I absolutely adore the characters of Royce and Hadrian. Over the past few years I've read the Riyria Revelations all the way through twice, and both times that I finished I felt something akin to losing touch with good friends. Sullivan's writing style really brings his characters to life, and as you immerse yourself in the world of Elan, the realization that it is coming to an end is a true disappointment. When I first received the email from Amazon that The Riyria Chronicles were about to be released, I was thrilled.Like several people before me have recommended, I would advise reading the Revelations before starting on the Chronicles, because being familiar with the various backstories in advance enhances the experience of reading them firsthand. Also, while I thoroughly enjoyed both Chronicle books, I don't think either of them is quite comparable to the Revelations in overall quality--the stories are not as complex or as important as the originals. In addition, I'm not sure how one might feel about Royce's character coming at him for the first time in the prequels. Knowing what is to come can temper your opinion a bit and make him seem, well, less of a stock "emo" sort of guy, for lack of a better term. I think the richness Sullivan embues his character with over the course of the Revelations is an important factor in not simply viewing him as "the bad guy with the heart of gold".As far as "The Rose and the Thorn" specifically, I would say that while Royce and Hadrian are certainly major characters, I think they are less of a focus here than in any of the other Riyria books. This book does a lot of world-building, which in not a bad thing, but it does serve as another example of why it is good to know all of these characters in advance. Otherwise, how else could you laugh with glee when young Pickerings come galloping onto the scene? Or to use your foreknowledge of the role Hilfred will come to play when getting to know him as a teenager? I admit I may have been a bit frustrated by the amount of time Sullivan devotes to Hilfred's point of view if I didn't know what was to come of it; instead I had more of a sense of curious anticipation.All in all, I would probably place "The Rose and the Thorn" as my least favorite of the Riyria books in general; however, this remains high praise since the eight books in all easily make up my favorite book series ever--even over "The Lord of the Rings", which again, is a tremendous endorsement on my part. I absolutely recommend it, especially for people who value strong characterizations and backstories. I would just advise saving it for last. If this was going to be your introduction to Royce and Hadrian, go click on "Theft of Swords" instead and dive in. I promise you will love it.