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zachreadsfantasy 's review for:
Bloody Rose
by Nicholas Eames
A comedic action-adventure with flashes of brilliance, Bloody Rose steadily improves and delivers a fun, enjoyable read, even if it doesn’t quite reach the heights of a 5-star experience. Nicholas Eames demonstrates incredible talent and range in this sequel, skillfully balancing humor and emotional drama. There are laugh-out-loud moments, tear-jerking scenes, and a handful of passages showcasing truly exceptional prose.
While I enjoyed Bloody Rose and appreciated its strengths, it fell just short of being truly exceptional. I struggled to feel deeply connected to most of the characters, including Tam, our main POV, and Rose, the titular hero. Cura stood out as a favorite, but the rest of the cast didn’t leave a lasting impression. Eames’ world-building, while undeniably creative, has never fully captivated me. The Band series pulls liberally from the D&D monster manual, creating a wild, anything-goes setting that’s entertaining but sometimes feels chaotic or lacking in cohesion. The steady influx of fantastical elements can border on absurdity, occasionally undercutting the stakes and making conflicts feel too easily resolved. While it’s fun, I find it less compelling, captivating or immersive than other worlds out there.
The book’s early chapters were rough for me, particularly during Fable’s repetitive drunken shenanigans on tour. This dragged and bored me. My interest really picked up once the main villain and central conflict emerged. A key character death and poignant funeral scene heightened the drama, and Eames deserves credit for weaving a more serious tone throughout the book than in Kings of the Wyld. That first book's relentless barrage of crude jokes wore out its welcome by the end, for me at least. That wasn't the case with Bloody Rose, and I found Eames' more serious tone to be a savvy move. I consider it one of the ways Bloody Rose improves on its predecessor. However, the emotional beats, while impactful in the moment and occasionally offering beautiful passages of artful prose (such as the aforementioned funeral scene), fail to fully resonate given the disconnection I felt with the characters, lack of tension due to the anything-goes world-building style, and the dissonance created when dialogue often slid right back into crass banter.
Overall, Bloody Rose is a solid, likeable 4-star read—fun, entertaining, and at times brilliant, but not quite a standout. Eames has immense talent, though his series leans more into lighthearted adventure than epic storytelling. If you enjoy comedic romps, a modern feel with colloquial dialogue in a fantastical world, slapstick or crude humor, and a chaotic D&D-inspired setting, this series is a great choice. For me, it's been enjoyable, even if it doesn’t quite join the ranks of my all-time favorites.
The Band by Nicholas Eames
Book 1: Kings of the Wyld 4/5
Book 2: Bloody Rose 4/5
While I enjoyed Bloody Rose and appreciated its strengths, it fell just short of being truly exceptional. I struggled to feel deeply connected to most of the characters, including Tam, our main POV, and Rose, the titular hero. Cura stood out as a favorite, but the rest of the cast didn’t leave a lasting impression. Eames’ world-building, while undeniably creative, has never fully captivated me. The Band series pulls liberally from the D&D monster manual, creating a wild, anything-goes setting that’s entertaining but sometimes feels chaotic or lacking in cohesion. The steady influx of fantastical elements can border on absurdity, occasionally undercutting the stakes and making conflicts feel too easily resolved. While it’s fun, I find it less compelling, captivating or immersive than other worlds out there.
The book’s early chapters were rough for me, particularly during Fable’s repetitive drunken shenanigans on tour. This dragged and bored me. My interest really picked up once the main villain and central conflict emerged. A key character death and poignant funeral scene heightened the drama, and Eames deserves credit for weaving a more serious tone throughout the book than in Kings of the Wyld. That first book's relentless barrage of crude jokes wore out its welcome by the end, for me at least. That wasn't the case with Bloody Rose, and I found Eames' more serious tone to be a savvy move. I consider it one of the ways Bloody Rose improves on its predecessor. However, the emotional beats, while impactful in the moment and occasionally offering beautiful passages of artful prose (such as the aforementioned funeral scene), fail to fully resonate given the disconnection I felt with the characters, lack of tension due to the anything-goes world-building style, and the dissonance created when dialogue often slid right back into crass banter.
Overall, Bloody Rose is a solid, likeable 4-star read—fun, entertaining, and at times brilliant, but not quite a standout. Eames has immense talent, though his series leans more into lighthearted adventure than epic storytelling. If you enjoy comedic romps, a modern feel with colloquial dialogue in a fantastical world, slapstick or crude humor, and a chaotic D&D-inspired setting, this series is a great choice. For me, it's been enjoyable, even if it doesn’t quite join the ranks of my all-time favorites.
The Band by Nicholas Eames
Book 1: Kings of the Wyld 4/5
Book 2: Bloody Rose 4/5