Flamespitter

Elemental Gunslinger, Book 1

By: Jonathan Smidt

Narrated by: Ryan H. Reid, Andrea Parsneau, Jeff Hays

A gunslinger with four affinities is a myth.

It's the kind of story whispered in frontier saloons one drink before closing and around campfires in the dead of night. For the heroes and villains in those tales, that impossible power is a boon, a gift.

For Mr. Jones, it's a curse.

Of course, that's not his real name. He's had many.

Changing names is necessary when you possess a power that every lawman and outlaw would kill to obtain. To survive, you keep your head down, kill when you must, and never stay in one place too long. It's a life governed by rules and hard lessons, drilled into him from a young age after his parents were murdered because of his gift.

Since then, the trail of bodies has only grown longer.

But all that is about to change. After years of chasing two-bit bounties, honing his skills, and growing his core, he's finally caught the scent of the man he's been searching for the first of four bodies that will end this carnage once and for all.

Now, it's time to put his cursed powers to use.

It's time for revenge.

©2024 Portal Books (P)2024 Soundbooth Theater

Breath of fresh air

I enjoyed this one! It was a good twist on an old concept. It was classic western but with supernatural elements.

The only minor thing was that each chapter seemed to be built like an episode of a series. So often the same motivations and goals was repeated to remind listeners. Most times this was unnecessary I feel since I'm listening to it as a full book. It didn't make me take of any stars though.

The story is self contained but with a lead in to the next book in the series. No big cliffhanger witch I liked. I'm looking forward to the next one. Narration was ace and fit the story well.

Perfect balance between a western and cultivation

This was a fantastic book. The writing was rich, authentic, and detailed while never committing the cardinal sin of being boring. The magic system starts out simple and develops in complexity in interesting ways that are meaningful to the story.

I highly recommend it.

More western than LitRPG…

I don’t usually listen to westerns but do listen to magic stories so I wanted to give this book a chance. Also I immediately thought this was a crossover between Avatar the Last Airbender and Red Dead Redemption which caught my interest.

There was a lot of monologues which I was not a huge fan of but overall the book was good. I definitely preferred the second half of the book and would read the next book in the series.

The narration and music was excellent as I have come to expect from SBT.

western litrp.. sort of

Honestly this a solid 4.5 but can't give half stars. very interesting premise as there is no system no external reason they can use elements. it's just a part of their every day lives. However the path of power is like a type of cultivation.

the narration is fantastic and fit the theme very well. and perhaps slightly spoilerish but at first your going to think the mc is some bad@ss and maybe a bit op but youll soon learn that really isnt the case. I mention that to then say there is a clear sense of the mc's growth mentally and physically.

only complaint i have is due to how long fights took because we was in the mcs head instead of the fight. sometimes I felt like i was watching an old anime where the entire episode is 98% tslk and 2% fighting despite them having been in battle the whole time. but instead of talking it's thoughts or flash backs. it really wasn't to bad but just a thought i had while listening. i do feel like this gets better as it progresses.

will definetly be getting the next book

Magic bullets in the Old West, love it!

A fun imagining of what the old west would be like if guns used mana-produced bullets. Great framework and background set up for future adventures while still completing a crucial story line. LOVE the voice acting! Did a wonderful job of keeping me in universe and added a lot to the experience.

Great new world

I love Weird West storytelling, and this is an excellent example of the genre. The action is great, the character grows as the adventure progresses, and new wrinkles are added in a well paced manner. The author is already one of my favorites, and this new world only reinforces that. I can not wait to see what book 2 and onward bring.

Arthur?

Great story and it makes me think of a magical Arthur Morgan minus the tuberculosis

Breath of fresh air! Excited to hear more! Red dead redemption with cultivation

Every once in a while I start a book and know within the first five minutes it’s going to be awesome. This is definitely one of those books. The narration and audio design is top notch as always with audio booth theatre. The music is excellent and helps with the tone like it’s straight out of a spaghetti western. A revenge story straight out of red dead redemption with a main character as awesome as a young John Marston. I’m excited to hear more about his travels and gunfights on his way to get his revenge, and about his quest to get more powerful and refine his mana. I hope we get to hear more about the crazy O.P. Marshals as well as Clint’s time in the war and why they call him the whisper of death. Putting mana cultivation in the Wild West is an exciting idea and I can’t wait for more in this series. Definitely a breath of fresh air that stands out from the rest of the pack!

My new favorite series

What a gripping, intense audiobook that will consume your every waking moment. The narrators bring Smidt's vivid storytelling to life, expertly conveying the emotional depth and complexity of the characters.
The story itself is a masterclass in tension and suspense, expertly crafted to keep you on the edge of your seat. The writing is evocative, painting a picture of a world that's both gritty and mesmerizing.
The audio production is top-notch, with clear sound quality and well-paced narration that made me not want to stop. Ryan Reid is the western star that I didn’t know I needed. It was like a movie playing in my head, while listening to the book. I absolutely can’t wait for book 2 to come out.

A true western tale with a fun premise

I loved the setting, and the narration puts you right there in the action, this is an excellent first installment of a series that not only is a self contained story but promises even more mysteries and twists with the power system. At first it might seem that the fantasy element is just a superficial spice but by the end I hope you too will be intrigued to learn more about the unique premise the fantasy element can bring to this western story