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The Echoes Beneath
“With an ensemble of characters intertwined in a tale of redemption, power, and betrayal, this gripping saga of dystopian intrigue explores the depths of human depravity, yearning, and resilience… Stunning.” -The Loading Planet
Four lives. Four paths. One inevitable end.
In the corporate-controlled city-state of Midian, the Mantle, a sprawling metal platform, divides the upper echelons from the middle class of the Undercity. Here, the lives of four citizens are inextricably linked in a gripping narrative of redemption, ambition, and treachery.
Burdened by a haunting past, Atlas Ramsay returns to Midian’s Undercity seeking atonement for his sins. But when a burgeoning relationship with a young woman from his youth derails his plans for redemption, his buried secrets threaten to shake the city’s foundation when they are finally revealed.
Samantha Salem must navigate a complex web of political alliances and rivalries after the murder of her mentor, the famed Undercity leader Jericho Sands. But to preserve the peace and guide the city through its darkest hour, she must endure the wrath of her rivals in her struggle for power.
Arvin, a forsaken child of the Faith, becomes embroiled in a perilous game of survival and revenge. But when his unwitting role in a catastrophic plot to seize control of the city is revealed, nobody is safe from the pain of his loss.
Amidst the unfolding drama, Solomon Sands, Midian’s Grand Magus, battles a waning faith. Consumed by jealousy and a desperate desire for reverence, his attempts to reinvigorate the masses only serve to fuel the shadowy forces pulling the city’s strings.
As their paths collide, a conspiracy unravels, forever altering life beneath the Mantle.
Four lives. Four paths. One inevitable end.
In the corporate-controlled city-state of Midian, the Mantle, a sprawling metal platform, divides the upper echelons from the middle class of the Undercity. Here, the lives of four citizens are inextricably linked in a gripping narrative of redemption, ambition, and treachery.
Burdened by a haunting past, Atlas Ramsay returns to Midian’s Undercity seeking atonement for his sins. But when a burgeoning relationship with a young woman from his youth derails his plans for redemption, his buried secrets threaten to shake the city’s foundation when they are finally revealed.
Samantha Salem must navigate a complex web of political alliances and rivalries after the murder of her mentor, the famed Undercity leader Jericho Sands. But to preserve the peace and guide the city through its darkest hour, she must endure the wrath of her rivals in her struggle for power.
Arvin, a forsaken child of the Faith, becomes embroiled in a perilous game of survival and revenge. But when his unwitting role in a catastrophic plot to seize control of the city is revealed, nobody is safe from the pain of his loss.
Amidst the unfolding drama, Solomon Sands, Midian’s Grand Magus, battles a waning faith. Consumed by jealousy and a desperate desire for reverence, his attempts to reinvigorate the masses only serve to fuel the shadowy forces pulling the city’s strings.
As their paths collide, a conspiracy unravels, forever altering life beneath the Mantle.
413 pages, Paperback
Published February 2, 2024
2 people are currently reading
5089 people want to read
About the author
J. M. Ammoun
1 book20 followersJ. M. (Jimmy) Ammoun is a Canadian science fiction author hailing from Southwestern Ontario. His debut novel, 'The Echoes Beneath', was released to general acclaim in February of 2024, courtesy of the Metropolitan Syndicate Press.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 8, 2024
I won this book here on Goodreads. It was very interesting, well written and fun to read. I thought the concept of a city being built on a mantle directly over the rest of the city was a cool idea, even if it's not really realistic. The different storylines are all interesting in their own right, and the ways they come together and impact each other made the story very intriguing. The characters were unique and well developed. I would definitely recommend it.
April 7, 2024
Totally entertaining.
April 21, 2024
An interesting read. Not my typical book but I enjoyed it.
April 24, 2024
Fun read. Not the genre I usually read, but I really liked it.
February 7, 2024
I was blown away by this book. When I started I was concerned by some of the language and themes, but the more I read, the more I saw what the author was attempting to do and the end tied everything up nicely and assuaged my concerns. I only wish I could have looked past my concerns and just enjoyed the story while first reading it. I'll be reading it again and just enjoying the mastery of the writing. It was excellent.
March 30, 2024
Riveting saga of how our actions can affect others in varying degrees.
April 7, 2024
I found myself struggling to push past the halfway mark for this book. While I greatly enjoy the author’s prose style (evocative, polished), something just wasn’t clicking into place to compel me to continue. I often struggled to understand the stakes surrounding the characters’ choices, as well as the world itself.
Much talk is had about the Undercity’s poverty such that it seemed like a Cyberpunk-esque slum, but then small details would convey a sense of middle-class doldrums (drinking the tap water could kill you, but you can also soak in a hot bath if you’d like). I also struggled to tell if this was meant to be an alternative present day or sometime in the future. Racial conflicts are mentioned, but it is unclear what historical and geopolitical context scaffolds these events.
Most of the story is told through memory vignettes and deep plunges into these characters’ pasts, which—while written well and are interesting insights—begin to bog down the central storyline. The number of ancillary characters piles up quickly, and with four different POVs, a reader struggles to remember the relationships between these vast arrays of characters.
Overall, the prose feels polished and the characters deeply thought-out and intertwined. I enjoyed the way the author builds suspense and humanizes these characters. Innocence, hypocrisy, idealism, and love are all written powerfully. However, the reliance upon using memories as a story-telling device unmoored the story a few too many times for me to feel present enough to be invested in the core plot.
As an aside, I would caution the author against including a medal upon the cover that mimics a writing award. It feels like a bad-faith marketing gimmick.
Much talk is had about the Undercity’s poverty such that it seemed like a Cyberpunk-esque slum, but then small details would convey a sense of middle-class doldrums (drinking the tap water could kill you, but you can also soak in a hot bath if you’d like). I also struggled to tell if this was meant to be an alternative present day or sometime in the future. Racial conflicts are mentioned, but it is unclear what historical and geopolitical context scaffolds these events.
Most of the story is told through memory vignettes and deep plunges into these characters’ pasts, which—while written well and are interesting insights—begin to bog down the central storyline. The number of ancillary characters piles up quickly, and with four different POVs, a reader struggles to remember the relationships between these vast arrays of characters.
Overall, the prose feels polished and the characters deeply thought-out and intertwined. I enjoyed the way the author builds suspense and humanizes these characters. Innocence, hypocrisy, idealism, and love are all written powerfully. However, the reliance upon using memories as a story-telling device unmoored the story a few too many times for me to feel present enough to be invested in the core plot.
As an aside, I would caution the author against including a medal upon the cover that mimics a writing award. It feels like a bad-faith marketing gimmick.
April 7, 2024
The book started off slow (even though the writing was intriguing) but by the second half it picked up and all the pieces started to come together. The way the author ties in all the threads in the end was excellent.
February 7, 2024
Very well written!! My friend knows the author and turned me on to this book when it launched. Took me two days to get through and was shocked by the end. I saw some of it coming,but that twist was EPIC!
February 8, 2024
This book was a referral by my cousin. So good. Hooked me right away. The characters are 3 dimensional and feel like real people. The story line was tight AF, threw me for a loop at the end. Great read.
May 11, 2024
The Echoes Beneath was an interesting read. The different people with their stories made them come alive. This was very well written.
February 6, 2024
I'm obviously biased (heh) but its a great book!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews