Kings of the Wyld
The Band, Book One
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4.4 • 86 Ratings
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
'A fantastic read, a rollicking, page-turning, edge-of-your-seat road-trip of a book' - John Gwynne, author of Shadow of the Gods
Clay Cooper and his band were once the best of the best - the meanest, dirtiest, most feared and admired crew of mercenaries this side of the Heartwyld.
But their glory days are long past; the mercs have grown apart and grown old, fat, drunk - or a combination of the three. Then a former bandmate turns up at Clay's door with a plea for help: his daughter Rose is trapped in a city besieged by an enemy horde one hundred thousand strong and hungry for blood. Rescuing Rose is the kind of impossible mission that only the very brave or the very stupid would sign up for.
It's time to get the band back together for one last tour across the Wyld.
'Every avid fantasy reader, pay attention and let me do you a favour. Make sure you read this book no matter what. As of now, I'm calling Kings of the Wyld one of the best fantasy debuts of all time' Petrik Leo, Novel Notions
'Every single word is bloody brilliant . . . 11 out of 10' Fantasy Hive
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this brilliant debut novel, Eames creates a high-energy epic fantasy adventure straight from a heavy metal album cover. Clay Cooper's quiet retirement following his many adventures with Saga, a band of mercenaries, is interrupted when Saga's ex-leader, Gabriel, begs for help rescuing his daughter, Rose, who has become a mercenary in her own right and is now under siege with no hope of escape. Putting the band back together requires getting an enchanted sword out of hock, retrieving their wizard from his search for a cure for the disease that killed his husband, getting their dagger man to give up being a king, and freeing their main muscle guy from dire imprisonment. Where dignified heroes would despair, Saga rises to every occasion, whether by old skill or uncanny good luck. Eames has cranked the thrills of epic fantasy up to 11 with gleeful disregard for restraint or good sense. The world is rich and exciting, with every classic fantasy monster on hand and a few delightfully horrifying new ones. Moreover, the plot is emotionally rewarding, original, and hilarious, and boasts a satisfying conclusion while leaving room for future books. Eames clearly set out to write something fun to read, and he has succeeded spectacularly.
Customer Reviews
Original, lovingly crafted, brutal and hilarious
I enjoyed this book so much on so many levels. Eames skewers tropes and deftly makes what could have easily been a predictable, cheesy story full of groaning cliches into a smart, modern and touching epic. This is next level fantasy, definitely recommended if you’re a fan of Alex Marshall/Jesse Bullington, Glen Cook or Steven Brust.
Average
It’s certainly one of the books of all time.
A Wyld read.
Loved it! Couldn't put it down. My only gripe is the map which was very hard to read on the screen and I love maps. A fantastic first novel and I can't wait to read more about Saga.
Rock on!