The rose and the thorn

The Rose and the Thorn is the second novel in Michael J. Sullivan's The Riyria Chronicles, a prequel series to his bestselling Riyria Revelations. Set in the fictional world of Elan, it follows the sardonic thief Royce Melborn and the good-natured swordsman Hadrian Blackwater as they return to the city of Medford and are drawn into a dangerous web of court conspiracy centered on the kingdom of Melengar.

The story braids together several threads: Gwen DeLancy, a young madam guarding a deadly secret; Reuben Hilfred, a palace guard nursing an impossible love for the princess Arista; and a plot by ambitious nobles to seize power. Sullivan writes accessible, fast-moving epic fantasy in the classic sword-and-sorcery tradition, prized for its clean prose and the warm, bickering friendship at its heart.

Because the Chronicles are designed as an entry point to the wider saga, the book rewards new readers and longtime fans alike.