Royce Melborn is one of the two protagonists of the Riyria Revelations series by Michael J. Sullivan. He is the cynical half of Riyria, a former assassin who trusts almost no one and expects the worst from people.
Royce grew up hard, and his past left him with few illusions about human nature. Before meeting Hadrian, he worked as an assassin and thief, caring little about the morality of his jobs. He is small, quick, and lethal, preferring a dagger called Alverstone that he keeps hidden.
Personality
Royce’s default assumption is that everyone is either a threat or an inconvenience. He is sarcastic, dismissive, and quick to suggest killing as a solution to problems. Yet beneath the cynicism is someone capable of fierce loyalty to the very few people who have earned his trust.
His partnership with Hadrian is built on genuine friendship, though Royce would rather die than admit it openly. Hadrian’s optimism and moral compass serve as a counterweight to Royce’s darker instincts, and over the course of the series, their influence on each other becomes clear.
Skills
Royce is one of the best thieves in the world. He can pick any lock, infiltrate any building, and move without being seen or heard. In combat, he relies on speed and precision rather than strength, ending fights before opponents know they have started.
His abilities go beyond the purely physical. Royce has an intuitive understanding of security, reading buildings and systems to find their weaknesses. Some of his skills border on the supernatural, though the series slowly reveals the reasons for this.
Reading Order
See the complete Riyria Revelations reading order for all books in the series.