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Orphans, Assassins and the Existential Eggplant Kindle Edition

by J.T. Gillett (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 54 ratings
See all formats and editions
March across medieval Europe with an army of misfits. Train with teenage killers in the mountains of Persia. Get juicy gossip from a wisecracking vegetable.

Orphans, Assassins and the Existential Eggplant takes you on wild ride through the early 13th century with a female alchemist, orphan teenager and an ancient, shrunken eggplant that can speak to whomever wears it. In search of the fabled Lost Stone of Eden, they cross Europe and the Mediterranean with the Children’s Crusade, hijack a caravan in the Sahara desert, live with hashish-fueled Assassins in the mountains of Persia and rediscover paradise on the island of Bahrain.
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  1. Print length
    283 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    May 12, 2015
  5. Reading age
    13 - 18 years
  6. Grade level
    8 - 12
  7. File size
    1019 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"...Orphans, Assassins and the Existential Eggplant is a frolicking adventure that lightly addresses topics such as the meaning of love, friendship, morality, and Paradise. It presents a world both fantastical and real for the reader and would be a great read for anyone who enjoys humor, fantasy, and a touch of existential philosophy." -- 5 STARS The Portland Book Review

"This story is magnificently entertaining. There are very fewbooks written that have the imagination and creativity worthy of expensiveon-screen production. This book is one of them. I would pay to watch thesecharacters come to life in theaters - but not just any production. This book isonly fitting for a large-scale production comparable to The Lord of the Rings,The Hobbit or The Narnia Chronicles." --CJ Leger Book Reviews

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00XLMBBB6
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ (May 12, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 12, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1019 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 283 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 54 ratings

About the author

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J.T. Gillett

J.T. Gillett

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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

J.T. Gillett holds degrees in philosophy and journalism from the University of Oregon and studied at Naropa Institute’s Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics.

His accomplishments include meditating with Allen Ginsberg, chanting inside the Great Pyramid, climbing Mt. Shasta, marrying the woman of his dreams and raising two children who turned into amazing adults.

By day, he works as a writer and editor for a leading Global 2000 writing agency based in Ashland, Oregon and hikes the beautiful mountain trails on weekends. At night, he creates stories that combine reality with fantastic, peculiar characters and events--and sometimes he writes them down.

His stories and poems have appeared in a variety of Literary Journals since 1978, including City Lights Review 6 (1994), edited by Lawrence Ferlinghetti.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
54 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Cody R
5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to follow and ripe with drama
Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2015
Verified Purchase
Whether your interest is first piqued by the intrigue of a talking eggplant or mention of mystical secrets lost to the sands of time, Orphans, Assasins and the Existential Eggplant surpasses expectations. Easy to follow and ripe with drama, this novel follows Aaron Sloopshire's serendipitous adventures through adolescence and around the globe. Unique and untraditional, the novel satisfies both the pragmatic considerations of adulthood and the idealism of youth with a plot that hinges neither on a Panglossian optimism nor an overly cynical pessimism. Whether it's between windy sand dunes or inside abandoned castles, there's no lack of suspense and surprise. A richness runs throughout Aaron's story that succeeds in bringing the character to life within the novel and within the reader. His story manages to shed light on both the reality of disappointment and the unrelenting promise that purpose is to be found in the most unsuspecting places. Ultimately, the novel achieves a symbiotic synthesis of reality and fiction that inspires its readers to look beyond the habituated conceptions of normalcy. Inspiring, thoughtful, and, most importantly, fun, Orphans, Assasins and the Existential Eggplant is a novel that manages to hold entertainment and wisdom between two covers.
5 people found this helpful
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Gloria Antypowich
4.0 out of 5 stars Even if this isn’t your usual style of book—venture out of your comfort zone and hitch on for the ride.
Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2015
Verified Purchase
Even if this isn’t your usual style of book—venture out of your comfort zone and hitch on for the ride.
I probably wouldn’t have given this book a second glance if I hadn’t read the book review by Paul Rerucha. The image of him reading the book as he flew to Hawaii, and enjoying it so much that his wife kept asking him what was so funny as he giggled and laughed in his seat caught my attention, and I decided to read it.
Orphans, Assasins and the Existential Eggplant was a fun read—I giggled too…but it was more than that. The book was like nothing I’ve ever read before—a mixture of myth, history, fantasy, youthful dreams and reality. It was entertaining and thought provoking. Who could imagine a shriveled up eggplant as a conduit of guidance, wisdom, sarcasm and humor. I was amazed when Layla gave the priceless piece to Aaron Sloopshire in the first place.
I was glad that I went along for the ride—
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to try a different piece of literature!
16 people found this helpful
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Robert A McLellan
5.0 out of 5 stars Be prepared for an eggplant that steals the show.
Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2015
Verified Purchase
Right from the first page, the author was able to grab my attention with careful description and believable characters. For me, the sign of a good writer is one who takes the time to describe the environment around the main characters with vivid detail. That's what I found throughout the book, right up to the last page. I not only enjoyed the characters and their individual journeys, but also learning about all of these events that happened throughout history that I was unaware of. I don't want to give the plot away, but the eggplant was my favorite character by far. I loved his carefreeness as well as his wisdom and frankness. I want such an eggplant hanging around my neck.
8 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars A very entertaining book fictionally chronicelling lives during times of the Crusades.
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2016
Verified Purchase
Normally I do not like reading books with elements of unreality being so prevalent. But this book was very enjoyable and well written. The many alchemical references really made the period believable. Character and plot development was done well. Throughout, the eggplant was amusing and entertaining. I recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction.
3 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Orphans, Assassins and Eggplant
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2017
Verified Purchase
Oh my . . . What a wonderful journey you have taken your readers on J.T. Gullet. The eggplant drew me into the storyline. When i read the synopses and cause my curiosity to flared into purchased your novel. I am not disappointed and went along for the ride into your world of storytelling. At times I did fine the journey long and winded. but the end results was a worthy read.
One person found this helpful
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B. H.
5.0 out of 5 stars I don't read a ton of books for pleasure but ...
Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2015
Verified Purchase
I don't read a ton of books for pleasure but I did read this one on the recommendation of a friend. It kept me captivated and I ended up finishing it in 2.5 days. This is the kind of book that makes me want to read more often.
6 people found this helpful
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Anne H. Egbert
1.0 out of 5 stars Could not make myself read it
Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2017
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It was so bad I did not even finish it. ridiculous story.
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Michael Boggs
5.0 out of 5 stars Orphans, Assassins, and the Existential Eggplant
Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2017
Verified Purchase
An excellent read. I enjoyed every page. I highly recommend it for readers from teenagers to grandfathers (which I am one.)
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

T.Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun read and an insight to a medieval Europe!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 9, 2016
Verified Purchase
Great book! Aaron is a really likable character and the eggplant is very funny! I especially liked the part about the Children's Crusade - didn't expect that in this novel, but the descriptions and situations seem plausable enough. Recommended!
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Jacobite
2.0 out of 5 stars Amusing tale
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 25, 2015
Verified Purchase
But not really to my taste.
Too many stories within stories: started out well enough but then got a little silly.
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