A fantasy series with a sense of humour, but also some heart. An entertaining story, populated by interesting and engaging characters. An improvement on the first novel, too. Recommended.

Bloody Rose is an incredibly satisfying sequel to last year’s breakout debut hit Kings of the Wyld and solidifies Nicholas Eames as one of the most exciting and unique voices in the fantasy genre. From beginning to end it is off the frigging chain so lets jump in! I’ve tried to keep things spoiler free but have revealed a few things that come up in the first two chapters in terms of plot.

In Kings the plot was evident after the first chapter and was for the most part straightforward – get the band back together and go save the girl. In Bloody Rose things are a little less concrete. Our band of protagonists, known as Fable, is on a mission to finish up their arena tour and go and fulfil one final contract. It will of course be the biggest and most dangerous one ever but it will also cement their band in legend and finally topple the achievements of Rose’s father. She wants nothing more than to step out of his shadow and forge a reputation that will outweigh the one thrust on her when she become the world’s most famous damsel in the distress.

As a character Rose is off the hook. She wields two scimitars like the God of War, throwing them out to cleave and destroy her enemies and then calling them back to her hands for a second pass. In a fight she is always moving, always charging, always on the front foot and to say some of her battle scenes are epic as fuck would not be doing them justice. She is ably backed by her Druin husband (one of Lastleaf’s people), a Shaman who can transform into a bear and a tattoed Summoner who brings the very ink on her body to life. The action scenes are magnificent, a scale the likes of which are rarely even attempted let alone successfully pulled off and this is a huge testament to Eames imagination and writing ability. Unless an ancient god of some sort has been hiding out as a mountain range for a thousand years I personally cannot conceive how he will top this one for the sheer size of the forces opposing each other.

As the world builds and expands there is some interesting commentary on the nature of monsters and the role of humans in creating them. In Kings of the Wyld mercenaries found their fame by trooping into the Heartwyld looking for monsters and treasure and bringing back tokens of their exploits. It was done somewhat out of need, to stop the beastie that comes in the night, and lets face it there are a hell of a lot of beasties in Eames’ world. Now mercenaries who have never seen the Heartwyld tour cities, fighting monsters in arenas that have also never seen the Heartwyld. They are bred to fight or drugged to ensure they don’t pose a serious threat which makes somewhat of a mockery that it is done out of some sort of necessity. This need has actually shifted to the side of the horde. Previously their goal was one of exaltation and conquest whereas now it is merely survival and continuation of their species that were almost lost in the last defeat. The line between who is a man and what is a monster is also blurred. Saga was made up of men whilst Fable has a man who can turn into a bear, a beast summoner, a druin and a Satyr for a manager who disguises himself so that those outside the band don’t know his true identity. It’s a much different make up than last time and gives new opportunities for exploring the nature of all the creatures in Eames’ world.

Talking about the world boy does Eames loves to throw in a pop culture reference and seems to always do it at the perfect moment. I’ve heard a few reviewers mention video games but it’s movies that stick in my head guy. Dumber and Dumber get a line drop, so does Star Wars A New Hope, Jaws, Dazed and Confused, Planet of the Apes and a few others. It’s a veritable feast and I’m sure I missed a couple so let me know what you pick up on!

The big thing that really sucked me into the book was the amount of relationships that existed between different characters and how much honest to goodness love there was. Our protagonist Tam is on the look out for love and is pulled between the experience and passion of one of her band and the joys of a dirty rumble with another lass in a haystack. We see band mates that have become family and will do anything to protect each other, a husband and wife whose love burns with ferocity on the battlefield, a broken man who has lost his wife and asks never to see his daughter because the finality is all he can bear. The Mrs Voorhees love of a mother seeking revenge for her murdered child, the love between two men who have fought together and grown old and now get to hang out as best mates whilst their kids run around saving the world and the love a man can have for a ship that grants him the life of freedom and flight he always wanted. It’s ridiculously well done, it flows through every scene and it’s the cement that binds this whole thing together.

Bloody Rose is a rare beast, it’s an action packed roller-coaster ride that is emotionally affecting. I honestly loved it from start to finish and feel a sense of quiet contentment knowing all those people out there who loved Kings of the Wyld are going to get exactly what they are hoping for when they pick this one up.

