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Eight-Bit Bastards: Levels One and Two  By  cover art

Eight-Bit Bastards: Levels One and Two

By: Joshua Mason
Narrated by: Michael Norman Johnson
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Publisher's summary

When you’ve maxed out your level, done every quest, and defeated every enemy, there’s not much left. So after seven centuries of immortality, Sean wants nothing more than to die. Afterall was touted as a paradise, an afterlife where anyone could pursue their interests, from archery to zookeeping. The gaming was the stuff of legend, but for Sean it had grown stale.

But when a woman from a past life informs him of a real, flesh-and-blood descendant that has hacked his way in, Sean finds a new purpose. The AI doesn’t take kindly to interlopers, and parks the intruder in the one realm so buggy that even the oldest, most powerful denizens of Afterall steer clear of it - the Bitrealm.

Sean must enter a land created for the original gamers, people like him who cut their teeth on some of the first video games released to the public. Will Sean brave the pixelated wilderness of Bitrealm to rescue his lost kin? Or will he fall victim to the force that has been making people vanish? One thing’s for certain, he can’t do it alone. He’s going to need a few members of his original guild.

He’s going to need some Eight-Bit Bastards.

Book Two:

Sean and the Bastards have entered the Bitrealm, and so far it hasn’t been all 1-Ups and treasure. They’ve tracked Pliny down to a castle in the mountains to the north, and they’ll need every bit of their skills, honed while playing some of the first and greatest video games, to survive its depths. But it won’t be easy. The castle soon takes its toll, separating the party and pitting them against some of the most dangerous creatures they’ve faced yet - creatures that may not be what they seem. Something has been tormenting the souls of Afterall, transforming them into shadows of their former selves. And with every twist and turn the castle throws at them, that something is getting closer. Add in a devious AI, a skeleton who’s watched too much TV, and more retro gaming goodness than you can shake a joystick at, and you have Eight-Bit Bastards.

©2019 Joshua Mason (P)2019 Spectrum Audiobooks

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What Up homeskillets?!!

Joshua Mason returns more powerful than ever in his new series 8-Bit bastards. Personally, I look forward to the next books in his series including sixty-four bit SonsofBitches, eleven megabyte mother fu (Shut your mouth). Mmmmhmmm. Seriously, I enjoyed Mason’s Steam Alley book, but this one is where he seems to find his stride. He has substantive strife between his party members based on past actions, as well as the very subject of that strife being a reason for them to come together, that being the MC’s libido.

The premise is fairly simple, like an 8 bit game, People enter a virtual world where they will live out eternity; the game fills up and is shut down to any more entrants. There are multiple worlds and levels in the gameverse, but even that is not enough to keep the inhabitants from having seen it and done it all. All except for one eight bit game level that the players cannot game in because it drives them nuts. The game AI just so happens to shunt anyone caught trying to break into the game into that level and keeping them locked up there, don’t worry they can hack it have been indoctrinated to it before any other game worlds, but they are permanently trapped. Bad news for our heroes because one of their descendants has just gotten himself exiled there and they have to go off to free him.

That’s the premise, and the audio is comprised of two books in the series. They are fun jaunts and funny as hell in some spots. I really liked Nessler, the goofy boatman who calls everyone homeskillet and fires fingerguns at them. The story moves along well, and does a little spotlight on each character as they get their new classes in the 8 bit realm. I enjoyed the book(s) a lot and think that this is a cool world to visit, and I appreciated that we started the entire book already in game and didn’t have to wallow through going into the FIVER/Diver stuff or watch the characters muddle around picking their classes. Heck they were even skilled enough that they worked as a team pretty efficiently. This made the story move quicker, felt distilled (as if nothing extraneous was involved), and that we were able to get down to brass tacks rather than playing jacks waiting for events to unfold. There is also some intrigue and behind the scenes machinations going on that keeps things interesting. The only question that really through me off is that there is a player who takes copious notes throughout the book, and gets upset when his notes are ruined or lost, and yet everyone there has a photographic memory of anything that happened to them after they arrived, so there is no need to get upset over ruined notes as you could literally rewrite them line for line. Otherwise, I think it all worked well.

Michael Norman Johnson does his job. Like I said there are some honestly funny parts in this book ,and Johnson is half the reason they work. He could have seriously stubbed his toe trying to get Nessler right, but he nails the guy’s personality in just his voice, the same with the note taking party member. I enjoyed his pacing and his inflections, which gave the nice subtle hints as to what the characters were thinking. Mason made a good choice with Johnson. And here’s a disclaimer, as Forrest Gump once said, “No, we are not relations, sir.” So he earned the good word all on his own. And I totally need a Nessler Plushie now!!

Final score, 8 stars. I had fun with the book, which was mason’s intention all along, or else why would he call it 8-bit bastards? You’ll enjoy this too.

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A fun ride!

i drive for 10-11 hrs a day amd go through audio books like breathing. it can be difficult to find a book that keeps me as entertained as this one did. i look forward to more. thanks for the ride

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Cheesy, campy, and great

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

TLDR; Like a D&D campaign gone awry.

This is a fun listen, it's really got an early 90's D&D campaign, that the DM lost control of and just keeps letting things roll. The characters play with some "standard" character types, but they tweak them in fun ways. There's a lot of fairly "adult" humor, and the characters aren't really great people, but that's what makes it so much fun.

Overall, a fun listen, worth the time if you enjoy D&D or LitRPG. Avoid it if you don't care for "adult" humor.

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Nostalgia and Hilarity!

Great writing and narration in this Gamelit. Laughed out loud many times. A little bit of adult humor mixed in with this unique take a Gamelit that mixes the game up a bit. if you're an old school gamer you'll enjoy this.

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Great books

These books are great. So nostalgic. My first litRPG listen. I fear this is a one of a kind. I highly suggest it. You won't be able to stop listening! Give this a listen you won't regret it!

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Old school afterlife

Sean elected to have his consciousness transferred into a video game themed afterlife. After several hundred years, everyone has pretty much done everything. Fifty years ago, they closed down entrance for new people.

This is why it came as a shock when he found that a distant relative hacked into the afterlife. His great great was dropped into the 8 bit realm. This was an expansion that was designed for people who grew up in the 80s. However, it simply felt wrong there and everyone only lasted minutes in there. Sean needs to figure out how to rescue his great great. This will not be easy and they is if everything goes smoothly.

This is a great series with fun characters. There is strong language used in this book.

I did receive a review copy of this book per my request.

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Entertaining and light read

I received a review copy of this book and wasn't provided any additional compensation.

That being said, this book was easy to listen to. I didn't have to give it a lot of focus. It's a pretty standard LitRPG romp with the twist of centuries having passed since the characters joined their online world. The new angle of exhaustion with a forever after was interesting, and the RP1 style obsession with 80s gaming nostalgia kept it interesting.

The narrator did a great job, there were scattered (appropriate) sound effects, and overall I would recommend.

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Fun and Interesting

A great take on the what if we could download our minds to a server and live forever. Made even better with an original idea and well crafted characters. This is a book written well then wnhanced by its chosen narrator.

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exactly what i was hoping for

this hit every mark i was hoping for it to be. the story gives that nostalgic feel of old school gaming, while not over doing it. it's creative, and a very different feel than I've seen from litrpgs. characters were awesome, and that were executed well.

narration was awesome. voices were well done, and really brought it home with inner monologues without making it seem it was part of narration.

will definitely be looking forward to the next parts of this series.

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8-bit afterlife

new spin on the litrpg style. I really enjoyed this. alot of old game game jokes.. 8-bit jokes if you will.

the characters are developed well as well is the back story and environment. really like how the story progresses.

the narrator does a good job as well. well read. the music and background noises were well placed.

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