What do you think?
Rate this book
How Not To Be A Rogue: Trials of Amaford Novella
Amaford, a city of prosperity and trade. Merchants flock to it, sailors swear by it, but the people curse its name. For a city of such stature, its dark side runs to its core. Its people struggle to survive the harsh conditions that come with its popularity. More so, the people of its Bridge Districts, or better known as the slums. This is where we find our story, a story covered in filth and poverty. What started out as a typical day in Amaford becomes something more as a young urchin finds himself constantly plotted against lady luck. Jimmy, a teenager with a long streak of bad jokes and a loose tongue, is forced into a situation that could change his life forever. Armed with a handful of knives, sub-par wit and the charm of a feral kitten, he finds himself struggling to save the day. It’s in this day that only Jimmy can show you what it’s like when shit truly hits the fan.
173 pages, Paperback
Published December 6, 2018
5 people are currently reading
7 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 28, 2019
* I received this for free in exchange for an honest review *
How Not To Be A Rogue starts slow as we get to know the main characters via a solid first person voice, but once the action kicks in it seldom stops. Some of the many fight scenes are overly detailed, leaving the reader mired in clunky sentences. But all in all, the pace is quick and the page count low, so this is a fast read about street urchins plying their trade and trying to get on in a cutthroat world.
Gods and mages are mentioned in passing. Somewhat magical stones play an unexpected and clever role. However, on the whole, this is very light on the fantasy to be considered part of that genre. The setting is somewhat medieval urban, but the dialogue is very modern and packed with contemporary cursing, which has a tendency to take the reader out of the scene. Elastic-voice audiobook narrator Sean Duregger seems to do 101 different voices, accents and dialects. Sometimes you're left wondering if the book is set in old world Ireland, a "Gangs of New York" era, or a more recent wiseguy period, which is confusing, but the range is impressive.
How Not To Be A Rogue starts slow as we get to know the main characters via a solid first person voice, but once the action kicks in it seldom stops. Some of the many fight scenes are overly detailed, leaving the reader mired in clunky sentences. But all in all, the pace is quick and the page count low, so this is a fast read about street urchins plying their trade and trying to get on in a cutthroat world.
Gods and mages are mentioned in passing. Somewhat magical stones play an unexpected and clever role. However, on the whole, this is very light on the fantasy to be considered part of that genre. The setting is somewhat medieval urban, but the dialogue is very modern and packed with contemporary cursing, which has a tendency to take the reader out of the scene. Elastic-voice audiobook narrator Sean Duregger seems to do 101 different voices, accents and dialects. Sometimes you're left wondering if the book is set in old world Ireland, a "Gangs of New York" era, or a more recent wiseguy period, which is confusing, but the range is impressive.
July 3, 2019
I received this book for free. I am voluntarily leaving this review and all opinions expressed herein are mine.
This is billed as a fantasy book but I would call it fantasy-light. That statement is not meant to be disparaging - it's just that there are certain expectations in fantasy books such as a lot of sorcery or use of magic or characters from another realm who have completely different worlds [world-building] - not so much here. Here, Jimmy is a pauper who steals for a living with his best friend Grumps. Sort of like an Oliver Twist or The Lies of Locke Lamora - he works for Big Brother, who takes care of the group of young thieves. When one of his plots spirals out of control, Jimmy has to deal with the consequences.
I liked that the entire story is told from Jimmy's POV, who not only tells the story but provides some humorous comments on the situation as well. This is a charming story but what distracted a bit for me, and may not bother other readers, is that while the time period is not really defined - everyone uses a plethora of curse words which are very contemporary and felt a bit out of place. Overall, this was a fun and enjoyable story with a good heart.
I listened to this story - the narrator did a great job. He was definitely the man of a thousand voices - each character had a defined voice, which fit their persona. He definitely enhanced the story.
This is billed as a fantasy book but I would call it fantasy-light. That statement is not meant to be disparaging - it's just that there are certain expectations in fantasy books such as a lot of sorcery or use of magic or characters from another realm who have completely different worlds [world-building] - not so much here. Here, Jimmy is a pauper who steals for a living with his best friend Grumps. Sort of like an Oliver Twist or The Lies of Locke Lamora - he works for Big Brother, who takes care of the group of young thieves. When one of his plots spirals out of control, Jimmy has to deal with the consequences.
I liked that the entire story is told from Jimmy's POV, who not only tells the story but provides some humorous comments on the situation as well. This is a charming story but what distracted a bit for me, and may not bother other readers, is that while the time period is not really defined - everyone uses a plethora of curse words which are very contemporary and felt a bit out of place. Overall, this was a fun and enjoyable story with a good heart.
I listened to this story - the narrator did a great job. He was definitely the man of a thousand voices - each character had a defined voice, which fit their persona. He definitely enhanced the story.
September 18, 2019
I really enjoyed the narrator Sean Duregger's ability in giving each character its own voice, it made the story come to life and made it easy to visualise Amaford and all the people in it. I enjoyed the main character Jim, his loyalty and love for his friends and how his loose tongue constantly lands him in trouble and he just never seems to learn...
I did however not enjoy all the swearing that is commonplace in the story, if I had been reading this book in written format it would have been possible to 'ignore' the bad language but in audible format it is everywhere. I do however realise that the setting of the book and the type of characters involved could justify the language.
I did however not enjoy all the swearing that is commonplace in the story, if I had been reading this book in written format it would have been possible to 'ignore' the bad language but in audible format it is everywhere. I do however realise that the setting of the book and the type of characters involved could justify the language.
September 19, 2019
I was very excited when I received this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. I enjoy fantasy novels and hoped that this novella will introduce me to the rest of the books set in the same setting.
Some of the positives:
- The author does a great job with descriptions. The city of Amaford comes to life with its bustling market, poor Bridge districts and its slums as well as wonderful descriptions of its people.
- Many of the supporting characters are great, such as Ma, the stern but loving tavern owner and Grubbs, the fruit seller.
- The narrator's voice for the main character and many of the other supporting characters is great.
The negatives:
- The author needs to master dialogue. Many conversations, especially those that include confrontations degenerate into bad cliches. This is by far the weakest point of the novella.
- Character development is uneven. Jim, the main character starts off as slightly sarcastic urchin (a word an urchin shouldn't be able to use in conversation) and descends into a useless clumsy weakling, who takes on the blame for things that are out of his control. One of the other important characters is so abusive towards him, I was stunned that he was portrayed as Jim's best friend.
- The performance of the female voices and some of the male voices wasn't great. At times, I felt that the narrator's pacing was a lot faster than the pace of the book to the book's detriment.
- The story didn't end on the cliffhanger, which I believe was the intent. Instead it kind of dragged along for the last few chapters and instead of wanting to find out more, i was relieved when it ended.
All in all, I would say the story requires some rework, but the author's main strength lies more with world building rather than character creation.
Some of the positives:
- The author does a great job with descriptions. The city of Amaford comes to life with its bustling market, poor Bridge districts and its slums as well as wonderful descriptions of its people.
- Many of the supporting characters are great, such as Ma, the stern but loving tavern owner and Grubbs, the fruit seller.
- The narrator's voice for the main character and many of the other supporting characters is great.
The negatives:
- The author needs to master dialogue. Many conversations, especially those that include confrontations degenerate into bad cliches. This is by far the weakest point of the novella.
- Character development is uneven. Jim, the main character starts off as slightly sarcastic urchin (a word an urchin shouldn't be able to use in conversation) and descends into a useless clumsy weakling, who takes on the blame for things that are out of his control. One of the other important characters is so abusive towards him, I was stunned that he was portrayed as Jim's best friend.
- The performance of the female voices and some of the male voices wasn't great. At times, I felt that the narrator's pacing was a lot faster than the pace of the book to the book's detriment.
- The story didn't end on the cliffhanger, which I believe was the intent. Instead it kind of dragged along for the last few chapters and instead of wanting to find out more, i was relieved when it ended.
All in all, I would say the story requires some rework, but the author's main strength lies more with world building rather than character creation.
June 20, 2020
The world of Amaford is an interesting place that I’d like to visit again.
I found the characters’ actions tO be very realistic. The main character, Jim, is a smart mouthed thieve and his best friend is a bumbling fool. Jim is very cunning and uses this to steal and get away from enemies. In the second half of the novella, they seemed to swap roles! Jim can’t even help in the kitchen without setting himself on fire and his best friend seems to be making more sensible decisions. I enjoyed the action scenes and the interaction between the secondary characters, especially Ma. Sean Duregger's narration was very engaging and I would definitely listen to more audiobooks narrated by him.
I found the characters’ actions tO be very realistic. The main character, Jim, is a smart mouthed thieve and his best friend is a bumbling fool. Jim is very cunning and uses this to steal and get away from enemies. In the second half of the novella, they seemed to swap roles! Jim can’t even help in the kitchen without setting himself on fire and his best friend seems to be making more sensible decisions. I enjoyed the action scenes and the interaction between the secondary characters, especially Ma. Sean Duregger's narration was very engaging and I would definitely listen to more audiobooks narrated by him.
July 30, 2019
aAudible Version:
How Not to Be a Rogue by Zack Brooks seems to be marketed as a fantasy novella. While having elements of the fantasy genre, such as being an example of historical fiction (or at least historically influenced) and containing moments of secrecy or mystery (Jasmine and her gang, what happened to Jimmy’s mother), it does not contain the fantasy elements (magic—although there is the mention of mages--magical creatures, diverse races) many may expect when seeing the categorization of fantasy; however, this in no way takes away from this work’s adventurous, humorous, and surprisingly moving core. I consider this a work of medieval satire, specifically focusing on the vulnerability of the lower class/poor to violence, harsh living conditions, and the overall vulnerability of their bodies. Brooks explores this in great detail, using his witty, chatty protagonist and narrator, Jimmy, to comment on both the difficulty of surving and the pleasures of living. Calling this novella fa feast for the senses might at first seem inapt, considering how unappetizing much of Jimmy’s and other characters’ life experiences may seem. No reader can ignore or deny Brooks’ attention to detail and desire for them to enter the world he has built for them. Like Jimmy and Grumps, it’s impossible for you to escape the odor and stench that seems to be an accepted and normal part of life within the bridge or slum district in which they live. You can’t help but empathize with their hunger, being told on multiple occasions how characters have been forced to go hungry or eat whatever was available to them only to assuage their need. In addition to hunger, we are made spectators to the pain these characters endure, whether it be from physical altercations and rough play or emotional occurances like falling in love and the loss of a best friend or brother. One aspect of this novella I found particularly compelling was Brooks’ construction and championing of what I would define as nonnormative family strucutres. In this novella, we’re not welcomed into the homes of nuclear families. Here, we have familial dynamics found in communities, such as street gangs, friendships, and surrogate families (like that of Ma, her family, and Jimmy).in a text filled with peppery language and profanity (a choice in diction in which I have no qualms), I would urge readers to not overlook Brooks’ commentary and construction of relationships and communities. As for imagery, I found the novella’s setting to be extremely fleshed out, depicting the different districts (art, slum, tin, etc.) and their socioeconomic and culturally influenced spaces beautifully albeit in what seems to be an ugly world.
Lastly, in regards to the sense of sound (obviously crucial when discussing an audiobook), I’ll comment on the text’s narrator. My first impression of the narrator’s voice—at least his voice for Jimmy—was that he sounded like a young Matthew Broderick. But Jimmy’s voice is not the sole voice or persona our narrator creates. He creates very distinct voices for this novella’s colorful and expressive cast. While there were times certain characters were bestowed with acents I found a bit confusing, overall I thought Sean Duregger did a wonderful job transforming this text from a reading to a performance.
Like I said earlier, I found this novella to be a feast for the senses that left me hungry for more, much like many of the novella’s characters. I was pleasantly surprised by its open-ended conclusion and hope there will soon be a sequel that will answer some of my pressing questions and inform me of Jimmy’s fate. Like Jimmy, Brooks is a fantastic storyteller, who I expect will have a much more attentive and enraptured audience than his protagonist.
How Not to Be a Rogue by Zack Brooks seems to be marketed as a fantasy novella. While having elements of the fantasy genre, such as being an example of historical fiction (or at least historically influenced) and containing moments of secrecy or mystery (Jasmine and her gang, what happened to Jimmy’s mother), it does not contain the fantasy elements (magic—although there is the mention of mages--magical creatures, diverse races) many may expect when seeing the categorization of fantasy; however, this in no way takes away from this work’s adventurous, humorous, and surprisingly moving core. I consider this a work of medieval satire, specifically focusing on the vulnerability of the lower class/poor to violence, harsh living conditions, and the overall vulnerability of their bodies. Brooks explores this in great detail, using his witty, chatty protagonist and narrator, Jimmy, to comment on both the difficulty of surving and the pleasures of living. Calling this novella fa feast for the senses might at first seem inapt, considering how unappetizing much of Jimmy’s and other characters’ life experiences may seem. No reader can ignore or deny Brooks’ attention to detail and desire for them to enter the world he has built for them. Like Jimmy and Grumps, it’s impossible for you to escape the odor and stench that seems to be an accepted and normal part of life within the bridge or slum district in which they live. You can’t help but empathize with their hunger, being told on multiple occasions how characters have been forced to go hungry or eat whatever was available to them only to assuage their need. In addition to hunger, we are made spectators to the pain these characters endure, whether it be from physical altercations and rough play or emotional occurances like falling in love and the loss of a best friend or brother. One aspect of this novella I found particularly compelling was Brooks’ construction and championing of what I would define as nonnormative family strucutres. In this novella, we’re not welcomed into the homes of nuclear families. Here, we have familial dynamics found in communities, such as street gangs, friendships, and surrogate families (like that of Ma, her family, and Jimmy).in a text filled with peppery language and profanity (a choice in diction in which I have no qualms), I would urge readers to not overlook Brooks’ commentary and construction of relationships and communities. As for imagery, I found the novella’s setting to be extremely fleshed out, depicting the different districts (art, slum, tin, etc.) and their socioeconomic and culturally influenced spaces beautifully albeit in what seems to be an ugly world.
Lastly, in regards to the sense of sound (obviously crucial when discussing an audiobook), I’ll comment on the text’s narrator. My first impression of the narrator’s voice—at least his voice for Jimmy—was that he sounded like a young Matthew Broderick. But Jimmy’s voice is not the sole voice or persona our narrator creates. He creates very distinct voices for this novella’s colorful and expressive cast. While there were times certain characters were bestowed with acents I found a bit confusing, overall I thought Sean Duregger did a wonderful job transforming this text from a reading to a performance.
Like I said earlier, I found this novella to be a feast for the senses that left me hungry for more, much like many of the novella’s characters. I was pleasantly surprised by its open-ended conclusion and hope there will soon be a sequel that will answer some of my pressing questions and inform me of Jimmy’s fate. Like Jimmy, Brooks is a fantastic storyteller, who I expect will have a much more attentive and enraptured audience than his protagonist.
May 30, 2019
How Not To Be A Rogue, by Zack Brooks, may have one of the strongest first person voices I’ve read in a long time. I’m starting with that emphasis because this book lived and died on its first person perspective. And I mean both words literally!
Brooks thrusts readers immediately into the life of a pauper living in the city of Amaford. From what I can tell, Brooks is slowly building a much larger fantasy world; the book comes with a beautiful map of the city at the beginning. I love maps. I’m a sucker for them.
And as a supposed “thief,” our main character Jimmy rushes around the city, doing rogue-like things. As the story progresses, Jimmy gets in over his head, bad things happen, and in the end, his situation progresses into a circumstance I can presume sets up future tales.
While the plot itself isn’t necessarily original by any means, the characters of How Not To Be A Rogue shine brighter than almost any indie book I’ve read so far. It is hard to write memorable characters, especially from a first person POV, but Brooks pulls off the impossible. I may have just finished the book, but I can recall the names of most of the cast: Jimmy, Grumps, Ma, Big Brother, Graham, Theren (shout out to having a villain with the same name as the character in my novel, by the way!). Yulie. Livia. Even the characters that weren’t on the page for long at all stand out in my mind (Jazmin).
Combine all of this with a dark, sarcastic, self-deprecating first person point of view . . . well let’s just say I read this story in practically one sitting.
On to the scores!
Writing: 9/10. Strong first person POV is hard to pull off. Brooks did it.
Characters: 10/10. Seriously. Read this book, even if its just for Jimmy’s banter with himself!
Plot: 6/10. Perhaps the weakest point of the story. It’s not bad, but it didn’t surprise me, either. It’s the characters that drive this tale, anyway!
Setting: 6/10. I can tell Brooks has a fantastical world behind the curtain, but we only saw a glimpse of it with this story. I didn’t get a sense of what made this world “fantasy” other than a few stray references to typical fantasy things. The city itself, though, feels alive with its Districts, and I love the map!
Overall: 7.75/10. A solid four star score! If you’re looking for mad, comedic, quick read, How Not To Be A Rogue will exceed all expectations. Its rich, multi-dimensional characters push the story from page to page; it barely feels like you’re even reading.
Brooks thrusts readers immediately into the life of a pauper living in the city of Amaford. From what I can tell, Brooks is slowly building a much larger fantasy world; the book comes with a beautiful map of the city at the beginning. I love maps. I’m a sucker for them.
And as a supposed “thief,” our main character Jimmy rushes around the city, doing rogue-like things. As the story progresses, Jimmy gets in over his head, bad things happen, and in the end, his situation progresses into a circumstance I can presume sets up future tales.
While the plot itself isn’t necessarily original by any means, the characters of How Not To Be A Rogue shine brighter than almost any indie book I’ve read so far. It is hard to write memorable characters, especially from a first person POV, but Brooks pulls off the impossible. I may have just finished the book, but I can recall the names of most of the cast: Jimmy, Grumps, Ma, Big Brother, Graham, Theren (shout out to having a villain with the same name as the character in my novel, by the way!). Yulie. Livia. Even the characters that weren’t on the page for long at all stand out in my mind (Jazmin).
Combine all of this with a dark, sarcastic, self-deprecating first person point of view . . . well let’s just say I read this story in practically one sitting.
On to the scores!
Writing: 9/10. Strong first person POV is hard to pull off. Brooks did it.
Characters: 10/10. Seriously. Read this book, even if its just for Jimmy’s banter with himself!
Plot: 6/10. Perhaps the weakest point of the story. It’s not bad, but it didn’t surprise me, either. It’s the characters that drive this tale, anyway!
Setting: 6/10. I can tell Brooks has a fantastical world behind the curtain, but we only saw a glimpse of it with this story. I didn’t get a sense of what made this world “fantasy” other than a few stray references to typical fantasy things. The city itself, though, feels alive with its Districts, and I love the map!
Overall: 7.75/10. A solid four star score! If you’re looking for mad, comedic, quick read, How Not To Be A Rogue will exceed all expectations. Its rich, multi-dimensional characters push the story from page to page; it barely feels like you’re even reading.
September 27, 2019
Audiobook review
This book had me entertained from start to finish! It’s a quick listen and full of action - whether it be from stealing, fighting, killing, or escaping. Even the time spent in the kitchen was funny.
In this book we have Jimmy who is our foul-mouthed, obnoxious, too quick witted for his own good MC. He lives in the slums with a group of other orphaned street urchins (think Aladdin but in a low-key homeless run home). Along with his best friend Grump, Jimmy steals and sometimes works to bring home food and money to be split amongst the gang. Oh! Did I mention that this group’s sole purpose is to take care of orphans? It is, which is endearing. Of course, thieving isn’t honest, so they’re constantly on the move. One such heist leads Jimmy into the world of actual gangs which blows Jimmy’s mind but doesn’t stop him from finding out more. Another turns into a run in with a low-level wanna-be gang with the silliest of names which of course Jim can’t hold his tongue about. Violence ensues, which begets violence and a string of misfortunes leads to some backstabbing and terrible endings. We are left on a cliffhanger, setting up for the next book. I can’t wait!
Even though this is a story about a rogue, there wasn’t really any magic in it. I thought being a “fantasy” title would include magic - and it did have mention of dwarves and magic stones, but not much else. I’m hoping this is more of a set up for the rest of the series.
The narrator was fantastic! He did so many different dialect voices. While it caught me off guard at first to hear the major differences it ended up making Amaford a huge melting pot. 10/10 will listen to Sean Duregger again.
I can’t wait to read more from this series.
I was given this audiobook from the author, narrator or publisher in exchange for an honest & unbiased review.