10/10

Thanks to Orbit for providing me with an early copy

Bloody Rose is the most fun I’ve had all year. It’s a great equation. Take a well-done fantasy novel filled with monsters, battles and arena brawls, add in a band of rockstar warriors that are worshipped throughout the land and you’ve got Bloody Rose. Everyone from the group brings something different to the table, whether it be god-like fighting abilities, intense magic, conjuration, or simply the fresh eyes of a newbie. I enjoyed everything about this book and urge you to read it.

Full review at: https://reviewsandrobots.com/2018/12/11/bloody-rose-book-review/

Nicholas Eames’s second novel, Bloody Rose, the follow-up to his highly acclaimed debut, Kings of the Wyld, was released with a fair bit of hype last week, some folks even claiming it was better than Kings. Well, having stormed through its 560 digital pages in the past few days, I have to agree with them. This is one fucking great read. It basically has everything: high stakes, brutal epic battles, deep characters, engaging prose, beautiful transgressive romance, transformative emotional twists, a monster menagerie like none I’ve ever encountered, vivid and imaginative settings… and it’s funny as hell. Don’t even bother reading the rest of this review. Go buy it and read it now.

Okay, you won’t take my advice, just like my daughter, so I’ll have to explain it to you. Bloody Rose is both the story of the legendary titular mercenary, leader of the preeminent mercenary band, Fable, as well as the coming of age story of former waitress and barmaid, Fable’s new bard, seventeen-year-old Tam Hashford. Rose has returned from the siege and battle at Castia, which takes place in Kings of the Wyld, where she earned a reputation as a ferocious fighter, and she has taken her band on the road, a tour of arenas where she and her band fight monsters for the entertainment of crowds and, of course, for cash. It’s a dubious occupation for a famous mercenary, but it’s a living. One stop on the tour is in Ardburg, where Tam slings drinks and cleans tables at the Cornerstone bar. Rose and her band stop in to get hammered, and adopt Tam as their new bard, despite the vehement refusal of Tam’s father to allow her any adventuring. However, the Brumal Horde (the Heartwyld Horde from Kings plus every monster you can possible imagine and a thousand you can’t) has regrouped after its defeat at Castia and is on the move for vengeance, and every mercenary band worth its liquor is moving to stop it. So why the hell is Fable traveling in the opposite direction towards Diremarch?

Bloody Rose has so many excellent qualities, it’s impossible to include them all in this review (since you should be reading the book by now anyhow). But for the purpose of brevity, let’s look only at characters and themes. Fable comprises Tam, the bard; Bloody Rose, the leader and daughter of the famous mercenary Golden Gabe from Kings; Freecloud, Rose’s rabbit-eared lover, a druin; Brune, a shapeshifting vargyr; Cura, an Inkwitch; and Roderick, a hilarious and horny satyr. Each of these characters is imbued with a distinctive personality and each character has its own arc that is perfectly executed and timed (spread out with) the other characters’ arcs. Brune for example, has always believed he is a bear until circumstances require that he overcome that misperception to survive. Equally as important as the expert development of Fable’s band members is the development and deployment of the very powerful and intelligent villain, the Winter Queen, who has a legitimate motivation to be pissed off—her only son was killed by Rose’s father at Castia. Bloody Rose has an enormous cast of important characters, and they are all intricately tied together, not only by the story’s events, but also by its main themes.

Although Eames can be a little heavy-handed with his presentation of themes in Bloody Rose, it is the thematic aspect of the novel (in addition to the humour perhaps) that sets it at the top of the heap of epic fighting fantasy. Readers will find their own themes to ponder, but for this reviewer, the main theme of Bloody Rose is “What constitutes family?” Tam’s widowed father is a depressive with anger issues. It’s a very lifelike portrait. (Trust me, I know.) She is unable to love him and he her. Ultimately, he tells her never to come back. She enters the world alone, finds her own family in her band, and ultimately destroys the symbolic bond between herself and her biological family. All the characters in Bloody Rose must similarly deal with family issues: dickhead dads, rebellious children, loss of family members, family envy, estrangement, etc.

Another important theme in Bloody Rose is that, one way or another, we are all broken inside, like Tam’s depressed father above. In another writer’s hand, this might be terribly dreary, but with Eames’s combination of sensitivity and humour, it is extremely engaging, thought provoking, and entertaining. One of my favourite exchanges in the book discusses this theme when Tam notices her (hilarious) favourite uncle is terribly wounded.

