"Kings of the Wyld" by Nicholas Eames (BR)

[Bobby]

This is the thread for the Kings of the Wyld buddy read! Please put spoilers in tags and specify where you are with percentage, page number, or chapter.

Has anyone started yet? I just got my hold from the library today, so I'm excited to get to it soon.

[Suzanne]

I started a couple of days ago and have really liked it so far!!

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

I will be late if I get to it. I have to read 3 books before I have time for this one =/ But I keep meaning to try it!

[Bobby]

I thought I was going to be later to start it too because of my library hold, but I put in a suggestion earlier this week for my library to purchase the e-book. I got an email today that they acquired it, and it was automatically checked out for me, so I get to start soon (even though I'm reading 2 other books at the same time).

[Soo]

Audiobook is a good option if the print version is slow to appeal.

[Ariana]

I started a few days ago but paused to try to knock out Catseye first (it's shorter). I will pick it up again in the next day or two, now that there are buddies :-)

[Bobby]

I finally got to start today, and I like the style so far. I think it's a nice change of pace with an older protagonist who's already seen his fair share of adventure. I'm looking forward to seeing how it plays out, but I'm anticipating a crazy ride.

[Raven]

I will try to join in as soon as I finish the book I am finishing right now. I have been meaning to read this book for a long time.

[Suzanne]

I like the style too - and I've been liking the characters as they are introduced.

[Bobby]

I just finished up to chapter 21, and I'm loving the style. Lots of funny moments, and a unique concept with mercenary bands being like rock bands. So far it's living up to my first impression.

Spoilers up to the end of chapter 21: (view spoiler)[It took almost half the book to finally get the band back together, but I loved the journey to get there with a bit of action and a lot of funny moments. The world building has been great, and I feel like I know everything I need to know, so now we can get down to the business of saving Rose.

I loved the bit about the Riot House burning down and how the bards told it completely differently. (hide spoiler)]

[Suzanne]

Spoilers up to the end of chapter 21 (view spoiler)[ I really like the funny moments too - Iit makes the dramatic moments more effective to me - it's not just too much bad stuff. A couple things I really liked:
1. I love how Clay is always "it's a long story" and then someone else will sum up what is going in in a sentence.
2. I love Moog. Haha and the potion that he used to help them escape the tower.
3. I really like all the members of Saga, and how they are all different.
4. I also liked how Clay at the beginning was motivated by his love for his daughter. (Well Gabe is also motivated by his love for Rose.)
(hide spoiler)]

[Ariana]

I am only three chapters in, but I am having trouble getting invested. Feels pretty bro-y, (view spoiler)[the women just in the background as either vaguely shrewish or serving to make our hero "want to be a better man." (hide spoiler)]

I clearly haven't given it a fair chance yet, but maybe this book just isn't for me? Or should I push on and see if I start to care about Clay Cooper, et al. ? If I can get invested in the characters sometimes I can give the gender stuff a pass...

[Suzanne]

I finished it and really enjoyed it - but you are right - it is pretty bro-y (nice term by the way). I did love the characters though, and the humor.

[Ariana]

Suzanne wrote: "I finished it and really enjoyed it - but you are right - it is pretty bro-y (nice term by the way). I did love the characters though, and the humor."

Good to know! I will definitely give it a bit more before making and rash decisions.

[Raven]

Read up to 3 chapters and I love the vibe!

Ariana wrote: "I am only three chapters in, but I am having trouble getting invested. Feels pretty bro-y, [spoilers removed]

I agree with you. I am not used to such type of books either, but I am loving the bromance here.

[Bobby]

I finished chapter 39 last night.

(view spoiler)[I still loving it, and the only thing I really have to add is that I'm having fun with the characters. Kit and Sabbatha are refreshing additions to the original band, and the troll witch doctor was hilarious. I'm also liking all the surprisingly tender moments between members of the band. Matty and Moog's relationship is great, and I love that Clay showed his support for Ganelon and admitted his mistake in not trying to help him. My new favorites are of course Dane and Gregor. I love that Gregor is so nice to his brother and describes the world to him in a beautiful way even when bad things are happening. (hide spoiler)]

[Suzanne]

Spoilers through Chapter 39
(view spoiler)[ Dane and Gregor are favorites of mine too! And I like how touched Clay is as he listens to the beautiful descriptions - really, I guess the whole band is touched by that.

I really like the different strengths each member of the band shows - they have remained distinct to me, even though its a fairly big cast of characters. I love Moog and his food hat - all the spells he comes up with are so great! And not what I'd expect from a "traditional" wizard..

Did you like the arena scene? I felt like it was good because we saw how brave each band member is, and how they work together and support each other. They aren't just silly old guys, they are really good at what they do.

(hide spoiler)]

[Bobby]

Suzanne wrote: "Spoilers through Chapter 39"

(view spoiler)[ Yes! I loved the arena scene, because it shows that the Saga members truly are something special, even though they are older now. The Chimera was supposed to easily kill them, and they ended up taking it out in spectacular fashion, all while looking out for each other. I also kind of liked that the bloodthirsty crowd ended up getting swept up in the chaos. It was a great part of the book.

Moog is great. He's the goofball of the group, but the part where he finds out there is a cure for the Rot shows his deeper emotions too.

I think at this point the plot could be just about anything and I would be happy read about these characters. (hide spoiler)]

[Ariana]

Just finished Ch. 11, and any reservations I may have had are gone. So fun! (view spoiler)[Still vaguely annoyed that so many of the wives are evil/shrewish, but it's cute to see the macho men fawning over their daughters. (hide spoiler)]

[Suzanne]

I'm glad you kept at it and are enjoying it. (view spoiler)[ I like the men fawning over their daughters too :) And I do like Clay's wife - we sure didn't see her much at the first, I liked what I saw. (hide spoiler)]

[Bobby]

I finished it last night!

Full book spoilers ahead with a question for those who finished it. (view spoiler)[I really liked the ending of this. I'm a sucker for big battles and this one gave me everything I wanted. I never would have expected them to rally all of the mercenary bands to come to Castia's defense, so that was a nice little twist. I was actually a little emotional at the reunion between Gabe and Rose, and later when Clay returns home.

My question is what happened with Ganelon and Larkspur? The Epilogue shows Ganelon going to get turned to stone again saying "wake me when she gets here," but then talks about him having a son? I though Larkspur got struck down in the battle, but obviously she didn't die. I'm just confused and wondering if I missed something. (hide spoiler)]

[Raven]

Ariana wrote: "Just finished Ch. 11, and any reservations I may have had are gone. So fun! [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ I got a bit annoyed at that too, but I just love how they love their kids. I have rarely seen father's love portrayed in the books I read, but this book is doing it really well. Also, I must agree with Suzanne, Clay's wife does seem an exception to all those evil wives. (hide spoiler)]

Spoilers upto Chapter 11-

(view spoiler)[Also the gang is so awesome. I do wish they had got a hold of Vellichor though. Also, I hope they find a cure for Moog's rot. I don't want him to die! I almost thought Matrick won't join, but turns out he will! (hide spoiler)]

[Suzanne]

Bobby wrote: "I finished it last night!

Full book spoilers ahead with a question for those who finished it."

(view spoiler)[I wondered the same thing - and went back and re-read - but yeah it really did look like she was struck down. And having a son implies months later. So.... I'm not sure - I have the same question. It was an interesting "ending" for Ganelon though.

And oooh....losing our Ettin. That was so sad, and I was so glad that Clay stayed by him til the end!
(hide spoiler)]

[Ariana]

I'll second earlier comments re: Ch. 21.
(view spoiler)[I feel like this makes up for (what I perceive as) a lack of originally with some great humor. There's lots of parts of this that feel almost cinematic.

For example, the interchange at the Riot House had me cracking up:

"It's the Screaming Eagles, not the Screeching Eagles."
Clay frowned. "Are you sure? Because the sounds an eagle makes is--"
And quite suddenly the boy was on his feet, sword in hand. "I know what a fucking eagle sounds like!" he screamed, which drew the attention of every table nearby, and in the ensuing silence, Clay heard the quiet but ominous thud of Ganelon setting his beer down on the table.

***SMASH CUT TO CHARRED AND SMOKING RUINS***

The story of how the Riot House burned to the ground...

So if this were a movie, who's playing Clay? I kind of see Matrick as a paunchy Russell Crowe... I feel like the Dean from Community would make a good Moog (although he's not that old)... Maybe Jason Momoa for Ganelon? Not sure about Clay and Gabe though...

(hide spoiler)]

[Suzanne]

Haha great scene Ariana ( I guess I can say that without spoiler tags - it could apply to a lot of the book). As far as casting - I need to think about that one. That's fun to put some faces with the characters!

[Raven]

Bobby wrote: "Suzanne wrote: "Spoilers through Chapter 39"

Yes! I loved the arena scene, because it shows that the Saga members truly are something special, even though they are older now. The Chimera was supp..."

(view spoiler)[ I feel the same. I would love to read a book where they all just go on random adventures. Each of them is so unique and I just love the friendship shared between them. It's really well done. (hide spoiler)]

Read up to Chapter 39 today. If I am ambitious, I feel I can finish it today!

(view spoiler)[ I wished the hat didn't have to go away so soon, and especially with those cannibals. I totally agree with others about the humor part. There has been more than one occasion when I had tried not to catch people looking at me weirdly as I tried to control my smile.
Kit and Sabbatha have equally won my heart. I just hope Sabbatha hasn't regained her memories. She seems to fit well with the gang. Also, that part about Ganelon being trapped awake in stone for 19 years was truly sad. He's such a strong character, both emotionally and physically. I like how the book isn't just funny, but has its own emotional moments too, and seeing the Saga support each other through every circumstance touches my heart.
I also have a horrible feeling that something is going to happen to Clay's family while he's away. I don't know why. (hide spoiler)]

[Raven]

Finished!!

(view spoiler)[ Lords, this was a great book!! I just loved that ending. I didn't expect Tally to kill the centaur by herself. The moment the ettin died was so sad though. I truly felt sorry for him. Also, does this mean Ganelon will forever be stuck in the stone? Is he waiting for Larkspur or the Winter Queen?

I also didn't expect that Freecloud would turn out to be a druin. It was a pleasant surprise. Also, it seems the Winter Queen will be coming back. I am looking forward to it.

I am going to pick up the next book Bloody Rose soon. I assume it's about Gabe's daughter, Rose. It will be truly interesting to read about her, she seemed a pretty strong character. (hide spoiler)]

[Anna]

Lakhsesis, I'm curious why you rated it 2 stars if you liked it that much?

[Suzanne]

I agree about the ending Lakhesis - very exciting. And it does seem like the next book will be good - I've heard good things about it too!

[Raven]

Suzanne wrote: "I agree about the ending Lakhesis - very exciting. And it does seem like the next book will be good - I've heard good things about it too!"

Indeed it does seem so. I wish we could buddy read it, if possible! The cover art is equally gorgeous!

Anna wrote: "Lakhsesis, I'm curious why you rated it 2 stars if you liked it that much?"

Ah! I actually had wanted to press the button of 'Want-to-read', but I instead had pressed the rating one. I wanted to remove the rating, but I didn't know how to do that and later forgot to change my rating. I am so bad with technology at times...

[Suzanne]

That has happened to me before too with the stars - especially on my phone !

[Ariana]

Ok so I finished the other day and I feel pretty conflicted.
On the one hand, this is a fun adventure story! But that makes me want to recommend it to people, but I can't really, without a bunch of caveats, and that makes me grouchy. Like, if this were a worse book, I would just write it off and not give it another thought, but because it's great in a lot of ways, it makes me extra disappointed in its flaws.

(view spoiler)[1) So all the female characters are well-known tropes: shrewish wife, damsel in distress, femme fatale, etc. This is irritating, especially in comparison with the well drawn male characters and male friendships. But then the use of deeply misogynistic language starts to make this feel not just annoying, but gross. (I'm thinking of a line describing the city of Conthas where "prostitute" is used as a synonym for "negligent care giver", ugh.)

2) The world building did not feel very original to me. It felt like it relied too heavily on every adventure fantasy that came before, and just threw them all in a pot together.

3) In an attempt to make Lastleaf a little less one-dimensional, we get a little explanation of why he's amassed this horde. It turns out the humans are super evil and awful too, and killed and enslaved all sorts of other beings. So it seemed like there's this big moral dilemma being set up.... Oh, nevermind. I guess we'll just drop that bit of backstory and just have the humans kill some more non-humans. Yeah!
(hide spoiler)]

I can't figure it what to rate it either. 4 stars for me is usually "liked a lot and would recommend", vs. 3 stars being more "liked but has issues". So, I mean, this has some serious issues (for me)! But I did still enjoy it a lot and still might recommend it! Argh.

Ok but I need help with one plot point at the very end: (view spoiler)[Why was Ganelon going back to the Quarry? "Wake me when she gets here"? Wasn't that place supposed to have been like torture? I didn't understand what happened between him and Larkspur at the end. (hide spoiler)] Any thoughts?

[Suzanne]

I'm not sure what happened at the end either (with what you said)! What the heck!?

[Suzanne]

Oh actually - I just found what the author said about that ending. I'll put it here:
(view spoiler)[
Hi. Firstly, thanks for reading my book. Secondly, thanks for the questions. I'm actually going to answer them in reverse order, since the second pertains to the first. The sword (Tamarat) which which Lastleaf kills himslef is the one his father made that could bring his necromancy-obsessed mother (The Winter Queen) back from the dead if it took a druin life. So, seeing he was doomed, he essentially decided 'Fuck it' and unleashed his mother upon the world.

Ganelon's decision is tied to that. He doesn't know Larkspur is pregnant, and isn't too keen on getting close to anyone, since caring for someone is what got him petrified in the first place (also, he has a sordid past, and who knows what tragedy afflicted the poor bastard back then!). Also, he's come to the conclusion that he's more suited to fighting than anything else, and since he perceives a bigger fight sometime in the future (against the Winter Queen, for instance) he decides its better for himself, the world, and the people he loves if he goes back under until the threat arises.

Hope these answers help! Thanks again for asking.
(hide spoiler)]

[Ariana]

Suzanne wrote: "Oh actually - I just found what the author said about that ending. I'll put it here:

Hi. Firstly, thanks for reading my book. Secondly, thanks for the questions. I'm actually going to answer them ..."

Ohhhhhhh! That's pretty interesting! Thanks, Suzanne!

[Raven]

Suzanne wrote: "Oh actually - I just found what the author said about that ending. I'll put it here:

Hi. Firstly, thanks for reading my book. Secondly, thanks for the questions. I'm actually going to answer them ..."

I finally understand! I think this ending fits his character.

Ariana wrote: "Ok so I finished the other day and I feel pretty conflicted.
On the one hand, this is a fun adventure story! But that makes me want to recommend it to people, but I can't really, without a bunch o..."

I agree with all the points you mentioned in there, Ariana. It made me a bit hesitant to rate it 4, but I enjoyed this book a lot, so I had to ended up giving it a 4. Maybe the next book will be a bit more generous to the female characters since the protagonist is female?

[Bobby]

Suzanne wrote: "Oh actually - I just found what the author said about that ending. I'll put it here:"

Thanks, Suzanne, that definitely clears it up.

Ariana, regarding the women, the author answered a question from someone and I thought it explained it really well. Here is a link: Author's response.

Of course that doesn't address all of your issues, and you may disagree, but I thought it gave a little insight into the female characters.

[Ariana]

Bobby wrote: "Ariana, regarding the women, the author answered a question from someone and I thought it explained it really well. Here is a link: Author's response.

Of course that doesn't address all of your issues, and you may disagree, but I thought it gave a little insight into the female characters."

Thanks for the link!

Yeah, I mean, I see what he's going for. That the women were not protagonists was not as much my issue, as much as the fact that they seemed flat and predictable to me, like the kind of background characters I've seen in 100 movies. But I am excited to see what he can do with female protagonists in the next one. Should we do another buddy read for Bloody Rose, maybe this summer?

[Bobby]

I would definitely be up for a buddy read of Bloody Rose later this year.

[Raven]

I would like to join for Bloody rose too!

[Suzanne]

I would enjoy that.

[Ariana]

Great! Let's check back in in a few months, maybe April or May, and she what people schedules look like. I see the next one being a great summer read.

[Alondra]

Getting ready to start this book, this week. So, glad that the overall consensus has been positive. I haven't found too many that didn't like it.

I already dabbled in the first few pages and am lovin' it.