Echo in Time

Echo Trilogy #1

by Lindsey Sparks

Alternate cover edition of ASIN B00V42WOLG


Their love is destined to shatter the boundaries of time…

Archaeology grad student Alexandra Larson’s world is turned upside down when her mother shares her deepest, darkest secret—that she doesn’t know the true identity of Lex’s father. The revelation sparks a change within Lex, and her dreams become far too real. She sees things she shouldn’t be able to see…knows things she couldn’t possibly know. Terrifying things. Deadly things.

To distract her from the surreal changes taking over her life, Lex leaps at the chance to join an Egyptian excavation run by Oxford’s enigmatic Professor Marcus Bahur. But the distraction might be more than she bargained for. While deciphering the secrets of a mysterious stone tablet, Lex falls headlong into a prophecy created by a dying god over four millennia ago. She must rely on her frightening new psychic powers to dig up the truth. And it doesn’t take long for her visions to convince her that both Professor Bahur and his excavation are much more than they seem…

The past clashes with the present in this paranormal tale of ancient prophecies and warring gods. If you like Egyptian mythology, steamy romance, and headstrong characters who won’t give up until they discover the truth, then you’ll love the first installment in author Lindsey Fairleigh’s sprawling time travel adventure.

MORE BOOKS IN THE ECHO WORLD:

ECHO TRILOGY
Echo in Time
Resonance (an Echo Trilogy novella)
Time Anomaly
Dissonance (an Echo Trilogy novella)
Ricochet Through Time

KAT DUBOIS CHRONICLES
Ink Witch
Outcast
Underground
Soul Eater

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Time Travel, Paranormal, Mythology, Fiction, Paranormal Romance

388 pages, ebook

First published August 1, 2013

About the author

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Lindsey Sparks also writes as Lindsey Fairleigh.

Lindsey is a bestselling Science Fiction and Fantasy author who lives her life with one foot in a book—so long as that book transports her to a magical world or bends the rules of science. Her novels, from Science Fiction Adventure to Time Travel Romance, always offer a hearty dose of unreality, along with plenty of history, mystery, adventure, and romance.

When she's not working on her next novel, Lindsey spends her time hanging out with her two little boys, working in her garden, or playing board games with her husband. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family and their small pack of cats and dogs.

Reviews

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 4 out of 5]

RATING 4.5 STARS

Echo Prophecy is book one in the Echo Trilogy by Lindsey Fairleigh. I read this book as part of the Powers, Spice, and Not So Nice anthology.



Alexandra Larson is twenty four years old, she is beginning work on her doctoral degree in archaeology, and has just been offered the dream of any archaeologist. She has been requested to participate in the dig of her dreams in Egypt due to her skills in ancient languages. But about the same time, some strange things began happening to her. She started having very realistic dreams of things that either hadn’t happened yet, or things in the past. With Lex’s strong skills of deduction, she slowly realized that these were not ordinary dreams. That she was dreaming of a past beyond her wildest imagination. There were things kept from her, details that would change her future forever. Lex wasn’t an ordinary woman at all. No, she was something very different, very special. And the fate of humanity just might rest on her shoulders.



Marcus Bahur is the man that requested Lex for the dig. When they finally meet, sparks fly. Marcus knows what Lex is. He holds many of the answers she seeks. But he’s not the one that can tell her what she needs to know. Oh, and one other detail about Marcus…he is thousands of years old but doesn’t look a day over thirty.



Lex has a lot to deal with, learning about who and what she really is, her life is now in constant danger. Marcus didn’t even know all of it. Lex discovered her true parentage on her own. At the same time, the bond between she and Marcus is becoming stronger. There is a prophecy at work that binds them together.



This was a great start into this series. I loved watching Lex grow into her new life and power. I loved the connection between she and Marcus. There was a lot of history to deal with and sometimes the terminology lost me a bit. This was a true contest between good and evil. It was a fast paced, intense and interesting book and I can’t wait to see what happens next with Marcus and Lex in book #1.5, Resonance.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review originally posted on my blog: Book Series Addict

The premise behind Echo Prophecy is what originally snagged me – a mythical, powerful Egyptian race, with our heroine unaware that she is a part of it, an archeological dig in Egypt, ancient undiscovered tombs. The Egyptian culture and mythology is fascinating to me, I absolutely love archeology, and the idea seemed original and different. Novels that can teach me something new and feed into something that I already find captivating are happy discoveries.

With that in mind, Echo prophecy was a bit of a let-down. It’s not a bad book – definitely not – but I didn’t feel like I was plunged into the world of ancient Egyptian culture and archeology. Though I enjoyed certain elements of the story, it wasn’t as believable as I had hoped and I also had issues with the storyline and other elements of the plot.

Alright, so the good stuff first: Echo prophecy offers a really great set up and explanation for Lex’s “more-than-human” nature. I don’t want to include any spoilers, so I’ll only say that this aspect of the story was absolutely believable and very interesting. The group has some extraordinary, special characteristics – the kind of things that you want to find in a good paranormal romance series. The best part, though, is that it’s not like another new spin on something that’s been done over and over before (i.e. vampires and werewolves).

