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Uncommon Echoes #3
Echo in Amethyst
An Echo and an Original
Lady Elyssa despises her echoes—the creatures who look just like her and copy her every move. But it’s only the echoes that mark her as a high noble, someone elite enough to marry the king’s youngest son, Jordan. She can’t get rid of the echoes, so instead she amuses herself by torturing them when no one is looking.
But there’s something Elyssa doesn’t know: Her casual cruelty has brought one of the echoes to life. And this echo, Hope, is learning to think and speak and act on her own.
And there’s something else Elyssa doesn’t know: Hope has witnessed her secret meetings with revolutionaries bent on starting a war and overthrowing the king. And Hope has made friends in high places—very high places.
Lady Elyssa despises her echoes—the creatures who look just like her and copy her every move. But it’s only the echoes that mark her as a high noble, someone elite enough to marry the king’s youngest son, Jordan. She can’t get rid of the echoes, so instead she amuses herself by torturing them when no one is looking.
But there’s something Elyssa doesn’t know: Her casual cruelty has brought one of the echoes to life. And this echo, Hope, is learning to think and speak and act on her own.
And there’s something else Elyssa doesn’t know: Hope has witnessed her secret meetings with revolutionaries bent on starting a war and overthrowing the king. And Hope has made friends in high places—very high places.
402 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 21, 2019
About the author
Sharon Shinn
60 books2,304 followersI’ve been writing stories and poems since I was eight years old. My first poem was about Halloween: "What is tonight? What is tonight?/Try to guess and you’ll guess right." Perhaps this inauspicious beginning explains why it took me till I was in my thirties to sell a novel. It occurred to me early on that it might take some time and a lot of tries before I was able to publish any of my creative writing, so I pursued a degree in journalism at Northwestern University so I’d be able to support myself while I figured out how to write fiction.
I’ve spent most of my journalism career at three trade and association magazines—The Professional Photographer (which, as you might guess, went to studio and industrial photographers), DECOR (which went to frame shop and art gallery owners), and BizEd (which is directed at deans and professors at business schools). My longest stint, seventeen years, was at DECOR. Many people don’t know this, but I’m a CPF (Certified Picture Framer), having passed a very long, technical test to prove I understood the tenets of conservation framing. Now I write about management education and interview some really cool, really smart people from all over the world.
I mostly write my fiction in the evenings and on weekends. It requires a pretty obsessive-compulsive personality to be as prolific as I’ve been in the past ten years and hold down a full-time job. But I do manage to tear myself away from the computer now and then to do something fun. I read as often as I can, across all genres, though I’m most often holding a book that’s fantasy or romance, with the occasional western thrown in. I’m a fan of Cardinals baseball and try to be at the ballpark on opening day. If I had the time, I’d see a movie every day of my life. I love certain TV shows so much that knowing a new episode is going to air that night will make me happy all day. (I’m a huge Joss Whedon fan, but in the past I’ve given my heart to shows all over the map in terms of quality: "Knight Rider," "Remington Steele," "Blake’s 7," "Moonlighting," "The Young Riders," "Cheers," "Hill Street Blues," "X-Files," "Lost," "Battlestar Galactica"...you can probably fill in the gaps. And let’s not forget my very first loves, "The Partridge Family," "Here Come the Brides" and "Alias Smith & Jones.")
I don’t have kids, I don’t want pets, and all my plants die, so I’m really only forced to provide ongoing care for my menagerie of stuffed animals. All my friends are animal lovers, though, and someone once theorized that I keep friends as pets. I’m still trying to decide if that’s true.
I’ve spent most of my journalism career at three trade and association magazines—The Professional Photographer (which, as you might guess, went to studio and industrial photographers), DECOR (which went to frame shop and art gallery owners), and BizEd (which is directed at deans and professors at business schools). My longest stint, seventeen years, was at DECOR. Many people don’t know this, but I’m a CPF (Certified Picture Framer), having passed a very long, technical test to prove I understood the tenets of conservation framing. Now I write about management education and interview some really cool, really smart people from all over the world.
I mostly write my fiction in the evenings and on weekends. It requires a pretty obsessive-compulsive personality to be as prolific as I’ve been in the past ten years and hold down a full-time job. But I do manage to tear myself away from the computer now and then to do something fun. I read as often as I can, across all genres, though I’m most often holding a book that’s fantasy or romance, with the occasional western thrown in. I’m a fan of Cardinals baseball and try to be at the ballpark on opening day. If I had the time, I’d see a movie every day of my life. I love certain TV shows so much that knowing a new episode is going to air that night will make me happy all day. (I’m a huge Joss Whedon fan, but in the past I’ve given my heart to shows all over the map in terms of quality: "Knight Rider," "Remington Steele," "Blake’s 7," "Moonlighting," "The Young Riders," "Cheers," "Hill Street Blues," "X-Files," "Lost," "Battlestar Galactica"...you can probably fill in the gaps. And let’s not forget my very first loves, "The Partridge Family," "Here Come the Brides" and "Alias Smith & Jones.")
I don’t have kids, I don’t want pets, and all my plants die, so I’m really only forced to provide ongoing care for my menagerie of stuffed animals. All my friends are animal lovers, though, and someone once theorized that I keep friends as pets. I’m still trying to decide if that’s true.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
February 9, 2020
2.5 stars. I went into this with no expectations other than seeing if my $48 investment in this series was a total loss. Kind of? I think it's going to be a few years before I pick up another Sharon Shinn book.
Echo in Amethyst takes place concurrently with the events of Echo in Onyx, so some of the major plot elements involving Marguerite and Jamison are already known. The perspective, however, is very different: one of the unpleasant Lady Elyssa's abused echoes has come to life, unbeknownst to Elyssa or anyone else. Echoes are mute, non-sentient copies of the nobility, but perhaps as a result of extreme pain or intervention from the Triple Goddess, this one is awakening - first merely as an observer of Elyssa's heinous doings, and then increasingly as a player in the complex politics of Camarria. Her name? Hope.
Although it's easy enough to keep flipping pages, I had a number of issues with this book that detracted from my overall enjoyment. Issue #1: Elyssa is more interesting than Hope. That's not difficult; Hope is a person with less than a total year's worth of sentience under her belt and is something of a blank slate. Which might be more pleasant than Elyssa, who is impulsive, cruel, and temperamental, but not more interesting.
And can I add that, if I were constantly trailed by three mute copies of myself who mimicked my every move, my tolerance would be measured in hours, not years? I can't condone Elyssa's treatment of her echoes, but I can absolutely 100% understand why she tries to get some alone time every opportunity she can. Alas, Elyssa is mostly plot vehicle (to say nothing of her lover, the rebel Marco Ross), so not much effort is made into making her a three dimensional character. And the rebellion also seems very perfunctory, even though I think there is actually a decent case to be made against the Crown and its .
Issue #2: I really can't get behind a romance with a character who is so newly sentient that she has only recently figured out walking of her own volition, and for 95% of the book only interacts with one person. I mean, it's not surprising Hope falls for the person who saw her first and rescues her from an untenable situation, but she's never even had a friendship. Read a book. Picked out her own clothes. Disagreed with someone she loved. She's a very large, very precocious baby.
This trilogy started off middling and became steadily more problematic (see my reviews for Echo in Onyx and Echo in Emerald). I knew, even as I was reading the third one, that my time would have been better spent doing something else - it was a guilty pleasure with more of the guilt and not nearly enough of the pleasure.
Echo in Amethyst takes place concurrently with the events of Echo in Onyx, so some of the major plot elements involving Marguerite and Jamison are already known. The perspective, however, is very different: one of the unpleasant Lady Elyssa's abused echoes has come to life, unbeknownst to Elyssa or anyone else. Echoes are mute, non-sentient copies of the nobility, but perhaps as a result of extreme pain or intervention from the Triple Goddess, this one is awakening - first merely as an observer of Elyssa's heinous doings, and then increasingly as a player in the complex politics of Camarria. Her name? Hope.
Although it's easy enough to keep flipping pages, I had a number of issues with this book that detracted from my overall enjoyment. Issue #1: Elyssa is more interesting than Hope. That's not difficult; Hope is a person with less than a total year's worth of sentience under her belt and is something of a blank slate. Which might be more pleasant than Elyssa, who is impulsive, cruel, and temperamental, but not more interesting.
And can I add that, if I were constantly trailed by three mute copies of myself who mimicked my every move, my tolerance would be measured in hours, not years? I can't condone Elyssa's treatment of her echoes, but I can absolutely 100% understand why she tries to get some alone time every opportunity she can. Alas, Elyssa is mostly plot vehicle (to say nothing of her lover, the rebel Marco Ross), so not much effort is made into making her a three dimensional character. And the rebellion also seems very perfunctory, even though I think there is actually a decent case to be made against the Crown and its .
Issue #2: I really can't get behind a romance with a character who is so newly sentient that she has only recently figured out walking of her own volition, and for 95% of the book only interacts with one person. I mean, it's not surprising Hope falls for the person who saw her first and rescues her from an untenable situation, but she's never even had a friendship. Read a book. Picked out her own clothes. Disagreed with someone she loved. She's a very large, very precocious baby.
This trilogy started off middling and became steadily more problematic (see my reviews for Echo in Onyx and Echo in Emerald). I knew, even as I was reading the third one, that my time would have been better spent doing something else - it was a guilty pleasure with more of the guilt and not nearly enough of the pleasure.
September 9, 2020
Ahoy there me mateys! I absolutely love Sharon Shinn and featured her works in me Broadside No. 2. I finished the Elemental Blessings series, was sad and then Matey Nicole @ bookwyrmknits told me that this YA series existed and of course I had to track it down. The author's website describes the world of these books as:
I read the three books back to back and enjoyed them. Just be forewarned about two things:
a) the echoes and how they work make no real sense; and
b) each plot is basically the same: young non-noble girl meets rich noble man, doesn't recognize him, insta-lust ensues, shenanigans ensue, happy ever after.
Now normally both of those things would irk me to no end. However, this is Sharon Shinn and I love her writing. Sure things don't make sense and these plots are super problematic but I still enjoy the world building and characters. Even if even the characters were kinda special snowflakes and things worked out for them rather easily. The echoes are a concept are fascinating and so I loved reading about them. Each book focuses on a slightly different aspect of echoes. Just don't think too hard about them cause inconsistencies abound. I needed a distraction from life and these worked perfectly for the mood and moment.
This were fun and fluff but I have no urge to own them. I also got them as part of Kindle Unlimited and so didn't have to pay the absurd ebook price for them. The concept is both the strongest and weakest part of the book. These are not her best books (in fact may be her weakest) and I wouldn't recommend them but I am so very glad I read them.
If ye be interested in any of Sharon Shinn's works, I suggest ye hoist those sails and visit her amazing website. Literally one of the best author websites I have ever seen. Arrrrr!
In the Kingdom of the Seven Jewels, many of the highest nobles are attended by one or two or three echoes—creatures who look exactly like them, who move with them in perfect synchronicity, but who have no thoughts or volition of their own. Centuries ago during wartime, the echoes were a gift from the triple goddess, who bestowed them as a way to keep nobles safe from constant attempts at assassination. But what if an echo wasn't always exactly as it appeared . . .
I read the three books back to back and enjoyed them. Just be forewarned about two things:
a) the echoes and how they work make no real sense; and
b) each plot is basically the same: young non-noble girl meets rich noble man, doesn't recognize him, insta-lust ensues, shenanigans ensue, happy ever after.
Now normally both of those things would irk me to no end. However, this is Sharon Shinn and I love her writing. Sure things don't make sense and these plots are super problematic but I still enjoy the world building and characters. Even if even the characters were kinda special snowflakes and things worked out for them rather easily. The echoes are a concept are fascinating and so I loved reading about them. Each book focuses on a slightly different aspect of echoes. Just don't think too hard about them cause inconsistencies abound. I needed a distraction from life and these worked perfectly for the mood and moment.
This were fun and fluff but I have no urge to own them. I also got them as part of Kindle Unlimited and so didn't have to pay the absurd ebook price for them. The concept is both the strongest and weakest part of the book. These are not her best books (in fact may be her weakest) and I wouldn't recommend them but I am so very glad I read them.
If ye be interested in any of Sharon Shinn's works, I suggest ye hoist those sails and visit her amazing website. Literally one of the best author websites I have ever seen. Arrrrr!
September 14, 2019
2.75 stars
All three novels in Sharon Shinn's Uncommon Echoes series take place in the Kingdom of the Seven Jewels, where members of the nobility are gifted by the triple goddess with echoes.The echoes are silent doppelgangers who exist in a trance-like state, mirror the actions of their “originals” and accompany them everywhere.
Though most originals are attached to their echoes, Lady Elyssa of Alberta, the girl expected to marry Prince Jordan (brother to the king’s heir), is not. In fact, Elyssa hits and tortures her echoes in secret when she can get away with it.
Through Elyssa’s cruelty, one of her echoes (eventually named Hope) slowly comes to consciousness, first in brief pieces of time, later in longer and longer stretches, and eventually on a permanent basis.
Hope, the novel’s first-person narrator, not only fears Elyssa, but dislikes her as a person (it’s easy to see why; Elyssa is unpleasant). As she accompanies Elyssa, Hope slowly gleans information about her life, and that includes Elyssa’s attraction to Marco Ross, a revolutionary allied with Elyssa’s father.
There is no love lost between Elyssa and Prince Jordan, but their proposed marriage is necessary to keep the kingdom peaceful. Elyssa chafes at her engagement and Marco would like to kill one of the princes to incite the revolution he wants, so Hope feels protective of Prince Jordan even before she meets him. When she does, her feelings intensify. Jordan is kind, considerate and handsome, and Hope falls in love with him.
But Hope is trapped. Elyssa wields all the power in their relationship. Hope belongs to Elyssa and is viewed as a pale shadow, an echo of her. And when Elyssa wants to, she can exert control over Hope and her other echoes so that they can’t move independently, or in Hope’s case, speak. Hope’s only chance for survival lies in hiding her consciousness from Elyssa. If she gives any sign that she can think for herself, Elyssa will kill her, and likely the other two echoes as well.
But can Hope keep silent when the life of the man she has fallen in love with is threatened? Can she protect Prince Jordan and the kingdom while still protecting her own life and that of her fellow echoes? And is her love for Jordan something that can manifest in the world, or is it doomed to be smothered by Elyssa’s will?
Echo in Amethyst has a terrific concept but its execution falls short of the novel’s potential. Since this is the third and final novel in the Uncommon Echoes series and the books take place concurrently, it’s easy to know what to expect from some parts and aspects of the plot, and that made the book less suspenseful than the other two.
A bigger issue is the characterization. Hope is a likable character with a lot of appeal, but part of that appeal is based in her purity of heart, an outgrowth of her inexperience. The book portrays Hope as innocent yet wise, and therefore as having a modicum of maturity. But it’s hard to forget that the time she’s been awake and conscious has amounted to less than a year, so for all her wisdom, she has no more experience of the world than a one-year-old.
This is a partial review. The complete review can be found at Dear Author, here:
https://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/o...
All three novels in Sharon Shinn's Uncommon Echoes series take place in the Kingdom of the Seven Jewels, where members of the nobility are gifted by the triple goddess with echoes.The echoes are silent doppelgangers who exist in a trance-like state, mirror the actions of their “originals” and accompany them everywhere.
Though most originals are attached to their echoes, Lady Elyssa of Alberta, the girl expected to marry Prince Jordan (brother to the king’s heir), is not. In fact, Elyssa hits and tortures her echoes in secret when she can get away with it.
Through Elyssa’s cruelty, one of her echoes (eventually named Hope) slowly comes to consciousness, first in brief pieces of time, later in longer and longer stretches, and eventually on a permanent basis.
Hope, the novel’s first-person narrator, not only fears Elyssa, but dislikes her as a person (it’s easy to see why; Elyssa is unpleasant). As she accompanies Elyssa, Hope slowly gleans information about her life, and that includes Elyssa’s attraction to Marco Ross, a revolutionary allied with Elyssa’s father.
There is no love lost between Elyssa and Prince Jordan, but their proposed marriage is necessary to keep the kingdom peaceful. Elyssa chafes at her engagement and Marco would like to kill one of the princes to incite the revolution he wants, so Hope feels protective of Prince Jordan even before she meets him. When she does, her feelings intensify. Jordan is kind, considerate and handsome, and Hope falls in love with him.
But Hope is trapped. Elyssa wields all the power in their relationship. Hope belongs to Elyssa and is viewed as a pale shadow, an echo of her. And when Elyssa wants to, she can exert control over Hope and her other echoes so that they can’t move independently, or in Hope’s case, speak. Hope’s only chance for survival lies in hiding her consciousness from Elyssa. If she gives any sign that she can think for herself, Elyssa will kill her, and likely the other two echoes as well.
But can Hope keep silent when the life of the man she has fallen in love with is threatened? Can she protect Prince Jordan and the kingdom while still protecting her own life and that of her fellow echoes? And is her love for Jordan something that can manifest in the world, or is it doomed to be smothered by Elyssa’s will?
Echo in Amethyst has a terrific concept but its execution falls short of the novel’s potential. Since this is the third and final novel in the Uncommon Echoes series and the books take place concurrently, it’s easy to know what to expect from some parts and aspects of the plot, and that made the book less suspenseful than the other two.
A bigger issue is the characterization. Hope is a likable character with a lot of appeal, but part of that appeal is based in her purity of heart, an outgrowth of her inexperience. The book portrays Hope as innocent yet wise, and therefore as having a modicum of maturity. But it’s hard to forget that the time she’s been awake and conscious has amounted to less than a year, so for all her wisdom, she has no more experience of the world than a one-year-old.
This is a partial review. The complete review can be found at Dear Author, here:
https://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/o...
March 7, 2020
Definitely the weakest book in this trilogy. You really need to read the first two before you read this.
The echo becoming a real person idea was intriguing, but that story line had to share space with the political crisis story line, leading to some awkward pacing. There are dead zones; because our POV character(Hope) has no way of knowing what's going on then neither do we.
I didn't really believe Lady Elyssa's infatuation with Marco Ross. The romance between Prince Jordan and Hope was a tad more believable, but just barely.
I did appreciate that King Harold faced serious consequences for his actions in the first book (Echo in Onyx). All in all I liked the political side to the story much better than the romances.
I do wish the author had spent a little more effort on the echo gaining sentience process. I was never sure if this was gift from the Goddesses or solely the result of Elyssa's cruelty to her echoes.
I know part of my 'meh' attitude towards this book is that I enjoyed the second book (Echo in Emerald) so much.
I am definitely interested to see what Ms Shinn comes up with next.
The echo becoming a real person idea was intriguing, but that story line had to share space with the political crisis story line, leading to some awkward pacing. There are dead zones; because our POV character(Hope) has no way of knowing what's going on then neither do we.
I didn't really believe Lady Elyssa's infatuation with Marco Ross. The romance between Prince Jordan and Hope was a tad more believable, but just barely.
I did appreciate that King Harold faced serious consequences for his actions in the first book (Echo in Onyx). All in all I liked the political side to the story much better than the romances.
I do wish the author had spent a little more effort on the echo gaining sentience process. I was never sure if this was gift from the Goddesses or solely the result of Elyssa's cruelty to her echoes.
I know part of my 'meh' attitude towards this book is that I enjoyed the second book (Echo in Emerald) so much.
I am definitely interested to see what Ms Shinn comes up with next.
March 10, 2023
I felt this was the weakest of the three although the premise is quite good. What happens when an echo starts to be cognizant of the world around them. Are they still echoes or have they become originals.
In this story an echo must fight and strategise to save herself and her other two companions from a vicious mistress.
In this story an echo must fight and strategise to save herself and her other two companions from a vicious mistress.
November 4, 2023
Original Review 8/21/2019:
I'm sad that this is the end of this series. I hope that she continues it some day, as I found it a very enjoyable world.
I'm sad that this is the end of this series. I hope that she continues it some day, as I found it a very enjoyable world.
September 1, 2019
Slower than the first, it takes a lot of time for Hope to emerge.
Want to Read
March 20, 2019SHARON SHINN IS BACK WITH A NEW FANTASY SERIES!!!!!!
All 3 books are available on audiobook from 21 March.
Amethyst
The History and the People
The Kingdom of the Seven Jewels consists of seven provinces, each signified by a particular gemstone. The royal city of Camarria is based in the northeast corner of the nation, and most of the country is tied together by the Charamon Road. There is unrest brewing between the provinces on the eastern half of the country and those on the west. Across the ocean to the east lies the country of Ferrenlea, which is mostly friendly; across the mountain range to the north are other nations, which are mostly neutral.
The seven provinces and their gemstones are:
Sammerly: garnet
Banchura: sapphire
Thelleron: citrine
Pandrea: opal
Alberta: amethyst
Empara: emerald
Orenza: onyx (red, black, white)
All 3 books are available on audiobook from 21 March.
Amethyst
The History and the People
The Kingdom of the Seven Jewels consists of seven provinces, each signified by a particular gemstone. The royal city of Camarria is based in the northeast corner of the nation, and most of the country is tied together by the Charamon Road. There is unrest brewing between the provinces on the eastern half of the country and those on the west. Across the ocean to the east lies the country of Ferrenlea, which is mostly friendly; across the mountain range to the north are other nations, which are mostly neutral.
The seven provinces and their gemstones are:
Sammerly: garnet
Banchura: sapphire
Thelleron: citrine
Pandrea: opal
Alberta: amethyst
Empara: emerald
Orenza: onyx (red, black, white)
December 7, 2019
I enjoyed this far more than I had expected to based on Elyssa's character in book one. I like Hope the best of the three narrators, and this plot felt like the most complete one of the trilogy. There were a few things that were too easy for the king, but other than that it was wholly satisfying.
Probably really a 4.5 star rating, but I'm rounding up because I was so pleasantly surprised by it.
Probably really a 4.5 star rating, but I'm rounding up because I was so pleasantly surprised by it.
May 14, 2020
I've read all of Sharon Shinn's books and short stories and consider her one of my fave guilty-pleasure fantasy authors (I re-read Summers at Castle Auburn every year). But this one had me pulling back in absolute incredulousness. This doesn't feel like Sharon Shinn. Even though the idea is unique, each book in this trilogy gets progressively weaker (and book 1 started at a 3.5 for me), bringing the world-building down with it. I have to wonder if it's because they were all published in the same year? Was this set super rushed? Was it ghost-written? Book 1 and 2 are fun, I would stop there.
