Review by raqstar1 -- The Crystilleries of Echoland

[raqstar1]

[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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Will is a Sound who must go to the world of Echoes in order to find and save his sister. But he learns that there is more to his trip to Echoland than just saving her. For every Sound in the human world, there is an Echo in Echoland. Will is the Sound to the Echo prince and someone wants the Echo prince dead. Unfortunately for Will, the easiest way to kill an Echo is to kill his or her Sound. With this new knowledge, Will's goal must be to stay alive and stay hidden. Another unfortunate point for Will is that he’s not very good at staying incognito. Will meets many friends and foes alike as he makes his way through this journey. He has adventures, misadventures, and life lessons which lead take him on a path to help save Echoland.

The Crystilleries of Echoland by Dew Pellucid is narrated by B.J. Harrison. Harrison makes listening to the story extremely enjoyable using different voices for each of the characters. It's read at a pace that is easy to follow and keeps the reader engaged. I was able to visualize what was happening in the story and picture each character’s interactions with the others. As an 8-hour long book when read, it is perfect for a family road trip or to keep you engaged for a week or two of commuting.

Having read the book previously, I enjoyed listening to it because the story comes across in a different way when you hear it in someone else's voice. I was even able to catch little intricacies that I didn’t register while reading. For instance, the author, Dew Pellucid, has a cameo in the book which I missed when I read it.

The story is very engaging and is a good option for both adults and children alike. It has enough action to keep the reader interested and the story is well developed. I really enjoyed how the different characters were introduced and developed. I found myself unsure whether I wanted to root for one or another at times. Later in the development, I would get the ‘aha moment’ of their deeper personality.

My only criticism of the book is that the animals in the story come across as a bit of a filler or afterthought. For instance, some young people in Echoland have the opportunity to bond with an animal. There is a chapter dedicated to this process, but the animals don’t really have a profound part in the story. I would have liked to see them have more impact on the way that things rolled out. But even having said that, I think that the story would have been lacking something greater had they been left out altogether.

It is very rare for me to want to re-read or listen to a story that I have previously read. The fact that I enjoyed listening to this book after having read it speaks volumes. There weren’t any glitches or faults in the recording and the story is well-rounded and entertaining. I think it would be a great book for the entire family. Although it is geared toward the young adult reader, it will be fun for the entire family. With action, mystery, suspense, and magic, it is a must read for any fantasy lover. I happily rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.

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The Crystilleries of Echoland
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[Chikari]

Great review! I also enjoyed this book when I read it. I might have to get the audio version after reading this review. The world in this book is one I'd love to read about in future books for sure!