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Echo 8
Three lives. Two worlds. One chance to save them all.
As a parapsychologist working for Seattle Psi, Tess has devoted her life to studying psychic phenomena. But when doppelgangers begin appearing from a parallel world that's been struck by an asteroid, nothing in her training will help her survive what's to come.
After dislocating to Seattle Psi from the other Earth, Jake is confined by a special task force for study. But when he drains life energy from Tess, almost killing her, it causes a ripple effect across two worlds — and creates a bond neither of them expected.
Ross is an FBI agent ordered to protect Tess while she studies Jake. His assignment is not random — he and Tess have a history, and a connection the Bureau hopes to use to its own advantage. By the time Ross realizes his mission could be compromised, it's already too late — he'll have to choose between his love for Tess and his duty to protect the people of his own Earth.
At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.
As a parapsychologist working for Seattle Psi, Tess has devoted her life to studying psychic phenomena. But when doppelgangers begin appearing from a parallel world that's been struck by an asteroid, nothing in her training will help her survive what's to come.
After dislocating to Seattle Psi from the other Earth, Jake is confined by a special task force for study. But when he drains life energy from Tess, almost killing her, it causes a ripple effect across two worlds — and creates a bond neither of them expected.
Ross is an FBI agent ordered to protect Tess while she studies Jake. His assignment is not random — he and Tess have a history, and a connection the Bureau hopes to use to its own advantage. By the time Ross realizes his mission could be compromised, it's already too late — he'll have to choose between his love for Tess and his duty to protect the people of his own Earth.
At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.
288 pages, Paperback
First published February 3, 2015
21 people are currently reading
987 people want to read
About the author
Sharon Lynn Fisher
15 books572 followersSharon Lynn Fisher writes mash-ups of fantasy, mystery, and slow-burn romance set in lush and atmospheric worlds. Her current series of stand-alone novels (which began with Salt & Broom) features cozy gothic fantasies set in Victorian England.
Sharon's books have been published by Tor, Random House, Blackstone, and 47North. They've been praised and recommended by Booklist, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, the Historical Novel Society, and RT Book Reviews, among others.
Sharon's witchy Jane Eyre retelling, Salt & Broom (47North), was selected as an Amazon First Read in November 2023 and became a Top 25 Kindle Store Bestseller. Grimm Curiosities, about a young woman who inherits her father's haunted curiosity shop in York, England, was a New York Times pick for holiday reads. Her next book, Tea & Alchemy, is scheduled for release Oct. 7, 2025.
When Sharon's not writing, you'll mostly find her wandering the Pacific Northwest woods looking for fairies and mushrooms.
For more information about Sharon and her writing, visit www.sharonlynnfisher.com.
Sharon's books have been published by Tor, Random House, Blackstone, and 47North. They've been praised and recommended by Booklist, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, the Historical Novel Society, and RT Book Reviews, among others.
Sharon's witchy Jane Eyre retelling, Salt & Broom (47North), was selected as an Amazon First Read in November 2023 and became a Top 25 Kindle Store Bestseller. Grimm Curiosities, about a young woman who inherits her father's haunted curiosity shop in York, England, was a New York Times pick for holiday reads. Her next book, Tea & Alchemy, is scheduled for release Oct. 7, 2025.
When Sharon's not writing, you'll mostly find her wandering the Pacific Northwest woods looking for fairies and mushrooms.
For more information about Sharon and her writing, visit www.sharonlynnfisher.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
February 2, 2015
3 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/01/29/b...
UPDATED: Giveaway of 3 copies of Echo 8 (US/CANADA) 2/2/15 - 2/11/15 http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/02/02/g...
Echo 8 is the first novel I’ve read by Sharon Lynn Fisher, but I’d known from before that her work is usually characterized by mixture of Science Fiction and Romance elements. That sounded just fabulous to me, and well, ultimately I believe one’s overall enjoyment of this book will entirely depend on how much you prefer in your balance of each genre!
With themes like alternate worlds and parapsychology at its core, Echo 8 follows a brilliant young researcher named Tess Caufield in a near-future where doppelgangers have begun appearing mysteriously and randomly from a parallel universe. As far as Tess and her team could tell, these shadowy “Echoes” are from an alternate earth that has been struck by an asteroid, but how these hapless individuals ended up being here, and how to keep them alive on this world after they have teleported are questions scientists are still trying desperately to work out.
However, Echoes also have the unfortunate tendency to drain the life energy from people they come in physical contact with. This consequently led to the assignment of FBI special agent Ross McGinnis to Tess’s security detail, much to her chagrin. This arrangement is further strained when Jake, the latest Echo to dislocate to Seattle Psi from the other earth touches Tess and almost kills her, setting off a chain reaction that will have profound significance for all three lives.
Remember what I said earlier about how you like your balance of sci-fi and romance? After finishing Echo 8, I’ve determined that this book is without question heavier on the latter. The scientific theory and technology involved in here is sufficiently explained but clearly written in a way so that the reader can enjoy the story without having to look beyond the surface details. Those used to harder sci-fi with a stronger emphasis and comprehensive look at the technical aspects won’t really find it here. On the other hand, if you’re fancying yourself a good romance, then you definitely won’t be disappointed.
No question about it, Fisher has a real talent for writing hot, sweaty, passionate lurrrrrve. Perhaps a bit too fast and intense for me, if I’m to tell the truth. Heck, I’m all for scorching love scenes, and I’m not exactly a fan of crawling slow burn romances either, but I’d prefer to see a relationship proceed at more of a simmer. In Echo 8 we’re thrust into a complicated love triangle almost right away, and the first time two characters get together it happened very quickly, too quickly for me to be truly convinced of their feelings for each other.
In general, the weight of the romance also came at the expense of story and character development. Often I could tell that the plot yearned to be something bigger, something more, but all told it ended up being rather straightforward and predictable. There’s not much depth to Tess beyond her obsession to help Echoes and her complete lack of concern over whether or not she gets killed trying to do it. This drives Ross crazy of course, but his soft spot for Tess means it never takes much to talk him into letting her do anything she wants. We go through this cycle repeatedly with these two characters, while Jake pines for Tess and struggles with his feelings for someone he knows he can never have…or can he? Like the science fiction aspects, we’re given just enough information about the three main characters to appreciate the twisty relationship dynamics behind their…unique situation. The level of romantic drama here is extremely satisfying, but once again, some readers might find themselves wishing for more out of the plot and characters.
In sum, Echo 8 has a very interesting and ambitious premise, even if it doesn’t quite reach its full potential. It is first and foremost a Romance, and in this area the book indubitably excels, practically burning up the pages with its fast-paced love story and red-hot desires flying all over the place. It’s perhaps too strong on the romantic side of things for my tastes, but I suspect those readers who are more inclined towards that will enjoy this novel very much. Everything about it is designed to appeal to genre fiction readers who enjoy a very healthy dose of romance, and without a doubt it is successful in this endeavor. And I have to say, even with the issues I mentioned above, I liked this book and found it to be a fun read.
UPDATED: Giveaway of 3 copies of Echo 8 (US/CANADA) 2/2/15 - 2/11/15 http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/02/02/g...
Echo 8 is the first novel I’ve read by Sharon Lynn Fisher, but I’d known from before that her work is usually characterized by mixture of Science Fiction and Romance elements. That sounded just fabulous to me, and well, ultimately I believe one’s overall enjoyment of this book will entirely depend on how much you prefer in your balance of each genre!
With themes like alternate worlds and parapsychology at its core, Echo 8 follows a brilliant young researcher named Tess Caufield in a near-future where doppelgangers have begun appearing mysteriously and randomly from a parallel universe. As far as Tess and her team could tell, these shadowy “Echoes” are from an alternate earth that has been struck by an asteroid, but how these hapless individuals ended up being here, and how to keep them alive on this world after they have teleported are questions scientists are still trying desperately to work out.
However, Echoes also have the unfortunate tendency to drain the life energy from people they come in physical contact with. This consequently led to the assignment of FBI special agent Ross McGinnis to Tess’s security detail, much to her chagrin. This arrangement is further strained when Jake, the latest Echo to dislocate to Seattle Psi from the other earth touches Tess and almost kills her, setting off a chain reaction that will have profound significance for all three lives.
Remember what I said earlier about how you like your balance of sci-fi and romance? After finishing Echo 8, I’ve determined that this book is without question heavier on the latter. The scientific theory and technology involved in here is sufficiently explained but clearly written in a way so that the reader can enjoy the story without having to look beyond the surface details. Those used to harder sci-fi with a stronger emphasis and comprehensive look at the technical aspects won’t really find it here. On the other hand, if you’re fancying yourself a good romance, then you definitely won’t be disappointed.
No question about it, Fisher has a real talent for writing hot, sweaty, passionate lurrrrrve. Perhaps a bit too fast and intense for me, if I’m to tell the truth. Heck, I’m all for scorching love scenes, and I’m not exactly a fan of crawling slow burn romances either, but I’d prefer to see a relationship proceed at more of a simmer. In Echo 8 we’re thrust into a complicated love triangle almost right away, and the first time two characters get together it happened very quickly, too quickly for me to be truly convinced of their feelings for each other.
In general, the weight of the romance also came at the expense of story and character development. Often I could tell that the plot yearned to be something bigger, something more, but all told it ended up being rather straightforward and predictable. There’s not much depth to Tess beyond her obsession to help Echoes and her complete lack of concern over whether or not she gets killed trying to do it. This drives Ross crazy of course, but his soft spot for Tess means it never takes much to talk him into letting her do anything she wants. We go through this cycle repeatedly with these two characters, while Jake pines for Tess and struggles with his feelings for someone he knows he can never have…or can he? Like the science fiction aspects, we’re given just enough information about the three main characters to appreciate the twisty relationship dynamics behind their…unique situation. The level of romantic drama here is extremely satisfying, but once again, some readers might find themselves wishing for more out of the plot and characters.
In sum, Echo 8 has a very interesting and ambitious premise, even if it doesn’t quite reach its full potential. It is first and foremost a Romance, and in this area the book indubitably excels, practically burning up the pages with its fast-paced love story and red-hot desires flying all over the place. It’s perhaps too strong on the romantic side of things for my tastes, but I suspect those readers who are more inclined towards that will enjoy this novel very much. Everything about it is designed to appeal to genre fiction readers who enjoy a very healthy dose of romance, and without a doubt it is successful in this endeavor. And I have to say, even with the issues I mentioned above, I liked this book and found it to be a fun read.
December 10, 2015
An intriguing idea but the execution was not so great...
There were moments that I wanted to slap both the hero and the heroine! Some of their actions were bordering on TSTL...
I also didn't appreciate the almost other man vibe. There was some kissing , but I didn't appreciated it...
There were moments that I wanted to slap both the hero and the heroine! Some of their actions were bordering on TSTL...
I also didn't appreciate the almost other man vibe. There was some kissing , but I didn't appreciated it...
October 31, 2015
Geekery + romance suspense = <3. That's my geeky way of saying I enjoyed this near-future scifi romance, LOL. Three years from now, Earth hasn't changed. Still a McD's on every corner. Then, humans arrive from an alternate Earth- and promptly kill in their confusion and strange, vampire-like hunger. They can't touch others without killing them, but they can't resist their hunger either. Sharon Lynn Fisher's Echo 8 follows Tess, the scientist attempting to find the cause humanely- and the FBI agent who's been assigned to her with an agenda.
I enjoyed the real-world elements fleshing out the story, the structure and sometimes conflicting aims of scientific institutions vs. law enforcement/government, and the characters play out this conflict on a smaller scale.
I also liked the unexpected humor in Echo 8, largely thanks to the character of Jake. I don't always like banter in fantasy or scifi- it's not self-aware enough between the know-it-all gotchas where one character corrects another or the references to obscure points of world-building, an imaginary world, I remind you. Instead Fisher's humor ties her scifi to familiar real-world problems, for example when unfortunate third wheel Jake comments after a character refuses him: "Vampires for roommates, and I can't give it away." Echo 8 doesn't have a light-hearted tone, but it has moments.
That said, I wouldn't say this is a love triangle in truth, as only one guy's love is requited. I saw some comments in reviews about the romance moving too quick, mostly from non-romance readers, you can tell, because the romance here was subtle compared to the all-consuming, immediate lustful daze in a lot of novels, LOL. I found the romance here believable. Both were attracted and knew it. It doesn't take much chemistry for two people to get together in real life. Plus, 288 pages. C'mon, guys.
Funny enough, FBI agents as assassins was the hardest aspect for me to believe, LOL. That's right, more unbelievable than two guys merging into one person like a Transformer and then separating again. So, yeah, interdimensional travel + energy vamps? I would love to read more original scifi from this author. Four stars.
I enjoyed the real-world elements fleshing out the story, the structure and sometimes conflicting aims of scientific institutions vs. law enforcement/government, and the characters play out this conflict on a smaller scale.
I also liked the unexpected humor in Echo 8, largely thanks to the character of Jake. I don't always like banter in fantasy or scifi- it's not self-aware enough between the know-it-all gotchas where one character corrects another or the references to obscure points of world-building, an imaginary world, I remind you. Instead Fisher's humor ties her scifi to familiar real-world problems, for example when unfortunate third wheel Jake comments after a character refuses him: "Vampires for roommates, and I can't give it away." Echo 8 doesn't have a light-hearted tone, but it has moments.
That said, I wouldn't say this is a love triangle in truth, as only one guy's love is requited. I saw some comments in reviews about the romance moving too quick, mostly from non-romance readers, you can tell, because the romance here was subtle compared to the all-consuming, immediate lustful daze in a lot of novels, LOL. I found the romance here believable. Both were attracted and knew it. It doesn't take much chemistry for two people to get together in real life. Plus, 288 pages. C'mon, guys.
Funny enough, FBI agents as assassins was the hardest aspect for me to believe, LOL. That's right, more unbelievable than two guys merging into one person like a Transformer and then separating again. So, yeah, interdimensional travel + energy vamps? I would love to read more original scifi from this author. Four stars.
February 7, 2015
I loved this author's Ghost Planet. It was a touching, amazing sci-fi romance with characters that made me believe both in their love story and in the crazy events happening around them. This book, was unfortunately, not that good.
Tess is a parapsychologist working for Seattle Psi in an exciting program known as the Echo project. Echoes are alternate selves from an alternate universe, where an asteroid has all but destroyed Earth. There is a huge problem with the relocation - Echoes have to feed almost immediately. And what they feed on is human energy.
Our story begins with Tess interviewing Jake, an Echo. As she tries to question him about the other world he begins to fade, leaving a dusty white residue. Tess touches the residue and is almost drained by bringing Jake back. Ross helps Tess to survive by yanking her away from Jake and spending all night doing what he can to keep her warm.
At that point, Tess and Ross begin to bond. And so do Tess and Jake. She's an amazing, beautiful young woman and both men are just awed by her. Me, not so much. Tess was impetuous. Her every act moved the story along but that was only the author being willing to use deus ex machina to help make her heroine shine. While the premise is utterly fascinating, the execution felt very flawed. Part of that, I think, was the author couldn't find a balance between her love story and sci-fi tale. The way the plot was put together seemed to force her to choose between the two rather than the romance flowing naturally from the story at hand.
In the end, I found the whole endeavor just didn't work for me.
Tess is a parapsychologist working for Seattle Psi in an exciting program known as the Echo project. Echoes are alternate selves from an alternate universe, where an asteroid has all but destroyed Earth. There is a huge problem with the relocation - Echoes have to feed almost immediately. And what they feed on is human energy.
Our story begins with Tess interviewing Jake, an Echo. As she tries to question him about the other world he begins to fade, leaving a dusty white residue. Tess touches the residue and is almost drained by bringing Jake back. Ross helps Tess to survive by yanking her away from Jake and spending all night doing what he can to keep her warm.
At that point, Tess and Ross begin to bond. And so do Tess and Jake. She's an amazing, beautiful young woman and both men are just awed by her. Me, not so much. Tess was impetuous. Her every act moved the story along but that was only the author being willing to use deus ex machina to help make her heroine shine. While the premise is utterly fascinating, the execution felt very flawed. Part of that, I think, was the author couldn't find a balance between her love story and sci-fi tale. The way the plot was put together seemed to force her to choose between the two rather than the romance flowing naturally from the story at hand.
In the end, I found the whole endeavor just didn't work for me.
November 10, 2014
This author has a fabulous touch when it comes to giving readers the perfect balance of science and romance, and I really enjoyed this.
