he dreams of a life where blood doesn't have to be spilled to make a living, where people are honorable and good.
Hadrian struggles a lot in this book. He's haunted by his past and unsure of his future. Despite their differences, Royce is really the one constant he seems to have now. And reading about these two together is the best. Throughout the story, I really just wanted to reassure this guy. He puts up a good front for the world, but he can't be entirely happy, it seems. I can relate to that.
"Never having known such admiration, or even the support of a real friend, it was as if he'd only realized he was hungry after smelling food."
I don't know why, but I was surprised to have so many of the characters from Revelations show up in here. And I was particularly surprised to have Reuben Hilfred show up as a main character. But it was a pleasant surprise. It really made his character deeper than he had been before, knowing his background and what he had been through. It also made me really sad. Hilfred did not lead a happy life.
While I did enjoy all of Hilfred's story and getting to see the young Arista and Alric, as well as getting a better view of King Amrath, the real highlight of this side of the story was the Pickerings. I completely adore this entire family. Can I please have them? You have no idea the grin that split my face when Mauvin showed up for the first time. Sure, he was being a little bit of a punk, but he was only twelve. And he made up for it later.
This book was a great installment in the Riyria world. It delves more deeply into my favorite characters, and also gives some nice insight into what was happening in Medford before the events of The Crown Conspiracy. There were a few times that I just wanted to tell the characters who is who and who needs to be killed now. But then, we wouldn't have the Riyria Revelations if we did that, so I guess I'll have to be content.
There were a lot of dark and sad moments in here. There was death, betrayal, injury, humiliation, you name it. But there was also hope, love, and loyalty. The ending was satisfying and left Royce and Hadrian in a good place, on there way toward another adventure. I can't wait to read the next installment in this series, and hope that there are many more to come.
I didn't count of how many bullied stable boys I already read about. That is why the first chapter about Reuben hasn't been exactly motivating for me: There was simply nothing new for me.
But starting with Hadrian's POV chapter it went better. It was only later on, that I connected the fleeing Rose with Medford's whorehouse. Before that, I didn't get warm with the characters. Another switch in POVs to Reuben's father, who is sergeant in the king's service, brought in politics and a kind of detective story. That was an interesting turn from a light handed burglar story to royal affairs.
We saw some silly and kind Hadrian, some silly and bad Royce. But the most likeable character was the drunkard Viscount Albert. The story itself was a bit too predictable and I didn't quite get into the atmosphere of the castle's intrigues and happenings.
The abrupt ending remembered me of the first part - the [b:The Crown Tower|16043804|The Crown Tower (The Riyria Chronicles #1)|Michael J. Sullivan|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1375570227s/16043804.jpg|21821161]. Maybe I should've read the Riyeria Revelations first?
Anyways, the story and setting was good enough to earn 2.5-3 stars. Nothing exceptionell, though.
But starting with Hadrian's POV chapter it went better. It was only later on, that I connected the fleeing Rose with Medford's whorehouse. Before that, I didn't get warm with the characters. Another switch in POVs to Reuben's father, who is sergeant in the king's service, brought in politics and a kind of detective story. That was an interesting turn from a light handed burglar story to royal affairs.
We saw some silly and kind Hadrian, some silly and bad Royce. But the most likeable character was the drunkard Viscount Albert. The story itself was a bit too predictable and I didn't quite get into the atmosphere of the castle's intrigues and happenings.
The abrupt ending remembered me of the first part - the [b:The Crown Tower|16043804|The Crown Tower (The Riyria Chronicles #1)|Michael J. Sullivan|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1375570227s/16043804.jpg|21821161]. Maybe I should've read the Riyeria Revelations first?
Anyways, the story and setting was good enough to earn 2.5-3 stars. Nothing exceptionell, though.