Kings of the Wyld

Plus Alice Cooper Plays D&D

I just finished reading Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames. It’s a fantasy novel in which adventuring parties are presented like rock bands. They have band names, their leaders are identified as frontmen, and the groups have lifestyles and reputations like rock stars.

I enjoyed trying to identify all the references to rock music throughout the book. The following are just a few of the ones that caught my attention:

• A character with the nickname Slowhand

• A band named Saga

• A wizard with the last name of Moog

• A battleaxe called Syrinx

• A running joke about the bards of the party dying and being replaced like the drummers of Spinal Tap

• A town called Coverdale

• A shield named Blackheart

• A mountain called Deliverance (I’d like to think this one referred to the Opeth album)

• A character named Barret who has a son named Syd

• A character called Neil the Young

• The novel’s subtitle is “The Boys Are Back in Town”

My favorite character was an endearing but tragic Ettin. The book has a sequel called Bloody Rose with a musical subtitle of “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.”

That Time Alice Cooper Played D&D

I recently stumbled on this oldie but goodie…

There is some additional info about Alice Cooper’s appearance on That 70s Show in this Metal Hammer article.