My official comments: "Sharon Fisher has done it again—a seamless blend of thrilling sci-fi and scorching romance."
My official comments: "Sharon Fisher has done it again—a seamless blend of thrilling sci-fi and scorching romance."
February 5, 2015
Sharon Lynn Fisher has not taken the easy way with any of her first three books. In each she has written stand-alone books that require new world building, back-story and character development. In Echo 8 there are not one but two complex worlds. Both are a version of Earth but both are very different. One has been almost destroyed by an asteroid strike and one is still OK. I could not decide if one was our Earth or not.
What brings them together are the Echo’s. These are people pulled into Tess and Ross’s earth when the asteroid strikes an alternate Earth. That brings me to the character development required to pull this off. Each character is an echo on the other Earth and to survive on the alternate Earth they have to pull energy from someone. A process that often kills the donor. Enter FBI Agent Ross McGinnis and Parapsychologist Tess Caufield and Jake who is Echo 8.
McGinnis wants to protect Tess. Tess wants to keep Jake alive. Jake does not want to kill anyone when he feed to stay alive. Thus starts an adventure that spans both Earths. Ross, Tess, their doubles and Jake travel between both Earth’s as they try to help on one and keep the Echo’s safe on the other.
There are numerous twist and turns to this story. While all of those develop Tess and Ross first clash and then don’t as they work together. There is adventure, romance, danger and more romance as the story comes to a very satisfying conclusion.
You are in for a treat whether this is your first or third Sharon Lynn Fisher book. If this is your first you will want to try Ghost Planet and The Ophelia Prophecy while you wait for her next book.
What brings them together are the Echo’s. These are people pulled into Tess and Ross’s earth when the asteroid strikes an alternate Earth. That brings me to the character development required to pull this off. Each character is an echo on the other Earth and to survive on the alternate Earth they have to pull energy from someone. A process that often kills the donor. Enter FBI Agent Ross McGinnis and Parapsychologist Tess Caufield and Jake who is Echo 8.
McGinnis wants to protect Tess. Tess wants to keep Jake alive. Jake does not want to kill anyone when he feed to stay alive. Thus starts an adventure that spans both Earths. Ross, Tess, their doubles and Jake travel between both Earth’s as they try to help on one and keep the Echo’s safe on the other.
There are numerous twist and turns to this story. While all of those develop Tess and Ross first clash and then don’t as they work together. There is adventure, romance, danger and more romance as the story comes to a very satisfying conclusion.
You are in for a treat whether this is your first or third Sharon Lynn Fisher book. If this is your first you will want to try Ghost Planet and The Ophelia Prophecy while you wait for her next book.
could-not-finish
December 14, 2017I'm glad this book started toward the middle and went backwards because I don't feel like I wasted any time trying to figure out whether I liked the book. It wasn't my cup of tea. So, no rating because I didn't finish it.
May 21, 2015
Originally published at Sci-Fi Romance Quarterly
Echo 8 takes place in multiple alternate versions of Seattle, some of them better off than our own, and some much, much worse. But all close analogs. If you have read anything about the parallel universes theory, even fictional versions thereof, you’ll understand exactly what I mean.
The story takes place in a very near future: it’s only 2018 in this world. Which means that it is also an alternate to our own, because the Seattle Center Tower has fallen in theirs, and here, it’s still up and very much a landmark of the city. (It’s on everything. I’ve even seen Chocolate Towers)
But the former Colman School is a former school in all the ‘verses. In ours, it’s now the Northwest African American Museum. In theirs, it’s the home of the Seattle Psi Institute. And the SPI (cool initialism) is studying a phenomenon called “Echoes”. Echoes are people from a parallel universe who wind up in ours by accident. Part of that accident is that their version of the Earth suffered a huge asteroid strike, and they died. Instead of going wherever it is the dead normally go, they come here. And then they die anyway, cut off from their home universe’s source of energy.
I’m not sure which is scarier – that when they arrive here they are energy vampires, or that no one has tried to talk to one of them to figure out what the hell is going on. But then, the various government security forces are treating these people, the Echoes (also called fades because well, they eventually do) as enemies and security threats. There is a lot of “shoot first and ask questions later” going on. With the added fun factor that sometimes the Echoes are too faded to shoot – the bullets go right through.
Also a bit of “torture first and let them die” going on. The security services are not treating the Echoes as displaced persons – they are just a threat. Admittedly the trail of sucked dry dead bodies they leave in their wake does urge caution.
Only the scientists want to find out the whys and wherefores of the Echoes. They see (sometimes they don’t exactly see) people. Admittedly, people they want to experiment on a bit, but still people.
Tess Caulfield is a psychologist and parapsychologist at the Seattle Psi Institute. And the FBI has brought her an Echo to talk to. The FBI calls him “Echo 8”, because he’s the eighth Echo they have captured. Tess finds out his name is Jake.
Tess and Jake find a way to communicate. He needs energy to survive in our world. She needs answers. And poor Jake, stuck between universes, finally finds someone he can love. But never touch. In her world, he sucks the energy from her every time they are in close proximity. In his world, the shoe is on the other foot and Tess can’t touch him.
But theirs is not the love story that weaves around this book. That is the relationship between Tess and the FBI agent who is assigned as her bodyguard (and minder). Ross McGinnis has talents of his own, talents that he has suppressed. Ross is disillusioned when he discovers that the FBI’s plan is to use him, Tess and the Echoes for missions that Congress would not approve of, missions that will tear the soul out of anyone who performs them.
Tess and Jake go on the run, with disastrous results. Ross sucks it up and does his job, until he discovers that his career in the FBI is not worth his life, his sanity, or especially his love for Tess. And that the force he signed up with is not the one he is now working for. But before everything can be straightened out, he will have to take a trip to the dark side, of his job, of his soul, and to the other Earth that has been ripped in two.
Whether he can make it back from all that is a big risk – with a big reward if he can figure out his demons. And if Tess can let go of hers.
Escape Rating B+: There was a point about 2/3s of the way through where I almost stopped reading – the story got very dark and it looked like no one was going to get a happy ending out of this one. Or even an ending where someone doesn’t turn completely to the dark side of the Force. (Don’t worry, things do get brighter). I felt for the characters so much that I didn’t want to see anything terrible (or at least terribly permanent) happen to them.
Although Echo 8 is being talked about as a love triangle, it really isn’t. Jake may be what Tess would have chosen if her world hadn’t gone completely off the rails, but it did and he isn’t. And he does seem to be mistaking a bit of his gratitude for love, but Tess is the first person who has cared about him at all in a long time.
Ross is much more of a puzzle. Tess and Ross have a lot of chemistry that both of them are trying to ignore. He distrusts her work – because he’s always had a niggling feeling that his excellent hunches might be more than just hunches. And he doesn’t want to know, because it will change his view of the world.
Ross is very obvious about his skepticism, and Tess is definitely hostile with him. He denigrates her profession at every turn. No one would want to put up with that. She also resents having a bodyguard, and she is sure (correctly) that the FBI’s agenda is not hers, and she doesn’t like the idea of someone she can’t trust watching her every move.
The story surrounds Tess, Ross and Jake, and their collective attempt to find a way not just to communicate with the Echoes, but to work together for the collective good. Jake is initially just selfish, and Ross has very divided loyalties, but they all have to find a way to figure things out. There are a lot more Echoes around our world than anyone guesses, and the count of mysterious dead bodies is climbing everywhere. The security services have kept things under wraps until now, but that can’t last.
We all know of people who seem to suck our energy out of us, but how do you find common ground with someone who literally can – and will die if they don’t? It makes things more interesting (and darker) that one character is a soul sucker of one kind or another whichever world he’s on.
Echo 8 is mostly of the laboratory-type of SF. Tess is a researcher, and the story turns on the number of ways that her research can be subverted, and how badly.
As a former Seattleite, it was also fun to get the science-fictional tour of different versions of the city. I loved the twisted sense of deja vu.
Echo 8 takes place in multiple alternate versions of Seattle, some of them better off than our own, and some much, much worse. But all close analogs. If you have read anything about the parallel universes theory, even fictional versions thereof, you’ll understand exactly what I mean.
