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Echo #1
Approaching Shatter
In the late 21st century, humanity left Earth due to multiple resource shortcomings aggravated by an acceleration in climate change. They settled Echo, a planet that was nearly a carbon copy of Earth except for being devoid of all but the most basic life forms. Fast forward 1200 years later. Echo has endured over a thousand years of dark age. Corporations and government merged early on, becoming the oppressive authority known as the Regime. Military and police merged into the Department of Enforcement, their only mission to crush the huge network of rebels known as the Dissidents. Over half the planet is covered by decaying cityscapes and the elite live high above, removed and remote from the greater populace on the moon-city of Ascension. Hope lies in one man, a former Enforcer named Atriya. But before he can break the cycle of darkness and ignorance on Echo, he has to do it within himself.
207 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 8, 2015
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172 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
February 7, 2017
You can read a review of this on my blog Book Haunt
March 1, 2021
It sort of reminded me of the 1970s sci-fi dystopian world of Ursula K. LeGuin's The Dispossessed - in a good way, of course. Familiar sounding names, Atriya and Verus, group identifiers of 'Dissidents' and 'Enforcers'. The world of Echo, with its reminders of 'Old Earth' the idea of a parallel world even a thousand years later has carried with it undesirable human behaviour symbolised by rotting fruit. There is a great line in this book about 'powerful magic that all bullies are endowed with'. Let's just think about that language... Magic is a mysterious concept, perhaps a talent, perhaps a manipulation of events through 'no fault of our own'. And 'endowed' a masculine sounding descriptor sets the scene of Atriya's journey. These are the kind of observational details that we readers, back on actual earth will find captivating about this book. Speaking of detail, there is an appropriate amount ratio of show/tell for the genre (although I'm no expert). I personally didn't need to understand the science bit because of the concept of the title 'Approaching Shatter'. I quite liked the segue into part 2 - oh yeah, I'm reading a book!
April 2, 2016
This book sets up the life and troubles of one Atriya, an elite warrior on a bleak, futuristic world with ancient roots on Earth. It's a world ruled by war, military politics and the shadow of a moon on which the privileged live unnaturally long lives in aloof comfort.
I liked Atriya. He is the ultimate warrior, a killing machine, but has a contemplative side that isolates him from his peers and causes him to doubt what others around him accept without question. This sense of something-not-right grows as the book progresses, creating tension and driving Atriya to some rash decisions -- which land him in a political trap.
The author's knowledge of the military mindset and an appreciation for the intricacies of futuristic technology, particularly weapons, are striking. This includes the shortcomings of said technology and its effect on soldiers, which in some cases is frightening in and of itself. The level of detail, while a bit daunting in places, gave this story an air of authenticity. There were some issues with point of view, passive voice, wording that can put readers at a distance, but I found this minor. The author has a strong, incisive way of describing things.
Do be warned: this story ends abruptly. The author does a nice job setting Atriya up in a nasty situation -- and then drops you right there. Fortunately, when I finished this, the second book was already out and it picks up where this one leaves off.
I liked Atriya. He is the ultimate warrior, a killing machine, but has a contemplative side that isolates him from his peers and causes him to doubt what others around him accept without question. This sense of something-not-right grows as the book progresses, creating tension and driving Atriya to some rash decisions -- which land him in a political trap.
The author's knowledge of the military mindset and an appreciation for the intricacies of futuristic technology, particularly weapons, are striking. This includes the shortcomings of said technology and its effect on soldiers, which in some cases is frightening in and of itself. The level of detail, while a bit daunting in places, gave this story an air of authenticity. There were some issues with point of view, passive voice, wording that can put readers at a distance, but I found this minor. The author has a strong, incisive way of describing things.
Do be warned: this story ends abruptly. The author does a nice job setting Atriya up in a nasty situation -- and then drops you right there. Fortunately, when I finished this, the second book was already out and it picks up where this one leaves off.
April 14, 2016
READ IT!!!!!!
This is one of the few times in my life where I'm searching for words. Fantastic, amazing, glorious...they don't really do it justice or provide any real depth. This book is rather indescribable. I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. I also didn't intend to lose sleep before work to finish it, but I did and am seriously contemplating losing more sleep by reading the next one. However, I won't, because this story needs savored. It is not a convenient glass of wine to be downed and followed by another, but one that should be appreciated, ruminated over, before even taking another sip.
I find myself completely bowled over by this book. I saw it was free on amazon for a limited time and couldn't resist a test run. I have read Kent Wayne's writing before, in snippets on Facebook or The Dirty 108, but I still didn't expect this.
To attempt a summary would be to remove the foundation. Sure, it's about a guy, fighting in a war, but so are many books. The journey here is the important thing. To paraphrase Nathan Fillion and his comments about The Walking Dead, it's not the plot, the action, it's the writing. Good writing moves you in a way that is immeasurable. Incidentally, I never watched The Walking Dead until his article about it, about how great writing can transcend much, including a decided lack of interest in zombies. I have no interest in zombies, except when the writing is so good it holds my attention.
