I had to stop and contemplate this book before rating it. Jackson Blackwell is a villain consultant. Being a villain from what appears to be a dimension like ours, he uses his knowledge of stories–whether movies, books, television, or otherwise–to live by, and advise other villains by. When he’s betrayed and cast adrift, he finds himself needing a group of heroes in order to reclaim his power.
I loved the premise, and the story was very well done. I especially loved the twists towards the end, one of which I didn’t see coming at all. The narration, provided by Jeff Kafer, is outstanding (as all of his work is). His gravelly voice really brings Jackson to life as Jackson narrates his tale. The only thing that made me hesitate on writing this review was that Jackson started off as a complete d***. That does change as the story goes, but man… he was arrogant. Which is, of course, a villain hallmark. While it’s in the character’s nature and personality, it does make the first couple chapters a little unpleasant as he’s just so snide. However, his character development stays true to the character, and is done really smoothly that by the time the story ends, you’re really rooting for him! Hence, it’s got to be five stars all the way around the board.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review