The story takes place in a very near future: it’s only 2018 in this world. Which means that it is also an alternate to our own, because the Seattle Center Tower has fallen in theirs, and here, it’s still up and very much a landmark of the city. (It’s on everything. I’ve even seen Chocolate Towers)
But the former Colman School is a former school in all the ‘verses. In ours, it’s now the Northwest African American Museum. In theirs, it’s the home of the Seattle Psi Institute. And the SPI (cool initialism) is studying a phenomenon called “Echoes”. Echoes are people from a parallel universe who wind up in ours by accident. Part of that accident is that their version of the Earth suffered a huge asteroid strike, and they died. Instead of going wherever it is the dead normally go, they come here. And then they die anyway, cut off from their home universe’s source of energy.
I’m not sure which is scarier – that when they arrive here they are energy vampires, or that no one has tried to talk to one of them to figure out what the hell is going on. But then, the various government security forces are treating these people, the Echoes (also called fades because well, they eventually do) as enemies and security threats. There is a lot of “shoot first and ask questions later” going on. With the added fun factor that sometimes the Echoes are too faded to shoot – the bullets go right through.
Also a bit of “torture first and let them die” going on. The security services are not treating the Echoes as displaced persons – they are just a threat. Admittedly the trail of sucked dry dead bodies they leave in their wake does urge caution.
Only the scientists want to find out the whys and wherefores of the Echoes. They see (sometimes they don’t exactly see) people. Admittedly, people they want to experiment on a bit, but still people.
Tess Caulfield is a psychologist and parapsychologist at the Seattle Psi Institute. And the FBI has brought her an Echo to talk to. The FBI calls him “Echo 8”, because he’s the eighth Echo they have captured. Tess finds out his name is Jake.
Tess and Jake find a way to communicate. He needs energy to survive in our world. She needs answers. And poor Jake, stuck between universes, finally finds someone he can love. But never touch. In her world, he sucks the energy from her every time they are in close proximity. In his world, the shoe is on the other foot and Tess can’t touch him.
But theirs is not the love story that weaves around this book. That is the relationship between Tess and the FBI agent who is assigned as her bodyguard (and minder). Ross McGinnis has talents of his own, talents that he has suppressed. Ross is disillusioned when he discovers that the FBI’s plan is to use him, Tess and the Echoes for missions that Congress would not approve of, missions that will tear the soul out of anyone who performs them.
Tess and Jake go on the run, with disastrous results. Ross sucks it up and does his job, until he discovers that his career in the FBI is not worth his life, his sanity, or especially his love for Tess. And that the force he signed up with is not the one he is now working for. But before everything can be straightened out, he will have to take a trip to the dark side, of his job, of his soul, and to the other Earth that has been ripped in two.
Whether he can make it back from all that is a big risk – with a big reward if he can figure out his demons. And if Tess can let go of hers.
Escape Rating B+: There was a point about 2/3s of the way through where I almost stopped reading – the story got very dark and it looked like no one was going to get a happy ending out of this one. Or even an ending where someone doesn’t turn completely to the dark side of the Force. (Don’t worry, things do get brighter). I felt for the characters so much that I didn’t want to see anything terrible (or at least terribly permanent) happen to them.
Although Echo 8 is being talked about as a love triangle, it really isn’t. Jake may be what Tess would have chosen if her world hadn’t gone completely off the rails, but it did and he isn’t. And he does seem to be mistaking a bit of his gratitude for love, but Tess is the first person who has cared about him at all in a long time.
Ross is much more of a puzzle. Tess and Ross have a lot of chemistry that both of them are trying to ignore. He distrusts her work – because he’s always had a niggling feeling that his excellent hunches might be more than just hunches. And he doesn’t want to know, because it will change his view of the world.
Ross is very obvious about his skepticism, and Tess is definitely hostile with him. He denigrates her profession at every turn. No one would want to put up with that. She also resents having a bodyguard, and she is sure (correctly) that the FBI’s agenda is not hers, and she doesn’t like the idea of someone she can’t trust watching her every move.
The story surrounds Tess, Ross and Jake, and their collective attempt to find a way not just to communicate with the Echoes, but to work together for the collective good. Jake is initially just selfish, and Ross has very divided loyalties, but they all have to find a way to figure things out. There are a lot more Echoes around our world than anyone guesses, and the count of mysterious dead bodies is climbing everywhere. The security services have kept things under wraps until now, but that can’t last.
We all know of people who seem to suck our energy out of us, but how do you find common ground with someone who literally can – and will die if they don’t? It makes things more interesting (and darker) that one character is a soul sucker of one kind or another whichever world he’s on.
Echo 8 is mostly of the laboratory-type of SF. Tess is a researcher, and the story turns on the number of ways that her research can be subverted, and how badly.
As a former Seattleite, it was also fun to get the science-fictional tour of different versions of the city. I loved the twisted sense of deja vu.
February 12, 2015
I made the mistake of starting Echo 8 after ten o’clock at night. I should know better because I’m familiar with Fisher’s previous books. Echo 8 grabbed me from the first chapter and took me hostage. Thankfully it’s not a super long read so I was able to safely neglect home and family until I made it quickly to the last page. In fact, it grabbed me before the first chapter. Two quotes precede the story, one by Dean Radin, controversial parapsychologist, and one by Emily Bronte, author of Jane Eyre. Anyone who can boldly put those two personalities together on the same page is promising a lot. For me, Fisher delivered on that promise with an original, well-told story.
Echo 8’s over-arching premise embraces the possibility of parallel worlds. In this story, one of those infinite number of worlds experiences a global catastrophe that transports people from that world into an adjacent one. They appear as “echoes” of themselves that, without energy from their own world, will eventually fade away and die. They can gain energy from the inhabitants of the world where they land, but such an energy transfer depletes and kills the donor. They unknowingly become walking weapons. Echo 8 is actually a person, Jake, a musician from what may have been Earth as we know it. Tess is a parapsychologist who has been chosen for a special task force to study the echoes. During her research, the FBI begins to take an active interest the task force’s research. Special agent Ross McGinnis is assigned as Tess’s bodyguard when she becomes the first person to survive an energy transfer with an echo.
Quantum physics as much as biology has everything to do with the relationships followed in Echo 8. Tess, Ross, and Jake form a love triangle that is satisfactorily resolved, but not until the very last pages. There is a good balance of steamy romance and science to entice both sides of the reader’s brain. I love that Fisher lets relationships drive the story. Too many science fiction writers set up relationships and then ignore them in a way that is not true to life. It makes their stories less real and therefore harder to suspend my disbelief. Fisher parks me on an alternate Earth and I’m happy there.
The casual “Big Bang Theory” watcher will have enough understanding of Higgs boson particles to understand the science presented here. It’s all very approachable and I thought, intriguing. I liked the thought that there is something more than emotion that might bind two people together. It speaks to the idea of chemistry and explores the concept of attraction. Why are we attracted to one person and not another before we’ve even met them? Why do some women pick the same kind of guy over and over? What if nature had made some selections for you based on biology and quantum physics made sure you met? I also enjoyed entertaining thoughts of myself in alternate universes. What would the same me, with the same inherent talents and tastes end up doing with her life? Would I be married? Single? A professional cyclist? First flute with a major symphony? Would I be decorating the Christmas windows at Bloomingdales in NY instead being a SAHM? (I have always wanted to do that and I’ve never even been to NY.) Tess gets to see and interact with one version of herself from one other universe and likes her other self. I wonder if I would.
Fisher’s unique writing voice is a deceptively soft one. She doesn’t throw the story in your face, rather she lets you come to her in a way that compels you to read “one more chapter.” The tone reminded me not of today’s blockbuster movies, but of the old, black and white “Twilight Zone” episodes; maybe even Bradbury’s Martian Chronicles where nothing is quite like it seems. Fisher lulls you into the complacency of the familiar and then, despite the alarming first chapter, builds to the twist you never saw coming. I think I would really enjoy a seeing this brought to the big screen. Echo 8 is short enough that I don’t think much would be lost in the transition to screenplay. Someone work on that, would you?
http://twimom227.com/2015/02/review-e...
Echo 8’s over-arching premise embraces the possibility of parallel worlds. In this story, one of those infinite number of worlds experiences a global catastrophe that transports people from that world into an adjacent one. They appear as “echoes” of themselves that, without energy from their own world, will eventually fade away and die. They can gain energy from the inhabitants of the world where they land, but such an energy transfer depletes and kills the donor. They unknowingly become walking weapons. Echo 8 is actually a person, Jake, a musician from what may have been Earth as we know it. Tess is a parapsychologist who has been chosen for a special task force to study the echoes. During her research, the FBI begins to take an active interest the task force’s research. Special agent Ross McGinnis is assigned as Tess’s bodyguard when she becomes the first person to survive an energy transfer with an echo.
Quantum physics as much as biology has everything to do with the relationships followed in Echo 8. Tess, Ross, and Jake form a love triangle that is satisfactorily resolved, but not until the very last pages. There is a good balance of steamy romance and science to entice both sides of the reader’s brain. I love that Fisher lets relationships drive the story. Too many science fiction writers set up relationships and then ignore them in a way that is not true to life. It makes their stories less real and therefore harder to suspend my disbelief. Fisher parks me on an alternate Earth and I’m happy there.
The casual “Big Bang Theory” watcher will have enough understanding of Higgs boson particles to understand the science presented here. It’s all very approachable and I thought, intriguing. I liked the thought that there is something more than emotion that might bind two people together. It speaks to the idea of chemistry and explores the concept of attraction. Why are we attracted to one person and not another before we’ve even met them? Why do some women pick the same kind of guy over and over? What if nature had made some selections for you based on biology and quantum physics made sure you met? I also enjoyed entertaining thoughts of myself in alternate universes. What would the same me, with the same inherent talents and tastes end up doing with her life? Would I be married? Single? A professional cyclist? First flute with a major symphony? Would I be decorating the Christmas windows at Bloomingdales in NY instead being a SAHM? (I have always wanted to do that and I’ve never even been to NY.) Tess gets to see and interact with one version of herself from one other universe and likes her other self. I wonder if I would.
Fisher’s unique writing voice is a deceptively soft one. She doesn’t throw the story in your face, rather she lets you come to her in a way that compels you to read “one more chapter.” The tone reminded me not of today’s blockbuster movies, but of the old, black and white “Twilight Zone” episodes; maybe even Bradbury’s Martian Chronicles where nothing is quite like it seems. Fisher lulls you into the complacency of the familiar and then, despite the alarming first chapter, builds to the twist you never saw coming. I think I would really enjoy a seeing this brought to the big screen. Echo 8 is short enough that I don’t think much would be lost in the transition to screenplay. Someone work on that, would you?
http://twimom227.com/2015/02/review-e...
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March 24, 2015ECHO 8 shows the reader the possibility of parallel worlds. “Fades” or Echos have been showing up from a world which was struck by an asteroid. They must feed on the energy of the humans on the world they’ve phased to in order to ‘survive’. Dr. Tess Caufield is a parapsychologist who works for Seattle Psi and she’s given the opportunity to study one of the Echos – Echo 8. Her handler/protector, FBI Agent Ross McGinnis, is there to protect her from Echo 8 and was assigned especially to her because of their history. When Echo 8, Jake, attacks Tess he doesn’t kill her like the other victims of previous Echo-human attacks and this opens up a flurry of questions. These questions can only be answered by Tess, Ross, and Jake. ECHO 8 is, at its core, a science fiction novel but there is a romance which added to the story. I do enjoy science fiction and especially speculative “What if…?” fiction, of which ECHO 8 is a good example. ECHO 8 is the third book by this author I’ve read and I’ve enjoyed every one of them. While ECHO 8 isn’t my favorite out of the three, it is still a spectacular story.
May 25, 2015
This is my favorite of Sharon Lynn Fisher's novels so far, which is saying quite a lot.
Though she always provides readers with big surprises and unique twists in perspective, some of the hairpin turns in Echo 8 were amazing! I was totally caught up in this imaginative world--a Seattle not so different from the one I know but yet with some marked changes. The struggles and conflicts between the three main characters were so believable--and at key points in the story, either heart-pounding or heart-breaking.
There were several scenes that literally took my breath away, but for the sake of avoiding spoilers I'll let others discover these Oh! moments for themselves.
Though she always provides readers with big surprises and unique twists in perspective, some of the hairpin turns in Echo 8 were amazing! I was totally caught up in this imaginative world--a Seattle not so different from the one I know but yet with some marked changes. The struggles and conflicts between the three main characters were so believable--and at key points in the story, either heart-pounding or heart-breaking.
There were several scenes that literally took my breath away, but for the sake of avoiding spoilers I'll let others discover these Oh! moments for themselves.
January 22, 2015
I received a free advanced copy through goodreads first reads.
This is a fantastic paranormal science fiction book that I highly recommend to anyone with an interest in the genre. With a great setting and phenomenal character development, and a surprising antagonist that you wont see coming. I am not sure what else I can say that is not already in the blurb for the book or would be a major spoiler(and nobody likes those).
I think the best way to judge how much someone likes a book is to ask if they would read something else by the same author, and I will definitely be picking up the other books written by this author.
This is a fantastic paranormal science fiction book that I highly recommend to anyone with an interest in the genre. With a great setting and phenomenal character development, and a surprising antagonist that you wont see coming. I am not sure what else I can say that is not already in the blurb for the book or would be a major spoiler(and nobody likes those).
I think the best way to judge how much someone likes a book is to ask if they would read something else by the same author, and I will definitely be picking up the other books written by this author.
February 1, 2015
Holy Shit this was a great book!
June 1, 2021
This one is more like GHOST PLANET then THE OPHELIA PROPHECY, even down to the paranormal component. Largely I spent the book confused by anything not directly related to the character emotional relationships with each other.
Basically this was much "harder" scifi then I'm accustomed to in my scifi romances. Words, theories and suppositions were all tossed around as if I should understand the underlying concepts.
--
This one is more like GHOST PLANET then THE OPHELIA PROPHECY, even down to the paranormal component. Largely I spent the book confused by anything not directly related to the character emotional relationships with each other.
Basically this was much "harder" scifi then I'm accustomed to in my scifi romances. Words, theories and suppositions were all tossed around as if I should understand the underlying concepts. I love parallel world stories. Just look at my love for A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU by Claudia Gray or UNRAVELING by Elizabeth Norris. But what I love more is some sort of understanding of how the parallel world works.
So let's instead focus on what I did enjoy. Tess is interesting in that she's obviously smart; we're told as much, but she proves it more than once in her analysis and comprehension. She catches on quickly to what the circumstances surrounding Jake represent. She's also a victim of her own brilliance in terms of her and Ross' relationship. Social cues mean little to her so she takes everything on face value. Ross made a snarky comment about something she believes in, so obviously he thinks everything she does is ridiculous. Even as she recognizes the skepticism others have she holds him higher.
Ross meanwhile is very much "Listen to what I mean, not what I say" sort of person. More than Tess we "hear" his regrets in how he has handled their first meeting and how they get along thereafter. But he doesn't understand what she's looking into and he doesn't know how to get around that. So he waits and he pokes about trying to find a way to get her to understand.
Jake is antagonistic, somewhat petty and wholly over his head. I never quite understood Tess' attraction to him, and I'd argue she never felt romantically towards him. Still we can thank him for Tess and Ross, since Ross' jealousy towards him prompt him to act.The change in their relationship is a shock, since it just sort of happens, but from his point of view made sense.
Fisher does address the inconsistency on Tess' end, as to that point she spent much of the book worried over what her research could mean and how Ross kept getting in the way (or rather the group Ross represented), then any lust she felt towards him. Given that their first time together is rather...extraordinary and opens up a host of new things for Tess to investigate, I was rather glad there wasn't a whole lot of time spent on regret.
The "Echoes" like Jake represent a link that, as anyone who is versed in any sort of paranormal books that involve the government can attest to, offers quite the juicy prize. "You can travel across dimensions you say hmmm?" is the gist of at least one government official's commentary as he twirls his imaginary mustache. Rule number one in dimension hopping never trust the government. Yours or the one on the other side.
In the end this wasn't enough for me to whole-heartedly enjoy. The mechanics of it didn't interest me as much as they should have and Jake's grating presence wore thin on my patience.
Basically this was much "harder" scifi then I'm accustomed to in my scifi romances. Words, theories and suppositions were all tossed around as if I should understand the underlying concepts.
--
This one is more like GHOST PLANET then THE OPHELIA PROPHECY, even down to the paranormal component. Largely I spent the book confused by anything not directly related to the character emotional relationships with each other.
Basically this was much "harder" scifi then I'm accustomed to in my scifi romances. Words, theories and suppositions were all tossed around as if I should understand the underlying concepts. I love parallel world stories. Just look at my love for A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU by Claudia Gray or UNRAVELING by Elizabeth Norris. But what I love more is some sort of understanding of how the parallel world works.
