Book Review
Title: Kings of the Wyld (The Band #1)
Author: Nicholas Eames
Genre: Adult/Fantasy
Rating: *****
Review: I didn’t really know anything about Kings of the Wyld before going into other than it is a debut novel and Daniel Greene spoke highly of it on his YouTube channel, so I had to pick it up. We are introduced to Clay, a former member of the band known as Saga, a legendary mercenary band. However, Clay is older now with a wife, child and normal job, his adventuring days long behind him until his best friend and former band mate, Gabriel comes knocking. He tells Clay of his daughter, Rose who is more like him than he ever thought as he taught her to fight and she started a band of her own. However, Rose’s band was called to the city of Castia to fight against the Heartwyld Horde and will many were killed other are trapped in the city under siege. Gabriel wants to go after his daughter but in order to do that he needs to get the old band together again including Clay. Clay at first refuses as he doesn’t want to leave his own family but after learning his daughter, Tally overheard the conversation and she wants him to rescue Rose even as she is unaware of the consequences, Clay knows he has to go. He finds Gabriel and they set off to find the rest of their old band for one last journey across the Wyld. However, the first thing they need to do is get back the sword Gabriel sold, Vellichor which he got from Archon who used it to create a path between worlds and here we get some backstory on the world of the Wyld but it doesn’t make too much sense yet but it seems that like Blackheart, a shield belonging to Clay each band member might have a weapon or item that belongs to them that they will need for the journey. However, I don’t think getting the band back together is going to be easy as they first need to get the sword from Kal their old booker as well as retrieve, Moog, Matrick, and Ganelon which isn’t going to be simple since one of their old band mates is now a King so they have their work cut out for them. As openings go it was interesting but it wasn’t very gripping but I am hoping that will pick up as the novel progresses which is often the case with fantasy novels.
As we approach the ¼ mark in the novel, Gabe and Clay are noticing the differences between the modern bands and bands of their time and seeing how much everything has changed and not necessarily for the better. We also begin learning about the band mates and it seems Clay had an abusive childhood and his father might have even killed his mother which is something that still sticks with him even now. Kal isn’t going to be any help as he has become greedier than he was when they were young and he refuses to give Vellichor back to Gabriel despite telling him that if he should ever truly need it that it would be returned. They managed to get away from Kal’s place and make it to Moog, where they discover their wizard friend has been trying to cure the rot, a wasting disease contracting in the Heartwyld after it killed his husband Fredrick and that he has contracted it himself. However, much to Clay’s surprise Moog is excited about getting the band back together but when Kal comes knocking they use an enchanted mirror from another adventure to get into Matrick’s palace. There they learn that Matrick, the King, is being held their against his will while his wife bears children to her guard rather than him and he wants nothing more than to escape Lilith. The boys try to come up with a plan but lacking any real weapons and being a lot older there doesn’t seem to be anything they can do until Moog gets an idea and as I am coming to suspect all of Moog’s ideas are either genius or crazy with no in-between. They decide to attend the Council of Courts alongside Matrick while they figure out how to free him from his wife. The Council doesn’t go as anyone planned as when the Druin called Lastleaf arrives, it turns out that Saga in particular Gabe has quite the history with them and isn’t too happy upon seeing them again. While Lastleaf tries to persuade them to abandon Castia there are a few that refuse and decide to stay the course of action they have taken. That night, Moog kills Matrick and they attend the funeral although it is all a ruse to help Matrick escape but Lilith wants him to have a northern burial which means setting him on fire but Clay manages to stop that and Matrick somehow manages to survive the waterfall, although not uninjured and the band set of to convince their last remaining member to join them. However, it seems like Ganelon has a reason to be angry with the rest of the band and we are going to find out what it is soon. The band also have to worry about Lilith finding out Matrick is still alive and Kal who is most likely hunting them down as well as making it through the Heartwyld.
As we cross the ¼ mark in the novel, the four men head toward Fivecourt where they know Ganelon will be but just before they can reach the city several things happen that almost knock them off course. The first is than Jain and her Silk Arrows reappear to rob them again as they did to Gabe and Clay early in the novel, which I found extremely entertaining. However, this is dampened when Gabe asks for Moog’s crystal ball and they see the state of Castia and what they are heading into and all of them know the chances of finding Rose alive by the time they get there are small, and the chances of them rescuing Rose and making it back alive are smaller still which only sets off Gabe’s temper. As the continue forward on their journey they encounter another band who tries to attack them because of the bounty Kal has put on Clay and Gabe which will make getting through Fivecourt and even bigger job than what it was in the beginning. Eventually with some luck and help from Moog the reforming Saga emerges on top but it forces each of them to face what they have become since Saga disbanded and what they were before and whether they are willing to become monsters again. I love the fact that not a single character in this book is good or bad, they are just very morally grey and I am loving it especially Clay since he has a wicked sense of humour and his internal thoughts are hilarious as well as thought provoking. By the time the band enter Fivecourt, they know have to face how much the world has changed since Saga disbanded and try to find their place in it now. Their names still hold a fair bit of weight as they are basically legends but it doesn’t seem to help, in fact, it only draws them more attention and has frequently gotten them into trouble. As they are in Fivecourt to get Ganelon I am eager to see what the final member of Saga is like and why there is such a negative history between him and the rest of the band members. We soon learn that Ganelon was sent to a prison known as the Quarry as the prisoners are turned to stone after killing a Nemeeri Prince, the eldest son of the Sultana and the money Gabe had stashed away is to set him free which is why they are paying a visit to the gorgons. I was really starting to get into the story but I was worried for our characters as Moog is dying of the rot, Ganelon is in prison and liked the act of killing more than his band mates by far and the others are not in the shape required for their journey but time is against them as every day that passes is a day less that they might find Rose alive.
