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Deadly Troubadours
Who are the Deadly Troubadours? Artists? Thieves? Pranksters? Punks? The answer depends on who you ask. In the summer city of Tryst the Deadly Troubadours seek to make a name for themselves - unfortunately that leads to a stupid oath after a night of heavy drinking. Because of course it does. Kestra: former gladiator. Demetrius Tate: magician and huckster. Talbert Gretchen: academic in exile. Aleksander: master of song. Will their actions earn them fame or infamy? Do they know they are out of their depths? Are they truly stupid enough to fight a dragon? Yes, yes they are. Because they are the Deadly Troubadours.
- GenresFantasy
255 pages, Paperback
First published March 14, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 14, 2015
Full disclosure: The author of this book is one of my closest friends. I’ve written plays with him. We’ve have swung imaginary swords together in many strange lands. I have eaten his mother’s chewy ginger-snaps. Whether that makes me meaner or nicer is best left to your judgement. From a writing standpoint, our worlds are kissing cousins at the very least – linked by Pratchett’s ‘consensus fantasy universe’ and a shared wavelength of universes touched by the Fall of Gilead and the breath of the Red Wizard. Don’t know what I’m talking about? Well, Brent does.
Non-spoiler Review:
Absolutely top-notch world building and character work. Strong dialogue, clean action scenes. Brent has a patience that I lack, really drilling down into the core of his world — each location breathes, the thought and care put into each is delightful. It’s a fantasy where most travelers will feel at home, and that’s no easy feat. Also, really badass, involved descriptions of some magical rituals and arcane machinery – that may be a ‘writer’ sort of thing to say, but those things are a beast to write and way too easy to make boring. Brent keeps them engaging throughout, and any writer that can make logistics interesting is one to wear in your heart’s core.
Our Heroes are a ragtag band, but not of misfits. Misfits suggest a lack of competence, or a fringe status in this world – nay, they are perfectly shaped. Though I quickly found myself favoring Kestra over the other characters – your reaction may differ. I like stoic gladiators, perhaps you will prefer the wily thief-mage, Demetrius or the scholar, Talbert.
The narrative structure flips between the present, where our group has embarked on a quest of more than usual danger and foolhardiness — and the past, where we learn more about the three main characters in a series of ‘Origin’ chapters. Taken as their own, the flashbacks provide the novel’s strongest writing – but the chapter order was one of my main complaints, especially early in the book. You go from the present, to the recent past, to a flashback, to another character’s flashback, then return to the present. It was like Brent kept handing me different action figures – and let me assure you I wanted to play with each one! – but just as I would start having fun with them, he would knock them out of my hands and push another toy at me. I found myself wanting to sink deeper into each story only to be jerked out too soon. This could just be a ‘me’ thing and may not bother other readers, but by the end of the book I was only nominally interested in the present-day plot [and there’s a fucking dragon in it!] – I was much more looking forward to the resolution of each of the Origin plotlines.
This is rock-solid fantasy writing – and I have no problem saying it holds together much better than my first attempt. You all need to buy this and love or hate it – but support the writer. I want to read the next one, the next one’s what it’s all about. There’s some dark, beautiful things in that head and we’ve only gotten a glimpse.
Non-spoiler Review:
Absolutely top-notch world building and character work. Strong dialogue, clean action scenes. Brent has a patience that I lack, really drilling down into the core of his world — each location breathes, the thought and care put into each is delightful. It’s a fantasy where most travelers will feel at home, and that’s no easy feat. Also, really badass, involved descriptions of some magical rituals and arcane machinery – that may be a ‘writer’ sort of thing to say, but those things are a beast to write and way too easy to make boring. Brent keeps them engaging throughout, and any writer that can make logistics interesting is one to wear in your heart’s core.
Our Heroes are a ragtag band, but not of misfits. Misfits suggest a lack of competence, or a fringe status in this world – nay, they are perfectly shaped. Though I quickly found myself favoring Kestra over the other characters – your reaction may differ. I like stoic gladiators, perhaps you will prefer the wily thief-mage, Demetrius or the scholar, Talbert.
The narrative structure flips between the present, where our group has embarked on a quest of more than usual danger and foolhardiness — and the past, where we learn more about the three main characters in a series of ‘Origin’ chapters. Taken as their own, the flashbacks provide the novel’s strongest writing – but the chapter order was one of my main complaints, especially early in the book. You go from the present, to the recent past, to a flashback, to another character’s flashback, then return to the present. It was like Brent kept handing me different action figures – and let me assure you I wanted to play with each one! – but just as I would start having fun with them, he would knock them out of my hands and push another toy at me. I found myself wanting to sink deeper into each story only to be jerked out too soon. This could just be a ‘me’ thing and may not bother other readers, but by the end of the book I was only nominally interested in the present-day plot [and there’s a fucking dragon in it!] – I was much more looking forward to the resolution of each of the Origin plotlines.
This is rock-solid fantasy writing – and I have no problem saying it holds together much better than my first attempt. You all need to buy this and love or hate it – but support the writer. I want to read the next one, the next one’s what it’s all about. There’s some dark, beautiful things in that head and we’ve only gotten a glimpse.
March 15, 2015
This is a really fun book that offers some interesting twists on the fantasy genre. The main characters are the deadly troubadours, and each has his or her backstory told through much of the book. The author does this by intermingling chapters from the past with the chapters from the present and while it took me a bit to get myself situation in this technique, I found it worked pretty seamlessly as the book wore on. In addition, the back stories do a lot to illuminate what drives our characters in the present and gives the reader a sense of stronger emotional connection had they not been included. All in all, this is a book that I think is for both fantasy lovers and people who just like a good story and I highly recommend it!
June 20, 2016
Extremely engaging from the very beginning and wonderfully written with an addictive quality of prose and colorful vocabulary, this humorous fantasy novel hooked me and never let me go. To be honest, I do know the author, so I was slightly afraid that if the book turned out to be garbage I would have to say nothing at all. But happily this is one of the best novels I've read in a while, and I found it even better than Yahtzee Croshaw's Jam. I do hope that this wonderful first novel gets praise and sales, and I look forward to reading Brent Thomas' future works. Highly recommended!!
March 15, 2015
I am the author of Deadly Troubadours. I enjoyed writing it and I hope you enjoy reading it.
May 2, 2018
***this review contains some mild-to-moderate spoilers***
DNF @ 30%
...Yikes, all right. So, I'm usually not a huge fantasy reader, but the fact that this book was fantasy was not the thing that made me have to put this book down. I'm not a huge reader of the particular genre, but I *have* read some good fantasy books before. That itself was not the issue, and if it were then I probably wouldn't even be writing this review due to a simple conflict of interest. However, there were some...things that happened that I feel like I need to be discussed. I've put this review off for 24 hours because I've been trying to figure out what the heck to say, but I think I've got it.
First of all, this book was, just, hard to get into. Not because of the fantasy thing, but because the writing itself just... isn't that great. It's filled with choppy sentences/choppy writing in general (plus, I noticed, quite a few editing errors), and it's FILLED with telling instead of showing. Just - not very great. And it switched a LOT between present action and backstory - which, I get is necessary to a degree, I just feel like it could've been done better. Right when I would start to fall in pace with what was happening, the timeline would switch and suddenly we'd be either 10-20 years (I think - timeline's a little unclear) in the past or back to the present. I actually was able to enjoy a lot of the backstory, to a degree, but then it would switch right before I could properly settle.
Now, the thing that actually made me put this book down.
There's a tag on Twitter that pokes fun at how ***some*** male authors portray the female body, and sex with females. Now, I didn't finish, but I don't think this book is full on erotica or anything (I don't review nothing-but-erotica books) - the one scene I got to before DNFing didn't even go all the way - but the one scene I did get to, was... well. Here are some direct quotes:
"He caught his first sight of her pink nipple. The tip was hard like a berry and sat on its own pink saucer of flesh.”
(strawberries and cream, anyone?)
