Unlike Anything I’ve Read Before
4 out of 5 stars
I really went into Bad Luck Charlie blind. I didn’t know much about it. It’s the first book in a series and the first book by Scott Baron I’ve ever read. The cover gives you some idea (much more once you’ve read the story and understand all of the things on it). But to describe the story – it’s about a lost man, Charlie, who isn’t really trying to find his way home as much as he’s trying to figure out how to survive. Also, he has bad luck… shocker! The beginning was basically a normal every day science fiction story. And by the end, it’s this bizarre fantasy/sci-fi mash-up with a bunch of other things thrown in for good measure.
This one was a weird but intriguing story. Every time I thought I had it figured out it would change a bit more. I’ve been trying to figure out how to describe it (without spoiling anything) and I really can’t. It’s bizarre in a good way and definitely unlike anything I’ve ever read before.
I found myself getting more and more into the story as it progressed and there was only one minor thing that slightly irked me. More than a few times at the end of a chapter Baron would say something like “Charlie got so lucky.” And then the opening of the next chapter was “Charlie wasn’t lucky at all.” It’s interesting and definitely done to try and throw the reader off – but it was done so many times that it started to bother me more than make me unsure of what was to come.
I need to point out that this was the first book I listened to that Gary Bennett narrated and I thought he did a great job. He was able to take on the roles that were given to him and the different species but did it in a way that was pleasing to the ear instead of annoying. Kudos to him for that.
So, overall, I really enjoyed this book and I definitely want to continue the series. Baron did a good job of showing a little of what’s to come from the series without giving it completely away. I hope that Baron and Bennett work together more in the future (especially on this series).
Book Description:
Charlie Gault had all the luck. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the good kind.
It was looking like Lady Luck had quite a grudge against him. In fact, at this point merely crashing the multi-billion-dollar ship he had helped design would have felt like winning the lottery compared to his current dilemma. If only he were so lucky. Things had started off all right – that is, until a freak wormhole unexpectedly swallowed his ship, leaving him stranded on an unknown planet far, far from home.
With the crew’s lives at stake, Charlie had no choice but to stop his whining, put on his big boy pants, and step up to save them all, and much to his surprise, it actually looked like he might succeed. Of course, that was when things really went sideways in ways that made merely crashing on an uncharted planet seem like a walk in the park.
Suddenly, faced with alien space pirates, talking dragons, and something that seemed very much like magic, Charlie found himself adrift, feeling like a space age Robinson Crusoe – only his man Friday was a blue-skinned alien, and this wasn’t just a desert island. It was a whole new galaxy.
Bad Luck Charlie by Scott Baron
Narrator: Gary Bennett
Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
Series: The Dragon Mage #1
on June 28th 2019
Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction
Format: Audiobook
Buy from Audible
Also by this author: Space Pirate Charlie, Dragon King Charlie, Magic Man Charlie, Daisy's Run
Also in this series: Space Pirate Charlie, Dragon King Charlie, Magic Man Charlie,
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