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Nicky Blue
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Escape From Samsara: A Series & Standalone of Sci-Fi Comedy (Prophecy Allocation Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Nicky Blue (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 411 ratings
See all formats and editions

He thinks he's a deadly time-travelling ninja. But, he's Barry Harris, and he still lives with his mum.
(OVER 300 FIVE STAR REVIEWS ACROSS AMAZON AND GOODREADS!)

Barry's been patient, but after 27 years of trimming hedges for people he hates, he's had enough. All he wants to do is to find his missing father and to discover his inner ninja. But life’s not done with throwing him curveballs. A fatal mistake catapults Barry into the adventure of a lifetime.

With talking hedges, samurai ghosts, meddling psychotherapists, and an inexplicably non-linear time pattern conspiring against him, Barry must do battle to save his hide, unleash the ninja within, and rescue his father from an ancient army, a dark sorcerer, and a raging inferno.

Perfect reading for fans of Douglas Adams, Robert Rankin, Tom Holt or Christopher Moore.


What the reviews are saying:

'I read it in one night. Quite a few times I laughed out loud and my husband had to ask me what was going on.'

'It's very rare to find a book that relates to my humor, this author got it spot on.'

'I've read a lot of first books since I got my Kindle and I have to say this is up there with the best.'

'The story oozes with a dark humour.'

'Very funny laugh out loud lines along with scenarios that make you cringe on behalf of poor Barry.'

'I was cracking up from the first line.'

'This book was roaring fun.'

'A Confederacy of Dunces across the pond with ninjas. And it totally works. The book was enjoyable and flat out hilarious.'

'There are so many wonderful and unpredictable gems in this book.'

'This is a fun, bizarre, and unique read that stretches the imagination.'

'A crazy journey into a dark and funny world.'

'You've got gardening, ninjas, Buddhism, bowel humour, time travel, violence and grannies. What's not to like?'

Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 2
    Prophecy Allocation
  2. Print length
    118 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    December 13, 2017
  6. Reading age
    16 - 18 years
  7. File size
    3138 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Couldn't have picked a better book to read. Right up my street & just love the storyline! So worth it." ★★★★★(Amazon Reviewer)
Action, comedy & bizarre. All in all, I'd say it goes well with a nice cup of tea." ★★★★★ (Amazon Reviewer)
"This book is utterly bonkers - snort out loud, split your sides and wet your knickers funny. The plot speeds along at full throttle, twisting and turning like a spinner dolphin on LSD." ★★★★★(Amazon Reviewer)

"Super fun story, action packed, great characters, laugh out loud moments and a protagonist that is totally loveable. Nicky Blue has built a world that will expand your mind whether you like it or not! You will be rooting for Barry during his adventures and misdemeanours. A welcome break from reality!" ★★★★★ (Amazon Reviewer)

"Fabulous story! Very entertaining and funny." ★★★★★ (Amazon Reviewer)

About the Author

Hi i'm Nicky, I am from Brighton in England. For years I played and wrote songs in an alternative rock band before going back to university and studying English Literature and Philosophy. I now have a passion for writing fantasy and dark comedy stories. I recently worked as a translator on the planet KELT 2Ab in the Andromeda Galaxy. That didn't last very long though as the commute was killing me. I also write a blog about what it's like being an indie author and how to coexist in different time realities. I am normally ready for bed by 10 pm.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07894XRDQ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ (December 13, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 13, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3138 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 118 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 411 ratings

About the author

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Nicky Blue

Nicky Blue

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Hi, I’m Nicky, I am from Brighton in England. I have a passion for writing dark comedy & sci-fi fiction. I recently worked as a translator on the planet KELT 2Ab in the Andromeda Galaxy. That didn’t last very long though as the commute was killing me. Come and join in the fun on my reader’s list at: www.nickyblue.com/read

Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars
3.8 out of 5
411 global ratings
The humor is dark and very British...
4 Stars
The humor is dark and very British...
Escape from Samsara: A Dark ComedyBy Nicky BlueAudio Narration by David Morley HaleDisclaimer: I received an audio version from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and views are my own. I must state that I was unable to complete the audio version. I could listen to Mr. Hale all day long and way into the night but I would only understand about 3/4 of what he said. I was constantly 2-3 sentences behind. So I gave up and read the book.Barry is a fifty something gardener who wishes he was anywhere else besides Mrs. Sharrod’s yard when a pair of eyes peering out from a hedge catches his attention. Terry, it turns out, is an ethereal being of sorts, a problem solver and full of advice. I’m thinking this is good as Barry appears to need all the help he can get. There were a few chapters in the beginning that seemed disjointed and choppy to me. They did, however, provide some insight into the workings inside Barry’s head, his thoughts and demons. I quickly learned that Barry has a very significant bowel problem and is a Ninja warrior wanna be. So begins my travels into Barry’s world of absurdity and ridiculousness with a good dose of dark comedy and potty humor which, in some cases, only a Brit would get. All of the characters are a bit odd, colorful and slightly off kilter. All of this added to the flavor of the story. The author took them all and expertly stitched them together like a patchwork quilt from Oz. Nothing is as it seems.I was drawn into the story when Barry finally arrives in Samsara. It was hilarious that’s all I’m going to say except a few low giggles did escape my lips. Barry’s next adventure continues in Hot Love Inferno: A Comic Fantasy. I already have my paperback copy!
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Top reviews from the United States

N. N. Light
5.0 out of 5 stars Move over, Monty Python’s Flying Circus!
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2018
Verified Purchase
Move over, Monty Python’s Flying Circus! A new player in dark comedic fantasy has emerged and he’s bringing British humor to the masses.

Barry is your typical bachelor, only he lives with his mum and one fateful day, a shrub starts talking to him. Barry thinks it’s utter bullocks but it gets him thinking about his dad who disappeared years ago. Maybe he’s a ninja after all and taking the advice of the talking shrub, finds himself in an adventure. He’ll have to use all his ninja skills to not only save his own skin but his long-lost father as well. Will he succeed and reunite his parents or is this all an illusion of a crazy person?

I haven’t laughed this hard since Monty Python was on the telly. I kept hearing Cleese, Gilliam, Idle acting out the scenes as I read. It’s so well done and will appeal to anyone looking for a momentary escape from the humdrum routine of life. Quirky characters, whip-smart comedic dialogue makes this a must-read!

Highly recommend!

My Rating: 5 stars
2 people found this helpful
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Adriana Fox
3.0 out of 5 stars Unique touch to mystery
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2018
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ESCAPE FROM SAMSARA
A COMIC FANTASY NOVELLA
AUTHOR NICKY BLUE
RATING : 3.5 OUT OF 5 STARS.

While I found this book an interesting read as an American it was a bit confusing to me with the British English terminology. The main male character seems to be in an older age range which was a new twist I have yet to encounter. There is a mystery to solve and he is the character chosen to handle the task. Both his father and sister have gone missing. He still has his mother which in her own right is quite a character as well. During his mission to find his missing family members he encounters even more odd occurrences then I truly expected the story itself had a lot of interesting twists to this, however I did find it a little more than confusing trying to figure out certain aspects of the story line not only due to being an American English reader but there was a number of grammatical errors.
Reviewing the cover of the book it’s nicely done, however I would have choosen a bit of a different cover image. The free copy I received has no influence on my review itself. The reason I gave the book a 3.5 star review was due to the above formentioned issues that I personally took into consideration.
I would still recommend this book to other reader’s cause I did find it comical even though I had my issues it is still a great read for those who like comedy and a bizarre fanatasy twist added to the mix! I feel in my personal opinion that the author could have more successful endeavors if he focused on making a series out of it where one aspect could have been the portion of what was supposed to be today's society.
Then he could have made a second book out of the time traveling portal and branched that into many series of novellas due to the nature of the portals abilities itself.
The reason why I suggest that as a change for the author to consider is I do see great potential there, however it was hard for me to enjoy the book itself fully due to what I am calling a ping pong effect. The bouncing between this era, and all the odd story twists makes you have to try to figure out what is even happening while you are in the middle of the story or paragraph even. I would also recommend some more editing being performed on the context of the pages since some of the errors I commonly found were simple misspellings. I hope that this review doesn't come across to harsh I just would like to read more from
this author and as I stated if the book or books are reworked a little bit adjustment wise I think it would vastly improve the enjoyability factor for all reader's. This being said I did enjoy the book itself it had some odd comical aspects and the author for me truly put his own unique touch on how a mystery can be told.
3 people found this helpful
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Maureen J. Grenier
4.0 out of 5 stars Fast Fun Dark Comedy
Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2018
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The story is described by the author as a dark, comedy, fantasy adventure, and it certainly is all that. Our hero is a fifty-year-old gardener who communicates with Terry, a talking hedge, and that is the least peculiar twist in this weird and wild fantasy. Barry goes on a quest to find his missing father and release his inner ninja, which plunges him into time travel adventures fraught with such dangers as death, an ancient army, and samurai ghosts while coping with the horrors of irritable bowel syndrome and time toilets. Prepare yourself for lots of bathroom humor, and a growing attachment to Barry’s eighty-two-year-old mum, who is stalled in a time warp of heavy metal music, which makes her the most loveable of all the characters. It is a fast, fun read.
2 people found this helpful
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kindle reader
5.0 out of 5 stars get the drift
Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2017
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Barry Harris is a gardener, a hedge trimmer who talks to Terry Watkins “Terry the Hedge”. He’s in his fifties and still living with his eighty-two-year old mum, Molly, sharing a cramped one-bedroom flat with her in Portslade, a small seaside town, on the south coast of England.

On his dad’s seventy-sixth birthday, twenty-five years ago, Barry’s sister Mindy and dad Yamochi Harris goes missing. Since his dad started teaching Barry the sacred art of ninjutsu on his sixth birthday, Barry has modeled himself on the ninja warrior and became ordained as a Buddhist on his fortieth birthday. By day he works as a gardener, but by night he relives the terrifying recurring nightmare he’s had since his dad disappeared.

Will Barry succeed in his mission to find his dad? Will he become a true ninja?

The cast of characters include Robbie Jarvis, Merril, Mrs. Gann, Little Timmy, Timmy’s cat Miss Miggles, Timmy’s daddy/Melanie, Doctor Harper, Mrs. Harper, Joanna Tarry/Madame Zanzibar, Brian, Mandy, Doctor Thomas Gilpgunter, Mr. Law, Ms. Hannah McCann, Armitage Frank, the samurais, Haruki, and Chantel.

You’ll encounter dead bodies, IBS “irritable bowel syndrome”, time toilets, a fascination with bodily functions, bad odors, passing of wind, gas baby … you get the drift?
3 people found this helpful
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BarbarinaS
3.0 out of 5 stars Not for everyone
Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2019
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I am all for trying something new and this was different. It was all over the place and I failed to see the point until I realised it was darkish humour, a little like Horrible Histories. It is well-written and clever language is used to create often disturbing images.
I admire the author for doing something different and it deserves a look. Whilst it wasn't for me I still enjoyed the read.
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Top reviews from other countries

Jennifer
5.0 out of 5 stars Very entertaining and funny.
Reviewed in Canada on April 29, 2018
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Fabulous story! Very entertaining and funny.
2 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Unique read for me. Interesting!
Reviewed in India on March 30, 2019
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I really loved how the story is crafted. Overall it was an intriguing read for me. I wish to read more from this author and I think there would be similar kind of new story ideas that I assume would be an interesting read for others as well.
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Tommy C
5.0 out of 5 stars Bad Buddha Barry!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 15, 2018
Verified Purchase
So. We need to talk about Barry. He echos the inner calling we all feel; a longing, a desire, a greater purpose. He battles with demons that seek only to thwart his journey to greater good. And he makes a God almighty catastrophe of it all on the way!

Nicky Blue creates a Terry Pratchett like step into a demented and toilet humour ridden world. Full inanity and absurdity. But Barry's desire to reach his goal permeates the insane with desperate moments of tenuous Ekhart Tolle-esque wisdom.

Diving from disaster to to disaster, and like a true Mr Bean adding chaos to choas on the way, Barry rides shotgun on the road to enlightenment! Nicky' imagination jumps about like a bunny on crack in the midst of a Derek and Clive sketch. Dark and disturbing in equal measure to hilarious.

A great first novella and a lot of fun.
One person found this helpful
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Samantha hinton
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastical!!
Reviewed in Australia on August 19, 2019
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My sides hurt while reading this book. A great storyline of the greatest ninja ever, a heavily metal old lady and a cockney spirit guide, contributed in this book being hard to put down. A must read!
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Kevin Cannon
4.0 out of 5 stars Mad but Fun
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 31, 2023
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Barry thinks he's a Ninja, but he's not. This is a mad story of unbelievable situations that is very entertaining despite it's ludicrous plot
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