Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames

10 reviews

nikki_saulnier's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Gore, Murder, War, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Grief, Violence, Death, Infidelity, Cannibalism, Blood, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Pregnancy, Slavery, and Terminal illness

billyjepma's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful lighthearted tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A proper hoot and a half. The writing is solid and somehow finds a great balance between maintaining tangible stakes and not taking itself seriously. Eames has played a lot of D&D because the vibes here are exactly that—chaotic, heartfelt, and bursting with a bravado that’s only sometimes earned but is always entertaining. It didn’t rock my world, and the pacing is too meandering for its own good, despite feeling authentic to the kind of adventure it is. The momentum never stalls, though—things move too fast for that to happen, which is a good thing. But the narrative does suffer slightly since the drama rarely has the time it needs to properly crystallize. But yeah, I had a great time and will pick up the sequel because this is the platonic ideal of a fantasy world. 

Also, I picked this up to fill the Baldur’s Gate 3 hole in my life, and it rose to the occasion! So, if anyone else is feeling similarly, this might help.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Death

Moderate: Alcohol, War, Terminal illness, Fire/Fire injury, Cursing, and Death of parent

Minor: Alcoholism, Addiction, Cannibalism, and Fatphobia

valjeanval's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Funny for a couple hundred pages, but the jokes just repeat and the flaws get more noticeable as it goes on. The female characters lack and depth and the run of duck jokes and fat jokes just goes on and on.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexism, Body shaming, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug use, Misogyny, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Animal death, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Terminal illness, Violence, and War

kliberty21's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Phenomenal book that I regret finishing. This book had me giggling in one chapter, then immediately panicking the next. With so many tales of "coming of age", it's fascinating to read a story of "getting the band back together one more time".

Clay Cooper is a fantastic lead, who is so human and relatable, and the entire group is just incredibly unique and I loved their interactions together along the journey.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Death

Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Addiction

Minor: Physical abuse, Terminal illness, and Cannibalism

marsh_mall0w's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, Violence, and Gore

Moderate: Cannibalism, Infidelity, Addiction, and Alcoholism

Minor: Slavery

vivavia's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Gore, Kidnapping, War, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Blood, Death, Infidelity, Murder, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Violence, Body horror, Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail, and Fire/Fire injury

seanml's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

One of the most uniquely enjoyable experiences I’ve had in fantasy in a long time. Eames doesn’t try to be overly clever; the tropes and archetypes that populate this book are laid out front and center. The characters are all lovely in their own way, and legitimately hilarious. Longtime readers of fantasy should enjoy everything in here. 8.5/10. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Grief, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, and Terminal illness

Minor: Bullying, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, and Panic attacks/disorders

bookwisp's review

adventurous emotional funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Kings of the Wyld was sold to me as 'a former D&D adventuring party gets back together for one last job'. I can confirm this assessment is entirely accurate.

Is it the best or most original Fantasy novel I've ever read? Nope.
Would I have gotten as much out of it if I didn't enjoy D&D quests and tropes? Probably not.
Was it a lot of fun? Yes, absolutely.

I think if you go into this book expecting it to be a laugh-a-minute as some reviewers make it out to be, you'll be a bit disappointed. It will, however, elicit involuntary, out-loud, 'HA' moments - or, at least, it did for me. Eames balances a humorous narrative voice with some really tender - soft, even - moments. (Clay Cooper is a Good man, okay.)
 
The bonds and friendships between the members of Saga are central to the book. Their characterisations and their interrelationships (and, of course, Clay Good Boi Cooper) are what elevated this book to a four-star read. More books about male friendships, please and thank you!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Death

Moderate: Alcoholism and Gore

Minor: Child abuse and Terminal illness

abutler's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Death, Gore, and Violence

Minor: Cannibalism, Cursing, Drug abuse, and Terminal illness

akira_outofthegravity's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I fully went into this expecting it to be about Manly Men hating their wives- I was thoroughly and pleasantly surprised with what I got.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Death

Minor: Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Slavery, Terminal illness, and Physical abuse

Violence is due to the nature of the book being about bandits/mercenaries.