Scan barcode
talon1010's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely excellent! I had mixed feelings, for various reasons, in anticipation of this volume but it so, so superseded them. Mull obviously took a lot of time building the echolands as an intriguing, considerate afterlife zone. I'm not even typically one for necromancy in stories; I think it's easy to do it lazily, banking on the appeal of the magic to be complex for itself, but there were no mediocre zombies and maniacally-cackling wraiths to be found.
My one, big note is a bit spoilery: I saw coming from a book away. It seemed so clearly set up that it was absurd to see Cole surprised by it (and pretty funny that no one that he tells seems to be surprised). While that did bog me down a bit, I was picked right back up by the next several chapters. The revelations made about the nature of the Outskirts and shaping, and the absolutely bonkers events including Destiny and were incredible, and had me up insanely late to find out what comes next.
This book works so well, and is so well thought out. Like Fablehaven, Mull seems to reach a point in the fourth of five books where, now that the world, magic, and characters have a bit of wear on them, he can take it in a new and insane direction. I cannot emphasize how well this book is put together and considered; it's meant for kids, but again, I was on the edge of my seat late at night reckoning all of the newly-known stakes and powers of the world. So good.
My one, big note is a bit spoilery: I saw
Spoiler
the revelation of Nazeem as a torivorSpoiler
DandalusThis book works so well, and is so well thought out. Like Fablehaven, Mull seems to reach a point in the fourth of five books where, now that the world, magic, and characters have a bit of wear on them, he can take it in a new and insane direction. I cannot emphasize how well this book is put together and considered; it's meant for kids, but again, I was on the edge of my seat late at night reckoning all of the newly-known stakes and powers of the world. So good.
theredpanda17's review against another edition
5.0
This may be my favorite Brandon Mull book. It has it all: inspiring world building, wonderful and dynamic characters, deep meaning that goes beyond the book, perfect pace, an unpredictable yet well-constructed plot. You name it. It also perfectly sets up book 5. I'm genuinely amazed at how perfectly crafted this book is. Can't wait for the final installment!
brinastewart's review against another edition
4.0
I love Mull's books! I cannot wait for the next one.
paintfairy's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
I LOVED THIS.
Necronum was such an interesting kingdom to read about, and I absolutely loved the concept of Echoes and the fact that this realm has two sides to it like a coin.
We start off this book looking for two princesses Honor and Destiny, and one of the only way's to search for them is by asking the dead. We're sent to the cave of echoes where once you enter, you leave an imprint of yourself with all your memories attached, which can be quite dangerous if you want certain information to stay hidden. Once Cole discovers their imprints he has an idea of where they might have gone. This leads our mismatched group of heroes to the ruins of a dangerous prison.
There's mystery, betrayal, and unfortunately, the spirits of Cole's friends are captured and brought to the Echoeland, the mirror of this world meant for spirits and ghosts. Exploring Echoeland was so fun but I was also on the edge of my seat because there was so much that could go wrong. Not only are there evil spirits and servants trying to release Nazeem, but there's also the call of the Other side, one that is harder to resist the longer you stay in the realm of ghosts.
This is truly my favorite book in the series so far because we get to see Cole work a lot on his own and try to save his friends using the skills he's learned in the previous books. We also have a fantastic eerie setting and another amazingly unique magic system, and we get LOTS of answers to some of our most burning questions.Nazeem was a Torriver and his prison was the Fallen Temple in the Echolands. And the fact that the entire outskirts used to be the Echolands, and that when you died you came here, and the fact that Dandalus and few other created the five kingdoms and used shapecraft to control where you could use certain types of magic. We also get explanations as to why Cole and his friends are going to have a HARD time getting back home.
I think one of my favorite aspects of this book was the Hall of Glory. We get to meet up with a few people I never thought I'd see againLIKE FERRIN AND DRAKE OMG and also a few new(ish) characters that give us more background on how Owandell gained in Shape Crafting abilities and how he used it to gain more power.
And OMG I was so amazed at how Brandon Mull used the slipstream at the end. It literally gave me chills, and I was so proud of how much ColeThe fact that Mira just jumped into it made me gasp out loud. It was so interesting that the more he focused on what made him feel alive he was able to be grounded in the stream and not be whisked away, and how it burned away the evil shapecraft Also, can we please appreciate Jumping Sword? I love how things that were important at the beginning of the series still hold significance. Also, Cole's powers are awesome, he's like a battery lol.
I just had such a fun time with this book, it's tied so many pieces together, and I am very excited to read the finale of this series.
Necronum was such an interesting kingdom to read about, and I absolutely loved the concept of Echoes and the fact that this realm has two sides to it like a coin.
We start off this book looking for two princesses Honor and Destiny, and one of the only way's to search for them is by asking the dead. We're sent to the cave of echoes where once you enter, you leave an imprint of yourself with all your memories attached, which can be quite dangerous if you want certain information to stay hidden. Once Cole discovers their imprints he has an idea of where they might have gone. This leads our mismatched group of heroes to the ruins of a dangerous prison.
There's mystery, betrayal, and unfortunately, the spirits of Cole's friends are captured and brought to the Echoeland, the mirror of this world meant for spirits and ghosts. Exploring Echoeland was so fun but I was also on the edge of my seat because there was so much that could go wrong. Not only are there evil spirits and servants trying to release Nazeem, but there's also the call of the Other side, one that is harder to resist the longer you stay in the realm of ghosts.
This is truly my favorite book in the series so far because we get to see Cole work a lot on his own and try to save his friends using the skills he's learned in the previous books. We also have a fantastic eerie setting and another amazingly unique magic system, and we get LOTS of answers to some of our most burning questions.
I think one of my favorite aspects of this book was the Hall of Glory. We get to meet up with a few people I never thought I'd see again
And OMG I was so amazed at how Brandon Mull used the slipstream at the end. It literally gave me chills, and I was so proud of how much Cole
I just had such a fun time with this book, it's tied so many pieces together, and I am very excited to read the finale of this series.
yapha's review against another edition
3.0
This was the slowest moving of the Five Kingdoms books so far. It took me much longer to read than the first three. There are some important reveals however, making it essential to read before the last book comes out. For fans of the series, grades 4 & up.
sabrinaxlim's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
5.0
Brandon Mull never fails to absolutely slay. I think the guy slays with magic and the girl goes back home.
stirlingsherman's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Really enjoyed this sequel and the kingdom we got to explore in this book. There was some great character development in this book as well and I'm excited to see how the series ends in the next book!
araceli_'s review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
loved the series
dragontomes2000's review against another edition
5.0
So remember when I said that Crystal Keepers was my favorite in the series, well I lied. Yeah well Death Weavers came along and put a quick end to that. At this point in the series I am going to start sounding like a broken record because I have already told you what I love about this series. However I will continue to say that the detail that goes into every single one of the new kingdoms is outstanding. Necronum and Zeropolis would definitely be two kingdoms I would want to visit or live. Bizarre I know but when you can vividly picture yourself walking through the world then you know the author has done his job. This series has fast become one of my favorites from Brandon Mull. The excitement to see how it all ends is at a high.