The Answer: The Tale of Life

by Aleksey Savchenko

The Answer reveals itself only through the life you are willing to live

When a young boy meets Life beneath the shade of a tree, he cannot imagine they will ever part — or that finding her again will demand the destruction of the man he has become.

From the outside, his decision to pursue a high-pressured career seemed right. Noticed by the world, he’s been rewarded with wealth and power. But inside, he can feel the light fading. He was born to be a storyteller; instead, he has become a fiction.

Only in his darkest hour does he see the die slowly beside a bottle or dare to rediscover his path.

The hero’s journey will not be easy. The quest will bring him to the foot of impenetrable mountains, beneath the shadow of foreboding towers, and into the gilded halls of temptation. He will battle his deepest fears and encounter gods, monsters, and death.

Yet supported by an unseen ally who never left his side, and the strength of his past and future selves, this mere mortal may just succeed where others fail and claim the destiny he almost denied.

The Answer is a mythic allegorical saga of self-confrontation, choice and transformation. The question is whether you too will answer the call.

Praise for The The Tale of Life by Aleksey Savchenko
“A bold, vividly imagined adventure series that turns the search for life’s purpose into a gripping mythic quest.”
Will Barker, The Sun

“Savchenko is a born storyteller with the nerve to take on big ideas head-on — and pull them off. A unique, unmissable talent.”
John Ward, Daily Star

190 pages, Paperback

Published June 18, 2026

Reviews

[Joanne Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a book so potentially intense with a definite leaning towards the spiritual, this is a surprisingly easy read.

The premise is fascinating and I feel as though, whatever your beliefs, non beliefs or otherwise, there is almost certainly something you can gain by reading this book.

There are undoubtedly elements where you have to suspend disbelief and simply immerse yourself in the narrative but nothing is too heavy, too absurd or too unpalatable that you can’t access the ideas at its core.

I loved the interactions between the narrator’s past, present and future selves and appreciated the fact this wasn’t presented chronologically, thus allowing the reader to make links and connections between all three within the journey of life.

There are poignant moments which are handled delicately but without over sentimentality which actually creates a real connection with the reader.

It’s not my usual type of read, but it’s one that I very much enjoyed and would certainly recommend to others.

With thanks to the author and Zoe at Zooloo’s Book Tours for the opportunity to participate in the book tour (and apologies for the mishap which led to the late posting of this review).

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not usually someone who reads very symbolic books so I had to adjust to the way this story works. Nothing is really just what it appears to be. A character can represent an idea. A place can represent a stage of life. Something happening in the fantasy world can also be about something happening inside the narrator. Once I understood that, I enjoyed it more. I stopped trying to solve everything. The thing I found most interesting was the narrator looking at different versions of himself. There is something strange about imagining your younger self standing in front of you and having to actually face everything that person did. I think we all have versions of ourselves we don't particularly like. The insecure version. The selfish version. The version who made a terrible decision. The version who stayed somewhere too long. The version who didn't know better. It's easy to look back and judge those people because we have the benefit of hindsight. But they were still us. That's what I took from the book more than all the Light and Thread explanations.

[Ray Doves · Rating 5 out of 5]

The goodbye with the narrator's spouse was probably one of the quietest scenes in the book, but it stood out to me. After everything that happens in the story all the strange places, characters, battles and big ideas it comes down to two people sitting together and knowing that they have to say goodbye. I liked that the author didn't make it overly dramatic. They don't need some huge speech about how much they mean to each other. They already know. She asks if this is the day, he says yes, they hug, talk for a little while and then she walks him to the door. That felt much more natural than some of the bigger emotional scenes. I also liked the small detail of the Thread she gives him before he leaves. It gives the goodbye something physical that carries forward into the rest of the story. This was one of those moments where the book felt very simple, even though everything around it is so complicated.

[Miss E · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

This is book 1 of 2, its a mythological literary fiction book and i would say reads like a high fantasy book with adult themes and i don’t mean in a 🌶️ way i mean in a spiritual way that may be difficult to get to grips with and understand for a less mature audience.

This is a short book therefore quick read that finds our main character questioning the meaning of life- the ‘spiritual’ part of this book is a very different concept for me and the imagery using light and physical items to describe things we cannot see could take a while to get to grips with, that being said the mmc is relatable and makes mistakes as he goes but learns from them.

The takeaway for me was that we should not let other peoples expectations and ideas change who we are or what decisions and direction we take in our own lives.

A very deep and profound book overall- nothing like i would usually gravitate towards

[Bookshelves · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll be honest, the spiritual side of this book isn't really my thing. All the talk about Light, Threads, the Universe and different versions of yourself sometimes felt like too much for me. 😂 I found myself enjoying the actual story and characters more than the explanations behind them. That said, I don't think that means the ideas didn't work. I understood the basic message about people losing themselves while trying to follow everyone else's expectations. I also liked the idea that fear doesn't just disappear because you've faced it once. For me, the book worked better when I treated all of those things as metaphors rather than trying to understand them as literal rules of the universe. So no, this wasn't a five-star “changed my life” read for me. But it was different. And honestly, I appreciate a book that takes a risk and has its own thing going on.

[Katherine Tricker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very different style to what I would normally read, but the synopsis has me intrigued.

Full of symbolism, and taking you on a journey through life's purpose, this is a book you could read again and again, and take something different from it each time depending on where you are in your own Journey with Life.

For me the way the main storyline is written it felt almost like it could be a videogame with place and character names. However at the same time I felt connected to different parts of it where it resonated with my own thoughts and feelings for particular areas of life I felt were being represented.

The spiritual side of this book isn't necessarily in line with my own beliefs but it can be read as part of the story and isn't something that you are being expected to believe in, and therefore are able to get something out of it whatever your beliefs.

[Ryan Devillers · Rating 5 out of 5]

The thing I enjoyed most was actually the storytelling idea behind the whole book. The narrator isn't just telling us what happened to him. He's constantly aware that he's creating a story, rewriting things, looking at his younger self and even thinking about how his future self will remember everything. That was pretty cool. It made me think about how we all rewrite our own past in some way. Something happens you hate it, then five years later you tell the story differently because you've learned something from it. The event hasn't changed, but your understanding of it has. I also liked the idea of the Draft because life really does feel like that sometimes. You're making decisions without knowing where they're going to lead, and only much later can you see how things connected.

[Jordon Kale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without Life, I honestly think this story could have become way too serious. There are so many discussions about existence, purpose, Light and Love that it could easily feel heavy. But she brings some chaos into it. She's impulsive, teases the narrator, gets him into trouble and believes in him without trying to control every decision he makes. That last part mattered to me. She lets him experience things instead of fixing everything for him. Even when she knows more than he does, she doesn't just hand him the answer. He still has to go through it himself. That made their relationship feel much more genuine than some of the bigger philosophical ideas in the book. And yes I'd probably be friends with Life even though she'd definitely ruin my sleep schedule 😂.

[Dylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit, Death was not at all what I expected 😂. I thought he was going to be this dark, serious character who would make every scene feel heavy, but he is actually quite funny. The whole thing with him casually carrying a bag of pears while dealing with something as serious as the narrator's death genuinely made me laugh. I also liked the way the narrator talks to him. There isn't this huge fear between them. It feels more like two people who have met before and have an odd sort of friendship. That made Death much more interesting to me than if he had just been a scary figure waiting at the end. The book has a lot of serious ideas, so having characters like Death who don't take themselves too seriously helps balance it out.

[Siobhain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being someone who is spiritual and who loves fantasy I was excited to read The Answer after reading the blurb and I was not disappointed. This does feel a bit like a fable in some parts and in others a fairy-tale but one that is aimed towards adults. I believe it has a certain feel about it that the Inklings, particularly Lewis and Tolkien would like. I personally loved it. 

The writing is wonderful and I really liked the concepts as well. I certainly will return to this one again and again. I would say you don’t have to be a spiritual person to like or enjoy this either and it won’t take away from the enjoyment of the story overall. An easy 5 for me. 

As always thank you to ZooLoo’s Book Tours and author for the free copy to review. My reviews is completely honest and given freely.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The narrator doesn't really feel like the typical fantasy hero and honestly, that worked for me. He's not constantly making the right decisions or somehow wiser than everyone around him. He gets distracted, makes mistakes and spends a lot of time trying to figure himself out. The whole idea of the Journey would have felt a bit fake if he had suddenly become this perfect person after one big revelation. Instead, it feels like he's carrying all these different versions of himself around and slowly understanding them. There are also some genuinely funny interactions between the characters 😂, which I wasn't expecting from a book this philosophical.

[Casey Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first reaction was basically, “Okay, I need to stop trying to understand every single symbol.” 😂 Every new place seemed to come with another rule or another idea to remember. Once I gave up on decoding everything and just followed the narrator the story became much easier to enjoy. I think he's supposed to be confused too. He doesn't have all the answers while he's going through these experiences, so why should the reader? I also appreciated that the story doesn't suddenly turn him into a completely wise person at the end. He still has doubts and questions. He just sees himself differently.

[Ava · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't expecting the final part of the Journey to be as emotional as it was. When all the different versions of the narrator start arriving the child, the older versions, the people he's met along the way it feels like everything is finally coming together. I liked the image of all those pieces becoming one whole person. It also made the earlier parts of the book feel more important because you realise that none of those versions were really separate. They were all part of him. The scene with Life was probably my favourite bit because after everything they've been through, she doesn't need some huge speech. She's just there. And that's kind of the point.

[Harper Madisson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This reading experience gave me a chilling deeply eye-opening look at how easily we betray our own core values when we allow ourselves to become indifferent, bitter, or cynical. It made me realize that closing off my heart to protect myself from getting hurt isn't a sign of strength it's actually self-sabotage. Remaining kind, empathetic, and loving in a world that can be so cold is the hardest and bravest thing any of us can do. I finished reading this part with a renewed, solemn promise to myself to never let past betrayals or life's hardships harden my spirit or turn me into an unfeeling person toward others!

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

We spend so much time feeling broken while fighting our inner demons, but the battle under the Tree shows how much light and strength is actually forged in those moments. The emotional payoff here was absolutely massive and deeply moving. It made me feel like every single struggle, tear, heart-wrenching obstacle, and internal battle I’ve ever fought within myself was entirely meaningful and worth going through. When I put the book down, I felt this incredible, quiet sense of internal victory as if a long, exhausting war inside my own mind had finally come to an end and peace was finally restored at last.

[Bella Amiree · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way the book handles time took me a little while to get used to. The narrator isn't telling his story from one fixed point, so the past, present and future versions of him seem to exist alongside each other. Once I understood what the author was doing, I thought it was pretty clever. It makes the story feel less like “this happened, then this happened” and more like you're looking at someone's whole life at once. The campfire setup adds to that feeling too. It feels like someone is telling you a strange story that you're never completely sure is fact or fiction.

[Rowan Singhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The World isn't the villain I expected him to be. He's much more complicated than that. He gives the narrator opportunities, distractions and choices, then basically lets him decide what to do with them. That felt more interesting than having one obvious person responsible for everything that goes wrong. Once Life is no longer holding his hand, the narrator has to make his own decisions, and that's where things get messy. The book doesn't blame everything on the World either. The narrator still has to take responsibility for what he chooses.

[Emerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What happens when you start chasing somebody else's version of happiness? That was the part of the book that stood out to me here. The narrator slowly loses track of his own Light while becoming fascinated by everyone else's. You can start off knowing what matters to you and then, without noticing, begin comparing yourself to people around you. Suddenly you're chasing things because they look impressive or because everyone else seems to want them. I thought that was one of the more relatable ideas in the book.

[Naysha · Rating 4 out of 5]

4:56 in the morning, an empty Scotch bottle and a pizza box isn't exactly how I expected the narrator's big turning point to look. 😭 But that was probably why the Fracture worked for me. He has reached the point where he can't keep pretending everything is fine. Instead of simply treating it as a failure, the book uses the Fracture as a way for him to step back and actually see the life he's been living. I thought that was a strong part of the story because sometimes you don't realise how stuck you are until something forces you to stop.

[Kiara · Rating 5 out of 5]

After everything the narrator goes through, I honestly expected the Answer to be something much more complicated. Instead, the book brings it back to connection and Love. I can understand why some readers might find that too simple, but I actually think making it more complicated would have missed the point. The narrator realises that if he'd known the Answer from the beginning, he wouldn't have really lived the Journey. Sometimes you only understand something because you had to experience it first.

[Caroline Weibster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talk about an emotional rollercoaster! I went from feeling heavy and completely overwhelmed to laughing out loud and experiencing an incredible burst of hope within seconds. This book has a magical, almost effortless ability to break up intense emotional weight with pure, unpretentious joy and brilliant humor. It reminded me that even in my darkest, most ridiculous, and rock-bottom moments, hope doesn't always show up with dramatics—sometimes it just walks right in to interrupt your drama and hand you a warm slice of pizza.

[Kale · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daily anxieties suddenly felt so small after reading the scene where Life and Darkness watch the battle over tea. It made me step back and realize that even when my life feels like a chaotic, overwhelming mess, there’s a larger, almost cosmic perspective where every twist and turn is unfolding exactly as it should. It completely replaced my daily stress and need for control with a lighthearted, cheerful trust in the process of living. I finished reading feeling like I could finally breathe again, let go of my control issues, and just enjoy the wild ride of life.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Gorge was one of the more unsettling places in the book for me. The narrator hears his own words coming back through the Echo, and after a while it starts feeling like there's no way out of it. I liked that the tension doesn't come from some huge monster or fight. It's mostly the feeling of being trapped in your own thoughts and hearing the same things repeated back at you. When the narrator finally manages to pull himself away from it, the scene feels like a small victory even though there isn't some massive action sequence.

[Avery Kale · Rating 5 out of 5]

The moment you stop giving your attention to the noise, it completely loses its power over you. That truth hit me like a ton of bricks during the Gorge of Echoes sequence. It gave me the most practical, incredible mental tool for dealing with negativity and toxic environments. It made me realize how much precious energy I waste arguing with loud, faceless voices online or in my own head that only feed on my reactions. I felt an instant wave of calm and mental silence wash over me, knowing I can simply choose to walk away and stop shouting back at the void.

[Fatguyreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the heart of this story, is the tale of one man's search for his true, authentic self. It's an analysis of his life choices and decisions, both good and bad.

It's very spiritual heavy, with lots of references to light , threads and the universe, but as a practising Catholic, I consider myself quite spiritual, maybe not in the same ways as discussed here, but I found these aspects of the read to be interesting.

The characters we meet along the way are varied and to me, were believable all felt real.

4 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's

[Selena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gave me a massive, eye-opening perspective shift on how I spend my time and energy. It made me look at the rat race, social status, and endless chasing of worldly validation, and realize how much of my precious life I was gambling away for nothing. After putting it down I felt this profound sense of clarity and a sudden desire to simplify my life and focus strictly on what brings real joy!

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

That little Star in the sky ended up being more interesting than I expected. I didn't really see it as just a magical object. It felt more like something that gives the narrator a sense of direction when he isn't sure what to do. The idea of asking whether a choice will make your Light shine brighter was simple, but it worked for me. Sometimes having a clear sense of what matters makes the next decision a little easier.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Money, fame, success and power the World has plenty of things to tempt the narrator with. What makes him interesting, though, is that he isn't written as a simple villain. He genuinely tests the narrator and gives him choices but the narrator is still responsible for what he does with them. I liked that grey area. It would have been much easier to make the World obviously evil but the book doesn't really do that.

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Watching the narrator face his Reflection was probably one of the more uncomfortable parts of the story. The Reflection isn't simply there to scare him. It knows his past and forces him to look at things he would rather avoid. I thought that was an interesting way of showing how people can sometimes be their own harshest critics. The scene doesn't just ask whether the narrator has done bad things; it makes him face why he became the person he is.

[Devon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love is probably the hardest thing in this book to explain, and I think that's intentional. The narrator keeps trying to understand it, but every time he thinks he's close, there seems to be something else. I liked that Love isn't treated as something you can simply define, chase or control. It makes this section feel less like another explanation of the Universe and more like the narrator genuinely struggling with something he can't solve with logic.