A band of fabled mercenaries tour a wild fantasy landscape, battling monsters in arenas in front of thousands of adoring fans. But, a secret and dangerous gig ushers them to the frozen north, and the band is never one to waste a shot at glory. Live fast, die young. Tam Hashford is tired of working at her local pub, slinging drinks for world-famous mercenaries and listening to the bards sing of … listening to the bards sing of adventure and glory in the world beyond her sleepy hometown.
When the biggest mercenary band of all, led by the infamous Bloody Rose, rolls into town, Tam jumps at the chance to sign on as their bard. It’s adventure she wants — and adventure she gets as the crew embark on a quest that will end in one of two ways: glory or death.
It’s time to take a walk on the wyld side.
“Humorous twists and pulse-ratcheting action abound in Bloody Rose, but its Eames’ knack for heart-wrenching poignancy that makes his warm, wonderful fantasy so harmonious.” — NPR
For more from Nicholas Eames, check out:
Kings of the Wyld
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I started off the book expecting something as epic as Kings of the Wyld, hoping to be immediately drawn into the familiar, comforting world of the Heartwyld, bands of monster hunters, and more.
Right off the bat, the character introduction of Tam and her idols, Fable, was excellent, and I fell in love with the story. I had a bit of a harder time a few chapters in, when it felt like the story got bogged down with re-introducing the familiar world (mercs fighting monsters in arenas and partying hard). However, by the time the story got past those repeats, it really settled into its own creation and began to delve into the characters of Fable in the same depth that Kings of the Wyld delved into Saga.
Yet the story quickly set itself apart from the first. Instead of old heroes worn and weary from their past, this was a crew of young, often inexperienced warriors trying to forge their own legend. They each had a great deal of baggage to carry–something Mr. Eames excels at–but in a way, that was what made them so truly great.
Kings of the Wyld was a hell of a story, but Bloody Rose ended up being an emotional journey that I never expected. When I finally closed the book, I had a sense of “Wow, that was spectacular” that the epic fight scenes of Book 1 just couldn’t match.
This story is all heart. Get past the slow-paced beginnings of the second act, and you’re in for a truly one-of-a-kind experience.
I read Kings of the Wyld last year and loved it, so I thought it’s time I’d take a stab at the sequel.
*** What to expect
The events in this novel take place six years after Kings of the Wyld, but more importantly with (almost) completely different characters. While Clay, Gabe, and Moog make guest appearances this story isn’t about them.
Eames sets out to continue exploring the same world as KotW, with it’s treatment of adventurer bands like rock stars. This time we focus more on the darker aspects, on the social impact of monster pit-fighting, and on the consequences of defeating the last monster horde in the previous novel. In between we tour other parts of the world, delve further into its history, and deal with the megalomaniac monster problem of the day.
*** What I liked
I enjoyed Eames exploring the world further, from the psychology of the immortal Druins to the wider geography. Eames’ style can be light at times, with plenty of geek references and jokes, but well balanced with character-driven emotional journeys. His world building, from society to magic, in engaging and well thought out.
*** What to be aware of
As mentioned, we are presented with different cast of characters, with their own issues. It may take readers a while to bond, as these issues can be distinctly different than those of KotW. You should read them in order to understand what is happening and the world itself, but because the characters and themes are different it may not be a smooth transition.
And while Eames writing can be powerfully emotional and appeal to those epic-fantasy fans clamouring for character-driven stories, at times I felt that it was bit much and if we could get on with the actual adventure it would be much appreciated, kthnx.
*** Summary
I’d recommend this novel for epic-fantasy fans, who love door-stopper sized books about character’s inner journeys.
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Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic – for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
It took a while to get into the MC’s viewpoint, but the characters are compelling and you’re racing alongside to find out what happens next.
Sequels have let me down before; not this one. Burned through it just as fast as Kings of the Wyld, loving every moment of it.
Bloody Rose is a decent not-a-sequel sequel. The story and world picks up nicely from the first book in the series, and we get an organic-yet-fresh view on the world through the eyes of the small town girl Tam. I absolutely loved the character of Tam, and I think it was a brilliant way to introduce a new PoV character to universe. Also here for this particular queer rep, even tho some of the other ones (looking at you, Cura) left a little something to be desired. The first hundred pages were a bit slow, but it certainly picks up when Fable reaches their “starting point”. One of my favourite aspects were how Tam starts out ready to join a band and kill monsters in arenas, to questioning the organised killing of monsters.
All in all a nice edition to the saga, excited to see what Eames brings to the table for the next (and possibly last?) book in the series.
This is the freshest voice in Epic Fantasy I’ve read in years. Love the young female protagonist and overall sense of humor shared amongst the cast.
Somehow Nicholas Eames managed to top Kings of The Wyld. Bloody Rose follows a couple of the characters from that novel on their own journey. Along the way, they battle monsters, inner demons, and each other, on their way to an incredibly satisfying conclusion.
Stop reading this and start reading Bloody Rose.