The Black Hood

Kingdom Society, Book 1

By: Nathan Helm

Narrated by: Nathan Helm

Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

Alyeth Zane never expected he’d be forced to leave his home at only six years old. He never dreamed he’d end up in the future living a life he didn’t know. If it hadn’t been for his wonderful mentor and protector Xylok saving him, life could have been very different.

Alyeth faces many tough choices along his journey to becoming stronger, and of course, figuring out how to beat the evil Black Hood.
Together with his sister Cindrel, his master Xylok, and many more allies they make along the way, they will press forward. But will they be able to get strong enough to destroy evil itself?

©2022 Nathan Helm (P)2023 Nathan Helm

Phenomenal Narrator

It took a little time for me to get into the story but after a couple chapters, I was committed to it wholeheartedly. Not only did I read but, I also swapped it up and got to listen to it on Audible as well thanks to the amazing Nathan Helm!

Good vs Evil is always something that I love to dive into and this story was nothing short of that. Plenty of detail, learning about the characters and all the trials that they had to go through to defeat their enemy. The small added touch of first love in it was a good way to my heart.

Nathan does an AMAZING variety of voices for his OWN book. I repeat... HE NARRATES HIS OWN DAMN BOOK!!! The accents and voices were phenomenal and added to the story.

Cindrel won my attention and love in this book, reading about her growing up and her, I wanna say not exactly backstory but what she had to go through really made me hurt for her. I'm excited to read more about her in the upcoming book!

THE START TO A WHOLE NEW EPIC SAGA

Kingdom Society: The Black Hood is the flashpoint for a bizarre and spectacular saga that isn't afraid to take risks and mix concepts in the best possible ways. Nathan Helm a fresh and clearly talented author takes a kind of genre kit bashing approach with the series that mixes perfectly to produce a fascinating world which feels real and natural without clashing against its own fictional aspects.

Characters are alive and vibrant within an impressively large cast that somehow keeps all characters in focus and intriguing never falling to the background and forgotten. Kingdom Society has an old world quality to it but maintains a new and modern style that allows for a wonderful fusion of the best traits of old and new.

Nathan Helm has masterfully crafted a world that is silly and playfull at times but always stays well rooted and grounded to execute hard hitting emotional scenes. You will cheer when our heroes triumph. You will laugh as they poke at eachother with charming banter while they bond. You will cry and rage when they fail. You will bond with those heroes as they, heartbroken, push on anyway with renewed resolve.

This book is an absolute must read for fans of; Deltora Quest, Harry Potter, Star Wars, The Lord Of The Rings, The Riftwar Saga, subtle pop culture, and even a shot of anime.

Clearly the sequel will be even more intense and spectacular as this is only the opening chapters for this insanely engrossing world.

Nathan Helm masterfully narrates the story with very high quality method. Each character in a very large cast has their own voice complete with accents mannerisms and vocabulary. Very well done Mr. Helm.


One last thing I would like to add to this review.

My favorite character is Xylok. A truly ancient warlock with a penchant for mad science and witty humor. Xylok is a bit like Gandalf if Gandalf rolled out of a bush and hosed down a squad of bad guys with an enchanted plasma rifle. A truly fun character. Xyloks almost comical nature betrays his old wisdom and willingness to use anything he can to protect those he loves.

Characters like this are the backbone of the series and they await you in the thrilling world of Kingdom Society: The Black Hood

Wow

Not only is the narration absolutely stellar the story line is amazingly well done. Can’t wait to listen to more from this narrator and author

Awesome Story!!!

Character driven, mind melting twists and turns! I love this book. I love the narration how he captures every characters essence individually. I can't wait to see how the series evolves over time. Hands down best narrator ever. He's not the typical monotone that a lot of narrators seem to have. Each character has their own voice and likeness to an extensive degree. Much respect!

I want to see the Anime adaptation🤗🤗🤗

Lord of the rings came to mind when I started this book. I love the twist and turn the story takes you through. The narration makes the story a 3D like experience. The potential of this saga to be an Anime tv series is so high( At list that's the way the story was absorbed in my mind).

Absolutely AMAZING!

I loved everything about this book and how it’s laid out. Alternative worlds, time traveling, dragon, warlocks, witches, Merlin, you name it it’s in this book all things magic.

I could go on and on about this book but I’m too eager to read the second book and I don’t want to give any spoilers away.

I will say if you love fantasy or magic books THIS IS YOUR BOOK! I not only want copies of his books but I’m going to see if it is possible to get signed copies as well. For this to be his first ever book and self published I’m in awe of Mr. Helm!

I both read the book on Kindle Unlimited and downloaded the book on Audible and I am so excited to read the second book!

The author narrates his own books and he is hands down the best narrator I’ve ever heard with the changes in accents and different characters! I’m a huge reader and I also listen to tons of audiobooks and he’s the BEST narrator I’ve ever heard in my life.

A unique twist on the Fantasy Genre

This was a very unique story. Nathan Helm has built an exciting world with great character development. This was like no other fantasy book I had listened to before. The complex world building and interesting characters make for an exciting and fun story. I look forward to continuing this series!

A good slow burn story

Some stories start with an immediate hook, others give you a slow burn. You have to invest the time to get hooked. This is one of those tales. The best thing about stories like this is they tend to be deeper and last longer. This is a well written and well narrated tale set in a universe ripe for expansion. Can’t wait to see more in it. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Best voice work

Nathan Helm not only wrote an exciting adventure-filled story with badass characters, but he brings the story to life with amazing voice work. I would listen to Mr. Helm narrate anything. Check out this story if you love sci-fi, fantasy, and action!

Captivating voice acting.

Voice actors often struggle with a large range and tonality for their characters. Captivating narration and character voices is what allows audio books to bridge the gap between the standard reader and television consumers.

Nathan's voice acting proves to be captivating throughout. The fact that the author himself was able to show off such a strong range of voices in addition to writing this exciting story is quite impressive.

I'm looking forward to hearing book 2 in audio form.