What a great, pacey read! Coupling an energetic cast of characters, an established queer couple fighting for their love and easy to follow world building, Til Death Do Us Bard is a great read for people craving their next hit of cosy fantasy.

After recently hanging up his adventuring axe, Logan and his bard husband Pie are settling into domesticity when Pie mysteriously drugs his husband and runs away. Sensing there’s more to the story and desperate to find his husband, Logan teams up with a necromancer and the ghost of his ex wife to find his husband. The plot follows an easy to read flow that kept me interested all the way through. I especially enjoyed his (relatable) struggle to allow himself to be fully seen and loved by his husband, and found their relationship both heart warming and realistic.

One point I will mention, however, is the necromancer’s quite frankly unacceptable behaviour towards Logan. Despite the whole quest being to *find his husband* and his repeated refusals of her “joking” overtures, I found her borderline harassment behaviour towards him quite jarring in an otherwise heartwarming and light story. I can’t help but wonder if the situation was reversed— the necromancer was a man and Logan a woman— would the harassment been as present?

Overall, I did enjoy the story and will look out for whatever the author publishes next. I think this will do well with cosy fantasy readers and am a big fan of the cover as well!

Til Death do us Bard is a wonderful, D&D style story in the vein of T Kingfisher’s Paladin series with a dash of queer romance, a lively cast of characters and some imaginative creatures to boot. It follows the story of Logan, former axe-wielding adventurer turned domesticated husband to his beloved bard Pie, as he sets off to find Pie after he mysteriously disappears. Accompanied by a necromancer of dubious morals, a shy yet courageous unicorn trainer and the ghost of his ex-wife, the company risk life and limb to reunite Logan and his husband before it’s too late.

I really enjoyed this story! It was fun, easily read and heartwarming, and although the plot was quite tense it had those cosy elements that are so popular lately. Although I would’ve liked a bit more of Logan and Pie’s relationship at the start in order to properly “miss” him when he disappeared, once I sunk into the story I read it in one sitting. I’d recommend Til Death do us Bard to fans of Nettle & Bone, Alexandra Rowland’s Tales of the Chants and Gwen & Art are not in Love.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

"Til Death Do Us Bard" is about ex adventure Logan "The Bear" who goes searching for his husband, Pie the bard, when he goes missing. Along the way he is helped by a ragtag group of misfits, from a necromancer, to the ghost of his ex wife, a unicorn and its trainer. Can Logan complete this quest, while keeping his marriage intact?

I had a very fun time reading this book. I loved the cast of characters and the time i got to spend with them, each of them with a surprising amount of depth. My favorite parts were the sections that explored these character relationships, and they were able to grow from them.

My only bit of feedback is that i would of liked a longer epilogue to get to see in more detail how all our cast end up but i would say that just shows how invested i was in them.

A fun cozy read (with higher stakes than the usually cozy fantasy read though). I hope this isn't the last we have seen of Logan and Pie (and the others of course).

This was quite hard to finished if I'm being honest. Some parts of the plot were too rushed, and the dialogue didn't feel as though it flowed brilliantly. The main character (Logan) punching walls and being violent at unnecessary moments was a bit much, and the Countess basically sexual assaulting Logan for most of the book wasn't nice to read; it was written as though we were supposed to find it funny and that it's her 'quirky personality' but it was just not nice. If the genders were reversed nobody would've stood for it.

2.5/5

As a big fan of Legends and Lattes and also Dungeons and Dragons, this was the perfect read for me. I have been recommending it to everyone I know and I can't wait to get a physical copy in my clutches so I can read it again!

Sometimes you just find a book where you see the cover, find it intriguing, read the synopsis, find that even more intriguing and then you read the book and it’s everything you wanted. That honestly doesn’t happen that often to me because expectations are a thing but »Til Death Do Us Bard« really did everything I hoped it would - it was really funny - the necromancer grandma cracked me up all the time -, there was romance, a fun fantasy plot with high stakes. All the elements mixed together so well. Like, sometimes it’s too much romance and not enough plot or the other way around or it’s not serious enough or too serious. You get what I mean. But this book was just perfect (for me). The vibes - romance - plot ratio was amazing. I truly loved it so much, I had such a good time with Logan and Co. and I definitely want to get a copy for my shelf!

Til Death Do Us Bard is a found family fantasy adventure about Logan the Bear, a warrior enjoying his retirement with his husband when suddenly his husband goes missing. Under the assumption that his husband, Pie the Bard, has been kidnapped Logan assembles a motley crew of individuals to help him rescuer his love but finds out that maybe he doesn’t really know his husband as well as he thinks.
This book is being pushed as an Achillean style Legends and Lattes book, but to me it read more like the new Dungeons and Dragons movie, which is perfectly fine, but not exactly what I thought the book was going to be like when I requested it.
This book had some moments of fun and I enjoyed it in general.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I adore the bones off of Pie and Logan and their relationship!

I found myself having some issues with the pacing of the story, the first handful of chapters felt like they could have been their own whole novel with perhaps more exploration in the spaces between the main locations.

Overall, a cosy and fun book with a story I would love to play in my next dnd session!

Necromancy and Romance don’t usually go together but Til Death Do Us Bard rewrote the formula in this fabulous cozy fantasy!

“Marriage isn't always sunshine and unicorns... sometimes it's monsters and necromancy.”

Logan is retired and no longer wielding his sword against foes - but when his husband goes missing he gears up ready for battle. With a necromancer, skeletons, and a somewhat friendly ghost by his side he sets off on the adventure of a lifetime! This book felt like a cozy game of D&D with a side of romance and I loved every minute of it! Full of found family, love, loss, reconciliation, humor, adventure and romance - Till Death Do Us Bard is a fantastical read!

Thank you to Hodderscape for the ARC!

This was a fun romp of a read, reminiscent of Legends and Lattes and DnD
It features an extremely lovable (if quirky) cast of characters, headed by the adorable main couple. This group of unlikely friends and comrades was the highlight of this story for me. They were well-developed and kept the story feeling fresh and exciting.
The setting felt very magical and exciting, and we got a vast overview of all different parts of the world - it's wild areas, the cities and more.
The plot was easy to follow, but I felt everything rushed towards the end. I would have liked more time in the second half and the final battle especially. While this built the tension and anxiety that the characters felt, I wanted to know more of what was happening.
All in all, this was a very heartfelt and lovable queer rom-com. I would definitely read future work by the author.

Adorable, adorable, adorable. Each and every part of Til Death Do Us Bard made me smile but I had a grin the size of a large country every single time he "gazed lovingly at his husband".

*swoon*

The cover art drew me in and the love story kept me hooked. I liked that there were themes of D&D (I'm incredibly new to the entire inner workings of D&D and I've been loving everything I learn!) and felt that this was a fun way to include a MM romance into a fun romantascy.

I think it is hard to describe an action packed book with necromancers and a haunting ex wife as “wholesome” but here I am, doing just that! Til Death Do Us Bard by Rose Black feels as a fluffy D&D campaign. We have Logan, our fighter, who is retired from fighting monsters to live with the love of his life, a bard named Magpie. He calls him Pie, which is unfortunate because no one understands him when he bellows “where is my Pie?”. And he does do that more frequently than you’d think. Anyway, because he lost his Pie, he has to resort to a granny grave robbing necromancer and his newly ghost-surrected ex wife to try to find him. There might also be unicorns.
I absolutely love Logan! He is a bit grumpy, loyal and one-minded, but I adore his logic. He is disabled from an earlier fight, and the disability rep is done very well. It doesn’t suddenly disappear and reappear (which happens so often in books!), and it isn’t a huge deal or plot point, no magical healing at the end and just *chef’s kiss*. Loved it! The supporting characters are epic too, I especially loved the Countess and her undead horse and dog. A waving skeleton cracked me up. Yes, this book is quite funny and has allllll the banter which I LOVE, but it also has deeper themes. The relationship between him and his ex wife are aggravating, sweet and so very human, and his relationship with Magpie is of course the best, the ultimate sunshine x grumpy to rule them all. Bards. Sigh. They’re truly the best if not a touch dramatic and over the top and annoying and just love them, Magpie in particular. Of course he’s in over his head and of course the plot extends more with plot twists and epicness. There is a lot of action, but I felt like it was more about the characters, so it’s actually a perfect match for me. Excellent pacing. Nice monsters. Cute unicorn farms. I can’t think of a single I thing I disliked. Seriously, this book pulled me out of a two month reading slump. Go read it if you like epic characters, D&D, sweet queer relationships, and if you like a little action and a little romance and a little character development at once. Or if you like T. Kingfisher or TJ Klune. 10 out of 10 recommend this one!

I received a free e-arc through Netgalley but it hasn’t influenced my opinions.

The cover art is just amazing! It gave me high fantasy/DND vibes which fit perfectly with the book.

Logan the Bear awakes one morning and finds his husband, Magpie - the bard, missing and feared died - which starts his adventure to find and save Magpie. During this adventure, colorful characters and daring battles occur which lead Logan into uncovering secrets that may jeopardize his marriage. Will they be able to save their marriage? Will their world have a HEA?

It's set in a queer normative world -- which I loved. The characters do not bat an eyelash at FF relationships or MM relationships; however, skeletons serving tea is a bit much for them.

I really enjoyed this book a lot! There is adventure, love, found family, and still a HEA. The characters grow and evolve throughout the book. Logan is just the perfect stoic protector who thinks that he is a failure and that he isn't good enough. Magpie, his missing husband, is the perfect bard and has a heart of gold despite his issues.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for approving my request to read an arc of this book!

Til Death Do Us Bard is another wonderful edition to the cozy fantasy genre. It’s full of heart and humor that had me giggling the entire book. It features a ragtag band of unlikely heroes that I really grew to love by the end. It has so many soft and domestic moments while still being chock full of adventure and monster battles. And it has unicorns, what more could you possibly want??

At its heart are Logan and Pie, two domestic husbands in love. At the start of the book, they’re as content as can be living in a little cottage with pigs and goats. But as their marriage is tried over and over again throughout the book, the two learn the importance of honesty and trust, only further growing in their love for one another. The best thing a man can ever do is gaze lovingly at his husband, and Pie and Logan are perhaps my new blueprint for soft husbands.

Between Logan and Pie’s domesticity, apt themes of learning everyone is worthy of love and a happy ending, and D&D like adventure, Til Death Do Us Bard was a blast front to back. It comes out November 21st in the UK, and it’s a cozy fantasy you definitely won’t want to miss!

P.S. If you liked Legends & Lattes but wanted *slightly* more intense high fantasy elements to sink your teeth into, this is the perfect book for you!

(Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.)

It was okay. I liked it, but I didn't love it. It didn't feel as fantasy as I expeccted it too, and I think the queernorm felt a little forced in this book. Logan and Pie were cute, and it was a fun book, but I don't think I'll be rushing to buy a finished copy

2.25 stars

It isn't the greatest of signs when I get 3/4 of the way through a book and then have to set it down for a long while. The sad bit is I desperately wanted to love this book. It has everything I love fantasy adventurers, queer, older characters, funny characters.....just doesn't fit.

The real issue is the characters. Most of the characters feel hollow. They all seem to have the same voice, with dialogue being difficult to tell one character from the other. People get angry quite often and then are immediately forgiven or get angry and cut out of their life characters who supposed raised them. Particularly troubling for me was Logan. He has some definite whiffs of toxic masculinity that pervade until the very end without change. He yells, is too stubborn, illogical, resistant to change, refuses to accept help from others, and even near the end when asked what is up just replies "Don't worry about it". I was hoping maybe throughout the book he would learn to open up and rely on others but that didn't really happen.

The story for the first 3.4 was nice and fun but the last 1/3 the pacing felt strange and every choice unknowable. It was very weird and different from the beginning.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I adored this cozy fantasy. Retired adventurer Logan sets out to find his missing bard husband Pie, who’s been forced into a plot to steal a magical artifact that can create an army of the undead. Along the way, Logan uncovers secrets that test his marriage and his assumptions about others. The side characters add a lot of humor, and there’s just enough tension to keep the pages turning without ruining the cozy vibes with anxiety. If you’re looking for an mm marriage in trouble (with a bit of Geralt/Yaskier vibes), a world that’s queer-normative and magical, and an adventure fantasy that feels hopeful and bright, this is the book for you.

Queer fanfiction of the Witcher that I was not invested enough to finish. Low-stakes medieval fantasy set in a queer-normative world sounds very much like my thing but this one really wasn't.
What bothered me was the behvaiour of the oldish female necromancer towards the male characters which I would classify as sexual abuse. It was mostly verbal, some ogling and some non-consented touching and I am just not here for it. This is not a cute character quirk, it's gross and insulting. The sexual innuendo and inappropriate jokes seemed to make the whole personality of the countess for the first half of the book and even though it was taken down a bit after the 50% mark, I couldn't enjoy the story.

CW: violence, killings, necromancy, ghosts

Joyous, uplifting, heart warming - the list goes on and on! Compelling characters, relatable issues (even if they are set in a historical context) and smiles all round.

3.5⭐️

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Hodder for this arc.

The book opens on a tavern scene with husbands Logan and Pie, and it pretty much immediately becomes apparent that Logan is your typical grumpy warrior of few words. This makes Pie, a bard, the sunshine part of the grumpy/sunshine equation. They are happily married and living in a cozy cottage with a pig named Bacon and two goats named Bastard and Other Bastard (just try and guess which type of animal Logan prefers). Of course, this cannot continue, as Pie has a secret past which forces them to leave their cozy retiree lifestyle.

On the positive side, this was a very cute read with quirky characters and Legends & Lattes vibes at times (mostly because of the DnD themes). I did appreciate that one particular plot line that appeared not long after the beginning of the story was resolved relatively quickly, rather than being dragged out as I’ve seen happen in other books/media.

I also love banter and this book had plenty of it, some of which made me giggle out loud while I was reading. Additionally, as someone who enjoys naming everything (including (or especially) inanimate objects), I really enjoyed Logan’s habit of naming all (and I mean all) animals, even those a bit out of the ordinary.

However, I did find the story itself a bit hard to get into at times. For example, one character’s motives were unclear and a bit hard to follow at some points. I also felt that some plot lines were resolved a bit too quickly at the end.

Overall though, the good points outweighed the rest, and I enjoyed this read.