Review by Chikari -- The Crystilleries of Echoland

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Chikari
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Review by Chikari -- The Crystilleries of Echoland

Post by Chikari »

[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 by Dew Pellucid was a book I enjoyed greatly when I first read it a few months ago. Because of this, I was extremely excited to have the chance to listen to and review the audiobook version this time! The audiobook is narrated by B.J. Harrison. I found Harrison's voice to be very pleasing and easy to listen to. Their style of reading conveyed the emotion of the story very well.

The Crystilleries of Echoland is a story of personal growth, facing challenges, and doing what needs to be done to save others. This is a young adult novel about mystery, magic, and adventure. We meet the main character, Will Cleary, as he is walking about his house and the reader learns about how he and his sister disappeared as children. However, Will was returned shortly after. He is determined, along with his parents, to discover what happened to his sister and to bring her back home. Luckily, or unluckily, for Will, the time has come that his beloved pets (who came back with him when he reappeared) can not protect him any longer. Will learns of Echoland and the relationship between Echos and Sounds.

This story quickly pulls the reader in and has a good pace. I actually found the audiobook much easier to follow and understand than reading the book. Since the narration is so well done, that the important parts of the book come across well. There is great character development throughout the novel. It was fun meeting all of the characters and seeing how their different personalities meshed.

I also really enjoyed how the world of this novel is constructed. I've read many books about doubles or doppelgangers, but this novel has a very unique take on this idea. It was refreshing to read. I found myself wanting to keep going because I was excited to see what other world mechanics would come into play. It is a credit to the story that I was pulled into the audiobook even after reading the Kindle version. I knew what happens, but was easily pulled into the story once again.

This is a great novel for anyone who enjoys magic, fantasy, coming of age tales, and stories of adventure. This would also be a great book for mystery lovers. I would recommend this book for those 10-years-old or older. I liked the flow of the narration the most for this book. It created better pacing that was easy to picture in my mind. I had trouble following the pacing when reading the Kindle version so this was a nice change. I would 100 percent recommend listening to the audiobook. For this reason, I am giving The Crystilleries of Echoland 4 out of 4 stars!

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The Crystilleries of Echoland
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Letora
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Post by Letora »

I had a bit of trouble reading the book, maybe the audio would be easier for me as well. Thank you for reviewing!
"Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope." - Dr. Seuss
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Erin Painter Baker
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Post by Erin Painter Baker »

I also listened to the audiobook. There were times that I did find the action and conversations a little difficult to follow, losing track of who was where, or who was talking. While I did not blame the narrator for that, I also did not think he did much to improve it. It is interesting to me to see that, having read the book before this, you thought the book was less confusing because of the narrator.
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Lisa A Rayburn
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Post by Lisa A Rayburn »

I reviewed the Kindle version of this book, so I didn't think I was allowed to review the audio version. It's nice to find out differently. So, firstly, thanks for that! I enjoyed reading the book and didn't find it hard to follow (I've read a LOT of fantasy books.), but I found it to be a bit dark. The twisted humans who had been tortured into taking the souls of Echoes pulled no punches when it came to brutality, so I found it not quite suited for the younger part of the audience at which it was aimed. Either way, it was an enjoyable book. Great Review!
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