Review for the audiobook version, narrated by Jeff Hays
Critique 1:
The hero of this book can “Improve” people by looking at a ghostly “character sheet” and “upgrading” their stats, abilities or whatever he wants. This means that there are several long passages in the book where he has to look up the “points total” gained from owning each person that day. This audiobook lasts 11 hours and 46 minutes and, if you string them all together, there is probably 30 minutes of a man reading a spreadsheet aloud. It felt like forever! I came very close to quitting and returning the book for a refund before the halfway point.
Critique 2:
Slavery exists. It is still the modern day but yeah, you can own people and this “hero” owns several people – and goes on to keep buying people because it is the ONLY way this story can work. Slavery and magic.
EVEN WITH THE ABOVE, the book is not horrible, thanks in huge part to the narrator, Jeff Hays, who not only switches voices flawlessly [dozens of characters here, both genders], but Mr Hays or the recording studio added special effects when needed. e.g., when talking on the phone, the person’s voice is tweaked to sound like a phone speaker, or a combat suit or what have you.
The cover says it all – a novel about super heroes. okay so, if you go into this as if you are about to watch an anime series with the WAY over-the-top characters, motivations, etc. Then this will be enjoyable. Even with the long, boring reading of spreadsheets.