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nicolemhewitt's review
4.0
4.5/5 Stars
This review and many others can be found on my blog - Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Echoes is an action-packed sci-fi mystery, full of twists and turns!
The negatives:
Not quite enough futuristic elements.
While there were definitely some interesting futuristic sci-fi elements in this book, I could have used even more! Besides a few interesting gadgets and people who change their appearance using mods, life in 2712 didn't seem that much more advanced.
What I LOVED:
Adem.
Adem was an incredibly interesting character because of his ability to read people. He was like Sean on Psych, only even more so. Adem is brilliant (the seventh most intelligent person in the world, we're told), but somewhat emotionally stunted due to the murder of his mother when he was only six years old. Because of her murder, he has dedicated his life to using his skills to help solve crimes - and is hoping to eventually solve the mystery of his mother's death. Even though Adem doesn't have a ton of emotional depth, he makes up with it because of his sense of humor - which brings me to my next point ...
Dry wit.
Adem's narration is filled with a sort of dry wit. In some ways, it reminded me of Douglas Adam's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (or maybe his Dirk Gently series), but a lot less wacky. Adem is constantly parenthetically commenting on the circumstances around him in ways that made me laugh - a big plus in my book!
Echoes (dreams).
I'm not always a big fan of straight-up mysteries or crime novels, but the slightly paranormal/sci-fi element of this book is what made it for me. You see, you find out relatively early on in this book that the murder is not just any murder (you may have gathered that from the fact that it says in the synopsis that the murder was committed by a dragon). Adem discovers that the real culprit behind the murder is able to manipulate his dreams - and make them come to life. The result is a true nightmare! There were quite a few twists and turns in this book as Adem tries to solve the murder (coming very close to death several times). One of the major twists, I did see coming, but another one was a big surprise to me and I thought it was brilliant!
I would highly recommend this book to fans of sci-fi or crime novels/mystery (who don't mind a sci-fi element). I give it 4.5/5 stars.
***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own***
This review and many others can be found on my blog - Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Echoes is an action-packed sci-fi mystery, full of twists and turns!
The negatives:
Not quite enough futuristic elements.
While there were definitely some interesting futuristic sci-fi elements in this book, I could have used even more! Besides a few interesting gadgets and people who change their appearance using mods, life in 2712 didn't seem that much more advanced.
What I LOVED:
Adem.
Adem was an incredibly interesting character because of his ability to read people. He was like Sean on Psych, only even more so. Adem is brilliant (the seventh most intelligent person in the world, we're told), but somewhat emotionally stunted due to the murder of his mother when he was only six years old. Because of her murder, he has dedicated his life to using his skills to help solve crimes - and is hoping to eventually solve the mystery of his mother's death. Even though Adem doesn't have a ton of emotional depth, he makes up with it because of his sense of humor - which brings me to my next point ...
Dry wit.
Adem's narration is filled with a sort of dry wit. In some ways, it reminded me of Douglas Adam's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (or maybe his Dirk Gently series), but a lot less wacky. Adem is constantly parenthetically commenting on the circumstances around him in ways that made me laugh - a big plus in my book!
Echoes (dreams).
I'm not always a big fan of straight-up mysteries or crime novels, but the slightly paranormal/sci-fi element of this book is what made it for me. You see, you find out relatively early on in this book that the murder is not just any murder (you may have gathered that from the fact that it says in the synopsis that the murder was committed by a dragon). Adem discovers that the real culprit behind the murder is able to manipulate his dreams - and make them come to life. The result is a true nightmare! There were quite a few twists and turns in this book as Adem tries to solve the murder (coming very close to death several times). One of the major twists, I did see coming, but another one was a big surprise to me and I thought it was brilliant!
I would highly recommend this book to fans of sci-fi or crime novels/mystery (who don't mind a sci-fi element). I give it 4.5/5 stars.
***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own***
betwixt_the_pages's review
4.0
Washington
District of Columbia
United Republic of Earth
2712
_____
Twenty-three-year-old Adem Adamend has it rough. His name is ludicrous. His friends are few. And the only thing his "kid genius" status has gotten him at the Interdistrict Bureau of Intelligence is a boatload of extra work with no credit in sight.
Then hotshot lawyer Victor Manson is burned to death in his own back yard, and Adem finds himself using his unique skills to piece together the strangest crime he's ever seen. Strange because the only possible suspect Adem can pin the murder on...is a mythical beast. A dragon.
Before Adem can unravel the mystery of Manson's death, the Bureau loses jurisdiction to the secretive EDPA, an organization that investigates weird and deadly events. But Adem isn't one for giving up, so he takes it upon himself to delve deeper into EDPA's machinations, into the series of unfortunate events that led to Manson's demise.
And what he finds may change the way he views the world -- and himself -- forever.
_____
What do you do when a killer can hide behind his dreams?
What do you do when a murder weapon ceases to exist?
And how do you stop a villain who can conjure up nightmares and burn you from the Earth in the blink of an eye?
Adem Adamend is about to find out.
- - - - -
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Quick Reasons: a special snowflake who is also entertaining and arrogant; the fantasy and originality in this read are beyond awesome; the concept, while not original, has unique twists and changes; an effective use of red-herring
If there were a way to seep a writer's genius through the pages of their works, Therin Knite would be at the TOP of my “need to steal” list. I mean seriously, this woman has definite writing chops—and I'm supremely jealous.
I think the thing I envy about Therin Knite most is her unlimited amount of unique and creative ideas. She starts readers off running, thrusting them into the midst of a story and explaining the important details as needed, instead of attempting to dump a bunch of confusing information in the first few chapters. The plot is well-paced and set up perfectly. In fact, Therin Knite puts everything into creating red-herrings so obviously unobvious, you'll have yourself believing it MUST be the answer...only to realize the answer is about a million miles off from that. The concept of this read is also, while not original, filled to the brim with Knite's unique flair and ideas.
Her style is also unique—inventive in all the right ways, gorgeous in the rest. It's not hard to get caught up in the story or her descriptions—she makes things so real, you'll leave the read believing her creations actually exist. It's easy to imagine these characters off the page—because the author makes it easy. Same with her world-building: the details are so inventive, so well-described, so realistically woven into realism you'll begin to wonder if such things might have ALWAYS existed...and been overlooked or ignored.
As always, the snark and witty banter are out of bounds with this read (yes, I did just quote Guy Fieri.) Adem Adamend is an arrogant, pompous, special snowflake of a character—of course, the last of this might be attributed to being in the wrong line of work at the beginning of this book, so I won't hold that against him. But what he has in genius and intellect, he makes up for in awkward social engagements and ridiculous reactions.
His character pair, Dynara, also balances him out nicely—she has the same level of snark and wit, but she also pulls Adem out of his own genius. She forces him to think outside the box, she challenges him to figure out things on his own, and she doesn't make it easy. Instead, she settles back, gives him just enough clues to get him by...and waits for him to figure it out. Their interactions are entertaining and at times squee-inducing. They're just so adorable, you won't be able to do anything but love them.
Once again, Therin Knite blew me away with her beautiful prose, awesome plotline, and endearing characters. I will be picking up Epitaphs (Echoes #2) in the very near future, in anticipation of the soon-to-be-released third book! I'd definitely recommend to lovers of sci fi/fantasy, thrilling adventures, and awkward geniuses. If you haven't read a book from Therin Knite yet, I'd recommend you start with this one—I promise you won't regret it. I can't wait to see what the world has in store for Adem and Dynara next!
District of Columbia
United Republic of Earth
2712
_____
Twenty-three-year-old Adem Adamend has it rough. His name is ludicrous. His friends are few. And the only thing his "kid genius" status has gotten him at the Interdistrict Bureau of Intelligence is a boatload of extra work with no credit in sight.
Then hotshot lawyer Victor Manson is burned to death in his own back yard, and Adem finds himself using his unique skills to piece together the strangest crime he's ever seen. Strange because the only possible suspect Adem can pin the murder on...is a mythical beast. A dragon.
Before Adem can unravel the mystery of Manson's death, the Bureau loses jurisdiction to the secretive EDPA, an organization that investigates weird and deadly events. But Adem isn't one for giving up, so he takes it upon himself to delve deeper into EDPA's machinations, into the series of unfortunate events that led to Manson's demise.
And what he finds may change the way he views the world -- and himself -- forever.
_____
What do you do when a killer can hide behind his dreams?
What do you do when a murder weapon ceases to exist?
And how do you stop a villain who can conjure up nightmares and burn you from the Earth in the blink of an eye?
Adem Adamend is about to find out.
- - - - -
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Quick Reasons: a special snowflake who is also entertaining and arrogant; the fantasy and originality in this read are beyond awesome; the concept, while not original, has unique twists and changes; an effective use of red-herring
If there were a way to seep a writer's genius through the pages of their works, Therin Knite would be at the TOP of my “need to steal” list. I mean seriously, this woman has definite writing chops—and I'm supremely jealous.
A single dollop of raspberry donut filling. That is what prevents Victor Manson's seventy-seventh death by dragon.
I think the thing I envy about Therin Knite most is her unlimited amount of unique and creative ideas. She starts readers off running, thrusting them into the midst of a story and explaining the important details as needed, instead of attempting to dump a bunch of confusing information in the first few chapters. The plot is well-paced and set up perfectly. In fact, Therin Knite puts everything into creating red-herrings so obviously unobvious, you'll have yourself believing it MUST be the answer...only to realize the answer is about a million miles off from that. The concept of this read is also, while not original, filled to the brim with Knite's unique flair and ideas.
Her style is also unique—inventive in all the right ways, gorgeous in the rest. It's not hard to get caught up in the story or her descriptions—she makes things so real, you'll leave the read believing her creations actually exist. It's easy to imagine these characters off the page—because the author makes it easy. Same with her world-building: the details are so inventive, so well-described, so realistically woven into realism you'll begin to wonder if such things might have ALWAYS existed...and been overlooked or ignored.
Heterochromia lady has crept up to us like a snake in a sea of rainbow-colored glass. Too-severe mod cheeks give her dyed turquoise lips a dollish smile, and the proportions of her body have been stretched and thinned to make her fit the silhouette of a designer store mannequin. Even in a room full of half-remembered dreams, she looks like a walking storybook character.
As always, the snark and witty banter are out of bounds with this read (yes, I did just quote Guy Fieri.) Adem Adamend is an arrogant, pompous, special snowflake of a character—of course, the last of this might be attributed to being in the wrong line of work at the beginning of this book, so I won't hold that against him. But what he has in genius and intellect, he makes up for in awkward social engagements and ridiculous reactions.
His character pair, Dynara, also balances him out nicely—she has the same level of snark and wit, but she also pulls Adem out of his own genius. She forces him to think outside the box, she challenges him to figure out things on his own, and she doesn't make it easy. Instead, she settles back, gives him just enough clues to get him by...and waits for him to figure it out. Their interactions are entertaining and at times squee-inducing. They're just so adorable, you won't be able to do anything but love them.
The draon explodes into a swarm of butterflies. They blow past us, a couple landing on my face and chest. They're black and blue, beautiful, harmless things. The bulk of them scatter into the heavy winds, and poorly hidden bystanders begin to emerge from their cover to watch the spectacle recede. Someone starts to clap, and the muffled fever catches on before igniting into a shower of senseless cheers.
“Dynara,” I murmur.
“Yes?”
“Did I just turn a dragon into butterflies?”
Once again, Therin Knite blew me away with her beautiful prose, awesome plotline, and endearing characters. I will be picking up Epitaphs (Echoes #2) in the very near future, in anticipation of the soon-to-be-released third book! I'd definitely recommend to lovers of sci fi/fantasy, thrilling adventures, and awkward geniuses. If you haven't read a book from Therin Knite yet, I'd recommend you start with this one—I promise you won't regret it. I can't wait to see what the world has in store for Adem and Dynara next!
briewoodfiction's review
3.0
The first thing that struck me about Knite's debut effort was its professionalism. Like the cover, Knite's prose is refreshingly polished, and anyone on the fence about reading indie/self-pub fare can rest easy. Fans of Neal Stephenson will find a lot to enjoy here. Those looking for a more cerebral read, however, may find Echoes falls a bit flat.
While there were moments of fine character work that shined through, overall the story lacked in emotional resonance and preferred to pile on the action, to my personal distaste.
I'm nevertheless quite pleased I stumbled across Therin Knite, and look forward to seeing him come into his own in future offerings.
While there were moments of fine character work that shined through, overall the story lacked in emotional resonance and preferred to pile on the action, to my personal distaste.
I'm nevertheless quite pleased I stumbled across Therin Knite, and look forward to seeing him come into his own in future offerings.
dkgreads's review
4.0
That was seriously entertaining!
Echoes was a fun, fast-paced read! I'm not entirely sure what genre to classify it as --- there was some cool futuristic tech mixed with a little sci-fi and perhaps a bit of fantasy? --- unless you count AWESOME as a genre ;)
I totally dug Knite's writing style and I absolute LOVED Adem's voice! I will definitely be checking out future books in this series :)
Echoes was a fun, fast-paced read! I'm not entirely sure what genre to classify it as --- there was some cool futuristic tech mixed with a little sci-fi and perhaps a bit of fantasy? --- unless you count AWESOME as a genre ;)
I totally dug Knite's writing style and I absolute LOVED Adem's voice! I will definitely be checking out future books in this series :)
lmrewis's review
3.0
3.5 stars.
Echoes was a cross between Sherlock Holmes meets Criminal Minds meets Douglas Adams (at least stylistically for Adams). For a first time author, this was a brilliant work. I'm not a fan of sci-fi, but I would suggest this novel to anyone looking for a quick and engaging year. I have to give props - I did not see the end coming. Typically, I can guess the "who-dun-it" but I was surprisingly thrown for a loop. The writing was good, didn't sound forced, not hideously descriptive, and I loved the phrase, "By the old gods."
Echoes was a cross between Sherlock Holmes meets Criminal Minds meets Douglas Adams (at least stylistically for Adams). For a first time author, this was a brilliant work. I'm not a fan of sci-fi, but I would suggest this novel to anyone looking for a quick and engaging year. I have to give props - I did not see the end coming. Typically, I can guess the "who-dun-it" but I was surprisingly thrown for a loop. The writing was good, didn't sound forced, not hideously descriptive, and I loved the phrase, "By the old gods."
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