How to do a novella right: How to Defeat a Demon King in Ten Easy Steps. An audiobook review

My life has moved from reading all sorts of things to listening to snippets of audiobooks or podcasts when I run. For a time, when I would drive to the office, I would get a total of 60 minutes per day to listen. It was a great way to continue my love of reading. But as life got busier, not to mention another, tiny human entering my world, I had to move into audiobooks.

The format quickly grew on me. Especially since I could listen to most books at 1.25-1.5 times speed. Just meant more books faster. I will delve more into some of my favorites later. For now, I just finished a short (for an audio book) five and half hour book from Andrew Rowe. It is called How to Defeat a Demon King in Ten Easy Steps. It is self-described by the author as "...a satirical, stand-alone parody of classic games like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and The Legend of Zelda."

I had not come across any other works by Mr. Rowe before. The book description on audible sounded interesting, as I have come to enjoy several fantasy series. It involves a young hero named Yui Shaw and her quest to defeat a Demon King. There has been a thousand year cycle of a Demon King rising and slaughtering only to be defeated by a Hero. Every hundred years or so a new Demon King and a new Hero arise. A never ending cycle of villain, death, defeat.

But, the latest Demon King isn't playing by the same rules. He has conquered half the world in a quarter time with a fraction of the effort (got all that?). So, Yui sets out on her quest to stop him.

It is a cleverly written book that sounds just like an RPG game in the real world. There are powers and magic and classes. You have to do things in the real world to level up and gain new skills. But, rather than just focusing on fighting skills, Yui finds a new way to try and save the world. Through cheeky banter, clever powers, and a couple companions, our heroin sets off an adventure full of slimes (lots of slimes), skeletons, Demon Generals and more.

I highly recommend this as a fun, tongue-in-cheek book that pays homage to RPGs and video games. There are a few small twists, nothing that is either jaw dropping or not telegraphed, but that actually enhances the story.

The voice acting is done well. Suzy Jackson reads most of the book while Steve West plays a small, but integral, part of the leveling up system. The handful of characters are nuanced enough you won't be confused with who Suzy Jackson is narrating.

Fill your inventory with health potions, strap on a hero's sword, and cast a few spells with this novella that will keep you entertained while leveling up your listening skill.