The Last Grand Master

Champion of the Gods, Book 1

By: Andrew Q. Gordon

Narrated by: Joel Leslie

Length: 13 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

In a war that shook the earth, the six gods of Nendor defeated their brother Neldin, God of Evil. For 3,000 years, Nendor and the Seven Kingdoms have known peace and prosperity and Neldin's evil was nearly forgotten.

But then Meglar, wizard-king of Zargon, unleashes the dark magic of the underworld and creates an army of creatures to carry out his master's will. One by one, the sovereign realms fall as a new war between the gods threatens to engulf Nendor.

Leading the opposition to Meglar is Grand Master Farrell. Young and untried, Farrell carries a secret that could hold the key to defeating Meglar - or it could destroy the world.

Farrell is joined by Nerti, queen of the unicorns, and Miceral, an immortal muchari warrior the Six have chosen as Farrell's mate. As Farrell and his new allies make plans to counter Neldin's evil, Meglar forces their hand when he invades a neighboring kingdom. Rushing to help their ally, Farrell and Miceral find themselves in the middle of the battle. Cut off from help, Farrell attempts an untried spell that will either turn the tide or cost him and Miceral their lives.

©2015 Andrew Q. Gordon (P)2017 DSP Publications

Loved this story.

I found it extremely refreshing that the story not only had gay characters at the center of the story but that those characters did not get twisted into some erotic fantasy porn novel that I have seen from other authors. The characters were normal just like everyone else. Thank you author.

Different Fantasy

I honestly did not know what to expect with this story. I don't know if I would have enjoyed reading this (odd names and some mind numbing explanations ) but listening to Joel Leslie and his voice acting made the story really enjoyable. Once I got past giggling at the weird names It was really engaging. I hope Joel Leslie gets to narrate the others

Ooops?

This review is for the audiobook.

I can't believe I never reviewed this. Andrew Q. Gordon is a new author to me but I have always been a sucker for high fantasy and the reviews were positive. The clincher for me though was the person performing it. Joel Leslie is easily one of the best audiobook performers out there. It really does his talent a disservice to simply call him a narrator. His ability to bring a story and it's characters to life is absolutely fantastic.
The Last Grandmaster is no exception. the story itself starts off with a bang, and is instantly captivating. Even if I had read this rather than getting the audiobook I'd be highly satisfied. Add in Joel however, and it turns a great story into an epic one.

I'm dieing to get my hands on the sequels. I haven't heard if the rest of the series will be released in audio format but I'm keeping my fingers crossed and ears perked because I can't wait.

Wonderfully Written, Wonderfully Told!

What a fabulous story!

Romance, adventure and truly round characters (even the minor ones are so vividly drawn!) make this one of the finest books I've listened to in a long time. There was humor and pathos too; on a number of occasions I laughed aloud, at other times tears welled up. These are characters you can't help root for. Farrell, for instance, has such a giving, selfless heart, yet despite his being a prince and one of the most powerful wizards of his age, he thinks of his own failures and doesn't realize the depth of his courage or the true nobility of his soul.

The plot drips with intrigue and suspense and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. Absolutely riveting from start to finish. I just couldn't stop listening.

It's so refreshing to find a book driven by a thrilling plot and rich wonderful characters, and isn't just another collection of graphic sex scenes cobbled together and masquerading as a story.

Happily, the excellent writing by Mr. Gordon is accompanied by an equally stellar performance by Mr. Leslie, who breathes life into every character. Together, writer and reader make for a work that's just plain superb in every way. I'm so glad I stumbled on this book! Already it's one of my favorites.

When oh when are the sequels coming out??

Great story, Really great performance.

What a fun listen! Gordon weaves a story that's keeps you engaged the entire time. You cheer for the hero - and his mate. It's a fantastic fantasy world without being too sweet or juvenile. The beginning of a great epic series. If you like Robin Hobb, you'll enjoy this book.

Leslie does a really great job with multiple characters and multiple accents. Leslie kept me engaged even in periods of complexity. His performance ensured you absorbed all of the detail that makes the story so great.

3.5 stars

The first half of the book felt extremely rushed and left a bit to be desired in explanation. the second half focused more on romance and some comedy with story line sprinkled in until the end where it all came together. the narration... I cracked up at some of the voices. I knew it was a serious moment, but when a Scottish voice popped in, I lost it. Overall. I would give it 3.5 stars overall, but felt the second half and end justified the stories 4 stars.

Amazing story!

This is my second time through this book, but my first listening to the audio version. The performance was entrancing. I didn't want to turn it off!

A favorite story of mine..

I appreciated the character development - - the soul of a selfless hero whom gives whatever he must for the safety of all. If you enjoy fantasy/action adventure /Gay Character development was focused more on relationship development verse explicit sex acts (I thought it was well done) .. I have read all the books in this series and look forward to their Audible presentations!

Frustrating

It’s like the author had a brilliant story in their head, but didn’t really want to take the time to fill out their story. So instead they got it to the outline stage and just polished that. You can see it in how time jumps around randomly with out and lead up or explanation. It’s also obvious in how overly powerful the main character is compared to everyone else which makes the story less believable and more unbalanced. And there are allot of short cuts like oh we want there to be a relationship but we don’t want this to just be a story about that so god said this was the person. So day two of meetings we are moving in together. It’s just not completed well. Don’t get me wrong I like the general ideas allot. It just has an overwhelming feeling of being a work in progress instead of a completed book. I almost wish I hadn’t read it because I really want this to be completed and then read the final product. But as it’s published that means it’s done. It’s a cool and interesting story though. This book should have been broken intel at least two books. And possibly had a novella telling us about the parents and grandfather. If I were the author I think I would be mad that the editor didn’t tell me that all I had was a great outline, then have been more upset with the publisher for letting this be published before it was done.

Can't stop listening to this again and again.

This is an amazing series. The voice narration of this epic saga is spot on with what you would expect and really brings the characters to life.

I have found myself re-reading the series and hearing the voices in my head in the way the narrator portrays. The accents and different voices are clear, well thought out, and truly get you into the life and action of the series.

The entire series will soon be on Audible and I can't wait!