Listen free for 30 days

  • Off to Be the Wizard

  • Magic 2.0, Book 1
  • Written by: Scott Meyer
  • Narrated by: Luke Daniels
  • Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (311 ratings)

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Off to Be the Wizard cover art

Off to Be the Wizard

Written by: Scott Meyer
Narrated by: Luke Daniels
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $37.71

Buy Now for $37.71

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

An io9 Can't Miss Science Fiction and Fantasy title in March 2014.

Martin Banks is just a normal guy who has made an abnormal discovery: he can manipulate reality, thanks to reality being nothing more than a computer program. With every use of this ability, though, Martin finds his little “tweaks” have not escaped notice. Rather than face prosecution, he decides instead to travel back in time to the Middle Ages and pose as a wizard.

What could possibly go wrong?

An American hacker in King Arthur’s court, Martin must now train to become a full-fledged master of his powers, discover the truth behind the ancient wizard Merlin…and not, y’know, die or anything.

©2013 Scott Meyer (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

What listeners say about Off to Be the Wizard

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    207
  • 4 Stars
    70
  • 3 Stars
    24
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    4
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    216
  • 4 Stars
    43
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    3
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    173
  • 4 Stars
    63
  • 3 Stars
    30
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    4

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Ben
  • 2018-01-15

It's funny, over the top, and a good time waster

If you want a half-decent comedy fantasy plot with some good cultural references and half-hidden grade three humour read by a narrator who REALLY gets the ridiculousness of the book, then this is the audio book for you! If you don't like that, well... you probably wouldn't have looked at the book anyways.

Off to be the Wizard is about Martin, a young man who stumbles across a computer program that turns out to be the code of the universe (or at least, Life), which he finds out he can manipulate to suit his needs, or more accurately his wants. Think physical characteristics, time travel, and teleportation. This naturally leads to bank fraud and an escape to England in 1160. Naturally.

What do you do in medieval England when you have the power to control anything and everything? Try to become Merlin, the most famous wizard in the land. Except Martin really can't control his newfound "powers" all that well and the locals are not that impressed. Because they already have a wizard. Actually, they have a few.

What follows is a grand adventure full of hi-jinx and disaster until one wizard is found to be manipulating local villages to create his own version of Middle Earth (ok, that one threw me for a loop, I didn't expect the whole plot - which had seemed so original - to hang on something like that). Epic battles ensue, surprises are surprised, and twists are twisted.

The plot was funny, the flash-forwards to Martin's parents were good and the concept of a bunch of computer hackers faking magical powers to escape the law in their own time was fun. That said, I thought the book could have stood on it's own without the main antagonist resorting to Tolkein (the rest of the cultural references were nowhere near as key to the plot) and there were a few characters I would have liked to see developed more.

The narrator was what made this book - Luke Daniels was HILARIOUS and really played up the wizard voices. His inflections and acting fit the silliness of the plot perfectly, while also providing things other narrators don't. For example, when Martin talks with his mouth full and then chokes, Daniels sounds like his own mouth is full of food and that he too is just recovering from something going down the wrong pipe. The narration is definitely over the top, but it works. I will listen to the next book in the series just for Daniels' performance.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Cringe

This book reads like it was written by a redditor, for a redditor. Do not purchase if you are above the age of 16.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story, good comedy/Fantasy

Well composed story. Good break from serious books. Predictable but enjoyable. Good pop culture references

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing ride!

Luke Daniels can take any story and make it memorable but when he has something as great as Off to Be the Wizard he leaves me completely blown away. The pace of the story moves along well and the sci-fi concepts are explained clearly enough to not make computer literacy a requirement for enjoyment. The characters are all unique and memorable making it easy to follow each of their stories.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting premise but took too long for a payoff

I thought the initial premise for this story was pretty interesting, but as a whole, it felt like 90% set-up with the last 10% as the pay off.
It took so long to get to any type of conflict that I was starting to question if anything was going to happen.
By the end, I would say, I moderately enjoyed the story. Better than average but not great.

Luke Daniels killed it. I mean, there are so many different voices I would swear that there was more than a single narrator.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Rob
  • 2022-12-01

Great performance, good story.

The performance and story were great, but some descriptions (missing explanations) can be confusing.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

My first audio book and I loved it

The performance was great 10/10 the story is just such a joy to listen to, you wont be blown away but I thoroughly enjoyed the entire book never a bland moment 9.5/10

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

My first audiobook AND the best story I've heard

I finished the 10 hours and 45 minutes of this audiobook within the last 28 hours. It was so good I suprised myself laughing out of my lungs by myself in my appartment and thinking that if anybody had seen how much I had laughed, by myself, they would think that I was crazy. Not only was the story creative to the point where, contrary as everything, I didn't even expected or thought about how it was gonna develops, it was also so good I could believed what kind of diamond I've found. Thanks to the corridor crew and their video with Markiplier, I'm here, on audible, for the first time of my life, and I'm glad to be!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Kind of dull

A great performance but the story never evokes excitement or really fleshes out on the premis of life being a computer simulation.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Light and funny

Luke Daniels (a narrator) is amazing! It’s like going to a theatre, each character were alive and their voices really complimented their personalities! Although female voices are something similar to each other :P

Very light and funny story, great to relax and free your head from everyday worries, good listen before going to bed or while driving.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!