The Wizard's Butler

The Wizard's Butler, Book 1

By: Nathan Lowell

Narrated by: Tom Taylorson

Winner of 2021 Voice Arts Award, Audiobook Narration — Fantasy

"He thinks he's a wizard," they said.

For five grand a month and a million-dollar chaser, Roger Mulligan didn't care how crazy the old geezer was. All he had to do was keep Joseph Perry Shackleford alive and keep him from squandering the estate for a year.

But they didn't tell him about the pixies.

©2021 Nathan Lowell (P)2021 Podium Audio

Wonderful characters!

I truly enjoyed this audiobook! The narrator did a fantastic job and gave a performance worthy of the author’s story. The characterization of the principals in the story was fantastic. I like for a planned multi-volumed work to spend the extra time in book one to give the back stories and build relationships. You will enjoy this book!!
L

agreeable stage setting

Overlooking how wasteful it is for one guy to sit alone on a hoard of resources like a dragon, for which useful alternatives are discussed but not implemented, the main protagonists are otherwise agreeable people getting on with getting on. The main antagonist is a bit cookie cutter as the grasping relation with no redeeming value. But for a low angst look at how Joseph, Mr. Rich McMoneybags regains a bit of community & communication with the help of a new butler, the story meanders pleasantly along with Roger as he learns how to take care of Joseph, the house, and the pixies that supposedly keep the place clean. It held my attention as the curiosities of exploring a large dwelling rambled along.

The story isn’t bad, but the characters fall a little too much into “good people do good things/bad people do bad things fallacy such that even though Mr. Dragon Hoard could help a lot of people, he’s going full NIMBY and his primary entertainment is being mean to his grasping niece. But since he’s a good guy (TM), those actions aren’t presented as bad. And since the niece is only presented as the bad guy (TM) her concerns are dismissed as motivated by bad will, despite Joseph *never* allowing her to see him as competent. Readers need more than “of course it’s obvious that condos would be bad therefore she’s bad” when a niece has only ever seen her uncle be vague and dotty in recent years. It’s not her fault she’s not magical. Maybe she is that terrible but if so, it makes her a boring, unsympathetic antagonist. An antagonist that can be dismissed easily isn’t very interesting - the stakes may be high but the outcome is obvious.

Worldbuilding: Although some bits, like the internet install details, went on well beyond necessity, details that could have their own arcs (like pixies) remained relatively static (or possibly left for a sequel?) and all the magic stayed in the realm of minor tricks or plausible deniability. There were a couple bits of magic that needed more evidence to support the actions taken/not taken as, at least to this reader, their problematic nature was not sufficiently proven. Which is to say the crafting could have been more clever - there were so many options (house features, magic features, secondary characters - Sam, running lady, lawyer buddy, etc…) presented that could have added value beyond their basic existence, and most weren’t explored much beyond their introductions. Those that got more airtime could have been more integrated and escalated. Someone reading this for the magic would be underwhelmed, but not necessarily dissatisfied.

I think this book has a lot of promise, and my biggest frustration was that it didn’t quite live up to its potential, for all that the journey was a pleasant meander.

Steam: none, aside from Roger looking down a few blouses in the beginning. Fortunately he stops that.

Narration: saved it. I almost didn’t make it thru the first chapter of Roger staring down blouses. A couple multi-syllabic words were a but garbled, and how often the word “tarmac” comes up, in a story mostly set indoors, is more evident when read aloud, but the narration was generally good and pleasant.

This is amazing. Great, subtle, small focus!

They don’t really make them like this anymore. - I’m going to make a strange reference, but maybe someone will get it: if you like Lark Rise to Candleford… you’re going to love this. If you like the movie Oscar, you’re going to love this. If you like Artemis Fowl, and have grown a few years since then you’re going to love this.

Fun, no pressure story.

Loved the story. Great on all points. No “action scenes” but it’s flows very well and is very enthralling. Narration is phenomenal. Can’t wait for more.

Very enjoyable story and narrator

was sad when it finished. really hope to hear more about shackleford house in the future.