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The Forever World #1
The Forever World
On a routine border patrol, pilot Zane Lucas encounters a mysterious cluster of drones. When he reports it to the Scorpius head office, they quickly sweep it under the intergalactic rug and place him on leave.
That same night, Zane is contacted by an estate lawyer from the distant planet Earth and learns he’s the sole beneficiary of a person he’s never met. Determined to get answers, he finds himself thrust into a dead man’s quest, along with a resourceful colleague, Julia Rossi.
Zane’s mission is tied to an old myth based on The Forever World book.
His father used to read it at bedtime, before he went missing during a bloody war with the Gral twenty years earlier. Their alliance is on the brink of collapse and the revolution is just beginning.
Can Zane find The Forever World, if it in fact exists?
Would this fabled planet help restore the balance?
Time is running out, and the drones are multiplying.
That same night, Zane is contacted by an estate lawyer from the distant planet Earth and learns he’s the sole beneficiary of a person he’s never met. Determined to get answers, he finds himself thrust into a dead man’s quest, along with a resourceful colleague, Julia Rossi.
Zane’s mission is tied to an old myth based on The Forever World book.
His father used to read it at bedtime, before he went missing during a bloody war with the Gral twenty years earlier. Their alliance is on the brink of collapse and the revolution is just beginning.
Can Zane find The Forever World, if it in fact exists?
Would this fabled planet help restore the balance?
Time is running out, and the drones are multiplying.
- GenresScience Fiction
377 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 9, 2024
365 people are currently reading
164 people want to read
About the author
Ethan Rhodes
8 books6 followersEthan Rhodes is a science fiction author and professional coffee drinker. He lives in Upstate New York with his wonderful wife, and two space coyotes. His debut novel, The Forever World, is now available.
(source: Amazon.com)
(source: Amazon.com)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
May 21, 2024
A mastrerpiece.
I loved this book. The story was complicated a little bit but not so much as to make you tired of it all. Just enough to keep you from putting it down.
I loved this book. The story was complicated a little bit but not so much as to make you tired of it all. Just enough to keep you from putting it down.
January 9, 2024
all about Zane
Zane. With a name like that we know he’s the protagonist or better yet the hero but it doesn’t seem to start off that way. Zane is a space patrol officer and he discovers some unknown drones which attack his partner before he eliminates the threat. What does he get for it but an early retirement and the blame for disturbing the peace as the human race is essentially subjected to a secondary citizens beneath an alien race The Gral. Both the humans and gral would like to destroy each other but there’s a new enemy and it seeks to destroy both.
Zane. With a name like that we know he’s the protagonist or better yet the hero but it doesn’t seem to start off that way. Zane is a space patrol officer and he discovers some unknown drones which attack his partner before he eliminates the threat. What does he get for it but an early retirement and the blame for disturbing the peace as the human race is essentially subjected to a secondary citizens beneath an alien race The Gral. Both the humans and gral would like to destroy each other but there’s a new enemy and it seeks to destroy both.
February 10, 2025
Don't bother!
This could have been good, unfortunately it is badly written with wooden characters . Gave up halfway through. Luckily only cost 99p
This could have been good, unfortunately it is badly written with wooden characters . Gave up halfway through. Luckily only cost 99p
February 22, 2024
A new author to me and a new series which might or might not be a good series. This book was very interesting but it was pretty complete as far as the story was told. I’m not sure how this will lead to other books in the series.
Zane Lucas is a starfighter pilot now flying for a corporation called Scorpius. He was flying in the DMS (Demilitarized Space). He could do his flying here because his starfighter was classified as a corporate asset and not a military asset which was prohibited in the DMS. This DMS was set up by the Accord, an agreement between humans and the Gral. This Accord signified the end of their war with it known that the Gral had lost, or supposedly had lost.
Under the Accord, humanity had given up a lot of things that should not have been surrendered. The Gral were now integrated into everything the humans did. Gral were part of the oversight function known as “Moderators”. They had human Moderators too and even the High Moderator was none other than Audrey Young. The Moderators were charged with ensuring the rules and agreements in the Accord were kept. The only problem, well, the biggest problem was that humans had no oversight of the Gral. There was only one human allowed on the Gral home planet and he was there only as an observer. While the Gral had lost the war, humanity had lost a lot, lot more. Their military had even been disbanded per the Accord but on one knew what had happened to the Gral’s military!
Understandably, there was a lot of discontent among humans about the Accord. Still, Zane felt that was all above his pay grade. All he wanted to do was fly his starfighter and look for his father’s lost ship, the *Antares*. That ship had been commanded by his Father and was lost during the Colony Wars against the Gral. No one had any information as to where it might have been lost, but Zane was determined to find out about it as much as he could. That caused his recent problem. He had left his wingman/person, Jaz, alone while he went to look for an anomaly. While he was gone very briefly, Jaz came under attack by armed drones. She called for his help and he responded too late. Her starfighter was destroyed but she was able to eject and get rescued by a nearby freighter. Zane found that space around Dracon was being flooded with these drones. They didn’t appear to be human or Gral made.
Upon returning to base, Zane is understandably grounded. While not in the military, he was under the same kind of rules and one of which was that you did not leave your wingman/woman ever! So, he was wondering around not knowing what he was going to do and even if his career with Scorpius was over. Then he got a message from Scott and Scott and Associates, Little Knife, Minnesota, Earth. This message was to change his entire world. And this is where the story really kicks off. He’ll soon meet a young lady name Julia Rossi.
Zane’s Father had mentioned several times that he knew of a place called the Forever World. It was actually written up in a children’s book but that book had no author and there was nothing in the book clearly identifying the location of the Forever World. Yet Zane knew his Father had found it and that might be where he was now if the story of his being killed in the war weren’t true. They only had the Gral’s say so about his Dad’s death and that wasn’t good enough for Zane. Julie Rossi was also very familiar with finding things, mostly artifacts from very distant and bizarre places. Circumstances placed these two people together for a reason and they were going to find out all they could about the Forever World.
As I said, a very interesting and exciting book. I doubt that humans would be so stupid to enter into a peace accord with there provisions so one-sided agains their civilization growth or even it’s protection. There could be other alien civilizations out there in deep space that could be a lot more powerful than the Gral, but how was humanity supposed to defend itself if they continue to live under these terrible Accords?
Book 2, Invisible Colony, is available for pre-order on Amazon and should be out by 5 March 2024.
Zane Lucas is a starfighter pilot now flying for a corporation called Scorpius. He was flying in the DMS (Demilitarized Space). He could do his flying here because his starfighter was classified as a corporate asset and not a military asset which was prohibited in the DMS. This DMS was set up by the Accord, an agreement between humans and the Gral. This Accord signified the end of their war with it known that the Gral had lost, or supposedly had lost.
Under the Accord, humanity had given up a lot of things that should not have been surrendered. The Gral were now integrated into everything the humans did. Gral were part of the oversight function known as “Moderators”. They had human Moderators too and even the High Moderator was none other than Audrey Young. The Moderators were charged with ensuring the rules and agreements in the Accord were kept. The only problem, well, the biggest problem was that humans had no oversight of the Gral. There was only one human allowed on the Gral home planet and he was there only as an observer. While the Gral had lost the war, humanity had lost a lot, lot more. Their military had even been disbanded per the Accord but on one knew what had happened to the Gral’s military!
Understandably, there was a lot of discontent among humans about the Accord. Still, Zane felt that was all above his pay grade. All he wanted to do was fly his starfighter and look for his father’s lost ship, the *Antares*. That ship had been commanded by his Father and was lost during the Colony Wars against the Gral. No one had any information as to where it might have been lost, but Zane was determined to find out about it as much as he could. That caused his recent problem. He had left his wingman/person, Jaz, alone while he went to look for an anomaly. While he was gone very briefly, Jaz came under attack by armed drones. She called for his help and he responded too late. Her starfighter was destroyed but she was able to eject and get rescued by a nearby freighter. Zane found that space around Dracon was being flooded with these drones. They didn’t appear to be human or Gral made.
Upon returning to base, Zane is understandably grounded. While not in the military, he was under the same kind of rules and one of which was that you did not leave your wingman/woman ever! So, he was wondering around not knowing what he was going to do and even if his career with Scorpius was over. Then he got a message from Scott and Scott and Associates, Little Knife, Minnesota, Earth. This message was to change his entire world. And this is where the story really kicks off. He’ll soon meet a young lady name Julia Rossi.
Zane’s Father had mentioned several times that he knew of a place called the Forever World. It was actually written up in a children’s book but that book had no author and there was nothing in the book clearly identifying the location of the Forever World. Yet Zane knew his Father had found it and that might be where he was now if the story of his being killed in the war weren’t true. They only had the Gral’s say so about his Dad’s death and that wasn’t good enough for Zane. Julie Rossi was also very familiar with finding things, mostly artifacts from very distant and bizarre places. Circumstances placed these two people together for a reason and they were going to find out all they could about the Forever World.
As I said, a very interesting and exciting book. I doubt that humans would be so stupid to enter into a peace accord with there provisions so one-sided agains their civilization growth or even it’s protection. There could be other alien civilizations out there in deep space that could be a lot more powerful than the Gral, but how was humanity supposed to defend itself if they continue to live under these terrible Accords?
Book 2, Invisible Colony, is available for pre-order on Amazon and should be out by 5 March 2024.
November 14, 2024
Armistice ending a war nearly settled two decades ago is fraying - 5 stars
Humans and Gral are unequal and dissatisfied. The former adversaries have a governing structure that formally shares governing limited such that the Gral have the ultimate say on the human colonies. Humans want more freedoms and more resources. The Gral appear to be hostile and are suspected of harboring a desire to exterminate the humans and claim the human territories for themselves. As the story opens, unexplained drones have been detected and are thought to have been dispatched by aliens, most likely the Gral.
The armistice following the war between the Gral and the humans slightly more than two decades ago (which avoided the annihilation of all human-occupied territory) still brings bad feelings. Human war heroes are mostly dead, too old to fight, or merely dissatisfied with the decline of human prosperity. We view the human perspective which has many unanswered questions. Zane, a pilot assigned to the DMZ between Gral and human territories thinks of his father, a missing war hero, and a much-loved children's book entitled the "Forever World" in which peace prevails.
Technological breakthroughs include dark matter fuel enhancement and "walkways" connecting distant worlds with nearly instant travel. Centuries have passed since humans started searching the stars for planets that could be terraformed and Earth's bounty has diminished; humans are still ambitious, wily, and independent.
A popular uprising against the governing body is evident. One group calls itself the "Salvagers" and has been adding support for an insurrection for years. The Salvagers have devised a plan to usurp power in a coordinated attack. The time is now. A link to the coordinates of the storybook world has been found. Perhaps the imaginary technology is real and can be activated after all. Time is running out before the uprising and likely Gral crackdown. Hang on.
The "Forever World" is the first book in the "Colonies" trilogy. The Forever World is not a cliffhanger. The story continues with the "Invisible Colony" followed by the "Frozen Outpost". I plan to read both follow-ons.
Humans and Gral are unequal and dissatisfied. The former adversaries have a governing structure that formally shares governing limited such that the Gral have the ultimate say on the human colonies. Humans want more freedoms and more resources. The Gral appear to be hostile and are suspected of harboring a desire to exterminate the humans and claim the human territories for themselves. As the story opens, unexplained drones have been detected and are thought to have been dispatched by aliens, most likely the Gral.
The armistice following the war between the Gral and the humans slightly more than two decades ago (which avoided the annihilation of all human-occupied territory) still brings bad feelings. Human war heroes are mostly dead, too old to fight, or merely dissatisfied with the decline of human prosperity. We view the human perspective which has many unanswered questions. Zane, a pilot assigned to the DMZ between Gral and human territories thinks of his father, a missing war hero, and a much-loved children's book entitled the "Forever World" in which peace prevails.
Technological breakthroughs include dark matter fuel enhancement and "walkways" connecting distant worlds with nearly instant travel. Centuries have passed since humans started searching the stars for planets that could be terraformed and Earth's bounty has diminished; humans are still ambitious, wily, and independent.
A popular uprising against the governing body is evident. One group calls itself the "Salvagers" and has been adding support for an insurrection for years. The Salvagers have devised a plan to usurp power in a coordinated attack. The time is now. A link to the coordinates of the storybook world has been found. Perhaps the imaginary technology is real and can be activated after all. Time is running out before the uprising and likely Gral crackdown. Hang on.
The "Forever World" is the first book in the "Colonies" trilogy. The Forever World is not a cliffhanger. The story continues with the "Invisible Colony" followed by the "Frozen Outpost". I plan to read both follow-ons.
December 22, 2024
As soon as the alien Gral were found in human space, the war commenced
Years of war were resolved with the death of the Gral leader in a contest to finish the conflict between the warring races. The Accord was formed between human and Gral. The Gral seemingly had the better side of the Accord with Gral Moderators everywhere in human space while humans were not allowed into Gral space. The Gral waited impatiently for the Accord to be broken so they could end the inferior apes finally! The humans were also waiting for an end to the Accord. Zane Lucas, last of the famous Lucas family whose past was tied to the Forever World. Rumor had it that the mythical land where warfare is forbidden and controlled. From a children's storybook, the mythical Forever World remains elusive. Zane is determined to find it, and maybe his father, still alive. Not much hope, but maybe, just maybe.
Fights, battles, schemes and dreams, all in place and combined to find an end to the Accord and end the Gral influence and fight against a new enemy invading their space. What will it take to get through this? Great characters, an amazing storyline, glorious battles and bloody fights make this a great read!
Years of war were resolved with the death of the Gral leader in a contest to finish the conflict between the warring races. The Accord was formed between human and Gral. The Gral seemingly had the better side of the Accord with Gral Moderators everywhere in human space while humans were not allowed into Gral space. The Gral waited impatiently for the Accord to be broken so they could end the inferior apes finally! The humans were also waiting for an end to the Accord. Zane Lucas, last of the famous Lucas family whose past was tied to the Forever World. Rumor had it that the mythical land where warfare is forbidden and controlled. From a children's storybook, the mythical Forever World remains elusive. Zane is determined to find it, and maybe his father, still alive. Not much hope, but maybe, just maybe.
Fights, battles, schemes and dreams, all in place and combined to find an end to the Accord and end the Gral influence and fight against a new enemy invading their space. What will it take to get through this? Great characters, an amazing storyline, glorious battles and bloody fights make this a great read!
December 13, 2023
Human occupied worlds are being overseen by the Gral since the Colony War and the bad Accord. An ancient Childrens' book that speaks of a world known as the Forever World. Liam Lucas is presumed having died trying to find the truth behind the book. What a wonderful concept for this story by Ethan Rhodes. I absolutely loved this. The adventures of Zane and Julia as they try to find the truth behind the few clues, they have been just fantastic to follow. I can't wait for the follow-up. I just know it's going to be another fantastic book based on what I read here. Thank you, Ethan Rhodes.
January 11, 2024
The Forever World is an interesting story about an alien invasion that already happened, (and perhaps one that hasn't happened yet). Hidden worlds, mysterious fighters, spacecraft lost to time, and a whole lot more is found in this story. It's a well done piece of writing, and since there's more in the series, I'll certainly be checking out those other books as well. Looking forward to see what's happening as the story progresses.
January 16, 2024
🌐🌌 A total change of scenery
In the Orion system, aboard his ship, Zane observed his surroundings with a mind troubled by past events.
His father was in the same place, thirty-three years earlier...
As a result, the on-board computer panics when faced with the presence of anomalies...
--------------------------------------------
A captivating science fiction adventure, the story of a son following in his father's footsteps, all set against the backdrop of the myth of a legendary world.
-What will Zane discover?
-Is his father still alive?
So many questions to resolve in this great space adventure on a human scale.
I recommend this read to fans of the genre.
In the Orion system, aboard his ship, Zane observed his surroundings with a mind troubled by past events.
His father was in the same place, thirty-three years earlier...
As a result, the on-board computer panics when faced with the presence of anomalies...
--------------------------------------------
A captivating science fiction adventure, the story of a son following in his father's footsteps, all set against the backdrop of the myth of a legendary world.
-What will Zane discover?
-Is his father still alive?
So many questions to resolve in this great space adventure on a human scale.
I recommend this read to fans of the genre.
March 5, 2024
This book has a delightful sense of wonder and mystery that makes it a rewarding read. It has a sort of deus machina thing going in that lifts the story above the physics of space travel giving a great space opera feel. There’s even a couple of clever applications of dark matter. Like any good story it has some interesting characters. The book contains an intriguing interplay of these characters that reveals the deft touch of the author. I highly recommend this book to all readers.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 3, 2024
Second time going at this. Forgot to raid and review the first time. Some things about the MC put me off a little. Then the first and likely main supporting cast member turned out to be pushy and self absorbed. The writing even acknowledges it on some level. That is when I checked out. I am not looking to spend a lot of time with characters I dislike. Is why I am not a fan that constantly makes you spend time with the main antagonists. Not only are they dispelling any mystery the story might have had but the villains are almost always dislikeable if not outright repellent. No thanks.
March 6, 2024
Far-reaching Science Fiction action/adventure/alien war, the first in a Trilogy. If you enjoy unusual Alien species, Human colonization of vast reaches of Space, subterfuge and rebellion, mysteries, disappearances, and concealed secrets, jump right in. Not to mention, Childrens's tales coming true, as fact is concealed for centuries as fiction. But as the novel ends, the adventure certainly doesn't end; reach out for more in Book Two, THE INVISIBLE COLONY.
January 12, 2024
This book is well-written, with strong characters being deeply developed as the story unfolds. I was quickly pulled in and I felt like I was right there with them. I became engrossed in the non-stop action, rooting for the good guys, right up to the surprising finale, which set the stage for the next episode in this grand adventure. I am eager to read more in this promising series.
January 24, 2024
Love the ending!
It was a good book but it was hard to feel connected to the characters. They seemed rather disjointed. The last third of the story was the best and because of that I will probably go on to read Book #2. I'd like to see how Zane reacts to the changes in his life. Exciting times.
It was a good book but it was hard to feel connected to the characters. They seemed rather disjointed. The last third of the story was the best and because of that I will probably go on to read Book #2. I'd like to see how Zane reacts to the changes in his life. Exciting times.
February 9, 2024
WoW what an adventure
Fantabulous and exciting reading. brilliant unfolding story and the characters are excellently portrayed. I got very quickly to feel attached to them. The writing draws you in deeper and deeper as the plot thickens before exploding triumphantly.
Still much to be explored and dealt with. I look forward to the next book.
Fantabulous and exciting reading. brilliant unfolding story and the characters are excellently portrayed. I got very quickly to feel attached to them. The writing draws you in deeper and deeper as the plot thickens before exploding triumphantly.
Still much to be explored and dealt with. I look forward to the next book.
February 14, 2024
Humanity is awesome!
Wow Awesome story of humanity! If you want to see a great stride for us, this is a wonderful read! There are thousands of galaxies out there, and one race makes humans oppressed. However, and old legend is true, heroes risk it all, and with a great twist in the end- humans prevail. I can't wait for the next book!
Wow Awesome story of humanity! If you want to see a great stride for us, this is a wonderful read! There are thousands of galaxies out there, and one race makes humans oppressed. However, and old legend is true, heroes risk it all, and with a great twist in the end- humans prevail. I can't wait for the next book!
March 2, 2024
Enjoyable
A good book and a proper page turner from begining to end a who dunnit in space with battles amongst alien races plus androids robots alien worlds and a bit of humour and maybe a romance or two, now its done what every good book does wanting for me to read book two to see what happens next to our youg protagainist.
A good book and a proper page turner from begining to end a who dunnit in space with battles amongst alien races plus androids robots alien worlds and a bit of humour and maybe a romance or two, now its done what every good book does wanting for me to read book two to see what happens next to our youg protagainist.
December 8, 2024
In the first half, nice adventure with world-building; as would be expected from the premise. Other than being multiple POV with slow pacing story, at times, it was easy to follow with likeable characters. Sci-fi part realized mostly via descriptions of engineering. Later, introduces a thread that is clearly a rebel story. Better than average first book.
January 10, 2024
I enjoyed this story. Liked the characters and the crazy story. Entertaining and fun to read as I had to read to the end to figure out what was going on. Fast paced and a bit of a thriller mystery feel to it that I enjoyed.
January 17, 2024
This is a classic science fiction space adventure that I really enjoyed.
Lots of interesting characters that are fully developed by a great storyteller.
A wonderful story and so well told. Looking forward to second instalment.
Lots of interesting characters that are fully developed by a great storyteller.
A wonderful story and so well told. Looking forward to second instalment.
March 26, 2024
As expected Ethan Rhodes does it once again
Like so many of the masters before him Rhodes blazes a brilliant trail thru fantasy and sci fi! Highly recommended.
Food for thought this is movie material. Disney, Lucas, or Hollywood will surely buy the rights to this story line!
Like so many of the masters before him Rhodes blazes a brilliant trail thru fantasy and sci fi! Highly recommended.
Food for thought this is movie material. Disney, Lucas, or Hollywood will surely buy the rights to this story line!
May 12, 2024
Wonderful Book‼️‼️
My husband recommended this book and I think it’s fantastic!! Mystery, intrigue, space battles, shocking ending … I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait to read the next adventure!!
My husband recommended this book and I think it’s fantastic!! Mystery, intrigue, space battles, shocking ending … I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait to read the next adventure!!
August 7, 2024
A really great story
A really great story by an expert storyteller.
A book you don't want to put down from start to finish.
I look forward to reading the next in the series.
A really great story by an expert storyteller.
A book you don't want to put down from start to finish.
I look forward to reading the next in the series.
January 25, 2024
Boring, Boring, Boring!
Needs A little less talk and a lot more action.
I got this e-book from amazon with kindle unlimited.
Needs A little less talk and a lot more action.
I got this e-book from amazon with kindle unlimited.
January 28, 2024
Enjoyable read. Fast moving. Great characters. Somewhat unique plot, some fantasy. All seamlessly part of the story. If you enjoy galactic, alien, family-rooted stories, read this.
February 1, 2024
Hidden and powerful alien neighbours threaten the galaxy
A little simplified story line. Many unknowns with fairly easy final explanations. However quite interesting if a little punch and Judy roll play.
A little simplified story line. Many unknowns with fairly easy final explanations. However quite interesting if a little punch and Judy roll play.
March 11, 2024
Fascinating story, full of intrigue. Fact or fiction? Is this just another wild goose chase, driven by revenge?
May 11, 2024
I think this could have been spread over a couple of books, so we had more time with the secondary characters
May 13, 2024
Reasonably good
A decent enough story, but the characters are two-dimensional and too often it appears autocorrect used the wrong word. And old Nick O'Time has a big part
A decent enough story, but the characters are two-dimensional and too often it appears autocorrect used the wrong word. And old Nick O'Time has a big part
June 17, 2024
It had some interesting parts, but overall was boring, predictable and rushed. Full of plot holes and deus ex machinas.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews