The Shadow King

By: D.C. Lozar

Narrated by: Quinn Lozar

In a future where all the adults have mysteriously disappeared, gangs of children live brutal lives as scavengers. In this cyberpunk urban thriller, Flip and his friends explore the swamps that surround their ghost town, find unimaginable treasures, and fall prey to a vicious predator who tests their fragile friendships. High-tech weapons that paralyze, underground parking garages run by AIs, and biologic weapons thirsty for human blood set the stage for this sci-fi novelette.

©2016 D.C. Lozar (P)2016 D.C. Lozar

Lord of the Flies meets I Am Legend

3.5 out of 5 stars

The Shadow King is a story about a group of young kids who are trying to survive in a world that has been taken over by "shadows". They must do whatever it takes to survive in the wasteland of a world.

A book that's over before it even begins. I think this would be a good "episode 1" or "book 0.5" in a full series. Granted there are some things that you wouldn't want to come out in the first book that came out in this book.

I do enjoy short stories, novellas, and novelettes more than most people do, but this one felt a little too short for me. I honestly thought that it was just getting into the good stuff and it ended. Granted, it had an ending of sorts, but it still felt rushed. I'm not sure if Lozar ended it like this on purpose or if they have thoughts of doing more with the story later (I think there's something here). It had a Lord of the Flies meets I Am Legend feel to it.

The narration of The Shadow King was done by Quinn Lozar who voices the characters pretty well. The story was fast paced and his narration definitely moved it along.

Overall, an enjoyable short book. I definitely don't regret the hour that I spent listening to this.

I received a free copy of this book, this has not affected my review in any way.

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A solid short story that leaves you wondering

What made the experience of listening to The Shadow King the most enjoyable?

I enjoyed the idea of giving an account of a dystopian future through the eyes of a child. I also liked the short story aspect of it, where there wasn't a ton of build up and intricate details to keep straight.

What aspect of Quinn Lozar’s performance would you have changed?

The performance sounded like I felt the main character should sound, but it didn't sound rehearsed at all. It sounded like he was reading the story for the first time and hadn't planned out the delivery.

Any additional comments?

While I did enjoy the story, I feel like there were a few things about the onset and nature of the dystopian setting that could have used more explanation and would have helped bring me onto the story a little more.

I was given a free copy of this book in order to give an unbiased review.

Enjoyable Short Story

This futuristic tale of a group of savage, survivalist children has echos of The Lord of the Flies along with unclear apocalyptic events that leave the word adult-less and in chaos. I thought Quinn Lozar did a great job with narration and that D. C. Lozar wrote a tight and interesting tale. I would recommend this short to anyone who enjoys a kids v. monster story set in the future!

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

Well composed short story

The author did a great job not only telling a fantastic story, but giving you enough world building to know what was going on. Something I treasure in short stories. This story was superb in itds telling, the things the children still retained from their parents was well covered, you have to wonder what things will be like in 1-2 generations. What will be retained knowledge and what will be lost.

Action-filled urban sci-fi short story.

Something happened to all the adults in Flip's world: they've all disappeared. Now Flip and his friends run amok in an abandoned city, living in an underground garage that's still under the control of an AI system. The kids scavenge for their survival, and try to eke out an existence by following their own set of rules. A malevolent force is lurking in the swamps surrounding Flip's city, and it's anyone's guess when (and who) it might strike next.

The Shadow King is an urban thriller, garnished with a hint of supernatural sci-fi. An action-filled adventure that packs a punch considering its brief length. Narration by Quinn Lozar (the author's son, maybe?) speaks slowly but with enthusiasm, and enunciates clearly. There's a small number of mispronouned words, but my understanding of the context was in no way negatively affected. Overall, enjoyable.

I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge. This review is unbiased and the opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.