BOOK REVIEW: Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames

“The bards tell us that we live so long as there are those alive who remember us. In that case, I think it’s safe to say that Bloody Rose will live forever.”

This story is a sequel to Kings of the Wyld and although I don’t think it hit the dizzying, consistently high heights of the original, this is still an extremely strong sequel.

The story follows the band known as Fable, run by Bloody Rose, daughter of Golden Gabe. This takes some getting used to to begin with. In Kings of the Wyld we only hear what it is like for a band in their prime. Sleeping their way around the world and killing monsters. Here we see it firsthand. This is in part to the story’s detriment as I found characters to be more unlikeable than in the first novel. However, the more time you spend with Fable the more Eames is able to dissuade you of the foolish notion that any of his characters could be unlikeable. Each member of the band is given room to breathe and grow, until they become as memorable as in the first story of the series.

As in most sequels, the stakes are raised and the action is “bigger”. I think that works well here. It feels a natural progression of Kings and is handled well. But that isn’t to say Eames misses out on those emotional beats you want to see. Bloody Rose was one of the few books that has moved me to near tears and that is a serious boon in it’s favour.

Bloody Rose took a little longer than Kings to really get the ball rolling and into the good stuff. This was partly down to having a cast of characters that took longer to show their true colours, but also because we aren’t really let in on the true plot of the novel until about the halfway mark.

If you’re a fan of fantasy then I think Bloody Rose has cemented the Band series as a must-read. If you’re new to the genre or a seasoned veteran, this series is always going to be one that I recommend.

Final score: 3.999999/5