4 out of 4 stars
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Imagine staging a coup in another land a land full of monsters, magic and see-through people. Echoland is in need, Echoes are dying, the true king is dead and his brother, the false king is in charge. Will Cleary is a Sound, and his reflection is called an Echo, a see-through person who lives in Echoland. Before his death the true king caused some commotion in Echoland by wanting to abolish the Law of Death, a law that says if a Sound dies so must their Echo. Now in order to save his long-lost twin sister, Emmy, Will must also save Echoland from the Law of Death. In order to do this Will and his Echo, the prince of Echoland must prove the true king's innocence in a theft, find the true king's killer and dethrone the false king all before Will and his Echo's thirteenth birthday. Monsters, magic, and friendship all happen within the pages of The Crystilleries of Echoland.
First off, I would like to complement the author on a great job of creating and describing Echoland. The magical world of Echoland was beautifully created and described without overwhelming detail. Secondly, I would like to complement Andy Simmons and Tal Boldo for creating the 82 colorful and beautiful illustrations that accompany the book as you follow Will and his friends on their quest. These were an excellent addition to the book. Between Dew's words and Andy and Tal's illustrations, Echoland was as crystal clear as the see-through people who reside there. While there were a great many things that I loved about the book, there were a few things that I did not enjoy. For example, there was a scene where some animals were being violently killed. This did not appeal to me. Also, some of the subplots dragged on for most of the book, slowing it down at times.
While reading, I only found two errors within the book, proving that the book was professionally edited. One error was a missing question mark, another error was a set of quotes that didn't need to be at the end of a paragraph. I almost missed these two small errors, as I was so engrossed in the story.
With only two errors and a beautifully written story, I rate The Crystilleries of Echoland, by Dew Pellucid 4 out of 4 stars. Even though the book slowed down at times due the multiple subplots, each one was beautifully written and had a sense of adventure and excitement. I would give this book 5 stars if I could. Each chapter is full of excitement and friendship and has an easy storyline to follow that I couldn't help but get lost in Echoland.
As for my recommendation children, 15 and up should only read this book due to some graphic animal content. I feel that younger children would become upset by the animal deaths and a suicide. However, children who do read this book will be transported to a magical place where anything is possible.
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The Crystilleries of Echoland
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