Everlasting Spring: Beyond Olympus: Book One, Benjamin & Boudica

The Everlasting Spring: Beyond Olympus #1

by Francis Audrain, Frank Audrain

The Everlasting Spring: Beyond Olympus is a trilogy. A story of romance and true love spanning two-thousand years in the tumultuous rise of Western Civilization. The storyteller is an old man who understands and appreciates the heroes and heroines; the saints and sinners, who made epic history, by sharing the love and self-sacrifice that enabled Western Culture to survive. When he was young and foolish; naïve and swaggering with false bravado, the old man frolicked in the good life, and took it for granted...until a cold Christmas Eve when a lovely young woman broke his heart and changed his mind. His soul was frozen, in the absence of hope, as the tragic death of romance brought darkness, with agony and despair. But the trajectory of his life was soon altered, blessed by the light from a star so bright, he was inspired by the vision, and started to write. He walked with his characters, the brave and bold, remembered by historians, the new and some old. He miraculously survived, four-score in events, with no worries...and a few sad regrets. His life was replete with trials and tribulations known only to those who dream, daring defeat; but find peace in their passion for truth everlasting. Once called a hero, he perished the thought. The old man knew better souls, those who risked all for true-love and blind justice between the dark-nights of their souls, and their time in the light. They were immortals, seeking knowledge with facts; and their odyssey touched all, as they followed the sun, moon and stars--like the old man was doing when he met Benjamin and Boudica, and four others too; then chronicled their journeys in a corps of discovery: to find spiritual treasure...the most precious of all.

382 pages, Hardcover

First published November 3, 2016

About the author

Frank Audrain (Author Francis Audrain) is a direct descendant of patriots whose North American patriarch was a Franco-Viking.

Pierre "Peter" Audrain came to the New World from Normandy and entered the British Colony of Pennsylvania before the American Revolutionary War. He fought for Independence from England and had sons, grandsons and great-grandsons who fought in every American conflict since, ending with Frank's worldwide service as a United States Marine, West Point Cadet, and well decorated Airborne-Ranger, Infantry Officer.

In November of 1989 as the "Cold War" with Russia was ending, Frank and his family returned to civilian life in the American West, where he began a second career in the corporate banking business, with First Interstate Bank of Nevada.

Frank knew about Wells Fargo Bank, it's brand, and it's history. His great grand-parents came West in the California Gold Rush, as the legendary company was founded. They travelled in the company's Concord Stagecoaches, and for many long years, were loyal Wells Fargo branch customers.

So when Frank was urged to join the company's eastward expansion in 1996, he boarded the Stagecoach--without hesitation. Then in 2001, the Audrain family began another relocation: the. sixteenth family move since Dana and Frank were married at West Point, in June of 1968.

From the Wells Fargo Center in downtown Minneapolis, Frank reached out, in two directions, to extend Wells Fargo's Commercial Banking Division from the Continental Divide, to the Atlantic Coast.

When the final mergers, acquisitions and integrations had been completed, the Audrain's "stepped down from the Stagecoach" to begin another, new life.

After slowing down, catching up with some personal and family interests, and enjoying the time to do a deep-dive of reflection, Frank began his third vocation, writing short stories for magazines. The Everlasting Spring: Beyond Olympus trilogy soon emerged as the result after a recommendation from the editor of a popular magazine publishing house in New York.

"Our entire staff loved your short story about the 'Man Who Loved Blue Star'...and I sincerely hope you will expand it...to a wonderful trilogy."

With that, Frank became Author Francis Audrain--with the drive in a remarkable life, and a world-wide view, seeking true history, as a risk taker, who never hesitated to "go for the gusto" during challenges as a youth, and beyond...was ready and willing to offer literary prose with a purpose, a reason and exceptional meaning for readers who loved authentic historical fiction, inspired by actual events, involving heroic men and women; enhanced by a variety of sub-genres--adding interest and variety, for adults who want open-minded wisdom and enlightenment, replete with "food for thought" regarding human nature, war and peace--and the reality of people seeking pathways to happiness, with everlasting truth, and true love!


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Reviews

[Frank Audrain · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book I've read in decades. Tom Hyman was right: a winner with broad appeal!

[Frank Audrain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need to set the Goodreads record straight. I am the Author of the trilogy, the Everlasting Spring: Beyond Olympus. Book One, Benjamin and Boudica, was first published November 3, 2016, and revised twice--with the final revision released 1/19/2017. A five-star review by long time author and editor Tom Hyman is published in the first page of the front-matters of that book.

As we were building our website, linking Facebook and Twitter and so on, two more five-star reviews were added from others on my behalf, using my connections. The fourth was added by a Goodreads reader.

I was on Goodreads as a reader prior to the release of the first book in the trilogy, and that is how I ended up here--shown to be reading my own book. Social media is great, but it can be complicated.

I now have an Author Page on Goodreads and Amazon and have two more books to release in the trilogy. I will follow-up with Goodreads to clarify my reader and Author accounts. But in the meantime, please Friend and Follow me on: Website, Facebook: and Twitter:

www.theeverlastingspring.com;

Facebook Personal profie, Author Frank Audrain;

Facebook Author page, Frank Audrain;

and Twitter @FrankAudrain

Thank you, Dear Goodreads Readers!

Frank

[Jordan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received a free Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I confess that this is the only reason I finished it.

For those of you who, like me, were left mystified by the synopsis of this book and don't know what it's about, here's a quick summary:

An orthodox Jew and a Celtic warrior queen cross paths some few decades after the death of Jesus Christ. Together they fight against the brutalities of Roman oppression, while also Coming to Jesus™ and navigating a lot of really uncomfortable romantic(?) tension.

I disliked this book tremendously, and I'll tell you why:

1) Telling, Not Showing
One issue I saw over and over again was a serious case of telling-not-showing. The author, rather than giving descriptive details and clues that will show the reader what's happening and allow them to infer what's going on in the characters' heads, just tells it outright. Examples:

". . .Ben was also confronting his increasing doubts about the rigorous exercise of his faith." (pg 17)

". . .he uttered as his mind began to evaluate the possibilities and determine his potential to react effectively given the most lethal outcome." (pg 23

"I'm feeling intense exhilaration." (dialogue from pg 51)

"I'm shocked and confused." (dialogue from pg 59)

"He felt gratification with the progress made thus far." (pg 97)

"'What is that?' Fiona inquired, obviously interested and ready to hear Ben's revelation." (pg 315)

2) Clunky, Unnatural Dialogue
In addition to the telling-not-showing issue, the dialogue in this story constantly feels unnatural. The author tends to use dialogue as a tool to dump large loads of exposition onto the reader, resulting in absurdly long sentences and characters that sound like textbooks. Examples:

"We owe you an apology for the way we urged you to reveal the intensely sensitive information you finally divulged." -pg 46

". . . rather than strict obesrvance and meticulous adherence to the many details of Hebrew laws and traditions that have evolved dramatically over time, as our faith progressed in the hands and works of men." -pg 53

". . .Then came the Babylonians who took many of our people back to their homeland where Abraham was born. And the Persians eventually conquered Babylon. By then, our people were scattered, even before the Greeks came. And now many are fleeing from the Romans who call what is left of our homeland Palestina. It's all very interesting." -pg 77 (Note: This was spoken by a Jew, to another Jew, who was just as familiar with Jewish history as he was.)

"I know you've been anxious to hear more about your status and why we're working so diligently to bring you into our culture in a way that might enable you to go beyond mere survival in the constantly changing situation we're struggling to overcome." -pg 122

The characters in this story also have a habit of narrating their actions in a way that nobody ever does:

"It looks like we've found a Roman encampment. Let's dismount and crawl forward to take a closer look." (pg 140)

And, while we're on the subject of dialogue, the author appears to have an addiction to dialogue tags. They are used so frequently that it creates an almost comic effect, especially the random shouts, yells, and screams that come out of nowhere:

"'What a grand moment that will be!' Kale shouted." (pg 143)

". . . added Ben with a questioning gesture." (pg 54)

"'Amen! Amen!' Ben shouted in response, raising his arms and holding them high above his head, his eyes on the sky." (pg 80)

"'Excellent!' Ben shouted." (pg 261)

"'It must be Verulamium,' Ben uttered." (pg 260)

3) Abrupt Scene Jumps
Another frequent issue I ran into was scene jumps that came out of nowhere, with little to no indication that time had passed or that the setting had changed. And often, those jumps skipped over major action that was then referred to later. It felt lazy, as though the actor didn't feel like writing the actual scene, so he just skipped it and gave us a brief summary of what happened.

For example, the first two or three pages of the book are spent giving the reader an info-dump about the protagonist, Ben, and his history and family life. Very suddenly, the paragraph ends and the next one begins with Ben crawling through darkness looking for water after his wife has been hanged by Roman soldiers. Not a bad way to begin the story, but it feels extremely abrupt after the massive amount of exposition I had to wade through to get there (exposition, by the way, is a tool the author relies very heavily on).

Another example occurs when the other main character, Boudica, has met up with some members of another tribe of Celts. The author skips over their actual conversation, missing an opportunity to further develop the characters and their relationship, and gives us this paragraph instead:

"After much discussion, the old man and Boudica reached an understanding of the common interest they shared, then came to a mutually agreeable set of terms for planning and decisive action to counter the threat presented by the Romans." (pg 60)

4) Distant Narration
That brings me to my fourth issue. A good novel should thoroughly immerse the reader in the story, making you feel as though you're right there with the characters, watching it all happen. But I just didn't get that from this book. It felt like the author was holding me at arm's length, like I was looking through a window or a TV screen rather than experiencing the events of the story firsthand. I think this was in large part due to the amount of telling, but there was also issues with the style of narration. Examples:

"A full moon's journey north from Benjamin's oasis in Palestine. . . a woman was also fighting to free herself from the darkness surrounding her plight." (pg 21)

"She was about to face her hated enemies, the bloodthirsty Trinovantes!" (pg 37)

There's a lot of gruesome violence in this story, but because I felt so disconnected with the narrative, none of it had the effect on my emotions that I think it was intended to.

5) The Religious Elements
Okay, before I dive into this one, I need to offer this preface: I am religious. I am a very devout Christian who absolutely loves Jesus and loves talking about Jesus and would gladly read about people who come to Jesus. But that concept just wasn't executed very well here. I think it was the combination of all the issues I've already described, but each character's respective conversion to Christianity felt very forced and unnatural. The conversion process was rushed, and the author failed to show us sufficient emotions in his characters so as to make it believable.

In addition, the Christianity presented in this story stood in major contrast to the constant violence going on, leading to inconsistent characterization and borderline hypocrisy. For example, after meeting some of Jesus's disciples, Ben decides to become a disciple himself. He takes some scriptural documents and epistles and boards a boat, intending to go on a journey to help others learn about and accept Christ. But while on that boat, they are attacked by pirates, and Ben goes on a murderous rampage:

"Ben charged, driving the point of his dagger into the man's left eye and burying the blade up to its hilt. The pirate's body collapsed beneath him and went limp as Ben continued to plunge his dagger into a lifeless face, until it became a bloody pulp." (pg 99)

He then goes on to laugh about his actions with another character. Not quite the behavior you'd expect from a recent convert to the peaceful, loving lifestyle promoted by the Christians. It happens again and again throughout the book as Ben encounters and battles Romans. This scene from page 132 captures my sentiments quite nicely:

"Ben secured his sword, dismounted and returned to his saddle with the severed head in one hand. . . Kale met Ben with a look of amazement.
'You've confounded me, Benjamin. Not long ago, you spoke about peace and hope and love for our fellow man. What would your Christ say about you now, after watching the spectacle of your rage, your wild riding, your killing, and your obvious rebellion against his words?'"

My thoughts exactly, Kale. And this was Ben's response: "Kale, my madness came from love."

Hm.

6) Romantic/Sexual Subplots
There were soooo many issues in this department. The first and foremost for me is that there is a love triangle between Ben, Boudica, and BOUDICA'S 17-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER. Ben, by the way is nearly 30. And every attempt of the author to develop the feelings Ben had for both these characters came across creepy and gross:

"'Have you been struck dumb at the sight of a warrior's breasts?'
'Yes,' Ben responded, averting his eyes." (pg 113, Boudica)

". . .with a sensuous, catlike smile." (pg 114, Boudica)

"When Ben withdrew in further avoidance, Boudica shifted her position and leaned forward until he could feel the warmth of her breasts." (pg 117, Boudica)

"Ben could see she was much more than a girl. . . . Her green eyes surveyed him with a wanton gaze." (pg 150, Fiona)

"Ben could not take his eyes off Fiona's muscular, long lets and petite bare feet." (pg 151, Fiona)

There's a whole scene where Ben mentally compares Fiona to the harlots he used to see in Jerusalem and then admits to himself that "Fiona might be hard to resist." (pg 157)

"From adoration to sinful desire, his feelings and emotions raced wildly during every close encounter with Boudica." (pg 157, Boudica--note that this is the same page as the previous example where he was lusting after HER DAUGHTER).

There's plenty more examples I could cite, but we'll leave it at that. At one point in the story, Boudica implies that she and Ben will sleep together at one point, but tells him she wants to wait until they've been united according to the rules of his faith. But only a few pages later, Fiona (Boudica's daughter) sneaks up on Ben as he's journeying ahead and attacks him from behind. At some point in the ensuing struggle, they end up having sex. Fiona asks him afterward if she caused Ben to sin by doing that with him. His response? "How could this be a sin?" -_- He then mentally refers to her as a "lovely child of God."

Oh, and let's not forget this scene, just a few paragraphs later...

"When Fiona opened her mouth to shout out her anger, Ben recovered quickly and ran toward her. Before she could react, he grabbed her slender waist with both hands and lifted her up as high as he could, then lowered her while braving vicious kicks and pounding with fists until her pursed lips and extended jaw were level with his. Then he pulled her closer, until their lips met. His kiss was tender. Fiona's protests were silenced. As her flailing limbs went limp, Ben loosened his grip." (pg 245)

Not romantic. Not at all. This is gross, this is creepy, this is borderline rapey.

And even after all this, he still continues to harbor thoughts about Fiona's mother. Until Boudica finds out about what happened, and then we get this weirdness:

"She's more than fond of you, Ben. She knows about us. When she saw how you ran to me yesterday, she knew. Her hope vanished. My mother realized she would no longer have you in the way she wanted, in the way she had dreamed and desired." (Fiona to Ben, pg 278)

"I wanted you...I grew in love...wanting you as my husband. Now...you'll be my son." (Boudica to Ben, pg 300).

Everything about this whole love triangle just felt so wrong to me, and it was a major turn-off.

7) Philosophy/Preachiness
My final problem with this book was that the author frequently interrupted the already-weak narrative to insert some giant, thinky piece of philosophy or religious preaching (as already stated, I am very religious myself, but the way it was inserted didn't fit into the story well at all). Examples:

"'And there was a message in that,' Ben interjected. 'As long as we keep our eyes on Jesus and trust him, we can navigate the stormy waters of this life and follow his example of true love into the next life, just as Jesus has already done...and you have witnessed!'" (pg 73)

"In my case, it began with the story of Creation, how we, and all we sense, came into being presented in simple ways that rational minds can understand and accept without further proof." (pg 184)

There were some other things I didn't like about this book, as well, such as the implication at the end of the book that the United States of America is the peak of human potential, the ready willingness with which many characters abandoned their heritage and cultural identities, the abundance of random italics...

Final Thoughts:
My impression was that this author wanted to write a profound commentary about cultural identity, oppression and imperialism, and Christianity, and he attempted to layer all of this within a fictional narrative. Unfortunately, in my opinion, he failed. The narrative is not compelling or engaging (I skimmed the majority of the book). The writing is weak in terms of dialogue, narration, and character development. I felt like I was being lectured and preached at for most of the story.

I didn't like this book and would not recommend it to anyone. My apologies, Francis Audrain.

[Julie Porter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spoilers: Queen Boudicca (?-CE 60 or 61) was a memorable figure in British history and that is an understatement. She was the queen of the Iceni tribe during the Roman occupation. Upon her husband, Prasutagus's death, the kingdom was supposed to be jointly left to his daughters and to Emperor Nero. However, the Romans reneged on that request and seized the kingdom for themselves. The property was taken, Boudicca was flogged, and her daughters were raped. Boudicca led the Iceni and other troops in revolt against the Romans. They destroyed Camulodunum, a colony for discharged Roman soldiers. They then defeated factions and burnt both Londinium and Verulamium. Even though they outnumbered the Romans, the Britons were defeated in the West Midlands. Defeated, Boudicca either committed suicide or died from illness.

The story of Boudicca is one that is familiar to many Brits. Her story was first told over 100 years after her death and achieved fame particularly during the Elizabethan and Victorian Era. Paintings and sculptures have been made of her, including one that resides on the western end of Westminster Bridge. She has been the subject of countless books, movies, plays, and TV shows. She is shown as a symbol of Britain's fighting spirit and strength, the way that the Founding Fathers are held up as symbols of America's fight for freedom and independence. Suffragists and feminists have also taken to her image seeing her as a strong independent woman who fought against Rome's patriarchy.


