It’s always exciting to get an ARC (advanced reader copy) of a book, but you never really know if you’re going to like it or not. I had a feeling I would enjoy Bard Tidings by Paul Regnier just from the description (and the cover is sooo pretty!).

Book Synopsis:

The spirit of a warrior lies deep inside a bard. Deep down. Way, way down.

Jonas wakes up each day regretting his position as the king’s bard. He dreams of escaping the kingdom and returning to life as a traveling musician with his best friend Elrick. But when his love Bree is taken prisoner in the castle, he and Elrick must act. Their attempts at rescue go horribly wrong, and the king marks them for death. Now they must flee the kingdom with a hefty reward on their heads.

Meanwhile, the king’s soldiers march to war, placing Bree’s hometown in their path of destruction. Jonas must go from lute player to monster slayer as they travel through dangerous lands on a desperate quest to stop an army.

Their adventures throw them in league with fearsome lycans, stabby assassins, and a cursed warrior. With their help they must survive a pursuing dragon, slay a sorcerer, defeat an army, and of course, compose the perfect song along the way.

Can Jonas and his friends survive the journey and save an innocent town before it’s too late?

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My Review:

There’s something about a reluctant hero with a likeable personality I can get behind.
Jonas is alone in the world, a young man with one skill: music. He loves playing his lyre and writing songs of conquest and battle and love, but the life of a traveling bard isn’t easy. At some point he meets up with a jester named Elrick whose energetic and adventurous spirit rubs off on him.

Desiring stability and better pay, the two performers decide to apply their crafts at the castle of Mulraith, a sorcerer king. They’ve discovered, though, a difficult life on the road is preferable to being under the thumb of an evil king. They, along with Elrick’s barmaid sister, Bree, plan an escape, but you’ve heard how plans against evil sorcerers usually go. No? Well, it’s not pretty.
Jonas is no hero. He’s just a guy with a lyre and a growing love for his best friend’s sister. So, when Mulraith’s son decides she’s what he wants, Jonas steps on some toes and maybe (spoiler) breaks his lyre over a prince’s head.

This sparks the king’s ire and gets the three of them sentenced to death by–I’m giving too much away, but there might be firebreathing, magical items and beasts, and an adventure that sends a bard down a path to becoming a hero whether he likes it or not.

My favorite character who rounds out (or squares, since he makes 4 to) their merry band (of barmaid, jester, and bard) is the cursed Sir Flyngard. Without his help, the three would definitely not have made it out alive, but his heroic heart inspires Jonas and eventually might convince him somewhere deep, way down deep inside, he’s a hero too.

I enjoyed this fantasy adventure story and would probably summarize the whole thing to share my enthusiasm, so I’ll stop there before I give anything truly epic away. Jonas loves Bree, she’s got a subtle power of her own. And Elrick is comical yet a hero in his own right whose brash behavior leads him to a pact he’ll hopefully not come to regret.

I’d recommend Bard Tidings to anyone teens or older who enjoyed the new D&D movie, light comedic moments, fantastical creatures, magic, adventure like that of LOTR, and reluctant heroes. Peril, adventure, music, battle, and friendship are hallmarks of the story. Enjoy!
I did receive an advanced reader copy, but this review is all my own because I wanted to share my thoughts on it.  

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You can find Bard Tidings on Paul Regnier‘s website or at Amazon.

I’d love to hear what you think of the book too!