4 out of 4 stars
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The Crystilleries of Echoland, written by Dew Pellucid and narrated by BJ Harrison, is a fantasy audiobook about a parallel universe. When humans are born, they are known as Sounds. They then duplicate and appear in Echoland, where they are called Echos.
Millions of Sound children are being kidnapped and sent to Echoland. Will Cleary and his twin sister were among those taken to Echoland at the age of two, but Will escaped and was returned unharmed. At 12 years old, after receiving a crystillery (memory stone) and a unique coin from some Echos, Will returns to Echoland to search for his sister. He meets many people, some friends, some foes, and they proceed to fight the Fate Sealers, who do the bidding of the evil False King. Will’s Echo is the Prince and the rightful heir to the throne. Can the peaceful Prince William take back his throne and save the people of Echoland from the death and torture being inflicted upon them from the evil False King?
This incredible audio version had me hooked from the first chapter. The narrator is captivating in his intonation of the many characters and personalities in the story. Every person has a distinctive voice, and you can tell who is speaking without any names being mentioned.
The author’s imagination in this tale is terrific, and her ability to put it in print is phenomenal. Her skillful use of imagery and metaphors adds volumes to this tale. For example, when explaining the character of Nurse Flight, she writes, “Her spikey hair quivered like a bird’s nest in a storm. She twittered like an enraged hamster.”
I rate The Crystilleries of Echoland 4 out of 4 stars because of the superb storyline and the entrancing narrative. There is a parade of complex, eccentric characters ranging from Will’s best friend, Peter Patrick Petterson, a magician, to Drinkwater, an elusive man not known to be friend or foe. There was only one confusing portion to this audiobook. As Will is trying to hide the valuable coin that could save his life, he decides to swallow it. Later, it turns up again in his pocket. How did it get there? Because this is an audiobook, I am unsure of any grammatical errors.
There is a striking resemblance to the Harry Potter novels throughout the entire book. The Orphanage of Castaway Children is similar to the Hogwarts School of Magic. Will is another Harry Potter, and Peter is like Ron Weasley.
Although written for the Young Adult reader, this book will appeal to those that enjoy magic, fantasy and esoteric concepts such as a parallel universe. There is a degree of killing, death and violence, so I would not recommend it for the very young or sensitive person. The reader will enjoy the strange twists and turns, and the ending leaves open the possibility of a second book. We can but hope.
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The Crystilleries of Echoland
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