Readers will find their own themes to ponder, but for this reviewer, the main theme of Bloody Rose is “What constitutes family? Fable has prior touring commitments that they will see through and instead of joining up with most other bands and heading off to face the Horde in a blaze of glory Fable venture off in the opposite direction to finish their tour dates and complete their contract in Diremarch. A. Salvatore, Mercedes Lackey and many more, but the joy, sadness and attachment I have to these characters in one book is amazing.

Yes, even if you haven’t read Kings of the Wyld, but for the best enjoyment read that one first because it’s also amazing.The development of this kinship is one of the central and most compelling themes of the book, and it helped to elevate this story into rare territory.

Nicholas Eames has improved as an author, and he now has something more than just a good Dungeons and Dragons adventure under his belt (though Bloody Rose is certainly that). If you’re new to the series, the main premise is thus: mercenaries in these lands operate as “bands” and go on tour. It’s an interesting equivalent to actual rock shows– and at the same time, Eames makes it a point to highlight how screwed up it is to keep goblins and orcs and such prisoner for bloodsport. M41) - Dimmamar, the birth world of the reforming Ecclesiarch Sebastian Thor, came under attack from the Aeldari of Craftworld Ulthwé in 845. It’s Tam’s job to witness Fable’s exploits and record them in song for posterity, but as events in the five kingdoms unfold, Tam will have to decide if standing on the sidelines is truly what she wants in life.

I’m really not sure, I guess if you liked the first book and thought it was OK then you’ll hope that the sequel will either be OK too or maybe better.

You’re right: this book shows that Kings of the Wyld was only the first in what promises to be a great career in storytelling, and that we must keep a close eye on this author, both for his ability to keep us enthralled and for the stories he can entice us with. These references, combined with the book’s brilliant sense of humor and genuine pathos of its characters’ plights, felt carefully cultivated and richly rewarding.

They consist of the Shaman Brune ( who can change into a Bear), the druin Freecloud ( a rabbit-eared warrior from an ancient long-living race), the Inkwitch Cura ( a summoner who summons the horrific creatures tattooed onto her body to fight alongside Fable) and their frontwoman, Bloody Rose ( who is a badass with some sweet weaponry in ‘Thistle and Thorn’ her duo of scimitars). Freshening things up for the second outing into the Wyld, our POV character this time around is a bard.

Our story is told, with an ironic twist given the grisly fate of Saga’s bards in Eames’ first novel, through Tam’s eyes as she quickly becomes songstress to Fable, the world’s most famous band.The gang incorporates a witch who can summon her tattooed demons into the field of battle, a legendary immortal rabbit-eared warrior and a shapeshifter who can turn into a bear. Tam is the daughter of two world-famous mercenaries, and like Rose, contends on the daily with the need to fill the shadows of her fighting father and minstrel mother.