"He felt her hand began to dig inside. He tried to lean back to allow her greater access while keeping his firm grip on her backside and his mouth sealed around the soft breast. She was so close. He could almost feel her fingertips.”
Mate...how far down is your dICK?? Is she?? digging to China?? I'm ace as fuck and still a virgin, but I'm?? pretty sure that's not how penises work??
Let's just say... after I almost cried myself laughing thinking of shovels and strawberries, I had to put the book down. I just. I couldn't anymore. That passage left me physically, emotionally, and mentally drained.
(Spoiler alert, the chic who dug her way to China in this dude's pants somehow died, like, 2 or 3 pages later. I just - yeah, I don't know either. She was stabbed or something, but I think it death via dick).
I just...I don't know. I can't. I know this review was kind of harsh, but, well - I deliver honesty, and I honestly couldn't portray my thoughts any more coherently than this mess. Just because I didn't like it doesn't mean others won't (hell, this book has a 4.42 average on Goodreads, and the reviews are just about 50/50 male/female wise) so if the summary interests you or anything, than feel free to check this book out. I'm not going to blacklist it or anything, but I just need a minute to...process...everything. Ahhh. Not all books can be perfect, I suppose.
2018 was turning out to be such a great year. Five months in and I hadn't given out ANY 1-star ratings yet. What? Happened?
(I only got through 30% but you're damn right if you think I'm still counting it toward my Goodreads challenge because, um, I Suffered)
DNF @ 30%
...Yikes, all right. So, I'm usually not a huge fantasy reader, but the fact that this book was fantasy was not the thing that made me have to put this book down. I'm not a huge reader of the particular genre, but I *have* read some good fantasy books before. That itself was not the issue, and if it were then I probably wouldn't even be writing this review due to a simple conflict of interest. However, there were some...things that happened that I feel like I need to be discussed. I've put this review off for 24 hours because I've been trying to figure out what the heck to say, but I think I've got it.
First of all, this book was, just, hard to get into. Not because of the fantasy thing, but because the writing itself just... isn't that great. It's filled with choppy sentences/choppy writing in general (plus, I noticed, quite a few editing errors), and it's FILLED with telling instead of showing. Just - not very great. And it switched a LOT between present action and backstory - which, I get is necessary to a degree, I just feel like it could've been done better. Right when I would start to fall in pace with what was happening, the timeline would switch and suddenly we'd be either 10-20 years (I think - timeline's a little unclear) in the past or back to the present. I actually was able to enjoy a lot of the backstory, to a degree, but then it would switch right before I could properly settle.
Now, the thing that actually made me put this book down.
There's a tag on Twitter that pokes fun at how ***some*** male authors portray the female body, and sex with females. Now, I didn't finish, but I don't think this book is full on erotica or anything (I don't review nothing-but-erotica books) - the one scene I got to before DNFing didn't even go all the way - but the one scene I did get to, was... well. Here are some direct quotes:
"He caught his first sight of her pink nipple. The tip was hard like a berry and sat on its own pink saucer of flesh.”
(strawberries and cream, anyone?)
"He felt her hand began to dig inside. He tried to lean back to allow her greater access while keeping his firm grip on her backside and his mouth sealed around the soft breast. She was so close. He could almost feel her fingertips.”
Mate...how far down is your dICK?? Is she?? digging to China?? I'm ace as fuck and still a virgin, but I'm?? pretty sure that's not how penises work??
Let's just say... after I almost cried myself laughing thinking of shovels and strawberries, I had to put the book down. I just. I couldn't anymore. That passage left me physically, emotionally, and mentally drained.
(Spoiler alert, the chic who dug her way to China in this dude's pants somehow died, like, 2 or 3 pages later. I just - yeah, I don't know either. She was stabbed or something, but I think it death via dick).
I just...I don't know. I can't. I know this review was kind of harsh, but, well - I deliver honesty, and I honestly couldn't portray my thoughts any more coherently than this mess. Just because I didn't like it doesn't mean others won't (hell, this book has a 4.42 average on Goodreads, and the reviews are just about 50/50 male/female wise) so if the summary interests you or anything, than feel free to check this book out. I'm not going to blacklist it or anything, but I just need a minute to...process...everything. Ahhh. Not all books can be perfect, I suppose.