Other reviewers have touched on the agonizingly slow pacing (made even worse by a rushed, saccharine romance), the one-dimensional nature of many characters and the disconnect with the protagonist. Hope is an "echo" (a mindless flesh and blood shadow of a noble) who is forced into sentience in response to her owner's cruelty. But considering she's only been sentient for what is maybe a year, her entirely predictable romance with is too sudden and just over the top. I found myself actually cringing at their overtures, not only because Hope reads like a 7-year-old who literally tells she is waiting for him to save her (like, what?), and not to mention he is the only human she has ever truly interacted with. Even worse, Hope is having to learn about the world around her, and much of this is done through embarrassingly heavy-handed and frankly unnecessary exposition that is vaguely insulting to the reader, who already knows all of this information because it's discussed in great detail in the previous books and because major plot points also overlap with the trilogy's first book (which unfortunately lowers the drama stakes of the first half of book 3 significantly ). All this makes for a fairly boring 120 pages or so, and then I found myself skimming the final 1/4 of the book, mostly because I couldn't DNF a Sharon Shinn. But do not let this book or review fool you, Sharon Shinn has some incredible work. We're all allowed off days.
Other reviewers have touched on the agonizingly slow pacing (made even worse by a rushed, saccharine romance), the one-dimensional nature of many characters and the disconnect with the protagonist. Hope is an "echo" (a mindless flesh and blood shadow of a noble) who is forced into sentience in response to her owner's cruelty. But considering she's only been sentient for what is maybe a year, her entirely predictable romance with is too sudden and just over the top. I found myself actually cringing at their overtures, not only because Hope reads like a 7-year-old who literally tells she is waiting for him to save her (like, what?), and not to mention he is the only human she has ever truly interacted with. Even worse, Hope is having to learn about the world around her, and much of this is done through embarrassingly heavy-handed and frankly unnecessary exposition that is vaguely insulting to the reader, who already knows all of this information because it's discussed in great detail in the previous books and because major plot points also overlap with the trilogy's first book (which unfortunately lowers the drama stakes of the first half of book 3 significantly ). All this makes for a fairly boring 120 pages or so, and then I found myself skimming the final 1/4 of the book, mostly because I couldn't DNF a Sharon Shinn. But do not let this book or review fool you, Sharon Shinn has some incredible work. We're all allowed off days.
May 28, 2023
Hope is an echo. She awakes to pain, to threats, and ultimately to everyday life. Compelled to copy every movement of her torturer, Lady Elyssa, Hope's development of sentience--and dream 0f independence--is a unique and extraordinary thing. Yet somehow Prince Jordan sees her behind the mask she is often forced to wear. And one day . . . they speak.
I must tip my hat to Ms. Shinn. Echo in Amethyst achieves an extraordinary feat: to develop a character & make the reader care about one that begins the story with almost no control over her own actions. Hope has--at first--control over only her own thoughts. She must learn everything: to speak, to understand society, to unravel the politics of a kingdom at risk of war. And yet, the future of that kingdom may somehow depend upon her.
I must tip my hat to Ms. Shinn. Echo in Amethyst achieves an extraordinary feat: to develop a character & make the reader care about one that begins the story with almost no control over her own actions. Hope has--at first--control over only her own thoughts. She must learn everything: to speak, to understand society, to unravel the politics of a kingdom at risk of war. And yet, the future of that kingdom may somehow depend upon her.
April 28, 2019
There were certainly many interesting twists in this book, but I don't think it spoke to me as much as the prior two because Alessa seemed mostly a one note brat (though with occasional glimmers of almost being someone with actual convictions) and her Echo was blandly nice. I also never really got a good sense of when she would actually know something. It kind of seemed random. And then all the fighting nobility seemed... very dramatic and certainly didn't seem to think through things at all. Really, despite having a goddess who is partly devoted to justice, the whole justice system seemed very murky -- particularly the concept of murder.
And then there is some lingering dissatisfaction with a plot point from earlier in the series...
And then there is some lingering dissatisfaction with a plot point from earlier in the series...
October 31, 2019
What the hell, this was SO GOOD. After the first book I was surprised this series hadn't found a traditional publisher, but now I'm flat-out astounded. I haven't binge-read a series this fast since high school, and ugh, it felt so good to experience that feeling, even though I lost a few hours a sleep, missed several meals, and spent a lot of time in tepid bathwater. (Does anyone else read in the bath for so long that the water grows cold? Or is it just me?).
This is a rare case of a trilogy that gains momentum with each book and ends with a perfect bang and resolution. The minor issues I had with the previous two books in the series (took me sometime to get into the story, some flatness of characters, lack of finesse in the storytelling, etc.) were not present in this final chapter. I was captivated from page one and found it impossible to put down until I finished. The love interest was one of the side characters I liked best from book 1, so it was especially gratifying to read the love story.
The book's premise is very bizarre, and had the concept been presented to me in a creative writing class or similar setting, I would have advised the writer not to follow through with it, but Shinn handles it with the command and skill of a seasoned storyteller. I doubt any other writer could have even attempted it with any level of success. The tale was gripping, tense, heart-breaking - basically everything you can hope for in a book.
I recommend this series to people who like the following in their fantasy reads:
1. Hot guys whose main characteristics include kindness and compassion
2. Intense conversations that happen during dance sequences (my personal favorite)
3. A good romance that serves as the foundation of the emotional storyline
4. Sexy time, but not an overwhelming amount
5. Bucketloads of political intrigue
6. Happy endings :)
I hated giving money to Amazon, but damn, it was worth it. Highly recommend this series for lovers of Sharon Shinn. Probably my favorite of Shinn's new releases since Still Life with Shape Shifter.
This is a rare case of a trilogy that gains momentum with each book and ends with a perfect bang and resolution. The minor issues I had with the previous two books in the series (took me sometime to get into the story, some flatness of characters, lack of finesse in the storytelling, etc.) were not present in this final chapter. I was captivated from page one and found it impossible to put down until I finished. The love interest was one of the side characters I liked best from book 1, so it was especially gratifying to read the love story.
The book's premise is very bizarre, and had the concept been presented to me in a creative writing class or similar setting, I would have advised the writer not to follow through with it, but Shinn handles it with the command and skill of a seasoned storyteller. I doubt any other writer could have even attempted it with any level of success. The tale was gripping, tense, heart-breaking - basically everything you can hope for in a book.
I recommend this series to people who like the following in their fantasy reads:
1. Hot guys whose main characteristics include kindness and compassion
2. Intense conversations that happen during dance sequences (my personal favorite)
3. A good romance that serves as the foundation of the emotional storyline
4. Sexy time, but not an overwhelming amount
5. Bucketloads of political intrigue
6. Happy endings :)
I hated giving money to Amazon, but damn, it was worth it. Highly recommend this series for lovers of Sharon Shinn. Probably my favorite of Shinn's new releases since Still Life with Shape Shifter.
May 1, 2019
This is the last of the Sharon Shinn Echos trilogy, produced first in audio format. Again, I had the same issue with it being read by the same narrator as the previous two novels, but that's a me-thing and should not be taken as a criticism of the narrator herself.
Echo in Amethyst is very different from the other two in that it doesn't pick up the story where the previous one left off. Instead we are taken back to the childhood/girlhood of Lady Alyssa to learn how horrible she is (and through inflicting pain on her echos, the call to consciousness that our narrating character, Hope, experienced). There are a lot of lulls in action, as Hope spends most of the book reacting rather than acting, and the first part is her essentially learning how to be a sentient being. The story takes us through the prior saga of Echos in Onyx, through the period of Echos in Emerald (which are not dealt with as directly, as Alyssa wasn't a part of that story), and through the civil war that was a result of the strife in prior stories.
Because of the longer timeline and the protagonist who spend her time observing other characters' actions more often than acting herself, it felt very long and drawn out - and the political intrigue left me wanting more. For example, we'd learned of Tabitha's betrayals in the past novel, and this one simply mentions that she'd been imprisoned for conspiracy to harm her step-son. It felt very strange to keep the protagonist in the dark and not asking questions, when we as the reader knew more of the full story.
Overall, it's a good book with little twists of interest here and there, and the world is still captivating. But it wouldn't necessarily find favor in comparison to other Shinn novels, for me.
Echo in Amethyst is very different from the other two in that it doesn't pick up the story where the previous one left off. Instead we are taken back to the childhood/girlhood of Lady Alyssa to learn how horrible she is (and through inflicting pain on her echos, the call to consciousness that our narrating character, Hope, experienced). There are a lot of lulls in action, as Hope spends most of the book reacting rather than acting, and the first part is her essentially learning how to be a sentient being. The story takes us through the prior saga of Echos in Onyx, through the period of Echos in Emerald (which are not dealt with as directly, as Alyssa wasn't a part of that story), and through the civil war that was a result of the strife in prior stories.
Because of the longer timeline and the protagonist who spend her time observing other characters' actions more often than acting herself, it felt very long and drawn out - and the political intrigue left me wanting more. For example, we'd learned of Tabitha's betrayals in the past novel, and this one simply mentions that she'd been imprisoned for conspiracy to harm her step-son. It felt very strange to keep the protagonist in the dark and not asking questions, when we as the reader knew more of the full story.
Overall, it's a good book with little twists of interest here and there, and the world is still captivating. But it wouldn't necessarily find favor in comparison to other Shinn novels, for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Did Not Finish
August 27, 2019DNF
Not sure I’m going to finish it. The protagonist is an echo – a creature originally without personality or voice. Her only purpose is to silently echo every move of her ‘original’ – the noblewoman Elyssa. Elyssa, a cruel and cold bitch, hates her echoes and tortures them (she has three), and as a result, one of the echoes develops an independent personality. She learns to think and act and talk by herself.
Unfortunately, the process is sluggish and slow. It takes years in the book, and it seems it takes just as long from the reader’s perspective. The pacing of this story is glacial. And the atmosphere is bleak and hopeless. I understand the writer’s concept, but I don’t care about this echo becoming a person… eventually. Maybe by the middle of the novel. For now, I’m on page 70, and she still can’t move independently of Elyssa. She still doesn’t have a name. She is just existing and hoping that perhaps, one day, she would win her freedom of her hateful mistress. How or why, is still unclear, and I’m rapidly losing interest in this echo’s possible future animation.
I have to say, I’m disappointed. I feel like I’ve lost a friend. This writer has been on my automatic ‘to buy’ list for years. I own and love almost every book of hers. I re-read many of them more than once. But this series is so much gloomier than anything she has written before. It’s dreary, and reading these books left me depressed. No more, at least not yet. Maybe not ever. I need to cheer up a bit.
Not sure I’m going to finish it. The protagonist is an echo – a creature originally without personality or voice. Her only purpose is to silently echo every move of her ‘original’ – the noblewoman Elyssa. Elyssa, a cruel and cold bitch, hates her echoes and tortures them (she has three), and as a result, one of the echoes develops an independent personality. She learns to think and act and talk by herself.
Unfortunately, the process is sluggish and slow. It takes years in the book, and it seems it takes just as long from the reader’s perspective. The pacing of this story is glacial. And the atmosphere is bleak and hopeless. I understand the writer’s concept, but I don’t care about this echo becoming a person… eventually. Maybe by the middle of the novel. For now, I’m on page 70, and she still can’t move independently of Elyssa. She still doesn’t have a name. She is just existing and hoping that perhaps, one day, she would win her freedom of her hateful mistress. How or why, is still unclear, and I’m rapidly losing interest in this echo’s possible future animation.
I have to say, I’m disappointed. I feel like I’ve lost a friend. This writer has been on my automatic ‘to buy’ list for years. I own and love almost every book of hers. I re-read many of them more than once. But this series is so much gloomier than anything she has written before. It’s dreary, and reading these books left me depressed. No more, at least not yet. Maybe not ever. I need to cheer up a bit.
March 4, 2020
Somewhat disappointing compared to the two previous titles in the series. To begin with, this book has considerable problems with pacing: nothing much happened for chapters and then we got a few pages bursting with plot. Secondly, as the ending of the series (I assume, I haven't found anything to suggest more sequels) it leaves things mostly unresolved, and the aforementioned issues with pacing don't help here. For two books we were told that things were slowing moving towards civil war; in this one, we got the unrest before the war, the war itself, the nominal end of the war and hints about what came next. I wonder if the author was planning more books to go over all these events, but for some reason they never happened. And, lastly, the romance was... problematic. Hope is a being that has only come into consciousness fairly recently, and for all that time she is under the complete control of a violent abuser. There is absolutely nothing the hero does or says that I could take issue with, but the very fact of such an immature and vulnerable creature in a romantic plot made me very uncomfortable.
March 1, 2021
At first I thought maybe I read these books out of order. Shinn seems to backtrack a little in the third book. After a while it becomes clear this book happens during the same time periods as the first and second books. It's been long enough since I read the first book that I've forgotten parts of it. I remember the general story and main characters. There are some reminders, but I'm still wondering about a couple of the more minor characters that I've forgotten. I suppose I could go back and reread, but I won't. I remember the most important elements. I looked for plot summaries online, but nobody wants to include spoilers. I'm sure if I looked more carefully I'd find a summary of the first books, but I don't care about what I didn't fully remember that much.
I like these books. They're unique, especially the concept of the echoes. Weird, but interesting. I don't love the ending of this one, I hoped for a different resolution, but that's okay. It was fun to read something purely for entertainment. I didn't expect to gain a lot from this book other than a break from my daily life. So it served its purpose.
I like these books. They're unique, especially the concept of the echoes. Weird, but interesting. I don't love the ending of this one, I hoped for a different resolution, but that's okay. It was fun to read something purely for entertainment. I didn't expect to gain a lot from this book other than a break from my daily life. So it served its purpose.
November 30, 2019
Enjoyable, and probably the best of the series but rushed at times and so much potential unexplored
May 11, 2025
I just don't think a woman who has just attained sentience as a thinking creature should get married to the first man who is nice to her.
August 30, 2019
I did like this book and the series a lot, but WOW, there is a lot more to explore with the worldbuiliding. I still have a lot of questions!
Fulfills "Royalty" for 2019 Ripped Bodice Bingo
Fulfills "Royalty" for 2019 Ripped Bodice Bingo
October 8, 2019
"I longed for freedom, but what if it destroyed me? I had never even walked out of a room of my own volition. How could I manage an entire life?"
~ Hope, Elyssa's Echo (157)
"The garden was not nearly so attractive in the winter, with no flowers in bloom and all the fountains dry, but there was still much to admire. The spiky skeletons of bare trees stenciled dramatic patterns across the cloudless sky; evergreens whispered together in shadowed groves, sharing their memories of summer. Ivy climbed in runners of blazing scarlet across gazebos and sundials and shivering statues." (311) (one of my favourite examples of the lovely imagery Sharon Shinn writes)
While a nice love story, I was disappointed that there was no epic finale to the trilogy, as I was hoping. As far as I know, no future books are planned, which seems a shame as the world - especially the mystery of the existence of the Echoes - was so intriguing.
Lady Elyssa from Alberta has never made her dislike of her three Echoes a secret. Seen as the only match for Prince Jordan, she is conflicted by her involvement with a member of the anti-Elite rebellion. Elyssa has also been cruel ever since she was a child.
She once thought she saw a spark of awareness in one of her three Echoes and ever since she physically tortures them, looking for some sign of reaction. Unbeknowst to Elyssa, the pain has served to fully awaken one of the Echoes while the others remain empty vessels.
This Echo must piece herself and her world together through overheard conversations and stolen glances, while pretending to be as empty as obedient as others of her kind to avoid more torment from Elyssa. It is not until she communicates her existence to Prince Jordan that he seeks her out and gives her name, Hope.
The political tensions of the last two books come to a head, but it is the covert love story between Hope and Prince Jordan that truly captives, making the politics pale in comparision. Because the timeline goes back and compresses the events of the previous two novels, familiar characters make cameos and the same events are seen from a different angle. Unfortunately, neither Brianna or Chessie makes an appearance, and it would have been nice to have an update on their lives.
Overall, an interesting trilogy with an intriguing premise that doesn't quite live up to its full potentional. I was also hoping for more from the gemstone theme and connection, that the jewellery each character wears would be a key to their story, or a source of magic.
I was also very much hoping to some illumination as to the purpose and changing roles of the Echoes. Sharon Shinn is a wonderful writer and her stories are always delightful to read; this is no exception, but the books feel a little unfinished. I hope she will return to the world of The Seven Kingdoms and its mysterious Echo clones someday!
"The garden was not nearly so attractive in the winter, with no flowers in bloom and all the fountains dry, but there was still much to admire. The spiky skeletons of bare trees stenciled dramatic patterns across the cloudless sky; evergreens whispered together in shadowed groves, sharing their memories of summer. Ivy climbed in runners of blazing scarlet across gazebos and sundials and shivering statues." (311) (one of my favourite examples of the lovely imagery Sharon Shinn writes)
While a nice love story, I was disappointed that there was no epic finale to the trilogy, as I was hoping. As far as I know, no future books are planned, which seems a shame as the world - especially the mystery of the existence of the Echoes - was so intriguing.
Lady Elyssa from Alberta has never made her dislike of her three Echoes a secret. Seen as the only match for Prince Jordan, she is conflicted by her involvement with a member of the anti-Elite rebellion. Elyssa has also been cruel ever since she was a child.
She once thought she saw a spark of awareness in one of her three Echoes and ever since she physically tortures them, looking for some sign of reaction. Unbeknowst to Elyssa, the pain has served to fully awaken one of the Echoes while the others remain empty vessels.
This Echo must piece herself and her world together through overheard conversations and stolen glances, while pretending to be as empty as obedient as others of her kind to avoid more torment from Elyssa. It is not until she communicates her existence to Prince Jordan that he seeks her out and gives her name, Hope.
The political tensions of the last two books come to a head, but it is the covert love story between Hope and Prince Jordan that truly captives, making the politics pale in comparision. Because the timeline goes back and compresses the events of the previous two novels, familiar characters make cameos and the same events are seen from a different angle. Unfortunately, neither Brianna or Chessie makes an appearance, and it would have been nice to have an update on their lives.
Overall, an interesting trilogy with an intriguing premise that doesn't quite live up to its full potentional. I was also hoping for more from the gemstone theme and connection, that the jewellery each character wears would be a key to their story, or a source of magic.
I was also very much hoping to some illumination as to the purpose and changing roles of the Echoes. Sharon Shinn is a wonderful writer and her stories are always delightful to read; this is no exception, but the books feel a little unfinished. I hope she will return to the world of The Seven Kingdoms and its mysterious Echo clones someday!
September 8, 2019
I just finished listening to the third in Sharon Shinn's new Echoes trilogy - Echo in Amethyst. It took me ten days to get through it, but it felt like a lot longer.
The premise for the world of the trilogy is that high nobles in the Seven Jewels have up to three copies of themselves that follow them around and copy all their movements, as a sign of their status. It's an interesting idea, but only some of the practicalities are explained - I mean, the echoes eat and drink, but do all the houses have to have bathrooms with four cubicles for synchronised waste management?
Anyway, even suspending disbelief to accept that the system somehow works, this book left a lot to be desired.
Spoilers below...
This book is actually from the point of view of an echo, who has been roused to full sentience by systematic abuse from her original. This is an interesting viewpoint to explore, and I was interested enough to find out how the story would be resolved to follow it through to the end.
However, it also presents a lot of problems for a narrative, in that the protagonist has no name and literally no agency, as for most of the book she can't even move independently. Even when she does gain some autonomy and the ability to speak, she refuses to do so, for fear of the consequences. So, the whole story feels like it's being told at one remove, about a character (the original) who is despicable.
What's worse is that the book takes place at the same time and across the same series of events as the first two in the trilogy, so most of the exciting bits take place off-page and are reported in the protagonists hearing afterwards, the reader is already aware of the details of what's going on and why.
The romance is rather problematical as well, since the protagonist's fate is entirely in the prince's hands once he realises she is aware, and she is unable to do anything at all to help herself. He even bestows her eventual name, so her entire identity and level of freedom is down to him.
There are occasions where the protagonist (named Hope part way through) could and probably should have taken action to reveal herself and have an impact on events, but she is paralysed by fear and does not. When she at last does take some independent action and finds out something she feels is important, the prince subsequently tells her that he worked it out days before and basically says she shouldn't worry her pretty head about it. Gah!
Even at the climax, Hope is unable to save herself and has to rely on the prince to physically restrain her so she doesn't commit suicide alongside her original. I also worked out fairly early on how things would be resolved in Hope's favour - but I was hoping she would have more direct involvement in getting them there.
It's disappointing, since Sharon Shinn is normally great at writing awesome female characters who are mistresses of their own fate, or at least presented as equal to their male counterparts. So, overall, I'm not keen on this whole trilogy, which is a shame.
The premise for the world of the trilogy is that high nobles in the Seven Jewels have up to three copies of themselves that follow them around and copy all their movements, as a sign of their status. It's an interesting idea, but only some of the practicalities are explained - I mean, the echoes eat and drink, but do all the houses have to have bathrooms with four cubicles for synchronised waste management?
Anyway, even suspending disbelief to accept that the system somehow works, this book left a lot to be desired.
Spoilers below...
This book is actually from the point of view of an echo, who has been roused to full sentience by systematic abuse from her original. This is an interesting viewpoint to explore, and I was interested enough to find out how the story would be resolved to follow it through to the end.
However, it also presents a lot of problems for a narrative, in that the protagonist has no name and literally no agency, as for most of the book she can't even move independently. Even when she does gain some autonomy and the ability to speak, she refuses to do so, for fear of the consequences. So, the whole story feels like it's being told at one remove, about a character (the original) who is despicable.
What's worse is that the book takes place at the same time and across the same series of events as the first two in the trilogy, so most of the exciting bits take place off-page and are reported in the protagonists hearing afterwards, the reader is already aware of the details of what's going on and why.
The romance is rather problematical as well, since the protagonist's fate is entirely in the prince's hands once he realises she is aware, and she is unable to do anything at all to help herself. He even bestows her eventual name, so her entire identity and level of freedom is down to him.
There are occasions where the protagonist (named Hope part way through) could and probably should have taken action to reveal herself and have an impact on events, but she is paralysed by fear and does not. When she at last does take some independent action and finds out something she feels is important, the prince subsequently tells her that he worked it out days before and basically says she shouldn't worry her pretty head about it. Gah!
Even at the climax, Hope is unable to save herself and has to rely on the prince to physically restrain her so she doesn't commit suicide alongside her original. I also worked out fairly early on how things would be resolved in Hope's favour - but I was hoping she would have more direct involvement in getting them there.
It's disappointing, since Sharon Shinn is normally great at writing awesome female characters who are mistresses of their own fate, or at least presented as equal to their male counterparts. So, overall, I'm not keen on this whole trilogy, which is a shame.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2021
(Realistic rating: definitely a solid 3.5 -- enough going on that I really enjoyed, but enough that gave me pause that I'm going to round down, especially by comparison to the one book in this series I really liked.)
God, I am... so torn about this book!! On the one hand, the premise is FASCINATING, and I loved seeing the world through Hope's uncertain eyes -- the revolution, Elyssa's cruelty and vulnerability, how everything seemed familiar but also brand new. It's an absolutely undeniably intriguing setup, and I think it's handled really well, for the most part. There's a lot going on that reads really interestingly even past Hope's actual story, and I was definitely caught up in a lot of the intrigue and maneuvering (as well as Elyssa and Marco's doomed romance, tbqh). There's a lot that I wanted to see more of, but not in a way that undermined what was actually included in the story.
On the other hand... whoof, is this ever a Born Sexy Yesterday trope. It makes perfect sense that Hope would fall for Jordan -- he is, quite literally, the best man she's ever met, in her very limited experience -- but literally WHAT is there that draws Jordan to Hope?? Sure, she's unlike anything in his experience, but her actual personality is... very undeveloped?? It's clear why he would be intrigued, but there's so little in their interactions to inspire such a depth of feeling from him in such little time, so you're forced to kind of draw the conclusion that it IS her inexperience and vulnerability that draw him, which is a REALLY unflattering impression to have of your romantic hero! It could definitely have been a really intriguing and fun romance, but there just... isn't nearly enough on the page to actually make it make sense, and it makes me super uncomfortable and casts a shadow over the entire happy ending. (Which I did generally enjoy, but also feel like came about way too quickly? It leaves the story in SUCH an intriguing spot, and it would have been really cool to see at least a little of the repercussions of the way things wrapped up!) Overall, a solid ending to all of the undercurrents building throughout the trilogy, with some elements that made the final conclusion fizzle somewhat. Still a decent entry into the Shinn canon, but definitely not one of my faves.
God, I am... so torn about this book!! On the one hand, the premise is FASCINATING, and I loved seeing the world through Hope's uncertain eyes -- the revolution, Elyssa's cruelty and vulnerability, how everything seemed familiar but also brand new. It's an absolutely undeniably intriguing setup, and I think it's handled really well, for the most part. There's a lot going on that reads really interestingly even past Hope's actual story, and I was definitely caught up in a lot of the intrigue and maneuvering (as well as Elyssa and Marco's doomed romance, tbqh). There's a lot that I wanted to see more of, but not in a way that undermined what was actually included in the story.
On the other hand... whoof, is this ever a Born Sexy Yesterday trope. It makes perfect sense that Hope would fall for Jordan -- he is, quite literally, the best man she's ever met, in her very limited experience -- but literally WHAT is there that draws Jordan to Hope?? Sure, she's unlike anything in his experience, but her actual personality is... very undeveloped?? It's clear why he would be intrigued, but there's so little in their interactions to inspire such a depth of feeling from him in such little time, so you're forced to kind of draw the conclusion that it IS her inexperience and vulnerability that draw him, which is a REALLY unflattering impression to have of your romantic hero! It could definitely have been a really intriguing and fun romance, but there just... isn't nearly enough on the page to actually make it make sense, and it makes me super uncomfortable and casts a shadow over the entire happy ending. (Which I did generally enjoy, but also feel like came about way too quickly? It leaves the story in SUCH an intriguing spot, and it would have been really cool to see at least a little of the repercussions of the way things wrapped up!) Overall, a solid ending to all of the undercurrents building throughout the trilogy, with some elements that made the final conclusion fizzle somewhat. Still a decent entry into the Shinn canon, but definitely not one of my faves.
March 14, 2021
While the world-building for this series has been very unique and I enjoyed the first two books in the series, I found this one disturbing. Our 'heroine' and 'hero' suffer a case of insta love, and both are very bland with basically no unique character traits apart from being 'good'. I felt like we were just supposed to accept Alyssa as evil when I actually had a fair bit of sympathy for her and the rebels. I too would get pretty annoyed being followed around by clones with no personality, and as she says, no-one showed her any love in her life. And the king ordering the execution of a noblewoman in book 1 who had accidentally killed her would-be rapist, who had been allowed to run around unchecked raping women just because he was the King's son, would make me feel a bit rebellious too!
January 6, 2020
Enjoyed it, but the whole time couldn't really BELIEVE Elyssa's motivation for hating the echos. I feel like that needed more development, it wasn't super believable.
February 29, 2020
This book wasn't perfect, yet it is possibly my favourite out of the 'Uncommon Echoes' series. I do hope that Sharon Shinn continues to expand on the unusual life of these echoes who are just meant to be pale imitations of their 'originals' yet continue to defy the norm.
My favourite of the all the characters here was Prince Jordan. Who needs beauty when you have kindness? Jordan's kindness, intelligence and compassion was inherent to others throughout the book, and I was always delighted when he and Hope crossed paths. Hope was likeable as well, and her delight in the world as she awoke from oblivion was enjoyable to read. Her feelings of anticipation of crossing paths with Jordan, well, I can't blame her one bit! I liked how there was friendship between them, which made the transition to a subtle romance all the more believable, especially as Hope and Elyssa's other two echoes are meant to look exactly alike. It was so nice that Jordan could tell Hope apart because of who she was, and not because of appearance. I am glad they got their HEA, even though I thought it a little similar to the subterfuge in book 1. In any case, it made sense and smoothed the way to their HEA. I loved Hope's new name and the meaning behind it too. You'll have to read for yourself to find out.
We did get glimpses of insight into Elyssa's character. She is an anomaly as she despises her echoes to the point of horrific and systematic torture and abuse. Those in the kingdom blessed to have echoes (often high nobles) are either indifferent/take for granted or protective of their echoes. We see this throughout the series, but especially in this book. Elyssa knows there isn't quite something right with her attitude, but unfortunately, her behaviour continues to reflect this. No one is there to stop her. Most of the time, she was quite self-serving and mean, but there were moments the reader and others in the story felt sorry for her. Her father didn't care for her, except to advance his own status; her aunt was for the most part indifferent; her maid indulgent. A monster who no one truly loved; a beautiful face with a rotten soul; spoiled yet abandoned. She was a pretty troubled and unhappy character, and despite this, her actions weren't enough to make up for it. Considering the ending of the book, I think that was the best outcome for her. I can't see what her revolutionary saw in her, except maybe beauty and the illusion of something more.
The not so perfect side of this book lay in the timeline and the secondary characters. The events of book 3 begins alongside book 1 and ends just a little after the events of book 2, so it did feel like in the first 1/4 of book 3 there was some rehashing of book 1, albeit with a slightly different perspective. The other secondary character we encountered again in book 3, and which I felt we were no closer to understanding was the king. Yes, we were told he felt it unfair not to recognise his illegitimate son Jaimson and so loved him despite his faults, apparently to the point where he was willing to execute the 'murderer' even though there was a very good reason for Jamison's death and despite political instability in the western provinces. The king it seems, has made a string of bad choices spanning from his second marriage, and we see this come to fruit especially in the second book and continue on in the third. But we never get much insight into his character or his motivations. He was a bland, unlikeable and incapable king and character for me. I guess his slight redeeming point was that he was willing to listen to Chessie's story as well as Hope's story and show understanding in these cases. Otherwise, he was very uninteresting.
In summary, 4.5 stars, because even despite the imperfections, I liked the rest of the story (and especially Jordan) more.
My favourite of the all the characters here was Prince Jordan. Who needs beauty when you have kindness? Jordan's kindness, intelligence and compassion was inherent to others throughout the book, and I was always delighted when he and Hope crossed paths. Hope was likeable as well, and her delight in the world as she awoke from oblivion was enjoyable to read. Her feelings of anticipation of crossing paths with Jordan, well, I can't blame her one bit! I liked how there was friendship between them, which made the transition to a subtle romance all the more believable, especially as Hope and Elyssa's other two echoes are meant to look exactly alike. It was so nice that Jordan could tell Hope apart because of who she was, and not because of appearance. I am glad they got their HEA, even though I thought it a little similar to the subterfuge in book 1. In any case, it made sense and smoothed the way to their HEA. I loved Hope's new name and the meaning behind it too. You'll have to read for yourself to find out.
We did get glimpses of insight into Elyssa's character. She is an anomaly as she despises her echoes to the point of horrific and systematic torture and abuse. Those in the kingdom blessed to have echoes (often high nobles) are either indifferent/take for granted or protective of their echoes. We see this throughout the series, but especially in this book. Elyssa knows there isn't quite something right with her attitude, but unfortunately, her behaviour continues to reflect this. No one is there to stop her. Most of the time, she was quite self-serving and mean, but there were moments the reader and others in the story felt sorry for her. Her father didn't care for her, except to advance his own status; her aunt was for the most part indifferent; her maid indulgent. A monster who no one truly loved; a beautiful face with a rotten soul; spoiled yet abandoned. She was a pretty troubled and unhappy character, and despite this, her actions weren't enough to make up for it. Considering the ending of the book, I think that was the best outcome for her. I can't see what her revolutionary saw in her, except maybe beauty and the illusion of something more.
The not so perfect side of this book lay in the timeline and the secondary characters. The events of book 3 begins alongside book 1 and ends just a little after the events of book 2, so it did feel like in the first 1/4 of book 3 there was some rehashing of book 1, albeit with a slightly different perspective. The other secondary character we encountered again in book 3, and which I felt we were no closer to understanding was the king. Yes, we were told he felt it unfair not to recognise his illegitimate son Jaimson and so loved him despite his faults, apparently to the point where he was willing to execute the 'murderer' even though there was a very good reason for Jamison's death and despite political instability in the western provinces. The king it seems, has made a string of bad choices spanning from his second marriage, and we see this come to fruit especially in the second book and continue on in the third. But we never get much insight into his character or his motivations. He was a bland, unlikeable and incapable king and character for me. I guess his slight redeeming point was that he was willing to listen to Chessie's story as well as Hope's story and show understanding in these cases. Otherwise, he was very uninteresting.
In summary, 4.5 stars, because even despite the imperfections, I liked the rest of the story (and especially Jordan) more.
March 5, 2020
3.5 stars, maybe 4 for entertainment value?
I enjoyed this one a lot more than I anticipated.
The political intrigue was very interesting and we certainly had a unique perspective for this book. I expected to be bored to tears listening to an echo learn about the world but I think it was well managed for the most part.
At the same time, the ease with which Hope navigated her new awareness seemed a bit like lazy writing to me. Everything she'd learned through Elyssa-osmosis seemed very cherry-picked to suit the story, with no real rhyme or reason as to why she attained some things and not others. Still, I think it kept me more engaged as a reader to not be so bogged down in the character development.
The end to the war, though, seemed almost too lazy to excuse. We've spent the last 3 books hearing all about the tensions between provinces, and how everyone is on the cusp of war. Finally it all comes to a head, and we spend only the closing 20% of the last book hearing about it. Not only that, but the actual resolution of tensions comes about through convenient divine intervention. Again - lazy writing.
Overall, I think this trilogy/series had a lot of potential, and I can only wish it had been fulfilled. The characters Shinn gives us are intriguing, and the setting even more so, but the world building definitely fell by the wayside in these novels. Perhaps I'm too accustomed to expansive high fantasy, but I can't help but be a little disappointed.
I enjoyed this one a lot more than I anticipated.
The political intrigue was very interesting and we certainly had a unique perspective for this book. I expected to be bored to tears listening to an echo learn about the world but I think it was well managed for the most part.
At the same time, the ease with which Hope navigated her new awareness seemed a bit like lazy writing to me. Everything she'd learned through Elyssa-osmosis seemed very cherry-picked to suit the story, with no real rhyme or reason as to why she attained some things and not others. Still, I think it kept me more engaged as a reader to not be so bogged down in the character development.
The end to the war, though, seemed almost too lazy to excuse. We've spent the last 3 books hearing all about the tensions between provinces, and how everyone is on the cusp of war. Finally it all comes to a head, and we spend only the closing 20% of the last book hearing about it. Not only that, but the actual resolution of tensions comes about through convenient divine intervention. Again - lazy writing.
Overall, I think this trilogy/series had a lot of potential, and I can only wish it had been fulfilled. The characters Shinn gives us are intriguing, and the setting even more so, but the world building definitely fell by the wayside in these novels. Perhaps I'm too accustomed to expansive high fantasy, but I can't help but be a little disappointed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2020
Sharon Shinn stretched herself, but I found the result disappointing. Her strengths are adventure, and non-romantic relationships. The main character is an isolated echo, for whom speaking out loud is an adventure. She, of course, has no relationships! The romantic relationship is absurd. And the questions that drove the plot were left unanswered.
One of the things that I liked about the series was that it showed how different people view living in a brutal police state. I think that it reflects some of what we are grappling with as a country. And, like our country, Shinn does not know how to resolve it.
One of the things that I liked about the series was that it showed how different people view living in a brutal police state. I think that it reflects some of what we are grappling with as a country. And, like our country, Shinn does not know how to resolve it.
February 18, 2025
Well, dang. I really enjoyed the other two books in the series, but this one didn't do it for me. I found the romances hard to believe -- there's a level of inst-love that troubles me between Jordan and Hope, and I'm not at all convinced about Elyssa's affairs either. I also had a hard time with the general plot-line, because it inevitably requires that Elyssa be replaced by Hope in some fashion. And while yes, Elyssa is a cruel and abusive person, she's also in circumstances that have fostered her worst side. So we are supposed to be rooting for her to die so that our insipid main characters can continue their insta-love? Not buying it. Also not enjoying that there really wasn't ever an substantive change in the plight of women in this world -- every single book had the theme of women being trapped in circumstances they did not want and could not control, and none of them had any resolution other than special circumstances for the extraordinary women at the heart of each story. Disheartening.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2019
In Sharon Shinn's third book in her Uncommon Echoes series, Lady Elyssa is not only a conniving noble, but she treats her echoes viciously, claiming she wishes they didn't exist. Much of her animosity is targeted to one echo in particular: Hope. Everyone knows that abuse can change humans, but it can change echoes too. In fact, it has changed Hope. As time goes on, she becomes more and more independent...very unusual for an echo! As this drama unfolds, the king's youngest son, Jordan, must marry Elyssa in order to save the kingdom, which has gone to war. Elyssa doesn't love him either. She's in love with Marco. Jordan notices that Hope isn't like the other echoes. She has her own willpower, and his heart goes out to her. But if the kingdom is to survive, Jordan must marry Elyssa, so they must put aside their own growing love. What happens next is totally surprising. For fantasy lovers, this is a great read.
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