The Rose and The Thorn - Review

Author: Michael J. Sullivan

Genre:  Fantasy

Series: Riyria Chronicles #2

Format: Paperback

Pages: 347

Nothing is better than watching Royce Melborn fall in love. It's the first time anyone sort of sees a human side to this character. A side that makes mistakes, that has to think to solve problems where the solution can't be killing everyone in sight.

Poor Hadrian though is still sort of stuck in his past. Stuck in his regrets, and nothing nothing that happen in this book really help ease that guilt. In fact, it sort of just adds to it. My heart broke for Hadrian in this one. Though it was good see that his friendship with Royce had grown over the year that took place between Book One and Two. They bicker like an old married couple and I adore it so.

This book also has a new cast of characters joining our two main guys. I'm not a fan of the Princess at all. She's a brat and I kind of want to high five in the face, which made it hard to feel bad for her toward the end of the book. The Prince is adorable and so are the Pickering lads, and I loved how they included sweet Reuben into their little group. Sweet, sweet Reuben who for the last three chapters gave me stress. So much stress. I also really loved his little side story inside the main story. Reuben is kind of trope character in fantasy. The bumbling, abused, hero. But, it's okay because I adore him and I was thrilled he got a happy ending. For now. I also really enjoyed the King and Queen in the chapters we got them. I wish we'd have gotten more of them. The seemed like decent people, which made the end of this book so stressful. 

Seriously, I ate half a bag of red vines dealing with this ending...

I also really loved Albert Winslow and how he was introduced to Hadrian and Royce. Such a great opening scene. He so different from the thieves, softer, but had some of the most important jobs throughout the story. He also had some really fun chapters that bit of light in a darker plot. He also gave a us really good outside view of how most people Hadrian and Royce.

The Rose and the Thorn takes places solely in Medford. So we finally get to see more the ruling city than just Wayward Street. Michael J. Sullivan crafted a wonderful city and an impressive castle. I loved the play on the church and castle being the parents sort of looming over their children as the two tallest structure loomed over the city. How Medford goes from paved streets and houses with spires to mud and despair. Each section of the city so different despite being the same place. A theme that plays out throughout the story.

The story itself is no different. Every chapter holds another piece of a puzzle, and now that I'm finished, I can see where this book is setting up others in the future. Despite not finishing the series, I do own them all. Which means I've read the back covers. So I know kind of what this book was setting up, but I'm not entirely certain who all the players are yet. Though I have quite of few theories. But, the story itself was great and moved really quickly. Only a few short days pass between start to finish, but once again so much happens.

As the story takes shape, I started to realize who should be trusted and who was lying. This one also got a little bit bloodier than the last one. Because not only did we see a more human side of Royce that was working through feelings of any kind. We also see his darkest side. The reason Hadrian smells death on him. We see the full of extant of what he's capable of it, and it was both gross and couldn't have happened to better people.

The story in The Rose and the Thorn both excited me and broke my heart. I had hard time reading the last few chapters because I feared for Reuben's fate as the story came to a close. It was everything I loved about The Crown Tower and more. I'm excited to pick up the next book and see Royce and Hadrian grow as partners. To see more of the bigger mystery start to unravel, and watch Gwen turn Royce stupid. Cause nice to see a male character stumble about while Gwen builds herself a tavern and continues to be a badass.

Buy, Borrow, or Skip: I'm all in with the series. It's one of the few I know I can read over and over again because I adore Hadrian and Royce. Not only that but Michael J. Sullivan had created a wonderful world filled with amazing characters. So, buy them all.

HAPPY READING!!