What do you think?
Rate this book
Time Echoes Trilogy #1
Time Echoes
Sixteen-year-old Nathan Shepherd has a great life traveling where the careers of his father, an investigator, and mother, a renowned violinist, take him - until his parents are found murdered. Left with only a mirror and notes from his father's last case, Nathan goes into hiding at the remote country home of Tony, his father's college buddy, and Tony's teenage daughter, Kelly. The mysterious mirror must be a clue to what happened to his parents, and when images appear in it - people and things that don't exist - Nathan and Kelly painstakingly gather evidence. But the killers want the mirror too, and danger threatens the teens at every turn. As it becomes evident that Nathan's father had stumbled upon dark forces at work in the world, several questions arise. Could it be that the mirror is a portal to a parallel world? Could this technology be used for evil purposes? And could his parents still be alive, trapped in another world Nathan and Kelly struggle to solve the mystery while trying to avoid becoming victims themselves. This chilling, hair-raising adventure is jam-packed with action in a fantastical world where nothing is as it seems, and even mirrors tell lies.
360 pages, Paperback
Published June 8, 2022
22 people are currently reading
169 people want to read
About the author
Bryan Davis
98 books991 followersBryan Davis is the author several speculative-fiction series, including Dragons in Our Midst, Oracles of Fire, Children of the Bard, Dragons of Camelot, The Reapers Trilogy, The Time Echoes Trilogy, Tales of Starlight, Dragons of Starlight, the Oculus Gate, Not So Famous Dog Tales, Astral Alliance, and Wanted: Superheroes.
Bryan and his wife, Susie, have homeschooled their four girls and three boys.
Bryan was born in 1958 and grew up in the eastern U.S. From the time he taught himself how to read before school age, through his seminary years and beyond, he has demonstrated a passion for the written word, reading and writing in many disciplines and genres, including fantasy, theology, fiction, devotionals, poetry, and humor.
Bryan and his wife, Susie, have homeschooled their four girls and three boys.
Bryan was born in 1958 and grew up in the eastern U.S. From the time he taught himself how to read before school age, through his seminary years and beyond, he has demonstrated a passion for the written word, reading and writing in many disciplines and genres, including fantasy, theology, fiction, devotionals, poetry, and humor.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 8, 2020
So... in reviewing this book, I have to compare it to
Beyond the Reflection's Edge
, because Time Echoes is a rewrite and re-release of Beyond the Reflection's Edge. I read Davis' Echoes From The Edge series a few years ago, and loved them. So, when I met Bryan Davis in person, naturally, I picked up this newer, "improved" version of the trilogy (more on the "improved" bit later).
But I didn't reread it right away. Honestly, I didn't like the new covers. They didn't match what I remembered of the mood of the original books that I loved. So recently, when I finally bought the Echoes From The Edge series (so happy to own them!), I found the motivation to dive into the rewrites.
As I read, every once in a while I would flip to the same spot in the original, to see how they compared. So, here's my comparison, review, and conclusion. I hope it's helpful.
First...
The Comparison:
Besides the obvious departure from the original, dark, slightly creepy, mood of the covers (which, by the way, does match the mood of the book better, IMO) the biggest difference is that Time Echoes is written in first person, while Beyond the Reflection's Edge is in third person. And I really think that made it better. If I remember correctly, there were no (or very few) changes in POV throughout the whole book, so first person is a better, more natural choice for the series.
The second biggest difference, is that it's shorter. Not noticeably so, but every single time I compared two passages from the books, if they were very different, it was because Time Echoes had been cut down. Although this may seem like a good thing at first glance - and I would have to agree, shorter is usually better - in this case, he cut down an already lean story.
I mean, seriously, have you read any Bryan Davis? He writes, like, the leanest, tightest YA fiction out there. Every moment, every word of his counts. Which is great for short fiction. But Davis writes full length novels at this pace. This gives his novels a complex vibe, and many people find his books confusing.
That said, I think he could have kept Time Echoes in its original length, and it would have been better. Yes, it would have been longer, but those bits that were longer in the original, they flowed better. And I think that, considering his writing style, keeping the flow smoother (and therefore less confusing) is more important than word count.
But I don't blame him for it. I'm sure it was more the publisher's choice than his.
Finally, I found a discrepancy in the continuity. On page 150, there is a reference to the different "colored" earths before that idea is introduced. So if you read Time Echoes for the first time without having read Beyond the Reflection's Edge, and you were scratching your head there, now you know why. It wasn't just Bryan Davis trying to be confusing. :-)
Now that I have that out of the way...
The Review:
I enjoyed this book a lot. As much as the first time I read it, I'm sure. And now that I know a little more about storytelling, I was able to appreciate his complex plot so much better.
It's a comfortable read, if a little fast-paced. But the tone and characters and setting make it a very enjoyable read. Not quite as much fun as an A.C. Williams book - the themes are too heavy for that. But only just so.
Also, the music! As a musician, and a music enthusiast, I really appreciate all the musical references. That and the inter-dimensional travel are two things that I really like about it. It's almost like musical sci-fi, but not in space. That's probably why I like it so much.
The Conclusion:
I'm glad I own both versions of this amazing trilogy. I really enjoyed it the first time I read it. I'm really enjoying it now (I've already started Interfinity ). I'm sure I'll enjoy it again in the future.
I still like the originals better, in case you were wondering.
But I didn't reread it right away. Honestly, I didn't like the new covers. They didn't match what I remembered of the mood of the original books that I loved. So recently, when I finally bought the Echoes From The Edge series (so happy to own them!), I found the motivation to dive into the rewrites.
As I read, every once in a while I would flip to the same spot in the original, to see how they compared. So, here's my comparison, review, and conclusion. I hope it's helpful.
First...
The Comparison:
Besides the obvious departure from the original, dark, slightly creepy, mood of the covers (which, by the way, does match the mood of the book better, IMO) the biggest difference is that Time Echoes is written in first person, while Beyond the Reflection's Edge is in third person. And I really think that made it better. If I remember correctly, there were no (or very few) changes in POV throughout the whole book, so first person is a better, more natural choice for the series.
The second biggest difference, is that it's shorter. Not noticeably so, but every single time I compared two passages from the books, if they were very different, it was because Time Echoes had been cut down. Although this may seem like a good thing at first glance - and I would have to agree, shorter is usually better - in this case, he cut down an already lean story.
I mean, seriously, have you read any Bryan Davis? He writes, like, the leanest, tightest YA fiction out there. Every moment, every word of his counts. Which is great for short fiction. But Davis writes full length novels at this pace. This gives his novels a complex vibe, and many people find his books confusing.
That said, I think he could have kept Time Echoes in its original length, and it would have been better. Yes, it would have been longer, but those bits that were longer in the original, they flowed better. And I think that, considering his writing style, keeping the flow smoother (and therefore less confusing) is more important than word count.
But I don't blame him for it. I'm sure it was more the publisher's choice than his.
Finally, I found a discrepancy in the continuity. On page 150, there is a reference to the different "colored" earths before that idea is introduced. So if you read Time Echoes for the first time without having read Beyond the Reflection's Edge, and you were scratching your head there, now you know why. It wasn't just Bryan Davis trying to be confusing. :-)
Now that I have that out of the way...
The Review:
I enjoyed this book a lot. As much as the first time I read it, I'm sure. And now that I know a little more about storytelling, I was able to appreciate his complex plot so much better.
It's a comfortable read, if a little fast-paced. But the tone and characters and setting make it a very enjoyable read. Not quite as much fun as an A.C. Williams book - the themes are too heavy for that. But only just so.
Also, the music! As a musician, and a music enthusiast, I really appreciate all the musical references. That and the inter-dimensional travel are two things that I really like about it. It's almost like musical sci-fi, but not in space. That's probably why I like it so much.
The Conclusion:
I'm glad I own both versions of this amazing trilogy. I really enjoyed it the first time I read it. I'm really enjoying it now (I've already started Interfinity ). I'm sure I'll enjoy it again in the future.
I still like the originals better, in case you were wondering.
February 7, 2017
Amazing!!!!
This is even better than Echoes From the Edge! Still jam packed with action, it was one of the best Bryan Davis has ever written! I can't wait to read the rest!
This is even better than Echoes From the Edge! Still jam packed with action, it was one of the best Bryan Davis has ever written! I can't wait to read the rest!
January 25, 2021
I have waited a while to write my review after finishing the story (maybe a bit too long, but procrastination will probably be the death of me) in order to really process and wrap my head around my complex feelings towards this book.
Overall I will say I didn't feel like I wasted my time and I enjoyed the story/plot. This is one of my boyfriends' favorite authors and I went in with certain expectations because of that but those expectations mixed with the disappointing history I have with Christian-themed stories. Despite the fact that I am a believer, and am totally on board with stories that bring truth or light to Jesus and the Gospel, I feel like it is rarely done well. Unfortunately Time Echoes falls into that description for me, but the book actually still exceeded the expectations I had going in. The story was engaging and I loved the concept- I kept coming back to it and was really interested to see where it would go (despite there being some confusion and holes for me, given that it is a time travel based story). For me, the issues lay in the lack of realistic and engaging character development, choppy and uncomfortable dialogue (which is sort of an overlap with character development in this case), and the wishy washy inclusion of Christian themes. Those issues regularly took me out of the story and left me feeling a bit annoyed, both at the author and the main character in particular. It was a solid effort, creating a sci-fi, time travel, Christian story. It really did not hit the mark but, personally, it was better than I had hoped and that in and of itself is a win.
Even after trying to process, it's obvious that my opinion is still complicated and undefined. I'm glad I read the book, it was something different than what I normally read in many ways and the plot was enjoyable, but it also has a lot of flaws that I had difficulty overlooking for the sake of a good storyline.
Overall I will say I didn't feel like I wasted my time and I enjoyed the story/plot. This is one of my boyfriends' favorite authors and I went in with certain expectations because of that but those expectations mixed with the disappointing history I have with Christian-themed stories. Despite the fact that I am a believer, and am totally on board with stories that bring truth or light to Jesus and the Gospel, I feel like it is rarely done well. Unfortunately Time Echoes falls into that description for me, but the book actually still exceeded the expectations I had going in. The story was engaging and I loved the concept- I kept coming back to it and was really interested to see where it would go (despite there being some confusion and holes for me, given that it is a time travel based story). For me, the issues lay in the lack of realistic and engaging character development, choppy and uncomfortable dialogue (which is sort of an overlap with character development in this case), and the wishy washy inclusion of Christian themes. Those issues regularly took me out of the story and left me feeling a bit annoyed, both at the author and the main character in particular. It was a solid effort, creating a sci-fi, time travel, Christian story. It really did not hit the mark but, personally, it was better than I had hoped and that in and of itself is a win.
Even after trying to process, it's obvious that my opinion is still complicated and undefined. I'm glad I read the book, it was something different than what I normally read in many ways and the plot was enjoyable, but it also has a lot of flaws that I had difficulty overlooking for the sake of a good storyline.
May 23, 2021
Bryan Davis is a talented, Christian author so I gave this book a 2/5.
But in this book, a legalistic version of purity culture was presented in a way that seemed to include some shame techniques by the main character and I really didn't appreciate that. The way the "clothes" issue was treated and the conversation about one of the characters "feeling like a hooker" because she wore a particular dress was cringe-worthy.
Where is the good news here? Where is the love of Christ?
Did Jesus shame the woman at the well? Did he shame the woman who bathed his feet with her tears? Did he shame Mary for sitting at his feet and learning the good news?
No, no, and no.
But in this book, a legalistic version of purity culture was presented in a way that seemed to include some shame techniques by the main character and I really didn't appreciate that. The way the "clothes" issue was treated and the conversation about one of the characters "feeling like a hooker" because she wore a particular dress was cringe-worthy.
Where is the good news here? Where is the love of Christ?
Did Jesus shame the woman at the well? Did he shame the woman who bathed his feet with her tears? Did he shame Mary for sitting at his feet and learning the good news?
No, no, and no.
February 10, 2020
I wanted to love this book, but the plot jumped around in weird ways and important details to a scene were often missing/left out. For example, the main character looked out a second story bedroom window and saw a gunman approaching the house. Next sentence the gunman was in the character's bedroom and a bullet was heading for the main character.
June 15, 2022
Good book- my friend Elijah also writes the same genre- fiction type stories. Your books are epic! You make great Christian Fiction and Sci-fi
For anyone reading buy any of his awesome books (Or borrow from library) Trust me he is really GOOD!
And this book is cool, there are 3 worlds, yellow, red and blue earth, and this book will tell you about it- Cheers :)
For anyone reading buy any of his awesome books (Or borrow from library) Trust me he is really GOOD!
And this book is cool, there are 3 worlds, yellow, red and blue earth, and this book will tell you about it- Cheers :)
May 3, 2019
Love love love this trilogy so much. I am so happy that he rewrote them in Nathan's perspective. The thrills are amazing as always. I believe this trilogy could make a real cool tv show.
September 4, 2019
Formal review to come. I need to take a re-read so I can... You know... Do something other than gush about it XD
January 24, 2022
A book full of action with sci-fi elements. It took me a while to understand the mechanics in the story, but the growth of the relationship with the two main characters was my favorite part.
June 23, 2023
cool concept but i got confused tbh
November 17, 2023
Some of the action near the start was hard to follow, but that was more than offset by the well-written ending (and the fact that the story involves time-travel!! \o/ XD)
January 1, 2023
Formal review to come. I need to take a re-read so I can... You know... Do something other than gush about it XD
I actually met the author at a TTD conference in Alabama, and he is super nice and fun. He signed my book when I bought it and it is now one of my most prized books on my shelf. Mr. Davis, if you're reading, THANK YOU. Thank you for writing this book and for signing my copy! You are on my list of favorite authors now! <3
I actually met the author at a TTD conference in Alabama, and he is super nice and fun. He signed my book when I bought it and it is now one of my most prized books on my shelf. Mr. Davis, if you're reading, THANK YOU. Thank you for writing this book and for signing my copy! You are on my list of favorite authors now! <3
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews