The Last and the Greatest

By: Sean C. Sousa

Narrated by: Chris Andrew Ciulla

Long ago, the first reign of Grigori Geist nearly destroyed the Earth.

Returned from exile, Geist is secretly rebuilding his kingdom beneath Antarctica, assembling his robotic Vaucan race to war against mankind. Only one obstacle remains: the war hero known as Brian Renney.

Yet Brian is losing a battle against his fears. Scars of heart and mind linger from his days in Vietnam, fueling his failures as husband and father. This embitters his youngest son, Jason - a star athlete torn between pursuing the love of his life, and meeting the demands of a father who is far from the storied army captain he once was.

And all the while, Geist is coming for them.

In this dark hour, Brian and Jason encounter a war to end all others...and an unexpected ally who, once meant for evil, shall forever be a force for good.

©2007 Sean C. Sousa (P)2014 Sean C. Sousa

Can't wait for the next one!!!

What other book might you compare The Forever Saga to and why?

I'm usually a Mystery/Suspense listener, but this was a nice change of pace. I will listen to its sequel.

What does Chris Andrew Ciulla bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He's a great narrator. Good pacing. Nice cadence. Brings color to characters. Appropriate accents and range. Kept me in the story for the entire run.

Beginning is slow but hang in there

Brian Renney is a war hero, only no one really knows it; no one except his men from Vietnam, especially Gregory Geist. Now, 40 years later, Geist wants to take over the world and he thinks he must eliminate Brian to have any hope of doing so. Geist sends one of his Vaucan to do the job; not just any Vaucan, but the most powerful of them, Prince Ahya.

Jason Renney is a college superstar, all but guaranteed to get drafted into the NHL. He’s a busy man with a lot on his plate: He needs to impress the pro scouts, major in psychology, win the heart of the woman he loves, and stop human trafficking in Altanta. All of this while still trying to make his father proud. A father that has been distant and is seemingly impossible to be made proud.

This book was a little bit of a slow starter, it began as more of a family drama than a Sci-Fi book. Not that I’m complaining, it was good, well written storytelling. I rather enjoyed that aspect of the story and it carried on throughout the book. It was about 1/3 of the way through the book before it really picked up the pace. Enter Prince Ayha; sent to destroy Brian and his family, but has a change of heart and ends up saving them. After which he gets aid from Brian to help improve his skills and fight the evil that Geist has sent after them…and the world. Does Brian still have what it takes to be a commander and hero?

Meanwhile, Jason sets off to Atlanta with is friends in hopes of helping stop the human trafficking problem that has developed there, only to find out there is more to it than meets the eye; and who is Gregory Geist?

This book was very well rounded, it has a little bit for everyone. Of course giant fighting robots were the selling point for me. That being said, this novel is much more than that. The relationship that develops between Brain and Ahya is great; one of my favorite aspects. The side story –if it can be called that– is just as important and interesting as the main plot, it was really good and tied a lot of things together toward the end.

I strongly suggest checking out this audio book. The narration by Chris Andrew Ciulla was exceptional, and the production quality was great. He delivered a great performance to a story filled with action, heartbreak, love, and self discovery. Oh yeah, did I mention giant robots battling for good and evil?

Audiobook provided for review by the author.

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Fantastic Story brought to life by Fantastic Narra

Would you listen to The Forever Saga again? Why?

I really enjoyed this book. The description and attention to detail are fantastic. Which really creates the mental picture we look for in SciFi. Chris does a fantastic job of creating drama and easily differentiates between characters. All in all, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!