I was very excited about this book, it’s representation, the bard-era narrative & the potential drama. Logan, who was once married to a woman (now deceased), is married to a bard named Pie who goes missing. Logan seems to be what I’d call a retired Witcher, and he seeks the help of a countess necromancer to help. This necromancer, however, raises Logan’s ex-wife—a ghost.

Despite my excitement, I really struggled to get into this book. I found the countess’s constant sexual harassment of Logan to get old fast, but more than that, I really struggled with the dialogue. These are supposed to be people 40 and older, but some of the speech and actions didn’t track for me. For example, the ex keeps sticking her tongue out and telling Logan he smells multiple times in the first few chapters. Or the countess will say something like, “Will you help us save him, Gary? For the sake of true love?’” That style is just not for me, and I had to DNF 25% in.

I received an ARC via Netgalley, this is my honest review.

I was so excited to read this book and couldn't believe my luck when my request for an ARC was accepted !
We follow Logan as he founds himself without his husband, who had suddently disapeared without a word. Logan sets himself on the task to found his husband, with the need to find answers and help. That's how he finds himself glued with a necromancer and his ex wife, all three of them traveling and tracking Pie and ... a unicorn ! I won't say much more about the plot, it would be spoilery, but let me say this : it was a really nice read !
Logan is full of insicurities and has a bit of a hero/protector complex that gets on his way in some occasion ; the necromancer is an absolute delight ; Pie is funny and touching.
The book is well paced, with calmer, more emotional moments between high actions moments. The plot isn't to simple but either too complex, and has a real DnD vibe to it. Logan and Pie relationship has to surmount those obstacles and strenghten if they want to resolve the plot, which I thought was done in a really good way. it is really nice to have older and already settled characters, it changes a bit. We need more stories like that ! Seeing Logan with his ex wife is also nicely done, with all their hurts but also their affection.
To summarise, a really enjoyable read, with well developped characters, solid plot and satisfying emotional stakes for every characters, with a pacing that won't let you get bored.
Thank you for this story !

"Til Death Do Us Bard" is a cozy fantasy adult written by Rose Black.

The story follows 42-year-old Logan Theaker, known as "The Bear," a former adventurer, who has hung up his axe on the wall for almost a year now and has settled down with his husband Pie, a sunny bard, in a pretty isolated collage. But when Pie disappears, he is forced to return to a world he thought he had left behind. Logan quickly discovers that Pie has been blackmailed into stealing a powerful artifact capable of creating an undead army. With the help of a necromancer, her old enemy, and a ghost from his past, Logan sets out to rescue his husband. But the further the quest takes him, the more secrets he uncovers. Things Pie has not told him that threaten to destroy their marriage. Amid intrigue, betrayal, adventure, monsters, necromancy, and legendary creatures, Logan will do anything to save his husband.

I found it a really cute read! Funny, sweet and light, it kept me entertained from beginning to end! In my opinion it has its flaws, but in the end it was a super enjoyable cuddle.

I found the writing compelling, effervescent and witty. I smiled and laughed repeatedly, but I confess I was also moved. In fact, there is no shortage of more serious, sad and melancholy undertones, which while not affecting the overall atmosphere of serenity, affected me quite a bit. The descriptions are simple yet vivid, with brilliant and effective dialogue, often loaded with irony. The brisk and exuberant pace, combined with the presence of short chapters, in my opinion make it a read that is easily devoured.

The world building, in my opinion, is not very thorough. The story takes place on an unnamed island once traversed by monsters and wild creatures, ruled for a time by necromancers. A place that is now all in all peaceful, with monsters pushed back into the wilder parts of the island and power in the hands of a king who has decided to banish magic. There are various deities with their names, there are various traditions, a variety of towns and cities are shown, but everything remains very superficial. The magic system itself, with spellcasters and necromancers, is not explained in detail. By this I do not mean that the setting is left in disarray, because it is not, but only that it is limited to the bare minimum so as not to get lost. Basic information is provided and that's all. And I must say that while I prefer in-depth world building, I enjoyed it a lot! I found it in keeping with the relaxed and enjoyable narration of the story. On a general level, the island has a medieval-type setting that I loved!

The plot proceeds quickly, full of action and events. I enjoyed the fights quite a bit, as did the necromancy scenes. In contrast, I found the figures of the spellcasters and their movements a bit confusing. The narration starts quietly, in an introductory manner, and then speeds up over the course of the book. I enjoyed the first and middle parts, while I admit that the ending seemed rushed. I perceived several forced and convenient situations, with episodes placed somewhat haphazardly to lead to certain developments, but in the end I still appreciated everything. The story also hints at more sensitive topics, such as domestic violence, which particularly touched me. On more than one occasion I was moved, though I didn't cry, because of the presence of more melancholy and intense moments. It was all so comfortable, I felt as if I had been held in a warm embrace, wrapped in a pleasant and serene cocoon.

I loved Logan, protagonist and only third-person pov! The 42-year-old Logan, known as "The Bear," is a famous ex-adventurer who has hung up his axe to settle down with his husband Pie, a bard with a sunny personality. At least until Pie disappears and he sets out to find him. Logan is a seemingly grumpy, surly, stubborn and standoffish character, unable to bond and interact with people. The only exception is his husband. In reality, beneath the tough guy armor, Logan hides deep insecurities and frailties. Such as the fear of being abandoned by everything and everyone, the fear of never being enough, the belief that he is not worthy of what is good in the world. This is a complex and self-conflicted character whose development and characterization I appreciated.

Another character who won me over is the sunny Pie, a bard with a strong sense of terribly dirty humor. I can't say much about him to avoid unintentional spoilers, except that he is a sweet character with his own load of secrets.

I loved the relationship between Logan and Pie! Seriously, they are adorable and their interactions warmed my heart. They love each other deeply, have a strong complicity and would do anything to protect each other. Clearly it is not a perfect relation, there are secrets, but during the book they have a way to talk and deal with problems. I also appreciated the choice of showing the birth of their relationship, through past flashbacks, since at the beginning of the story they are already married.

There are other secondary characters (two in particular) who convinced, amused, and moved me, especially because of their hilarious and sometimes absurd interactions with Logan. In contrast, the villain unfortunately conveyed nothing to me. He seemed superficial and rather poor in his motivations, with little incisive appearances, which is a pity because he had a lot of potential. In addition, there are some characters who I don't know, could have given a lot, but they are reduced almost to little puppets who appear and disappear and then reappear as needed, without having conveyed anything to me. I conclude by saying that, among the various creatures, there are unicorns and skeletal beasts that I loved so much!

All in all, I found it a very sweet, funny and lovely cozy fantasy, not without its flaws, which I recommend to lovers of the genre!

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the review copy. Enjoyed this queer cozy fantasy, the pacing is good and it has a great cast of characters, in addition to Logan and Pie we have a flighty necromancer, a unicorn with his trainer and a ghost. My only very minor quibble is that I would have liked some of the side characters stories and emerging relationships to have been more fleshed out. I'd agree that fans of Legends and Lattes would like this, especially if you liked that book but wished for a story with more adventure/high stakes!

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


While historical fantasy isn’t always my cup of tea, this book just seemed to call out to me and I knew I had to give it a read. It had a disaster bi and his equally disastrous husband, both of whom I really enjoyed getting to know. It also had an extremely flirtatious necromancer, a ghost with a mission and a unicorn and their keeper. This was such a fun story full of adventure, danger, battles and also plenty of love too.

CW’s discussions of an abusive relationship (not the main couple) and mentions of blood and injuries