Heir to Insanity

Minutes to Madness, Book 1

By: A. J. Nadir

Narrated by: Andrew Gibson

Jasper’s only friend, Ethan, is dying. Jasper is a gremlin with enough power to level a city, but the magical energy he placed within Ethan to keep him alive is fading. Ethan’s only hope lies in the very artifact that nearly killed him in the first place: The Everflame.

The two join forces with Linna, a young pirate woman coming into her own powers, and Avril, the personification of fate itself. Unfortunately, they aren’t the only ones seeking the artifact. Hunted by their old friend Yon and his army of monsters, they set out to claim the Everflame.

Minutes to Madness is a lighthearted novel speckled with comedy while retaining the serious undertone of a race against time.

©2020-2024 A. J. Nadir (P)2021 A. J. Nadir

Fun Quest Book

I received this book from a promo credit on Reddit and listened to the entire book today. I enjoyed the friendship between Ethan and Jasper and how they took Linna under their wing as she learns to be a Vision. The book progressed as many quest-themed books do; however, the magic system was pretty unique and piqued my interest. While the book doesn't make this connection, I felt like the Vision magic system is almost like people discovering they are the god of something i.e. god of love, fun, animals, etc. This aspect seemed pretty interesting and drew my attention.

The pacing was pretty decent for the most part, though it seemed the ending wrapped up pretty quickly and could've used some more stake raising. Additionally, I would've also appreciated more screen time for the villain. It felt like the villain's motives were just a little bit arbitrary and could've used more fleshing out beyond the reasoning given in the book.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and think that this will be a good start for future adventures. Keep writing and publishing Nadir!

Looking forward to more (MILD SPOILERS) - TS

I enjoyed this book. It follows a cast of characters with unusual abilities, and as someone who enjoys unique magic systems, I appreciated the development of Visions as something more than just generic mages. It is reminiscent of those systems seen in manga like Bleach or Hunter x Hunter: a system in which each character’s abilities are totally unique to them. I might have liked to see more ways the characters could have engaged in asymmetric battles with repeated countering of one another’s abilities, like the fights in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. That said, I like what I’ve seen so far, even though I felt the progression of the newest member's powers was very fast and, in at least one instance, jarringly so. The story and character relations also moved rapidly enough that I felt it could have been stretched out over a significantly longer work. Despite that, I enjoyed it enough to finish in one sitting. For example, I was intrigued by the implication that a type of reincarnation of powers is at work, and Visions experience a physical metamorphosis or mutation as they accumulate power from other magic users, like a twisted form of immortals from Highlander. Faith is a central theme in this work, and it is not limited to just the main cast or even magic users; the faith of seemingly regular people appears to have a tangible effect on the world. I am excited to see the causes and consequences of these and other such features addressed in future works. I look forward to seeing how these characters pursue the goals they state at the end of this book, especially if the limitations and possibilities I mention here are addressed.

Compelling story and memorable characters

I have the first Mistborn book on Audible and haven't finished it in a month. I finished this in 3 days. The characters are just as compelling and the magic system far more entertaining. Having a gremlin for a central character was delightfully original. Reminded me of World of Warcraft goblins and the narrator did an excellent job voicing him.
Overall I liked the Mistborn narrator better, but this story did a better job keeping me entertained. I truly laughed out loud at some of the wisecracks. Is it possible for an audiobook to be a page-turner??

Easy and fun listen

if you're looking for a simple, fun adventure story, this would be a great choice. The narrator kept the story interesting and added to the distinct personalities of all the characters through good performances.

Great Start to a Series

Heir to Insanity tells the story of Jasper and Ethan's quest to obtain the Everflame-an artifact needed to keep Ethan from dying. The reader learns about the world along with linna, discovering facts about the Everflame, Jasper and Ethan's history, and magic itself. The main characters have strong wills. Their belief in themselves shapes the world around them and keeps them going through enumerable hardships. Though Jasper's treatment of others is often-times harsh, we and Linna receive hints as to why he behaves this way.
The magic system is original and interesting. A.J. Nadir provides us with clues to guess the characters' Visions along with Linna.
There are two elements I dislike about this story. There are some campy moments such as the gremlin falling down a hill or an ally falling down the stairs. The first demonstrates the verve with which Jasper throws himself into battle. The second example makes me question the prowess of the faller. This is a minor issue and did not detract too much from the story. Secondly, I wish the book was longer to allow for even more character development. I enjoyed the conversations that gave us glimpses into character motivations and vulnerabilities. I look forward to reading more such moments in the next book.
This story contains several positive elements. Heir to Insanity is a strong adventure with well-forged characters, realistic dialogue, interesting magic, and small, engaging mysteries to solve. The combat is well-written and contains a nice mix of physical violence and magic. Though the synopsis describes Linna as "a young pirate woman," I would not classify this story as Young Adult. The main characters are well into adulthood.
My favorite aspect of this book is the theme of friendship. Friendship motivates all of the characters, for good or ill. It makes them stronger even as it results in heart-wrenching consequences.
Andrew Gibson brings life to the characters. He has an engaging tone that keeps the listener's attention.
I give Heir to Insanity a solid four stars in Story and Narration. I cannot wait for the next book in the series. I am excited to hear more about the tragedies and triumphs of this compelling band of friends.
I received this book free of charge in exchange for my honest review.

Excellent Epic Fantasy!

There are five important characteristics to be found in a fantasy tale and this book meets all of them. The elements include a well developed setting, complex characters, a power structure, a conflict, and magic. This story has all the necessary aspects plus one thing more which I find very important and that is humor. There were times I laughed out loud while listening to this story. I enjoyed this saga very much and recommend it to others who love this genre. I am already looking forward to the next book in the series. Andrew Gibson's narration was fantastic and added to the enjoyment of the story. I requested this audiobook from Audiobooks Unleashed and have voluntarily left this review.