Adam J. Whitlatch

My original Birthright audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

Earth is the genetic soup created by aliens to produce super-soldiers for an upcoming battle for galactic dominance. Their plan rests on the greatest military leader of all time, Genghis Khan or Temujin. His body is located and he is resurrected to force the Earth into deadly conflict. Those who remain will be deemed the strongest. Hope lies with the young Alex and his twin brother Quintin, created with the same strengths and powers of Temujin. They will try to stop the deadly plot before it destroys the Earth.

Alex is guarded by three unique creatures of extreme strength and abilities. They need to protect him as he grows in age and ability. Temujin is years ahead, both in planning and in strength and will be a formidable foe.

The action begins early and continues throughout. There is a lighthearted feeling to the story and plenty of humor. Alex’s three alien bodyguards often sound and act like the three stooges. It is hard to say if this is because of the voice portrayal or the writing, but it is generally funny and they often steal the spotlight. Alex is a typical teenager, full of self-doubt and insecurities. He can move objects with his mind, but can’t ask the pretty girl out on a date.

Birthright is a fun novel with plenty of action and light dialogue. It feels like a much larger story, often alluding to events unfolding in other parts of the galaxy and with unknown aliens that don’t get fully revealed. The first book does end with a conclusion of sorts, but clearly leads the listener onto the sequel(s).

The novel is performed by Jeff Hays. His voice has a certain style that creates a kind of mischievous mood to the story. He does a good job with the character voices and they are easily discerned from each other. The production value goes a little further than many novels with some minor sound effects that are subtle and gently placed. Very good overall.

Birthright is a lighthearted adventure, science fiction novel about flawed superheroes battling for the survival of Earth. Not a new idea by any stretch, but humorous characters and bungling bodyguards make it an entertaining listen. Worth a listen.

Audiobook was provided for review by the author.… (more)

My original The Weller audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

After seeing the cover with a man clad in trench coat, goggles, and head-wrap, I assumed it was some sort of post-apocalyptic scenario. Upon reading the synopsis my guess was all but confirmed. I was intrigued by the premise of a world without readily available water and the obstacles one must overcome to live in such a world

Following the 12-minute war, most of the world's water became unfit for consumption. Matt Freeborn is a Weller with a no BS attitude. In a world devastated by war and tainted my radiation, water is gold. He seeks out and wells drinkable water, offering it for trade. Matt goes up against mutated creatures, realizations of the past, and worst of all...Distillers. After a group of pirates steal the car of Matt's friend, Radar, they follow the trail to a town that is under the thumb of a greedy and spoiled man; a distiller. Freeborn despises distilling and, having heard stories from the residents, decides it is time to put an end to the man's despicable acts. Too bad it was easier said than done...

It's a book that blends a Mad Max style post-apocalyptic backdrop (complete with car chases and road bandits), with a "Spaghetti Western" style plot that was popular in the 60's and 70's, and a dash of Dirty Harry for good measure. I was very pleasantly surprised with this story. It's an action-packed tale of an unwitting hero that forces it's characters to make tough choices, and live with the consequences. Follow Adam J. Whitlatch as he takes you on journey through a future that could have been, and a past that can't be changed.

It was A.W. Miller's job to add voice to that journey, he did great. This was my first book by the narrator and I was very pleased with the performance. He's talented with voices and reads at a great pace. His inflections and reactions fit dialogue well, and made the story more engrossing. The great production quality, mixed with a very good performance by Miller, makes this a book I'm extremely happy I stumbled across, and him a narrator I will be keeping and ear out for.

Audiobook was provided for review by the narrator.… (more)

Set in a post-apocalyptic world, much of the land is a waste. Food, water, shelter, and decent people are in short supply. Matt Freeborn lost his parents young and his granpa raised him to be a Weller, one who can find clean water. While his existence with his granpa is tough, there is also joy satisfaction in it. Sadly, that won’t last because this is a book about how Matt gets scammed and beat up and shot and left for dead. He’s in for a tough time of it.

There’s lots that I really liked about this book, and one thing I didn’t care for. So, let’s get that out of the way – Dude! Where are all the women? You can’t repopulate the world without women! There’s several no-name ladies scattered throughout the book and one (count her exactly – 1) woman named Phoenix who has a plot relevant role. I want more women in this gritty, harsh world. The author can write female characters, as he proves with our lone female character or note.

This book was a joy to read. It had that mix of action, and desperate every day fight to live, and the nostalgia of better days lost. Our hero, Matt, is quite a mess. He’s decent enough, given the circumstances, but he’s going to make some bad decisions that give him a world of hurt. I really enjoyed that not all went his way all the time. I like to watch the heroes suffer and fight for what they want, and of course, overcome and be victorious. However, in this water barren world, ‘victorious’ might only get you a tiny tub bath of cold, undrinkable water.

I’m really hoping the author returns to this world and gives us another book. He’s created this rich backdrop in which we could have more adventures, with or without Matt. I’m sure the Distillers (folks who aren’t above stealing water out of people) have an interesting story or two to tell. They were quite chilling and ruthless in this book.

I received a copy of this audiobook at no cost from the author (via the Audiobooks GoodReads Group) in exchange for an honest review.



The Narration: A. W. Miller was a good choice for this book. He had this kind of old cowboy voice that was full of gravel for Granpa. I also liked his younger voice for Matt. He did a great job of getting Matt’s emotions across.… (more)