So let's instead focus on what I did enjoy. Tess is interesting in that she's obviously smart; we're told as much, but she proves it more than once in her analysis and comprehension. She catches on quickly to what the circumstances surrounding Jake represent. She's also a victim of her own brilliance in terms of her and Ross' relationship. Social cues mean little to her so she takes everything on face value. Ross made a snarky comment about something she believes in, so obviously he thinks everything she does is ridiculous. Even as she recognizes the skepticism others have she holds him higher.
Ross meanwhile is very much "Listen to what I mean, not what I say" sort of person. More than Tess we "hear" his regrets in how he has handled their first meeting and how they get along thereafter. But he doesn't understand what she's looking into and he doesn't know how to get around that. So he waits and he pokes about trying to find a way to get her to understand.
Jake is antagonistic, somewhat petty and wholly over his head. I never quite understood Tess' attraction to him, and I'd argue she never felt romantically towards him. Still we can thank him for Tess and Ross, since Ross' jealousy towards him prompt him to act.The change in their relationship is a shock, since it just sort of happens, but from his point of view made sense.
Fisher does address the inconsistency on Tess' end, as to that point she spent much of the book worried over what her research could mean and how Ross kept getting in the way (or rather the group Ross represented), then any lust she felt towards him. Given that their first time together is rather...extraordinary and opens up a host of new things for Tess to investigate, I was rather glad there wasn't a whole lot of time spent on regret.
The "Echoes" like Jake represent a link that, as anyone who is versed in any sort of paranormal books that involve the government can attest to, offers quite the juicy prize. "You can travel across dimensions you say hmmm?" is the gist of at least one government official's commentary as he twirls his imaginary mustache. Rule number one in dimension hopping never trust the government. Yours or the one on the other side.
In the end this wasn't enough for me to whole-heartedly enjoy. The mechanics of it didn't interest me as much as they should have and Jake's grating presence wore thin on my patience.
August 4, 2015
Some time in the near future, there are two Earths. They exist in the same time and place in alternate dimensions. An asteroid hit on Earth Two causes more than physical destruction. It also pushes some of the inhabitants of that Earth right into the path of the inhabitants of Earth One. On Earth One, they barely exist, fading to nothingness (hence the term Echo) if they are not fed. But feeding involves draining energy from Earth One’s inhabitants, just by touching them. This basic premise of Echo 8 by Sharon Lynn Fisher is quite singular and by itself, makes a great plot. But there is so much more to this novel!
Tess Caufield is the parapsychologist that makes contact with Jake, otherwise known as Echo 8. Tess becomes involved in the task force to study the Echos, risking her life to get close to Jake. But she needs to know everything about him if she can figure out how to help the Echos and protect the people they could harm.
FBI agent Ross McGinnis is assigned to protect Tess. They have a history where, in the past, they did not hit it off, but he will still do everything he can to keep Tess safe from Jake. Which is difficult because a) Tess is studying Jake and b) she likes him and wants to help him.
The relationship between Ross and Tess is a bit sticky in the first part of the book. There is no love at first sight in this book. I like how they get to know each other as they work together, getting past their dislikes and moving on to empathy, and then respect for each other, and eventually more. That more comes with difficulty and plenty of obstacles, including Jake. The emotional interaction between Ross and Tess and Jake is often intense, but does not overwhelm the storyline.
When I started writing this review, I had a hard time. Because there is so much going on in this book, it is difficult to comment on all the things I really liked about the story without a spoiler. This is not a simple plot and when Tess, and later Ross, allow Jake to feed off of them, a complex chain of events follows that spills over into both Earths. I was totally engrossed in this book as each new chapter brought some new complication beyond the basic premise. I love it when a book keeps zapping me with something new! And then effectively wraps up all those complications for a very satisfactory ending.
Speaking of things that are not simple, in Echo 8, Ms. Fisher talks physics. I mean physics beyond the year I took in college. And she makes me understand it, if on a very basic level. I may actually be a little smarter now! Then, Ms. Fisher applies physics to parapsychology and makes it plausible. Nicely done. And fascinating. This addition of scientific language and information made the story so much more than a romance in a futuristic setting and added substance to an already robust tale.
Echo 8 by Sharon Lynn Fisher is the first book I have read from this author, but it will not be the last. I found Echo 8 to be a complex, emotionally intense, scientifically speculative, fascinating story that I will not soon forget.
Tess Caufield is the parapsychologist that makes contact with Jake, otherwise known as Echo 8. Tess becomes involved in the task force to study the Echos, risking her life to get close to Jake. But she needs to know everything about him if she can figure out how to help the Echos and protect the people they could harm.
FBI agent Ross McGinnis is assigned to protect Tess. They have a history where, in the past, they did not hit it off, but he will still do everything he can to keep Tess safe from Jake. Which is difficult because a) Tess is studying Jake and b) she likes him and wants to help him.
The relationship between Ross and Tess is a bit sticky in the first part of the book. There is no love at first sight in this book. I like how they get to know each other as they work together, getting past their dislikes and moving on to empathy, and then respect for each other, and eventually more. That more comes with difficulty and plenty of obstacles, including Jake. The emotional interaction between Ross and Tess and Jake is often intense, but does not overwhelm the storyline.
When I started writing this review, I had a hard time. Because there is so much going on in this book, it is difficult to comment on all the things I really liked about the story without a spoiler. This is not a simple plot and when Tess, and later Ross, allow Jake to feed off of them, a complex chain of events follows that spills over into both Earths. I was totally engrossed in this book as each new chapter brought some new complication beyond the basic premise. I love it when a book keeps zapping me with something new! And then effectively wraps up all those complications for a very satisfactory ending.
Speaking of things that are not simple, in Echo 8, Ms. Fisher talks physics. I mean physics beyond the year I took in college. And she makes me understand it, if on a very basic level. I may actually be a little smarter now! Then, Ms. Fisher applies physics to parapsychology and makes it plausible. Nicely done. And fascinating. This addition of scientific language and information made the story so much more than a romance in a futuristic setting and added substance to an already robust tale.
Echo 8 by Sharon Lynn Fisher is the first book I have read from this author, but it will not be the last. I found Echo 8 to be a complex, emotionally intense, scientifically speculative, fascinating story that I will not soon forget.
February 23, 2015
I bought this book by mistake. I09 directed me to this link although I had clicked on another book, and after reading the plot summary I decided to get it anyway. I will say that romance is not my favorite genre, and I didn't completely know what I was getting into.
In terms of the SF components, the author gives a sufficient premise to the book that if I don't particularly question or look past the surface, the premise works as well as most urban fantasies. Definitely not hard SF, nor is the book particularly concerned with an SF premise after it is set up. I did enjoy a bit of the twist that the premise gives as our heroes dislocate into another universe, but that was as clever as the SF got.
The rest of the set-up is the standard urban fantasy in multiverse clothing with an emphasis on romance. They are all hot and charismatic, but we are essentially told this, not shown it. They all immediately fall in lust and love, with little development of their relationships, characters, and little convincing world-building. The novel is mainly claustrophobic, with the emphasis almost completely on the obligatory love triangle. It does pass the Bechdel test thanks to the heroine's interactions with her mentor, Abby. Otherwise, I think there was only one other woman in the story who was not a doppelganger of our heroine, and the menfolk handled those interactions.
Tess, our heroine is a hot doctor of parapsychology, beautiful and impulsive, with men absolutely hankering to protect her, but too willful to be stopped as she follows her whims. Ross, Tess' minder and secret agent man with the FBI, is hot, responsible, and utterly devoted to Tess. He intermittently connects (and merges with) his utterly psychopathic doppelganger, making him the werewolf of the piece. And Jake, the hot "echo" who suicided rather than deal with the catastrophe that wrecked his world and ended up with the heroes in their universe, is essentially an energy vampire-- a danger in making contact with any from the heroes' universe, and irresistibly drawn to Tess, who (of course) is utterly delicious. So we end up functionally with kind of a human, werewolf, vampire triangle, with multiverses in which wackiness ensues.
I thought the writing was nice, but I really wanted to see more in the premise, plotting, and characterizations. Yes, there was plenty of panting and moaning for those who read for that, and I think that it was probably good on the romance/sex front (from what I know of the genre). It just didn't give me the depth, wonder, or context I was looking for.
In terms of the SF components, the author gives a sufficient premise to the book that if I don't particularly question or look past the surface, the premise works as well as most urban fantasies. Definitely not hard SF, nor is the book particularly concerned with an SF premise after it is set up. I did enjoy a bit of the twist that the premise gives as our heroes dislocate into another universe, but that was as clever as the SF got.
The rest of the set-up is the standard urban fantasy in multiverse clothing with an emphasis on romance. They are all hot and charismatic, but we are essentially told this, not shown it. They all immediately fall in lust and love, with little development of their relationships, characters, and little convincing world-building. The novel is mainly claustrophobic, with the emphasis almost completely on the obligatory love triangle. It does pass the Bechdel test thanks to the heroine's interactions with her mentor, Abby. Otherwise, I think there was only one other woman in the story who was not a doppelganger of our heroine, and the menfolk handled those interactions.
Tess, our heroine is a hot doctor of parapsychology, beautiful and impulsive, with men absolutely hankering to protect her, but too willful to be stopped as she follows her whims. Ross, Tess' minder and secret agent man with the FBI, is hot, responsible, and utterly devoted to Tess. He intermittently connects (and merges with) his utterly psychopathic doppelganger, making him the werewolf of the piece. And Jake, the hot "echo" who suicided rather than deal with the catastrophe that wrecked his world and ended up with the heroes in their universe, is essentially an energy vampire-- a danger in making contact with any from the heroes' universe, and irresistibly drawn to Tess, who (of course) is utterly delicious. So we end up functionally with kind of a human, werewolf, vampire triangle, with multiverses in which wackiness ensues.
I thought the writing was nice, but I really wanted to see more in the premise, plotting, and characterizations. Yes, there was plenty of panting and moaning for those who read for that, and I think that it was probably good on the romance/sex front (from what I know of the genre). It just didn't give me the depth, wonder, or context I was looking for.
August 14, 2015
A very intense book that was filled with a lot of things at stake. The characters were all very strong and had their own issues to deal with. Plus the way the story unfolds was really different and had a very unique flair with the two earths.
Things that I loved about this book:
The Three Main Characters
Tess, Ross, Jake all are dynamic. Each of these characters feel like they are in a situation that is complicated. I love complications, but when Jake takes some energy from Tess, this makes Ross feel like she is in danger. Tess is just trying to help Jake adjust to being caught in a new earth, new world. He was a ghost, but something has happened to make Jake solid. We learn that Tess wants to help, but Jake knows that he is dangerous. Ross really wants to protect Tess. None of them know how entwined their lives will become.
2. The Second Earth
The second earth is very different from ours. It’s basically dying. Our earth hasn’t suffered like theirs. When you get to see or when Tess, Ross, Jake are on his world, you get to see how much destruction and chaos has been caused by some disastrous event. Also some of these Echo’s come to our world like ghosts and when they feed off of us, they become solid. Also Jake’s life is much different on this Earth. Ross also has a duplicate that is very bad. I really didn’t like him. People on this Earth are much harder and less trusting.
3. The Romance
Romance is a big part of this book. At times I felt that there were so many moments between Tess and the two male characters, Jake and Ross. I kind of was glad that she seemed to pick Ross. Jake was interesting, but in a weird place. I mean Tess and Ross go through a lot. They have to deal with secrets because of the government’s involvement in Tess’s work. Tess’s work has made the government think about weaponizing the Echos in ways that don’t make anyone comfortable.
One Thing I Didn’t Like
The Complicated Language or Scientific Jargon
Sometimes the scientific jargon got me lost and it took me a while to understand. I think it took at times the flow of the book away. Really, trying to understand what is going on is going to need some explanation, but I don’t like when they try to make things much more complex than they need to. Plus the flow was better when our characters were not explaining things, but rather doing things or having to commit actions. The jargon went over my head at times.
A good book overall.
Rating:
4 Hearts
Things that I loved about this book:
The Three Main Characters
Tess, Ross, Jake all are dynamic. Each of these characters feel like they are in a situation that is complicated. I love complications, but when Jake takes some energy from Tess, this makes Ross feel like she is in danger. Tess is just trying to help Jake adjust to being caught in a new earth, new world. He was a ghost, but something has happened to make Jake solid. We learn that Tess wants to help, but Jake knows that he is dangerous. Ross really wants to protect Tess. None of them know how entwined their lives will become.
2. The Second Earth
The second earth is very different from ours. It’s basically dying. Our earth hasn’t suffered like theirs. When you get to see or when Tess, Ross, Jake are on his world, you get to see how much destruction and chaos has been caused by some disastrous event. Also some of these Echo’s come to our world like ghosts and when they feed off of us, they become solid. Also Jake’s life is much different on this Earth. Ross also has a duplicate that is very bad. I really didn’t like him. People on this Earth are much harder and less trusting.
3. The Romance
Romance is a big part of this book. At times I felt that there were so many moments between Tess and the two male characters, Jake and Ross. I kind of was glad that she seemed to pick Ross. Jake was interesting, but in a weird place. I mean Tess and Ross go through a lot. They have to deal with secrets because of the government’s involvement in Tess’s work. Tess’s work has made the government think about weaponizing the Echos in ways that don’t make anyone comfortable.
One Thing I Didn’t Like
The Complicated Language or Scientific Jargon
Sometimes the scientific jargon got me lost and it took me a while to understand. I think it took at times the flow of the book away. Really, trying to understand what is going on is going to need some explanation, but I don’t like when they try to make things much more complex than they need to. Plus the flow was better when our characters were not explaining things, but rather doing things or having to commit actions. The jargon went over my head at times.
A good book overall.
Rating:
4 Hearts
August 13, 2015
In the not too distant future, it’s easy to imagine a parallel Earth having a catastrophe and people flying across the space-time continuum. I know many people might balk at the idea, but when presented by Sharon Lynn Fisher, it’s totally plausible.
Dr. Tess Caufield is a parapsychologist and is totally devoted to studying psychic phenomenon. So the opportunity to observe and interact with these people who have been displaced from their Earth to ours, she’s all in. She might also be in over her head because she has a tendency to act first, think later. She’s too valuable to the international coalition trying to figure out how to stop these ‘Echoes’ from coming to our Earth. Therefore, she’s been assigned a bodyguard…or a keeper if you ask her. I loved this headstrong, gutsy gal who is overcoming things from her past that might better be left in the past.
Ross McGinnis doesn’t relish the task of trying to protect Tess. He doesn’t really believe in her kind of psychology and ineptly told her so at their first meeting. Now he has to protect someone who despises him and thinks of him as uncaring. Actually, I thought he cared a little too much and that’s why he came across as so gruff to Tess in their initial meeting. He takes his job totally seriously and finds himself deeper and deeper in doubt, regret and surprises as the story unfolds. He starts with a very rigid way of thinking and behaving, but it was wonderful to see him grow and wrestle with making some changes in his life. I related to him and his struggles between conforming to expectations set around him or going with his gut and following the path he thinks would be better for his own life.
Sharon Lynn Fisher has created a sci-fi romance that borders on reality and possibility so much so that it feels very real when you are reading it. I couldn’t put this book down and look forward to reading more from Ms. Fisher.
-- ROBYN
June 26, 2015
This is the third book I’ve read by Sharon Lynn Fisher, and I’ve devoured each one in large gulps and then looked around for more, only to realize I’d have to wait for more new books to be published. This is one of those authors that I wish would write faster, I just can’t get enough of her wonderful stories. They have all had unique worlds, storylines and fantastic characters in common, but otherwise stand on their own. This one involves Tess, a parapsychologist studying the phenomena known as Fades or Echos – people who come from an alternate Earth that was hit by an asteroid, throwing them to our Earth as beings of energy, who drain the life from anyone they touch, feeding on that life energy. When Jake, the man known as Echo 8, almost kills Tess but is able to stop before draining her, she is excited to realize that she might be able find a way to work with the Echoes to prevent more deaths. Of course Ross, the FBI agent assigned to protect Tess, isn’t too happy about the situation, but as he and Tess work with Jake, they realize that the powers that be are trying to find a way to use the situation to their advantage. As the story progressed, questions were answered, glimpses into that parallel Earth were seen, and I began to wonder just how things could possibly be resolved. I loved the romance between Tess, the believer in all things paranormal, and the uptight, buttoned up FBI agent Ross, as they learned to trust each other and work together, as well as give in to their growing feelings. This was another thoroughly enjoyable story and I can’t wait to see what this wonderful author comes up with next.
August 11, 2015
This was a quick, easy read -- I finished it in one sitting.
Echo 8 is a blend of science fiction and romance that manages to treat both genres with respect. In other words, it works as both a science fiction novel and as a romance novel. The scifi is exciting and plausible enough to suspend disbelief for, and the romance is engaging without taking over the story.
I particularly enjoyed the worldbuilding element -- the idea that a disaster caused some people from one dimension to transfer into another closely related dimension where they live as energy parasites -- needing to feed in order to survive. The world continued to develop throughout the book in intriguing ways.
The characters were fairly well done, although limited time was spent on developing them. I usually don't like love triangles, but this one managed to work for me, in part because it was always obvious which one Tess would choose.
My one complaint about this book is hard to describe ... it's a sense that there could have been more. The book was fast-paced, yes, but at times I would almost say rushed. I would have liked to see a more gradual progression of the major plots, more time spent on character development, and more time spent on the resolution (which came about too easily for my taste).
I do recommend this book to readers who love both scifi and romance.
Echo 8 is a blend of science fiction and romance that manages to treat both genres with respect. In other words, it works as both a science fiction novel and as a romance novel. The scifi is exciting and plausible enough to suspend disbelief for, and the romance is engaging without taking over the story.
I particularly enjoyed the worldbuilding element -- the idea that a disaster caused some people from one dimension to transfer into another closely related dimension where they live as energy parasites -- needing to feed in order to survive. The world continued to develop throughout the book in intriguing ways.
The characters were fairly well done, although limited time was spent on developing them. I usually don't like love triangles, but this one managed to work for me, in part because it was always obvious which one Tess would choose.
My one complaint about this book is hard to describe ... it's a sense that there could have been more. The book was fast-paced, yes, but at times I would almost say rushed. I would have liked to see a more gradual progression of the major plots, more time spent on character development, and more time spent on the resolution (which came about too easily for my taste).
I do recommend this book to readers who love both scifi and romance.
February 4, 2015
This is a science fiction story with a strong romance element. It has a love triangle that is complex and very fun to read. Unlike most love triangles, the circumstances dictate that there isn’t really a “who will she pick” angle, just a lot of layers that made it feel unique.
I found the romance in the story was hot and steamy, but also very fast. The relationships proceed at a breakneck speed which seems almost too fast, until you realize the entire book moves at the same speed. Then it starts to make sense and seem less rushed, but there are definitely no long simmering romances here.
The science in the book was both well thought out and not overly complicated. For readers who like very classic feeling sci-fi, this may seem a little glossed over, but I found there was a good balance of detail but it didn’t get so technical that it went over my head. I found it easy to buy into the concept and abilities of the Echos. It helped make the story seem smooth and believable enough to be highly enjoyable.
Overall, this story satisfied my love of sci-fi, and my desire for the occasional steamy romance. It was a good mix of the two, and offered a unique situation which made the dreaded love triangle really work and make sense. This is definitely a book worth checking out.
I found the romance in the story was hot and steamy, but also very fast. The relationships proceed at a breakneck speed which seems almost too fast, until you realize the entire book moves at the same speed. Then it starts to make sense and seem less rushed, but there are definitely no long simmering romances here.
The science in the book was both well thought out and not overly complicated. For readers who like very classic feeling sci-fi, this may seem a little glossed over, but I found there was a good balance of detail but it didn’t get so technical that it went over my head. I found it easy to buy into the concept and abilities of the Echos. It helped make the story seem smooth and believable enough to be highly enjoyable.
Overall, this story satisfied my love of sci-fi, and my desire for the occasional steamy romance. It was a good mix of the two, and offered a unique situation which made the dreaded love triangle really work and make sense. This is definitely a book worth checking out.
October 30, 2015
If you are looking for an easy sci-fantasy romance, you will love this book.
I liked this author right from the start and with each new book I like her more and more.
Even though I've read hundreds of books, her ideas always pleasantly surprise me and leave me intrigued as to how the story will be resolved. The pacing is perfectly balanced. The plot moves along in an orderly fashion. The characters show growth, sensible motivation, and are relatable three dimensional people.
This story did have a sort of love triangle, which I usually hate, but it was obvious from the start that there was only one choice so there was not any angsty decision deliberation. Despite that, I was still left guessing how the author would sort it into a happy ending. This is another thing I love about this author, she always has a happy ending for all the good guys and nobody important (meaning nobody we emotionally invest in) dies during the story. That is my personal preference for every story I read.
I can't recount my favorite scene without spoiling the story, but I can say that most of the story has a good amount of easy humor nicely balancing out the serious times.
All together this is a well rounded, thoroughly entertaining, completely satisfying story.
I liked this author right from the start and with each new book I like her more and more.
Even though I've read hundreds of books, her ideas always pleasantly surprise me and leave me intrigued as to how the story will be resolved. The pacing is perfectly balanced. The plot moves along in an orderly fashion. The characters show growth, sensible motivation, and are relatable three dimensional people.
This story did have a sort of love triangle, which I usually hate, but it was obvious from the start that there was only one choice so there was not any angsty decision deliberation. Despite that, I was still left guessing how the author would sort it into a happy ending. This is another thing I love about this author, she always has a happy ending for all the good guys and nobody important (meaning nobody we emotionally invest in) dies during the story. That is my personal preference for every story I read.
I can't recount my favorite scene without spoiling the story, but I can say that most of the story has a good amount of easy humor nicely balancing out the serious times.
All together this is a well rounded, thoroughly entertaining, completely satisfying story.
March 29, 2015
Echo 8, by Sharon Lynn Fisher, is set in a near-future version of Seattle, not quite ours but very close. Tess Caufield is a parapsychologist with Seattle Psi, Ross McGinnis is an FBI agent assigned as her bodyguard, and Jake Parker is a captive Echo, a person displaced from an alternate Earth nearly destroyed by a asteroid. The FBI is involved because the Echoes, not all of them captive, are dangerous, energy vampires needing to feed on native humans to survive.
As Tess and Ross delve deeper into the mysterious appearances—and disappearances—of the Echoes and their victims, the dangers mount on both personal and wider levels, while some of the Echoes hit shockingly close to home. Fisher draws a vivid picture of Tess’ Seattle and the parallel ruined Earth, and had me rooting for her characters.
As Tess and Ross delve deeper into the mysterious appearances—and disappearances—of the Echoes and their victims, the dangers mount on both personal and wider levels, while some of the Echoes hit shockingly close to home. Fisher draws a vivid picture of Tess’ Seattle and the parallel ruined Earth, and had me rooting for her characters.
January 22, 2016
A science fiction romance about doing the right thing, taking risks to learn something new, valuing your own life, trust, and facing your fears. It’s a star-crossed lovers triangle with energy transfers, mental connections (telepathy), dislocation (teleportation), an alternate world, affinity (people being drawn together), and doppelgangers (alternate selves). There is a philosophical theme of nature vs. nurture and how our choices define us – Ross and Mac are wildly different, but basically they are the same person, while Tess seems responsible and compassionate in both worlds.
March 23, 2015
I had the most divine pleasure of receiving an advanced uncorrected proof. I rarely give a perfect score for anything, but when you are holding it your hands it must be given its credit. I did not have a cover photo on my novel. The only thing to sway my rating was the thrilling emotional ride I took with characters. I would create a new genre for this novel, Science Possibility. Characters with depth ranging from total numbing hopelessness to spirit of courage.
December 20, 2015
With ‘Echo 8,’ Sharon Lynn Fisher is truly beginning to hit her stride. The action is tighter than in her previous book and the romance, better integrated.
Full review posted at PopMythology: http://www.popmythology.com/echo-8-re...
Full review posted at PopMythology: http://www.popmythology.com/echo-8-re...
May 29, 2015
Sharon Fisher at her best! This is my favorite book of hers thus far. A must read for the sci-if romance geek at heart!
June 10, 2015
3.75 stars. I liked "Ghost Planet" better, but this was still good. Intriguing.
August 10, 2015
Great story; very imaginative. The ending was a bit too neat for my taste, but overall a great book.
August 20, 2015
I loved how reeled with action it was and the concept of time-travel and other dimensions(:
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