As we approach the halfway mark in the novel, the group pay a visit to the gorgon called Dinantra who Gabe had an agreement with to buy Ganelon’s freedom but Lastleaf has beaten them there and offered Dinantra more than gold. The gorgon agrees to give them Ganelon back if they all fight in the arena and they have no choose but to agree. Fighting the arena is a double edged sword for them as many of them are past their prime, out of shape and rusty as hell except Ganelon who physically hasn’t changed a day since the day he was turned to stone. However, he does seem to have mentally matured a little since the bloodbath the others were expecting never happens which comes as a surprise. Ganelon is the only true warrior among them and as Clay puts it he was born to kill which we see in action shortly. Once arriving at the arena, they are kitted out with armour and weapons that makes them more reminiscent of the heroes they once were but the creatures they are to fight is a chimera which most bands even the powerful ones like Saga and Vanguard would have run away from instead of fighting. The weaknesses of the reformed Saga are demonstrated here as Matty goes down even after dealing with one of the three heads, Gabe is paralysed by the toxic claws not long after followed by Moog who knocks himself out trying to render the chimera unconscious. This leaves only Clay and Ganelon to deal with the two remaining heads and while Clay tries his best, the toxic claws also get the better of him leaving Ganelon alone. Ganelon is a strong fighter even hanging on when the ropes binding the chimera’s wings break and it takes to the skies. Eventually Ganelon manages to bring the beast down but the arena which was floating on the river has broken free of its moorings and it seems like they are all going to die anyway when Vanguard appears in their airship to save the day. Reunited with some old friends/enemies they discuss everything that has happened during the time they have been apart including one Vanguard member, Hog, dying of the rot. This naturally leads to Moog’s own affliction with the rot coming out which breaks Matty’s heart as he and Moog are as close and Clay and Gabe used to be. Vanguard offer to drop them off close to the forest but Gabe wants to return to Conthas to speak to a man about a sword and we know he is going back with the rest of his band including the exceptional fighter, Ganelon, in order to take Vellichor back from Kal and I can’t wait to see that showdown since it didn’t go so well the last time.
As we cross into the second half of the novel, we see the gang return to Conthas in order to retrieve Vellichor from Kal and from the second we arrive we can see a glimpse of what Saga was like back in their glory days. The gang have no trouble beating Kal bloody and raiding his home for weapons and supplies that they will need on their journey. However, the encounter with Larkspur has left them shaken since she is a daeva bounty hunter, meaning she can compel men to do as she wants and has quite the taste for hunting down men and she is after Matty meaning that Lilith puts the bounty on his head. The gang manage to escape on Kal’s airship after Gabe has a conversation with Valery who is trying to get clean and begs him to bring their daughter home. However, as they soon learn flying towards the Heartwyld, Kal’s ship is built more as an attraction rather than for its intended purpose. They have also gained an immortal bard in the form of Kit who is ghoul meaning he is dead and can’t die again and provides some dry humour to Clay’s wit. They don’t get far before Larkspur is on the asses again and there is a battle that takes place between the sky ships. I really loved the scene where Clay just tosses Kal over the side because he can’t stop running his mouth and we see the “monster” within Clay. During this time, I came to realise that not only is Clay an idiot but he is extremely funny as well and this book genuinely made me laugh out loud in several places especially when we see in action the reason Clay earnt his nickname Slowhand. Despite her obvious advantage, Saga are pushing Larkspur back when she makes the last ditch effort of grabbing Matty and flying off with him but they are caught in the storm and plummet to the forest below. The group quickly follow, landing and hiding the ship before setting off after their lost friend. As the walk through the forest Ganelon and Clay speak of his time at the Quarry and Clay is appalled to learn that despite being a statue his friend was conscious for those 19 years and wonders what it did to his mind. Ganelon confesses he never really hated Clay but did often wonder what kind of monster must he have been to make Clay abandon him as they see Clay as the best among them. Clay wants to reassure his friend but can’t because he knows exactly what he was thinking and felt during that time. Luckily, they find that both Matty and Larkspur survived with minimal injuries and much to their pleasure, Larkspur now called herself Sabbatha has amnesia. Despite being healed by a friendly troll all are uncomfortable spending the night in the forest but they are given a drug by the troll to help heal their wounds. During the haze that follows Clay relives some of his best and worst memories to awake and find that the same has happened to Sabbatha. Sabbatha recounts the horrific childhood she had and Clay empathises with her having a crappy childhood of his own and he can see what lead her to become Larkspur but doesn’t want that person to return. As they are leaving, they meet on the cannibals that roam the forest called Jeremy who gets along well with Moog. Even as the group are leaving the return to the air ship, they are offered dinner at the cannibal village which they all find quite funny despite the implications should they accept.
As we approach the ¾ mark in the novel, I had become really attached to these characters and they closer they get to their destination, the more worried I was becoming that some of them won’t make it. The group soon realises they are being hunted by the cannibals and put up an amazing fight, Ganelon and Clay manage to take down a huge warrior, even though Clay didn’t do much he refused to leave Ganelon’s side as he did in the past. Despite this the cannibals tell the band that they want to trade and see no other choice but going to their village. There they find Kit as well as a chief dying of the rot, however, before their very eyes they see the chief cured of the rot by the mudweed which the troll gave them which upon checking cured Moog as well. While Moog is happy, he isn’t going to die he grieves over the loss of his husband who he couldn’t save and the rest of the band mourn with him. When they agree to trade, the cannibals initially want Sabbatha to breed her but instead Moog offers them his enchanted hat in exchange for Kit and it is accepted. The following day they leave the cannibals behind and wonder through the forest with a guide taking them near to the edge of the mountains where they find an old druin fortress to take refuge in. At some point a druin named Shadow startles Sabbatha but they sit together and talk for a while where the druin explains that the gods the humans worship are actually druins who are familiar to them. Vespain was the Summer Lord who gave his sword to Gabe and Vail, the Autumn Son is no other than Lastleaf which the group find hard to believe. However, it is at this moment that Moog realises that the druin tried to put them to sleep and rouses his friends, it turns out the druin’s goal all along was to take Vellichor from Gabe but now they have a fight on their hands and this one won’t be easy since druins have a mind reading ability which means Saga are on the back foot from the very beginning. However, in a feat of sheer dumb luck Saga manage to make it through but Sabbatha kills the druin before they can question it or gain any useful information from it. It isn’t hard for Moog to find out what kind of sorcerer the druin was and use a type of his magic to allow Gabe to speak with Rose. He tells his daughter about the poisoned river allowing them to prevent more death but Rose knows there is no way out for her and urges Gabe to go home but he refuses telling her that he is coming for her. As they enter the mountains that will lead them to Castia we get some of the best scene in the whole book involving Ganelon and Sabbatha and if anyone else has read this book and absolutely cried with laughter at this scene then please let me know I am not alone. Clay convinces the other to take the Cold Road which Gabe wants to take even though it is the fastest route it is also the most dangerous one and the others follow him. This leads to a discussion between him and Gabe about who the real leader of Saga always was and still is and Gabe is adamant it isn’t him. However, when they are crossing the bridge at the end of the Cold Road, they are being attacked by ice giants with Ganelon holding them off alone at one end and a chief attacking Matrick, it seems like we might lose of them so close to the end and I don’t think my heart could stand it.
As we cross into the final section of the novel, we soon learn that Sabbatha has been Larkspur acting for longer than she wants to say and is still hell bent on taking Matty to Lilith even after all the band has done for her and she repays their kindness but cutting of Clay’s hand leading him to fall off the bridge into the chasm below. We think this is the end for Clay but somehow, he survives and drags his ass back up the mountain knowing Gabe and the others would have gone ahead but he still wants to save Matty if he can. By the time he reaches Matty he realises that Matty has given up and doesn’t want to be rescued which makes Clay furious and when it looks like Larkspur is going to kill Clay for good Matty enters fury which haven’t seen before and they are rescued by the Vanguard band who has been heading after them. Barrett shoots Larkspur with a crossbow and she is presumably dead but we don’t know for sure. They heal Clay’s hand and head to catch up with the rest of Saga who believe they are dead so their surprise and relief at their return nearly made me cry. Once again with a ship to cover the distance quicker their only goal now is getting into Castia but they need a plan which is where Moog comes in once again. His place is to head to the druin fortress home to the dragon they once attempted to kill in order to retrieve the keystone that activates the ancient gateways and use them to their advantage. Matty is sent into the dragon’s hoard as he had some major skill as a thief in their younger days but he comes barrelling out with the keystone with the dragon hot on his heels. What happens next is a furious chase to round up all the members of Saga and Vanguard before they lead the dragon to the gateway where Moog sends it to god knows where and it seems that for a moment, they can breath as all they have to do now is get past the Heartwyld Horde into Castia, rescue Rose and get the living hell of dodge before everything goes to hell. Honestly, I don’t want to talk about the final battle and what happened after, all I can say about that is I wept and wept like a child and I need to read the sequel right now but I don’t know if I am mentally and emotionally prepared for it. I will say this that my favourite character by a clear mile is Ganelon, he was the last of the band to be introduced and for a long time he is the quiet, sullen warrior of the group but by the end he was everything to me. It is only January and I can safely say that in addition to being a stunning debut novel, Kings of the Wyld is definitely going to be on my favourite books of the year without a doubt and Saga is joining Bridge 4 and the Dregs in my all time favourite found families period!
Buy it here:
Paperback/Hardcover: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
Kindle Edition: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
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