“Uncle, are you okay?”

The old man’s eyes floated for a moment before landing on her. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“There’s sword in you.”

“Ah, well… there’s a sword in all of us,” he said, then winked as if he’d said something profound.

Tam’s coming of age not only includes finding a family (and romance) but also repairing the damage inside of herself. All of the characters in Bloody Rose are broken, and all seek some kind of redemption, which gives the story an emotional depth not found in many similar “genre” fiction stories. Other themes abound (but our editor-in-chief will make me rewrite this review if I try to expound on them all). Nevertheless, worth mentioning are the explorations of discrimination in Bloody Rose—“evil thrives on division,” which is profoundly relevant for today’s fucked up world, and the discussion of stories and their origin, which is one of the most grimdark (perhaps deliberately) aspects of the novel: “You didn’t get to be the villain of one story, she supposed, unless you were the hero of another.” It all amounts to an intelligent, emotional read.

Bloody Rose ends with the most epic epic battle I have ever read, and, yes, at nearly 100 pages it might drag a little despite being expertly staged. Readers who love battle scenes and fighting, however, will probably need to change their underclothes. It is fucking epic. But it’s also the only teensy-weensy letdown of the novel in light of how emotionally charged everything else in the story is. Nevertheless, Bloody Rose is easily one of my favourite novels of the past few years, and is probably worth a reread soon.

Enough already! Buy this fucking book! (Yes, even if you haven’t read Kings of the Wyld, but for the best enjoyment read that one first because it’s also amazing.)

Bloody Rose was published August 28, 2018, by Orbit.

This post’s header artwork was created by the brilliant artist Felix Ortiz. Check out more of his work on ArtStation and DeviantArt. (Used with the artist’s permission.)

http://www.grimdarkmagazine.com/review-bloody-rose-by-nicholas-eames/

I loved Bloody Rose even more than Kings of the Wyld! This book feels like stepping into a fresh Dungeons and Dragons campaign, where you get to play as a Lesbian bard who is allowed the honor of going on a few quests and ultimately telling the story of the most famous mercenary this side of the Heartwyld. And, I’m not sure I’ve ever wanted to play (or be) a character so much in my entire life.

“I couldn’t quit. I didn’t want to. I was raised on my father’s stories, spoon-fed glory until I hungered for it—until I thought I’d starve without it.”

Nicholas Eames truly has created something so unique with his books, because in this world bands of mercenaries join up to go on tours, to perform shows, in which they will slay the biggest and baddest monsters around. And sometimes, if the band is good enough, they will take on other contracts to help protect their five major cities and make some really good cash (and accumulate a lot of fame) along the way.

Bloody Rose is a brand new book, with brand new adventures. And even though this title and book cover may star Golden Gabe’s daughter that he got his band, Saga, back together to rescue in Kings of the Wyld, this book follows a brand new mercenary band, six years later.


(Breathtaking map by Tim Paul!)

“To Tam, there was nothing worse than the prospect of never leaving home, of being cooped up in Ardburg until her dreams froze and her Wyld Heart withered in its cage.”

➽ Tam - Seventeen-year-old girl who has lived a sheltered life with her father, ever since her mother died while being a mercenary. She does work at the local tavern (which also has a six armed arachrian manning the bar, and warming my heart), where her uncle and a few friends have taught her a few things behind her father’s back. Tam is also a lesbian, and her world completely changes when she finds out that Fable is in dire need of a new bard.

➽ Rose - Frontwoman of the band Fable, Golden Gabe’s daughter, and a reputation that has already guaranteed that she will go down in history as one of the bravest mercenaries to have ever lived. Also, she duel wields scimitars – Thistle and Thorn!

➽ Freecloud - the last Druin and Rose’s lover, who was on the battlefield of Castia with her. And has a pretty impressive sword named Madrigal!

➽ Brune - Vargyr / Shaman! Wields Ktulu, that can separate into two weapons, kind of like Varian Wrynn’s (my favorite character) in World of Warcraft. I didn’t ask for these tears. Speaking of World of Warcraft, I have an extra soft spot for shamans, and Brune even shifts into what my shaman shifts into, so my heart is so very happy.

➽ Cura - Inkwitch / Summoner, and my favorite character in the entire book. Cura’s sexuality is never completely stated, but she does like girls (I’m secretly hoping, wishing, and thinking that she’s pan)! She wields a trio of knives, but her powers are so much more than that. Also, I love playing summoners in D&D! On top of Cura’s amazing personality and banter? I seriously have the biggest crush on this fictional character.

➽ Roderick - Fable’s booker and handler of their contracts! Also, he is a Satyr and is forced to keep it hidden. There is such a wonderful discussion around this character and what makes a monster and makes someone lesser than someone else based on the deeds of others. I easily fell in love with Roderick and his little hat. I really hope we get to see more of him in book three.

“…That evil thrives on division. It stokes the embers of pride and prejudice until they become an inferno that might one day devour us all.”

We get to see each of these characters deal with many things from their pasts that are ultimately holding them back. But all the story and character arcs are seamlessly woven together, and this gang of misfits truly come together to create something more beautiful than I have words for.

And Bloody Rose and her crew have one last gig before their tour is over, even though they plan on completing one little contract afterwards. And they need someone to tell their story, so they ask Tam to come along. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen? It’s not like life as they know it is going to end because there is a crazed necromancer out there, right? Obviously wrong. There is a Winter Queen on the loose that wants to completely destroy this world and everyone residing in it, because she is forced to live in a world without the thing she loves most.

I feel like this book also heavily talks about motherhood and all the beautiful, but messy, aspects that come along with that title. How parenthood will always be the most difficult but rewarding job title a person can carry. And even though I think this book is one adventure after adventure, leading up to the most epic battle, I truly think that the heart of this book is about motherhood. Tam and Cura are both grieving the loss of theirs. Rose is struggling to be one. And the Winter Queen is showing no mercy for the people who took hers away. I know this is a fun and humorous book, and I love it for that, but Bloody Rose packs a very powerful punch. I cried during the entire epilogue.

I also think there is an important discussion to be had about how even though being a parent is one of the most important things in this world, it’s also not the only thing a human will ever be in their life. And there are so many ways to love, and to teach, and to heal, and to just live the life you want to live as a person and as a parent. I’m not a parent yet, so take these entire paragraphs with a grain of salt, but I think this book really talks about balancing being a parent and being whatever you want to also be and how they can cohesively come together to allow you to live a life you are both proud of and a life that you feel is worth living.

Bloody Rose is also a love letter to found families everywhere. Again, parenthood is for sure a major theme, but this book truly embraces the “it takes a village to raise a child” proverb. All the members of Fable were forced to grow up seeing their parents go to battle in very different ways. Some got by on the love from their secondary family members, and others only found their true family when joining Fable. Regardless, this book really helps prove that blood will only ever just be blood. And that a family is what you choose and who will always choose to unconditionally love you.

“And yet here they all were: at the cold edge of the world—each of them vying to be worthy of one another, to protect one another, to prove themselves a part of something to which they already, irrevocably belonged.”

And the writing? Seriously, I almost want to believe that Nick is a bard himself. I say this in a lot of my review, but lyrical writing is my favorite extra element in books, and his prose is so unbelievably beautiful. And he truly has mastered how to string words and sentences together. I feel like I highlighted at least a third of this book. I also feel like this book is told in such a unique way, because even though I would, without question, say that Tam is the main character, I would still say that the star of this book is Bloody Rose. And I think that Nick played with the concept of what a bard is so impressively, and it truly made for such a unique reading experience. Also, the epilogue was 11/10 and truly tied everything together so perfectly.

Overall, this is epic fantasy as its finest, and this will for sure make my “best of 2018” list come December. What Nick has created with this world and story is just such a breath of fresh air in adult fantasy. It’s smart and witty and will leave your sides hurting from laughing. But the messages are powerful and important and will leave you reflecting the parallels in our world in 2018. I love these books, I love these characters, and I never want Nick to stop writing them. I hope you all pick this up upon release next week, and I hope you all strive to live a life that you would be proud to have a song written about.

“Glory fades. Gold slips through our fingers like water, or sand. Love is the only thing worth fighting for.”

First off, thanks to the consistently wonderful people over at Orbit for an ARC of ‘Bloody Rose (The Band #2)’ in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this ARC in no way, shape, or form influences my thoughts or opinions on the novel or its content.

