Review – Max Abaddon and the Will by Justin S. Leslie

Posted February 17, 2021 by Carole in Audiobook, Book Reviews / 8 Comments

Max Abaddon and the Will by Justin S. Leslie
Narrated by Luke Daniels
Series: Max Abaddon Series #1
Publisher: Justin Leslie
Publication Date: November 21, 2020
Date Read: February 8, 2021
Length: 9 hours and 45 minutes
Source: Author
★★★★☆

The first novel in the thrilling new urban fantasy adventure series Max Abaddon, by Justin S. Leslie.

An unambitious, unemployed bachelor with a penchant for drinking, Max Abaddon inherits an extraordinary gift from his recently deceased grandfather. Now a young hero with new magical powers, Max must embrace his calling and help this hidden world in its war with a murderous darkness.

Suddenly in a position where he’s learning about magical and mythical beings, Max’s third decade of life is starting off in a direction he never would have imagined. Max is discovering a magical new world while it slowly overtakes his old one.

Meanwhile, dark players emerge from the shadows with a plot to disrupt the delicate balance between the natural and the supernatural. To help his new friends, Max must accept his responsibility, get a grip on his new powers, and be careful of who he trusts in this gripping murder mystery set in Florida.

My Review

I really enjoyed this audiobook!  This book first popped on my radar when a friend reviewed it on her blog and I thought it sounded like something that I would really enjoy.  When the opportunity to review a copy of the book myself presented itself, I didn’t hesitate for even a moment.  I liked this book from the start and found it to be a fun initial installment in a very promising series.
Max is nearing his 30th birthday and he is about to learn that the world is not exactly as he thought.  Max’s grandfather is recently deceased and he has left Max an unexpected gift.  Max suddenly needs to learn how to navigate a world of magical beings he didn’t know existed while learning how to use his newfound powers.  He is quickly brought into an investigation with his new friends and things get very interesting.
I really enjoyed the characters in this book.  Max handles having his life turned upside down remarkably well.  I found him to be very easy to like and enjoyed seeing him adjust to his new reality and just find out what he is capable of doing.  The supporting characters were equally well done and varied.  I loved the fact that there was a good dose of humor that was worked into many of the character personalities.  
Luke Daniels did a fabulous job with the narration.  I have listened to his work many times in the past and I think that he was the perfect choice to bring Max and the rest of the characters to life in this story.  He used a distinct voice for each character and added a lot of excitement to the story.  I believe that his narration added to my overall enjoyment of the story.
I would recommend this book to others.  I thought that this was a fantastic start to a very exciting and promising series.  I cannot wait to read more of this series!
I received a review copy of this audiobook from the author.

About the Author

Justin S. Leslie is a fervent urban fantasy fan, and newly published author. He is a retired, highly decorated army major who has completed two combat tours in Afghanistan. Justin has focused on building his own magical worlds to share with readers, as well as enjoying ones created by fellow authors.

Justin also holds an MBA from the University of Maryland with a Bachelors from Maryville College, and currently runs a national sales program for a Global 50 company. When he isn’t playing music or spending time with his wife and two boys, he can be found in his Doctors Inlet home, immersed in the latest urban fantasy, or a well-made old fashioned. His inspiration has come from all the other authors in the genre who’ve helped him through endless tough hours needing an escape.

Author Links: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Amazon

8 responses to “Review – Max Abaddon and the Will by Justin S. Leslie

  1. I am glad to hear you enjoyed this one. If I had less on my plate I really wanted this one. I love Luke Daniels. Fantastic review!

    Anne – Books of My Heart