New West - Hill Country - Act 1

A Will to Meaning (New West Series)

By: Seamus John

Narrated by: Zach Lazar Hoffman, Suzanne Santo, Kristin James

Length: 1 hr and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

The year is 2083. The global population has been decimated by the final flu. The United States—not united for a long time—is no more. New lines have been drawn. Five divided nations stand. The story begins in one nation, the New West, which is much like the Old West.

A Will to Meaning follows Sheriff John Newman in his quest for meaning in the heart of the wild Comanche empire, turned thriving Texas Hill Country, turned desolate and violent and ruthless once more. A harsh landscape and a society without technology, laws, or base human agreements to guide us. Here in the New West, three lives intertwine in a quest for meaning, pleasure, and power.

©2023 Seamus John (P)2023 Seamus John

Exciting and well written

The characters are well developed, they story exhilarating and leaves you wanting more. I’m excited for the next book!

Gripping. Raw. Timeless.

I'm a sucker for great Westerns, but after the first few scenes, I knew this was no ordinary Western. There's nothing ordinary about this set of novelas.

The vivid descriptions of the sometimes beautiful, often brutal landscape transported me to a place -- a place in Central Texas I happen to know, but now know much better. And as I settled into this world, I discovered it's not the world of 2023, but rather, a brilliant setting for a story decades into the future.

Then, of course, are the characters -- characters that are richly complex and impossible to forget. The opening scenes with Caroline (both mother and daughter) were so shocking, so painful, so raw that I actually had to take a short break after that section. Intense is an understatement. The voice acting is killer, too. Makes me feel like I'm in a room with these people. Caroline (played by Suzanne Santo) delivers a few lines that send chills down my spine.

While the story has all the drama and action of a Western, it surprised me by being more. It's easy to fall into, but it's not simple. It's one that leaves you thinking -- about what once was and what will likely be. Because we're perfectly imperfect humans, struggling for power and meaning.

Like a Movie Projected Inside Your Mind

Just finished Act 1 of New West and physically found myself breathing faster, as if I were a participating character in the harrowing first scene of stampeding, bloodthirsty wild hogs. Author John Seamus’ repeated ability to bring scenes to life with his vivid descriptions is like watching a movie being projected inside your mind.

As an admitted sufferer of A.D.D, it’s difficult for me to say focused on audio books. Because of that, I almost passed up this book. I was looking for something completely different to listen to, however ̶ other than music and podcasts i had grown tired of ̶ so thought I would give it a go.

Having listened to a couple audio books in the past, I was prepared to be occasionally turned off by the horrible reads/acting and lame sound effects, but the opposite was true. Each supporting sensory element of New West adds to its movie-like aspect, making it a thoroughly immersive and enjoyable experience.

Hope this keeps up through Act 2 and 3. Until then, I’ll simply enjoy the fact that it's making my workouts an entertaining breeze!