Try free for 30 days

  • Jake's Magical Market

  • By: J.R. Mathews
  • Narrated by: Travis Baldree
  • Length: 20 hrs and 41 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (214 ratings)

1 credit a month to use on any title, yours to keep (you’ll use your first credit on this title).
Stream or download thousands of included titles.
Access to exclusive deals and discounts.
$16.45 a month after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.
Jake's Magical Market cover art

Jake's Magical Market

By: J.R. Mathews
Narrated by: Travis Baldree
Try for $0.00

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $33.99

Buy Now for $33.99

Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.

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

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    171
  • 4 Stars
    29
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    175
  • 4 Stars
    10
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    147
  • 4 Stars
    35
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    2

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    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 :)

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    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

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Glorious

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

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great listen!

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

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

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

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    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.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

great story but could use a little polish.

The story was very interesting and kept me hooked the whole time, but a few times the story only progressed due to the order Jake used his abilities, even when he obviously should have performed a different way that would match ability and character growth, but didnt due to plot progression.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Why is it always the end?

Part 1 I loved very much.
part 2 had what felt like a good arc but the narrative did a lot to emphasise how important his friendships had become and yet we didn't get to see them. i felt like the author did too much to set up for another book and not enough to finalise the main ark.
I'm cool with power creep but especially right at the end I got the impression our character could finish his goal at will, having circumvented his most recent obstacle. Could have done it with the same tools he'd just used.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

An easy listen.

Travis Baldree does a great job of narrating and will forever be the voice of Jake. It's an easy listen and takes minimal effort to follow the story, but is also well written enough to keep your attention. There is a section in the middle of the book that is a bit long-winded but overall I highly recommend this book to fans of the genre.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

So wanted to give it 5 stars

I loved it, it’s a very long audiobook but I was so wrapped, captivated and in awe all the way until the last 4ish chapters. In the last 4/5 chapters I kept falling asleep. To me the story just tried to jump forward compared to the sorry momentum up until the end. I so was looking forward to Jake touching base with others and finishing it with that leading into the next book. But the last few chapters ignored this and tired to push the sorry too far and fast in advance and let me think meh. Don’t get me wrong, I love it and so wanted to give it a 5 but the abrupt ending chapters just put me into sleep, I’m over it type mindset. Please anyone reading this, download and enjoy it. It’s worth the listen.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.