The Last Gods

De: Adam Brownlie

Narrado por: Jennifer Jill Araya

What if you could live forever? What if you could become a god?

These are the questions Elodie Black faces in this gripping sci-fi drama, where cutting-edge brain science and the mysteries of the universe collide.

Elodie and Markus Black seem like an ordinary couple, but when Markus dies in a tragic accident, their lives take an extraordinary turn. Driven by love and desperation, Elodie hopes that Markus's groundbreaking research can bring him back to life. Instead, Elodie herself becomes the first to benefit from his work, launching her on a journey that transcends time, love, and even death.

As the world around her evolves at a breakneck pace, Elodie must navigate the complexities of immortality. She grapples with the grief of losing her husband, the allure of new love with her longtime friend Archer, and the heartache of losing her daughter Elexus. As Elodie transitions from human to Homo deus—a godlike being with limitless access to the universe—she discovers that even in a state of pure data and infinite pleasure, moral dilemmas and existential questions persist. When faced with the ultimate task of saving civilization from the impending end of the universe, Elodie must work with an AI named Coby, who is so powerful he could destroy civilization, but also holds the key to its future—and to her past.

Lose yourself in a thought-provoking story that blends science fiction with deep philosophical questions about life, love, and what it means to be human. Don't miss out on a story that's as engaging as it is enlightening—where the future of civilization, and perhaps your own beliefs, hang in the balance.

©2024 Adam Brownlie (P)2025 Adam Brownlie

I really enjoyed listening to this!

I really enjoyed listening to the Last Gods by Adam Brownlie. Usually I struggle with
audiobooks but the story had me hooked right away and I couldn't stop listening. I
was almost immediately attached to Marcus and Elodie as characters, I could sense
the love that they shared with one another and I could feel how their conflict was
affecting the both of them in different ways. The descriptions of emotions is also
amazing, like in the first chapter when Marcus was feeling nauseous about the
thought of losing Elodie, now or in the future.

I love sci-fi stories that explore the big what-ifs of the future, things that have you
question your own morals and ethics. Exploring the politics of the future is a talent
that not many people possess. I also loved the way their relationship transcended
the very concept of life and death.

A Rare Sci-Fi Gem That Stays With You

The Last Gods offers a compelling and thoughtful exploration of humanity’s future at the crossroads of technology, faith, and identity. Following Elodie Black’s journey through grief, love, and transformation, the story thoughtfully blends science fiction with philosophical and religious questions, making it feel both deeply personal and intellectually provocative.

Jennifer Jill Araya’s narration enhances the experience, skillfully bringing the characters to life with emotional nuance and clarity, which makes this relatively short audiobook a powerful listen. The pacing balances quieter, introspective moments with significant leaps forward in time, effectively showing the vast societal changes while maintaining a strong emotional core.

While Elodie’s character can at times feel static or frustratingly self-centered, this flaw adds to the realism of her struggle as she grapples with the implications of immortality and evolving humanity. The story raises important questions about what it means to be human when consciousness can be digitized, and how loss, faith, and free will fit into this new paradigm.

Though some plot threads could have been developed further, the thought-provoking worldbuilding and ethical dilemmas more than make up for these gaps. For listeners who enjoy sci-fi that challenges the mind while also touching the heart, The Last Gods is a unique and rewarding experience that lingers long after the last chapter.

Is this book worth listening to?

Absolutely! I finished listening to this book in a day. For a story under six hours, it told quite a lot and was enjoyable from start to finish. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
Each character in this book was so human. So REAL. They were so three dimensional, no, four dimensional characters. They were flawed, relatable, like-able, and even dislike-able in their own unique ways.
Elodie Black was a fantastic protagonist who was both endearing and incredibly frustrating. Her love for her family was never a doubt. Her self awareness as the story goes was a breath of fresh air. All of her choices seemed so natural and understandable. Whether emotional and illogical, or logical and thought out. Elodie felt very human, even when she no longer was human.
The entire premise of the story with such advances in technology and human civilization poses so many questions I have and my brain is buzzing with curiosity from how thought provoking this story is.
I cannot give enough praise to the narrator Jennifer Jill Araya. You could hear the emotion being expressed from every character. When they were happy, sad, bitter, frustrated, or anything. You could hear it.
This was a short book, but it had such an impact on me. I cannot recommend this book enough and hope more like this will be written.

Original and engaging story

This book was very thought-provoking and kept getting more and more interesting as it went on. I think the book is commenting on the extremes of advancing AI and the moral/religious questions it poses which was certainly interesting to read about and think about. The narrator did an excellent job as well; I found the narration to be particularly enjoyable.

Thought-provoking sci-fi

I really enjoyed this audiobook! As a fan of sci-fi, I'm always looking for new takes on futuristic concepts. With the recent advancements in AI, this story seems like something out of a realistic future timeline if things continue to progress as exponentially as they have been. It made me question what I would do if faced with this reality, as a creative person who tries to embrace the excitement of technology and tries not to fear it.

The first thing I paid attention to here was the narration. Jennifer Jill Araya's voice was clear, and she was believable as she switched between character dialogue lines. It was a pleasant listen overall. If the narration isn't good, I usually tend to reach for a paper copy of the book instead to create them myself, in my head, as I read through. In this case, the narration made the story much easier to follow and listen to throughout the day.

The character building was thorough and solid as well! Each character had an individual personality, and I could tell a lot of time went into creating their backstories, which drove their moral decisions. Elodie was a likeable character, conflicted in her relationship with her husband, Marcus, as they had a difference of opinion when it came to religion. This was a realistic and deep conflict that laid the foundation for the events to come.

Marcus, on the other hand, was an interesting character on a separate path. His life ends abruptly, but his story is carried through Elodie and the difficult moral dilemma she faces. She believes in God, but does she want to become one? She is faced with grief, and decides to embrace Neural's technology, potentially at the expense of her relationship with her daughter and the God she believes in, as well as humanity as a whole.

The story's world is tangible and interesting. Set in the near future, it's a relatable place, but technology is further advanced and uploading your brain to a network is possible. This leaves people wondering about life and its purpose. Coby the AI, who is part of the network, could be viewed as a future, enhanced version of our everyday Alexa or Siri. Here, we feel a kind of urgency to protect what we believe to be life as a human, and human consciousness.

There are many deep implications in this story, with ethical, philosophical, and theological themes. It leaves you thinking long after about what you would decide to do if given the chance to live on in digital form beyond your physical body. Would it be a lonely place without physical touch and the simple things we love about life on Earth? This book elicits a timely debate as we face the growth of AI and decide whether to embrace it or stop it in its tracks before it takes over every aspect of our lives—work, relationships, and most surprisingly for me, personally: the arts.

A Thought-Provoking Experience

To say this book was an out-of-this-world experience doesn’t just speak to the setting, but to the mental journey it takes you on as well.
Working through a realistic life scenario, our main character—Elodie—grapples with the conflicting ideals of religion, technology, and science. As these elements intertwine, I found myself not only on the edge of my seat, but revisiting the themes long after the end credits rolled.
Elodie is thrust into a complex seat after the unexpected death of her husband, forced to decide whether to support his regenerative technology—a development that could make human life immortal—or reject it as blasphemy for “playing gods.” Her inner turmoil over each new update felt deeply relatable. I was enwrapped by the way she weighed each decision, torn between personal desires and moral obligations.
Adam’s writing transitions seamlessly to audiobook, heightening the emotional experience in a way that felt more immersive than reading. The growth and realizations of the main characters was incredibly relatable, making it easy to connect and care.
The themes had me genuinely reflecting on what I believe to be “free will” is, as well as what I would have done in Elodie or Asher’s shoes. I recommend checking any triggers for grief and loss because it is something that is revisited often throughout the entirety of the storyline.
I will absolutely be recommending this to anyone who enjoys thoughtful, deep themes. I look forward to the conversations it will spark—as well as any future works from Adam.

What a journey this will really stick with me!!

I didn’t expect The Last Gods to pull me in the way it did, but from the first few chapters, I was hooked. The Last Gods is one of those rare sci-fi stories that hits both emotionally and intellectually. Adam Brownline blends brain science with cosmic philosophy in a way that feels both deeply intellectual and incredibly personal. Elodie is such a powerful main character. After losing her husband Markus, the story follows her evolution, not just emotionally, but literally, as she becomes the first Homo deus, a godlike being. What really struck me was how the author didn’t shy away from the emotional weight of immortality. Elodie’s grief, her complicated relationship with Archer, and the tragic loss of her daughter Elexus were all handled with so much depth and care. nd the epilogue… wow. It brought everything full circle. If you enjoy sci-fi with real heart and a philosophical edge, this is absolutely worth the listen. It challenges you to think while still delivering an unforgettable story.

Incredible Narration meets Sci-Fi

From the moment The Last Gods began, I got goosebumps. Jennifer Jill Araya’s narration brought Elodie’s world to life in such a visceral, compelling way. Her pacing was spot on, even when I adjusted the playback speed, everything still felt natural and emotionally grounded. There was one moment early on, when Elodie felt safe in her husband’s arms, that nearly broke my heart. The way Jennifer conveyed that warmth and vulnerability, especially knowing what was coming from the book’s summary, hit me hard.
Elodie is a well-written and deeply human character. The way she reflects, questions, and evolves over time makes her incredibly relatable. From the very beginning, there’s an undertone of foreshadowing, little memories resurfacing, passing thoughts that hint at something bigger, that makes you lean in and want to understand more. Her relationship with Markus had me frustrated at first (he definitely gave me a few “I’m gonna fight him” moments), but the story does a great job of showing why he is the way he is and that at the end of the day, he loves his wife. Even in just a few lines, you understand his worldviews and how much of it shapes the narrative going forward.
The drama throughout did keep me on my toes. I found myself gasping out loud more than once and bracing for what was coming next. The tension, both personal and philosophical between characters was really well done, and even though the beginning had a slow pace, it felt international getting the details out. There were a few conversations that felt like they trailed off a little too quickly, but nothing that seriously detracted from the story.
The timeskip did catch me off guard, and I had to rewind briefly to make sure I didn’t miss something. But once I settled into it, I appreciated how it showed just how much the world had changed. The worldbuilding itself is fascinating. It’s not overwhelming or dense, but it is unsettling in a very effective way. There’s this lingering feeling that this future, where identity, faith, and humanity are being redefined through technology, isn't entirely out of reach. The sense of “this could happen” stayed with me long after I finished listening.
Overall, The Last Gods is a thought-provoking, emotional journey through a future that feels both foreign and familiar. It asks big questions, about love, loss, faith and immortality and lets you sit with that discomfort of not always having clear answers. The narration only enhances the experience. I’m glad I listened to it, and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys sci-fi with emotional and philosophical depth.

An Intriguing Story of What it Means to Be Human

The Last Gods is a much different genre from what I usually listen to with audiobooks and even podcasts, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it! It's a story that raises a lot of different questions and thoughts from the readers as they listen along, and brings up many different struggles humans will inevitably go through throughout life. The loss of loved ones, disagreements with loved ones and issues with human relationships in general, what it means to be 'human' as a whole and more, all of which are brought up throughout the book as our main character, Elodie, must experience and deal with them in her own way as humanity evolves around and with her.

While Elodie isn't a perfect person by any means, the way she reacts and responds to these struggles feels very 'human', and we can see how it affects her overall throughout the story. The story does a great job presenting these struggles and having us as the readers form our own thoughts and opinions on them, almost alongside the characters as it's happening to them, and I think that's one of the best parts of The Last Gods. How it can, and will, bring up these multitude of questions as you'll form your consensus for each of them while you listen on. Even after reading it I can tell some of the themes and dilemas that appeared in the story will definitely stay with me for a good while. Overall, a very enjoyable book that I would reccomend to anyone who enjoys a sci-fi genre!

Also very quickly the narrator did a great job throughout, would absolutely say they added to the experience!

Great Narration and Engaging Story

This is genuinely one of the best audiobook experiences I have had in a long time. The story is incredibly relevant as we race towards an AI-driven future, allowing us to examine our forthcoming destination (unless we choose a different path) through the lens of Elodie. The characters all feel incredibly dynamic (in part to the incredible narration, more on that below) and I was rooting for Elodie throughout the story. I felt compelled to continue listening, and found myself reflecting back on the story in the moments when I could not hook in to the audiobook.

However, the best part of this audiobook is the narration. Jennifer Jill Araya is incredibly talented, and I hope to listen to more audiobooks (perhaps by the same author) in the future. Her tone is clear and engaging, and her vocal performance is stellar for each character.

I would highly recommend this audiobook for Sci-Fi / Audiobook lovers.