Song of the Wild

by Melissa Matos

Glade Balladeer is a simple tavern bard who uses her skills in music and magic to entertain and serve as a Warden, guarding the borders from the Wild beyond. When a powerful merchant discovers that Glade is hiding that she is partly Wild herself, he blackmails her into taking a delicate case - along with two other not-quite-legal Wardens. Pursuing the case they discover more than just a missing girl, and learn to work together to uncover a plot that might restart a centuries-old war with the Wild.

248 pages, Paperback

Published January 12, 2021

Reviews

[Marie Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me a bit of a cop mystery, but in magical, epic fantasy form. Glade is a bard and Warden, whose job is to protect towns and the people living there from the creatures of the Wild. However, very early on you learn that Glade maybe isn't doing everything the way she is supposed to, and maybe isn't the person everyone thinks she is. She is selected for a special job with two others, who she had briefly met earlier in the day, to look into the disappearance of a girl. This quest turns into a much bigger ordeal than anyone could have imagined.

I would love to see more written about Glade and the world created for this book. An expansion would help with the understanding of the magic system used, but it is great as a standalone as well.

[Krystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story starts out simple with Glade who is a Warden (defender of civilization from the Wild) & a Bard returning to town after completing her rotation on the border. Upon returning she is informed that a local businessman has a job for her. From there she joins up with two others Thromm (a fighter) & Otsoa (a mage). From there the story grows & evolves, keeping you guessing as to what happens next.

Fans of TTRPGs like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder will recognize many of the concepts mentioned in Song of the Wild such as classes. I love how much thought Melissa Matos put into often overlooked concepts such as potion making & bardic magic.

Admittedly it took me a while to finish reading, but this is largely due to the fact that I found myself drawing it out because I didn't want my adventure with Glade & her companions to end so soon.
These characters are so well done & the story is so well written that it feels like it's just the beginning of an epic tale.I

If you love high fantasy or RPGs like D&D and Pathfinder then this story is for you

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable first novel from a new author.

Entertaining story line and good character development. I look forward to seeing more writing from this author and to see where her characters go from here.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful classic fantasy adventure, full of appealing characters -- and the occasional fun gaming-related easter egg! I especially enjoyed Glade's musicmaking, both magical and otherwise.

[MJ Blehart]

Fun fantasy

If you like magic and face creatures, this is a story for you. Never underestimate the usefulness of the bard in your party.