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Baron Steele
Paul Steele, known to the world as Baron Steele, isn’t your average masked crimefighter. As a matter of fact, he doesn’t even wear a mask. And he doesn’t even fight crime anymore. That’s for the guys with too much brawn and not enough brain.
No, Steele works in consulting. After having his license revoked by the Guild of Masked Crimefighters, he decided he would scout talent instead. Match up heroes with their villainous counterparts, help the young bucks and buckettes discover their talents and abilities. That sort of thing.
It’s all going fine and well until Steele gets a bad cup of coffee. No. Seriously. Day after day, the same little twerp gets his order wrong. From there, it’s a downhill spiral into chaos, and Steele finds himself fighting for his freedom in a court of law. Did he really kill a barista over a cup of joe?
Don't miss this hilarious spin on the superhero genre from the number one Audible best-selling duo of Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle.
No, Steele works in consulting. After having his license revoked by the Guild of Masked Crimefighters, he decided he would scout talent instead. Match up heroes with their villainous counterparts, help the young bucks and buckettes discover their talents and abilities. That sort of thing.
It’s all going fine and well until Steele gets a bad cup of coffee. No. Seriously. Day after day, the same little twerp gets his order wrong. From there, it’s a downhill spiral into chaos, and Steele finds himself fighting for his freedom in a court of law. Did he really kill a barista over a cup of joe?
Don't miss this hilarious spin on the superhero genre from the number one Audible best-selling duo of Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle.
Audible Audio
Published October 22, 2020
1 person is currently reading
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About the author
Rhett C. Bruno
71 books652 followersRhett is happy to hear from his fans and can be reached at rcbruno44@outlook.com. Please subscribe to his newsletter for exclusive access to updates about his work and the opportunity to receive limited content and ARCs.
http://rhettbruno.com/newsletter/. Or join his facebook reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Rhett...
Rhett Bruno grew up in Hauppauge, New York, and studied at the Syracuse University School of Architecture where he graduated cum laude.
He has been writing since he can remember, scribbling down what he thought were epic short stories when he was young to show to his parents. When he reached high school he decided to take that a step further and write the “Isinda Trilogy”. After the encouragement of his favorite English teacher he decided to self-publish the “Isinda Trilogy” so that the people closest to him could enjoy his early work.
While studying architecture Rhett continued to write as much as he could, but finding the time during the brutal curriculum proved difficult. It wasn’t until he was a senior that he decided to finally pursue his passion for Science Fiction. After rededicating himself to reading works of the Science Fiction author’s he always loved, (Frank Herbert, Timothy Zahn, Heinlein, etc.) he began writing “The Circuit: Executor Rising”, The first part of what he hopes will be a successful Adult Science Fiction Series.
Since then Rhett has been hired by an Architecture firm in Mount Kisco, NY. But that hasn’t stopped him from continuing to work on “The Circuit” and all of the other stories bouncing around in his head. He is also currently studying at the New School to earn a Certificate in Screenwriting in the hopes of one day writing for TV or Video Games.
http://rhettbruno.com/newsletter/. Or join his facebook reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Rhett...
Rhett Bruno grew up in Hauppauge, New York, and studied at the Syracuse University School of Architecture where he graduated cum laude.
He has been writing since he can remember, scribbling down what he thought were epic short stories when he was young to show to his parents. When he reached high school he decided to take that a step further and write the “Isinda Trilogy”. After the encouragement of his favorite English teacher he decided to self-publish the “Isinda Trilogy” so that the people closest to him could enjoy his early work.
While studying architecture Rhett continued to write as much as he could, but finding the time during the brutal curriculum proved difficult. It wasn’t until he was a senior that he decided to finally pursue his passion for Science Fiction. After rededicating himself to reading works of the Science Fiction author’s he always loved, (Frank Herbert, Timothy Zahn, Heinlein, etc.) he began writing “The Circuit: Executor Rising”, The first part of what he hopes will be a successful Adult Science Fiction Series.
Since then Rhett has been hired by an Architecture firm in Mount Kisco, NY. But that hasn’t stopped him from continuing to work on “The Circuit” and all of the other stories bouncing around in his head. He is also currently studying at the New School to earn a Certificate in Screenwriting in the hopes of one day writing for TV or Video Games.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
March 11, 2023
Hilarious, not-so PC story of a superhero (retired). 3.5⭐
🎧47mins R.C. Bray
🎧47mins R.C. Bray
October 25, 2020
Baron Steele
By: Rhett C. Bruno, Jaime Castle
Narrated by: R.C. Bray
This appears to be a prequel to more books, at least I am hoping this is true! It's about superheroes, Super villains, rules, and how an aging superhero, Baron Steele, fits in today's world. Love the character and the idea. Terrific narration!
By: Rhett C. Bruno, Jaime Castle
Narrated by: R.C. Bray
This appears to be a prequel to more books, at least I am hoping this is true! It's about superheroes, Super villains, rules, and how an aging superhero, Baron Steele, fits in today's world. Love the character and the idea. Terrific narration!
February 18, 2021
A great beginning for this short, humorous character. I hope much more detail and clever writing lies ahead
June 7, 2023
June 2023
Audiobook edition
47m (1.3x speed)
Another one picked for short journeys on audible plus. Baron is an awful character from the get go. He's an ex hero given his license was revoked and still has the ego. The story starts with him wanting a barista fired for messing up his mocha thingy. He doesn't have a heroic bone in his body. Its laughable how awful he is. I suppose much better than the guy from Boyz, but definitely overacted hero vibe.
I didn't buy that he was nice when he had his correct coffee. The court case felt like a farce and I ca't believe Ray of Light and Mary lied for him. I did like Icecap's appearance but would've been nice to see him appreciate his new rival a bit more. The funny thing is I wouldn't mind more of this one.
Audiobook edition
47m (1.3x speed)
Another one picked for short journeys on audible plus. Baron is an awful character from the get go. He's an ex hero given his license was revoked and still has the ego. The story starts with him wanting a barista fired for messing up his mocha thingy. He doesn't have a heroic bone in his body. Its laughable how awful he is. I suppose much better than the guy from Boyz, but definitely overacted hero vibe.
I didn't buy that he was nice when he had his correct coffee. The court case felt like a farce and I ca't believe Ray of Light and Mary lied for him. I did like Icecap's appearance but would've been nice to see him appreciate his new rival a bit more. The funny thing is I wouldn't mind more of this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2020
3.5 stars. This was quite amusing, and extremely well narrated by R.C. Bray. 47 minutes well spent.
September 5, 2025
Nothing spectacular but it IS a short story so there is a lot more room for development. I would love to see a full length novel continue this story line. I did like the main character. And of course, R.C. Bray is a fantastic narrator. Maybe 3 and 1/2 stars would be more appropriate….if only!
December 8, 2021
This book had me wondering what the rest of the series had to offer.
An unlicensed superhero, Baron Steele, is having trouble. The barista can never get his order right, so Baron Steele demands that the fellow be fired. The manager refuses and has the unlicensed superhero thrown out. Baron goes to his office and interviews various new superheroes, arranging for their licensing, training and eventual battle with their enemies. What Baron cannot do is to use his superpowers for anything but self-defense. And then he uses his superpowers.
Any problems with this story? I was not familiar with the roughness of the character so to me it seemed surprising that he would overreact to his order for coffee being mishandled. And while the background regarding his unlicensed status was explained I still felt that something was missing in my understanding of the character and his world. However, it was a short story. I shouldn't expect too much. I suspect most of the background had been built up in previous books in the series and I was just jumping in in the middle.
The ending was sudden and weird. I'm not sure I liked it, but I did find the overall world interesting. I might read another book in the series just to see if it gets better.
An unlicensed superhero, Baron Steele, is having trouble. The barista can never get his order right, so Baron Steele demands that the fellow be fired. The manager refuses and has the unlicensed superhero thrown out. Baron goes to his office and interviews various new superheroes, arranging for their licensing, training and eventual battle with their enemies. What Baron cannot do is to use his superpowers for anything but self-defense. And then he uses his superpowers.
Any problems with this story? I was not familiar with the roughness of the character so to me it seemed surprising that he would overreact to his order for coffee being mishandled. And while the background regarding his unlicensed status was explained I still felt that something was missing in my understanding of the character and his world. However, it was a short story. I shouldn't expect too much. I suspect most of the background had been built up in previous books in the series and I was just jumping in in the middle.
The ending was sudden and weird. I'm not sure I liked it, but I did find the overall world interesting. I might read another book in the series just to see if it gets better.
January 5, 2021
2.5 stars - Meh. It was alright but nothing great. I didn't care for the MC, he was unlikable and annoying. Might have been a little better had he had some redeeming qualities. Too much story told in too short of a time I think.
October 24, 2020
This is a short story about a former Superhero Baron Steele, who likes to wear his underwear on the inside (he doesn’t like to be confused with the big guy, you know??), and he is having a bad day, because for yet again, the young guy who works at the boutique coffee store has messed up his order, and all that Steele wants his is White Mocha Macchiato, is that so hard??
So when he can get no joy from this person serving him, he causes a scene, and eventually is removed from the store, with the greatest sin of all – NO COFFEE!!
And in what is one of the funniest Super Hero stories you will listen to in a mere 47mins (and this includes credits – seriously, the amount that is packed into this mini-story, is simply incredible!! The world building is just sensational), Steele, Um, Sorry, The Baron, regales us with how his day has been ruined by not only having to drink something as disgusting as watered down slop from a (insert sneer, whilst simultaneously dry retching), “Coffee Machine”, but the events that follow from his minor faux pas at the Coffee Shop.
This is a fast paced ride, in which the whiplash humour will leave you on the floor in absolute hysterics.
There are a LOT of super hero stories out there, but there is nothing that comes close to the sheer brilliance of Baron Steele, the quality of the storylines, the in-depth, comprehensive and intricately detailed world that has been developed for this story, that is at best, a very short novella. It shows just how exceptional the Authors are that they have managed to create such a multi-faceted world in such a short story, and at the same time, given us some truly outstanding characters, as well as one of the best super hero stories I have ever read/listened to.
Baron Steele’s character is just brilliant, the gritty, brutally realistic dialogue that comes from him is without a doubt, not only politically incorrect, but just so beautifully crafted as to make you cry in delight.
There are multiple other characters in this story (I am not going to give away spoilers), but needless to say, each of them adds a unique influence to this wonderful story.
Bruno and Castle have shown that they are True Masters at crafting any genre of story, now having created this striking masterpiece of Super Hero Gold – Doesn’t matter what you like to listen to, Just Listen – you will be grateful you did, because in this year of chaos – this is a story that will make anyone laugh….
So when he can get no joy from this person serving him, he causes a scene, and eventually is removed from the store, with the greatest sin of all – NO COFFEE!!
And in what is one of the funniest Super Hero stories you will listen to in a mere 47mins (and this includes credits – seriously, the amount that is packed into this mini-story, is simply incredible!! The world building is just sensational), Steele, Um, Sorry, The Baron, regales us with how his day has been ruined by not only having to drink something as disgusting as watered down slop from a (insert sneer, whilst simultaneously dry retching), “Coffee Machine”, but the events that follow from his minor faux pas at the Coffee Shop.
This is a fast paced ride, in which the whiplash humour will leave you on the floor in absolute hysterics.
There are a LOT of super hero stories out there, but there is nothing that comes close to the sheer brilliance of Baron Steele, the quality of the storylines, the in-depth, comprehensive and intricately detailed world that has been developed for this story, that is at best, a very short novella. It shows just how exceptional the Authors are that they have managed to create such a multi-faceted world in such a short story, and at the same time, given us some truly outstanding characters, as well as one of the best super hero stories I have ever read/listened to.
Baron Steele’s character is just brilliant, the gritty, brutally realistic dialogue that comes from him is without a doubt, not only politically incorrect, but just so beautifully crafted as to make you cry in delight.
There are multiple other characters in this story (I am not going to give away spoilers), but needless to say, each of them adds a unique influence to this wonderful story.
Bruno and Castle have shown that they are True Masters at crafting any genre of story, now having created this striking masterpiece of Super Hero Gold – Doesn’t matter what you like to listen to, Just Listen – you will be grateful you did, because in this year of chaos – this is a story that will make anyone laugh….
December 12, 2020
I’ve never rated such a short book before, and obviously it’s a different game.
I love that deep world-building and a back story happened in a short amount of time, that the authors wrote with a strong, consistent voice for Baron, and that they didn’t bore us or slow the story with needless details or descriptions. For example the court scene focused only on what was necessary, not elaborating on the gavel or what everyone on the jury wore etc.
Although, the ending lacked the closure I wanted so I hope there are more Baron stories to come that I can listen to while I fold laundry and when I can’t commit to a whole 12 hour book.
Ray of Light was my favorite character. The authors obviously know something of Russian since they made appropriate linguistic mistakes for him, such as dropping articles (since they don’t have articles in Russian).
I love that deep world-building and a back story happened in a short amount of time, that the authors wrote with a strong, consistent voice for Baron, and that they didn’t bore us or slow the story with needless details or descriptions. For example the court scene focused only on what was necessary, not elaborating on the gavel or what everyone on the jury wore etc.
Although, the ending lacked the closure I wanted so I hope there are more Baron stories to come that I can listen to while I fold laundry and when I can’t commit to a whole 12 hour book.
Ray of Light was my favorite character. The authors obviously know something of Russian since they made appropriate linguistic mistakes for him, such as dropping articles (since they don’t have articles in Russian).
November 25, 2020
Loved this! All the great quips and sarcasm made it a very fun listen! Looking forward to more.
December 9, 2020
Excellent short story. It hinted at a much bigger world that I want to read more about.
April 3, 2021
A fun read. Hope there is more of it in the future.
October 24, 2020
This was a fun short story about a former super hero who runs a company that pairs super heroes and villains together. His quest for a decent cup of coffee leads to unforeseen consequences. Fun and entertaining. A great short story, perfectly narrated.
October 25, 2020
I grabbed this as it was free and narrated by RC Bray. It's a pointless story with an asshole for a main character. And, RC Bray is trying to do an accent (Australian?) that is totally distracting. At least it's short.
December 1, 2020
Review crossposted from Reanne Reads.
This was an Audible Original short story about a former superhero. It’s a quick 45-minute listen. Overall, I liked it, but not without some reservations.
The main character, Steele, is pretty unlikable but not insufferable. He’s a jerk in a casual, arrogant kind of way, but it’s mild enough and his overall character is entertaining enough that it doesn’t make him annoying to listen to. There are other characters in the story, but none of them are really in it for long enough to have any kind of development.
The plot kind of meanders around a lot, which I didn’t care for. For the first two-thirds of the story, it’s basically just Steele going about his life, having various encounters with other people, and nothing really seems to be leading anywhere. Then the plot suddenly turns into a kangaroo court, where he’s put on trial for doing something that any sane person would call reasonable self-defense, and I really did not care for that at all. The way things turned out by the end was satisfying, though I thought that in order to get to that ending, the writers had Steele inexplicably not do one very obvious thing (namely, point out that he’d acted in self-defense), which was a bit the tail wagging the dog.
So, I wasn’t crazy about the plot. But the character and the world was fairly interesting. It’s the kind of short story that makes me wish there were a longer book in this world, with these characters.
The narration was excellent. It was read by R.C. Bray, and he did just a terrific job with all the different character voices and accents. I’ll definitely have to look out for more books narrated by him.
This was an Audible Original short story about a former superhero. It’s a quick 45-minute listen. Overall, I liked it, but not without some reservations.
The main character, Steele, is pretty unlikable but not insufferable. He’s a jerk in a casual, arrogant kind of way, but it’s mild enough and his overall character is entertaining enough that it doesn’t make him annoying to listen to. There are other characters in the story, but none of them are really in it for long enough to have any kind of development.
The plot kind of meanders around a lot, which I didn’t care for. For the first two-thirds of the story, it’s basically just Steele going about his life, having various encounters with other people, and nothing really seems to be leading anywhere. Then the plot suddenly turns into a kangaroo court, where he’s put on trial for doing something that any sane person would call reasonable self-defense, and I really did not care for that at all. The way things turned out by the end was satisfying, though I thought that in order to get to that ending, the writers had Steele inexplicably not do one very obvious thing (namely, point out that he’d acted in self-defense), which was a bit the tail wagging the dog.
So, I wasn’t crazy about the plot. But the character and the world was fairly interesting. It’s the kind of short story that makes me wish there were a longer book in this world, with these characters.
The narration was excellent. It was read by R.C. Bray, and he did just a terrific job with all the different character voices and accents. I’ll definitely have to look out for more books narrated by him.
May 21, 2023
Good little story but just too short. Came across this story in audible after already adding the raptors books to my tbr pile a few months ago, recognised the authors names, found out it was connected to the series and added it to my list.
After reading Scions I was excited to star this book as I had enjoyed Baron Steeles character. This book however did not deliver, it was good but there just wasn't anywhere near enough content. The whole concept of what he does is intriguing yet we hear so little about it. The whole thing with the coffee shop was just bizzare, how did it get to the point where the coffee guy had got his order wrong that many times? Clearly the guy couldn't do his job, he is out there causing complaints ) and costing the company money (because obviously he wouldnt just be getting one order wrong) and the managers are just okay with that??? Seems unlikely. If you liked Baron Steele in the raptors series and are able to get this book free on audible like I did then I'd reccomend this book, I wouldn't suggest spending money on it though.
After reading Scions I was excited to star this book as I had enjoyed Baron Steeles character. This book however did not deliver, it was good but there just wasn't anywhere near enough content. The whole concept of what he does is intriguing yet we hear so little about it. The whole thing with the coffee shop was just bizzare, how did it get to the point where the coffee guy had got his order wrong that many times? Clearly the guy couldn't do his job, he is out there causing complaints ) and costing the company money (because obviously he wouldnt just be getting one order wrong) and the managers are just okay with that??? Seems unlikely. If you liked Baron Steele in the raptors series and are able to get this book free on audible like I did then I'd reccomend this book, I wouldn't suggest spending money on it though.
January 28, 2023
A very entertaining superhero story.
Do you enjoy superhero stories? How about superhero stories with a hint of humor and no pretense other than the hero being a bit campy, and grumpy? Rhett Bruno and Jaime Castle have created such a story with Baron Steele. Listening to this short story was very entertaining, I found myself laughing and being amused throughout the story. Along with the well-done story, R.C. Bray does an awesome job narrating this story. He not only brings the story to life but makes each character a distinct individual. Honestly, I wish the authors would create a series around Baron Steele.
Do you enjoy superhero stories? How about superhero stories with a hint of humor and no pretense other than the hero being a bit campy, and grumpy? Rhett Bruno and Jaime Castle have created such a story with Baron Steele. Listening to this short story was very entertaining, I found myself laughing and being amused throughout the story. Along with the well-done story, R.C. Bray does an awesome job narrating this story. He not only brings the story to life but makes each character a distinct individual. Honestly, I wish the authors would create a series around Baron Steele.
November 20, 2020
Baron Steele (Audible Audio), my fifth read/listen from author Rhett C. Bruno. Shoter at 47-minutes & very different than his other works I've read, none-the-less an enjoyable short read/listen. R.C. Bray’s narration adds to the book’s enjoyment. I was given an Audible Original copy of this book & am voluntarily reviewing it. I’ll be reading more from this author as soon as I get the books. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).
November 24, 2020
4.1/5
Good quick story. It's only like 45min in audiobook, which is what idk one or two chapters in a regular novel. But it is good for the shortness of it. You get an understanding of the world quickly with super heroes. I enjoyed the narrators accent. And it definitely had humor throughout that made me laugh. The main charatcer Baron's attitude, anger towards everything, and sarcasm was funny and quickwitted. I liked that it was such a short audiobook, almost like a podcast length.
Good quick story. It's only like 45min in audiobook, which is what idk one or two chapters in a regular novel. But it is good for the shortness of it. You get an understanding of the world quickly with super heroes. I enjoyed the narrators accent. And it definitely had humor throughout that made me laugh. The main charatcer Baron's attitude, anger towards everything, and sarcasm was funny and quickwitted. I liked that it was such a short audiobook, almost like a podcast length.
October 25, 2020
What a fun "Super" story! It's perfect for a short commute... I hope to see more Baron Steele stories in the future!
RC Bray matched this fun story with a perfectly grumpy Baron Steele voice performance!
RC Bray matched this fun story with a perfectly grumpy Baron Steele voice performance!
November 3, 2020
Short story with mostly unlikable characters following the new approach to super heroes that's supposed to be dry and witty but really comes off as burned out cynical. The saving grace is of course R C Bray and his amazing talent at lending a different voice to each character.
November 9, 2020
This was a fun short super hero story. There was almost a comedic tone to the story in Baron Steele's self comparison to the big guy who wears his underwear on the outside of his clothes. Entertaining and kept my attention.
November 12, 2020
I was actually quite impressed at the amount of story that was able to be told in 48 minutes. This was a quick and enjoyable listen about an ex superhero who doesn’t really want to get back into the business but he may just well be pulled back in because of a bad cup of coffee.
November 24, 2020
This was a great audio book. It was fast, funny and irreverent. It's a cautionary tale for coffee addicts, as well. I really liked the narrator. I sincerely hope the will be more Baron Steele to come!
December 26, 2020
It was amusing, well written, well narrated and I loved the main character with all his political uncorrectness - that was truly refereshing. Not sure how I feel about the story arc though, it's kinda lacking closure or something.
November 11, 2020
Short, yet fun.
November 16, 2020
A fun little introduction to a super hero universe. Need to read more.
November 17, 2020
Short, cute, & fun!
December 9, 2020
I want more of this. It is good.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews