131 Days

By: Keith C. Blackmore

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 18 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's Summary

Strength. Honor. Death.

Once every year, in the city of Sunja, gladiators meet within the arena known as Sunja's Pit. Some men enter for the lure of fortune, some for the fame, and some simply for the fight. The games continue for days until a champion is finally crowned. Or until all involved perish.

Four companions struggle to change their lives in and out of the arena as it becomes clear that to be a Free Trained pit fighter is to live with a mark on one's head. And not everyone is pleased to learn of their plans, as the four warriors soon discover that the path to establishing a formal presence in the games, after the season has started, is infinitely more difficult than expected. All the while, unseen forces watch, waiting for the best time to strike at the companions and take everything that they have.

This is blood sport at its finest.

At its worst.

At its longest.

©2013 Keith C. Blackmore (P)2018 Podium Publishing

A Masterpiece, read by one of the best!

OK, this doesn't belong in horror, which is where I found it. I'm not typically a fan of action fantasy fiction. It takes an exceptional book to get one to like something outside of their preferred genres, and this book does that and leaves me wanting more.

131 Days is like the best historical fiction, rich with detail, fast moving, but in this case so compressed, focused on the arena and those connected to it that it ultimately seduces you with the finely woven world.

Then there's the one-two punch of Blackmore's excellent character development and Lee's typically incredible character performance. While I notice a few voices were familiar from other works (particularly Clive Barker's the Crimson Gospels) this is in no way a negative. They were perfect for the characters they were used for. In my mind, Lee adds so much to the uniqueness of each voice, that it's as if you're listening to a full cast audio play, and some roles are being played by familiar, highly talented actors. Take note publishers, and you too Audible, THIS is what an audiobook should sound like.

Driveway moment

Full disclosure - I did love the movie Gladiator ... and this audiobook made me want to scream like Liz Taylor at the Oscars "Gladiator." The action scenes deliver so much tension that I sat in my car until I knew who'd make it out of the pit - hence giving me that driveway moment. John Lee's performance of the characters is incredible - he takes you there. You love some and hate some. Really a great beginning - can't wait for more.

better then mountain man

I loved the mountain man series and so far this series is even better. the characters are deep and endearing, there's a lot of humor and a ton of action. I can't wait for the rest of the series to come on audible! Blackmore is so much fun to read!

Action Packed Awesome!

131 Days is all about the arena. Fighter vs fighter, blood and gore, tons of action.

Never been disappointed with this author's books and I've been reading them from the start.

Listen to the sample and enjoy. It starts off with an old fighter going back to the arena for glory. The matches fly by and you'll be attached to the characters hoping they can win against the odds. Who doesn't love an underdog?

oh wow

I really like this book. I could not stop listening. much better than I expected. well developed.

Perfect mix

Great mix of story and Narrator, with just the right amount of humor!!!!!! Can't wait for Book #2!!!!

Worth sticking it out

I loved pretty much every other series Blackmore has written. Did not like this one at first. The story doesn’t really develop until half way through. But i loved the direction the plot eventually went and how it ended. Definitely downloading the next book in the series.

Really good story.

The chararcters were great and the story was unique but for some reason I just could not get into this story. I’m not sure if it was the length and too drawn out. I’m a huge Blackmore fan but I’m not sure I will continue with this series.

excellent

awesome Keith c blackmore is the man. this ranks up there with mountain man. ready for more from this story.

131 Days Book One

Wow Blackmore is a beast. Unlikely heroes (some drunk lol)syco villains,greed and extraordinary self sacrifice for one's friends. The only thing you will want is book 2

A Heartwarming Blood Bath!

My only previous experience with Keith C Blackmore was his excellent Mountain Man series which narrated by RC Bray has remained a favourite of mine. This is a very different genre and indeed a very different narrator. As for the story it's a fantasy piece about four friends who number among the free-trained, the mongrels of the Sunjan gladiatorial games. They battle against the odds to set themselves up and survive against the settled establishment. While this is something very different overall some of the facets of the Mountain Man series can be found in this one too. Most obvious are the bloody and aggressive fight scenes both inside and outside of the arena as bodies are hacked apart in ever inventive ways. Next is Blackmore's ability to create thuggish, beered-up characters that you somehow warm to, one or two in this may well have you thinking back to the Mountain Man himself.

Blackmore is far more than an author who writes fight scenes among louts though. I loved the clever and rather oblique way he chooses to introduce his main characters. It's something I have rarely seen before and the constant shifts in fortune and the way it's done mean that as a reader you can never be quite sure about which way a fight is going to go or how serious the results of it might be. On top of all this there is a richly detailed set of characters populating the city of Sunja where this all takes place. Schemes within schemes surround our unwitting protagonists.

Breathing a resonant life into all this are the rumbling tones of John Lee. I find he often has a slightly odd cadence to descriptive parts but he seems like a complete cast in a single man! Some really great voices bring these gladiators and the scheming house masters to life in a genuinely impressive performance!

So, different to what I have seen on Audible from Blackmore previously but as a start to a series this feels extremely promising.

WOW!!!!!

Blackmore delivers yet again. He truly is a fantastic writer...I devour everything he writes. A “Bloody” great story, lovable, brutal and engaging characters. I’ve already bought the rest in the series.
John Lee is simply faultless and one of the best in the business. A great combo.....!!!!!!
Great work lads ;) cheers!!!!!!

Excellent

Really enjoyed the reading of this book and the warriors story looking forward to the next book.

Excellent story

I loved it. This book had flawed characters you cared about, and the story kept me interested without becoming unbelievable. recommended . Also excellent narration.

longer than it needs to be.

narrator was very good, storyline took ages to get going for the first half of the book it felt like there wasnt a storyline at all and some of the goings on were perculiar and unexplained maybe they are paving the way for book 2. Having said that I did enjoy it.

Fun listen

Yeah one of those books that keeps you there ! Rooting for the underdog.. good guys bad guys but not childish like gladiator mixed with the hangover

Worth a listen good escape stuff for Some one with a brain..

Characters all have something and John lee dose a great job bringing it to life

No matter the genre, Keith smashes it!

Great stuff as expected, if you liked the authors previous work, I recommend you give this shot.

another cracking listen

Unusual story, great charactors, well written .. as are RCB's other books, believable narrator, unputdownable

Brilliant action packed book

This has been one of the best books ever..I thought mountain man was very good..breeds was brilliant..this is totally fantastic..I bought book 1&2 together knowing it would be good..it has kept me captive from the first line..John Lee has been the best orator ever he sounds like different people speaking & really makes you feel like you're actually there..into book two..exciting!!!

Hooked again. Nnnnggghh!

One of my favourite authors strikes again, mountain man, breeds, now 131 days, can’t stop listening. Tense, moments of humour, loved it.