Tolagon

Tolagon Series, Book 1

By: Gregory Benson

Narrated by: Gabriel Michael

Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

The Oro system, ravaged by generations of war and oppressively ruled by the hammer of a mechanical force created to save them, is at the boiling point between extinction and rebellion.

Now, a new hero arises 20 years after the fall of the legendary Tolagons. Raised in secrecy among noble equine warriors of Troika, Crix's tranquil life is shattered when a mysterious woman (Kerriah) crashes nearby in a black ship that materializes out of thin air. His journey begins after he gives in to an irresistible urge to locate the ship in the forbidden boglands of Drisal.

Little does Crix know that using the hidden power within him—the blue orb of the Tolagons—to aid Kerriah’s rescue will set off a chain of events.

The Marcks, a brutal mechanized force, are alerted and hot on their trail. As they struggle to escape the clutches of the relentless Marcks, Crix discovers there’s a hidden menace controlling everything. Their only hope of survival is to find the remaining lost orbs, though he soon realizes it will cost him everything.

Joined by Krath, the salty war veteran from the watery moon of Thale, and forming a budding romance with Kerriah, will he learn to harness his long-suppressed power and become the Tolagon they desperately need, or will the forces of darkness prevail?

Discover the gripping tale of hidden powers, treacherous alliances, and a young hero's quest for truth in Gregory Benson's thrilling debut novel, Tolagon. Brace yourself for an unforgettable adventure that will leave you hungry for more.

Order your copy now and get ready to be riveted to your seat until the very end! Learn more about the different species and locations in this story at gregorybensonbooks.com/databank.

©2019 Gregory Benson (P)2023 Gregory Benson

Excellent!

A cracking sci fi tale, which follows a child raised in secret with some pretty cool powers. Definitely worth a listen if you’re in the market for a new author and want to start a new series.

Action packed.

I’ve listened to both books. I enjoyed the ride so far. Looking forward to the third. The narrator was very good fit for the fast moving, action packed ride.

Great adventure sci-fi story & audiobook

Tolagon is the first book in the Tolagon series and is a space-opera sci-fi novel with elements of fantasy. In this story we follow Crix an orphan and the last Tolagon who possesses the blue orb, a source of extreme power. The majority of the book follows a trio consisting of Crix, Karriah and Krath as they escape a force of robots called the Marcks which are controlled by the power-hungry, would-be tyrant Zearic and are alerted to the orb’s power should it be used.

I listened to the audiobook version of Tolagon and enjoyed the adventure. It was quite difficult to get into in the beginning because of the use of jargon specific to this world and the sheer amount of worldbuilding that happens. However, the worldbuilding was one part of the book that I really appreciated, there was a lot of it, from the political system, the races, the monsters/robots and the magic that were present within this world. I think this book would have benefitted from being longer, to further explain and describe the elements of this vast world in more detail.

The narrator of the audiobook is Gabriel Michael, and I felt that the narration portions were overacted and should have been toned down. However, I personally loved the voices that were done for all of the characters, and this made it such an enjoyable audiobook. The unique voices really helped me to connect with the characters and know more about their personality, particularly Krath. He is a wonderful character, who made me chuckle multiple times and ended up being my favourite. I did really like Crix as the protagonist; He was a humble and focused character, and I genuinely felt like he cared for others. Some of the dialogue between Crix and Karriah felt a little cheesy and I didn’t feel any strong emotional connection to their relationship (however, this may be built on further in book two).

I had a lot of fun listening to Tolagon and would recommend it to fans of space-opera sci-fi novels, who like stories with adventure, strong characters, humour and LOTS of worldbuilding. Also, if you are like me and like narrators who go above and beyond with voicing different characters and added effects, I’d recommend checking out the audiobook on audible. I can’t wait to listen to book 2.

Thank you to Gregory Benson for providing me with the Tolagon audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.

Wild Ride!

This book was a wild ride with plenty of action and suspense throughout the story. For a Sci-fi book it was the perfect mix of different planets and different species that keep the universe growing. The trio that the story follows are relatable, likable, and funny. The voice actor did a great job making sure you knew who was talking by giving them all a district voice and the writing definitely made that possible. I can't wait to listen to book two. So awesome!

Action Packed!

Super action packed story with a great narrator. The only reason I didn't give it a perfect score is because it's almost too much information or too much happening to keep up with. Of course the author is preparing the reader for sequels.

Also it's written in omniscient point of view, meaning, the reader knows what everyone is thinking all at the same time. Personally, it kept me from connecting with any one character.

That said, the book is rich with vivid descriptions of scenes and the created world and creatures. All in all, I enjoyed reading/ listening to the story.

Thanks to the author for giving me a free review copy of this audiobook.