The Rose and the Thorn (Riyria Chronicles, #2)

by Michael J. Sullivan

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, Royce returns to Medford with Hadrian but the two 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 -- but she's about to find out.

• ISBN10: 0316243728
• ISBN13: 9780316243728
• Publish Date: 17 September 2013 (first published 1 January 2013)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Orbit
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[thepunktheory]

Full review on my blog!

HOW GOOD WAS THIS?! I loved every single page of it.
While The Crown Tower detailed on specific heist the guys pulled (which was mentioned several times throughout the Riyria Revelations), this one was a bit different. In The Rose and the Thorn we get so much backstory on the events happening in Melangar before the Riyria Revelations series takes place. I’m skirting ’round spoilers here but there’s a political conspiracy going on and now we finally learn how far back all of that went. Who was pulling the strings.

It does include events that were referenced in other books but it wasn’t just one specific job Hadrian and Royce did. I really wasn’t expecting the novel to be like this but I loved it. The story was intricate and smart. You can tell how much thought went into this, not a single logic hole in sight!

Gwen also gets a bit more backstory, even though maybe not as prominently featured as in the last book. The dynamic between her and Royce is adorable and I’ll never get tired of reading about them. In this novel, we also learn how my two boys met Albert, who we also know from the later installments. It’s such a little detail that Sullivan makes sure to incorporate this character and give him a proper story as well. this is not a main character or anything like that, and I really appreciate Sullivan for making the effort.

Also, despite the fact that you’ll most likely know how the big events in this one turn out – based on the fact that it wasn’t mentioned several times in the other books – you’ll still be surprised a lot. There are so many intricate plot twists and turns! Honestly, it’s rare that I enjoy a series of novels this much and can’t come up with even a single complaint.