I didn't expect to enjoy reading this as much as I did, much less be willing to purchase the second book before I was halfway through with the first, but I did. I'm not going to re-summarize this or give you tantalizing clues why you should read this book. All I will say is, if you like a good story, if you appreciate writing in all its glory, read this book; you will not be disappointed!!!
This is one of the few times in my life where I'm searching for words. Fantastic, amazing, glorious...they don't really do it justice or provide any real depth. This book is rather indescribable. I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. I also didn't intend to lose sleep before work to finish it, but I did and am seriously contemplating losing more sleep by reading the next one. However, I won't, because this story needs savored. It is not a convenient glass of wine to be downed and followed by another, but one that should be appreciated, ruminated over, before even taking another sip.
I find myself completely bowled over by this book. I saw it was free on amazon for a limited time and couldn't resist a test run. I have read Kent Wayne's writing before, in snippets on Facebook or The Dirty 108, but I still didn't expect this.
To attempt a summary would be to remove the foundation. Sure, it's about a guy, fighting in a war, but so are many books. The journey here is the important thing. To paraphrase Nathan Fillion and his comments about The Walking Dead, it's not the plot, the action, it's the writing. Good writing moves you in a way that is immeasurable. Incidentally, I never watched The Walking Dead until his article about it, about how great writing can transcend much, including a decided lack of interest in zombies. I have no interest in zombies, except when the writing is so good it holds my attention.
I didn't expect to enjoy reading this as much as I did, much less be willing to purchase the second book before I was halfway through with the first, but I did. I'm not going to re-summarize this or give you tantalizing clues why you should read this book. All I will say is, if you like a good story, if you appreciate writing in all its glory, read this book; you will not be disappointed!!!
December 1, 2016
Who doesn't love an author who uses an almost literal peeing contest to introduce us to this brutal, military-themed, futuristic society called Echo. Yet, it's the lone female character that is the most well-drawn and engaging.
I’ve been following Batman’s Kent Wayne’s blog for a little while now, patiently waiting for the first in his Echo Volume One: Approaching Shatter series to go on sale. Finally, it was offered for free and I swooped in like Boise suddenly announced a sale. Score!
See full review here: http://www.authormickeyann.com/index....
I’ve been following Batman’s Kent Wayne’s blog for a little while now, patiently waiting for the first in his Echo Volume One: Approaching Shatter series to go on sale. Finally, it was offered for free and I swooped in like Boise suddenly announced a sale. Score!
See full review here: http://www.authormickeyann.com/index....
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December 23, 2021Brilliant
I loved the book. The concept is quite unique. I have to appreciate the powerful creative imagination of the author for visualizing a planet Echo similar to Earth and how Atriya, the protagonist deals with dissidents and performs his duties as a crusader.
I loved the book. The concept is quite unique. I have to appreciate the powerful creative imagination of the author for visualizing a planet Echo similar to Earth and how Atriya, the protagonist deals with dissidents and performs his duties as a crusader.
October 15, 2020
So I picked this little novella up due to the hilarious ads that a fellow blogger, Dirty Sci-Fi Buddha, writes for it. He is the author by the way. I mention this because unlike a large portion of my previous reviews, this was a purchase by me, and not given to me.
Not that would really change how I write about this. I am nothing if not brutally honest.
And lets be honest here: This needs work. Not on the technical level no. The world building in this volume is fascinating, and the mythos are well done. Further, knowing that Kent was a former military man (I think Marines) lends the military bits some authenticity, as well as the philosophical bits about being a solider versus a warrior.
There is a LOT of Philosophical bits too. More then I would care to have in a "sci fi dystopian action story" that is billed as having cybernetic ninjas. In fact, the only time a ninja is referenced is at the tail end of the story...when we hit my major issue with this novella.
Its not a story. Its pure setup. It ends in a blatant cliffhanger and the entire time in the novella is spent building up the main characters mental issues and his "approaching shatter", a term they use to describe the moment when a Crew members world basically falls apart due to stress and they can't take the pressure anymore.
What I got from reading this mostly was a sense that the author himself was trying to work through some issues he himself might have been having. Maybe things he had to do while in the service, or his own philosophical beliefs.
Its not bad, its actually really interesting.
But the fact that the "story" by itself goes nowhere pisses me off. I paid $3 for this, and I wanted a story. I got an ending that literally could have had an announcer at the end going "Join us Next Time as we find out what happens in the Warehouse Raid!"
Now, Kent is working on "Volume 2" which at the last post I saw of his was at something like 32k words.
My hope is that he gives those who already purchased Volume 1 a discount or even gives Volume 2 to us for free, because frankly I am not going to pay for another Volume with the possibility that there is no ending again. Also I suggest that once Volume 2 is created, that Kent takes both Volumes and combines them into a single story and takes Volume 1 off the market.
I give this a 3/5. The lack of ending absolutely kills it for me. Completely and irrevocably. And I am really tired of authors doing this.
Not that would really change how I write about this. I am nothing if not brutally honest.
And lets be honest here: This needs work. Not on the technical level no. The world building in this volume is fascinating, and the mythos are well done. Further, knowing that Kent was a former military man (I think Marines) lends the military bits some authenticity, as well as the philosophical bits about being a solider versus a warrior.
There is a LOT of Philosophical bits too. More then I would care to have in a "sci fi dystopian action story" that is billed as having cybernetic ninjas. In fact, the only time a ninja is referenced is at the tail end of the story...when we hit my major issue with this novella.
Its not a story. Its pure setup. It ends in a blatant cliffhanger and the entire time in the novella is spent building up the main characters mental issues and his "approaching shatter", a term they use to describe the moment when a Crew members world basically falls apart due to stress and they can't take the pressure anymore.
What I got from reading this mostly was a sense that the author himself was trying to work through some issues he himself might have been having. Maybe things he had to do while in the service, or his own philosophical beliefs.
Its not bad, its actually really interesting.
But the fact that the "story" by itself goes nowhere pisses me off. I paid $3 for this, and I wanted a story. I got an ending that literally could have had an announcer at the end going "Join us Next Time as we find out what happens in the Warehouse Raid!"
Now, Kent is working on "Volume 2" which at the last post I saw of his was at something like 32k words.
My hope is that he gives those who already purchased Volume 1 a discount or even gives Volume 2 to us for free, because frankly I am not going to pay for another Volume with the possibility that there is no ending again. Also I suggest that once Volume 2 is created, that Kent takes both Volumes and combines them into a single story and takes Volume 1 off the market.
I give this a 3/5. The lack of ending absolutely kills it for me. Completely and irrevocably. And I am really tired of authors doing this.
April 6, 2018
Provocative and memorable
On Echo, an Earth colony in the distant future, the ruling class and its military fight a group of dissidents looking to overthrow the current regime. Despite the focus on military conflict, Wayne portrays the internal conflict of Kischun Atriya, a seasoned warrior. Atriya's credo, "refuse to be weak," has enabled him to attain a measure of success with the elite military unit, the Crusaders. Yet, with each achievement, Atriya continues to doubt his abilities.
While the novel contains one brutal, but crucial, fight scene, there is little external action. The important events occur within Atriya's own mind as he attempts to pin down the source of his doubt. The introspective hero is a refreshing change from other all-powerful protagonists featured in other dystopian series. Wayne has crafted a protagonist with insecurities that many readers might share. This novel presents a unique vision of Earth's future.
On Echo, an Earth colony in the distant future, the ruling class and its military fight a group of dissidents looking to overthrow the current regime. Despite the focus on military conflict, Wayne portrays the internal conflict of Kischun Atriya, a seasoned warrior. Atriya's credo, "refuse to be weak," has enabled him to attain a measure of success with the elite military unit, the Crusaders. Yet, with each achievement, Atriya continues to doubt his abilities.
While the novel contains one brutal, but crucial, fight scene, there is little external action. The important events occur within Atriya's own mind as he attempts to pin down the source of his doubt. The introspective hero is a refreshing change from other all-powerful protagonists featured in other dystopian series. Wayne has crafted a protagonist with insecurities that many readers might share. This novel presents a unique vision of Earth's future.
May 25, 2018
Ended up being a little different than I expected.
That being said, there are descriptions in this book that make it worth reading. It is easy to visualize this book. There is, to me, an overabundance of profanity.
If you enjoy the more violent side of dystopia, then this is the book for you.
That being said, there are descriptions in this book that make it worth reading. It is easy to visualize this book. There is, to me, an overabundance of profanity.
If you enjoy the more violent side of dystopia, then this is the book for you.
January 2, 2021
Plot:
More than a thousand years before the action of this book, the earth was abandoned because of environmental degradation, and humanity settled on the earth-like planet of Echo. Echo has stagnated, its citizens living under the autocracy of the Regime. There is perpetual civil war with the Dissidents. The military is highly developed, with specialized, lethal weapons. Additionally, its soldiers are also specialized and are offered enhancements.
One of those soldiers is Atriya, a member of the elite Crusaders unit. He trains for fun. The reader is told about Atriya:
“He embraced the pain. In a way, he was addicted to it. Not the pain itself, but the validation it gave him.”
One day, as he is out running, he comes across a Crusader (or “Crew”) Selection class. Part of the class is punishing those who fall behind (“stragglers”) with severe physical abuse and humiliation. The instructor, Clement (hmmm… an odd name for a character in that job….), recognizes Atriya as “Crew” and asks if he’d like to join in the abuse.
The ritual is nothing new to Atriya, but he finds himself unable to take part.
Thoughts:
I have to start by saying that this is not a genre that I usually read. I follow the author’s blog because I find him interesting. The book was offered as a freebie one day, and I thought I’d try it out, thinking f I could not give it a positive review, I would simply not review it. Happily, that was far from that case.
I do have to add that the language is, as one might expect, something other than dinner table polite. Given the genre, dinner table polite would be inappropriate.
The great strength of this book for me was the character of Atriya. The author makes him real, even in this dystopian sci-fi environment. As a reader, I easily became invested in him, although I have little in common with him. Atriya is violent and can and does kill without compunction, but something else bubbling to the surface, something he can’t grasp just yet.
He goes to seek advice from a chaplain, another Crusader, a woman named Verus. I suspect that Wayne is familiar enough with the Classical world to know that “verus” means “true” in Latin. (A purist might bellyache it’s for masculine nouns, of course.) Verus herself seems something of an enigma. Atriya understands this. She is a chaplain, but she is not overly religious. One overdone aspect of the character is she seems to be something of a prophet. She foresees Atriya leaving when he has no reason to leave.
Their relationship is platonic. As a matter of fact, unlike so much of this sort of writing, there is no sex. Atriya does not stop by to toss the sheets with a casual lover or working girl and discuss the meaning of life on Echo. I found the absence of such a hackneyed scene a relief.
However, the reader has to endure some info dumps regarding things like nifty weapons and societal hierarchy. The reader encounters a lot of specialized terminology throughout the book, including the title, which is only explained near the end. There are some gory scenes, including cannibalism.
Tension steadily builds till the end. Atriya manages to annoy the wrong people, who are willing to seek revenge with friends. As a reader, I’m fully there with him. I care. I want to see him succeed. His career is threatened, and his life is in danger. He has limited choices. He decides if this is it for him, he’s going to take as many of them as he can with him.
—Flip the page… the book ends… I mutter words that cast doubt on whether the author’s parents were married—
The first volume, which I admit I did not pay for, includes the first three chapters of the next volume, so the reader gets a good glimpse of what’s to come.
Tricky!
Will I read volume two? Probably. After I wade through some fifty other books, including the one my dearly beloved gave me for Christmas.
All in all, I enjoyed this book.
More than a thousand years before the action of this book, the earth was abandoned because of environmental degradation, and humanity settled on the earth-like planet of Echo. Echo has stagnated, its citizens living under the autocracy of the Regime. There is perpetual civil war with the Dissidents. The military is highly developed, with specialized, lethal weapons. Additionally, its soldiers are also specialized and are offered enhancements.
One of those soldiers is Atriya, a member of the elite Crusaders unit. He trains for fun. The reader is told about Atriya:
“He embraced the pain. In a way, he was addicted to it. Not the pain itself, but the validation it gave him.”
One day, as he is out running, he comes across a Crusader (or “Crew”) Selection class. Part of the class is punishing those who fall behind (“stragglers”) with severe physical abuse and humiliation. The instructor, Clement (hmmm… an odd name for a character in that job….), recognizes Atriya as “Crew” and asks if he’d like to join in the abuse.
The ritual is nothing new to Atriya, but he finds himself unable to take part.
Thoughts:
I have to start by saying that this is not a genre that I usually read. I follow the author’s blog because I find him interesting. The book was offered as a freebie one day, and I thought I’d try it out, thinking f I could not give it a positive review, I would simply not review it. Happily, that was far from that case.
I do have to add that the language is, as one might expect, something other than dinner table polite. Given the genre, dinner table polite would be inappropriate.
The great strength of this book for me was the character of Atriya. The author makes him real, even in this dystopian sci-fi environment. As a reader, I easily became invested in him, although I have little in common with him. Atriya is violent and can and does kill without compunction, but something else bubbling to the surface, something he can’t grasp just yet.
He goes to seek advice from a chaplain, another Crusader, a woman named Verus. I suspect that Wayne is familiar enough with the Classical world to know that “verus” means “true” in Latin. (A purist might bellyache it’s for masculine nouns, of course.) Verus herself seems something of an enigma. Atriya understands this. She is a chaplain, but she is not overly religious. One overdone aspect of the character is she seems to be something of a prophet. She foresees Atriya leaving when he has no reason to leave.
Their relationship is platonic. As a matter of fact, unlike so much of this sort of writing, there is no sex. Atriya does not stop by to toss the sheets with a casual lover or working girl and discuss the meaning of life on Echo. I found the absence of such a hackneyed scene a relief.
However, the reader has to endure some info dumps regarding things like nifty weapons and societal hierarchy. The reader encounters a lot of specialized terminology throughout the book, including the title, which is only explained near the end. There are some gory scenes, including cannibalism.
Tension steadily builds till the end. Atriya manages to annoy the wrong people, who are willing to seek revenge with friends. As a reader, I’m fully there with him. I care. I want to see him succeed. His career is threatened, and his life is in danger. He has limited choices. He decides if this is it for him, he’s going to take as many of them as he can with him.
—Flip the page… the book ends… I mutter words that cast doubt on whether the author’s parents were married—
The first volume, which I admit I did not pay for, includes the first three chapters of the next volume, so the reader gets a good glimpse of what’s to come.
Tricky!
Will I read volume two? Probably. After I wade through some fifty other books, including the one my dearly beloved gave me for Christmas.
All in all, I enjoyed this book.
July 26, 2019
Echo Volume 1: Approaching Shatter by Kent Wayne (2015) is a wonderful and gripping read with excellent descriptive detail. Set in the latter part of the 21st century, humans have left Earth and are now residing on a planet called Echo. 1200 years pass and the citizens living on Echo are being suppressed by society while the authority called the Regime rules over them. A large rebel group called the Dissidents are a source of concern for the police and military. Amongst all the chaos we find the protagonist Atriya, a former enforcer, whose idealist nature is in contrast with the oppression surrounding him.
It is a very action packed novel with detailed observation by the central character. As I read, I was reminded of Tom Rob Smith’s writing. Wayne has that same attention to detail which easily paints a picture of the various locations and characters in your mind as well as making a lot of information a reader needs to know accessible and easy to follow. There’s a lot of fictional military rank structures and Wayne makes it very easy to follow even for readers like me who wouldn’t have clue about how structures of rank work. The story also has an underlying social commentary element to it. You can’t help seeing similarities to our own world with those above and below the law but done in a fictional sci-fi way. It speaks about inequality, power struggles and oppression in society and how people often turn a blind eye to it to advance even though they can see the world is in a state of decay. It also represents in parts how people get socially-conditioned to a certain way of life and can’t understand when people bring up change or progress. Wayne also wonderfully captures the inner turmoil and confusion many people feel about this resistance to change structures and attitudes through the central character and I could definitely relate to that. But my favorite character and the character I identified with the most was Verus. She’s just this ordinary woman but really gutsy and seems to go for what she wants as opposed to what she thinks society wants for her and I hope to see her more in later books of the series.
A very interesting author biography is also included with the story as are the first three chapters of book 2 in the series which looks really good.
All in all, a brilliant read which leaves the reader wanting to see how Atriya’s journey continues and the story progresses in the follow-up novels.
It is a very action packed novel with detailed observation by the central character. As I read, I was reminded of Tom Rob Smith’s writing. Wayne has that same attention to detail which easily paints a picture of the various locations and characters in your mind as well as making a lot of information a reader needs to know accessible and easy to follow. There’s a lot of fictional military rank structures and Wayne makes it very easy to follow even for readers like me who wouldn’t have clue about how structures of rank work. The story also has an underlying social commentary element to it. You can’t help seeing similarities to our own world with those above and below the law but done in a fictional sci-fi way. It speaks about inequality, power struggles and oppression in society and how people often turn a blind eye to it to advance even though they can see the world is in a state of decay. It also represents in parts how people get socially-conditioned to a certain way of life and can’t understand when people bring up change or progress. Wayne also wonderfully captures the inner turmoil and confusion many people feel about this resistance to change structures and attitudes through the central character and I could definitely relate to that. But my favorite character and the character I identified with the most was Verus. She’s just this ordinary woman but really gutsy and seems to go for what she wants as opposed to what she thinks society wants for her and I hope to see her more in later books of the series.
A very interesting author biography is also included with the story as are the first three chapters of book 2 in the series which looks really good.
All in all, a brilliant read which leaves the reader wanting to see how Atriya’s journey continues and the story progresses in the follow-up novels.
July 21, 2020
In this story, you find yourself thrown into the midst of a futuristic version of humanity. Earth has been abandoned due to climate change destroying most of it, and now humans live on Echo. Echo is a copy of Earth, but it is mostly inhabited by humans. Now, governments have merged, the Department of Enforcement was created to crush the Dissident rebels, and half of this planet is decaying as the rich live up in the sky where they can pretend to not see the chaos of Echo.
Atriya is one of these Enforcers. He follows orders and is a good soldier, but lately, he has been wondering what it is all for. He is strong, but he can’t help but think about the soldiers who have been permanently crippled as a punishment for not passing the training process. There are also the soldiers who aren’t worthy of their title, who tell wild stories in order to receive praise from strangers even though they were cowards on the battlefield. What finally makes him stop and think is speaking to his friend Verus, a priest for the church that follows the writings of the Judge. Atriya wants to break the cycle of darkness, but no one on Echo knows any other way to live.
I usually dislike stories based on a fictional military simply because they usually involve a lot of fighting without any thought. However, this book was absolutely amazing as it explores the ideas of human strength, war, and even how religious writings are interpreted. I enjoyed the action scenes, but my favorite part was being in Atriya’s head and seeing the broken world of Echo through his eyes, the eyes of a person who has never known hope.
My second favorite part of the story was hearing about the religion where people would listen to the writings of the Judge. My favorite quote was “other ministers used the Judge’s words to condemn and divide”. This really made me think about how religion would be perceived thousands of years into the future. Would people still be divisive, or would they accept each other and simply use religion as another way to come together peacefully?
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants an action-adventure story with military aspects, and who also is interested in any story that can make you think about humanity in the future. My only warning is that some of the fight scenes are on the graphic side, but they did not make me feel uncomfortable.
Atriya is one of these Enforcers. He follows orders and is a good soldier, but lately, he has been wondering what it is all for. He is strong, but he can’t help but think about the soldiers who have been permanently crippled as a punishment for not passing the training process. There are also the soldiers who aren’t worthy of their title, who tell wild stories in order to receive praise from strangers even though they were cowards on the battlefield. What finally makes him stop and think is speaking to his friend Verus, a priest for the church that follows the writings of the Judge. Atriya wants to break the cycle of darkness, but no one on Echo knows any other way to live.
