The Rose and the Thorn

Written by Michael J. Sullivan

Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds

Two thieves want answers. Riyria is born. For more than a year Royce Melborn has tried to forget Gwen DeLancy, the woman who saved him and his partner Hadrian Blackwater from certain death. Unable to get her out of his mind, the two thieves return to Medford but receive a very different reception -- Gwen refuses to see them. The victim of abuse by a powerful noble, she suspects that Royce will ignore any danger in his desire for revenge. By turning the thieves away, Gwen hopes to once more protect them. What she doesn't realize is what the two are capable of -- she's about to find out.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 17, 2013
• ISBN: 9781470360894

Michael J. Sullivan

Michael J. Sullivan is a three-time New York Times, USA Today, and Washington Post bestselling author who has been nominated for nine Goodreads Choice Awards. His first novel, The Crown Conspiracy, was released by Aspirations Media Inc. in October 2008. From 2009 through 2010, he self-published the next five of the six books of The Riyria Revelations, which were later sold and re-released by Hachette Book Group’s Orbit imprint as three two-book omnibus editions: Theft of Swords, Rise of Empire, and Heir of Novron. Michael’s Riyria Chronicles series (a prequel to Riyria Revelations) has been both traditionally and self-published. The first two books were released by Orbit, and the next two by his own imprint, Riyria Enterprises. A fifth Riyria Chronicle, titled Drumindor, will be self-published in the near future. For Penguin Random House’s Del Rey imprint, Michael has published the first three books of The Legends of the First Empire: Age of Myth, Age of Swords, and Age of War. Grim Oak Press distributes the last three books of the series: Age of Legend, Age of Death, and Age of Empyre. Michael has returned to purely self-publishing roots with the release of his most recent series, The Rise and Fall Trilogy. These books are being published in the current schedule: Nolyn (Summer 2021), Farilane (Summer 2022,  and Esrahaddon (Summer 2023). Michael is now writing Drumindor, the fifth book of The Riyria Chronicles. This will return him to the timeline of Royce and Hadrian, two rogues he hasn’t visited with since the release of The Disappearance of Winter’s Daughter in 2018.  You can email Michael at [e-mail].

Reviews for The Rose and the Thorn

[kassilem · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As I understand it, Sullivan is maybe considering continuing the series after this book but nothing conclusive has been said, so now I am on my way to the series that created this one, the Riyria Revelations. This second book in the Riyria Chronicles was as good as the first book. It had some good mystery and twists that I didn't see coming. There are a few hints here about Hadrian's past that are new, and make me curious so I'm hoping more is explained in the sequel series. As someone said, this is good old fashioned fantasy. Nothing too corny but nothing too depressing either, although the death count of characters has gone up from the previous book. And less character development between Hadrian and Royce in this volume. The writing is simple and hooking. I am looking forward to Theft of Swords.

[M · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love this series, it was so uplifting and gives you such a positive feeling! Love how everything is tied together

[sherribelcher-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Oops, he did it again! We rejoin Hadrian Blackwater and Royce Melborn one year after their first deadly mission together. They have continued to partner and are getting into the groove of accepting their differences. At the end of The Crown Tower, they had met Gwen. One year later, they are going back to Medford to visit her. In Medford, there is a nefarious plot to assassinate the King and this story line weaves in numerous characters who will continue on into The Riyria Revelations series. We meet the King's children, the young Alric and Arista as well as the Pickerings. We also get a closeup of Viscount Albert Winslow as he carries out his first job for Hadrian and Royce. But the stand-out star of this particular tale for me was Reuben Hilfred, whose story is heart-wrenching. I continue to love these books!

[jeff · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great story well written and the narration is one of. the best I've heard

[belana-990668 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Things get dire for Royce, Hadrian, and the people they care for. In the Riyria Revelations, I actually quite liked Royce, but here, he is downright scary, and I much prefer naive and good-hearted Hadrian.
After the Crown Tower disaster, Royce and Hadrian find themselves a team, but there is still a lot they have to learn and accept about the respective other.

The church of Novron starts to stir and to wreathe their vile plots, and everybody suffers.

Of course, Tim Gerard Reynolds delivers in the way I have come to expect, and he certainly has advanced to my preferred narrator, at least when it comes to scifi and fantasy stories.
I'm so glad I discovered Michael's books, as they kept me entertained for many hours.
I'm looking forward to the next instalment in the Riyria Chronicles series, so I'm now taking a break and will listen to the third volume shortly before the 4th volume is launched.

[renbedell · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The second book in Riyria Chronicles continues Royce and Hadrian's story with a new adventure. This prequel book continues to re-introduce characters seen in the other Riyria series and how they made relationships with the main protagonists. I'm not a fan of prequel books and this one doesn't add anything new. While it is nice to see how the relationships were formed, there was nothing that felt surprising or exciting.

[jdifelice-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Every time I read a Riyria book, it just makes me happy and can take me out of any reading slump. I enjoy reading about Royce and Hadrian and their escapades and learning new things about them and all the other characters in their world. It just fascinates me :) In The Rose and the Thorn, we get to see some more back story and how their headquarters came to be. Although a sad story, we also get introduced to Hilfred and see how he got to where he is. The plot moved a little slowly, but I was never not interested. Another great read :D

[kgodey_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

THE ROSE AND THE THORN is the second book in the Riyria Chronicles series of standalones. Whereas the first book, THE CROWN TOWER, told the story of how Royce and Hadrian became partners, this book tells the story of how they came to form Riyria and ended up in the arrangement we see them in at the beginning of THEFT OF SWORDS. A year after the events of THE CROWN TOWER, Royce and Hadrian are back in Medford and stop by at Gwen’s – only she won’t see them because she’s been beaten up, and she’s trying to protect them from getting themselves killed trying to help her. Of course, this is Royce and Hadrian, and they can take care of themselves. We also get some additional viewpoints at Castle Essendon, the seat of the royal family of Melengar, as a plot against them unfolds.This was a fun story, it was nice to see Royce and Hadrian settle into their element. Plus, we are introduced to early versions of more of the Riyria Revelations cast. I always think of these books as cozy, but there’s actually a fair amount of death and destruction and darkness, exemplified by Royce’s actions. Royce is terrifying, and I don’t know why I think of him as lovable.The last chapter of this book (The Visitor) really frustrated me, though – its only purpose seemed to be to set up THEFT OF SWORDS with all the subtlety of a hammer. Foreshadowing is great, but the most fun thing about it is putting things together from what seem like inconsequential details upon first glance. I already thought the references to an unrevealed co-conspirator were fairly obvious, but to tack on a whole chapter laying it all out in the open felt like overkill. And reading this chapter also made me figure out the feeling I have when reading Sullivan’s books that I haven’t been able to articulate in my previous reviews – the dialogue in his books is always a little bit too on-the-nose for his characters to feel completely real. Especially the villains – they often explain their plans concisely and articulately at some point.Despite my complaints, I still really enjoy these books, and I’m hurriedly reviewing this book so that I can get to THE DEATH OF DULGATH. I’m particularly excited about that one because it feels like it’ll be more of a standalone adventure and not so much of the origin story that the first two books have been. And after that, I’m also contemplating a reread of the Riyria Revelations

[quibee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the second book in the prequel to the Riyera Revelations.
The two adventurers, Royce and Hadrian return to see a friend again, but she refuses to see them, as she's been badly treated by a noble and she's worried that they will become involved and put in danger.
They do become involved and things become a real mess.
Good adventure. Appealing characters.

[bookaholiccat · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I can't get enough of Hadrian and Royce.

Review to come closer to release date.

[kenzen-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this very much.

[creighley_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Book two finds Hadrion and Royce returning to Medford to aid of Gwen and her "girls." Once again, it's a delightful story of adventure with two wonderful characters.

[blatherlikeme · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another entertaining installment of the Riyria. I hope for many more.

Again, this one fills in the back stories of Revelation series and is the second prequel.

My memory is not great, but I think most of the major back stories have now been filled in from Revelations.

Unlike Crown Tower, when the story follows the Riyria it is mostly following Royce now, not Hadrian, which naturally makes the tone a bit darker. There is less humor and more horror and pathos.

Royce is definitely darker in these prequel stories than he is in the Revelations, when he has has 12 years of influence from Hadrian and 11 from Gwen. He is an unqualified anti-hero here, with Hadrian valiantly trying to be heroic in a most unheroic career.

