Kings of the Wyld

By: Nicholas Eames

Narrated by: Jeff Harding

Length: 17 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's Summary

Glory never gets old.

Clay Cooper and his band were once the best of the best, the most feared and renowned crew of mercenaries this side of the Heartwyld.

Their glory days long past, the mercs have grown apart and grown old, fat, drunk, or a combination of the three. Then an ex-bandmate turns up at Clay's door with a plea for help - the kind of mission that only the very brave or the very stupid would sign up for.

It's time to get the band back together.

©2017 Nicholas Eames (P)2017 Hachette Audio

Critic Reviews

"Brilliant debut novel.... Eames has cranked the thrills of epic fantasy up to 11.... Moreover, the plot is emotionally rewarding, original, and hilarious. Eames clearly set out to write something fun to read, and he has succeeded spectacularly." ( Publishers Weekly)

"An outstanding debut which will make you laugh and cry and hold your breath. This is a book that has it all." (K. J. Parker)

Locke Lamora Meets the Blues Brothers

Any additional comments?

Like a world class chef took my comfort food and turned it into a thousand dollar a plate meal.

A TL;DR: After 200+ books, this is the first one that is truly like Lies of Locke Lamora, except I like this one more.

This is a tale of a group of buddies that were great back in the day, nay, the greatest group of mercenary heroes in the land. Now, however, families and middle age have set in with the group having gone their separate ways. This was likely how it would end if not for the band's (oh yes, that is the pun and joke that drives this whole tale) frontman showing up on the doorstep of the protagonist of this tale, Slow-hand Clay. Of course, to get the band back together, they have to convince the Crazy wizard, the murderous thief turned king, the stone cold killer that was imprisoned, and maybe a bard that won't die first. Oh and if they do get the band back together, they have to avoid old enemies, old friends, a forest where dang near everything wants to kill you, and up and coming new bands!

Are you sold yet? No? There are bunny rabbit eared elves that are total jerks, a vicious fascinating world, and cunning (crazy) plans (dumb luck) to get them out of all those things when the greatest enemy is they are just getting too old for this [crap].

Do you like adventures? Humor? Wonderful tales? Interesting worlds? The Blues Brothers? Gentlemen Bastards? Silly wizards? Terrible odds that are defeated in actual believable ways? Then I recommend this book to you.

PS: It says this is part of a series, and I hope it is, but this book is effectively stand-alone.

59 of 61 people found this review helpful

My First Review! Kings of the Wyld

Would you consider the audio edition of Kings of the Wyld to be better than the print version?

I enjoyed the audio version enough to go back and reread in print or ebook.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Kings of the Wyld?

No spoilers, but any scene with Moog, the wizard of the band. He was equal parts brilliant and teetering on the edge of insanity.

Which character – as performed by Jeff Harding – was your favorite?

Clay Cooper was the central figure. I become thoroughly engaged as his past, present, and future unfolded.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes! I found myself staying in my car to finish a chapter. I rushed home to plug into the wifi speakers to listen as I cooked in the kitchen. I even gave up watching (*GASP*) TV to finish.

Any additional comments?

It has a fantastic mix of humor, fantasy, and adventure. Potential listeners should be advised that it contains adult language.

28 of 31 people found this review helpful

unique take on fantasy

I loved this book so much! You always hear about young adventurers seeking out their first quest for fame and glory; but this is long past glory days. These are tired old men who join back together for a real purpose and against all odds succeed.

I'm in love with the unique way this story is told, and I love all the cursing and incredibly vivid descriptions. I love the wylds and the eerie feeling that overall part of the book has and l adore the strange, unidentifiable creatures. When they found the owl bear cubs I literally squealed, it was one of the most memorable moments in a book to me ever. I can't wait for the next book, I hope it comes out soon.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

A Wyld Ride!

Let me just say that I've been an Audible member since 2009 and this has been the most I've ever been entertained by a book. It was fun to listen to, full of adventure, and peppered with humor. The storyline was never dull and the author's descriptions of people and places really sparked the imagination. His characters feel like real people and I am actually going to miss them now that I've finished the book. The narrator was excellent. He has a wide range of voices for different characters and I could always tell which character was speaking even during strings of dialogue. Even his female voices were excellent and never sounded forced or faked. All in all, this book was a sheer pleasure. I really hope they pair this author and narrator again. I'm really looking forward to the next book. Until then, I'll just have to satisfy myself by listening to this one again.

10 of 11 people found this review helpful

Fantastic Storytelling

I really enjoyed this book. There is good humor and really great banter. Not one of those fantasy stories where you are just in the head of the main character the whole time. You can really feel the comrade in this book. There is great action that will leave you wanting more in the end.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Awesome

Great book. Solid characters, interesting world, good story and, best of all, freakin' hilarious. If you want a fast paced, but solid fantasy entry that'll make you laugh (and experience other emotions), look no further. Excellent first novel that I fully recommend, and doubly so if you have any affection for bands and/or rock-n-roll (but totally not necessary).

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Incredible. Read it.

The book is utterly incredible. All the whimsy of a glorious fantasy adventure mixed with all the grumpiness of old men. The action scenes were engaging, the characters were wonderful, and the banter was on point. Even better - the entire book built up to one glorious ending and that payoff... Best ending I've read since way of kings!
Get this book.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

More country for old men

We start with an aging rock star, whose best friend comes at him with a proposal to get the old band back together. Except that instead of music, they are legends of fantasy adventure who won the game long ago, hung up their swords, and settled down. Fatter, older, and creaky in places, they're given an impossible task and the best possible motivation. But first, they have to get the band back together.
High entertainment , philosophy in action, and unexpected humor make this novel unmissable!
I have over 200 books in my audiobook collection and this one stacks with the best!

13 of 16 people found this review helpful

Dungeons and Dragons A Quest for Old Men

It was ok. Some good humor but I found the story a bit immature. Not exactly my cup of tea.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

A lot better than I expected

Get this out of the way quick, there is a constant running joke/reference to mercenaries be like rock bands. I'm not sure why the author leaned in so hard on this and while it can be light hearted and fun sometimes, it is so prevalent that it becomes a bit heavy handed sometimes. In the end though I think it makes the story less intense and more enjoyable.

Completely strip that from the book, and you would still have a pretty d@mn amazing book. The main characters are all great, flawed, complex, different and each one you genuinely want to root for. Clay is about as good as they come to, with a constant struggle of righteous ness. The humor is genuinely funny, but it still has great emotional depth and a sincerity about it. Story arcs just about right, without being over the top on action, and hitting any stagnation.

This is HIGH fantasy, about as much as any book I've read, which isn't a positive or negative for me, just a call out.

I am really considering giving it a second listen, and I just finished this yesterday.

If you are okay with high fantasy and a little over the top running joke, then I can't recommend this book enough.

Enjoy.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful