If you're on the hunt for a book that's a rollercoaster of emotions, action, and wit, look no further than this gem. Narrated by the incomparable Wil Wheaton, the audiobook version is a masterclass in storytelling. The tale centres on Alexander, who may look 15 but is actually much older, thanks to a mysterious genetic quirk that grants him a snail-paced ageing process. He's an Immortal, but not the paranormal, superhero kind; he's an ordinary teen who ages very, very slowly. And that has allowed him a lifetime of adventure, mingling with significant historical figures.

The plot is a whirlwind, blending historical escapades with a present-day chase that sees Alexander and his friends running from mysterious villains. The motives are kept under wraps until the end, adding a layer of suspense. Despite the action-packed day feeling a tad unrealistic, the excitement factor is through the roof. This book is a delightful mix of humour, history, and heart-pounding action. A must-read that's both light and gripping.

Now on the hunt for the next book and the time to read it.

"Alexander Grant is a little too good at a few too many things. Two dozen martial arts. Twice that many languages. Chess, the piano, sports, sleight of hand, school. It would take most people a lifetime to master everything he has. Actually...it's taken Alexander MUCH, much longer than that. For decades, he's been forced to hide his talents and live in obscurity. It's not that he wants to go unnoticed. It's just safer for everyone that way. That is until a mysterious cabal attempts to kidnap him and kill his friends, Alexander must use all his skills and centuries of training to outrun and outwit the most dangerous man alive, the mastermind of a plot that will change the world forever.

Clever, intriguing, skillfully woven with humor, ALEXANDER X launches us on an epic journey toward a future few of us will survive, rising from a past we never knew existed."

Absolutely riveting and funny. I love this book. Wil Wheaton narrated brilliantly. The historical alterations were so believable. Maybe they are true, it's that good.

This is one of my favorite books I've read in a long time, and I'm really not sure why it isn't more popular. Part of the appeal, however, is the voice actor reading it! I don't usually like audiobooks over reading it myself, but this guy was *made* to read audiobooks. Fun and entertaining book that reminded me of the Percy Jackson series!!

My thanks to Babelfish Press for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘Alexander X’ by Edward Savio. The audiobook edition is narrated by Wil Wheaton. My apologies for the late feedback.

This is the first in Savio’s Battle for Forever series of YA science fiction action thrillers. Both it and Book 2, ‘Ancient Among Us’, were published in 2019. Book 3, ‘The League of Auld’, is currently in the works.

The protagonist and narrator of the novel is Alexander Grant. He appears to be a typical teenager though is undoubtedly gifted. Yet he soon reveals that he is about to celebrate his 1,500th birthday! Alexander is one of a small group of humans that age only one year in every hundred. They hide in plain sight though in the modern world this is becoming increasingly difficult.

After Alexander sets the stage, he and two school friends are attacked by some mysterious baddies and are forced to go on the run. No further details to avoid spoilers.

Once the action begins it’s one crises after another. This intense pacing proved a bit much for me though I expect that it will suit its intended Teen/YA readership. Yet overall I did enjoy it, especially the character of Alexander.

With respect to the audiobook, Wil Wheaton is one of my favourite narrators and more than once I have bought titles due to his involvement. He excels with this kind of story with its cheeky central character, who always has a quip to hand despite the dangers. It is quite a humorous novel.

The audiobook also includes the opening chapter for Book 2, again narrated by Wheaton. His involvement with the series encourages me to continue. If rating on its own I would have given the book 3 stars, yet the audiobook edition gains it an extra star.

Alexander Grant may look like your typical teenager, but he has a secret – he is one of about 1000 people who age only one year for every 100 years he lives. Every year, he moves to a new small town to avoid suspicion. When a mysterious group tries to kidnap him, Alexander is forced to go on the run with his best friend and his crush, using the skills he has honed over the centuries to try to stay one step ahead of them.

Wil Wheaton did a phenomenal job of narrating the audiobook! I enjoyed the premise of the book, and the action kept me hanging on to find out what would happen next. My only qualm with the book would be that Alexander seemed to find himself with an unbelievable amount of history-makers throughout his “childhood”. Nevertheless, I can’t wait to pick up the next book in the series to find out what happens next!

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.

I'll be honest- while the plot of the book seemed interesting, the main reason why I chose to review this book for Netgalley (thank you to them and the publisher for a free copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review) was because Wil Wheaton narrated the audiobook, and he really made the story for me. Savio's story was good, but Wheaton's narration really took it that extra mile. The concept was interesting, the pacing was good, and I liked the characters, but again, Wil Wheaton really brought them alive for me. Definitely a fun read though.

2.5 Stars

Alexander X is a young adult action adventure alternate history story that follows a 1500 year old guy, Alexander, who is an eternal (which means he ages about 1 day for every 100 that he's alive). Stuck with the body and mental capacity of a 15 year old, he is trying to keep his identity a secret and blend into normal teenage life until suddenly other eternals appear to have it out for him. What follows is an adventure full of dry humour, heart, and interesting historical factoids/speculations that I might recommend to fans of the Percy Jackson franchise who have slightly aged past that depending on their preferences for story structure.

Going into this story, I really didn't know anything about it other than that Wil Wheaton narrates it and I decided to give it a try based on that alone. While I really enjoyed Wheaton's narration (as always), I really struggled with the story structure and writing style of this book as it didn't suit my personal tastes at all. Essentially, this book throws you into action scenes where you don't have any understanding of character motivations or the larger context of why things are happening until the climax of the book so I found it really difficult to stay invested and feel tension with those elements missing until the end of the story. I also wasn't a fan of just how often the action scenes are interrupted by exposition throughout the entirety of the book as it really detracted from the momentum and the pacing for me.

I really felt as though the author was entirely focused on Alexander at the expense of other elements of the book and while he was interesting and multi dimensional, I found the side characters and villains to be quite lackluster and flat. I also felt that he was so centrally focused on in the narrative that some of the situations the author put him in (in the historical moments specifically) felt unrealistic and like he was unnecessarily injected into them. Everything seemed to be a little too easy or convenient for him and I wish that he had experienced more challenge and adversity throughout his adventures.

Finally, the use and exploration of Indigenous culture in this book just didn't sit right with me. I would be really curious to hear from an Indigenous reviewer on this book and will attempt to seek one out because there were things that felt inclusive and interesting at times (such as the invention and gameplay of lacrosse) but other things that felt insensitive or even offensive at other times (such as the suggestion that contrary to recorded history a tribe was hired to wipe out another tribe for European colonists).

As this doesn't play into my tastes, I won't be continuing on with the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Babelfish Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest review.

A wonderful take on a familiar premise. And one of the best books I’ve read in years! If I were a bit younger this would be my obsession. Instead my older self is simply enthralled. It has well rounded characters, entertaining phrasing, and exciting action scenes. I could easily see this being adapted into a series or movie in the next few years. The humor, historical tidbits, relatable characters and edge of your seat action is unmissable!
The audiobook is narrated by the great Wil Wheaton himself and as such is masterfully done. He’s one of my favorite audiobook narrators. His ability to create unique voices and enact various dialects is practically unmatched. I’m so happy Netgalley gave me the opportunity to review this.

I listened to this as an audiobook & I was obsessed with Will Wheatons Voice. This is a very original story that pulls you into young Alexander’s story immediately. What I loved about this book? I loved the characters, the fun and fast pace of the book. It was funny, light and yet gripping at times and great action. Very enjoyable listen.
Alexander Grant is a teenager who seems to be excellent at everything he does, but likes to stay hidden in the shadows and stays away from the spotlight… why ??? It’s because Alexander has a secret he doesn’t want others to find out?
He has lived a very long life… how long you ask? Over a 100years. Alexander is exposed by this when a mysterious other tried to kidnap him and kill his friends.

I listened to the audiobook version narrated by Wil Wheaton. This was a very fun listen. Lots of action, sarcasm, and an interesting plot. A whirlwind of adventure. Trying to explain this to someone, I said it was "An adventure packed, real world, young adult, martial arts, escape from the known and unknown, mystery, with a touch of The Martian type explanations of history from the main character (I think the history is a twist on actual US history. I'm not a historian so I'm not sure if there is more truth to the twists or not, but they are believable in the descriptions from the main character)." I was engaged and entertained the whole way. A few times the explanations got a little expansive, but it adds to the main character and the reader's understanding of how he is so experienced and capable. He has lived a very long time. I loved this story and will listen to the next audiobook which is narrated by Wil Wheaton also.