I also really enjoyed Marcus – he is Lex’s professor, boss, colleague, and soon to be love interest. His backstory and motives are intriguing. So is the way that he can break out of the formality to be even more intense , or even fun and playful. Any book or series with a romantic subplot NEEDS a hero worthy of his audience, and author Lindsey Fairleigh created that in Marcus.

The highlights of the book, for me, were the dream sequences that Lex has. They’re well-written and super engaging. I just wish that the rest of the book was the same. The explanation behind the dream sequences, what can and cannot be done.. it all was pretty fascinating.

The Echo prophecy did have its problems, though. While it was written well, I kind of felt like I was reading a YA book. And by this, I mean that the book read like it had been written for a YA audience, despite the fact that Lex is a 24-year old, definitey-not-a-virgin, grad student.

Quite a few elements of the story felt contrived and unnatural, and pieces of the storyline didn’t flow and fit like they should –stuff that just didn’t make sense, both big pieces and little. For example – Lex’s reactions and dialogue all seemed wrong. It contributed to the YA-book-feel I had with Echo Prophecy. (I mean, if my eyes began to turn a red, I would assume my brain is bleeding and be heading to the nearest hospital. At the very least, I’d talk to my family about it, rather than just shrug it off.) She’s also supposed to be this awesome, super smart grad student working on her PhD, but talks and acts half the time like a teenager. Her dialogue – in fact, a lot of the dialogue in the book – felt a little unrealistic to the characters and situations.



Lex is also one of those heroines that will avoid the obvious like a plague. There are so many little instances like this and they detract from the believability of the story as well as the credibility of the characters. Certain parts of the plot felt random or forced too…like when Lex decides to check out a shop randomly and coincidently the owner seems to know info about Lex’s people; a couple pages later, Marcus coincidently drops by, into this random shop away from the college and surprises both Marcus and Lex. Coincidently, this situation helps move the story forward. Things like this drive me batty.

I was also a bit bummed by the fact that Echo Prophecy wasn’t as steeped in facts and information about the ancient Egyptians as I had hoped. I mean, there’s definitely lore and it all played a central part of the story, but I had expected a lot more since Lex is working to become an expert in the field and the entire book revolves around the mythology. The dig and arrival in Egypt (as mentioned in the synopsis) doesn’t begin to happen until three quarters of the book are nearly done! At the same time, everybody is taking about how intelligent and accomplished Lex is – but without those details, she just feels like an overly-praised 24-year old specializing in teenspeak, rather than ancient languages and archeology.

[Mei · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first started this book I thought that I will not like it, but the more I read the more I was intrigued.

Even if this is a time travel series, in this book that’s not the case. This one can be considered as an introduction. Here the story starts. Slowly.

I thought the heroine, Lex, would be a usual TSTL young woman and she started that way, but as soon as I was cringing and thinking now she’ll do xxxx and I’ll throw my reader against the wall!, the action was reverted and her behavior made sense in a most logical way!

I was amazed with the author’s ability to do that time and time again! Truly remarkable!

The same can be said about the hero, Marcus/Hero/Horus. He was coming out as the usual billionair/CEO asshole, with all his arrogance and high-handedness, but I slowly grow to like him. :)

What I like the most, though, was the incredible world the author brought to life. The explanation about the hidden (now) race of beings and how their society works, the intricacies about how their powers work, all that could have made some very tricky hole in the story if handled differently and without so much care. But here everything works.

It was the same as with Lex’s actions: I was like Ah, now how is that possible? A few pages before it was said that xxxx, and now I’m sure the author will just make a slip! and was perversely and gleefully rubbing my hands, but, at the very last moment, the author just make all the puzzle pieces fit perfectly! WOW!!

I don’t want to enter into the story, because this is a series that must be read in order, but I’ll say that it is very. Very interesting and fun to read!

[Kathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

****SPOILERS****

I did not finish this book. I couldn't get past how upset the main character, Lex, was over learning her father wasn't really her father. There was a very logical explanation to why that was and she had a weeks long tantrum over it. The fact that she felt she lost her entire identity and now was lost and didn't know who she was anymore was over the top and I couldn't get past that.

[Jab843 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Just Wow!
At first I was like:


But by the end of the book I was:


So for me, I had no idea what I was getting into. The description of the book doesn't do it justice. A better, concise, summary would be:
"Experience the journey of an individual that learns about her Egyptian Mythology roots and has to use love to conquer evil." Or something like that!

For starters, Lindsey does a great job of giving insight into her main character. Lex is a well developed character, and we are given sufficient insight into her character to understand her actions.

The plot is refreshingly unique and takes some predictable twists, but overall, I was kept on edge around what would occur in the book.

I hate to do this, but this book can be compared to 50 Shades of Grey, yet this author has an actual plot that can stand without the romance. This book was exactly what I was looking for at the time, action with romance, and not too many complications.

Ok now the main character isn't the strongest I have seen a women as a protagonist, but she is a hell of alot stronger than Tris in Divergent or Katniss in the Hunger Games.

Basic Plot Summary:
Lex is to some degree, a lost individual, wrapped up in her dissertation in the intro of the novel. She continues to develop into a decent character. I do have one major niggle, her emotions seem to be that of a 17 year old not a 25 year old (bear in mind I am a guy... so I guess I expect girls to be slightly more developed, all well..).

