A review by kierano
Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames

4.0

 ‘Kings of the Wyld’ is a Rip-Roaring Fantasy Road Trip Novel That Gives Zero F*cks

 

The ‘Five Man Band’ is fantasy trope that’s been popping up regularly for decades, but it’s one that’s so effective that nobody seems to mind. The trope is easily recognisable; do you have five grouped characters in a fantasy setting? That’s probably a Five-Man Band.

Each member of the band usually embodies one specific role. There’s often a Brute of some kind—like the Hulk, or Michelle Rodriguez’s character in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Another common role is The Lancer, a somewhat antagonistic rival to the Hero character who can usually fight pretty well, too—think Batman in any Justice League story, or Magneto in X-Men First Class.

There are more roles, of course—like The Leader, The Heart, The Smart One—and variations of all sorts to play with, but I’ve never seen a take on the trope quite like Nicholas Eames’ in Kings of the Wyld. In some ways, Eames plays it very straight in how he concocts his core Five-Man Band, but it’s the world that he’s built around the whole concept of ‘Fantasy Bands’ that makes Kings of the Wyld such a compelling read. 

Full review:
https://www.kieran-obrien.com/post/kings-of-the-wyld-is-a-rip-roaring-fantasy-road-trip-novel-that-gives-zero-f-cks-book-review