Member Reviews
a heartwarming and enchanting blend of mystery, romance, and fantasy—a cozy narrative that feels akin to a heartfelt D&D campaign.
The title drew me in. The premise sounded cosy and fun and the book is about people in an established relationship. And I was looking forward to this story.
Alas, it wasn't the story for me. The two main characters are in their late 30s and early 40s, but often act like they are in their late teens or early 20s. Add underdeveloped secondary characters and lacking wolrd-building and the whole novel reads like YA/NA fanfiction.
The idea was good, the execution lacked.
A fun dndesque adventure full of lovable characters, some fun and funky tropes and lots of heart! Really LGBTQ+ focussed which I loved, I just wasn’t aware of how casual the tone of this book was which isn’t my usual tone for books I read. Review will be on Waterstones.com asap.
This was a nice read. The title and cover really gave me some Dungeons & Dragons vibes, and I really loved that. I was surprised when I found out that the book was about two men dating, but that didn't bother me at all in the story. I have read reviews of others saying it felt like a Geralt of Rivia and Dandelion fanfic, but to me it didn't feel like that at all. I thought it was a nice story, not outstanding or whatever, but it was entertaining. I do think it could have used more worldbuilding, perhaps that would make you get sucked into the story more.
This was adorable! A fabulous cosy fantasy with characters that just gave so much throughout the entire book! The writing really flowed too. Fab!
This was fun, cosy fantasy, I felt that the characters weren't really developed enough but for a one off easy read it works well!
'TIL DEATH DO US BARD is a funny, warm-hearted fantasy about a husband trying to find his partner, and the plot they find themselves tangled into.
The book starts off with small scale stakes - find husband - that are typical of cozy fantasy. Logan doesn't care about anything else, just making sure Pie is safe. As the book goes on, the stakes become country level - stop the king - which pushes this book to the very edge, I'd argue, of cozy vs epic fantasy.
There is necromancy and unicorns, a fun blend of magics. This is not the necromancy of grimdark, but a more light hearted take that fits perfectly with the DnD-esque feel of the world (the grumpy mercenary, the exuberant bard, the necromancer with a pet bone dog, etc). It feels like a campaign played by friends who keep rolling the "wrong" number and sending the mission down wonderfully strange trajectories.
The questing cast is a lot of fun with a great group dynamic. The Countess steals so many scenes with her larger than life personality, determination to flirt, and her ability to save the day more than Logan. Gary is a sweetie pie who you want to protect. Ophelia the ghostly ex-wife adds a great awkwardness but also allows for some nice heart to hearts.
In all, this was a highly enjoyable debut, a fantasy that took the best bits of DnD and made a book out of it.
Just a fun, fast-paced, good palette cleanser novel. I'm not one for cozy fantasy usually because I like high stakes in my stories but this was a fun break from thick and dense high fantasy novels. The romance was pretty cute and the plot was entertaining enough for me to keep reading. Would recommend, whether cozy fantasy is your thing or your looking for something quick and easy to read. 3.5 stars
Set in a D&D-esque fantasy world this book had everything I could hope for. Fun characters, LGBTQIA rep, a quest, adventure action even a unicorn! I thought it was going to be a match made in heaven, but alas no. Something about this book...I just couldn't connect to or get invested in the story. There were times where the writing felt a little clunky, and the necromancer character who was supposed to be funny more annoyed me than amused me. This one was a swing and a miss for me, but that should not stop you from giving it a read!
Might be for you if you like; fantasy, dungeons and dragons, quests, bards adventure stories!
A delightful and cozy fantasy romance. Reminded me of the best Witcher fan fiction, with the bard/warrior romance. I didn’t like the necromancer witch character and thought she was kind of inappropriate with Logan. Otherwise, this would have been a five star.
I feel as if this book had a really fun concept. As a D&D player this seemed like it was going to be right up my ally. I did love the setting and the general vibe but something about the plot just fell a little flat for me.
Overall enjoyable but not quite what I was hoping it would be.
Til Death Do Us Bard was a quick, lighthearted read with lots of adventure and an adorable romance. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey!
3.5 stars rounded down due to an older female character's sexual harassment of the male characters that was played for laughs and never addressed. This was otherwise a rather charming and cosy read, it wasn't super gripping but it was perfect for putting on and listening to the audiobook while also doing other things.
Funny and lighthearted, I really enjoyed this! Ideal for fans of cozy fantasy like Legends & Lattes and auch! Liked the characters, enjoyed the story, —4 stars!
Different to what I expected but still a fun, lighthearted read that made me laugh in places. I loved the cosy fantasy vibes and Logan and Pie, who were adorable!
DNF at 55%
This just wasn’t for me, I went in maybe with the wrong expectations based on the perfect title & the cover. It just wasn’t what I was expecting & I couldn't empathise with the characters. It was however quick paced & nice prose, although the world building was a bit lacking. I’m sure there’s lots of people who will love this book, it’s just not for me.
This was such a fun book! It had the cosy fantasy vibes that I love when I don’t want a high fantasy book and lots of adventure. The characters were so easy to like and I enjoyed learning more about them, as well as seeing the relationship between Logan and Pie (in both the present time and the flashbacks). It had unicorns, necromancers and ghosts and honestly what more could you want from this book? It was great and definitely one I would pick up again to reread in the future
Rose Black’s TIL DEATH DO US BARD is an entertaining romantic fantasy novel, that is equal parts heartwarming romance and adventure, with quirky lovable characters and a heart of gold.
This book is exactly the type of novel that I’ve been looking for!!! I have been saying that I want to read more books where the couple is already together! Maybe it’s a hot take but I don’t care!! With nearly every romance novel being about the couple getting together—or being a sequel—it was so refreshing to read one where the reader is tossed into their loving dynamic a few years in.
The adventure and conflict of the story is intriguing, playing with magic forces of life and necromancy, but the characters are what draw you in. Specifically Logan and Pie, as you learn about their independent histories and their connected futures. I adored them both, Pie especially.
The narrator also did a lovely job with the audiobook, a few of the accents took getting used to, but it only added to the immersion of the story, and bringing the characters to life.
I can’t wait to recommend this one for cozy fantasy fans, especially once it’s available in the US.
Thank you to NetGalley, Hodderscape, and the author, for providing a copy for advanced review.
This is a charming fantasy read, and Logan and Pie will absolutely steal your heart. Featuring disaster bi husbands, and most importantly, the concept that everyone is deserving of love, this one is so meaningful!
Funny and lighhearted read for fans of cozy fantasy/ romantasy. I would have liked some higher stakes, however that is just my opinion and one of my common "dislikes" about cozy fantasy. Otherwise a wonderful read.