Bleeding Edge

EDGE Force, Book 1

By: Matthew J. Barbeler

Narrated by: Heath Miller

EDGE Force: A clandestine organisation that leverages the best and brightest humanity has to offer to defend against the threats that can't be fought by normal means.

JD Rideout is a washed-up writer with the best years of his career behind him. Nursing the wounds of a marriage breakdown, his kids are the only thing keeping him going.

When JD wakes up on a tropical island in the middle of the Whitsundays on Queensland's Central Coast, chained to the ceiling, he knows something is very wrong. He feels like a character in one of his novels.

Those who fight for EDGE Force unlock the ability to level up and gain powerful skills to help them fight against threats to our reality.

JD is given a pistol and an axe, along with a new callsign: Hatchet. Uprooted from his life and forced to fight for the fate of the world, Hatchet may just be planet Earth’s last line of defence.

As Hatchet, he’s tasked with fighting back against a shadowy cult that has reappeared after 15 years in hibernation.

But fighting the cult isn’t the only thing that drives Hatchet. These cultists are using the essence of an ancient entity to reshape reality into whatever their twisted imaginations can bring forth. This entity is reaching out to Hatchet too, propelling him towards an epic showdown with the forces of the Fellowship of Cosmic Truth.

During the course of his mission, Hatchet encounters an unexpected ally–a German Shepherd dog named Kaiser–who might just be smarter than Hatchet. Kaiser has his own reasons for fighting the cult and the two form an unlikely alliance.

Bleeding Edge contains LitRPG elements including levelling up, skill increases, new abilities, and a deep crafting system. The book is written using Australian English, and contains Aussie slang.

©2021 Matthew J. Barbeler (P)2022 Podium Audio

on the Edge of your seat

The story starts you off on an action-packed adventure. you don't know how you got there. you don't know what's going on but all you know is that monsters are trying to kill you.
a great take on a multi-universe action book. where the mystery unfolds as the main character finds out who truly is on his side.

i believe Miranda is Clives wife. lol

Decent story heavy on mechanics. ill continue this series for a bit,

ill let you make your own descion if this author goes by another name for another series. it could be because the narrator though ,but the structure and style ring a big bell.

ok but not great

it's a basic story that had real potential but just could not pull everything together. Well narrated and worth giving it a chance but not great.

Fun story and good main character

The series had a lot of potential. The skills and leveling system are interesting.

Without spoiling anything, I'm not sure were you go with the power levels from here.

Good - but very crunchy

Loved this concept, love the possibilities of this world (can't say more without some major spoilers). Love Kaiser, a brilliant canine sidekick (again, can't say more, but you'll love him too). Some really hilarious bad guys and allies/very clever way of incorporating them.

One thing I will note - this book is very crunchy, to the point that I was skipping over parts (and I am not opposed to stats or anything like that, it just felt like a lot in audio. Probably would have enjoyed those parts more in the print version). Not a criticism so much as a preference lol

All of that said, good writing, good narration, good ideas. 5/5.