
The Last Gifts of the Universe
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Robyn Holdaway
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Ayesha Antoine
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Chris Thompson
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By:
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Riley August
About this listen
A dying universe. A search for answers. An adventure at the end of a trillion lifetimes.
When the Home worlds finally achieved the technology to venture out into the stars, they found a graveyard of dead civilisations. What befell them is unknown. All Home knows is that they are the last ones left–and whatever came for the others will one day come for them.
Scout is an Archivist who scours the dead worlds of the cosmos for their last gifts: interesting technology, cultural rituals–anything left behind that might be useful to Home and their survival. During an excavation on a lifeless planet, Scout unearths something unbelievable: a surviving message from an alien who witnessed the world-ending entity thousands of years ago.
Now Scout, their brother and their sometimes-fearless, space-faring cat, Pumpkin, must race to save what matters most.
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Multiple races carefully navigate the City of Elantra under the Dragon Emperor’s wing. His Imperial Wolves are executioners, the smallest group to serve in the Halls of Law. The populace calls them assassins. Every wolf candidate must consent to a full examination by the Tha’alani, one of the most feared and distrusted races in Elantra for their ability to read minds. Most candidates don’t finish their job interviews.
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Performance
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Looking for a new fantasy romance series that combines the "snarky mortal woman navigates a world hostile to her species" vibes of The Serpent and the Wings of Night with the "questioning my chastity vow in the face of this hot new mysterious male in my life" energy of From Blood and Ash plus the "we're conducting an investigation together but are struggling to keep our hands off each other" tension of Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood? The Memory Puller just might be your next obsession.
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Loved IT!
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- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Annie Bot was created to be the perfect girlfriend for her human owner Doug. Designed to satisfy his emotional and physical needs, she has dinner ready for him every night, wears the pert outfits he orders for her, and adjusts her libido to suit his moods. True, she’s not the greatest at keeping Doug’s place spotless, but she’s trying to please him. She’s trying hard.
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Good, but not great
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However, as the story progressed and began to focus more heavily on the subplot involving the dead alien scientist and their partner, Avran, the momentum faltered. What started as a poignant mystery began to feel repetitive and tedious in the middle sections. While these details were meant to deepen the emotional weight of the story, I found myself losing interest in this subplot, as it detracted from the main storyline’s urgency and the Archivists’ mission.
By the time I reached the ending, I was left wanting more—a more compelling and impactful resolution that tied the earlier intrigue and subplots together in a satisfying way. The story felt as though it had so much potential to deliver an emotional and meaningful conclusion, but it fell short of fully realizing it.
Despite these pacing and resolution issues, the book does contain moments of emotional resonance and introspection that fans of character-driven science fiction may appreciate. For me, though, the middle section lacked the focus and energy of the book’s promising start, and the ending didn’t quite deliver the payoff I had hoped for.
The Last Gifts of the Universe offers a unique and contemplative take on grief, legacy, and memory. While it didn’t fully meet my expectations, it may still resonate with readers who enjoy introspective and melancholic science fiction.
A Strong Start That Struggles to Maintain Momentum
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Terrific audiobook!
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The meaning behind this book is so hidden but once discovered makes you think about your own life in a different way
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also the story is cool and well written and the characters are great and the voice is strong.
this author has an orange cat and it shows
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Underwhelming
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