Scan barcode
jacinda94's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
3.5
dragonlibrary84's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
michely66's review against another edition
5.0
This book was a whirlwind! Loved it! I really enjoyed it just as much as I did the first one. The entire backstory written into this one plays out well with the entire story. If anything, the second book made me adore Maya and Kai even more. Just like the first book, I loved the descriptions of the scenery that made me feel like I was actually in the story. I highly recommend this series. It was stunning. Gave me that perfect dark fantasy feel!
alandd's review against another edition
1.0
Aunque el primero me encantó, este lo sentí demasiado lento y vacío. No me transmitió nada, y por más que intenté, terminé el cuarto capítulo y seguí sin nada.
Although I loved the first one, this one felt too slow and empty. It conveyed nothing to me, and no matter how hard I tried, I finished the fourth chapter and still had nothing.
Although I loved the first one, this one felt too slow and empty. It conveyed nothing to me, and no matter how hard I tried, I finished the fourth chapter and still had nothing.
motherhenofdeath's review against another edition
5.0
The perfect follow up to The Hollow Gods. If you finished book 1 and wanted more, well don't sleep on book 2, because it's exactly the more we need. More of the lore, more of the backstory for our unlikely heroes and more of Kai and Miya. Book 1 was like a nice appetizer to give you an idea of what to expect and book 2 here, is the powerhouse entree that you may have been waiting for. We're introduced to some new characters and places and reacquainted with some old friends to stop the cycle of pain and evil.
jillsbooknook's review against another edition
5.0
5 -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Update Feb 15 - I moved it to a full 5 star as the extras really sold me on this series!
Love is not a thing of need, Dreamwalker. It's a thing of choice.
The Echoed Realm is the second and final instalment in the NA Dark Paranormal Romance duology, the Chaos Cycle, following the story of Miya, Kai, and Mason as the events of Black Hollows follows them 3 years after their fight with the Dreamwalker.
Miya and Kai have taken up the calling to hunt spectres hiding amidst the shadows but Black Hollows is not finished with them. As Miya struggle to make sense of the nightmares that haunt her, Kai struggles against the shackles that bind him to Miya. Their love is tested as dark forces seek to tear that apart and secrets of the past hold vital clues to the legacy left by the Dreamwalker. Clues that will save them and consume them... Meanwhile, Mason is drawn back into machinations of beings he doesn't quite understand and it makes him question how much coincidence his time in Black Hollows was.
Miya and Kai had the kind of relationship and partnership in the book that I love. They are both distinct characters with their own journeys but they are bound together in ways that so much deeper than I thought. Miya struggles to understand her powers and the secrets left by the Dreamwalker. She shows determination and courage even while she is forced to question all she knew. I found her character easy to fall into and I felt for her successes and failures. Kai continues to embrace this rougher character and while I didn't always agree with his decisions, his struggle to find himself and uncover the truth was riveting. He's prone to violence but his love for Miya is strong and I found his actions spoke louder than his words.
Mason is a character that prompts a lot of interesting twists but, honestly, he wasn't a character I really connected to. He has a small role in this novel but the moments we need him help drive the story. He adds to the mystery in ways that just made the story feel larger than life.
Instead, the characters of Ama and Gavran were the ones that resonated with me as side characters with nuance that gave me so many feels as they fought alongside Miya and Kai. The villains of the novels also offered us complex characters rich with backgrounds that fuel their actions. I found them fascinating.
In terms of spice, the original version of this book would be a 1 spicy pepper out of 5 as there are a few explicit scenes but the detail is kept minimal. If you purchase the newer version of the book or the special edition from the author's website, I would say the story ramps up to 1.5 spicy peppers as one scene has more detail included. Miya and Kai are already in an established relationship so the spice appears in earlier parts of the book.
"Oh, sure!" Kai threw up his arms. "Just follow the creepy corpse child straight into a magical tree-portal."
In terms of story and world this book launches you right into the thick of things. Admittedly I was a little lost at the start but the plot starts smaller before growing and thus you can wade in. In between the mystery, lore, and secrets there are these sweet moments between the characters that highlight love, friendship, and loyalty amidst the conflicts arising. There are these delicious twists in the story that show the growth in these characters' journeys. There is darkness and horror but also these glimpse of light and hope that make the darkness bearable. This isn't a happy novel but the emotions, vibrance, and imagery hold fast the the reader. I was sad to see this end but, boy, did I enjoy it.
Overall, if you want a dark paranormal romance with dark lore, mystery, secrets, bonds deeper that one lifetime, and a richly imaginary world that crosses dreamscapes and reality, this is an excellent completed series. And, there is an optional anthology with some additional scenes if you're looking for more sweet moments between Miya and Kai that I absolutely adored!
Available on KU!
Update Feb 15 - I moved it to a full 5 star as the extras really sold me on this series!
Love is not a thing of need, Dreamwalker. It's a thing of choice.
The Echoed Realm is the second and final instalment in the NA Dark Paranormal Romance duology, the Chaos Cycle, following the story of Miya, Kai, and Mason as the events of Black Hollows follows them 3 years after their fight with the Dreamwalker.
Miya and Kai have taken up the calling to hunt spectres hiding amidst the shadows but Black Hollows is not finished with them. As Miya struggle to make sense of the nightmares that haunt her, Kai struggles against the shackles that bind him to Miya. Their love is tested as dark forces seek to tear that apart and secrets of the past hold vital clues to the legacy left by the Dreamwalker. Clues that will save them and consume them... Meanwhile, Mason is drawn back into machinations of beings he doesn't quite understand and it makes him question how much coincidence his time in Black Hollows was.
Miya and Kai had the kind of relationship and partnership in the book that I love. They are both distinct characters with their own journeys but they are bound together in ways that so much deeper than I thought. Miya struggles to understand her powers and the secrets left by the Dreamwalker. She shows determination and courage even while she is forced to question all she knew. I found her character easy to fall into and I felt for her successes and failures. Kai continues to embrace this rougher character and while I didn't always agree with his decisions, his struggle to find himself and uncover the truth was riveting. He's prone to violence but his love for Miya is strong and I found his actions spoke louder than his words.
Mason is a character that prompts a lot of interesting twists but, honestly, he wasn't a character I really connected to. He has a small role in this novel but the moments we need him help drive the story. He adds to the mystery in ways that just made the story feel larger than life.
Instead, the characters of Ama and Gavran were the ones that resonated with me as side characters with nuance that gave me so many feels as they fought alongside Miya and Kai. The villains of the novels also offered us complex characters rich with backgrounds that fuel their actions. I found them fascinating.
In terms of spice, the original version of this book would be a 1 spicy pepper out of 5 as there are a few explicit scenes but the detail is kept minimal. If you purchase the newer version of the book or the special edition from the author's website, I would say the story ramps up to 1.5 spicy peppers as one scene has more detail included. Miya and Kai are already in an established relationship so the spice appears in earlier parts of the book.
"Oh, sure!" Kai threw up his arms. "Just follow the creepy corpse child straight into a magical tree-portal."
In terms of story and world this book launches you right into the thick of things. Admittedly I was a little lost at the start but the plot starts smaller before growing and thus you can wade in. In between the mystery, lore, and secrets there are these sweet moments between the characters that highlight love, friendship, and loyalty amidst the conflicts arising. There are these delicious twists in the story that show the growth in these characters' journeys. There is darkness and horror but also these glimpse of light and hope that make the darkness bearable. This isn't a happy novel but the emotions, vibrance, and imagery hold fast the the reader. I was sad to see this end but, boy, did I enjoy it.
Overall, if you want a dark paranormal romance with dark lore, mystery, secrets, bonds deeper that one lifetime, and a richly imaginary world that crosses dreamscapes and reality, this is an excellent completed series. And, there is an optional anthology with some additional scenes if you're looking for more sweet moments between Miya and Kai that I absolutely adored!
Available on KU!
spines's review
dark
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I don't dislike Mason as a character but I hate him as part of the narrative. He doesn't do anything interesting and his portion of the book could just be replaced by expository text explaining whatever information he shares with Miya. His presence in this book is even more annoying than in the first one.
The lore and backstory fully got expanded upon and I did like the explanation of the dreamwalker and the wolf and how all their past lives intertwined.
I am confused about Abbadon/Velizar's presence in their past lives though. In the first book Miya learns about a past life where there were two werewolf(?) brothers named Mirek (Velizar) and Vuk (Kai) and they both fell in love with a girl named Cassia (dreamwalker) but she got burned alive. But in this book it seems like Miya and Kai get reincarnated and Velizar is a spirit that causes the cycle of destruction, not Kai's brother. Did I miss something that explains this??
Kai and Miya are sweet and I like them, and I like Gavran and Ama as well, but this book is not great. Not bad, but I found myself skimming through chapters to get to more interesting parts.
The lore and backstory fully got expanded upon and I did like the explanation of the dreamwalker and the wolf and how all their past lives intertwined.
Kai and Miya are sweet and I like them, and I like Gavran and Ama as well, but this book is not great. Not bad, but I found myself skimming through chapters to get to more interesting parts.
the_coycaterpillar_reads's review against another edition
4.0
The Echoed Realm…a masterpiece that reminded me absolutely of a love affair between the horror movie Insidious and The Mist. Miya’s back and I’ve fallen in love with these characters even more, didn’t think that was possible but that is the magic being summoned by the incredibly talented Vrana. If you haven’t read The Hollow Gods…rectify that immediately, its ethereal, haunting and the narrative is as likely to leave a hole in you as the devastating plot. Writers who leave you staring into the void with anguish and joy at the ending is something to cherish and Vrana is no exception.
The Echoed Realm takes place three years after catastrophic events in The Hollow Gods. We are reintroduced to the protagonists, Miya, Kai and Mason once again, it’s like a homecoming. The writing absolutely blew my socks off. Writing that feels like a haunting whisper in the wind. Writing that feels etched in time, never aging, powerful. Everything about this book has a dark and spellbinding edge….an emerging threat in your peripheral vision, a creeping dread. I constantly found myself dumbstruck that this is a debut writer because she writes with consummate skill and intelligence.
One thing that The Echoed Realm delivered on was an exceptionally strong ending, but that can only be as strong as its opening. The opening chapter was right on point. The imagery, the desolation, everything had heart and passion and the tone is instantly set…bleak but not without hope. We know what Miya is, what she is capable of, oftentimes a heavy burden for her to bare but it is what it is, and she doesn’t pretend otherwise. The book is a treasure trove of lore, mythology and an entrance into another realm…forget all you knew before.
Vrana takes the path least trodden with The Echoed Realm. It’s a fresh and unique take on the supernatural…it’s a real genre bending series. Horror, supernatural and fantasy pushing the threads of realism to its very edges. It’s a real work of art, you can feel the pulse running through it, the author has put her everything into it and left a part of herself contained within the pages. You can feel the personal edge to its narrative.
The heralding achievement lies within the fact that it is written as a duology. The market is absolutely flooded with trilogies, it was clever and authentic to write it this way.
The Echoed Realm has exceedingly well drawn characters. Vrana does powerful, strong female characters with heart with a constant feeling of omnipresent danger lurking.
The Echoed Realm takes place three years after catastrophic events in The Hollow Gods. We are reintroduced to the protagonists, Miya, Kai and Mason once again, it’s like a homecoming. The writing absolutely blew my socks off. Writing that feels like a haunting whisper in the wind. Writing that feels etched in time, never aging, powerful. Everything about this book has a dark and spellbinding edge….an emerging threat in your peripheral vision, a creeping dread. I constantly found myself dumbstruck that this is a debut writer because she writes with consummate skill and intelligence.
One thing that The Echoed Realm delivered on was an exceptionally strong ending, but that can only be as strong as its opening. The opening chapter was right on point. The imagery, the desolation, everything had heart and passion and the tone is instantly set…bleak but not without hope. We know what Miya is, what she is capable of, oftentimes a heavy burden for her to bare but it is what it is, and she doesn’t pretend otherwise. The book is a treasure trove of lore, mythology and an entrance into another realm…forget all you knew before.
Vrana takes the path least trodden with The Echoed Realm. It’s a fresh and unique take on the supernatural…it’s a real genre bending series. Horror, supernatural and fantasy pushing the threads of realism to its very edges. It’s a real work of art, you can feel the pulse running through it, the author has put her everything into it and left a part of herself contained within the pages. You can feel the personal edge to its narrative.
The heralding achievement lies within the fact that it is written as a duology. The market is absolutely flooded with trilogies, it was clever and authentic to write it this way.
The Echoed Realm has exceedingly well drawn characters. Vrana does powerful, strong female characters with heart with a constant feeling of omnipresent danger lurking.
cloaknquill's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0