I will say, the author does a great job of balancing both the romance and central plot (the egyptian stuff). Some of her weaknesses, would be lack of detail regarding the mythology stuff and rushed transitions. Like really?? Lex is conveniently out for 3 months and therefore, the author can skip writing what occurs during that time?? WTF!

I highly recommend this book to anyone and can not wait for the sequel!

[Christa · Rating 2 out of 5]

It wasn't great but it was still sort of readable. Too many standard tropes for a quasi-romance novel with a paranormal or supernatural twist.

- Lex finds out she's not like everyone else and goes all maudlin for a bit while she tries to figure out who she is. Hint: she doesn't, because no one will break "the rules" and tell her things

- Then she meets a mystery guy who is the dreamiest man ever but acts like a controlling ass and upends her life with no real explanation

- Lex ends up being the most important person around but can't handle the pressure

- Lex starts to fall for our mystery guy and turns into an insane, obsessive freak who basically growls at anyone who comes near her man

- At the same time mystery guy aka Marcus continues to try and hide important info from her for her "protection" and generally behaves like an overbearing dick to her

- Yet somehow despite all this, there is a claiming and some poorly explained 'bonding', a very clunky sex scene and finally some declarations of love

All of the above set against the backdrop of Egyptian Gods, an excavation in Egypt (that takes the entire book to build up to) and a pretty blah ending leaves me feeling like this book is a bit of a mess. Unfortunately, I downloaded the box set from Amazon and I feel like I should keep reading to finish the series. Maybe it gets better?

[❤️Court - Villains Do It Better❤️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review for whole series

Read this awhile ago, so I can't remember too much of the smaller details, but my overall opinion that I definitely do remember is that the heroine deserved WAY better than the hero. Although I did like him sometimes and I liked his overall character, I didn't like him for the heroine. She was constantly sacrificing things for the plot and for the hero, and I felt like he honestly didn't do anything to deserve her or himself worthy of the title of hero.

At one point, even though they really liked each other and were pretty much super close to being together together, he found out who she was, freaked out and slept with someone else. It was then thrown in her face until she did this mate thing or whatever it was with him, this was right after she found out he had still been sleeping with other people, and it basically ties them together.

Then when she goes back in time, it is constantly thrown in her face the women he slept with, and she even made friends with one of the ones he was still sleeping with and had kids with, who she then takes care of. I think what made me extra mad was we then find out they had been tied together already from that time, but their memories were gone, meaning hundreds of years and thousands of women he slept with, when the whole time they were already soul mates and had already fallen in love with each other. Even if he forgot her, he still should have felt SOMETHING instead of continuing on his manwhore ways.

Then later on, she has his babies, but can't get back to the present to raise them, but can only send the babies away, because she is injured and almost died. So not only does she have to go through and see the hero's past, but when she comes back she is pretty much in a coma and couldn't raise her twins till they were way older, and when she finally wakes up, they announce they are leaving and who knows when she would be able to see them again. And the hero and everyone around I felt like disregarded her feelings way too much and the hero was always so indifferent about what she was going through or the dangers she faced, and yet her life was surrounded by him. Even their kids together I felt like he cared for less than his many previous kids. He definitely didn't deserve her at all. She put way too much into him when he wasn't even that great.

There were some things I did like, that even though the romance sucked, i still gave this series a 3 star. The world building was great, and I thought it had such a unique plot. There were some awesome side characters, and I really liked the heroine besides her being too forgiving towards the hero. She also wasn't a virgin thankfully. I liked how their relationship so progressed until the whole him sleeping with other people stint. I can't remember names, but I kind of wanted her to end up with the guy who was always time traveling and watching over her, now he's hero material for sure.

Overall a decent series, but would have been better minus the hero. I'm not too sure I would recommend, maybe if you like more mythology and stuff like that. I may or may not read this author in the future.

[Olivia Gutierrez · Rating 1 out of 5]

I DNFed around page 130. The idea of this book was interesting but nothing about this book was executed well. The characters were flat, the dialogue was something a high school kid could write. There was no world building; it seemed like the author did a quick google search as her only research. And the writing was HORRIBLE!!!

[Lindsey Sparks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished rereading EiT (well, technically I listened to it...) in preparation for starting Tarset's series in September, and I loved returning to this world! I didn't realize how much I missed these characters and their world! Time to dive into Time Anomally. I can't wait to start writing the new series!!! :D

P.S. Echo in Time is FREE right now!!!

[books are love · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I loved all the mythology and history that was intertwined in the story and how it showed the truest form of love and even hate. This book will test all emotions that can be stirred and the characters go through the gamet as well.

Lex is the central character and her strength in herself and trust in others is continuously tested. She does get a little wishy washy but when you read why you give her leeway. She is a strong, stubborn graduate student who has the weight of the world put on her shoulders. Her life is thrown in turmoil but she still handles it with a modicum of grace and style. Her passion for her studies and Marcus is beautiful to see in a young woman. Her ability to have love and focus on herself is a great thing to see today. But that bond with Marcus is so great and will have you jump for joy.

Marcus or Heru is a statuesque scholarly man who will take your breath away in one minute and frustrate you in the next. The need to control and have order is so ingrained in him that sometimes it overtakes his senses. As a guy he does do some boneheaded things, although his boneheadedness is paved with good intentions and done from love you still want to smack him silly for them. His love for his people and Lex is overwhelming and beautiful to see. He shows us that there is nothing he wouldn’t sacrifice for love.

The story as a whole is interesting as is the prophecy. The way that the situation is handled with grace and strength of the characters is something that is unique in such stories and so is the love that Lex and Marcus have it’s driving need is incredible.

A wonderful read that shows a strong intelligent female lead character who is not only independent but shows us that all these characteristics do not have to be given up for love. Marcus shows us how a man can love and respect a woman that has those qualities and the story shows us that we all struggle with decisions but will allow our moral conscience to make the right one for us. My question is will this moral compass and their love help them with dealing with Set in the next book? I don’t know but am looking forward to finding out.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (9/16/2019)! 🎁

[Elena Linville-Abdo]

I will not rate this book because I decided to put it aside at around 60% mark. There are a couple of reasons for that:

First, I tried this in audiobook format and discovered that the medium is definitely not for me. Every time I would start this, I would find my attention slipping. I would focus on something else, then discovered that 20 minutes have passed and I haven't listened to a word the narrator said, so I was completely lost in the story. It wasn't the narrator's fault either. She is very good at doing different voices and instilling emotions into the story. It's just... not for me.

Second, I once again confirmed that paranormal romance isn't my cup of tea. I like a lot more story in my books and a lot less descriptions of what the characters are wearing, how they look, what they feel and what they had for breakfast/lunch/dinner. Again, this is not the book's fault, just my preference.

Maybe one day I'll borrow the written copy from my library and finish this, but I'm not in a hurry.

[Carrie Slager · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]

As you guys all know, I’m an ancient Egypt fanatic. There’s just something about ancient Egypt that appeals to me, so it was pretty much a guarantee I’d pick up this book and at least give it a try. So did Echo Prophecy measure up to my expectations?

Absolutely! Lindsey Fairleigh knows far more about ancient Egyptian mythology, culture and language than I ever could have hoped for. She actually knows something about how hieroglyphs are translated and that there isn’t only one form of Egyptian (i.e. Middle Egyptian is an entirely different animal from New Kingdom Egyptian). I very nearly fainted when she actually used the properly translated names of the Egyptian gods like Heru, Aset and Set instead of the more commonly used Greek translations like Horus, Isis and Seth. I was just blown away by the way she incorporated the Egyptian mythology into the story and used it to create a believable explanation for the Egyptian gods.

As for the characters, I loved Lex. She was believable because not only does she react like a normal person would to finding out about a whole secret race, she is also flawed. Throughout the story she seems pretty unsure of herself until she gradually grows more and more confident. It’s a natural progression and I love Lindsey Fairleigh for doing it that way rather than having her accept everything all at once. Marcus was also a great character and I found that his actions were very well explained by his major secret. I don’t want to give too much away, but let’s just say that obviously Marcus isn’t everything he appears to be.

In the beginning the plot is pretty slow. That didn’t really bother me because it let me get my bearings for a little bit as Lex’s dreams became more and more frequent. But Lindsey Fairleigh didn’t dawdle for too long because soon everything was happening at once and Lex’s world changed completely. Despite the insanely fast pacing at some points, I never felt like the character development was forgotten. Even in the moments where there was huge suspense, everyone grew as a character either through their actions, words or when more backstory was revealed.

Even if you aren’t the biggest ancient Egyptian fan, I highly recommend Echo Prophecy. It’s a well-written, fast-paced novel with just enough romantic tension to keep the slow parts interesting. I can’t wait for the next book to see how Lindsey Fairleigh handles that huge cliffhanger she left at the end.

I give this book 5/5 stars.

[Diane Lynch Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alexandra Larson (Lex) is an archaeology grad student at The University of Washington. She is recruited by charming excavation director, Marcus Bahur, to help find the entrance to an ancient Egyptian Temple. She finds herself unexplainably drawn to the handsome professor.

Furthermore, she recently has discovered that not only is her father not her real dad, but she is not human. To make matters even more interesting it turns out that she was mentioned in an ancient Egyptian Prophecy. Needless to say her life is not dull.

I really enjoyed this story. Lindsey Fairleigh did an exceptional job with the first book in the Echo Trilogy. She has written an intriguing and worthwhile novel. This mysterious book will have you on the edge of your seat. If you enjoy mythology, this is a thrilling adventure you cannot miss.

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Visit my blog: http://dianelynchbookreviews.blogspot...

[Lacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was Twilight but for an older age group due to a pretty clunky sex scene that lasted 4 pages. (I skipped those). I have the second in my bookshelf, I'll try it out just to see if anything gets better. Like I said, it's a Twilight but immortal ancient Egyptians instead of immortal vampires.

[Alix · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could not put this down - def compelling! Also loved the integration of academia & especially the Egyptian mythology. 4-4.5

[Kat Montemayor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this book with my friend, Brandy. This is a very interesting concept, about a race of non-humans with very long life spans, having the ability to witness historical and future events. That's the echo. It reminds me of A Discovery of Witches meets Anna to the Infinite Power. I love that the MC is smart and capable. The love interest is likable and flawed in good ways. I will continue this series.

[Lorrie (Clockworkbookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

[Amélie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arc provided by NetGalley

Lexa is a student of archeology working on her doctorate thesis. At the beginning of the story, she is given a great opportunity to participate in an exaction in Egypt and is fascinated with Marcus, the professor leading the project. She is also starting to have weird dreams and visions which allow her to prevent an accident involving one of her professor or to learn about past events. Her parents also decide that it’s a good time to tell her about the fact that her father is sterile and that her mother had to use an anonym donor and medical help to become pregnant of her.

I like this book very much despite the fact that I had some problems finishing the first chapter. Indeed, the first thing that I notice in this book is a certain awkwardness in the writing. For example, one thing is said or imply in the text and then it is explain in more details even if it isn’t necessary. It really annoys me at first, but I got more or less used to it after a while. Besides, it’s more a matter of personal taste and it can be something that other people who don’t like to have to read between the lines would appreciate. Then, sometimes, especially in the beginning, I felt that some kind of transition was lacking between some scenes. We are just transporting from one event to another and I get the impression that some paragraphs were cut from the text. Lexa’s visions happens a bit too often at the beginning, they really cut the flow of the story and are a bit too convenient in the way they allow Lexa to learn about her family’s secrets. Thankfully, it’s something that stops when Lexa learns how to control them.

As for the story, it is a bit predictable and some events really feel convenient and contrived, like when Lexa randomly enters a shop and coincidently finds inside people able to help her and who knows Marcus who decide to choose this moment to drop by.

The Egyptian myths play an important part in the story as the heroin is an archaeologist, a big part of the plot is about an excavation in Egypt and several characters and their families come from Ancient Egypt, but I was a bit disappointed that it was not given more depth. Also, the excavation is not a big part of the story, despite the fact that it’s a major plot point.

The paranormal part is fairly original and interesting. We quickly learn about the heroine visions which seem to predict the future (like when she manage to prevent an accident in the first chapter) or to allow her to see scenes from the past. An important part of the plot in the first part of the story involves Lexa learning about her family’s secrets and her people, the Nejerets, who share her power to have this kind of visions. I really appreciate what the author has done with them, it is really well developed and consistent and it’s not something I have already read.

There is some romance between Marcus and Lexa. I was a bit annoy by the fact that she is instantly attracted to him to such an extend as I’m not a fan of this trope, but once they are together, there is some great chemistry between them. Marcus is a well-written character. We can see the differences between the way he behaves with Lexa and his public personality of leader and the way it can sometimes encroach in their relationship, making him behave like a jerk. Thankfully it’s not something that Lexa accept without saying anything. Lexa is also an interesting character. Despite the initial angst other learning about the fact that her father is not her biological father and her new powers and people, she quickly adapts and tries to make the best out of her situation. People try to coddle her and to take decisions in her place, but it is not something that she accepts and she tries to ascertain her opinions without nonetheless behaving stupidly or like a teenager. However, we are told that she is extremely intelligent and has rare talents in archeology, but apart from deciphering an old tablet we are not really shown proof of it.

The other characters are also interesting. I was a bit disappointed that at the beginning Lexa has two friends who help her to prepare for a date and who cheer with her about her acceptation in the excavation team, but when Lexa learns about her powers, they are quickly thrown in the background. However, I really like the new friends she makes, particularly Dominic, even if, as a French, his name should be spelt Dominique (it’s the name of my father so I was a bit annoy at the misspelling each time I saw it).

Despite my difficulties in getting past the first chapters, I really like this story and I will read the next installment in the trilogy when it will come out (the plot thread with the excavation is resolved at the end of this book, but some mysteries remain and the bad guy escape). This book is not exactly a paranormal romance as the romance doesn’t have such an important part in the story compared to the plot, but I think that the fans of the genre would appreciate this book nonetheless. I recommend it to people looking for something interesting and original.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

2*

This book is wholly and completely forgettable in every way. There wasn’t a single thing about this book that wasn’t sub-par and simply ‘okay;’ from the world-building, to the plot, to the characters, to the writing style and pacing, nothing seemed to stand out or was effective. This isn’t a bad novel, but it was quite a longshot away from being good.

Ancient Egyptian culture has fascinated me since I was a kid. So, the premise of this novel really drew me in and I was excited to dive into a world where this featured prominently with the added twist of having a fantastical edge. Yet, this aspect of the novel was disappointing and, funnily enough, when Lex (and the crew) finally make it to Egypt, Lex isn’t even conscious for most of it. Other than making Lex, Marcus, and all their friends god-like creatures of Egyptian myth and legend, there wasn’t a lot of Egyptian influence.

The writing style also threw me for a loop. Since Lex (our heroine) is a grad student, and this book is presented as being more on the ‘adult fantasy’ side (with Lex being 24 years old), you can imagine my surprise when this book read at a very YA level. Minus a couple scenes and some innuendo language, this book would’ve been well-suited to middle schoolers or a much more YA (vs adult) audience.

I struggled to dredge up much interest for either Lex or Marcus. In fact, Lex was a character that I really disliked and couldn’t stand at least half the time. She’s incredibly immature and whiney. There wasn’t a second that went by (so it seemed) that Lex wasn’t boo-hooing her way through her situation. Her reactions and dialogue seemed childish and, despite the fact that early on in the book she’s getting recognized for her diligent work and her brain, she doesn’t seem to live up to her initial reputation. This contributed to the feeling of this book being better suited as a YA novel.

Additionally, there was a lot about our heroine’s storyline that felt contrived, unbelievable, and entirely too coincidental (like how she happened to meet her half-sister or the fact that Lex’s best friend betrays her with Seth). Parts of the plotline felt really unnatural and forced. I wasn’t convinced by what happened or the depth of the relationships that seem to quickly develop. Plus, we also have Lex’s relationship with Nuin which was just weird – and kind of gross. Unbeknownst to Lex, she’s known Nuin all her life as a father-figure, friend, mentor, and even love interest (which is where it gets weird and icky for me). I really disliked how this plotline played out and the established relationship they already shared.

I liked Marcus more than Lex, but the bar wasn’t exactly all that high and he wasn’t much more that “fine” himself. He’s had millennia to get a grip on his temper – but hasn’t (and Lex, a girl he’s met all of 5 minutes ago, is supposed to suddenly help with that?). I didn’t mind Marcus being a bit blood-thirsty, but with the wishy-washy attitude this book seemed to have with that, you could never fall in love with Marcus despite his blood-thirsty ways but nor could you fall for him because of them either. He was also a bit of a domineering alphahole, but he often only toed that line, and his behavior was shrugged off by everyone around him (so it was easy for readers to shrug it off too).

Lex and Marcus’ romantic relationship was written terribly. Although we don’t start off badly (and it was actually kind of amusing), their relationship quickly spirals for me. Within moments, they’re obsessed with one another. When Marcus leaves, Lex is heartbroken, and their feelings of love had little foundation. I don’t think they knew each other well enough for that 4-letter word bomb-drop. I also disliked how possessive and growl-y Lex became toward anyone who looked at her man and the “bonding” wasn’t set up well. Their relationship was simplistic and lacked any depth to it.

But that brings us to the general world-building of this novel. The problem with this story was that not only were the characters written in a very one-dimensional way, but so was the world. While certain aspects were fun ideas, how those ideas were incorporated a lot of the time, fell flat. There was a lot that lacked explanation or layered development.

While my complaints may make this book seem like it flopped on its face, I’ll reiterate that this novel was fine. I’m not sure if it’s a bigger crime for a book to make me feel (and remember) nothing (as this book has) or if I’d rather have a book that I passionately hated (because at least with hate, comes some kind of feeling, for good or ill). This book never brought out any emotion except for frustration or disgust (typically aimed at Lex for her immaturity) but even so, it was mild. It was simply a ‘meh’ story. I have no interest in continuing the series and will call it quits here.

[Lis Carey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Archaeology grad student Alexandra Larson has just experienced her first notable success--a paper published in a peer-reviewed journal.

She's also starting to experience more disturbing events, in which she has dreams that recall forgotten memories just when she needs them, or, more disturbingly, things that haven't happened yet, but which are all too real. Or things which have happened, but aren't her experiences. They're the experiences of other members of her family.

Then her mother reveals a startling and disturbing fact: her father isn't her biological father. She's the product of artificial insemination, with sperm from a sperm bank donor who remained anonymous. Her world has come completely unhinged.

Meanwhile, her academic career doesn't take a break for her emotional upheaval. An Oxford professor, Marcus Bahur, is currently a visiting professor at Washington University, and offers Alexandra (Lex) a position on his upcoming excavation in Egypt. She doesn't just blindly leap at the chance; she wants to be sure she can afford to make the commitment--but Bahur has made sure she has no reason to refuse.

And as events unfold, we realize that her mysterious family history, and Marcus Bahur, the rest of his team, and the excavation in Egypt are tightly connected. Nor are those "dreams" just dreams. Lex is descended from people, not quite human, who have amazing powers--some of which she has already started to manifest.

Oh, and the fate of the world is at stake, depending on how fast she can master her powers, and what choices she makes when she meets her real father.

This is the first book of a trilogy, and so not everything can be wrapped up in this book. There is, however, a satisfying conclusion to some major plot threads.

I liked Lex, though sometimes I really wanted to shake her. Marcus is harder to like, though Lex does stand up to him and he gets better over the course of the story. There are some plot holes, and one or two things that just made me say, "No, that just doesn't work, even in a fantasy."

Still it's an engaging story, and worth a listen.

I bought this audiobook.

[BookAddict ✒ La Crimson Femme · Rating 4 out of 5]

New to me author, Ms. Fairleigh catches me off guard and wows me with this complex world. For those who like time travel and enjoyed movies such as Loopers or 12 Monkeys, this harrowing story will be a great ride.

First, I'm not a huge fan not Egyptian mythology. I'm aware of it only due to History classes under duress in high school. If I had someone like Ms. Fairleigh bring the Egyptian mythology to life, I probably would have been more enamoured. I'm very impressed with the details of the reinterpretation of the gods in this story. It takes quite the mind to map this all out.

Second, time travel is a touchy subject because there are two prevailing theories - changing the past is not possible or changing it will alter the time continuum. It is a conundrum which most authors tend to lightly gloss over, especially if they are not hardcore sci-fi writers. I'm not sure where Ms. Fairleigh falls when it comes to hardcore sci-fi, but her time travel theories are interesting and I'm buying into it.

Third, this is a character progression development story. I love these kinds because we start out with raw potential and then see how the character grows. These quests and this first book has a pretty intense epic quest are difficult and fraught with peril. Whilst there are gods and "godlike" powers Ms. Fairleigh pirouettes along the fine line of ex deus machina.

Finally, I liked the characters. Lex is spunky and she handles the unknown quite well. I'm impressed with her determination. She handles each new information and processes it quickly. This urban fantasy is recommended for readers who enjoy Egyptian mythos and a spunky female lead.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a pleasant surprise. I love reading stories that make me think and that captivate the imagination. The background information and the conflict setup really draws you in. Even though we are dealing with a world that is slightly different the supernatural elements are not so off the charts that you can't accept them.

Lex is a young woman who as far as she knows is completely normal. I enjoyed her character because she was strong and knew what she wanted and was going after it. She rolled with the discovery that she was something more than normal quite well.

Marcus, oh man was he an arrogant jerk at times!! He too was very well written and I think he was even better because he was so flawed. The chemistry between Marcus and Lex is amazing. They flirt and fight their attraction, and his determination not to give in makes their interactions so much stronger and believable.

The emotions that are woven throughout the book just suck you in. I live to find books that tug at your heartstrings and make you cry then turn around and make you want to fist pump in the middle of your lunch break.

I truly enjoyed reading this story and cannot wait for the next book in the series!!

I received an ARC via Netgalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars of 5

I was provided a copy for my honest review.

I really, really liked this book and can not wait to read more! This was a very interesting plot line. The world was built very well and the characters were very well developed. At the beginning, I was worried about character development and then I got it. This was a very fast read and I could not put it down. It was action packed, with some nice love scenes. I liked the characters. They did not feel forced and there were quite a few surprises in the book, which is always fun. I never knew what was going to happen.

With this book ending, I am left sad knowing that I have to wait a while for the next one. I highly recommend this book

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5.0

What a superb novel! Lex is a strong female lead who does not give an inch to her deliciously seductive, alpha male lover, Marcus.

Read full review in the 2013 Dec/Jan Holiday issue of InD’tale Magazine.

[Sydney Hack · Rating 4 out of 5]

A chosen one sorry mixed with Egyptian mythology? Sign me up! This is a super engaging story and I don’t know how I accidentally found it nor why no one talks about it but I love.

It is a little insta-lovey and some of the magic system is convient in its timing and explanation but whatever. It’s fun. If you’re looking for a new chosen one series, this first one did not disappoint.

[A Little Nerdy]

DNF.

[♥Xeni♥ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I came across Ink Witch as an audiobook on youtube, but a lot of complaints in the reviews focused on how the author references material from this series and never actually explains it. And this one was free on youtube as well, thanks to the author, so I figured I'd listen to it and at least see if it's something for me.

There are some spoilers for some of my feelings and their brief events in the later bit of this book.

I really don't know how to feel about this book. Some parts of this story are great. Other parts... yeah, no. Not at all. In fact, downright terrible.

So what did I like? I like that Lex is an adult in this basically-YA-novel, though later on it's like she regresses to a teenager. She is far too young for this 5000 year immortal, and it shows, glaringly, all over the place. If the author had aged her up to about 30 or 35 it would have fit so much better. But then I guess all the pining angst and putting up with Marcus' shenanigans would not have happened. Lex also infantalizes herself all the time. I don't need her to be a Badass Female Warrior TM caricature, but she can show weakness without also pretending to be a child. It makes her standing up to Marcus' power plays in Part 2 ring so hollow. And then at the end... yeah Lex is such a pick-me, for Marcus, for Dom, for Nuin. It's just so so so lame.

I liked Marcus, at first. He was interesting, mesmerizing, refined. But is it too much to ask that a rich immortal billionaire owns some other color than grey and slightly-darker-grey? It's *such* a cliche at this point. Also, he comes from a culture that adored color! Make it make sense. Later on in the story Marcus ends up regressing to an arrogant misogynistic toddler, demanding Lex stop undermining his power and position (you know, by making reasonable suggestions to make his whole operation flow better) and I'm just like - "why are you putting up with this clown, Lex?" Him kissing you well is not a good enough reason. And yet, isn't it sad that this PNR is actually progressive compared to most of the rest of the genre? I liked caring, kind, considerate, patient Marcus from Part 1 the most. It felt a bit like a bait-and-switch when his "Heru" part came more to the foreground. And I think this is just bad writing on the authors part. Either a more smooth transition or, you know, just keep your character in character, would have been welcome.

I liked how the story was presented in the first part. I liked getting to know Lex, her friends, her family, even her grandpa that was supposedly dead. But then part 2 started and the whole tone shifted. We're in some weird courtroom battle and Set is just hanging out like he hasn't been in hiding for 3000 years, and the smear-the-rape-victim drama is just so 1999. If this is still the state of the US today, I feel for them. Honestly part 2 was the worst part of this book. It felt like high school, all the worst parts of juvenile YA, and a nice steaming pile of misogyny to top it off. It's not interesting conflict. It's boring, it's outdated, it's really fucking annoying to try to care about these people when they're just toxic. Also the second part introduced a huge cast of characters, most of whom were introduced in a "tell not show" method, which is just the worst way of introducing key characters. Let me get a feel for why Lex adores or hates a certain character, don't just tell me "oh, over the last 2 months he's been so kind to me so now we're definitely like siblings". It's lazy writing.

I also really liked how Egyptian mythology was tied into the magic, the immortals, the systems of the world. It's hard to make that work well, and I think Lindsey Fairleigh did a great job.

There were some really gross moments in the book too. First, when Cara says "oh you had such a hot rape fantasy" when Lex tells of her dream, visibly shaken and not looking well. No, being assaulted is not hot, it's not something that should be encouraged, even the slightest bit. She even wanted her dress back that Lex is assaulted in!

Also there was some nice friend-shaming in the book. "Are you sure this is everyone?" they all demand as Lex writes down a list of all her friends and family, everyone she cares about. And it's aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, grandparents, friends. At least 15 people. And they're like "are you sure there's not more!?" Like what the hell? There are people out there who have no one, or have just one single person that cares about them. Not everyone needs a facebook friends list of 1500 people in order to feel satisfied, Nejeret. And Lex makes some excellent statements like "Why so few? Have I always known I was different? Could others tell?". Excuuuuse me? You're not "different" or strange or weird. That's a really normal list and the fact that the author felt this was necessary to include just makes me feel so ick.

Then there is that really lovely revelation that the Nejeret are incestuous. It shows that the author has no idea why incest is a taboo - it's not because the female of our species could become pregnant, as is implied in the book. Rather, it's because when you grow up with someone else, develop in tandem with them, in a close contact family sort of way, a healthy psyche does not see that person as a possible sexual partner. It doesn't have to do much with biology or procreation, though those are small involved elements. Massive ick.

Then there's ALL the red flags that Marcus displays. It's a Communist Party Celebration. She agrees to his weird stipulation, and asks for something reasonable ("stop ordering me around") and he gently strokes her face, then grabs her jaw very tightly before gritting his teeth and agreeing? This is textbook "RUN, this man WILL throw you down a flight of steps later." How is this supposed to be acceptable to write in a romance novel? Add on to Lex's terrible jealousy that she's never felt for anyone else before, it's a clear case of manipulation and abuse and honestly I kind of ended up hating both leads by the end of this story.

And then the torture scene with Set. I just sit here and shake my head. It's so boring. It's exactly like a YA novel now. "Oh I'll die for you my Romeo"; "not if I die for you first Juliet". I had hopes that the last part of the novel would be a cool Indian Jones style Egyptian treasure hunt but that certainly was not in the cards.

Since I listened to the audiobook, let me add in one thing about the narrator: STOP DOING ACCENTS! You're incapable of it. Just stop. It's worse when you do it. No joke, everyone "foreign" got a weird blended Slavic / Russian accent. Oh you're Middle Eastern? Must talk like a Russian. Oh you're French? Must talk like a Russian. Oh you're 5000 years old and from Ancient Egypt? You'll probably talk with a Russian accent. Until for some reason one character morphed from having a straight up Slav/Russian hybrid to all of a sudden the narrator dropping their h's at the beginning of words and giving him a really *really* terrible Slav/Russian/French accent. It was so hard to listen to. If you can't do a good accent just don't do it. It just ruins a lot of the experience.

And the cherry on top was how annoyingly heternormative and gender binary this world was written to be. It's 2018; get with the times. How many ways can one author write "and only all the women started drooling in Marcus' presence?" I'm over it.

After Part One: I would have rated this book 4-5 stars. After Part Two: it dropped down to 2-3 stars. After Part Three: Yeah... what did I even like about this book? None of that is still here.

I don't think I'll keep reading this series. I'm more interested in Kat from Ink Witch anyway (and the very tiny glimpses of her we get in this book were some of my most favorite parts). So I think I'll just move on to Ink Witch, hope the author learned some things writing the Echo Trilogy and that it's a much better series.

[Jeana Cheque · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got to 81% (87% as I fell asleep) and decided to quit. I almost DNF at the beginning when she was drugged and almost r@ped. I kept reading though, because of the whole ancient Egyptian thing. Something about Set had broken into the fertility clinic that her mom used and that's how he became her dad. Now she's something called a mezerette. They have different abilities. She can send her ba through time to witness events. Something about there being a prophecy about her and one of the gods getting together. If she chose to serve Set instead, humankind would cease to exist. Kinda gross cuz her dad wanted to make out with her and stuff. I didn't like the story and the writing didn't hold my attention.

[KC Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started a bit slow but once it got going I couldn’t put it down. Non-stop revelations, time travel, ancient Egyptian gods and prophecies, supernatural abilities, delicious romance... this book had everything I’ve been craving to get me out of my mega book slump.

I really wanted to give it 5 stars but I felt like the action ended as soon as it started. All that buildup and then it was over with the turn of the page 😕. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the 1st book in this trilogy and can’t wait to see where this author takes me in the next book.