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A review by troystory
Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Okay, so the gist is: I love this book. Like, so much. I absolutely adore it. It's got a good mix of the tropes I love in fantasy (found family, ragtag crews, mercenaries/monster hunters, epic battles, badass weapons, etc.) but it doesn't feel overwhelmed by them, and it does such a good job at subverting certain tropes and making them feel new and fresh.
Above all, my favourite thing is just the premise itself. I love fantasy about mercenaries and monster hunters (The Witcher is my favourite series, after all), and I really liked the idea that in this world, they're treated like rock stars. It's so interesting, and honestly, ridiculously cool. I love that when this story takes place, our main characters - who once formed one of the most famous bands - are now, well, old and out-of-practice.
Some more things I adore, in no particular order:
- Clay's relationship with Ginny and Tally. I kind of don't like it when the hero has to lose his wife/children/entire family because it feels overdone at this point, and it often doesn't serve much of a purpose expect to be "tragic". I loved that not only were both his wife and daughter alive and well, but that he consistently thought of them and missed them, and that they served as motivation for Clay to keep going. Especially at the end - his love for Tally was so strong, and I felt is so powerfully, that I literally almost cried.
- Larkspur and Lastleaf. They're such good characters! Larkspur is such a joy to read about, and I also loved her relationship with Ganelon. Murder couple for the win! Lastleaf, too, was very fun, and I'd love to dive deeper into his backstory.
- Moog! I think he's probably my favourite character in the entire book, just because he's the funniest and he has zero sense of self-preservation. Also, the whole Fredrick storyline was so sad, and I think Moog deserves all the good things.
- the friendships between the boys in the band. They really love each other, and it shows! I adore well-written friendships, so this was perfect for me.
There are a million more things I love, because I love this entire book, but those are some highlights. Highly recommended!
Above all, my favourite thing is just the premise itself. I love fantasy about mercenaries and monster hunters (The Witcher is my favourite series, after all), and I really liked the idea that in this world, they're treated like rock stars. It's so interesting, and honestly, ridiculously cool. I love that when this story takes place, our main characters - who once formed one of the most famous bands - are now, well, old and out-of-practice.
Some more things I adore, in no particular order:
- Clay's relationship with Ginny and Tally. I kind of don't like it when the hero has to lose his wife/children/entire family because it feels overdone at this point, and it often doesn't serve much of a purpose expect to be "tragic". I loved that not only were both his wife and daughter alive and well, but that he consistently thought of them and missed them, and that they served as motivation for Clay to keep going. Especially at the end - his love for Tally was so strong, and I felt is so powerfully, that I literally almost cried.
- Larkspur and Lastleaf. They're such good characters! Larkspur is such a joy to read about, and I also loved her relationship with Ganelon. Murder couple for the win! Lastleaf, too, was very fun, and I'd love to dive deeper into his backstory.
- Moog! I think he's probably my favourite character in the entire book, just because he's the funniest and he has zero sense of self-preservation. Also, the whole Fredrick storyline was so sad, and I think Moog deserves all the good things.
- the friendships between the boys in the band. They really love each other, and it shows! I adore well-written friendships, so this was perfect for me.
There are a million more things I love, because I love this entire book, but those are some highlights. Highly recommended!