Malachi

even BETTER than the original!

Revisado: 11-13-24

this is a CANNOT MISS series. even as good as the first was, this is even better!+

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White Trash Warlock: Not JUST a gay Harry Dresden

Revisado: 04-30-23

Representation matters. This is something that we hear over and over again in this day of media, and it is 100% true. From Disney having Princesses of different ethnic groups, to the new Barbie's and Ken's and other doll lines branching out, representation matters. In today's world, we have books running nearly the full spectrum of humanity, but there are a few segments of the population in western culture that are virtually untouched. One of which, one I personally belong to, but have found virtually nowhere in modern media, to the point where I didn't KNOW how starved for that feeling of representation was until I found it.

As a culture, many of us have worked tirelessly to try and eliminate toxic stereotypes from our media. For the most part, gone are the days of the Minstrel Show, Blackface, Yellowface, etc, and it was well past time for those to go by the wayside. But one pesky stereotype that still exists in this country, albeit, not without some legitimate examples, is the one of the hateful, bigoted and willfully ignorant Southern Redneck.

I grew up deep in Dixie. My blood type is “sweet iced tea,” I swear up and down that Royal Crown is the best cola, I learned how to drive on dirt backroads in a beat up old Mustang with no rear window, my main summer go-to forms of entertainment growing up were chasing lightning bugs and going down to the “crick” for a swim, and I firmly believe that the last words to “The Star Spangled Banner” are “Drivers, start your engines!” I'm also Queer as hell. I'm Pan and Poly and I reject the whole “gender” thing entirely, that's why I got an X on my drivers license in the Gender spot, I ain't got no time for pickin' one or the other. Before I got married, I dated men and women, trans and cis, I've dated intersex people and others like myself that refuse to conform to any specific gender. I try to be open minded, but I know I'm an asshole, I just try to direct that assholery in positive and productive ways.

As a Dixie-born Queer Redneck, I never really truly knew what representation meant, except as an abstract term discussed by political talking heads on the news, in the Liberal Studies classes I have recently enjoyed in college and TED Talks. It was not something I ever encountered because the vast majority of Americans outside the South have collectively agreed to put us in the metaphorical closet and pretend we don't exist.

Enter “White Trash Warlock” by David R. Slayton, book one of the Adam Binder series. This Urban Fantasy series follows Adam Binder, a practicing male witch from rural Oklahoma. Growing up poor in, living in beat-up old trailers and eating mac and cheese or massive pots of spaghetti every night, Adam is far from your traditional cosmopolitan Urban Fantasy hero. He's great-aunt's trailer is warded by an army/flock of magical plastic Flamingos in the trailer-park they live in. He's also very, very gay. He grew up with a very abusive father who tried to beat the queer out of him, and lived in an area where he was the only gay guy for a very long drive.

I picked this audiobook (read by Michael David Axtell) up on a whim after the almighty Amazon/Audible algorithm put it up in front of me, and I must say that between the subject matter, the obvious skill of the author and a very well done recording performance, I was hooked nearly instantly, as the story picks up with very little actual introduction before the Rising Action begins. The Author skillfully and seamlessly weaves the exposition and introductions into the aforementioned Rising Actions of the book.

The book, written in 3rd Person, is skillfully crafted with just enough modern pop culture references to kick a smile on your face without being overly saturated, which is a common problem in modern Urban Fantasy. Additionally, the author's skill in building characters that, while flawed, you still immediately begin to care for is undeniable, but where his skill truly shines is the depth and complexity of the characters he has crafted. None of them are one dimensional, and what might appear to be a horrible act committed out of anger or hatred might not be that at all.

But what sets this book apart, in this readers mind, is the aforementioned “Representation.” I grew up Southern, poor, queer and “different,” similar to Binder, though instead of magical powers all I got was Autism. I found myself IMMEDIATELY empathizing with Adam, to the point where his lamentations and memories of what it was like to be a lonely queer in a hateful world brought tears to my eyes, both in sympathy AND shared experiences. That alone would be enough for me to recommend this book. Truthfully, I pretty much went through the whole book, virtually "cover to cover" in one listening session.

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esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

best LIT-RPG novel I've heard in a LONG **** time!

Revisado: 09-24-22

A truly original world crafted by someone who obviously loves it. I love scifi and fantasy. I also love motorsports. the pageantry, the emotion, the sights and sounds. Zero Car brings these two things together seamlessly.

Sadly, in the world of literature, Motorsports is something that is seldom focused on.

I marathoned this book, start to finish, in one day. sleep? who needs sleep?

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esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

A modern classic, YOU CANNOT MISS THIS!!

Revisado: 06-26-22

as a kid growing up in the 90s, I LOVED tales like Treasure Island, Moby Dick and Master and Commander. Growing up I would play pretend that I was the daring captain, fighting against all odds to survive a storm (while sitting in a cardboard box.)

As we all know, time never stops, and the years flew by with deceptive speed. That kid grew up. But with this book, I could feel myself being that kid again, with the same sense of wonder. The story, the characters, even the ship herself, quickly became friends of mine, and me a cohort in their adventure.

Do not allow yourself to miss this. worth the credit or the buy.

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another mordern classic by Smith.

Revisado: 06-07-22

First off, the premise is really good, and the author delivers on it as well. the story is engaging and the characters well thought out.

my only "issue," which is kind of a strong word, but regardless, is the narration. Pinchot has a decent vocal range, but he doesn't really do much to seperate the different characters which can lead to dialog becoming occasionally confusing. I would have given the performance 3.5 stars, but since it's only whole numbers, it's a bit closer to 4 than 3

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I C.A.N.N.O.T. RECOMMEND THIS HIGHLY ENOUGH.

Revisado: 10-01-21

5 starts isn't a high enough rating for this book. I truly loved book 1, have listened to it about a dozen times so far, but with book 2 Aspden truly hit it out of the park.

the world is alive, the characters living and breathing and making it such an enjoyable experience.

if you like Isekai anime AT ALL, you simply MUST give this series a listen!

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AMAZING book!!!!!!!

Revisado: 12-08-20

As someone in their 30s who grew up playing RPGs, both computer and pen&paper, in general I have found the newest crop of fantasy that is being publish lackluster and boring. NOT THIS ONE.

The story never drags and it goes by much faster than you think. I drive for a living, so I'm in my car 9-10 hours a day on work days, and my normal habit is to swap between Audible, pandora and Spotify, but once Mr. Biggles got his claws into me, nah man, that wasn't happening.

There are a few reviews here that rate it as poor, but those where literally posted less than 2 hours after a 10+ hour book released, so ignore them.

if you have EVER imagined your D&D campaign jumping off the page, this book is for you!!

(Side note: the ONLY issue with the audiobook has nothing to do with the content itself and what appeared to be a file error that cause the recording to jump twice.)

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Don't waste your time.

Revisado: 09-07-19

I am fully aware not not every narrator can be as good as AB Kovacs, Scott Sigler, Jim Dale, or James Marsters, but this narrator sounds as though he has never spoken english before in his life. There is no rythem, abrupt halts, stereotypical William Shatner like pauses. The entire experience is jarring and 100% impossible to listen to.

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a true modern classic!!!!

Revisado: 03-29-18

loved this book!!! Jim has crafted another opus. the Dresden files is the greatest series currently in print or publication.

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an epic beginning to a modern epic classic!!!

Revisado: 11-21-15

A truly amazing work of art in book form. you should NOT MISS THIS! Outstanding!

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