Reviews with content warning for Grief - Bloody Rose

Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames

7 reviews

billyjepma's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

A very solid 3.5-star read. It's just as fun and wild as the first book, and to Eames' credit, he can write a helluva action scene, which is good since this book is almost entirely made of action. It won't stick with me like the first book did, though, as this follow-up lacks that one's weary heroism and classic "getting the band back together" schtick, which was executed so well.

I like the new band of characters here and appreciate how different their defining characteristics are from those who came before. Eames makes great use of everyone's different battle styles and is clearly enjoying the challenge of creating new and colorful ways to decapitate and disembowel hideous beasties. That's where the book's easy readability and all-around entertaining qualities come from, and it was plenty enough to keep me turning the page. There's enough ingenuity in the staging and details of the action that I (almost) don't mind how Eames is riffing off (or outright copying) the final season of Game of Thrones. It does get a bit much by the end, though, as the battles become so large and frantic that they teeter on white noise. It doesn't completely undercut the stakes, but it comes close.

Admittedly, the characterizations are a mixed bag, especially the women in the book. I was worried it would be worse, but the titular character is held back by shallow motivations and conflicts that do fit the vibe of "a white man wrote this." There is solid diversity to be seen, which I appreciate, and Eames' heart is in the right place, making the limited nature of his characters a somewhat easier flaw to accept. But it is disappointing when his first book enjoyed such rich, familiar-but-layered relationships between its characters, and the follow-up comes up short. The romance is also half-baked and lacks the chemistry and believability I need to feel invested.

I still had a great time overall and will read a third book if/when it comes out. Eames has created a great world with these books, and even though his affinity for classic fantasy motifs can be a double-edged sword, it is infectious.

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rosemaryandrue's review

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adventurous dark funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

When Tam joins the mercenary band Fable as their bard, she expected fame and adventure, but gets more than she bargained for when the group accepts a mysterious mission from a shady patroness.

This book is the sequel to Kings of the Wyld, which I read a few years back and utterly adored. Here we follow Fable, the band of Gabe's daughter Rose, from the perspective of a young bard, Tam, who joins them on the road. The story is much darker than the first book, with more attention paid to the backstories of the characters. As such, I thought there was more emotional heft to this book.

However, I did miss the found family aspect of the story for a while as it took some time for it to grow as Tam is slowly integrated into the band. I also wished the story hadn't ended so abruptly, as the reader gets left to deal with certain character deaths on their own.

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vivavia's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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seanml's review

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adventurous dark funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Bloody Rose is a fun return to the world of Kings of the Wyld. Eames struck gold with the first book, ad easily could have played the joke up again and again in sequels. Luckily, he didn't, and went in a different direction. Bloody Rose still retains the fun characters, over-the-top world, and humor of the first book, but takes sharp dramatic turns where Kings of the Wyld usually would have remained lighthearted. Our protagonists, although not as immediately grabbing as Kings of the Wylds', grow on you over time, especially the titular character. I continue to look forward to anything Eames puts out. 8/10.

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