Book Review: Bloody Rose

I expressed my love for Nicholas Eames Kings of the Wyld a few months back. It's probably one of the best books I've ever read, and made fantasy hip and fun.

So I was super stoked to learn Eames had penned a follow up, shifting the focus from Golden Gabe and the heroes of Saga -- now retired for good -- to Gabe's daughter, Bloody Rose. Don't worry, the characters might be new, but Eames hasn't shifted his aesthetics at all.

OK, I didn't like the characters in Bloody Rose as much as Kings of Wyld. There's nothing wrong with them, but they aren't the heroes I grew to love in the first book. So for me, it was kind of like watching The Force Awakens; the new gang is fine, but they aren't Luke, Han and Leia.

But fear not, Gabe, Clay, and Moog turn up in a similar vein as the classic Star Wars characters did in Force Awakens. And their scenes offer some mighty emotional punch to this story of necromancers, monsters and high fantasy. I actually wished there was more of the Saga in this book, but I made due.

Much of Bloody Rose's success rests in Eames prose, his wit, and his ability to craft epic action scenes. And he's no slouch at adding depths to characters who, at first introduction, seem like caricatures. I don't know how he does it, but he does, and my hat is off to him.

Bloody Rose isn't quite Kings of the Wyld, but it's still a damn fine sequel, and I hope we get more adventures in the world he's created. A Good.

Comments

Justin Cider welcomes a Homewrecker to the Fanily

COVID-19 has impacted pretty much everything and, although some industries have slowly been able to get rolling again, sport is one that remains in limbo. This holds true for the world of Thrash Wrestling, which we in The Basement are a proud sponsor of. But the men and woman of Thrash Wrestling continue to challenge each other, and entertain fans, in a creative way. Which is why Jason and Shawn welcome Thrash Wrestler Justin Cider into the ring... err, Basement, when From The Basements takes over the Radio NL 610 AM airwaves at 6:05 tonight! Cider will update listeners on how Thrash Wrestling continues with social distancing in place. And he'll shed some light on the future of the sport, how people can support his Fanily, and more! And stick with us, as Justin joins The Basement Boys for a review of the new horror/comedy Homewrecker starring Alex Essoe and Precious Chong. Does this female-focused comedic thriller deliver the goods? Tune in after the 6 o'clock news ...

Top 5 quotes from the Rambo franchise

It's Rambo Day, which means it's a day we celebrate all things Rambo. And no, we didn't make that up. It's a real thing, and part of the lead in to Rambo: Last Blood coming out on Friday. We were going to celebrate by doing a Top 5 favourite Rambo kills, but the fine folks at Arrow in the Head already did something like that, so I figured why not share our favourite Rambo quotes. I like quotes. Quotes are good. Anyway, here we go with our Top 5, in no particular order: 5) "They drew first blood." - John Rambo, First Blood (1982) Because it's always cool when the hero references the title of the movie in a quote. 4) "Live for nothing, or die for something. Your call." - John Rambo, Rambo (2008) Because it's 100-per-cent truth, and is the exclamation mark on a great monologue by Stallone. 3) "I could have killed 'em all. I could kill you. In town, you're the law. Out here, it's me. Don't push it, or I'l...

Grace Victoria Patterson returns

What's this? Two podcasts From The Basement in less than nine months? Has the world gone mad!?! No, but when past Basement guest Grace Victoria Patterson asked nicely if she could return to this fine podcast, Jason and Shawn -- agreeable sorts that they are -- said yes. Hence we have this new episode for your ear holes! Grace provides an update on her career, which has seen the cheerleader-turned-actress appear in no fewer than eight films plus a TV series, with more projects on the way. She and Jason talk all about this, plus some other stuff. What kind of stuff? Stick with us! And stay tuned, as The Basement Boys discuss a whole slew of movies and television, including the Netflix Jimmy Savile documentary, The Batman, the horror romp The Cellar and more! It's podcasting that's so awesome, you'll be awesomed out by its awesomeness! What are you waiting for? Push play and enjoy!

Search This Blog