Audiobook Review

The General of Izril: The Wandering Inn, Book 6

Clowns, Goblins, and Erin Solstice. Not all in the same place, mind you.

Erin Solstice trusts a lot of people—even some lost Redfangs survivors of Esthelm—but can she handle being friends with Goblins when every hand is turned against them and the tribes are on the rampage?

Liscor is in the path of Goblin Lord's inexorable march north, and the fates of Rags, Garen Redfang, and Tremborag's Goblin tribes are all tied to an impending war. Who will survive?

Tom the [Clown] is facing Demons in Rhir while Zel Shivertail is facing Wall Lord Ilvriss and an uncertain future. Faced with the knowledge of the Necromancer's return, who can the two Drakes turn to?

Contains bonus content, an exclusive account of the 2nd Antinium War by famed [Writer], Krsysl Wordsmith.

The One-Armed Warlock: Book One

OneArmedWarlockCover.jpg

Audiobook Review - By Ray Johnson

The One-Armed Warlock: Book One

By: Durl White

Narrated by: BJ Whimpey

Series: The One-Armed Warlock, Book 1

Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins


 This book was suggested to me, and to be frank I would have picked it up even if it hadn’t since the whole premise sounded crazy.  I mean it features an antihero and is full of gore and demons and such.  This was right up my alley.

The Good:

We start off with the apocalypse already in effect.  People are pretty much in their last days as more and more nightmarish things start showing up.

The Bad:

The game system isn’t really exciting or different, and the MC is fairly flexible in his viewpoint.  Honestly, I thought there was going to be bigger deal about his one arm, but it didn’t really seem to be any kind of a hindrance to him.

The Fugly:

I absolutely loved the baby companion.  Not  lot of writers would be baller enough to write something like that.  Also, the MC has a moral flexability in which he starts off as a caring individual but quickly turns into a blood thirsty menace.  I really attribute this to the fact that he is the thrall of a demon, and that his mind is being subtly controlled, even if he never realizes this.

Overall, for me the humor was weaker than I’d have preferred, but then I am spoiled by Rimmel and Ugland and my bar is set high.  Honestly, Whimpey might be to blame for that.  Humor is all about timing, patter, and inflection and I’m not sure he pulled it off as well as someone else might have.  Its hard to say but he is a newer narrator, and he may not have found his groove just yet. 

My overall score is 7 stars.  The story has some good parts, and Lord knows I love an anti-hero MC, but the pacing was slower than I’d have preferred, and the biggest issue is the complete lack of agency the MC has.  He is a mind-bound minion who has to do whatever he’s told, and when he is told to do something he never really complains or questions unless the commandments are going to get him killed.  I would have preferred Benjamin Dark to have been a complainer and smart mouth to his evil overlord.  Mini revolts until he figured out how to get his freedom.  I’m considering getting book 2, but I need to think on it some more.  This isn’t a bad book, but my socks stayed firmly where they were as I read it.


Review score: 7 out of 10

Dan the Warlord (A Gamelit Harem Fantasy Adventure): Gold Girls and Glory, Book 4

Dan the Warlord (A Gamelit Harem Fantasy Adventure)

Gold Girls and Glory, Book 4

By: Hondo Jinx

Narrated by: Andrea Parsneau

Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins

Oathbreaker: An Epic Fantasy LitRPG: Realm Online, Book 1

***Review Written by Ray Johnson for the audiobook version of this story***

Oathbreaker: An Epic Fantasy LitRPG

Realm Online, Book 1

By: Stuart Thaman

Narrated by: J. Scott Bennett

Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins


Pause

I’ve really thought about this one for a while, and debated back and forth on my thoughts with this book.  There were several things that I liked, some that I didn’t, and others that really didn’t thrill me one way or the other.

The first thing I’m getting out of the way is that in spite of what you see on the cover, this is not in any way a harem book.  I didn’t think that it was, but I know how people are, you see two women and your mind automatically goes into harem mode. This is not remotely the case, so if you were wondering, now you know.

Secondly, I like the whole sucked into the game via a summoning spell aspect.  That was fun, and happens right away so no spoilers, but it set me up for some expectations, and I found the book slowed down right after the big entrance.  I mean it slowed down a lot. I think a lot of it was the whole no class not lit stuff for a while, hell just leveling takes like 2/3rds of the book I think.  That said I think there are reasons that necessitate the lack of lit elements for awhile so it’s a tough call.

Thirdly, I do like how the MC, Steve, isn’t perfect morally or physically.  He’s not a gung ho hero nor is he built like Charles Atlas. He’s more like Charles Alas.  So, Steve is not readily likable, although I must say that my son found the cats funny. Of course, he’s just a few bad grades from identifying as a cat lady.

One thing I thought was funny was that even though it isn’t a harem Steve spoke incessantly about how sweetly hot and sassy his ladies were.  Still there was no action. I think the biggest issues were that there were times that Steve was a D-bag, and the lit elements didn’t pop up until too late in the story.

J. Scott Bennett narrates, and I have said for the longest time that I think he is one of the bestest narrators out there.  He is a fave of mine. He can have real fun with the right story. He does his utmost to keep this tale going but even he couldn’t get it to pick up the pace of the story.  He does individualize each character, but again, he can’t make you like a character if their actions put you off. Bennett does a great job and doesn’t let the story spiral like a lesser narrator could have.

Final Score? 7 stars, its pacing was too slow and it lacked some much needed litrpg aspects earlier in the story.  Still, there is world building that does go on and will probably make the next book run a little smoother.

Supers: Ex Heroes 3 - A Gamelit Space Opera

Leveling up and maximizing my skill trees, enemies cower, and my ladies want me even in the heat of battle. Good thing getting down with them unlocks my powers in ways previously incomprehensible, or we might never have stood a chance. 

We have a job to do, and considering that we're going after the pyramids where the villains have been stealing superpowers and storing them, we're going to need our wits about us. 

I wish someone had been able to warn me what I might find in those pyramids or that I might end up trapped within, having to take control while risking my sanity and ability to ever live a normal life again. 

There's also rumor of the Blue Lady being involved in this next mission. I haven't decided if that's a good thing or not, considering the fact that we met her as a revenge-crazed criminal aboard the prison ship. 

But hey, if she'll help us infiltrate the pyramids and take down Ranger, who am I to argue? It's all in the line of duty.  

Digital Hearts - Late Night Ambitions

Morgan is an excellent commander and soldier in a time of digital war games. When it comes to dating, not so much. 

When he and his friends are invited to a secret life and romance simulation game, the players join hoping they can earn some much needed virtual vacation time.

Little do they know how deep the rabbit hole goes. A digital sleepy seaside town turns into a journey of dating, lewd perversions, monsters, cults, and a shot glass of dark humor. Morgan must navigate his new digital lifestyle, earn his way to a better life, find love and control his darker impulses crawling under his skin before it's too late. 

Warning: Digital Hearts: Late Night Ambitions is a story for mature adults, 18 and over. It contains monsters, bizarre dating rituals, murder, lewd acts, secret societies, twisted romance, and funny simulated lives. If you ever wanted to dive into the dark underbelly of life simulation games, this is a story for you.

Enhancer 2: The Enhancer Series, Book 2

Ty Wilcox didn't really believe in superheroes before he became one himself. Now, he has an incredible power he's just beginning to understand, lives in a mansion, and is in a relationship with two of the most amazing women alive.  

But when a flying, teleporting demon-woman appears outside his work, the price of his new life becomes apparent. 

There's a supervillain after the device that gives Ty his power. This villain will do anything to get it, and has an entire army at his command. The price of Ty's new life is never-ending danger.  

Warning and minor spoilers: Just like book 1, Enhancer 2 is an 18+ book intended for mature listeners. It contains sex, violence, and nudity. It includes very light gamelit elements, occasional bad language, and is set in a cyberpunk alternate future. Within it you will find threats, battles, destruction of property, evil plans, betrayals, wrongful imprisonment, major violence, death, and the unfortunate realities of living in a world dominated by mega-corporate greed. The malevolent boss from book 1 is still there, as is the monstrous bad guy. But so are the gorgeous superheroes who are comfortable with unconventional, harem relationships, and there might be someone new in that mix as well.

Picking Up the Pieces : Enthralled Series Book 2

After escaping from the clutches of his demanding AI assistant in succubus form, Mark was thrust into the Crystal Heart gameworld after it had been left running for hundreds of years. Tasked with building his team and healing the corruption caused by the two warring artificially intelligent entities, Mark heads out into the unknown to enthrall compatible fighters and figure out his next steps.

With their new, magic compass in hand, Mark and his beautiful Enthralled begin the search for the scattered pieces of the broken Crystal Heart. The journey will send them to the far corners of the gameworld to face challenges that test their strength, their courage, and their bond.

As their adventures unfold, Mark begins to worry about what will happen to his cherished friends, teammates, and lovers if they actually succeed.

Warning: Contains graphic sexual scenes.

Fostering Faust: Book 2

Alex has taken firm control over his county as the Count of Brit. By and large, everything has settled into a fairly normal pattern for him, his numbered, and his wife. 

The problem, of course, is there's still an ongoing war between two duchies, and Regina Tannulf, Alex's liege and lord, has plans for him.

Plans that he wants no part of. Except that he doesn't really have a choice in the matter.

Everything begins to spin back out of control as a messenger from the Wild Lands arrives with a plea for help.

It's time for Alex to get back to work. Leah still owns his soul, and if he wants to keep it safe, he needs to make deals in his favor, in her name.

Warning: This novel explores dark subjects, and what people will give up of themselves, and each other, to get what they want. The main character is written as a real person in a tough situation and will not make choices that line up with societal and cultural norms.

It contains adult themes and moral ambiguities.

As with my previous work, explicit scenes are found within. It has violence and a harem relationship.

Seductive Seas Books 1-4 Seductive Seas LitRPG Series

Swashbuckling Harem Adventures

That's the aim of Seductive Seas. Deetz knows his team has built a great game and is ready for the big release of this MMORPG. His boss, the beautiful, steely-eyed Carly, wants a final demonstration of the game's selling points, however - seductive encounters and the combat mechanics.

It isn't long before the head game designer is sucked into the story with the gorgeous, submissive NPC Zetta as he begins a quest to not only convince Carly the Seductive Seas game is ready for launch but finds himself strangely astride two worlds - and drawn to two women who could not be more different.

The Seductive Seas series is a high adventure, fantasy ero romance that has something for everyone - beautiful women, strong personalities, pirates, treasure, role-playing games, steamy encounters between the sheets, virtual reality. And an imperfect, relatable hero who struggles with doing right by multiple women and multiple worlds.

This volume includes the first four installments of the Seductive Seas.

Remnant

Steve doesn't know who he is.

Or who he was.

He doesn't know anything, actually.

Not even where he is.

Other than a vast open field of dirt.

All Steve knows is that he's apparently supposed to build a farm. At least that's his only workable assumption. Given the number of farm-tools left to him. That and the massive number of sacks full of seeds.

Unfortunately, this isn't even the strangest part of this new life.

Hidden inside the farm tools, Steve finds messages. Messages that appear in floating windows in front of him.

Messages from his past self, telling him that he'd already failed once.

But he has no idea what he actually failed at. Or how he can succeed this time.

Beyond all this, and unfortunately for Steve, the world just underwent a radical change. A change that's going to have Steve fighting the undead, bandits, nature, and even himself. All while the world falls down around him.

And the only weapon he has is an axe.

Warning and minor spoiler: This novel contains graphic violence, undefined relationships/harem, unconventional opinions/beliefs, and a hero who is as tactful as a dog at a cat show. Listen at your own risk.

This story is an adult fantasy novel.