But what is clear is that both of them are evolving, and while deep inside of Hadrian are core values of good, Royce is scratching around inside a dark and demon filled soul and he only sees light and good from two sources. But he follows those lights and does end up, in the best anti-hero fashion getting good done in a terribly evil manner.

If I was disappointed in anything, it was that there was less interaction between Royce and Hadrian that I would have liked. In other words, just revealing their growing friendship through moments. The best ones are in the second chapter, (which is the short story the Viscount and the Witch)where Royce decides to teach Hadrian a lesson.

In any event, I look forward to reading their future adventures.

[jimmaclachlan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dec 2013: I'm finally getting around to reading the published edition.

It's another fun book & answers a lot the questions that lead up to the main series. Well done!

Dec2012-Jan2013: This was a beta read so my rating is a bit of a guess. There are some things that will likely be changed. It was fun doing a read at this stage of the game & it's another grand part of the story. Fits in well with the rest of the books & gives some grand, action-packed background on the events leading up to the first series.

[krau0098 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the second (and final book for now) in the series that is a prequel to the Riyria Revelations series. I enjoyed reading more about these characters and thought the story was well done, if not as complex, as the Riyria Revelations series.I listened to this on audiobook and the audiobook was really well done. I really enjoy the narrator and how well he distinguishes between characters and shows emotion. This is definitely a series I would recommend listening to on audiobook.Hadrian and Royce return to Medford. Royce hopes to see Gwen and thank her again for all the help she give him, but she refuses to see him. Royce then finds out that Gwen has been sorely injured by a Medford noble of great power...Royce sets out to plan his revenge on the offending noble. Meanwhile Reuben Hilfred has problems of his own, he is constantly bullied by other boys and beaten by his father. He hopes that soon he will have a new and better life once he starts his job as a Castle Guard. Then he helps a young woman who escaped from a castle window and gets roped into a web of conspiracy far beyond his understanding. The two storylines criss cross throughout the book and eventually lead to dire consequences for the Medford.This is the second year that Hadrian and Royce have been working together. They are more comfortable with each other and starting to respect each other. However, Hadrian is still reluctant to kill (although very good at it) and Royce is still incredibly...morally flexible. Both of them have a noble streak and are incredibly loyal to their friends.Rueben is incredibly naive for a sixteen year old son of a Castle Guard. His character seemed much, much younger than that to me. He is your typical knight in shining armor type of character. He comes from a poor background, but because he is noble in his heart good things come his way. I honestly didn’t like him all that much as a character. However it was good to get some background on a character who was fairly minor in the Riyria Revelations series.Gwen was in the story but not as much as in the previous book, which was a shame. She spends the majority of the book recovering from the injuries she received during Hadrian and Royce’s absence. She is still a strong character and we do get to see some of the budding romance between her and Royce, which was nice. She has done a remarkable job of giving her girls a place to call their own, she really has come a long way from where we left her in the last book.There is a lot of intrigue in this book and really no adventuring at all. I missed the adventuring that the other books had. There are some excellent action scenes and I enjoyed the fighting scenes where Hadrian fights off large numbers of enemies. The story despite the multiple viewpoints and intrigue was fairly simple. It was resolved nicely. This story gives a lot of background on how Medford House was set up and ended up like it is in Riyria Revelations. It of course also explains how The Rose and the Thorn was established and how Royce and Hadrian ended up with a long-term room there.Overall this is a very enjoyable and fun fantasy read. I enjoy that characters and seeing some of the backstories of characters that we know and love from the Riyria Revelations series. There was more intrigue in this book than action and adventuring, but it was still well done. I enjoy that there is some humor throughout as well. I would definitely recommend all of Sullivan’s Riyria books to fans of adult traditional fantasy.

[fdholt · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

With the second book in The Riyria chronicles, Michael J. Sullivan continues the story about the beginnings of Riyria. A year has passed since The crown tower. Royce Melborn and Hadrian Blackwater have remained partners in their enterprises. Gwen has opened her own establishment. We now meet more of the charaters that are so important to The Riyria revelations, Albert Winslow, Princess Arista, Reuben Hilfred, Archbishop Maurice Saldur and others. Again, Sullivan does not give away any spoilers to those who are reading the story chronologically.There is a map of a portion of the world of Elan as well as a glossary of important names, places and terms. However, the list of names is still in first name, last name format which is difficult to use. Also be aware that there are important names missing, such as the archbishop and Percy Braga, the Chancellor of Melengar. To find out other useful information on the world of Elan, the reader will need to refer to the sections in Theft of swords, the first book of the Revelations series.For those who have only read The crown tower, the book is a logical sequel. For those who have read all the other books, this is a wonderful look events that preceded the Revelations. Both groups will be entranced by the story and anxiously awaiting the next book in The chronicles series as well as more books set in the world of Elan.

[jenn.s · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Michael Sullivan has a unique ability to write exactly what he wants the reader to know in such a masterful way that is easy to read without being too simple. He is able to clearly paint the scenes with just enough information, allowing the reader to utilize their imagination while thoroughly enjoying the story without distractions; Not too much information, not too little.

The characters are beautifully presented, each with their own unique personalities, quirks, flaws, goals, mannerisms, and they are always true to who they are. Each character is believable from start to finish. The plot is clearly well developed and consistent throughout the entire book. The flow of the story is perfect page to page and definitely keeps the reader wanting to turn the page and not set down the book until it's finished.

After reading this book I wanted to read everything Sullivan has written. I loved this one and will be telling everyone I speak to about it and preordering everything he publishes. I was drawn into the world of Elan and fell in love with the characters.

[yahalomi65 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As soon as I finished The Crown Tower I knew I had to get into the second installment sooner or later, and thanks to NetGalley, I didn’t have to wait. And again, I think that the reader doesn't have to read the Riyria Revelations, to follow along."The Rose and The Thorn" is a chronological follow up of "The Crown Tower" as it tell us the story a from a year later point of view. The relationship between Hadrian and Royce has become much less antagonistic. Not only are they beginning to understand each other, they are beginning to learn from each other. Hadrian is less naive although no less sensitive and Royce is learning that sometimes killing is not the only or even the best solution to every problem, that sometimes it can make matters a whole lot worse, that sometimes diplomacy (laced with a little threat; this is still Royce) will bring about a better outcome.After a year being on the road Royce and Hardin returning to Medford and surprised to discover a very different reception. Gwen refuses to see them - She is a victim of abuse by a powerful noble. Gwen suspected that Royce will ignore any danger in his desire for avenge her and by that she tried to protect him from himself. The reason for the abusing is one of Gwen's girls - Rose, a young prostitute who may have unwittingly stumbled upon a conspiracy to kill the king of Melengar and his family. in this conspiracy involved the Church of Nyphron and of course it is in their best interest to find Rose and silenced her.The cast of characters also expanded greatly . for example:1. At the beginning of the book, we have the pleasure of meeting Reuben Hilfred. Reuben is a young palace guard-to-be with a crush on a princess Arista and no training for the job he is about to assume. Reuben who is kind and has the heart and soul of a hero, grow with his hard character of father. His father actually neglected him and the reason of this neglect will unfold to us as the plot will run its course.2. Albert Winslow - Royce and Hadrian found his miserable shape in a barn of collapsed farm. They will Surprised to find that he actually is the owner of the place and as matter of fact he is a noble who had a bankruptcy. They will use his nobility to find information and as a source to earn money. Winslow in his term will use them as a solution to get out of from his shameful condition.3. Rose - The author is expanding Rose character and give her a very crucial part in the plot. First we discover that the woman who took her life in the royal tower named as Rose. second we will discover that this exact woman was Reuben's mother and the main reason for his father strange behavior. Reuben will see its significant, when he will help Gwen's Rose to hide after she heard the plot to murder the royal family. And last, her name will be part of the name of the next property of Gwen , which is going to be "The Rose and The Thorn".5. We also have the pleasure of meeting the royal family, especially we got to know the siblings, Arista and Elric and Sullivan give us some hints about their characters. And even though i didn't red the previous books of Sullivan I am sure that this not a coincidence.So to make things short I enjoy reading this part too and really waiting for the next book.

[lostinalibrary · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the second book in The Riyria Chronicles, the prequel to author Michael J Sullivan's The Riyria Revelations. In the first book of this series, The Crown Tower, we were introduced to the main protagonists Hadrian and Royce and we learned the story of how their partnership was formed. This second book takes place a year later. The pair has returned to Medford to see Gwen but, when she refuses to see them, it sets off a series of horrors which will come back to haunt them all.The relationship between Hadrian and Royce has become much less antagonistic. Not only are they beginning to understand each other, they are beginning to learn from each other. Hadrian is less naive although no less sensitive and Royce is learning that sometimes killing is not the only or even the best solution to every problem; that sometimes it can make matters a whole lot worse, that sometimes diplomacy (laced with a little threat; this is still Royce) will bring about a better outcome.In the first book, the world-building was at a minimum; in this novel, we get a great deal more information about the land, its religion and politics. The cast of characters is also greatly expanded. Like in the first book, much of the story is concerned with these others characters especially Reuben Hilfred, a young palace guard-to-be with a crush on a princess and no training for the job he is about to assume but the heart and soul of a hero. One thing that does remain the same between the two books is the lack of any discernible magic.Despite the expanded list of characters and world-building, this second novel is still a fairly simple story. Although there are two different stories ongoing until near the middle of the book when Sullivan joins the them, the two stories never become confused or interfere with our understanding of the other. I hate books where the author is juggling too many story or time lines so that I have to keep looking back to figure out just where the heck I am. Sullivan never makes that mistake. His stories are clear and concise and follow their proper paths and when these paths converge, they do so smoothly. Often, this type of realist fantasy is so complex that it can be daunting for all but the most determined and seasoned fantasy aficionado. In the Riyria Chronicles, Michael J Sullivan has created a world which is both simple and fascinating, one with enough going on to appeal to that jaded aficionado but simple enough that it would be a great introduction to the genre to the newest fantasy reader.

[stefferoo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Riyria Revelations series may have wrapped up, but when it comes to this fantasy world and its characters, clearly there are still many stories to be told. Michael J. Sullivan fills in the details of the past first with The Crown Tower, and now with The Rose and the Thorn. Thanks to Orbit Books and NetGalley, I was able to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!While the first book told the origin story of the partnership between Royce and Hadrian, I thought this second one focused more on the birth of Riyria and the concept itself. Returning to Medford after a year of being on the road, the two thieves find that trouble has come upon Gwen Delancy, the woman who saved their lives after the harrowing events at the Crown Tower. The whole city is looking for one of Gwen's girls, a young prostitute who may have unwittingly stumbled upon a conspiracy to kill the king of Melengar and his family.To be honest, I think the fact I was going to enjoy this book was already a foregone conclusion; to me, the romance between Royce and Gwen is one of those fantasy fiction love stories for the ages, and I was giddy with the fact that we got a glimpse into how their relationship first sparked and blossomed. This book also served to provide back-stories for some of the supporting characters in The Riyria Revelations, and we got to see appearances from familiar faces such as Reuben Hilfred and Viscount Albert Winslow.That said, while I thought the The Crown Tower could be read as a standalone without having much knowledge of the six books of The Riyria Revelations, The Rose and the Thorn on the other hand might not be so easy to get into for newcomers to the world of Riyria, mostly due to the large number of characters and lore it introduces in the opening chapters. Still, it's not such a big avalanche of information that it would be overwhelming; I still have no doubt that the book would be enjoyable to people who haven't read the original series, but it'll just more to take in.In general, though, readers who already know the names and the political climate in this period of the books involving the Church of Nyphron will probably have more reasons to find this book exciting. I for one loved it. From the description I thought I would be getting a lot more about Royce and Gwen, but even then I was not disappointed when I discovered their story was just a part of an overall bigger picture. So many past events that I'd been aware of from The Riyria Revelations have now been given a new life and significance.In sum, this book basically gave me more than I bargained for, and in a good way. I generally love to read these kinds of "world-building" novels that add to an existing story or series, so really, both these The Riyria Chronicles books were right up my alley. I hope Michael J. Sullivan will be open to writing more in the future, even if they aren't necessarily about Hadrian and Royce. As he's shown with this book, even the supporting characters from his world of Riyria have interesting stories to tell.