The rose and the thorn
The rose and the thornMichael J. Sullivan
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The rose and the thorn (2013)

Michael J. Sullivan

Others: Overwhelmingly positive
ISBN:
9780356502281

Genres: fantasy

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  • Assassin's Apprentice

    Robin Hobb

    1995 · 435 pages · 30 reviews

    Others: Overwhelmingly positive

    Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal court by his father's gruff stableman. He is treated like an outcast by all the royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has him secretly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For in Fitz's blood runs the magic Skill--and the darker knowledge of a child raised with the stable hounds and rejected by his family. As barbarous raiders ravage the coasts, Fitz is growing to manhood. Soon he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission. And though some regard him as a threat to the throne, he may just be the key to the survival of the kingdom.From the Paperback edition.

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  • Assassin's Fate

    Robin Hobb

    2017 · 859 pages · 13 reviews

    Others: Overwhelmingly positive

    "The stunning conclusion to Robin Hobb's Fitz and the Fool trilogy, which began with Fool's Assassin and Fool's Quest "Every new Robin Hobb novel is a cause for celebration. Along with millions of her other fans, I delight in every visit to the Six Duchies, the Rain Wilds, and the Out Islands, and can't wait to see where she'll take me next."--George R.R. Martin More than twenty years ago, the first epic fantasy novel featuring FitzChivalry Farseer and his mysterious, often maddening friend the Fool struck like a bolt of brilliant lightning. Now New York Times bestselling author Robin Hobb brings to a momentous close the third trilogy featuring these beloved characters in a novel of unsurpassed artistry that is sure to endure as one of the great masterworks of the genre. Fitz's young daughter, Bee, has been kidnapped by the Servants, a secret society whose members not only dream of possible futures but use their prophecies to add to their wealth and influence. Bee plays a crucial part in these dreams--but just what part remains uncertain. As Bee is dragged by her sadistic captors across half the world, Fitz and the Fool, believing her dead, embark on a mission of revenge that will take them to the distant island where the Servants reside--a place the Fool once called home and later called prison. It was a hell the Fool escaped, maimed and blinded, swearing never to return. For all his injuries, however, the Fool is not as helpless as he seems. He is a dreamer too, able to shape the future. And though Fitz is no longer the peerless assassin of his youth, he remains a man to be reckoned with--deadly with blades and poison, and adept in Farseer magic. And their goal is simple: to make sure not a single Servant survives their scourge. PRAISE FOR ROBIN HOBB Fool's Assassin "Hobb knows the complicated workings of the wayward human heart, and she takes time to depict them in her tale, to tell her story sweetly, insistently, compellingly. A book meant to be inhabited rather than run through."--The Seattle Times "[Hobb's] prose sparkles, her characters leap off the page."--Tor.com "Fantastic. emotionally rich storytelling."--Library Journal (starred review) Fool's Quest "A complex tapestry of adventure, betrayal, destiny, and unrelenting peril. Hobb's expertise is evident as always."--Publishers Weekly "Glorious and beautiful storytelling. Hobb lets rip with revelations, treachery, vengeance, sword fights and full on magical mayhem."--SciFiNow "If readers have any doubt that Robin Hobb is one of the finest writers in the fantasy genre, then they haven't read any of her work."--SFFWorld"-- "The epic conclusion of the Fitz and the Fool trilogy. In their continuing quest to save Fitz's daughter Bee, and destroy the sinister order that threatens her, Fitz and the Fool must not only face their most difficult challenges yet, but also come to terms with the unanswered questions of their pasts"--

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  • Dancer's lament

    Ian C. Esslemont

    2016 · 480 pages · 4 reviews

    Others: Overwhelmingly positive

    For ages warfare has crippled the continent as minor city states, baronies, and principates fought in an endless round of hostilities. Only the alliance of the rival Tali and Quon cities could field the resources to mount a hegemony from coast to coast-- and thus become known as Quon Taili. It is a generation since the collapse of this dynasty and regional powers are once more rousing themselves. Into this arena of renewed border wars come two youths to the powerful central city state that is LiHeng. One is named Dorin, and he comes determined to prove himself the most skilled assassin of his age; he is chasing the other youth-- a Dal Hon mage who has proven himself annoyingly difficult to kill. Li Heng has been guided and warded for centuries by the powerful sorceress known as the Protectress and she allows no rivals. She and her cabal of five mage servants were enough to repel the Quon Tali Iron Legions-- what could two youths hope to accomplish under their stifling rule? Yet under the new and ambitious King Chulalorn the Third, Itko Kan is on the march from the south. He sends his own assassin servants, the Nightblades, against the city, and there are hints that he also commands inhuman forces out of legend. While above all, shadows swirl oddly about Li Heng, and monstrous slathering beasts seem to appear from nowhere to run howling through the street. It is a time of chaos and upheaval, and in chaos, as the young Dal Hon mage would say, there is opportunity.

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  • Foundryside

    Robert Jackson Bennett

    2018 · 503 pages · 19 reviews

    Others: Overwhelmingly positive

    A thief in a city controlled by industrialized magic joins forces with a rare honest police officer to stop an ancient evil ritual that endangers thousands of lives.

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  • The Grace of Kings (The Dandelion Dynasty)

    Ken Liu

    2001 · 640 pages · 22 reviews

    Others: Mostly positive

    Emperor Mapidere was the first to unite the island kingdoms of Dara under a single banner. But now the emperor is on his deathbed, his people are exhausted by his vast, conscriptive engineering projects and his counsellors conspire only for their own gain. Even the gods themselves are restless. A wily, charismatic bandit and the vengeance-sworn son of a deposed duke cross paths as they each lead their own rebellion against the emperor's brutal regime. Together, they will journey to the heart of the empire; witnessing the clash of armies, fleets of silk-draped airships, magical books and shapeshifting gods. Their unlikely friendship will drastically change the balance of power in Dara... but at what price? The Grace of Kings is the first novel by Hugo-, Nebula- and World Fantasy Award-winner Ken Liu and the first in a monumental epic fantasy series.

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  • The Lord of the Rings

    J.R.R. Tolkien

    1954 · 1168 pages · 21 reviews

    Others: Overwhelmingly positive

    Originally published from 1954 through 1956, J.R.R. Tolkien's richly complex series ushered in a new age of epic adventure storytelling. A philologist and illustrator who took inspiration from his work, Tolkien invented the modern heroic quest novel from the ground up, creating not just a world, but a domain, not just a lexicon, but a language, that would spawn countless imitators and lead to the inception of the epic fantasy genre. Today, THE LORD OF THE RINGS is considered "the most influential fantasy novel ever written." (THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FANTASY) During his travels across Middle-earth, the hobbit Bilbo Baggins had found the Ring. But the simple band of gold was far from ordinary; it was in fact the One Ring - the greatest of the ancient Rings of Power. Sauron, the Dark Lord, had infused it with his own evil magic, and when it was lost, he was forced to flee into hiding. But now Sauron's exile has ended and his power is spreading anew, fueled by the knowledge that his treasure has been found. He has gathered all the Great Rings to him, and will stop at nothing to reclaim the One that will complete his dominion. The only way to stop him is to cast the Ruling Ring deep into the Fire-Mountain at the heart of the land of Mordor--Sauron's dark realm. Fate has placed the burden in the hands of Frodo Baggins, Bilbo's heir...and he is resolved to bear it to its end. Or his own. Contains The Fellowship of the Ring The Two Towers The Return of the King The Lord of the Rings [2/2] The Lord of the Rings [1/6] The Lord of the Rings [1/9] The Lord of the Rings [2/9] The Lord of the Rings [3/9]

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