Review by Sinclairess -- The Crystilleries of Echoland

[Chelsey Coles]

[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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In The Crystilleries of Echoland, there are Sounds and Echoes. Sounds are human, solid, and live in an ordinary-looking world. Each Sound has an Echo, which is like an extension of themselves. Echoes are the same as their Sounds, except… they’re see-through! When Will Cleary (a Sound) is only two years old, he and his twin sister are kidnapped. He remembers nothing of this day. A decade later, his parents are depressed and ignore him, and his twin sister is still gone. He’s also acquired pets: a falcon and a wolf, the only two beings who can answer Will’s questions and help him solve the riddle his life has become.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars, and it deserves every single one! The plot is not only exciting, but unique. The concept of Echoes and Sounds is brilliant. I also enjoy the style of writing. There is quite a bit of alliteration. Though it is prose, at times the writing feels like poetry because of the rich vocabulary. The parallel between the author’s name, Dew Pellucid, and the character with the same name is quite clever as well. The production is flawless and is clearly professionally edited.

This book is narrated by B.J. Harrison. His voice is perfect for this book. Besides the sophisticated British accent, he is quite talented! Every character has a distinctive voice. The voices are so precise that I know who is speaking just from their tone of voice. It’s a lot of fun to hear them interact with each other. Listening to Harrison is like sitting by the fire with a cup of hot cocoa while your uncle tells you a bedtime story. It made me feel peaceful and warm. Though soothing, it brings me to a small downside.

Harrison’s voice is sometimes too soothing. I found that I couldn’t listen for long periods of time because I got sleepy! Since this is my first time listening to an audiobook in its entirety, I enjoin readers to know that this version is not something you can speed through. If you plan to read this, please know that it is a slow and steady journey. On and off, it took me a little over a week to finish. This is not a negative, just a heads-up. This is the type of book where breaks are a good thing, so that all of the magical moments can properly sink into your mind.

I was also surprised to find a great deal of violence within the book, though not in a disturbing way. Death is a leading theme as well. This is not for the faint of heart, even though it is geared towards younger audiences. There is no profanity, however, so by no means is this too explicit in any way. Fantasy-lovers, this book is for you! Will Cleary’s adventure is reminiscent of Harry Potter, with a brave yet underestimated protagonist who has the big job of saving entire worlds and people. Pellucid truly created a splendid world of wonderment.

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The Crystilleries of Echoland
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[Erin Painter Baker]

I actually really liked how short the chapters were. It makes a difference in an audiobook (even more than a regular book), to have really good stopping points. The short chapters did make it easy to pick a good place to stop and absorb what had happened in the book.

[Chelsey Coles]

I actually really liked how short the chapters were. It makes a difference in an audiobook (even more than a regular book), to have really good stopping points. The short chapters did make it easy to pick a good place to stop and absorb what had happened in the book.

You have a point, there was a certain rhythm to the story. Thank you for stopping by!

[Ngozi Onyibor]

What a glowing review! This sounds like a great book, and all the reviews I have read about it have been positive. My interest is piqued. Thanks for your thought.

[Chelsey Coles]

What a glowing review! This sounds like a great book, and all the reviews I have read about it have been positive. My interest is piqued. Thanks for your thought.

Thank you for your kind words!

[AvidBibliophile]

Haha, it's so funny that you mention the "soothing" qualities of the narrator's voice because this also the first fantasy audiobook I've ever listened to, and I found myself nodding off at multiple points as well! Thrilling story though. Great review.

[Chelsey Coles]

Haha, it's so funny that you mention the "soothing" qualities of the narrator's voice because this also the first fantasy audiobook I've ever listened to, and I found myself nodding off at multiple points as well! Thrilling story though. Great review.

Glad to know that I was not the only one.
It was indeed a thrilling tale. Thank you for commenting.