The Bookwyrm's Review of Darkmage by M.L. Spencer

Author: M.L. Spencer

Length: 521 Pages/ 18 Hours, 26 minutes (Audio)

Publisher:  Stoneguard Publications

Release Date: January 6, 2016/ September 18, 2018

Narrator: Simon Wright

Series: The Rhenwars Saga, book 1

Genre: Grimdark fantasy

After reading the opening book in this series, Darkstorm, I was curious where the author would take it, considering that ending. Well, she took it a thousand years after the events of Darkstorm, and started a whole new cast of characters, with references and the history since mixed in, all to great effect.

The time has come for Darien Lauchlin, son of the Prime Warden of Aerysius, basically the head of the mage guild, to be invested as a mage. This is accomplished by an elderly mage passing along their power, which kills them in the process. After the transfer, someone unexpected betrays the entire mage guild, and the kingdoms at large, by opening the Well of Tears, releasing the forces of the God of Chaos upon the world. This includes the eight demons of legend, powerful mages of a previous era that were sent to the underworld as they attempted to open the Well themselves. Escaping as the mage's tower is destroyed, Darien watches the city fall to ruin as he escapes. Being helped by an aged mage to escape, he also gains that mages power, making him the most powerful mage walking around, much more powerful than a human is supposed to be. 

Escaping to the border of the Darklands, Darien must convince the commander of the border defenses to retreat away to a more defensible position now that the mages, who were defense only magic anyway, are now gone, and the defenses will be facing magic they can no longer defend against. While there, Darien meets Kyel Archer, an undiscovered magic sensitive who he takes on as an apprentice. With the help of a priestess of the God of Death, Darien and Kyel hatch a plan to defeat the forces of chaos and close the Well. Splitting up to marshal the various armed kingdom forces, Kyel is sent to gather up one kingdoms forces and have them gather at a place of magic power, while Darien goes to another for the same task.

This all ends up leading to a dramatic confrontation with the forces of the kingdoms against the forces of the Darklands and their chaos masters. Darien must choose whether to break his peace vow, making him a pariah. Also, the plan to close the Well involves the ultimate sacrifice, with the whole world on the line. The ending is such a twist, you can't possibly see it coming, but in the best way possible.

Like it's predecessor Darkstorm, Darkmage is primarily a character driven story, Its the story of people who have to make decisions that have world shaking consequences, which will affect them most of all. Is your oath and honor worth thousands of lives? Is the sacrifice your father made not enough example? Darien struggles with all of this, as do so many of the other characters. The Oath of Peace hangs over the proceedings, and Darien has to contend with it throughout. Darien is a complex, fully drawn out character. the secondary characters are given good development as well, especially Kyel. The villains are mostly in the background, working behind the scenes, although the initiator of the entire conflict does get a bit of poetic justice. The world building s top notch, the plotting is fast paced, action packed and emotional, and the twist ending really cemented how good this book was.

The narration by Simon Wright was definitely a high point. His voice sounds quite a bit like Kit Harrington, so it sounds like Jon Snow is reading to you, which is kind of cool if you ask me. Excellent voice work for the various characters, and he has excellent pacing.  I can't recommend it enough, in whatever format you choose.

The Bookwyrm's Review of The Future of Supervillainy by C.T. Phipps

Author: C.T. Phipps

Length: TBD

Release Date: TBD

Publisher: Crossroad Press

Series: Supervillainy, Book 6

As a huge fan of the Supervillainy series, I was really excited to hear that C.T. Phipps was writing a new volume in the series. When I was given the chance to read an early access copy of The Future of Supervillainy, my inner nerd went into overdrive. Not sure where the series would go after Tournament of Supervillainy, I was pleasantly surprised with the direction it went. 

After defeating Entropicus in the Tournament of Eternity, Gary and crew returned to Falconcrest City, to bask in their well earned spoils from the tournament. Living at the Warren Mansion, family home of the Nightwalker, Gary and his family are continuing their life of crime, such as it is. When government agents show up to arrest Gary, threatening his family in the process, Gary decisively and permanently, for the agents at least, ends that threat. Gary then meets John Booth and Mercury, the protagonists from the author's Cthulhu Armageddon series, and finds out the Society of Superheroes has been captured by Tom Terror and P.H.A.N.T.O.M.. When he finds out they were in a previously unknown realm at the center of the Earth, nothing will stop Gary and his crew from going to rescue them.

Arriving in the hidden world, Gary finds that Tom Terror and his minions have taken over a large swath of it, and are trying to take over the last free area. Gary also discovers the underground sun is Ultranian in nature, and the source of all the supers on earth. What follows is a thrill a minute battle though a world Indiana Jones and Jules Verne wouldn't want to try, With dinosaurs, villains and Nazi's, err, P.H.A.N.T.O.M goons trying to stop them at every turn, the final face off has a bunch of twists and turns, including some people from Gary's life he never expected to see again. It also turns out Gary isn't the only one with an Eternity Stone, and this means a shift in the balance of power that may have effects much greater than Gary expected, and he will be changed in so many ways by the end.

This has a really cool adventure story vibe to it, part Indian Jones meets Jules Verne, part Savage Land comics. Gary is his usual wisecracking, self deprecating, stubborn self. You might be  able to complain about character growth, but who wants Gary to grow or get introspective? That would ruin half the fun at least. The rest of the cast of rogues is its usual fun, crazy best. Cindy, aka Red Riding Hood, is still one of my favorite characters. She will literally say anything, and is definitely fun and shocking at every turn. The villain, Tom Terror, is one of his best, being a combo of The Red Skull and Lex Luthor. He comes across with grandiose menace like no other villain in the Garyverse, and he is a legitimate threat at all times to anyone who gets in his way. The new setting of the inner world is very Verneesque, but with touches only C.T. Phipps could come up with. All told, this is one of my favorite entries in what is one of my favorite series. I cant recommend it highly enough when its published.

Rating: 5/5

The Bookwyrm's Review of Soda Pop Soldier by Nick Cole

Author: Nick Cole

Length: 367 Pages/ 12 Hours, 27 Minutes (Audio)

Publisher: Nick Cole/ Podium Publishing (Audio)

Release Date: January 14, 2019/ November 6, 2018 (Audio)

Narrator: Guy Williams

Series: Soda Pop Soldier, Book 1

Genre: GameLit/Cyberpunk

I was a big fan of Nick Cole from his previous work on books like The Red King, but it wasn't until the kerfuffle about this book's predecessor, CTRL-ALT Revolt!, that I became aware of this book. A shame, really, because I missed out on some damn fine writing until now.

Set in the same universe as Revolt, just years later, we meet the protagonist, PerfectQuestion, professional gamer for ColaCorp, doing battle in WarWorld, the biggest MMO in the world, as ColaCorp's online soldiers battle WonderSoft's virtual troopers in a winner takes all battle for prime advertising space in New York, all in a game that has similarities to the Vietnam war and the setting for the movie Aliens. Unfortunately for PerfectQuestion, ColaCorp has suffered one defeat after another lately, being rolled back from previous gains and facing imminent defeat. In the dystopian corporate controlled world he lives in, losing his job will mean hard times, since jobs are hard to come by, and he'll be tainted by failure.

With his career possibly about to come crashing down, his personal life in shambles as his girlfriend is acting as though she is about to leave, and his game play bonuses leaving him well short of the rent, PerfectQuestion takes the rent money and bets big on himself, buying into an illegal fantasy MMO which can lead to big money and expensive prizes. It could also lead to jail if he is caught. Booting the game up, he finds himself playing a one handed samurai on a quest to find his sword. He begins to suspect something is up with the game, as outside forces put a hit on his character, and forces in real life turn his life into a deadly game of cat and mouse. He has to remain alive in game and in the real world, all while trying to come up with a way to keep ColaCorp from crashing and burning, leaving him nowhere to go. This leads to the breakneck finale, which will leave the reader breathless with anticipation all the way to the end, which has a satisfying, completely action packed conclusion.

Being one of the early entries into the GameLit genre, with a smothering of Cyberpunk, Soda Pop Soldier avoids a lot of the pitfalls that more recent additions to the genre suffer from. There are absolutely no harem elements to scare away female readers, and the main character, PerfectQuestion, is not a stat obsessed ubernerd living in mom's basement, but a guy who treats the game like what it is, his job. The secondary characters, almost all of whom are seen just in the various games, are surprisingly fleshed out, and some interesting backstory elements come out as well. The villain is a bit generic in motivations, but is cleverly integrated into the story, and he has an interesting resolution in the story. The world building, both in game and IRL is top notch, and the reader really gets a feel for being in the thick of the action. The game play elements are also fairly unique in today's overabundance of virtual reality interfaces in GameLit, instead going old school gaming and using keyboard and mouse. You still feel fully immersed in the game world, which is a testimony to the writing skill of the author. The military action all has a genuine feel to it, and I suspect the authors military background came into play in keeping the feel real to life. All in all, I would definitely rate this in my top 5 GameLit/LitRPG titles, and recommend it without reservation.

Guy Williams, who's work I was familiar with from several other titles, does a fantastic job bringing this world to life. He uses a variety of tones, accents and pacing to give each character a life of their own. His narrative pacing is solid as well, never getting either monotonous or speed reading. If you are a fan of audio books, this is definitely a version I can recommend heartily.

Rating: 5/5

The Bookwyrm's Review of Over a God's Dead Body by Joel Spriggs

Author: Joel Spriggs

Length: 312 Pages/ 8 hours, 40 minutes (Audio)

Release Date: June 9, 2018/ January 17, 2019

Narrator:  Daniel Vuillaume

Genre: Urban fantasy

With the trend of urban fantasy diversifying from the wizard PI trope, Over a God's Dead Body takes it even further. With a mixture of humor, various mythological pantheons and magic, it is a true treat for any fan of the genre.

When the male gym professor at Baldur College is caught in a compromising position on the 50 yard line of the college football field with a creature that shouldn't exist, in this case a young sasquatch, things at the college just start to go haywire. Soon after, Esme, one of the college's IT techs, discovers the college has a department of paranormal studies. Asking her twin brother Jake, the schools librarian, about it, she finds he doesn't know anything about it either. This is the start of the crazy twists this story takes, as the twins find out exactly what the school is all about.

Meanwhile, we meet Loki, Norse god of mischief,  who it turns out has been working for Seth, the Egyptian god of chaos, for centuries, ever since he freed Loki from his imprisonment. Loki has acted as his "problem solver", and it turns out, he is not as big a jerk as the myths make him out to be. It also turns out, he has an unusual connection to Esme and Jake, and that connection will have long term effects for them all. That's because Seth is after something that will allow him world domination (at least he thinks so) and he thinks its at Baldur College, and he has sent Loki to locate it.

  What follows is one of the craziest, most hilarious set of events I have ever read. I mean, spit coffee through your nose laughing moments throughout. From magic flying brooms, zombie ducks, a dwarf punk drummer, a giant purple dinosaur and magically controlled wasps to the Voodoo soccer mom looking to get some payback on Kyle, the laughs never cease. Oh my lord,  Kyle. What an amazingly funny character, who so much coincidence swirls around, and who's backstory, as it is revealed, is both horrifying an brilliantly funny. So much of the story spins around Kyle, even in subtle ways, that just end hilariously. This all leads up to a fateful confrontation with the various power groups at the college, which could have tragic consequences for the rest of the world, which is much more important to the multiverse than you'd expect.  

As a huge fan of comedic fantasy, this was a real treat. The characters, especially Loki, Esme, Jake and Kyle, are really engaging, and their character arcs are a lot of fun, especially as more secrets are revealed. The secondary characters are given a lot to work with as well, and the villain, such as he is, has a realistic rationale behind his actions. The setting and worldbuilding are really well done, with Baldur College and the surrounding town being well thought out and brought to life. Definitely not the usual grimy Chicago, New York or LA setting. All in all, its a very satisfying mashup of urban fantasy with ancient mythology, one I'd recommend you check out for yourself.

As far as audiobook narration, Daniel Vuillaume handles those duties admirably. I had never heard his work before, but I must say I was impressed. He really brought the characters to life. His use of tone, pitch, accent and speech pacing was excellent, really differentiating the various characters. His Kyle voice had me laughing throughout, as did his voices for the Loa and various other gods. Just excellent work I'd highly recommend.

The Bookwyrm's Review of Unsouled by WIll WIght

Author: Will Wight

Length: 298 Pages/ 8 hours, 14 Minutes (Audio)

Publisher: Hidden Gnome Publishing

Release Date: June 13, 2016/ August 27, 2018

Narrator: Travis Baldree

Series: Cradle, Book 1

Genre: Asian Fantasy/ Coming of Age

I discovered Will Wight's writing with his debut novel, House of Blades, and thought he was a truly creative fantasy writer, playing against traditional tropes. With Unsouled, he goes in a completely new direction, this time crossing genres a bit and adding a distinctly non-European flavor to the story, all while creating an engaging story with fantastic characters.

In a world much like medieval Asia, everyone has certain gifts. Gifts that make them better warrior, leaders, carpenters, what have you. They are all tested as children, and given a metal token showing the power of their soul, a token they exchange for a different metal token as they progress. Everyone has a soul power. That is, except Lindon. He has no power, no soul, and is given a wooden token to denote this. He is unable to learn any of the soul arts his clan knows, and as a young adult. stuck in menial jobs since he has no soul gift, he still has his wooden token. Its not until a tragic event happens that Linden is free to pursue his own path.

That path includes attending a school to develop his soul, something that is supposed to be impossible. Passing the entrance test through creative application of the rules, he goes on to discover just what his unsouled condition means, and still manages to progress a bit. He does learn to fight though, and after a series of events, is forced on the run, where he meets a strange being, who knows far too much about his condition. She tells him there is a true danger to his world, a world which is not what it seems, but also tells him the manner in which it can be stopped, and in which he can gain a soul. That will take trials and feats no one else in his clan could have attempted, especially because Lindon will have to travel to amazing places to find new skills that will allow him to stop the threat. The problem is, he only has a limited time to learn the skills. If anyone can, though, it may be the desperate young man who will do whatever it takes to prove his doubters wrong.

The thing that attracted me to this story was that is was a character driven story set in a non traditional setting. its even crossed genres a bit, with a bit of portal fantasy thrown in. Lindon is an excellent character, not willing to settle for the drudgery his life is, and working to prove the impossible, him being able to work a gift without a soul, is possible. He takes any opportunity he can to improve, and is more decisive than I would have expected. It was a pleasant surprise. The secondary characters are fleshed out nicely, especially Lindon's sister. Their motivations are realistic, especially considering they basically exist in a caste system based on their soul gifts. The setting is a sprawling, Asian flavored world, with a lot of trappings you'd find in various Asian countries, including some cultural and physical details, such as physical structures, weapons, fighting styles and other cultural references, all while making the world his own. The action is fast paced, and you discover this world is part of a larger whole the inhabitants are unaware of, leaving room for exploration and growth in later books.

The narration is handled by the fantastic Travis Baldree. A talented writer in his own right, he understands story flow, and his narrative pacing is excellent. His voice work for the various characters really adds a new dimension to the story, as you feel as though each character is brought to a life of their own. I have listened to several other titles e has worked on, and they are all excellent quality. You can tell he takes pride in making a quality production. Definitely one of my top 5 narrators.

I can definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a fantasy story just a bit off the regular Tolkienesque quest fantasy, or anyone just looking for a quality fantasy story. It is an ongoing series, with the sixth book set to release not to long after this reviews publication. Get in on the action today.


Rating: 5/5

The Bookwyrm's Review of Smoke Rising by Craig Halloran

Author: Craig Halloran

Length: 215 pages/5 hours, 10 Minutes (Audio)

Release Date: February 27, 2015/ December 28, 2018 (Audio)

Publisher: Two-Ten Book Press, Inc.

Narrator: Holly Adams

Series: The Supernatural Bounty Hunter, Book 1

Genre: Urban Fantasy

I read this previously when I got the paper copy, but I didn't yet have a blog, so I never reviewed it on here. With the recent release of the Audiobook, I thought a listen and review was in order. 

Sidney Shaw, an up and comer in the FBI, has just been handed her dream assignment. Known as a troubleshooter, she usually gets cases that are outside the norm from the average agents experience. IN this case, she has been given a case on the Black Slate, the secret most wanted list for criminals who don't officially exist. No one has ever been able to run Sidney's new target to ground. In fact, several agent have disappeared or died trying. To help her, Sidney's superiors have given her a wild card: John Smoke. Ex Navy SEAL, ex cop, bounty hunter and now convicted felon after he maimed one of his bounties, Smoke is looking at his sentence being commuted if they can run this bounty down. 

The strong willed Shaw immediately butts heads with the irreverent Smoke, especially since Smoke has no regard for her authority. Running afoul of both internal FBI politics and the corrupt powers of DC, Shaw and Smoke run down their target, only to discover that he is like nothing they have ever encountered before, and that there is so much more below the surface of society than they ever imagined, with repercussions that could rock society if they were ever known.

While there is strong world building and plotting, The characters are where this story really shines. Sidney and Smoke are polar opposites in temperament. She is controlled and calculating, he is brash and reckless. They are both strong, intelligent characters, and that tension between them really moves the story. The secondary characters are well written as well, and the villain, while being fairly typical of the genre, fits into the story well. All in all, there's something in the story for any fan of urban fantasy.

The audio narration is handled by the talented Holly Adams, who I consider to be one of the top five narrators working today. She is excellent creating unique voices for the characters, both male and female, and has an amazing range of tones an pitches to differentiate them. She can also handle any accent, which makes the characterizations even more diverse. Her narrative pacing is fantastic, and you just get right into the flow of  her narration. This is definitely one of my favorites of her work. Definitely in my top 10 audiobooks of 2018.

The Bookwyrm's Review of Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio

Author: Christopher Ruocchio

Length: 624 Pages/ 26 Hours, 11 minutes (Audio)

Publisher: Daw Books, Recorded Books (Audio)

Release Date: July 3, 2018

Narrator: Samuel Roukin

Series: The Sun Eater, Book 1

Genre: Space Opera

This is one of those books, with it's fairly long run time of 26+ hours, that I wanted to try and get listened to in just a few sittings, realizing it might be a bit complex to break down over a longer period. Good thing I did, because this books swings all over the place, handling complex galactic politics, combat and personal interactions with equal aplomb.

Hadrian Marlowe, eldest son of a noble planetary governor, expects to be named heir. In a galactic empire that resembles the worst excesses of the Roman empire, this means a life of privilege and wealth, but also having to meet the demands of the empire. The problem is, he doesn't want to be. In the thinking machine tech phobic society he lives in, he would rather train to be a human computer (think Mentats from Dune). Unfortunately for him, his father has other plans. Thinking it would be advantages to have a son in the Chantre, the official church of the empire, worshipping fallen Earth, Hadrian has a future as a church Inquisitor, (the church's sanitized name for torturer), to look forward to. 

Deciding this is not the fate he would want, he escapes his home world with help from the last person he expects. Going into cryo-sleep, he expects to wake up 13 years later, ready to begin a new life. He instead wakes up in a back alley clinic many years later than he expected, on a backwater planet named Emesh. Penniless and weak from years in stasis, his life quickly falls into squalor as he becomes just another penniless vagrant, since if he is caught he will be turned over to the Chantre, which doesn't take kindly to runaways. This lasts for years, until a chance encounter reminds him he has martial training, and he becomes a Myrmidon, a fighter in the arena.

Finding a new life and family in the arena, hiding his past as a noble, Hadrian, called Hade by his companions, is more successful than he dreams. His dreams, however, become part of his downfall, as his native curiosity gets the better of him as he snoops around the arena's dungeon level when he hears they have a captured Cielcin, the only other space faring race and the enemy of humanity, locked away somewhere below. Finding the truth, he is caught in the act, with dire consequences.

Revealed as a noble to the local Count, he is thrust into the political world of Emesh, a world he loathes but is familiar with. Hiding his identity as just a tutor to the Count's children, he makes an enemy of a powerful priest. He also has a burgeoning attraction to Valka, a foreign Zenologist on Emesh studying mysterious ruins. This is the world he must navigate as outside forces steer him in yet more directions not of his choosing. After he is revealed at last as a noble, his path is even more controlled, and he has a series of life altering events happen, with consequences that will one day be felt across the Empire.

I have always had a fascination with Space Opera. That huge canvas spread across a galaxy, with all the myriad elements of politics, adventure and villainy. This book has those in spades. While it has superficial resemblances to books like Dune, it definitely takes it's own path. Hadrian Marlowe is no Paul Mau'dib. As much as he doesn't like the nobles of the Empire, he still has quite a few noble notions about class and peoples place in society. Bearing a striking resemblance to a Roman despotism, the Empire, separated as it is by distance and the limits of space travel, still manages to act as a cohesive unit. It is an excellent bit of worldbuilding, with much attention lavished on the political and religious systems, as well as the various outsiders. The plot is paced well, letting what needs to burn slow have time to develop, while letting the action set pieces barrel ahead full speed. The author does a fantastic job developing the characters, showing no fear in exposing them, warts and all, making them much more realistic than you would expect. 

The narration was handled quite well by Samuel Roukin. This is the first book I've heard him narrate, but he did an outstanding job bringing the characters and story to life. His narrative pacing is good, and he definitely has a talent for creating memorable, individualized character voices. I look forward to his work in the future.

All in all, this is one of my top five reads of the year, hands down. Any fan of stories like Dune or Deathstalker should find something to enjoy in this book.

Rating: 5/5

The Bookwyrm's Review of War Aeternus: The Beginning by Charles Dean

Author: Charles Dean

Length: 468 pages/13 Hours, 58 Minutes (Audio)

Publisher: Charles Dean/Soundbooth Theater (Audio)

Release Date: November 2, 2017/ January 24, 2018

Narrator: Jeff Hays

Series: War Aeternus

Genre: LitRPG

I got a review copy of this book a bit ago from the author, but somehow confused it for another title and this one just slipped through the cracks. Thankfully, the author reminded me he sent me a copy, and I am glad he did, because it was an enjoyable LitRPG experience.

Lee is the typical IT drone, making decent money but really just cruising through on autopilot, with no challenges other than raids with his gaming buddies. No challenge, that is, until a "god" named Augustus transports him to what amounts to the setting of a medieval RPG and tells him he is Augustus's new herald on the world, and he is to gain worshippers for Augustus if he ever want to make it home. Unfortunately for Lee, Augustus is being punished by the other players, "gods" of this world, and his herald is sent in at level zero, with a two month disadvantage over his rivals on the world. Not the best way to start a game where the stakes are life and death.

After defeating his first opponent through luck as much as anything else, Lee, who the world system recognizes as an NPC, starts leveling up. Meeting a a bloodthirsty giant firbolg named Donovan, who is a player in the system, Lee starts recruiting followers as he goes, including Ling, an NPC village girl handy with a bow, who suddenly gains independent awareness around Lee. Questing through the area, Lee and his followers must complete the quests to help Lee fulfil his duty to Augustus so he can get back home, all while trying to not get killed by the other god's heralds, all who are more powerful than Lee with their two month head start in leveling up.  This all leads up to Lee's confrontation with another god's herald, sending shockwaves through the game world.

While I think as a genre LitRPG is hit or miss, this was much more a hit than miss. Starting with a meta kind of premise, that "gods" play an RPG on a server hosted by a creator, in which real people are the in game characters, the author makes use of the standard genre tropes but spins them in some creative ways. Lee is fairly standard as a character, but grows into his role, all while silently hoping he isn't doing the wrong thing converting the masses. The secondary characters are fun, if a little cliched. The setting should be familiar to anyone who has ever played an RPG, and that comfort level makes it easier to get into the story. The plot moves along at a fairly brisk pace, and readers should be able to power right though the story.

The narration is handles by the always excellent Jeff Hays. Basically the king of LitRPG audiobook narration, this title is no exception. He is excellent creating various characters in the listeners mind though use of tone, pacing and accents. Donovan especially stands out, as Jeff basically channels his inner Ahnold voice for the rampaging firbolg. His narrative pacing is excellent, and really keeps the listener engaged. Another excellent effort on his part.

While it isn't perfect, War Aeternus is definitely a series I can wholeheartedly recommend. Any fan of the genre should be able to find something to enjoy in it.

Rating: 4/5

The Bookwyrm's Review of Hero Hunter: A Superhero Gamelit Saga

Author: Darren Hultberg, Jr.

Length: 237 Pages/ 5 Hours, 53 Minutes (Audio)

Publisher: Darren Hultberg, Jr.

Release Date: August 27, 2018/ October 23, 2018 (Audio)

Narrator: J. Scott Bennett

Series: The Heroes Rising, Book 1

Genre: Superhero/GameLit


As a huge fan of J. Scott Bennett's narration, when the chance to get one of his works on AudiobookBoom came along, I jumped at it. I am also a fan of both Superheroes and GameLit as a Genre, so a mashup of the two seemed like a natural fit. After listening, I can report that it was a good call. 

On the planet of Terrax Prime, with its giant metro areas, the possibility for crime is pretty high. Fortunately, there are people with superpowers to help keep the people safe. While there are supervillains, there are also heroes, some so powerful as to seem godlike. The heroes even have checks on them, as they all work for the planetary government.

But even though there are superheroes, new supervillains always come along. Among that group is the latest threat, Hero Hunter. Merciless in his pursuit of killing superheroes, he methodically tracks and kills them, all in an effort to get to his final goal: Killing the world's greatest superhero as well as the leader of Terrax Prime's superhero development department. Managing to kill higher level heroes, he gets further towards his goal of bringing the leaders he seeks out into the open.

Unfortunately for Hero Hunter, who behind the helmet of his power armor is Aiden Grant, a Technomancer who can control technology, he hasn't exactly flown under the radar. After killing two fairly high level heroes, plans go into action at the highest levels to take him out of play. After being betrayed by someone he trusted, Aiden ends up in the holding facility for supers, cut off from his powers, and at the mercy of one of the men that caused him to become a supervillain in the first place. Managing an escape, with a small army of supervillains at his back, Aiden finally has his chance to face off with those responsible for his ultimate betrayal, with world shaking results. 

The story is a fairly basic revenge story, with a previous betrayal being the impetus for Aiden becoming Hero Hunter. That being said, it actually fit the story very well. I have seen complaints the characters are fairly two dimensional. Considering the book is about one supervillain seeking revenge on the hero community that betrayed him, I'm not sure how much character growth people can possibly expect. I found the characters fairly well rounded, with realistic motivations within their circumstances. The villains were a bit cliched, but still made for good foils for the "villain" Hero Hunter. The use of stats for each Super being readable by his armor's AI is the reason the book fits into the GameLit genre, even though it happens in the characters real world. The plotting is fast paced, and hums along nicely. The worldbuilding is decent, and gives you a good idea of what the characters have to deal wit in everyday life.

J. Scott Bennett does his usual excellent job narrating. He doesn't so much do voices as he changes tones and pitch so that each character is differentiated. his narrative pacing is excellent, and you never feel as though you are bogged down with a monotone. 

I can heartily recommend this book, whether in audio or book format. You wont be disappointed.

The Bookwyrm's review of Tournament of Supervillainy by C. T. Phipps

Author: C. T. Phipps

Length: 256 Pages

Publisher: Mystique Press

Release Date: December 2, 2018

Narrator: Jeffrey Kafer

Series: The Supervillainy Saga, Book 5

Genre: Superhero fantasy

I discovered C. T. Phipps when I came across the first book in this series, The Rules of Supervillainy. I was instantly enthralled with the story of a man given the powers of the city's greatest hero, and deciding heroics is for chumps, I'll be a villain instead and make some money! That appealed to me, in the same way Ben Bequer's Blackjack books caught my attention. To say I was anticipating book five is an understatement, and I was not disappointed with the final result.

Through the first four books, Gary Karkofsky, aka. Merciless, the Villain Without Mercy (tm), has had some definite highs and lows, but has always seemed to always just scrape by. Finally, after defeating his nemesis Merciful, his alternate universe doppelganger, along with President Omega, Merciless just wants to settle down to some quality low key supervillainy with his newly re-souled wife Mandy, his other wife Cindy, the villain known as Red Riding Hood, and their daughter . Instead, he is offered a chance to compete in the Primal Fighting Tournament (think Mortal Kombat), with the chance to win the ultimate prize: one unlimited wish. 

Realizing there are definitely entities he doesn't want with that wish, Gary, along with his crew, enter the Tournament. Upon arriving at the interdimensional equivalent of Han's Island from Enter the Dragon, Gary and company meet some of the other contestants. Included in this group are Jane Doe, Weredeer shaman (I Was A Teenage Weredeer), Cassius Mass, former Fire Count in the Archduchy of Crius (Lucifer's Star), and Agent G, cyborg assassin (Agent G series). All these characters belong in other worlds in the author's various series, crossed over for this event. All these characters are trying to keep the grand prize out of the hands of Entropicus, the ender of worlds, who just wants to destroy the universe.

As the tournament progresses, Gary discovers the stakes are even higher than he knew, since there are cosmic entities much higher on the food chain than he is with a vested stake in the results. Gary will have to go through enemies and allies alike to be able to take the ultimate prize, and the ending is nothing like he expected, with a twist you just won't see coming. The revelations for some aspects of his personal life are also completely shocking.

Like his other books, which all have impressive worldbuilding and plotting, the characters are where this series really shines. From the impressive development of Gary and the rest of his crew, to the various villains and secondary characters, C. T. Phipps lavishes attention on the smallest character details, and you really get into the heads of the various characters. This is just one of those series that gets better with every installment. If you are like me, you will definitely be anticipating the next book!

Update

Now that I have finished the audio version of the book, I have to say this is probably my favorite bit of work that Jeffrey Kafer has ever worked on. He really brought his "A" game, infusing life into already well drawn characters to create something special. He even got to add his own forward to the audiobook, explaining their process developing these books in a hilarious way. It shows how the team of Phipps and Kafer work so well together. I can't recommend the audio version of this book highly enough!

The Bookwyrm's Review of Steel, Blood and Fire by Allan Batchelder

Author: Allan Batchelder

Length: 550 Pages/ 18 hours, 34 Minutes (Audio)

Publisher: Allan Batchelder/ Blancsanglier Productions Ltd. (Audio)

Release Date: January 2, 2013

Narrator: Christopher Selbie

Series: Immortal Treachery

Genre: Grimdark Fantasy

Sometimes you get recommended a book by a friend that you are kind of on the fence about. I admit my friend's description of this book was a bit vague, and I just kind of forgot about it. I came across it a few months later and decided, why not, I have a hole in the TBR list. After reading the paper version and listening to the audio  version, I am beyond glad I did. Otherwise, I would have missed out on what is one of, if not my most favorite, fantasy characters. Tarmun Vykers is just one of those characters that even though they are in no way a hero, they still appeal all out of proportion to what they should. With that, lets get this review rolling.

Tarmun Vykers. The Reaper. death on two leg's, whos sword has killed whole peoples if the legends are to be believed. Unstoppable warlord. Kingdom conqueror. Right up until that all ended when he ran up against the Virgin Queen's army and was defeated. Captured, tortured, having his hands and feet cut off, the stumps healed, then dumped in the woods to fend for himself, dying a slow, painful death. Only the Reaper won't die that easy. After months of crawling around, barely surviving in the woods, Vykers comes across a cave with a skeleton in it, the skeleton of a mage named Arune with the spirit still attached. Offering Vykers the chance to be whole again if he agrees to let her bond with him until she can find a body of her own, Vykers agrees, and the history of the world changes with that decision.

So begins the next chapter in Vykers's story, as Arune forms hands and feet of magic for Vykers, and he heads towards civilization again. After running into a patrol of the Queen's soldiers, Vykers is brought before the monarch, who offers him a chance for life, as a threat to existence is currently rampaging across the continent, killing everything it comes across.  That threat is called The End of All Things, a mage of immensely vast power, who revels in the death and destruction his army creates. He is literally trying to live up to his name, and the Virgin Queen's kingdom is next on his agenda. Tarmun must, with some new allies, retrieve an item that just might turn the tide, if it even exists.

While Vykers and his companions go on this quest, the End's sister, a healer named Aoife, is on her own journey to try and end her brothers reign of evil. Meeting unexpected allies along the road, she brings her own magic to the fight against her brother. On another road, a small group of mercenaries, lead by Long Pete, ends up in the Queen's Army, only to be split up and captured by The End's army. This leads to some revelations about a few of the parties members that have world shaking repercussions.

As Vykers returns from his quest, the End has all his pieces in place to make his move. This leads to an amazingly well written penultimate battle scene, with so much action its amazing he kept it all straight! He did, though, and it leads to some fantastic action, loss, betrayals, heroics and huge magics. The final showdown between the Reaper and the End is just brutal combat poetry, and leaves plenty for another book in the series.

While the worldbuilding with this book is definitely strong, and the plot really keeps the reader engaged, the characters are what makes this book shine! Tarmun Vykers, vulgar, amoral, ruthless, but still strangely likeable has a lot of secrets that are slowly being reveled, and he is just a fantastic character. The main secondary characters like Arune, Aoife and Long Pete also had a lot of time lavished on their character development, and even characters like the Queen have some interesting developments. The villain, The End of All Things, is the perfect Grimdark villain. Ruthless, merciless and completely insane, he is just such a larger than life character with secrets of his own, slowly revealed throughout the book. I think this is the kind of dark fantasy gem that can appeal to a wide swath of fantasy readers.

The narration is handled by Christopher Selbie. I was unfamiliar with his work before this, but I found him to be a very good narrator. He has excellent pacing, and never drags into monotone. He uses a variety of tones and accents to create individual characters you want to listen to. Definitely a top notch effort I can heartily recommend.