I usually dislike stories based on a fictional military simply because they usually involve a lot of fighting without any thought. However, this book was absolutely amazing as it explores the ideas of human strength, war, and even how religious writings are interpreted. I enjoyed the action scenes, but my favorite part was being in Atriya’s head and seeing the broken world of Echo through his eyes, the eyes of a person who has never known hope.
My second favorite part of the story was hearing about the religion where people would listen to the writings of the Judge. My favorite quote was “other ministers used the Judge’s words to condemn and divide”. This really made me think about how religion would be perceived thousands of years into the future. Would people still be divisive, or would they accept each other and simply use religion as another way to come together peacefully?
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants an action-adventure story with military aspects, and who also is interested in any story that can make you think about humanity in the future. My only warning is that some of the fight scenes are on the graphic side, but they did not make me feel uncomfortable.
January 2, 2020
As a whole, I would definitely recommend ECHO. The book had excellent style (though, fair warning, it did dip into the gruesome a little). The named characters all felt different, especially those with significant screen time, and each felt very thoughtful. The prose dipped into melodrama and overuse of Latinate vocabulary a couple of times, but I accept that this is an indie book that didn't have a team of editors prepping it for bestseller (though it is still better than a lot of the trash that does become bestsellers). There were a few too many opportunities where Wayne explained the world rather than showed it, but this didn't ruin my desire to finish the book.
For a military fiction, I found the entire book extremely thought-provoking and well designed. I don't mind a little gore that's meaningful (or very purposefully not-meaningful, like in Ash Vs. Evil Dead), and everything in ECHO was rather tasteful or thought out.
Beyond that, though, the military aspects didn't seem to be the most important. After looking at Wayne's blog, it's pretty obvious that philosophy and mindfulness are important to the author, but I wasn't expecting just how approachable he had made that interest. Out of everything I was worried about coming into the book, being inundated with philosophical bullshit was one of the top concerns. He hid it well into the backdrop of his world and the story as a whole. As a non-Buddhist, I appreciated how he handled this very well.
Like in the summary, though, there was some bad news in this story. The ending was really rough. I watched my Kindle percentage climb, and I kept wondering how the hell it was going to wrap up. When I got to the end, I didn't feel like it was an appropriate cliffhanger - it didn't leave me aching for a next book, it left me feeling incomplete, like I needed a next chapter that should have come with the first book. If you feel like this book may be for you, don't waste your time on book 1 alone; buy one of the omnibuses so that you can see what happens and not get the sinking disappointment of ECHO Volume 1's ending.
For a military fiction, I found the entire book extremely thought-provoking and well designed. I don't mind a little gore that's meaningful (or very purposefully not-meaningful, like in Ash Vs. Evil Dead), and everything in ECHO was rather tasteful or thought out.
Beyond that, though, the military aspects didn't seem to be the most important. After looking at Wayne's blog, it's pretty obvious that philosophy and mindfulness are important to the author, but I wasn't expecting just how approachable he had made that interest. Out of everything I was worried about coming into the book, being inundated with philosophical bullshit was one of the top concerns. He hid it well into the backdrop of his world and the story as a whole. As a non-Buddhist, I appreciated how he handled this very well.
Like in the summary, though, there was some bad news in this story. The ending was really rough. I watched my Kindle percentage climb, and I kept wondering how the hell it was going to wrap up. When I got to the end, I didn't feel like it was an appropriate cliffhanger - it didn't leave me aching for a next book, it left me feeling incomplete, like I needed a next chapter that should have come with the first book. If you feel like this book may be for you, don't waste your time on book 1 alone; buy one of the omnibuses so that you can see what happens and not get the sinking disappointment of ECHO Volume 1's ending.
October 4, 2018
An interesting look at a futuristic version of humanity. Global warming has made Earth uninhabitable, and now humans live on similar planet called Echo. Governments and corporations have merged and created the Department of Enforcement to crush the Dissident rebels who are fighting to make their lives better. Much of Echo is in a rapidly deteriorating state. but the elite live up in the sky where they can ignore the chaos threatening to destroy Echo.
The main character, Atriya, is one of the Department of Enforcement's highly-trained Enforcers. As a good soldier, he follows orders. However lately, he has been having second thoughts and strange ideas. He wonders about things that he shouldn't and wants to do something, but is unsure of what path to take. This is the source of the story's conflict and the narrative unfolds from there.
I do not usually read a lot of science fiction, but I do like military fiction, so I took a chance on it. This book was pretty darn good because it is not just about the action. It also explores the ideas of humanity, courage, strength, bureaucracy run amuck, war, and even religion.
I have one comments. I've always loved westerns, especially Louis L'Amour. But I could never get into Zane Gray. That was because Zane Gray included way to much detail. I have an imagination. Let me use it. Echo 1 is kind of that way. Maybe not as bad as Zane Gray!
I haggled over 4 or 5 stars for this book for a few days, and settled in on 4.5 ... which rounds off to 5 anyway. Military science fiction readers will love it!
The main character, Atriya, is one of the Department of Enforcement's highly-trained Enforcers. As a good soldier, he follows orders. However lately, he has been having second thoughts and strange ideas. He wonders about things that he shouldn't and wants to do something, but is unsure of what path to take. This is the source of the story's conflict and the narrative unfolds from there.
I do not usually read a lot of science fiction, but I do like military fiction, so I took a chance on it. This book was pretty darn good because it is not just about the action. It also explores the ideas of humanity, courage, strength, bureaucracy run amuck, war, and even religion.
I have one comments. I've always loved westerns, especially Louis L'Amour. But I could never get into Zane Gray. That was because Zane Gray included way to much detail. I have an imagination. Let me use it. Echo 1 is kind of that way. Maybe not as bad as Zane Gray!
I haggled over 4 or 5 stars for this book for a few days, and settled in on 4.5 ... which rounds off to 5 anyway. Military science fiction readers will love it!
December 19, 2022
Philosophical action, set in a dystopian off-world hell. Approaching Shatter is the first in the Echo series. This work introduces Atriya, the main character.
Atriya is a member of an elite unit of the military forces for The Regime on Echo. It’s clear from the beginnings that he is different. And most of this book is more about his self-reflection of his differences. There is a very strong undercurrent of brutal and cruel violence, but for the most part it stays just under the surface.
In this installment, we meet Verus, a Chaplin who plays an important role in Atriya’s internal growth, as well as, some of his fighting skills. We are also introduced to Benson, Atriya’s former platoon sergeant, who is an all around tool. Unfortunately, Benson is a very well connected douche and that will be the catalyst of the obviously approaching change of heart in the hero.
What happens to Atriya on his next mission and how that change of heart plays out is something that we will have to wait for in the next installment of the series.
Atriya is a member of an elite unit of the military forces for The Regime on Echo. It’s clear from the beginnings that he is different. And most of this book is more about his self-reflection of his differences. There is a very strong undercurrent of brutal and cruel violence, but for the most part it stays just under the surface.
In this installment, we meet Verus, a Chaplin who plays an important role in Atriya’s internal growth, as well as, some of his fighting skills. We are also introduced to Benson, Atriya’s former platoon sergeant, who is an all around tool. Unfortunately, Benson is a very well connected douche and that will be the catalyst of the obviously approaching change of heart in the hero.
What happens to Atriya on his next mission and how that change of heart plays out is something that we will have to wait for in the next installment of the series.
January 19, 2019
The story in this novel is unresolved which caught me off-guard. I’m glad the author included the first three chapters of the next book because this one ended where it was getting more intriguing. I bought the next book immediately.
I do like the world-building, but I wish there were more showing than telling because the first half of the book was too much descriptions and background that it couldn’t hold my interest and several times I had to put it down.
I was very much engaged during the second half, though - Atriya being a character I enjoyed following, and the author’s writing style to my liking - that by the time the novel ended, I was ready to dive into the next book.
Atriya has a lot to overcome, both physical danger and mental distress, and from what I’ve read from the next book, it seems like it’s gonna be a thrill ride and I can’t wait.
I do like the world-building, but I wish there were more showing than telling because the first half of the book was too much descriptions and background that it couldn’t hold my interest and several times I had to put it down.
I was very much engaged during the second half, though - Atriya being a character I enjoyed following, and the author’s writing style to my liking - that by the time the novel ended, I was ready to dive into the next book.
Atriya has a lot to overcome, both physical danger and mental distress, and from what I’ve read from the next book, it seems like it’s gonna be a thrill ride and I can’t wait.
October 18, 2020
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, which is generally a good thing as long as I know that it's at least somewhat "up my alley." The first thing I noticed was the amount of cursing in the beginning. No big deal, just know it is there. It did taper off a bit toward the middle.
The story is cool, and I am not going to write some huge review where I recount the story and all of that. It is set in the future and on a different planet. The main character is in the military and is going through some internal stuff that brings about change and challenge. The story is short and ends in a cliffhanger. I wished it were longer, but the solution is to buy the second and see what happens.
Overall, the writing is pretty good. There is nothing weird or unnatural about it, and nothing distracts from the story.
The story is cool, and I am not going to write some huge review where I recount the story and all of that. It is set in the future and on a different planet. The main character is in the military and is going through some internal stuff that brings about change and challenge. The story is short and ends in a cliffhanger. I wished it were longer, but the solution is to buy the second and see what happens.
Overall, the writing is pretty good. There is nothing weird or unnatural about it, and nothing distracts from the story.
October 19, 2017
This book was recommended to me by a friend, who said that I wouldn't be disappointed. And they were right.
Atriya is a strong character. The way his character is written draws you in and makes you feel like you know him. The entire book is well written with the descriptions allowing you to picture it all. The planet, Echo, and all of its havoc, people (especially the Deesidints), and environment filling the pages.
I found this book to flow nicely. Books like this, I usually find myself skimming over passages, but I found myself not wanting to with this book. Can't wait to read the rest of the series!
Atriya is a strong character. The way his character is written draws you in and makes you feel like you know him. The entire book is well written with the descriptions allowing you to picture it all. The planet, Echo, and all of its havoc, people (especially the Deesidints), and environment filling the pages.
I found this book to flow nicely. Books like this, I usually find myself skimming over passages, but I found myself not wanting to with this book. Can't wait to read the rest of the series!
October 1, 2019
This is violent (inherently so, given the story) with some difficult language (e.g. fatphobia, r-word, and discussion of sci-fi body-morphing that implies negativity toward physical disabilities/differences — unfortunate language that seems less inherent to the story and therefore less necessary). I had trouble getting into the genre in part because of this. In other respects, though, I felt the language was strong in a positive way.
December 26, 2017
Enjoyable
For me, who doesn’t know a lot about weapons, the descriptions were great, if a bit long. Although not a ton physically happens, the read is still interesting as the main character thinks through what his life means up to this point. The fight scenes are brutal. Graphic in a way that’s not inappropriate but attention grabbing. I’ll be adding the next book to my list.
For me, who doesn’t know a lot about weapons, the descriptions were great, if a bit long. Although not a ton physically happens, the read is still interesting as the main character thinks through what his life means up to this point. The fight scenes are brutal. Graphic in a way that’s not inappropriate but attention grabbing. I’ll be adding the next book to my list.
January 13, 2018
First Book? Well Written!
The story told herein is incredible. It takes the world of science fiction and takes it to an incredible, apocalyptic level. On top of that, it has tech ninjas, literal boatloads of bullets, and a nigh-unstoppable force of a man. I'm very pleased, looking forward to reading the next one!
The story told herein is incredible. It takes the world of science fiction and takes it to an incredible, apocalyptic level. On top of that, it has tech ninjas, literal boatloads of bullets, and a nigh-unstoppable force of a man. I'm very pleased, looking forward to reading the next one!
April 25, 2018
First time reading this genre. I thought the story was interesting. Don't know why I kept thinking of the video game Destiny or Halo while reading it, but it was what allowed me to get through the book. Atriya is a great protagonist, but if there were swear jars in this story, it would have been filled up with the amount of language lol.
May 5, 2018
Well written.
This is a well written book with just enough detail to keep your interest. It's a book about the military and it's mildly realistic in its portrayal of military personnels interactions, warriors aren't politicians nor do they always mind their manners or their mouths. That bring said, if you enjoy futuristic military tales, this is the book for you.
This is a well written book with just enough detail to keep your interest. It's a book about the military and it's mildly realistic in its portrayal of military personnels interactions, warriors aren't politicians nor do they always mind their manners or their mouths. That bring said, if you enjoy futuristic military tales, this is the book for you.
May 20, 2019
Great opener.
Here is a great book one to a larger work. You get a good feeling about the characters without the whole story being spoiled. I usually do not read books in a series together because my tastes vary from day to day but, this one is an exception I am definitely moving on to the next book.
Here is a great book one to a larger work. You get a good feeling about the characters without the whole story being spoiled. I usually do not read books in a series together because my tastes vary from day to day but, this one is an exception I am definitely moving on to the next book.
February 20, 2023
A Dark Future
This first instalment of the Echo series is a really enjoyable read. As well as being descriptive with the technology of the future and simple with social interactions, a darker side is offered. A gritty world where more of our bad qualities than good left Earth.
I'm looking forward to reading the sequels!
This first instalment of the Echo series is a really enjoyable read. As well as being descriptive with the technology of the future and simple with social interactions, a darker side is offered. A gritty world where more of our bad qualities than good left Earth.
I'm looking forward to reading the sequels!
August 11, 2018
“I will absolutely be continuing the series, and I’m excited to see how the author has progressed.”
To read my full review, please go to:
https://kleighboulanger.wordpress.com...
To read my full review, please go to:
https://kleighboulanger.wordpress.com...
January 3, 2019
A very well-written, gritty, dystopian tale. The pacing is superb, with Atriya's story and the realities of Echo revealed in tantalizing pieces. Settle in for the long haul -- you won't be able to stop with volume 1.
December 10, 2022
The world Kent Wayne has created here is dark and gritty, and I'm all about it. I can appreciate an author that unapologetically writes the unpleasant things that pop into their brain. I'm excited to continue Atriya's journey and see what kind of trouble he can get into.
June 17, 2024
Great intro to a great indie author
Loved it.
Exciting, intriguing and unexpectedly thought provoking (I went in knowing nothing about it)
Multilayered action sci-fi, with a deep undercurrent.
I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
Loved it.
Exciting, intriguing and unexpectedly thought provoking (I went in knowing nothing about it)
Multilayered action sci-fi, with a deep undercurrent.
I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
August 29, 2025
An interesting concept. More militaristic, the book reminded me of Ender's Game more than anything else. I struggled to get into the world as much as hoped, but this is more a reflection of personal bias than anything else...
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