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  • Jake's Magical Market

  • By: J.R. Mathews
  • Narrated by: Travis Baldree
  • Length: 20 hrs and 41 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (211 ratings)

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Jake's Magical Market

By: J.R. Mathews
Narrated by: Travis Baldree
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Publisher's Summary

Meddling gods. A magical card system. An apocalypse no one could have predicted.

Jake is working at the neighborhood market under his apartment when the world ends. He expected nuclear war, a computer virus, or even climate change burning everyone to a crisp to bring about the downfall of civilization. But cruel and arbitrary gods from another world? Who would have guessed that?

When these cruel gods shuffled Earth like a deck of cards, nothing was in the same place anymore. Monsters, dungeons, and magical items appear scattered across the globe. And suddenly, everyone has access to a new, strange magical card system that gives them magical powers.

Jake, wasting his day slacking off in the cooler, as he usually did, found himself alone in a completely new and very dangerous world. Can he learn to survive? Can he collect enough cards and create a good enough deck to fight back against the monsters that have overtaken his former home? And why are these strange people that look a lot like elves knocking on the door of the market he is hiding in and asking to buy some of his goods?

The gods may have stacked the deck against him, but Jake just might have a few cards up his sleeve that will help him survive.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2021 J.R. Mathews (P)2022 Royal Guard Publishing

What listeners say about Jake's Magical Market

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Two books for one? You'll either love or hate it.

This is a great litRPG read. It's well written, entertaining, original and felt realistic (for the fact that it involves magic, monsters and whatever). But... there's a 50:50 chance you're either going to love this book or hate it.

The problem (as mentioned in many other reviews, too) is that this really feels like two books in one. The story takes a sharp right turn at around the half-way mark, developing a new magic system, new setting and darker character arc. While this second arc is just as well written and entertaining as the first half, there's no guarantee that someone who *liked* the first part of the book is going to like the second.

Personally, I loved the first part of the book, didn't mind the second, and actively disliked the last 10%, when the character made a whole heap of decisions that didn't sit right with my moral compass.

Anyway, in terms of the basics
- two distinct magic systems, the first card based, the second cultivation.
- well written, no info dumping.
- MC is occasionally OP and occasionally UP. Both are done really well and usually as set up for something bigger.
- Slice of life storyline, though with some larger goals that the hero works towards slowly.

Travis Baldree as narrator did a decent enough job. Every old person sounds the same, and his female voices aren't too different, but yeah... there was nothing that made me want to put the book down, and the narration also had some nice moments.

So, this book gets a grudging 5 stars. If the book was split into two, each part would get a resounding 5 stars! But put together, the story clashed for me personally. I guess the book is worth a read - it's definitely one of the better litrpg out there - so you can make up your own mind.

If you appreciate this review, please click the 'helpful' button below so it can assist other people too :)

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I love this I’m not sure why

Travis delivers a perfect performance in his reading The journey of Jake begins as comfort fantasy then morphs to a more traditional hero’s journey loved it the whole way through

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Glorious

Great premise, loved the story jake is a brilliant character more people need to know about this book.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Great listen!

Really good book, I enjoyed the transition to cultivation. Good story, awesome narration. Can't wait to listen to the rest

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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awesome

this is one of the best litrpg books I have listened to. good twist at the end with a very interested system for the abilitys. looking forward to book 2

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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One of the best

I slept on Jake’s Magical Market for so long because I wrongly assumed it would be a bit a guy in a magical market doing shopkeep things. Boy was I wrong. Do not pass over this book if you like the genre, this series is one of the greats, I cannot wait for book 2

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

This book is fantastic!

The book is an epic fantasy series in a single book! It begins like 'System Apocalypse' meets 'All The Skills'. And then gets sooo much better! With an epic adventure reminiscent of 'Magician' by Raymond E. Feist and Xanthia like the 'Cradle' series. I can not recommend this book more!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

very good story

Jumps around a bit, kinda like starting a quest then starting another and another but not finishing the first ones.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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wow just wow keep it up

i can not wait for the next book. wow i love the twist and turns that keep happening to him

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Lived it

I had a lot of fun listening to this. Only took me 3 days to finish. Even now I find myself remembering parts if the story as if they were my own memories. Haven't had that happen before. I am looking forward to the continuation of the story.

Only issue I had was a lot of words and sometimes sentences were repeated unnecessarily. Felt awkward at times. This is fine though. Your first book. No way it would be perfect and I am actually quite impressed at it being your first.

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