A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe by Alex White

She is a young girl desperate to get out into the world and find some adventure. Tam Hashford is an excellent point of view character. It's time to take a walk on the wyld side. It's adventure she wants - and adventure she gets as the crew embark on a quest that will end in one of two ways: glory or death.

When the biggest mercenary band of all rolls into town, led by the infamous Bloody Rose, Tam jumps at the chance to sign on as their bard. Tam Hashford is tired of working at her local pub, slinging drinks for world-famous mercenaries and listening to the bards sing of adventure and glory in the world beyond her sleepy hometown. Sex, drugs and rock and troll is most definitely the order of the day. Think Motley Crue but with dual wielding scimitars and a battleaxes rather than electric guitars.

If KotW was set in the 70s then Bloody Rose is partying its way through the 1980s. This book follows on from KotW and this time we tag along with 'Bloody Rose', frontwoman of the infamous mercenary band Fable. If you have already read KotW, then by all means, read on. Bloody Rose is book 2 in the series and though it takes place a few years afterwards and follows a different (but interlinked) set of characters, there are various references to the first book and, in my opinion KotW has a smidge more world building. Before you start reading this, if you haven't yet read Kings of the Wyld ('KotW') then consider heading back to the home page and clicking on my earlier review of it.

A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe by Alex White