2018 was turning out to be such a great year. Five months in and I hadn't given out ANY 1-star ratings yet. What? Happened?
(I only got through 30% but you're damn right if you think I'm still counting it toward my Goodreads challenge because, um, I Suffered)
December 21, 2015
Full disclosure: The author of this book is a friend of mine.
I have for a long time read Brent's fiction (short stories) online. They have covered a range of subjects and genres, but have always been interesting. I was pleasantly surprised to learn he had decided to turn his hand to writing a full-length novel. I have to say honestly I would rate it as a "not bad" effort for a first-time novelist. I enjoyed the characters, the plot, and the pace. It evoked memories of Terry Pratchett for me, crossed with The Hobbit, rather than a heavy Wheel of Time-like novel. It definitely needs a sequel.
The book is divided into origin chapters for the main cast of characters, interspersed with the main story progressing. Although the characters cover the standard stereotypes of fantasy (magician, warrior, scholar, entertainer), they feel like individuals. I also enjoyed the more contemporary language used in the novel, rather than trying to evoke some fantasy language a la Tolkien. I also found the descriptions and imagery quite interesting, and it made tings very easy to picture in my head.
Some people may not enjoy the chapters jumping around between the past and the present, and it may be difficult to keep all the characters straight. However, I enjoyed this style. I look forward to the sequel, where hopefully we learn more about the characters, as the next present-day story unfolds.
Needs tighter editing though; I found a handful of basic errors and spelling mistakes, but nothing to distract from the story.
I have for a long time read Brent's fiction (short stories) online. They have covered a range of subjects and genres, but have always been interesting. I was pleasantly surprised to learn he had decided to turn his hand to writing a full-length novel. I have to say honestly I would rate it as a "not bad" effort for a first-time novelist. I enjoyed the characters, the plot, and the pace. It evoked memories of Terry Pratchett for me, crossed with The Hobbit, rather than a heavy Wheel of Time-like novel. It definitely needs a sequel.
The book is divided into origin chapters for the main cast of characters, interspersed with the main story progressing. Although the characters cover the standard stereotypes of fantasy (magician, warrior, scholar, entertainer), they feel like individuals. I also enjoyed the more contemporary language used in the novel, rather than trying to evoke some fantasy language a la Tolkien. I also found the descriptions and imagery quite interesting, and it made tings very easy to picture in my head.
Some people may not enjoy the chapters jumping around between the past and the present, and it may be difficult to keep all the characters straight. However, I enjoyed this style. I look forward to the sequel, where hopefully we learn more about the characters, as the next present-day story unfolds.
Needs tighter editing though; I found a handful of basic errors and spelling mistakes, but nothing to distract from the story.
June 9, 2016
For someone that never cared too much for stories of knights and dragons, I found myself immediately caught up by this narrative.
Maybe because this book is more than a good story, but it is also a good and clever writing.
You can see that nothing is put in the story without it being meant to be used (Chekhov would be proud), a character, a weapon, a statue, every element of the story is the beginning of a new and interesting one, which is behind what I like the most about this book: The narration style.
Thomas narrates his story as if we are all drinking ale in one of the pubs in his book, listening to him tell his tales as the music and the beer involves us. It never feels tiring or contrived, and it allows for a proximity with the narrator without taking you out of the story being told.
Above all, I think the author's style is very fresh, mixing the best of the "flneur" type of stories with the best of the "friends on a quest" adventures, he creates something that is not another copy of more successful knights tales, but instead a great experience of adventurous savoir vivre.
Plus, not only it begs a sequel, it begs a whole series that allows us to further explore the universe being created here.
Definitely recommend it.
Maybe because this book is more than a good story, but it is also a good and clever writing.
You can see that nothing is put in the story without it being meant to be used (Chekhov would be proud), a character, a weapon, a statue, every element of the story is the beginning of a new and interesting one, which is behind what I like the most about this book: The narration style.
Thomas narrates his story as if we are all drinking ale in one of the pubs in his book, listening to him tell his tales as the music and the beer involves us. It never feels tiring or contrived, and it allows for a proximity with the narrator without taking you out of the story being told.
Above all, I think the author's style is very fresh, mixing the best of the "flneur" type of stories with the best of the "friends on a quest" adventures, he creates something that is not another copy of more successful knights tales, but instead a great experience of adventurous savoir vivre.
Plus, not only it begs a sequel, it begs a whole series that allows us to further explore the universe being created here.
Definitely recommend it.
February 8, 2016
Fantasy fiction is not a genre I typically read; I prefer more realistic plots. But, from the first chapter, I was engaged in this book. It has all the qualities of an excellent story--captivating characters, suspenseful plot, enticing prose, emotional twists, and descriptive settings. The author cleverly combined reality and fantasy which transported me to a believable world where dragons really do exist! I can't wait for the sequel, and there must be a sequel! I want to know more about how these three main characters with very different backgrounds came to be the deadly troubadours, and I want to know what happens next! Please publish the sequel soon!
December 29, 2015
This is the first book written by Brent Thomas and I enjoyed it immensely. His writing style is such that as I was reading I could completely visualize the characters in my mind. I felt the sights, sounds, smells and energy jumping off the pages. Mr. Thomas does something that many authors fail to do effectively. With each chapter he alternates between past and present and character point of views in a clear and seamless manner. The technique works beautifully and it kept me intrigued throughout the entire book. Awesome! I cannot wait for book number 2.
October 6, 2015
There are so many things right with this book. Needed just one more pass. Great job, man.
February 13, 2019
One of the few books in my life I've just had to give up on. I pushed through several chapters, but as another reviewer pointed out, the shifts between present and past became hard to follow and there were so many errors (I think the one that made me give up at last was a mistake between conscious and conscience) that I simply had to put it down. I also found the female characters to be somewhat lacking in depth. Could have used some better editing.
March 31, 2016
I was excited to get this book as part of Brent's Indiegogo campaign. I knew he had great story-telling and world-building abilities since he had done such a great job as the DM for our small D&D group, so I had high expectations. I was actually pretty blown away by how amazing his writing is, though! Since this is a self-published book, and his first, I thought it might be a little rough around the edges, but it really was an incredibly high-quality, gripping story that I would rank as one of the best fantasy books I've read in quite a while (although I'll admit there were some typos and misspellings as can be expected when self-publishing).
The story started out very light-hearted as a reckless adventure by a group of youths, but quickly progressed to a much more serious and even (at times) dark story as we learned the backgrounds of each of the characters. As they continued on their quest their back stories were gradually revealed, lending depth to each character. Although the story is a bit male-dominated (70% of the characters are male), I deeply approve of the portrayal of women and men in the story - both are strong, both are weak, both are kind, both are cruel. It shows them as people rather as stereotypes. I especially enjoyed Kestra, the female of the main group, and her back story as well as her actions. She's the true warrior of the group and is shown to be so. The perspective of the female dragon was also completely engrossing, as was pretty much every perspective shown. Usually I feel that when authors tell a story from multiple perspectives it gets a bit confusing, but since each of these stories was leading back to the main quest, it all tied in cohesively into the larger story.
I really enjoyed the world that Brent built and loved how this story played out. He brought it to a strong, compelling end, but there is obviously a need for a sequel to follow up on the characters and further events that we know must take place after the end. I strongly recommend this book to anyone in search of a good new fantasy world with strong characters and a fast-paced story (although I will caution that there is a bit of adult language and content which made me a little squeamish at times, so perhaps not for young readers).
The story started out very light-hearted as a reckless adventure by a group of youths, but quickly progressed to a much more serious and even (at times) dark story as we learned the backgrounds of each of the characters. As they continued on their quest their back stories were gradually revealed, lending depth to each character. Although the story is a bit male-dominated (70% of the characters are male), I deeply approve of the portrayal of women and men in the story - both are strong, both are weak, both are kind, both are cruel. It shows them as people rather as stereotypes. I especially enjoyed Kestra, the female of the main group, and her back story as well as her actions. She's the true warrior of the group and is shown to be so. The perspective of the female dragon was also completely engrossing, as was pretty much every perspective shown. Usually I feel that when authors tell a story from multiple perspectives it gets a bit confusing, but since each of these stories was leading back to the main quest, it all tied in cohesively into the larger story.
I really enjoyed the world that Brent built and loved how this story played out. He brought it to a strong, compelling end, but there is obviously a need for a sequel to follow up on the characters and further events that we know must take place after the end. I strongly recommend this book to anyone in search of a good new fantasy world with strong characters and a fast-paced story (although I will caution that there is a bit of adult language and content which made me a little squeamish at times, so perhaps not for young readers).
February 28, 2016
I knew when starting the novel that I would like the story- the author is a friend and I know I like his writing and storytelling. I was really surprised at how much I loved reading this book though! The characters are not only likable, but relatable on an emotional level. There were often moments when I found that I was feeling relief, fear or happiness in tune to the story and needed a moment to get back to reality. I also missed my stop on the train a few times because I was so deep in the moment of the story. I loved the characters, especially the strong female main character! Descriptions are great, and very modern; there were a few that made me stop and think and go "wow! What a great way to describe this!".
The storyline is easy to follow, despite each chapter switching between different points in time and characters POV. Each time skip (into "history") makes sense, and adds more value to the "present" of the book.
For being a first novel, this is great. I can only imagine how much better Brent's writing will be as he gains success and can put more time into novels.
I can't wait for the sequel (dying to know what happens with the xxx and how that progresses!).
The storyline is easy to follow, despite each chapter switching between different points in time and characters POV. Each time skip (into "history") makes sense, and adds more value to the "present" of the book.
For being a first novel, this is great. I can only imagine how much better Brent's writing will be as he gains success and can put more time into novels.
I can't wait for the sequel (dying to know what happens with the xxx and how that progresses!).
May 24, 2016
I received this book via Goodreads Giveaways.
After wading through the tons of imaginative detail, I found an enjoyable fantasy tale. I found the characters to be compelling, and the plot to be solid.
After wading through the tons of imaginative detail, I found an enjoyable fantasy tale. I found the characters to be compelling, and the plot to be solid.
February 25, 2016
I am the author of Deadly Troubadours and I liked it. I hope you agree.
June 3, 2025
I received a paperback copy of Deadly Troubadours by Brent Thomas as a gift from a neighbor. The story is an entertaining character driven fantasy filled with living and learning alongside four bawdy and endearing characters in a setting with Medieval vibes - Coal Town and Tryst City. Meet Demetrius, Alek, Talbert and Kestra, members of the Order of Free Thinkers, as they cope with their dark pasts, embark on adventure, and hold true and loyal to each other. The book spotlights a circle of female gladiators, a house of ill-repute, a dragon’s den, and a battlefield, to name a few. Ideal for readers who enjoy situational comedy, light-hearted escapades, and flawed characters, who attempt to right their wrongs.
February 21, 2017
The author, Brent Thomas, has a natural talent for story telling, which makes Deadly Troubadours a fun read. I look forward to more from him.
May 16, 2016
I'm a big fan of epic fantasy with intertwining storylines. With this book the main cast may not be as a wide as say The Malazan serieses(as if that's even possible, ha!) but the multiple lines that weave through time, fleshing characters and developing vivid back story's really entrapped me to read on. I'm really excited for the next book, not only to discover what comes next for the deadly troubadours, but also everything that came before.
This book is a fun and refreshing path away from darkly serious fantasy. If a comparative atmosphere is required, how about The Gentlemen Bastards or The first Law Trilogy. After reading this I tried getting into The Wheel of Time and I was bored after 3 chapters...
This book is a fun and refreshing path away from darkly serious fantasy. If a comparative atmosphere is required, how about The Gentlemen Bastards or The first Law Trilogy. After reading this I tried getting into The Wheel of Time and I was bored after 3 chapters...
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews