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A review by rwatkins
An Echo of Things to Come by James Islington
4.0
I really liked it. Overall: 3.5/5 (17.5/25)
An epic time manipulation fantasy with raised stakes, political intrigue and a mystery centered around fate and choice. The plot and themes are strong, while the character work and setting are a bit lackluster. If you like moral ambiguity, mage politics, or time traveling prophets, then give this series a try.
Minor Spoilers Below.
Plot: 4/5
The main plot takes awhile to get going, as it transitions from the last book into this new story. The dangers from the north ramp up, while everybody kind of ignores the invasion that just happened, and have no interest in stopping further incursions. But eventually, each plot thread gets the MC's moving north to the Boundary, where tension builds as it weakens and threats become real.
Excellent buildup after the first quarter, working towards an eventful and enjoyable climax.
Characters: 3/5
There are several pov characters, each with their own adventure, but not all get arcs and there is little internal change or struggle.
Davian is still the moral compass, always trying to do what's right, and doesn't get much complication beyond that.
Wirr deals with politics and family drama but doesn't get any internal arc.
Asha is researching the Shadows, uncovering secrets galore, and she becomes more like Davian, but there is no self-reflection or authorial outlook on this, it just sort of happens in the background.
Caeden is where the character work comes into play, haunted by past and present as memories return to him while carrying out his mysterious plans. There is a morality question at his core, hindering on if his actions are in the right or the wrong, reliant on belief and faith.
The character work is relatively basic, but there is improvement from the first book and I hope to see this improve.
Setting: 2.5/5
One of the weaker elements of this series so far.
The Boundary and a glimpse behind it, with some cool monsters, is the saving grace here.
Andarra and a jaunt back to Deilannis offer some more development of already familiar locations, but not much.
Most kingdoms on the map are still mostly ignored. With returning memories, portals, lore dumps, and time jumps, as much time is spent in the past and there isn't much reference for where any of those places are or were.
Style: 3/5
Another slow start to this one, the slog through the first quarter was rough. Once things picked up though, despite the constant relapses in time, the story felt more coherent and flowed forward. There is a long buildup in getting to the Boundary that never felt stale and with a wonderful payoff at the end.
There is less repetition compared to Book 1 in the series, but there are still some clunky action words and handholding explanations of just-described actions. Lots of showing/summarizing info/lore dumps still detract as well.
I see improvements, the prose was serviceable, and hope to see continued advancement in Islington's style.
Themes: 4/5
The clarity and level-up in thematic work between the first and second books was noticeable and commendable.
Careful and articulate exploration of good and evil, ends and means, fate and choice, right and wrong all get developed. These were philosophical in tone at times and one of the highlights of this installment.
Familial and political entanglements, progress vs conservatism, trust and betrayal are all here as well. One of the most impactful themes centers around faith, who to put faith in, and what is deserving of faith. The consequences of certain beliefs, especially negative ones, are on full display.
An epic time manipulation fantasy with raised stakes, political intrigue and a mystery centered around fate and choice. The plot and themes are strong, while the character work and setting are a bit lackluster. If you like moral ambiguity, mage politics, or time traveling prophets, then give this series a try.
Minor Spoilers Below.
Plot: 4/5
The main plot takes awhile to get going, as it transitions from the last book into this new story. The dangers from the north ramp up, while everybody kind of ignores the invasion that just happened, and have no interest in stopping further incursions. But eventually, each plot thread gets the MC's moving north to the Boundary, where tension builds as it weakens and threats become real.
Excellent buildup after the first quarter, working towards an eventful and enjoyable climax.
Characters: 3/5
There are several pov characters, each with their own adventure, but not all get arcs and there is little internal change or struggle.
Davian is still the moral compass, always trying to do what's right, and doesn't get much complication beyond that.
Wirr deals with politics and family drama but doesn't get any internal arc.
Asha is researching the Shadows, uncovering secrets galore, and she becomes more like Davian, but there is no self-reflection or authorial outlook on this, it just sort of happens in the background.
Caeden is where the character work comes into play, haunted by past and present as memories return to him while carrying out his mysterious plans. There is a morality question at his core, hindering on if his actions are in the right or the wrong, reliant on belief and faith.
The character work is relatively basic, but there is improvement from the first book and I hope to see this improve.
Setting: 2.5/5
One of the weaker elements of this series so far.
The Boundary and a glimpse behind it, with some cool monsters, is the saving grace here.
Andarra and a jaunt back to Deilannis offer some more development of already familiar locations, but not much.
Most kingdoms on the map are still mostly ignored. With returning memories, portals, lore dumps, and time jumps, as much time is spent in the past and there isn't much reference for where any of those places are or were.
Style: 3/5
Another slow start to this one, the slog through the first quarter was rough. Once things picked up though, despite the constant relapses in time, the story felt more coherent and flowed forward. There is a long buildup in getting to the Boundary that never felt stale and with a wonderful payoff at the end.
There is less repetition compared to Book 1 in the series, but there are still some clunky action words and handholding explanations of just-described actions. Lots of showing/summarizing info/lore dumps still detract as well.
I see improvements, the prose was serviceable, and hope to see continued advancement in Islington's style.
Themes: 4/5
The clarity and level-up in thematic work between the first and second books was noticeable and commendable.
Careful and articulate exploration of good and evil, ends and means, fate and choice, right and wrong all get developed. These were philosophical in tone at times and one of the highlights of this installment.
Familial and political entanglements, progress vs conservatism, trust and betrayal are all here as well. One of the most impactful themes centers around faith, who to put faith in, and what is deserving of faith. The consequences of certain beliefs, especially negative ones, are on full display.