Author: Ambrose Zack Adams
Narrator: Ivan Andres Ley
Length: 11 hours and 23 minutes
Publisher: Kinetic Grappling
Series: The Serpent’s Heir, Book 1
Released: Jun. 11, 2020
Genre: Dark Fantasy
When Lucian Draco becomes the youngest person to ever be accepted into the Valiant Minds School of Magic, the fact that magic even exists at all is as much knowledge as he has on the subject. After a lifetime of being sheltered by his father, Lucian is more than ready to learn where he fits into the magical community…but the answer is more complicated than he’s prepared for. Thrust into a new world of competitions and rivalries, fast friends and faster enemies, Lucian soon discovers he’s no ordinary mage – he’s the living host of a long-dormant spirit called the Dragon of the Mind, born with power and intelligence beyond his wildest dreams. But there’s a reason Lucian’s father kept the truth of this power hidden from his own son, and it’s not the only secret being kept. With supernatural threats looming on the horizon, including a bloodthirsty vampire aching to restart an ancient war, getting through school is about to become the least of Lucian’s worries.
From the time Ambrose Adams was a child, he enjoyed emerging himself in the worlds of fantasy and sci-fi. When reading books, watching television shows or movies, the mysterious worlds and creatures captivated Ambrose’s young mind and left him anticipating the next new realm. While continuing to be an avid reader through his adulthood, Ambrose started to have ideas of new worlds, characters, and stories for books of his own. However, he loathed writing, which made him hesitant and unsure of where to start. After 2 years of research, writing, revisions, more writing, and editing Ambrose wrote his first book – The Unseen Blade Book 1 of the Serpent’s Heir. He is looking forward to the doors this experience has opened and has already started writing the next book. When not engaging in his newfound hobby of writing or spending time with his wonderful family, Ambrose enjoys exercising, gaming, and training. He runs a successful Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school in College Station, TX. He was born and raised in Indianapolis, IN.
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Audio book narrator Ivan Andres Ley was born in 1992 and grew up in McKinney, Texas. From his earliest days, Ley’s parents and grandparents instilled a love of reading and a love of listening to others read aloud. He still remembers vividly the times he was sent to dreamland by his grandmother’s readings of Dr. Suess and sitting wide-eyed listening to his father read The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe from C. S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia. Ley’s thirst for reading was never sated, and before long he began to read to others, beginning as early as elementary school by reading to his younger brothers. His love of storytelling and the performing arts led him to study music and stage craft, and he holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from Oklahoma State University and a master’s degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Houston. Ley currently teaches music and performs in operas professionally, but he never forgot his love of reading aloud for others. The Unseen Blade, Book 1 of The Serpent’s Heir is Ley’s first professionally published audio book. He hopes you will enjoy it and look forward to more audio books narrated by him soon.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Ambrose Adams. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
Q&A with Author Ambrose Adams
- Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook.
- This is kind of a fun story because I didn’t plan on making an audiobook. During a DND (Dungeons ‘n Dragons) session, I was telling my group about my book. I was telling them how I was wrapping up and getting ready to publish in a couple months. My buddy Ivan, the Ranger of our party, who is an opera singer, said how he would love to get into audiobook narration. I said I would love to have my book in audio, and that I would do it; but I’m terrible. He did a copy accent for me, and the rest is history.
- Do you believe certain types of writing translate better into audiobook format?
- Not really. I’ve listened to self-help books, mysteries, to low fantasy to high fantasy. Whether you like the writing or not, that is what keeps you engaged. And how well the narrator can bring that writing to life.
- How closely did you work with your narrator before and during the recording process? Did you give them any pronunciation tips or special insight into the characters?
- Initially I was closely involved with the narration process. I constantly gave feedback on the characters, how they should sound, and how I wanted the characters to be performed. Ivan went with my suggestions and then kind of created his own performance. Which was extremely cool because I got to be like the rest of the listeners – hearing a performed rendition of the book for the first time.
- Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
- Yes, I love audiobooks. Audiobooks is actually what got me back into reading. My first audiobook was The Hunger Games. I love the fact that I can listen and read. While I’m driving, doing yard work, and any other type of physical activity I can listen. It takes me to another world.
- If this title were being made into a TV series or movie, who would you cast to play the primary roles?
- I have an idea of what the characters would look like, but the problem is the ages. Some of them would be too old to play the characters.
- Ricky Whittle is an actor I had in mind for Lucian who is the main character. He is the main actor on the tv show American Gods. He has the look and build similar to Lucian; but, unfortunately he is a little old to play the character.
- Chole Grace Maretz as Anna. Her portrayal in the movie Kick-Ass is something that fits a character like Anna throughout the whole story. Again, she might be too old to play the part; but, you know how Hollywood is.
- What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
- I’ve heard this and think it’s kind of crazy. It just depends who you are and what you prefer. My wife hates listening to audiobooks, and it’s actually harder for her to gather all the information through audio. Everyone absorbs material differently.
- Have any of your characters ever appeared in your dreams?
- No, however I have found myself thinking about different characters and the different decisions they would make – when I’m driving, watching tv, shopping to flesh out character development.
- What’s your favorite:
- Food – Pizza
- Song – So Beautiful – Musiq Soulchild
- Music Artist – Jay-Z
- Book – The Name of the Wind – Patrick Rothfuss
- Television show – The Boys – on Amazon
- Movie – a tie between The Matrix and Avengers End Game
- Sports team – Indiana Pacers
- Hobby – Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- Are any of those things referenced in appearance in your work?
- Combat sports is a definite influence. I used jiu-jitsu techniques to help me in writing the fighting sequences.
- What’s next for you?
- I am currently working on book 2 of The Serpent’s Heir. I am finishing up the final act of the story and getting ready to send it to editing.
Ambrose Adams’ Top 10 Literary Inspirations (author and their work)
- Homer -The Odyssey
- William Shakespeare-Macbeth specifically
- Scott O’Dell – Island of the Blue Dolphins
- William Golding- Lord of the Flies
- JK Rowling- Harry Potter – Goblet of Fire
- Seamus Heaney-Beowulf
- Orson Scott Card-Ender’s games
- J.R.R. Tolkien – Lord of the Rings
- Seven King – Dark tower
- Brandon Sanderson – Warbreaker and Reckoner series
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