AUTHOR: Dew Pellucid
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
AVAILABILITY: Amazon US (paperback), Amazon US (Kindle e-book), Amazon UK (paperback), Amazon UK (Kindle e-book), Barnes & Noble (paperback)
APPROXIMATE LENGTH: 582 pages
Recommended for fans of stories that take place in fantastical realms,
such as the Harry Potter series.
GENRE
Fantasy—Children’s
The Sound and the Echoes
follows 12-year-old Will from his ordinary life in Alaska to the fantastical
realm of the Echoes. The Echo realm is a glittering winter wonderland, full of
magic and mystery. Familiar territory for fans of contemporary, otherworldly
fantasies. While very different in plot and concept, the enchanted atmosphere
is reminiscent of the Harry Potter
books in all the right ways.
PACE
The Sound and the Echoes
moves along at a fairly steady pace, advancing the plot while taking the time
to illustrate the fantastical world it takes place in. The mystery and intrigue
make it easy to keep turning the pages.
PERSPECTIVE
Third person limited. The story is told
from Will’s point of view and follows him through his adventures.
CONTENT REVIEW
In Dew Pellucid’s fanciful tale, every time a person is born, a second being—an Echo—comes into existence at the same time. These Echoes live in a winter wonderland beneath the Arctic, unbeknownst to their ordinary counterparts, called Sounds. Subjects of a superstitious monarchy, the Echoes believe their lives are bound to those of their Sounds. Therefore, when a Sound dies, his or her Echo is executed, in accordance with the Law of Death.
In Dew Pellucid’s fanciful tale, every time a person is born, a second being—an Echo—comes into existence at the same time. These Echoes live in a winter wonderland beneath the Arctic, unbeknownst to their ordinary counterparts, called Sounds. Subjects of a superstitious monarchy, the Echoes believe their lives are bound to those of their Sounds. Therefore, when a Sound dies, his or her Echo is executed, in accordance with the Law of Death.
Will Cleary’s ordinary life turns
upside down when he learns of the Echoes—and that his is the Echo realm’s
prince. The prince’s uncle, a false king who seized the throne following the
former king’s death, has sent ghostly Fate Sealers to kill him, forcing the
prince to die and making his grip on power permanent. Will travels to the Echo
realm in hopes of saving himself and the Echo monarchy from evil. Hiding out in
the Orphanage for Castaway Children, he finds himself at the center of ancient
mysteries and political intrigue. His disguise can only last so long before the
Fate Sealers patrolling the Orphanage discover his true identity.
Brave and loyal, Will is the kind of
protagonist who’s easy to root for. His self-deprecating sense of humor and
stubborn disposition make him believable as a character, one who is admirable
and imperfect in all the right ways. He thinks for himself, in spite of all the
people telling him what to do—the Echo guardians who have watched over him
since he was a toddler, the teacher at his Alaska school who has traveled to
the Echo realm, the royal advisor whose motivations are unclear. In his
adventures, Will is accompanied by a somewhat odd magician wannabe called Peter
Patrick Peterson, a boy whose funky mannerisms and alliterative name are
indicative of the kind of quirks Pellucid likes to throw into this story.
The dichotomy of Sounds versus Echoes
creates an interesting theme, one akin to race relations. The Law of Death
makes it clear that Echoes view their ignorant Sounds as superior beings. Even
the labels they give themselves indicate this—the Echoes are merely shadows of
the “real” people who populate the Earth. And yet they are conscious beings
with their own lives and souls. They have the same looks and personalities as
their Sounds, but, like twins who share DNA, are independent individuals.
The prince wishes to abolish the Law of
Death, which will effectively put the Fate Sealers and the executioners—called
Fortune Tellers—out of business. And thus, Will and the prince have more than just
the false king to worry about. In its characters, The Sound and the Echoes is a story of friendship and loyalty, of
noble intentions and bravery in spite the face danger. The messages it carries
are encouraging examples of the best of human nature.
In The
Sound and the Echoes, Pellucid has demonstrated an amazing knack for
world-building. The atmosphere glows
ice blue, sparkling with charm and whimsy. It’s easy to visualize the many
wonderful, otherworldly objects and places in the Echo realm, all of which
follow carefully laid-out rules. Crystal balls, glowing see-through beings, smoky
specters, ice-like coins… these are some of the things that glitter within the
story. From back-stories to the mechanics of the magic, Pellucid has covered
every aspect of this world, making for a fully immersive reading experience.
The Sound and the Echoes
is a brilliantly imagined fantasy, the kind that’s exciting to read and leave
you smiling. Pellucid has created something truly magical, with descriptions
that will carry you into this frozen fantasyland and make you never want to
leave.
THE NITPICKY STUFF
I saw a teeny-tiny, barely perceptible number of typos, but the author told me she found and corrected a handful since sending me the edition I read, so the typos may have already been zapped.
Like all fantasies, this book contains
some violence, but nothing gory or gruesome. Its content is suitable for young
readers.
This book contains a number of
computer-rendered illustrations by Andy Simmons.
AUTHOR INFO
Dew Pellucid is the pen name of Tal Boldo. “Dew Pellucid” is
a character in The Sound and the Echoes; he is an
old Echo who recorded the events of the story.
This is a penetrating review that captures the essence of the tale both in plot, plot-theme, and theme. As the author I feel privileged that a reader of this caliber immersed herself in the tale so completely. For anyone who wants to understand why The Sound and the Echoes was written and what it intended to achieve, I recommend this review above any other written so far. My deep thanks! I shall cherish this review.
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