This book had me entertained from start to finish! It’s a quick listen and full of action - whether it be from stealing, fighting, killing, or escaping. Even the time spent in the kitchen was funny.
In this book we have Jimmy who is our foul-mouthed, obnoxious, too quick witted for his own good MC. He lives in the slums with a group of other orphaned street urchins (think Aladdin but in a low-key homeless run home). Along with his best friend Grump, Jimmy steals and sometimes works to bring home food and money to be split amongst the gang. Oh! Did I mention that this group’s sole purpose is to take care of orphans? It is, which is endearing. Of course, thieving isn’t honest, so they’re constantly on the move. One such heist leads Jimmy into the world of actual gangs which blows Jimmy’s mind but doesn’t stop him from finding out more. Another turns into a run in with a low-level wanna-be gang with the silliest of names which of course Jim can’t hold his tongue about. Violence ensues, which begets violence and a string of misfortunes leads to some backstabbing and terrible endings. We are left on a cliffhanger, setting up for the next book. I can’t wait!
Even though this is a story about a rogue, there wasn’t really any magic in it. I thought being a “fantasy” title would include magic - and it did have mention of dwarves and magic stones, but not much else. I’m hoping this is more of a set up for the rest of the series.
The narrator was fantastic! He did so many different dialect voices. While it caught me off guard at first to hear the major differences it ended up making Amaford a huge melting pot. 10/10 will listen to Sean Duregger again.
I can’t wait to read more from this series.
I was given this audiobook from the author, narrator or publisher in exchange for an honest & unbiased review.
May 10, 2019
Hilarious!
The main character and his mouth is enough to give this book 5 stars, but Then you get the story, and the eventual heartbreak that is woven in this tale and it was incredible. Very well written and absolutely hilarious. Can't wait for the next one!
The main character and his mouth is enough to give this book 5 stars, but Then you get the story, and the eventual heartbreak that is woven in this tale and it was incredible. Very well written and absolutely hilarious. Can't wait for the next one!
March 28, 2020
As someone who tends to gravitate towards huge, epic tales that last 20+ hours, I was dubious about a short, compact story such as this but the cover really drew me in. What we have here though is a tightly written story which doesn't waste a word with pointless wandering and everything, from the way things look to the conversations characters have, add colour and life to the world the author has created. Within 10 minutes the fantastic narration of Sean Duregger had me wrapped up in this grimy world and colourful characters who's dirty clothes are only slightly overshadowed by their mouths but quickly I saw past the rough exteriors and found a group of very likeable and caring characters. The story also is straightforward and doesn't miss a beat in drawing you in, making you care about the main characters and then, when you think everything is ok, kick you right in the feels. It is also rare that a book can bring a physical reaction out of me hut the final few lines of the book did make me laugh audibly on a bus full of people.. All in all, for one of my first forays into a shorter 'novella' this was a real success and I am looking forward to experiencing more works of both Zack Brooks and Sean Duregger.
August 27, 2019
follow along the adventures of a street urchin with low self-esteem, a run of bad luck, and a best friend who blames him for just about everything.
this is a fun fantasy romp with an interesting main character, an okay supporting cast, and a good number of inconsistencies (which might be intentional).
the epilogue gives us the framing for how the story is told and allows Mister Brooks some flexibility in recounting the events, but too many still felt like something missed, rather than a storytelling choice.
this is clearly set up for a novel, both because of how it end and some of the things hinted at there, and I'm curious as to where that story will go.
this is a fun fantasy romp with an interesting main character, an okay supporting cast, and a good number of inconsistencies (which might be intentional).
the epilogue gives us the framing for how the story is told and allows Mister Brooks some flexibility in recounting the events, but too many still felt like something missed, rather than a storytelling choice.
this is clearly set up for a novel, both because of how it end and some of the things hinted at there, and I'm curious as to where that story will go.
May 3, 2019
How Not to Be a Rogue is a very quick and charming first entry in what is sure to be a great fantasy series. It introduces a great, if relatively incompetent character in Jimmy as well as an interesting world that has many wrinkles I'm eager to see expanded upon in future installments.
While some of the humor is a little repetitive, the heart of the book really comes through around the 50% mark and stays through to the end, which I really enjoyed. If you liked the childhood flashbacks of The Lies of Locke Lamora, you'll surely find a similar charm here.
While some of the humor is a little repetitive, the heart of the book really comes through around the 50% mark and stays through to the end, which I really enjoyed. If you liked the childhood flashbacks of The Lies of Locke Lamora, you'll surely find a similar charm here.
March 9, 2019
How Not to Be a Rogue: Trials of Amaford is a fantasy novella centered on Jimmy who, as a street urchin, deals with any number of indignities and loses every day. That he’s sarcastic, a magnet for trouble and can’t keep his mouth shut to save his life, all add to his problems and set up some amusing and intense situations. This novella is the beginning of a series but it stands alone.
The story was fast paced and caused me to laugh and during one part actually tear up. The author does a good job making Jimmy both amusing and sympathetic. The ending was satisfying and set up an interesting situation for a future book. I think Jimmy will probably have many more adventures in the future. If you enjoy fantasy books and dry humor I recommend How Not to Be a Rogue.
The story was fast paced and caused me to laugh and during one part actually tear up. The author does a good job making Jimmy both amusing and sympathetic. The ending was satisfying and set up an interesting situation for a future book. I think Jimmy will probably have many more adventures in the future. If you enjoy fantasy books and dry humor I recommend How Not to Be a Rogue.
July 7, 2019
•audiobook•
Entertaining although gratuitous language is peppered throughout. Definitely not for younger listeners within earshot.
The writing was colorful - not just for the language, but the perspective. I think it would lose the comedic appeal if it was written in third person; but parts of it - if Jimmy can’t see it - how would he know? (Like when he was hiding under the bed).
The characters were given unique voices by the narrator. It’s apparent he became familiar with the book to create and set the appropriate tone.
It’s a cruel world and Brooks dragged us through the shyt with Jimmy. It’d be interesting to see the rest of the world.
This is my voluntary review of an audiobook received for free.
Entertaining although gratuitous language is peppered throughout. Definitely not for younger listeners within earshot.
The writing was colorful - not just for the language, but the perspective. I think it would lose the comedic appeal if it was written in third person; but parts of it - if Jimmy can’t see it - how would he know? (Like when he was hiding under the bed).
The characters were given unique voices by the narrator. It’s apparent he became familiar with the book to create and set the appropriate tone.
It’s a cruel world and Brooks dragged us through the shyt with Jimmy. It’d be interesting to see the rest of the world.
This is my voluntary review of an audiobook received for free.
May 1, 2019
Pithy Dialogue and Fantastic Characters
It may be a short read, but Zack Brooks definitely leaves an impression. Vivid characters come alive on the page through realistic dialogue and deep characterizations.
This is especially impressive considering the length of the read. Even in its short duration, Zack Brooks makes you feel for his characters, managing to throw in a handful of surprises that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
If you enjoy character driven narratives, then you will love How Not To Be A Rogue.
It may be a short read, but Zack Brooks definitely leaves an impression. Vivid characters come alive on the page through realistic dialogue and deep characterizations.
This is especially impressive considering the length of the read. Even in its short duration, Zack Brooks makes you feel for his characters, managing to throw in a handful of surprises that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
If you enjoy character driven narratives, then you will love How Not To Be A Rogue.
June 26, 2019
Delightful quick read! Jimmy has a buttload of sarcasm and I love that. Plot wasn't stellar by any means, but the distinctive characters more than made up for that. I think I'll be heading on over to read How Not To Be A Scribe: Trials of Amaford Novella while I'm waiting on the second in this series.
November 9, 2019
I received a review copy of this audiobook.
The story has a little magic, but not much. The protagonist is witty, but not as much as he thinks. There are a number of small plotholes. The various plotlines are slightly disjointed.
For all that, the story was entertaining, and it's less than four hours to listen to.
The story has a little magic, but not much. The protagonist is witty, but not as much as he thinks. There are a number of small plotholes. The various plotlines are slightly disjointed.
For all that, the story was entertaining, and it's less than four hours to listen to.
December 24, 2023
Sucked. There was no plot. I read on some reviews that it is YA and I don't like YA so, but still...no plot! That said, the narrator Sean Duregger was absolutely excellent and the only reason I continued to listen to this.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews