A review by afictionalescapist
Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames

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

3.0

 Ever wondered what it would feel like to have one last show? Strap in to the King's of the Wyld to find out just what that entails for a band of retired mercenaries as they brave the dangerous heartwyld to save the one, the only Bloody Rose.

Called upon by an old band mate, Clay Cooper must choose whether he will give up his relatively cosy life for one final curtain call. Initially turning down the opportunity, his darling daughter gives him the push he needs to make a comeback. It looks like the band is getting back together after all.

This is fundamentally a fun adventure tale of some middle aged mercenaries joining together in banter, rock references and the ability to get mugged by the same bandit group multiple times.

While no one aspect of this book really stood out to me, parts of each element certainly had their moments. In terms of characters, I adored Moog. I would read a book entirely about his ridiculous antics, but was fairly middling on the rest of them. In terms of the world, it felt fairly small in comparison to other things I had read by oh boy was it rich in beasties that our crew had to dodge. When it came to the prose and plot, both of these things were fairly formulaic but at times had a lot of heart that I couldn't help but smile at .. or despite myself chuckle.

This book is full of mythical creatures, glorious battles and more d*ck jokes than you can poke a stick at. It was a fun time and a good pallet cleanser.

Side Bar - Jeff Harding did an excellent job of bringing these characters to life through his narration of the audiobook.