So, how does Bloody Rose stack up to its predecessor? You know, that book… Kings of the Wyld

WINNER OF THE REDDT/FANTASY AWARD FOR BEST DEBUT FANTASY NOVEL.
WINNER OF THE DAVID GEMMELL MORNINGSTAR AWARD FOR BEST FANTASY DEBUT.
#1 READ OF 2017 ON FANFIADDICT (ok… it obviously didn’t win an award for this one but it still counts in my mind)

Well, needless to say, it was freaking epic as expected. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that Eames will be up for more awards as the months tick by, leading up to Book 3 and so on.

To me, Eames is like the Ernest Cline of epic fantasy. He writes an engaging story-line full of epic battles, memorable characters, laughs aplenty, and more nostalgia than you can shake a dead cat at. Except with Eames, its a full-on rock show, featuring your favorite shredders, bassists, drummers, and yeah… even keyboard players, in the forms of mercenaries hired to battle it out with some of the most epic monsters ever imagined. WHAT THE HELL ELSE COULD YOU ASK FOR?!?!?

Hubris, man…. It’s killed more heroes than monsters ever did.

On the heels of the ever-popular KotW, we have Bloody Rose; but don’t let the title fool you. This is actually the story of Tam Hashford, a local barmaid who only dreams of acting out her own role in one of the many tales she hears from mercs and bards passing through her bar. Tales of fantastic adventures, epic battles, devastating carnage, and the above-all glory that comes from victory.

That is, at least, until Fable, the most popular band across the Heartwyld since the days of Saga, shows up. Lead vocalist of Fable, the infamous Bloody Rose, offers Tam the opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to tour with them, in concert, across the Heartwyld as their new bard.

Tossing away her old life and embarking on this epic adventure, Tam soon finds out that she is in for way more than she bargained for when her life is immediately thrown into the danger zone (thanks Kenny Loggins). Will she be able to save Bloody Rose from herself before Fable plays their farewell tour?

I could seriously spend all day talking about how fantastic this novel is. About how you should pre-order it NOW or how badly you need to read Kings of the Wyld (The Band #1) if you haven’t already. About how fantastic these characters are, how expansive and jaw-dropping the world-building is, or how emotionally involved you as the reader will become while reading this novel. Or how this series, in my opinion, will go down as one of THE must-reads if you call yourself a fan of epic fantasy, or fantasy period.

Maybe I’ll even tell you about the tears Eames made me shed, EVEN BEING THE MANLY MAN THAT I AM, because of how beautiful this story was.

But I’m not going to do that because I have a job to get back to and people sort of depend on me to do that job. I’ll simply leave you with this and let you form your own opinion once you read Books 1 or 2, or both, and come back to tell me how right I was.

And remember, in the truest words ever spoken by an over-the-hill mage: “Everything eats bananas.”

Bloody Rose's predecessor, Kings of the Wyld, was one of the best debuts I read last year, and one I still think about with great fondness, so that I was looking forward to its sequel, especially since I knew it would not feature the same characters as the first book in the series and therefore I could look forward to meeting a totally new set of people, which made this story even more intriguing.

Tam Hashford has heard of the epic feats of traveling bands all her life: her own parents were part of one, and her mother died at the hands (or paws, or claws, or whatever…) of one of the monsters her band faced. Because of this, Tam's father chose to lead a quieter life, trying to erase from his daughter any yearning for adventures and heroic gestures, being tragically aware of the kind of price exacted by those 'adventures'. But it's difficult to steer away a young person from dreams of heroic deeds: on the contrary, any kind of interference can only manage to steel their resolve, so that when Fable, the band led by Bloody Rose, comes to Tam's village, she manages to get enrolled as their bard.

The members of Fable are a mixed and intriguing bunch: there is Rose of course, whose fate in besieged Castia caused her father Gabe to reunite his old band Saga to save her; Rose's right hand and lover is the druin Stormcloud, while the rest of the group is made up by Roderick (a satyr trying to hide his nature under outlandish clothes), Cura (an inkwitch, able to summon the most incredible creatures from the tattoos drawn on her skin), and Brune, the shaman (meaning he can sham into an animal shape, apparently a bear - even though the story is more complicated here…).