She is also the subject of Francis Audrain's Inspirational Historical Fiction, The Everlasting Spring Beyond Olympus Volume 1 Benjamin and Boudicca. The book tells two parallel stories: one of Boudicca and Benjamin, a Jewish man who converts to Christianity but then is sent to Roman occupied Briton after his family is murdered and he is held captive. He makes his way to Boudicca's encampment and takes part in the rebellion against the Romans.


There are actually two parts to this book, two separate stories which could be critiqued individually: Benjamin's and Boudicca's. Boudicca's portion is the highlight of the book by being active with a character showing tremendous leadership Benjamin's portion is lacking by being overly verbal and repetitive.


Boudicca is a character who commands every moment that she is in. Even in the beginning of the book, Boudicca's pain over her flogging and her daughters's rape is very present but so is her rage and fury. She is a strong leader willing to unite the various tribes over the common cause of fighting Rome. Many of the chapters explore the known battle sites and the action that took place there as the British were led by a very uncommon and very badass woman.


Boudicca often makes strategic plans but is also an unstoppable fighting force. She is a protective mother aware of the hurt that her daughters went through and looks after them with the devotion of a mother bear especially when she grows concerned when one daughter, Fiona, becomes enamored with Benjamin. Boudicca sees the future and wants to fight her and her people's right to be a part of it.


While Boudicca heralds a commanding presence in the book, Benjamin is not near as memorable. The beginning of the book is interesting as he struggles with the grief of losing his family and reconciles his desire for revenge with his newly found Christianity. He also has some interesting conversations with Boudicca about their different faiths.


However, the book runs far too long especially during Benjamin's many efforts to convert Boudicca and her family. It's not a case of "Live and let live" or "To each their own spiritual path." Benjamin hammers down Christianity to the point of overkill insisting that they must be saved or else. Inspirational Fiction is better when characters let their actions do the talking and show Christian love rather than talking about the path to Salvation and trying to win souls with constant repetition.



It also is inaccurate to try to force a conversion out of Boudicca and her daughters when historically Christianity didn't arrive in the British Isles until approximately 597 CE, hundreds of years after Boudicca died. It may have been better to show an actual historical figure that converted like Constantine or even a fictional character rather than create a religious paradox around someone who historically would not have known about let alone never asked to become a disciple of Jesus Christ.


With more action, showing God's love rather than talking about, and historical accuracy in characters, Everlasting Spring could be a great inspirational historical fiction. But for right now, this is one spring that needs more than a trickle to become a river.

[ashley (rhea's version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really did love this book. Francis did a really good job making these characters come alive and having them intertwined with the Old Man. I cant wait to read the next book.

[Bridget Ball · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everlasting Spring: Beyond Olympus Volume One: Benjamin and Boudica by Francis Audrain is an epic novel about Benjamin, the son of Samuel and Israelite, making his way toward Jerusalem for the annual Passover Feast while trying to elude deadly contact with the Romans. It is a story of his meeting Queen Boudica and her daughters and the war they fought in the name of love, faith, and friendship.
I enjoyed how this novel was written from Ben's perspective. The chapters are packed with information and knowledge but are short and easy to read. The theme of love and faith throughout the novel drives the story and brings unknown elements in the light around every corner reeling you in.
This book would be ideal for action/adventure fans. History buffs will appreciate the historical accuracy and people of faith will have this as a grand staple in their collection. This would be a wonderful gift for any man or woman who enjoys being transformed into another time and place. This is one of those rare books you come across only a few times in your life that you will keep, being passed down to other generations as a family heirloom for all to enjoy.

[Francis Audrain · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Everlasting Spring: Beyond Olympus is an epic trilogy in three connected sagas, inspired by actual events during the tumultuous rise of Western Culture. Benjamin & Boudica emerge in formative era of the First Century, as the first of three couples whose heroic lives reflect many thousands, who made world changing history, by following an impossible dream that inspired millions of others to found, then protect, the United States of America.

[DLV · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!!
I Enjoyed this story!!
The story is Unique and
Well written!!

[A.J. Conte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding Read!

This was an enthralling read! It had adventure, war, and more. The setting was well researched and the story was very lively. Highly recommend!