Why read the Echoes Saga?

I have been reading fantasy for a while; and for those who like fantasy (or at least for me), it really does not matter how often I am immersed in a different world that may or may not have dragons, magic, political and religious systems and intrigue that make a unique world, not to mention meeting new characters that need to rescue their world or having smaller quests.

The Echoes saga by Philip C. Quaintrell is one of those stories that have impressed me, so far (I am reading book 8 right now); it has a lot of traditional fantasy tropes and themes but they are also tackled in an interesting way, with a few twists; providing the cozy familiarity effect yet making it unique. Not to mention that the plot really worked quite nicely for me and, which is not always common for stories, the villain(s) are exceptional.

Let’s start from the overall series structure: this is a nine-book series with three sub-series, all threaded by the Echoes of Fate prophecy. So far I am hooked, I cannot wait to see how this set of events shape up with the final trilogy. I am dying to know who will be victor and if this series sets up a whole new set of issues and concerns.

Let’s also say that this is a self published story and the production value is through the roof: not only for formatting is carefully done (I could not find formatting issues on my kindle edition), the covers are to die for but also the audiobooks are high quality. Truly, there is nothing wanting in this process and I truly am impressed about the amount of work and the quality that was put into this series.

So far we have covered: traditional fantasy with a twist (more on this later), high quality self- published series and a long series.

So let’s dive a little bit deeper, trying to avoid spoilers as much as I can but trying to entice you too.

In terms of fantasy tropes and themes, there are the typical fantasy races (elves, dwarves), there is magic, there are magical beings (dragons), there are political and religious issues and there are also meddling gods (and I have to confess that this is one of the main reasons I started reading this series).

Yet, all is presented with unique twists; from the carnivore and bloodthirsty elves, to the introduction of new races (and I do not want to spoil it for you because I have been in love with this idea ever since I first read it); dragons that despite being the most powerful beings are abused for so long they become a menace to all. Some other things are also perfect, like the name Heavybelly for dwarves!

There are also magical objects; I think I have not seen magical objects done so well and inserted in a useful way in the story ever since Harry Potter. I loved the Veil and the Ve’lari blades for instance.

The world is also geographically interesting: from the coldest mountains (but also inside the mountains) to the warmest deserts, gloomy and dangerous caves, beautiful and deadly islands, jungle setting. This world has it all; and I was impressed that this world also borrowed from the Middle and South American Mayan, Aztec and Inca cultures and their violent ceremonies. At least, this is the reference that I got. The bottom line is that I felt that this is a geographically complex and comprehensive world and I was in for all of it; the best was that not all was presented in the first book; the series slowly reveals more about the world and the characters and the geopolitical issues. This is a very clever way to entice readers, in my opinion, and I was completely blown away by the skill that it took Philip C. Quaintrell to decide to hold back in the first book and have the whole series mapped out to be able to present the rest of the world, one piece at a time.

Furthermore, there are worlds at war and / or individuals secretly planning to take over the world which makes for a thick plot and interesting and nuanced characters, driven by different goals (and some times that is simple greed, which is also refreshing and realistic). And this what I find particularly interesting here: the motives and the decisions of the characters in the world are quite realistic and this makes for an authentic read, even if this story takes place in a fictional world.

All in all, I find myself attracted to this series. And I believe that if you like complex fantasy stories, with multiple points of view and a very well executed fantasy world (with, as I said before, twists for most of the traditional fantasy elements), I think you will not be bored. Plus, I found myself laughing out loud in several situations, especially when Pig is involved!

Two more bonuses in the first pages of the Rise of the Ranger, book one of the Echoes saga: the first prologue (and each book has its own, if I recall correctly; if it is not all, it’s most) was juicy, interesting, mysterious and did not spoil anything for me and it intrigued me. It only made me more curious about the story. The second was the introduction of Asher and that moment had vibes (and I cannot stress this enough, vibes only) from Geralt of Rivia and I felt completely home. Again, this stresses my earlier point that there are many fantasy elements that feel familiar but also with twists that render the story unique and fascinating.

In case you want to know more about each book individually, please see the links here:
First self-contained trilogy: Rise of the Ranger (my review), Empire of Dirt and Relic of the Gods.

Second self-contained trilogy: The Fall of Neverdark, Kingdom of Bones and Age of the King.

Final self-contained trilogy: The Knights of Erador, Last of the Dragorn and A Clash of Fates.

Have you read the Echoes saga? What are your thoughts? Have you read these books? Do you plan to read these books?

If you read these books or plan to read this series, comment with an elf emoji below!