Three Imaginative and Original Novellas

Would you consider the audio edition of Paperbackward Story Bundle: Pale Rider, Magic Factory, and Summer Sword to be better than the print version?

I didn't get the print version, but I had no trouble listening to and understanding the audio version. Michael C. Gwynne ,Michael Gilboe and Jack Nolan are excellent narrators, each perfectly suited to the story they narrated.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Paperbackward Story Bundle: Pale Rider, Magic Factory, and Summer Sword?

Actually, what made them memorable was the very original nature of each story, and that three very different readers narrated them. The tone was post apocalyptic in the first, whimsical in the second, and very magical in the third. The narrators did a good job conveying the moods.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The three very different readers that narrated them. The tone was post apocalyptic in the first, whimsical in the second, and very magical in the third. The narrators did a good job conveying the moods. The first reader reminded me of the late great Frank Muller, the second was kind of like a Harry Potter reader and the third conveyed the magical interaction with wind vespers.

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

I actually listened to each story individually to accommodate the change in mood for each one.

Any additional comments?

My main though was that these stories were too short! That they were so rich in content, so imaginative and filled with interesting characters, each one could have been expanded into a complete novel. I'm hoping James Livingood plans on adding to the complex and varried worlds he has created. I was given a copy for review, but I would gladly buy the next thing he writes.

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1 person found this helpful

Four Fun Short Stories!

My rating: 4 stars
Audiobook narrator(s) rating: 4 stars

I was gifted this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fun collection of four short stories with three different professional narrators. Each story is roughly an hour in length they are all very different from each other. It really shows the vast variety of James Livingood’s writing style.

I have written a review for each of these individual stories to share my thoughts on each book (on Goodreads.com).

These stories are all enjoyable and I am interested to see what else James writes!

Thanks for the books, James!

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Paperbackward

3 hours of fun and fantasy narrated nicely by Michael C. Gwynne, Michael Gilboe, Jack Nolan.My favorite was The Magic Factory.I was given this book free of charge for an honest review.

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great afternoon of listening

Any additional comments?

Pale Rider - Two things stand out for me after listening to Pale Rider. One, the way my mind slipped through the story. For instance, some descriptions were spot on and managed to grab my imagination with a ruthless clarity. But, most just seemed to slip through my head like a silk thread through silk fabric and nothing to hold it there.

Second (and my favorite), is the sound of Michael Gwynne’s voice. I tend to slide narrators into certain personal labels (e.g. those that pierce with just the right tone to avoid annoyance yet keep me awake, aware and focused; those female voices that manage to whine without putting me completely off; male voices that transform seamlessly between characters that are so differentiated as to make me check that there is actually only one narrator, etc.). These are my own personal labels and I share my opinion only when I think I can describe the essence of the voice in a way that would help others choose to listen or not to listen. Michael Gwynne has a voice that is like salted caramel, just enough texture to avoid the smoothness that gathers sleep around you. His is the voice you want to hear when curled up during the height of a snowstorm and buried in blankets on the sofa drinking your warming liquid of choice.

Sticking his voice with the incongruity that is the base of this story was the perfect choice.



Magic Factory - Really? Magic produced on the line? Who in their right mind would think of such a thing?

Well, James Livingood, of course.

Mr. Livingood takes the art of magic, places it into the hands of a line worker with an overinflated ego, adds a defective little angel and completely twists the magical industry into a streamlined production company.

I think everyone should read/listen to this at some point. It takes the battle between good and evil into the morning meetings of a boardroom and adds just enough dazzle to keep it interesting.

The positive message at the end is fantastic.



Summer Sword is an origin story with potential for future adventures. It is unique in that I’ve never read anything like this concept before, and refreshing in that the protagonist has less angst than usual (he’s just an ordinary man who meets the wind).

Jack Nolan does a wonderful job in voicing the two main characters.

Out of all the stories here, this one is my least favorite. However, it is still such a good story that I truly have nothing of value to offer as to why it is my least favorite.

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