Review by dorebri2020 -- The Crystilleries of Echoland

[dorebri2020]

[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 Crystilleries of Echoland is a fantastic fantasy novel that explores the existence of a world that runs parallel to ours called Echoland. Written by Dew Pellucid and beautifully narrated by B.J. Harrison, the book focuses on a young boy named Will Cleary. Will is one of many kids who had disappeared from his home at a young age, including his twin sister Emmy. However, Will is different than all the other kids: he somehow returned home with a pet falcon and wolf, but without his sister. At the age of 12, Will decides to join his parents in the search for Emmy and finds entry to Echoland, a beautiful place full of beings called Echoes. Echoes run parallel to Sounds in the natural world; therefore, if a Sound dies, then their Echo dies as well. As the story continues, Will finds himself immersed in Echoland and the many magical mysteries that come from his appearance and his search for Emmy.

I must say that this book is an absolutely incredible read and listen. I absolutely loved how the world of this novel was created. It was refreshing to read a novel that brilliant featured amazing character development while also portraying an awesome coming-of-age story. I was continually captivated by the story and was always excited to see the new elements the author would bring into play. I was especially interested in the author's vivid detail when he was describing Echoland. The author is constantly creating unforgettable characters and constantly finds new tests of loyalties and friendships. The concept of dual-realities was also an awesome plotline that is rarely used, so I was completely fascinated.

I was also impressed by the quality of the narration within the audiobook. As I listened to the audiobook, I followed along with the kindle version, and I must say that Harrison did an amazing job bringing the characters to life. The detail and tone he inputs for every character made it very easy to follow the story. Frankly, even considering that I have never particularly liked audiobooks before, I was excited to keep listening to this one. Still, I would recommend reading the Kindle version as well as listening to the audiobook, as they are two very different experiences and both are fantastic.

Throughout the novel, I honestly could not find anything I majorly disliked. The plot tied together perfectly, and I was so amazed by Will's character development that I found myself ignoring minor discrepancies. Still, I was a bit thrown off by the dark scenes in the novel. The descriptions can get a bit graphic, and since the target audience is a younger demographic, I was shocked by the bluntness of the scenes. I also thought the first few chapters were a bit fast-paced and may require some rereading to get the concepts clear. Still, these were minor issues in the context of a wonderful novel.

Overall, I rate this novel 4 out of 4 stars. While I did notice a few very small problems with the book, they were not enough of a reason to deduct a star. Beyond the reasons listed above, the book was also extremely well-edited, and I noticed no errors in the audio recording. I strongly recommend that people who do not like fantasy or are easily driven away by graphic scenes pass on this novel. Otherwise, this novel will definitely attract people who love reading fantasy books featuring magic, strong bonding and friendships, and a new coming-of-age story.

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The Crystilleries of Echoland
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[Erin Painter Baker]

I really enjoyed BJ Harrison's narration of this book. He definitely did a great job bringing the characters to life and helping me distinguish between them.

[La Cabra]

Nice review! I'm occasionally on the look out for good YA featuring male protagonists and this seems to fit the bill. The cover reminded me of Cornelia Funke's books, which I loved as a child, and your review confirms the similarities their stories/themes. Fantasy, friendship and mystery can't go wrong with that!

[djr6090]

I read the downloadable version, but there are so may great things in your review about the audiobook that I might just have to try that version, too.