The world changed considerably in the years after the events depicted in Kings of the Wyld though, and the exploits of bands don't concern the removal of dangerous creatures anymore: the bands now fight only in the arenas, and more often than not it's more of an act than a true fight, where the "monsters" are mostly underfed mongrels, all bark and almost no bite, captured for the purpose of making the bands look good, especially through the bards' retelling and embellishments. This makes for a very different kind of tone in respect of the previous book: where Kings of the Wyld was a delightfully weird romp focused on putting the members of Saga back together, and their adventures always had a patina of tongue-in-cheek fun despite the seriousness of their goal, here the story is pervaded by a creeping sense of melancholy, of the awareness of a world gone forever that tries to cling to its past glories but only manages to show the surface appearance of it, without real underlying substance.

It takes only a few days on the road to start divesting Tam of all her starry-eyed notions about the life of a band, and soon enough the days all seem like a boring repetition, just like the story seems to move at a very slow pace, in what felt for me like a very different experience from the previous book: Iittle by little, however, I started to get to know these characters, and to perceive their strong bond, the sense of family that kept them together. I believe that the sense of detachment I experienced at first came from Tam's p.o.v.: she is of course the outsider - just as the reader is - and she needs to integrate in the group, to know them and to be known by them in turn. That's the moment when I became truly invested in the story, and that was also the moment when it took a very serious turn, a deadly serious turn, indeed…

I've come to believe that with the slow-burn beginning the author choose quite craftily to lull his readers into a false sense of sameness, so that he could better spring his surprise, a terrifying surprise that imbued the story with such a sense of inescapable doom that I literally flew through the rest of the novel in the attempt to relieve the anxiety I felt for the fate of the characters - therefore realizing that I had come to care for each of them deeply. That's why it was so hard for me to come to terms with the high price that some of the events entailed - I will not say more about it, since it's a huge spoiler, but I confess I did not expect it, and it still hurts…

Bloody Rose probes into several important issues, like perception of self and the need to fulfill one's goals irrespective of whatever kind of pressure (parental or otherwise) is exerted on an individual; or again the concept of courage and the necessity to find it inside us rather than trying to borrow it from external sources. But where this story truly excels is in depicting the sense of family, of a group of people who are each scarred in their own way by past experiences, and yet manage to turn their flaws into a useful tool for the good of the group, understanding that the family they found among themselves is worth any kind of sacrifice, no matter how high.

In the end, everybody is transformed - either because they have changed in the course of the story (like Tam, who goes from a self-effacing village girl to a more assertive person), or because they have changed in the eyes of the reader, who comes to know - and appreciate - them better, and if that development takes a harrowing journey that leaves too many casualties along the way, it's a trip worth making thanks to the skills of the storyteller. Which is the reason I will forgive him for bringing tears to my eyes with the final surprise at the end of the book….

RATING: 4 & 1/2 STARS

Okay, I was going to attempt to wait to let my love of this book out on the world, but I can’t. I can’t hold it in. *spews rainbows* – sooo… this review is just going to be 1500 words of me squeeing into my computer screen.

I was 8% into this thing and had more stuff highlighted than I do for an average over 4 books, lol.

I sat there and I said to myself, before I even started this thing. “It can’t… it just can’t be as good as KotW was.”

Welp. Here we are.

This is the story of Tam, who is seventeen, and the daughter of a well known mercenary and a very well known bard who were once in a band back in the day. Unfortunately, her mom died, leaving her with a father who is now over-the-top overprotective of her, and all she wants to do is go out and find adventure in the world.

And she does manage to break away from her sheltered life… and somehow ends up as the bard for Fable, one of the most famous bands that are touring. Fable is lead by Bloody Rose – Golden Gabe’s daughter, and the reason that he got Saga back together in Kings of the Wyld. Rose is joined by Freecloud, a swordmaster and one of the last of the druin; Cura, a summoner who summons creatures from her tattoos; Brune, a shaman who turns into a bear; and their booker Roderick, who is… a little more than meets the eye.

Most of the bands in the world are generally heading towards the Brumal Horde, a host of monsters like Lastleaf gathered six years previously, but Fable isn’t going that way. They’re finishing their tour, and then they have a contract to complete. Their journey brings them to many different places, where they meet many different kinds of people, and deal with many different kinds of shenanigans. Everything from huuuuge monsters, to undead monsters, to bar brawls, to some very strange animals.

SHENANIGANS – DUN DUN DUNNN

There are a thousand reasons that I loved this book. It is amazingly well put together, and well written. It’s funny as hell and it makes me laugh, yes, but it also has serious moments. Some of those moments got me in the feels pretty good too. The characters became friends of mine, in a way. I really liked Tam as a character, and I liked the journey that the band made. I didn’t start off really liking Rose but she really grew on me as we went… but the real star here, for me, was Freecloud. After Lastleaf, I don’t know what I was expecting from a druin, but I don’t think it was this. I wanted all the good things for him because he deserves good things. He’s just a good dude, full stop. He’s got the prescience, the grace (usually), and sometimes the sort of… otherworldly agelessness that druin do, but at the same time he’s so down to earth and easy to talk to. He’s one of those characters I just latched onto, so as the story went on, and things came to pass… well… feels. The feels happened. Brune and Cura were also fun, and the banter between them made me laugh. Roderick is also a fun dude who is unexpected and yet… he is what he is, lol.

Some characters from KotW make appearances, and the first of which that made me break out into a giant grin was Tiamax (who still reminds me of Garrus Vakarian, there I said it), the arachnian former member of the band Vanguard. He’s a bartender now, in the bar where Tam works, and… y’know, having 6 arms, he’s pretty great at it.

And then there are the subtle and sometimes not-as-subtle references to various games, books, and pretty much everything else that I will always love. A couple of Cura’s summoned creatures reminded me very much of aeons from FFX – one of which is a rather electric horse, and the other of which is my favorite summon in the entire franchise. There was another character who was awfully reminiscent of a very common enemy in the same franchise, and named very appropriately. There was a reference to Shadow of the Colossus. There’s a ‘Winter is Coming’ in there somewhere (and it fit really well. It wasn’t just totally random). I was not-so-subtly geeking out the entire time, for reals. ^_^

The majority of the things I caught were obviously music related though. There’s a band in this one called Men Without Helmets, which immediately got the song Pop Goes the World stuck in my head. If you’re not Canadian, you might not know that one, but you might know Men Without Hats’ other hit song – The Safety Dance. It was on my playlist right after Pop Goes the World, and my childhood of sitting on the floor in front of the TV in the 80s watching nothing but terrible music videos came right back. Yeep. There’s also a pretty clear reference in this one to another song that was famous in Canada but pretty much nowhere else. Strange Animal by Gowan (seriously, look up this video on YouTube, it's hilariously awful, lol).

I didn’t really realize this until pretty far into this book but… after a reference to Men Without Hats, then Duran Duran, then Whitesnake, and even a minor character whose name was a very subtle but brilliant Van Halen reference… Bloody Rose… takes place in the 80s.

Kings of the Wyld felt like it was representing all the greatest classic rock bands. Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, etc… but not really in a specific time frame. Bands who are, perhaps, past their younger days at this point in the story, but not necessarily out of the game. They can still rock. That feeling is still present here too.

But, as Rose and her band are pretty much the next generation after Saga, their manager, their groupies, and their afterparties definitely reminded me of the brightly colored, platinum-blonde, sometimes utterly ridiculous 80s. And since I was born and spent a good deal of my formative years within the 80s…. I LIVED FOR IT. <3<3<3

Ahem, back to business. Like I said, there are a thousand reasons that I loved this book, but I can’t point them all out to you or what fun will you have? So let me just say that if you loved Kings of the Wyld, you’re going to love Bloody Rose.

And, I mean, if you haven’t read Kings of the Wyld yet… then drop everything you are doing. Right now. GO.

This was a fantastic sequel. It was a fantastic book all on it’s own (but I think you’d probably benefit from reading KotW first although this follows different characters on a different journey). I loved every minute of it. Well… there were a few minutes I could have done without… but all the same, I can’t wait for more!

This one gets 7/5 stars!

KotW got 7 stars as well. 6 because it’s one more than 5 (because it went up to 11, which is one more than 10), and a bonus one because Nick Eames is Canadian and I was feeling extra patriotic that day.

This one gets one extra for nostalgia-ing me in the face then making me cry (twice), and then a bonus for making a GOWAN REFERENCE, lol.

OMG… is the next book going to be the 90s? Nirvana, and Tool, and RHCP, and Soundgarden and on and on and on…. :o CLEAR MY SCHEDULE!

This review is based on a NetGalley, and many thanks to Orbit for that NetGalley. :)