Eko

NINE #1

by Loren Walker

*Library Journal Indie Award for Science Fiction *B.R.A.G. Medallion Recipient *Shortlisted for the Half the World Global Literari Award *Shelf Unbound Notable Indie Pick 2016 "A well-written story with appealing characters, realistic dialogue, and crisp, believable action." - IndieBRAG Midnight in an injured woman is left at the gates of a commune. Eighteen-year-old Sydel, an apprentice hungry to prove her worth, is certain that healing the blue-haired stranger will finally win the respect of her community. But tensions spike when two men appear in search of their Phaira, the woman in the clinic. And when Sydel’s experimental medical treatments prove successful, instead of offering accolades, her elders make the sudden decision to banish her. Guilt-ridden, Phaira and her brothers, Renzo and Cohen, offer shelter to the bewildered girl, and take Sydel with them into the violent, industrial North. Then the reason behind the expulsion comes to Sydel is an Eko, a being that can read minds and accelerate healing. And when word of her talents goes public, Sydel becomes a valuable prize to possess, with the siblings as her only means of defense. Set in the world of Osha, where free communication cubes come from vending machines, and hair color is changed with a CHROMA headband, EKO mixes the fantastical with the complexities of family, and will appeal to fans of paranormal, fantasy and science fiction, comic books and anime, world-building, fast-paced action, and psychic phenomena.

Genres: Fantasy

425 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2016

About the author

Loren Walker is a Pushcart Prize nominee; her poems have appeared in QU Journal, the West Texas Literary Review, Coffin Bell Journal, Sugared Water, and other publications. She has published two chapbooks, Dislocation and strong-water, and is working on her third collection The Skeleton Dreamer, examining facets of death and dreaming.

Loren's debut fiction novel, EKO, won the Library Journal Indie E-book Award for Science Fiction, was awarded a BRAG Medallion, shortlisted for the Half the World Global Literari Award, and selected as a Shelf Unbound Notable Indie title. The sequels, NADI, INSYNN, and NYX were released to high acclaim. She is now embarking on a new series: a young adult fantasy-science fiction trilogy, starting with The Witch Machine.

Loren is the author and illustrator of the children's book Juniper Key and the Very Serious Girl. She is preparing two new children's stories: The Pigeon and Kid Sparrow, and Hello Shadow.

Reviews

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

LOVED this story! Solid sci-fi with a unique premise. Very little is standing in the way of this being a five-star review.

There were some editing issues; a handful of typos and some continuity quirks that rankled a little bit. Nothing I wasn't willing to overlook for the sake of a good story though.

I also felt that there were details missing that I would have loved to have. I assumed it was post-apocalyptic, but then there was a comment that made me think this is another planet? Alternate universe? Maybe I missed some vital explanation? Or maybe it was never important to the story, since I still thoroughly enjoyed it.

I don't do plot rehash, but I'll try to give you a glimpse into the premise. In this reality, some humans have unique abilities. Eko, which is essentially being able to send and receive thoughts, mind-reading and such, seems to be the more common ability, if this story is anything to go on. The second book in the series will be Nadi, which is another of the four identified abilities, and I'm terribly excited to see what this series will bring, and what will be exposed about these abnormalities, as well as the world.

Some people see these abilities as abominations, feeling the need to wipe them off the planet. Meanwhile, others seek to harness these powers for their own purposes. Obviously, that brings all kinds of conflict to the table, and leaves the story open to all new kinds of danger and excitement. TONS of potential!

I'm going to go ahead and recommend this one for post-apoc and sci-fi readers. Although, no clue when the next book will be out, so depending on how you feel about waiting...?

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Review: I downloaded this one after discovering the author is local. Science fiction isn't really my thing, but this one is more like a futuristic fantasy. It took me a while to get into it, I really had trouble wrapping my head around the concept and for a vast majority of the book the characters are left in the dark, and you as the reader are also in the dark. You do start to grow attached to the characters, especially the sub-characters, Phaira and Theron are both fantastic and I look forward to reading more about them. The pacing and world building was a little rough but by the end of the book I am hooked and am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series.

[Natty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly, awesome addictive story and really really engaging writing style. I was so pleased to discover this author's ability to completely wrap the story around your brain in such a manner and create such delightfully real and flawed characters. I also appreciate the fact that this is one of those stories that really lends itself to being read multiple times as I feel I was so engaged in seeing where the story went that I missed some details that will no doubt be important later. Really good. Minor proofing errors in the first chapter, but overall impressive writing.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story despite the bad editing

The editing was so bad that I was going to give this a 3 star review. The story was a little disjointed, and I wish the author had spent more time on Sydel's development of her Eko abilities. But, the premise and storyline were interesting enough that I ultimately gave it 4 stars, and I definitely plan to read the next book in the series.

[M.M. Paquin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loren Walker builds a beautiful world, with in-depth character building. Her characters made me angry, made me laugh, and made me hurt. I could not wait to get to the next page, the next chapter, and now the next book. If you are looking for a good read, I highly recommend this series.

[Skyler Boudreau · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting plot with interesting characters. I wish there was more detail about the world, but this is the first one in a series, so that can come later. A full review should be available on Reader Views soon.

[Barb McKinley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story has an interesting plot;however, it was disjointed and difficult to follow for me. I enjoyed the read but wasn't able to understand what was happening. The characters are good but difficult to bond to because of the disjointed way the book is assembled. The Author, Loren Walker, has a good writing style that is easy to read and wonderful ideas. It's funny because I liked the story while at the same time just couldn't understand the plot line. I think, as a new Author, Loren Walker will grow and write wonderful books. I will continue to read Loren Walker as the writing will only get better with time. Ideas and originality are already something Walker has in abundance. It is up to you, the readers to CONSTRUCTIVELY review each book to assist young Authors like Loren Walker to continue to grow. This is a great start for a first book so, keep writing Loren, you have what it takes.

[Carrie Westmoreland Kurtz · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, let me just say that Eko is an extremely fascinating book. It follows the story of a girl named Sydel. She basically has a unique ability, called Eko, that allows her to hear people's thoughts and even send her thoughts to them. Sydel isn't the only person with this special ability.

When I first started reading this book I had a little bit of a difficult time getting into it. You're kind of thrown right in with no backstory so it is hard to keep up with what is happening. It was about a third of the way through the book that everything finally clicked and it all made sense. Don't get me wrong, it was all still very interesting even when I didn't fully understand exactly what was happening haha! But when it clicked...Aha! It went from good to great!

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes the YA Dystopian/sci-fi genre. It's a good one!

*Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Books In Brogan · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting plot, with plenty of surprises.  I know that the first book set in a new fantasy/dystopian world can be hard to write with all the exposition that has to be conveyed, however this one only had a few slow spots but it seems like there is a lot more coming judging by the ending, and I am looking forward to itThis review was originally posted on Books In Brogan

[Amy Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enter the world of Osha

An intense, gratifying journey into the fantasy world, the world of Osha. It's full of intrigue, and interesting futuristic environments, that lend to a grand story. Walker writes this journey of a new world very well, and the details are compelling. This is a mix of sci-fi and fantasy, and still can encompass the power of family. The beings, called EKO, are mind readers and healers. This gift lends to a more complex story. Excellent adventure for the reader, who becomes engaged side-by-side with Sydel.