Henchmen Omnibus: Books 1-3

By: Carl Stubblefield

Narrated by: Travis Baldree

The first three books in the Henchmen series.

A deserted island. An impregnable fortress. Step up or be stepped on.

Gus is a Henchman separated from his friends at his new job, a henchman on an orbiting space base. He's happy with the gig and has no real delusions of grandeur. Well...small delusions, but he’s seen all too often what happens to minions who get too uppity around their supervillain bosses.

His father had pulled a few strings and landed him a henchman position in hopes he could make something of himself. Before he's barely gotten used to the job, Gus narrowly escapes the base's destruction and is chucked at the planet below. The only reason he survived the fall was a damaged escape pod and the activation of his own latent powers. Marooned on a deserted island and yet somehow being hunted, Gus needs to step up and become the master of his own story.

Gus is a henchman, some would now say a villain, so there’s no chance of a hero coming to his rescue.

©2023 Carl Stubblefield (P)2023 Mountaindale Press

mc being hypocritical

Cannot stand to follow a mc. Crys and whines and acts so childish. Spent the entire time hoping something seriously bad would happen to him.

Not Terrible for an Omnibus

I was on a Travis Baldree kick and picked this up on sale.
I was on board for the first two books, but the third just takes a nosedive, like, I've just stopped after listening for hours of painful, muddled development. Maybe I can get a credit back, not sure, but I will try.
The first of the books is the best. MC origin story, new System set-up, fun "superhero" setting. Decent development, likable MC.
The series could have simply stopped after the first book. It becomes overwrought in the second book, as the MC starts to be developed into an indecisive, uninspiring character with a few bits of the story just being abandoned/unresolved. Not terrible, but not great, I did grow to dislike the MC. Some of the cultural references have grown dated and unfunny after a few years.
The third book is just a mess. I've listened to sections over and over again and have no idea where the story is going. Lots of new characters introduced (confusing to follow, esp. after the comparatively slower introduction of characters in the first two books), a new setting, the MC just sounds increasingly like a whiny child who hasn't grown/matured/progressed from all of the development in the previous two books. It's almost like there is a different author for the third book, who read an elementary-school level book report of the first two books and had to write the third based on that limited, simple information.
If you can pick this up for very cheap, the first book is a decent origin story/first story in a quasi-fantasy Litrpg series, it is worth that much, and Baldree is a great performer. There are, however, diminishing returns with the successive entries into this series.

MC is a hot mess

This story starts off slow but strong. Typical "MC is in a bad situation but turns it into an opportunity for growth" storyline. The characters introduced later in the other books are fun to get to know and have very human issues. The MC really needs a therapist, though. Every time he seems to have a mental breakthrough, he has two mental breakdowns and charges even further down a self-destructive path. It can be extremely frustrating to see his thought process being nice and self reflective, only to watch him jump to the worst conclusion he can for himself and others.

A superhero with a kickass playlist

Carl Stubblefield has brough a fun and engaging series to life in Henchmen. Lair was a fun introduction to this new world and his approach to the LitRPG genre. I really liked the throwbacks to 80-90’s, and the incorporation of music was a fun and creative approach that I really enjoyed and appreciated. New ideas and an approach to LitRPG that really lets this series stand on its own. A fun read that I think everyone can enjoy.

The ending ruined this story..

The story is entertaining, not great, not terrible, but worth listening to if you cant find anything else from your favorite authors. My problem with it is, its like the author ran out of steam at some point, and thought we, the listeners, would be in suspense forever, wondering what would happen in the "final" chase of the "bad guy".. Problem is, if you keep on trying to build up suspension over and over again, and whatever happens is just the same result (nothing) - The listener will end up wishing the MC would just pick up a gun and shoot his own head off, so the story could finally end.. You simply don't care after hours of waiting.. "Do they get him now?, No.. Then this time... Nope.. But surely he must be caught now.! No.. Hmm how about now then..? Nope.. Ooon and on and on and on and on and.. you get the idea..