The Paladin

By: Kevin G. Summers

Narrated by: Nick Wescott

Length: 1 hr and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

Devastated by the loss of his older brother, teenaged Jared Weiss dons a mask and cape in pursuit of vengeance. He becomes The Paladin. Unfortunately, the real world isn't like a comic book, and wherever The Paladin goes, disaster is never far behind. Will Jared be able to avenge his brother before he winds up in a grave beside him?

©2015 Kevin G. Summers (P)2016 Kevin G. Summers

Critic reviews

"Kevin G. Summers' The Paladin really stands out as worthy of note. The story focuses on a teenage boy who has no powers and decides to don a homemade style Batman suit to avenge his brother's death and rid his city of drug dealers. It's a fantasy every comic fan can relate to, as well as a deeply emotional tale of a young man's struggle to find himself and his place in the world. The story is also full of references to everything from characters like Green Arrow and Nightwing to Dungeons and Dragons, making it an even more fun listen if you're a geek yourself. Above all though, the story stays true to real life and evokes a great deal of sympathy for its protagonist." (Eric S. Brown)

A novelette now, but can be bigger soon...

Any additional comments?

This is a very interesting story. A very realistic modern-day hero tale. You will root for the hero, Jared, but the pragmatist in you would want him to hold-off on the super-hero stuff. The story can be developed to a novel, or a TV series. Who knows?

A very good listen (with an additional short story, "No. 38") but the sound effect as the book segues to another scene/chapter was a bit too much.

As a disclaimer, I have to say I got the audiobook for free.

A Good Hero Story Rooted in the Real World

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The Paladin was a great story, and the bonus short story makes this purchase even more worthwhile. I think I enjoyed No. 38 more than the main attraction.

What did you like best about this story?

Kevin Summers does a great job of writing concise stories that quickly grip the reader and submerge them in the world of his creation.

Solid Short Story

If you could sum up The Paladin in three words, what would they be?

Realistic Hero Story

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Paladin?

The most memorable moments are when Jared has to make hard decisions while fighting the pain and grief of the loss of his brother.

Excellent audiobook

I really enjoyed this short / novella sized audiobook. It's a wonderfully crazy tale of a teenage vigilante/superhero, who fumbles his way though various mishaps!!

The bonus story is a well done story revolving around the discovery of a very rare comic by a teenager & some important life lessons learned! This makes a nice 'wind down' for the audiobook.

Just plain fun...

What made the experience of listening to The Paladin the most enjoyable?

I absolutely loved the pairing of these 2 stories. One story The Paladin is about a mixed-up kid still hurting from his brothers murder and who wants to make the world right, cause the cops certainly aren't doing it and with a little creative vigilantism he's looking for a way to get even. His plan make himself a hero just like in the comic books! Come on I'm not gonna tell you what happens, get the audible version of this book! Plus bonus the second story is about finding a rare comic book and what happens. So much fun! Seriously.

What other book might you compare The Paladin to and why?

This is actually 2 coming of age stories and I'd put it up against any action comic hero story...

What about Nick Wescott’s performance did you like?

Nick Wescott is a fantastic reader...

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

The book is short enough that you'll find it coming to an end before you even notice.

A Realistic Take on a Teenage Hero

If you could sum up The Paladin in three words, what would they be?

Realistic teenage superhero

Who was your favorite character and why?

The Paladin, since he's a realistic version of someone like Robin.

What about Nick Wescott’s performance did you like?

He sounded young enough to be the character.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I wanted to, but I wasn't able to.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this story.

very enjoyable novelette with bonus short story

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I think this is a very talented author, who was able to illicit strong feelings and reactions through his written word, and the narrator did a fine job of conveying them verbally. I will definitely be looking for other works by this author from now on.

Any additional comments?

I won this audio book from another authors giveaway, so I had no idea what to expect from this book or the author. Both stories were quite enjoyable and entertaining. I was very pleased with the author and his ability to write a wonderfully descriptive story that can be enjoyed by adults and young adults alike. I think if he were to remove the swear words in it, and some suggestive situations, he would be able to appeal to older teens as well. I like the fact that both books on this audio convey a sense of a lesson learned, and show that you do not have to stoop to the level of the world around you to achieve a favorable outcome. Unfortunately, I see this less and less the more I read.

I felt the narrator did a good job as well. He could switch rather seamlessly when another character was speaking without sounding silly or corny, and conveyed the emotions the characters were feeling quite well. I don't often listen to audio books, but this author and narrator had me rethinking why it is I don't more often.