This series has been well received by youth who are phasing out of the 39 Clues / Rick Riordan series and looking for a similarly exciting story, intended for a slightly older crowd. I found the audiobook to be entertaining and engaging, and ended this book ready to jump into book #2.

"Though many have the ability to be great few have the ability to be good "

Just like the theme of many of my favorite comic books like The Avengers, X Men, and Superman, Alexander X (Book One of The Battle For Forever series) is all about being a hero despite the hardships.

In this world building to the series the author has created a fun premise with endless possibilities for future stories. In fact fact Book Two, Ancient Among Us is already out and Book Three, League of Auld will be available 6/21/22.

Our hero, Alexander, looks like any average 15 year old high school student except that he is 1500 years old and has been through high school numerous times. He is one of an elite group of the population who have a genetic defect (mutant?) That has him aging one year for every 100 years is alive.

The formidable Wil Wheaton perfectly narrates Alexander's adventures with equal amounts of snark, frustration, tension and hilarity. Imagine learning about history you were a part of and knowing that what is being taught is a lie. Or dealing with acne for over 300 years. Or at 1500 years still going on first dates.

Everything changes when an evil cabal knows his secret and tries to kidnap him. What they don't expect is Alexander has had centuries to learn many forms of martial arts, has had debates with the likes of Shakespeare and has read all the books.

With a mix of Marvel heroes from The Eternals to X Men, to comedies like Bill And Ted's Excellent Adventure and even a bit of Forest Gump this story is perfect fun for all ages.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publishers via #netgalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

I'm not normally a sci-fi reader but I was intrigued by Will Wheaton being the narrator. It was an interesting story that kept me engaged but I wasn't invested in the story or characters. I had to force myself to finish the book. Not my cup of tea.

The first audiobook I listened to and finished. An exciting experience to listen to someone speaking for 9+ hours. However, I imagined a different storyline based on the prompt I had read at the beginning. The whole audiobook was filled with action but I was not that engaged. It is also written nicely and it's simple to understand, but I felt like the story was missing something deeper. Moreover, we did not learn anything that would resolve the conflicts discussed in the book, just barely, all of it might have been put into the second book. All in all, the concept excited me and the book made a nice company with calming storytelling, but it did not charm me in the end.

This book looked like it would be a perfect fit for me… I love YA, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, and Will Wheaton as a narrator. Unfortunately, it wasn’t.

I didn’t really connect with the protagonist at all and there were too many history explanations for me. To make it worse, sometimes they completely interrupted the plot. The book seemed to drag and I was not at all compelled to finish it and it took me forever to force myself too. Will Wheaton’s narration was a savings grace.

I will not be reading any more books in this series.

*Easy listen
*Likeable protag
*Pleasant narration

I don't really have too much to say. It was fine. Nothing groundbreaking but enjoyable enough.

Thank you so much to @netgalley and Edward Savio for an audio copy of Alexander X in exchange for an honest review!

I originally requested this book because I saw that Wil Wheaton was the one narrating the story. He did an amazing job narrating the Ready Player One series, and his rendition of this book was equally as wonderful. He really brought all of the characters to life and made it a very engaging book to listen to.

The story itself was enjoyable. The author created very dynamic characters who represented the "high school experience" well. I found some of the parts to be slow, and it seemed to take a long time to get to the action. But overall I think it was a good mix of sci-fi and realistic fiction that most YA readers would enjoy.

Excellent YA Fantasy. Wil Wheaton does an awesome job of narration. I very rarely give 5-stars. This one deserved it!

Alexander X by Edward Savio is an action packed adventure featuring almost-immortals and a fantastic fantasy meets reality setting. Alexander has been a highschooler for many, many years and has successfully hidden his identity - until now. When his secrets are exposed and he has to fight for his life, he unwittingly brings along his fellow classmates on a hilarious epic adventure. This story was narrated by the amazing Wil Wheaton and he does a great job bringing the characters to life. I enjoyed how the author balanced humor with action and the sidekicks were great additions to the story.

Audiobook received for free through NetGalley

Loved the story. Chose it for the narrator and then got stuck in the storyline. Definitely putting the next ones on my want to read list.