Review by bdidjurgis -- The Crystilleries of Echoland

[bdidjurgis]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Crystilleries of Echoland" by Dew Pellucid.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Crystalleries of Echoland by Dew Pellucid and illustrated by Andy Simmons and Tal Boldo is a young adult book in the fantasy genre. It is a tale replete with good and evil, adventure, courage, and determination set amid an ice kingdom. The hero, Will Cleary and his twin sister, Emmy, had been kidnapped at the age of two and whisked away to a parallel universe. By some unknown magic, only Will returned with a wolf and falcon as companions.

The story opens ten years later with Will’s parents completely enthralled with finding Emmy. His father is searching books while his mother dons scuba gear and dives into a lake looking for a hidden door. Will decides to follow his mother into the pond, and with his companions, is transported into a new realm. This is the land of Echoes and Sounds made up of individuals and their mirror images, crystal balls, snow that is warm, evil characters that inflict pain with a simple touch. Will is not alone; he is befriended by a young magician named Peter. Together they begin to unravel a mystery that is filled with danger and pain, set in a strange land.

The author keeps the chapters short, which is great for her intended audience. She uses very descriptive vocabulary to create her “other” world which makes it easy for the illustrators to do their work. I liked the juxtaposition of snow and warmth and her creation of the Stalkers reminded me of the Dementors of J.K. Rowling. They were, certainly, just as evil.

Will is continually challenged to use his brains and his brawn as he struggles to figure out who might be a traitor. He deals with grief at the death of his wolf and falcon, but stays determined to find his sister. Along this journey, he finds friendship and learns that appearances are not necessarily an indication of truth.

While the editing was excellent with only a few minor errors, the first few chapters were challenging and somewhat confusing as Pellucid is delivering large amounts of information in a somewhat confusing manner. There are names of individuals in the orphanage with no real background or follow-up. I had to read several passages a few times to figure out how one scene connected to another. As I continued to read, however, the plot and surrounding information became clearer. I felt the book was a little too long with 367 pages (on my Kindle). Only a young adult who was captivated with the setting and characters would continue to read. With that being said, the final 120 pages are clear and make the reader want to stick with the story to the end. I give the book 4 out of 4 stars.

Reviewed by B. Didjurgis

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The Crystilleries of Echoland
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[Erin Painter Baker]

Solid first published review. I listened to the audiobook version of this novel, and the short chapters work really well there. It's definitely great for both holding the readers' attention and for having a good spot to stop when you need it.