Birthright

Book I of the Temujin Saga

By: Adam J. Whitlatch

Narrated by: Jeff Hays

Alien warmongers have cloned an ancient emperor to lead an unstoppable army. Gifted with superhuman powers and advanced technology, he sets his sights on his home planet, Earth, and then...the stars!

However, countermeasures have already been set in place. A young Iowa farm boy, oblivious to his powers or destiny, is thrust into a battle that will decide the fate of humanity against the new and improved Genghis Khan!

©2015 Adam J. Whitlatch (P)2015 Adam J. Whitlatch

Would recommend for YA

What was one of the most memorable moments of Birthright?

One of the most memorable moments was near the beginning when the author was writing about humans from an alien view.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. I really enjoyed the first several hours while the universe and plot was being set up and then it slowed down to introduce the "good guys" and started using some voices that were a little jarring for me.

Any additional comments?

I was not the target demographic for a lot of the humor however I imagine it might go over well with YA.

Overall I enjoyed the quick pace, the world, and the general plot but I felt it fell short in the dialog and character development. Also Sam was too "Over Powered"

I received a free copy in return for an honest review.

A Sci-Fi Adventure of Awesomeness

Such an amazing story. The acting portrayed the story well and conveyed the emotion of each word.

a lighthearted adventure, science fiction novel

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.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

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Fun!

What a fun book this was. I'm not sure exactly what I thought it was going to be other than Sci-fi, but it was really good! Great story presented in a great way.

The narrator totally nailed it. He made each character unique, and brought many of them to life for me. It's quite impressive how many ways he can make himself sound evil, or if not exactly that, shady as hell. Sam is a fantastic character, and I liked him immediately, so the story was kind of a roller coaster for me.

I don't know if it was intentional that the narrator made Admiral Orb (I think it's Orb, but who knows, because audiobook, lol) sound like Admiral Akbar, but I was really rooting for him to shout 'It's a trap!' but, alas. I suppose that would have been a bit much (and, I did get the 'KHAAAN!' to even it out somewhat I guess, lol).

The effects that were used throughout (for things like recordings, telepathy, transmissions and whatnot) were a great way of immersing me in the story. Someone eating chips while they're talking if that's what we're told is happening gives it some realism. So, that was nice.

Anyways, in conclusion, Animaniacs reference equals win. That is all ;) I'll definitely continue listening to this series as more comes out!

Entertaining

The story line was interesting but I would agree with a previous reviewer that the execution was narrowly focused, but for me it was an enjoyable and entertaining story beginning to end. There were some gaps that could have been filled in regards to the parents who were barely involved in the teenagers lives. The story was definitely a young adult story but as an “older” person I still found the story very interesting and entertaining.

Lighthearted Sci-fi adventure

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book to others. This somewhat light-hearted sci-fi adventure story was more than interesting enough to keep me engaged and wanting to listen to more, while at the same time not being overly intense as some more emotionally taxing stories can be. It was very easy to listen to. I would almost liken it unto popular teen books, but it lacks the common cliche's of romance but instead takes a refreshing more innocent approach from the young main character, while oddly at the same time throwing in quite a few perverted remarks from various characters. The performance was great 5/5! Great character portrayal and very understandable. The performance definitely made the book that much more enjoyable.

Any additional comments?

Overall this is a great audio-book, and I definitly recommend it for sci-fi adventure lovers

Fast Past and No Fluff

If you could sum up Birthright in three words, what would they be?

Interesting, Power Rangers, and Superman

Would you be willing to try another book from Adam J. Whitlatch? Why or why not?

Yes, but I will not pay as much as i did as this book. The book was good but to fast past and needed a good bit more to help bring out the characters more.

Have you listened to any of Jeff Hays’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but i think he did an amazing job at portraying the characters.

Any additional comments?

This book was quick and had almost no fluff in the book. I am talking about the kind of fluff that helps you get to know the characters better and adds to the plot line. I usually don't like fluff because most of the time some authors take it to far and makes the book boring and slow. But being this book is so short and the plot goes so fast it would have been better to add some. Just so that you can get better acquainted with the characters and overall plot line.

Other than that I enjoyed the book. It kinda reminded me of power rangers and superman combine. Especially when . . . Spoilers . . . Alex made it to the secret alien bunker, and a voice said that "I am your Father". . i had to take a break from the book and just laugh at the scene. . then it became power rangers when Sam gave the helmets "morphers" to the team. I thought it was great how he used those types of ideas in this book.

The narrator was extremely good. He made each character unique, and brought many of them to life for me, he used sound effects to great effect.

Adventure from beginning to end!

With more to come! Waiting will be SO tough but worth every minute! You'll enjoy!

engaging and humerus

loved it! especially loved the narrator, best reading I've listened to on a long time!