“Go get the boss,” says one guardsman to another. “This bunch looks like trouble.”… And they do. They do look like trouble, at least until the wizard trips on the hem of his robe. He stumbles, cursing, and fouls the steps of the others as he falls face-first onto the mud-slick hillside.” – Kings of the Wyld
I’ve heard so many people taking about this book over on Youtube and I finally decided to read it. I was so happy to find it was on sale for $2.99 on the Kindle. My only regret is that I hadn’t read this sooner because this book is exactly what I needed. Every time I sat down and read parts of it I’d run off and gush about it to my boyfriend, spoiler free of course, because this is exactly the type of book I think he’d enjoy. Anyways, here’s a (uh, mostly) spoiler-free review for a book you should definitely read.
Clay Cooper left his life as a traveling mercenary for a quiet home life with his wife and daughter. This meant no more monsters, no more fighting, and a lot more back pain. Nothing he couldn’t handle; he just got old. His life is stirred up when his old bandmate, the once revered Golden Gabe, shows up at his doorstep, unexpected. Gabe’s daughter was a mercenary, just like him, and found herself at the epicenter of a war between monsters and men. He had one last quest for his friend Clay “Slowhand” Cooper: get the band back together and rescue his daughter.
This world is full of authentic, quirky, and lovable characters. It’s very easy to get sucked into the Heartwyld along with all the mischeviousness that comes along with it. The story was very fun, and I found myself thinking about this book well after reading it. The comradery of these old friends, the questionable decision-making of the characters, and overall, their very lively personalities really sick with you. Imagine a cold and rainy evening spent indoors with a warm cup of coffee. That is basically what this book feels like.
The reading experience was everything I wanted it to be. The style of writing was playful and relaxed, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously, which adds to the charm that makes this book so special. I also laughed my ass off throughout the entire book which is something that I never really do. Sometimes comedy in books can feel forced, but Nicholas Eames did an amazing job of making the jokes actually funny and with good flow in the narrative. If you’re in a reading slump or are looking for something light and heartfelt (that is also set in a dangerous and magical world) I would highly recommend Kings of the Wyld. Heavily reminiscent of a Dungeons & Dragons campaign, you will not be short of scary-as-fuck monsters, unexpected pitfalls, and a lot of fun magic. And if you like to write your own D&D campaigns, there is a LOT of inspiration you can draw from this book.
While this is a 3 book series, each one follows a different band of mercenaries and can be read as a standalone. There is still a story arc that expands the entire series but you could read this one alone and have a complete story.
The third book isn’t out yet so for more updates on The Band series, click here.
Book Mentioned – Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames