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Echoes Trilogy #1
Echoes of War
Decades of war started by a genocidal faction of aliens threatens the existence of any human or alien resisting their rule on Earth. Dani survives by scavenging enough supplies to live another day while avoiding the local military and human-hunting Wardens. But then she learns that she is part of the nearly immortal alien race of Echoes—not the human she’s always thought herself to be—and suddenly nothing in her life seems certain.
Following her discovery of her alien roots, Dani risks her well-being to save a boy from becoming a slave—a move that only serves to make her already-tenuous existence on the fringes of society in Maine even more unstable, and which forces her to revisit events and people from past lives she can’t remember. Dani believes the only way to defeat the Wardens and end their dominance is to unite the Commonwealth’s military and civilians, and she becomes resolved to play her part in this battle. Her attempts to change the bleak future facing the humans and Echoes living on Earth suffering under the Wardens will lead her to clash with a tyrant determined to kill her and all humankind—a confrontation that even her near-immortal heritage may not be able to help her survive.
Following her discovery of her alien roots, Dani risks her well-being to save a boy from becoming a slave—a move that only serves to make her already-tenuous existence on the fringes of society in Maine even more unstable, and which forces her to revisit events and people from past lives she can’t remember. Dani believes the only way to defeat the Wardens and end their dominance is to unite the Commonwealth’s military and civilians, and she becomes resolved to play her part in this battle. Her attempts to change the bleak future facing the humans and Echoes living on Earth suffering under the Wardens will lead her to clash with a tyrant determined to kill her and all humankind—a confrontation that even her near-immortal heritage may not be able to help her survive.
402 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 10, 2019
15 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
Cheryl Campbell
9 books14 followersCheryl Campbell was born in Louisiana and lived there and in Mississippi prior to moving to New England. Her varied background includes art, herpetology, emergency department and critical care nursing, and computer systems.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
September 20, 2023
Great writing, enticing story...but way too much profanity and sexual content.
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July 15, 2019I've read some raving reviews of this book on Goodreads, which prompted me to request an ARC... I can't see where the praise is coming from.
The protagonist drove me bonkers from the first page until page 100 when I said goodbye to the story. She is supposed to be in her late 20s, but she acts like an immature 13 year old. She throws tantrums, she doesn't listen to anyone, she throws tantrums left and right, she live in total disregard for her own safety in a a place where humans are constantly hunted.
I didn't want to follow her story. All I wanted in those first 100 pages was to slap some common sense into her. Thanks, but no thanks. I'm out.
The protagonist drove me bonkers from the first page until page 100 when I said goodbye to the story. She is supposed to be in her late 20s, but she acts like an immature 13 year old. She throws tantrums, she doesn't listen to anyone, she throws tantrums left and right, she live in total disregard for her own safety in a a place where humans are constantly hunted.
I didn't want to follow her story. All I wanted in those first 100 pages was to slap some common sense into her. Thanks, but no thanks. I'm out.
September 10, 2019
This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, I can’t give this book more than two stars because I didn’t finish it. I made it to 66%.
It has a very strong beginning, with an intriguing world build and action scenes. The characters for the first quarter of the novel seem to be building into a good cast – we have Dani, the scavenger who has an aptitude for fighting, and we have Miles, a cop with a conscience.
It’s a very realistic setting and I enjoyed the concept of the Echoes very much. It’s very concise in terms of prose, which works well for the action scenes, but does not work for building emotional resonance with the characters.
Unfortunately, once the (very exciting) opening action scene dissolves, the characters, tension, and writing go with it.
We jump through time so quickly (and not just once, but several times) and as such we never see the characters interact outside of important plot-building scenes. Suddenly someone is in love with someone else, but we’ve never had a hint of it before. The couple hasn’t exchanged two sentences of dialogue before this reveal, and their decision to delay their relationship didn’t make sense to me. An obvious plot twist arrives with a convenient detail that will likely lead to a love triangle (maybe not – this is just conjecture on my part).
There is a child who speaks like an adult and an adult who acts like a teenager. The latter is exacerbated because the men in the novel are constantly speaking for or determining the choices of the female protagonist, which irritated me. Possibly this is resolved or dealt with somehow, but, again, I didn’t finish it.
Likewise, there no discussion or internal musing on the implications (psychologically) of being an Echo. I really enjoyed the Echo concept but it was sadly used more as a plot device than a thought experiment about immortality or other existential concepts.
The villain’s motivations were too far-reaching to be truly menacing and the attempt to humanize him by giving him a family didn’t really work. Tied to this, there are no stakes in this novel because it seems like everyone’s life is fine. Other than the battle at the start, people seem to be living normally (albeit in a post-apocalyptic atmosphere). No one appears to be suffering under the Wardens other than a few instances here and there. Perhaps because I don’t live in that country, I had trouble with the references to cities. I only know Bangor is in Maine because of Stephen King.
Likewise, the differences between the two civilian sets wasn’t explained very well. I didn’t understand the animosity between the two groups or why they were disparate.
Overall, I didn’t think the novel was that bad, I just got bored. Others might be very into it, but it wasn't my style.
Unfortunately, I can’t give this book more than two stars because I didn’t finish it. I made it to 66%.
It has a very strong beginning, with an intriguing world build and action scenes. The characters for the first quarter of the novel seem to be building into a good cast – we have Dani, the scavenger who has an aptitude for fighting, and we have Miles, a cop with a conscience.
It’s a very realistic setting and I enjoyed the concept of the Echoes very much. It’s very concise in terms of prose, which works well for the action scenes, but does not work for building emotional resonance with the characters.
Unfortunately, once the (very exciting) opening action scene dissolves, the characters, tension, and writing go with it.
We jump through time so quickly (and not just once, but several times) and as such we never see the characters interact outside of important plot-building scenes. Suddenly someone is in love with someone else, but we’ve never had a hint of it before. The couple hasn’t exchanged two sentences of dialogue before this reveal, and their decision to delay their relationship didn’t make sense to me. An obvious plot twist arrives with a convenient detail that will likely lead to a love triangle (maybe not – this is just conjecture on my part).
There is a child who speaks like an adult and an adult who acts like a teenager. The latter is exacerbated because the men in the novel are constantly speaking for or determining the choices of the female protagonist, which irritated me. Possibly this is resolved or dealt with somehow, but, again, I didn’t finish it.
Likewise, there no discussion or internal musing on the implications (psychologically) of being an Echo. I really enjoyed the Echo concept but it was sadly used more as a plot device than a thought experiment about immortality or other existential concepts.
The villain’s motivations were too far-reaching to be truly menacing and the attempt to humanize him by giving him a family didn’t really work. Tied to this, there are no stakes in this novel because it seems like everyone’s life is fine. Other than the battle at the start, people seem to be living normally (albeit in a post-apocalyptic atmosphere). No one appears to be suffering under the Wardens other than a few instances here and there. Perhaps because I don’t live in that country, I had trouble with the references to cities. I only know Bangor is in Maine because of Stephen King.
Likewise, the differences between the two civilian sets wasn’t explained very well. I didn’t understand the animosity between the two groups or why they were disparate.
Overall, I didn’t think the novel was that bad, I just got bored. Others might be very into it, but it wasn't my style.
January 18, 2020
Good entry to the beginning of the Echoes Trilogy by Cheryl Campbell. I'm really a beginner in Sci-Fi genre and while I do like fantasy I enjoyed a lot elements about this book. I think the beginning was interesting enough but after about 50 pages in all the way up to 75% of the way into the book it was kind of repetitive. While there was plenty of action and fighting scenes, and the book seemed to keep me fairly entertained, I never felt invested in the characters up until the last 25% of the book. Once I did get to the last hundred pages that's when I really just wanted to finish the book because at that I point I started to care about the characters. And it was only until the end I felt like I was fully invested in the characters. I will say did love the MC Dani, despite her not having that much character development. Tenacity I think is a word that describes well. Didn't care so much for her love interests, and the antagonist although intimidating, I did find kinda boring. So this first book in this trilogy almost was like a one long introduction. Overall, I think it was a solid attempt especially if you're to Sci-Fi + Post Apocalyptic stories but for me it slightly misses the mark. I'd be more than happy to read the next book, but I'm not sure that'd be on the top of priority list.
October 14, 2019
I received a free copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads
Spoiler-Free Review
Cheryl Campbell is a new-to-me author
Echoes of War is the debut in the Echoes Trilogy.
I'm always looking for something a bit different that melds several genres together, a novel that I won't forget as soon as I start another. Dystopian meets Science Fiction.
Echoes of war was rich in detail, painting a fully envisioned world, without being laden with too much description. Earth has been overrun with aliens in this dystopian tale, Dani is one of the human survivors, doing all she can to stay that way. I was able to get a good grasp on the world building, without it being spoon-fed to me, nor was it lacking explanation.
Starting off with a bang, Echoes of War is action-packed and exciting, spanning a long period of time. Where I had difficulty is how the time seemed to jump forward, the characters felt different.
While the world building and war-torn environment were stellar, this was at the expense at the character development and relationship connections. There wasn't much growth for the characters, actions/reactions not jiving up to their maturing ages, sounding more young adult than adult, whereas young children sounded mature and logical in comparison.
I thoroughly enjoyed Echoes of War and look forward to continuing the trilogy. Recommended to those looking for something different, who are more interested in action and world building vs character building.
Spoiler-Free Review
Cheryl Campbell is a new-to-me author
Echoes of War is the debut in the Echoes Trilogy.
I'm always looking for something a bit different that melds several genres together, a novel that I won't forget as soon as I start another. Dystopian meets Science Fiction.
Echoes of war was rich in detail, painting a fully envisioned world, without being laden with too much description. Earth has been overrun with aliens in this dystopian tale, Dani is one of the human survivors, doing all she can to stay that way. I was able to get a good grasp on the world building, without it being spoon-fed to me, nor was it lacking explanation.
Starting off with a bang, Echoes of War is action-packed and exciting, spanning a long period of time. Where I had difficulty is how the time seemed to jump forward, the characters felt different.
While the world building and war-torn environment were stellar, this was at the expense at the character development and relationship connections. There wasn't much growth for the characters, actions/reactions not jiving up to their maturing ages, sounding more young adult than adult, whereas young children sounded mature and logical in comparison.
I thoroughly enjoyed Echoes of War and look forward to continuing the trilogy. Recommended to those looking for something different, who are more interested in action and world building vs character building.
September 16, 2019
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4 STARS
I thoroughly love a good post-apocalyptic/dystopian and I also love good sci-fi. Plus you know your girl loves a fierce female protagonist who is flawed and relatable. So when I saw this one on NetGalley, I knew I wanted to give it a try! I have had a harder time personally finding a good sci-fi lately, so I went into this hoping to find something engaging and unique. Boy did I find it! Echoes of War did not disappoint!
I loved the fact that Dani was far from perfect. She makes mistakes, sometimes even really big ones. This made her character so much more believable and complex. I enjoyed her gradual growth as a character from the first chapter, right up to the very end, the changes brought about by not only the events that unfold but the friendships she builds over the years. I also truly enjoyed all of her different "lives" that we were shown.
I will confess that because you are literally THROWN into the action, I found the first few chapters a bit confusing and it was difficult to really tell what was going on. Once I got my head around that beginning though, I found Echoes of War a difficult novel to put down.
Cheryl Campbell does an outstanding job of creating a story that instantly pulls you into the rapid-fire action while at the same time builds a new world within it. The world-building was phenomenal as she uses current day geography and landmarks told from a future date. This quickly allowed me as the reader to relate to the story and the challenges faced by the characters. Mix it all with alien occupied earth, the battle for human survival and you find yourself in twists and turns that leave you wanting more of the world as soon as you put the book down.
The romances and the characters were complex, and while I love a good romance, I was glad to see that this was not the focus of the novel. I also had a teeny-tiny bit of a hard time with Gavin's love for Dani. It did feel a bit sudden and out of the blue, kind of insta-love, with not enough scenes to establish or set up the relationship for us the reader. I did enjoy their relationship as the story went on though and we saw more interaction with them.
Overall, Echoes of War is an exciting, action-packed, sci-fi thriller that Cheryl Campbell has created. It is unique enough to stand out amongst the genre, and it's just a solid post-apocalyptic tale. I really enjoyed Echoes of War, and am excited to see what Cheryl Campbell comes up with in the sequel.
Content:
Adult language and violence throughout. (R)
Mild sexual references (PG-13)
*Special Thanks to NetGalley and SparkPress for the advanced copies in exchange for my honest review!*
4 STARS
I thoroughly love a good post-apocalyptic/dystopian and I also love good sci-fi. Plus you know your girl loves a fierce female protagonist who is flawed and relatable. So when I saw this one on NetGalley, I knew I wanted to give it a try! I have had a harder time personally finding a good sci-fi lately, so I went into this hoping to find something engaging and unique. Boy did I find it! Echoes of War did not disappoint!
I loved the fact that Dani was far from perfect. She makes mistakes, sometimes even really big ones. This made her character so much more believable and complex. I enjoyed her gradual growth as a character from the first chapter, right up to the very end, the changes brought about by not only the events that unfold but the friendships she builds over the years. I also truly enjoyed all of her different "lives" that we were shown.
I will confess that because you are literally THROWN into the action, I found the first few chapters a bit confusing and it was difficult to really tell what was going on. Once I got my head around that beginning though, I found Echoes of War a difficult novel to put down.
Cheryl Campbell does an outstanding job of creating a story that instantly pulls you into the rapid-fire action while at the same time builds a new world within it. The world-building was phenomenal as she uses current day geography and landmarks told from a future date. This quickly allowed me as the reader to relate to the story and the challenges faced by the characters. Mix it all with alien occupied earth, the battle for human survival and you find yourself in twists and turns that leave you wanting more of the world as soon as you put the book down.
The romances and the characters were complex, and while I love a good romance, I was glad to see that this was not the focus of the novel. I also had a teeny-tiny bit of a hard time with Gavin's love for Dani. It did feel a bit sudden and out of the blue, kind of insta-love, with not enough scenes to establish or set up the relationship for us the reader. I did enjoy their relationship as the story went on though and we saw more interaction with them.
Overall, Echoes of War is an exciting, action-packed, sci-fi thriller that Cheryl Campbell has created. It is unique enough to stand out amongst the genre, and it's just a solid post-apocalyptic tale. I really enjoyed Echoes of War, and am excited to see what Cheryl Campbell comes up with in the sequel.
Content:
Adult language and violence throughout. (R)
Mild sexual references (PG-13)
*Special Thanks to NetGalley and SparkPress for the advanced copies in exchange for my honest review!*
August 21, 2019
This was really interesting, so well written, amazing world building and the banter between characters I just loved so much. I loved the fact the main character wasn’t flawless and she was so genuine and real. This is a great start and I can’t wait to read more from this series.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
August 28, 2020
I really don't know what to make of this. It has lovely world building, a great protagonist, some fun secondary characters, and action scenes. But there is a lot here that I did not like: for one, its how the relationships between our main group is portrayed. There's also some hiccups with how Dani's condition is used. And our main villain is unreasonably obsessed with Dan, all because she got the drop on him one time.
So we are set in a future dystopian North Eastern USA where humans are living in a world that has been invaded by a race of Aliens called Ekkhos (or the human derivative, Echo). Echos are not only technologically advanced enough to splice their DNA with humans so they look more like them, but they are so long lived that they are almost immortal. They can be killed, but there's a catch: As long as they aren't killed via decapitation, or other equally devastating ways, they can regenerate. When they do, however, they come back as younger versions of themselves but with the knowledge they picked up as they aged in their older bodies. Except Dani, who gets reset as a ten year old in both body and mind. This is a cool premise, and I enjoyed that Dani's condition had some interesting consequences for her older brother. What I did not like is how it was used to help further along Dani's love life. She falls for her trainer, another Echo who is of an indistinguishable age, but is certainly much older than Dani's 25 years. It is uncomfortable to think that while they might be closer in age technically (Dani has existed for around 70 years), due to Dani's condition, she was mentally the age she appears. It didn't sit right with me, especially since her original love interest shows up, and she also has a young woman named Mary who is also interested in her. Mary possibly treats her the best of the three, but it is obvious that her original love interest still may hold her affections.
And that's where some of the pacing comes into play. It's not bad with regards to the events of the world at large, but the interpersonal stuff between the group and Dani feels slightly off. Like Dani suddenly being attracted to her teacher, then acting on it. There's no build up at all to it. Even with Miles, her original love interest, there's problems. The only real build up of a potential romantic relationship is between Dani and Mary - especially since Dani acts differently with Mary than the guys. Heck, even the 12 year old that she saves has a better build up than her male love interests.
There are some other questions about the political movements that I had, especially between the two human factions that are at war with each other and the Echos. I wish there was more time to develop why they're fighting each other, especially with an alien race that seems to believe they're gods, trying to exterminate humans. I know there will be time to explore Dani and the Echos further, but since this book was so heavy on the humans, I wish we got a little more time to understand their politics more.
I'd say this is an okay sci-fi book, especially since Dani and her character growth is so interesting. But it falls short with the interpersonal relationships between the main group, and the main villian, who is just not that compelling. I will read the second book, but will do so with some cautious optimism.
So we are set in a future dystopian North Eastern USA where humans are living in a world that has been invaded by a race of Aliens called Ekkhos (or the human derivative, Echo). Echos are not only technologically advanced enough to splice their DNA with humans so they look more like them, but they are so long lived that they are almost immortal. They can be killed, but there's a catch: As long as they aren't killed via decapitation, or other equally devastating ways, they can regenerate. When they do, however, they come back as younger versions of themselves but with the knowledge they picked up as they aged in their older bodies. Except Dani, who gets reset as a ten year old in both body and mind. This is a cool premise, and I enjoyed that Dani's condition had some interesting consequences for her older brother. What I did not like is how it was used to help further along Dani's love life. She falls for her trainer, another Echo who is of an indistinguishable age, but is certainly much older than Dani's 25 years. It is uncomfortable to think that while they might be closer in age technically (Dani has existed for around 70 years), due to Dani's condition, she was mentally the age she appears. It didn't sit right with me, especially since her original love interest shows up, and she also has a young woman named Mary who is also interested in her. Mary possibly treats her the best of the three, but it is obvious that her original love interest still may hold her affections.
And that's where some of the pacing comes into play. It's not bad with regards to the events of the world at large, but the interpersonal stuff between the group and Dani feels slightly off. Like Dani suddenly being attracted to her teacher, then acting on it. There's no build up at all to it. Even with Miles, her original love interest, there's problems. The only real build up of a potential romantic relationship is between Dani and Mary - especially since Dani acts differently with Mary than the guys. Heck, even the 12 year old that she saves has a better build up than her male love interests.
There are some other questions about the political movements that I had, especially between the two human factions that are at war with each other and the Echos. I wish there was more time to develop why they're fighting each other, especially with an alien race that seems to believe they're gods, trying to exterminate humans. I know there will be time to explore Dani and the Echos further, but since this book was so heavy on the humans, I wish we got a little more time to understand their politics more.
I'd say this is an okay sci-fi book, especially since Dani and her character growth is so interesting. But it falls short with the interpersonal relationships between the main group, and the main villian, who is just not that compelling. I will read the second book, but will do so with some cautious optimism.
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April 16, 2020Disclaimer: I received this ebook from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Echoes of War
Author: Cheryl Campbell
Book Series: Echoes Trilogy
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: LGBT moments and characters!
Publication Date: September 10, 2019
Genre: Sci-Fi
Recommended Age: 17+ (violence, language, gore, slight sexual content)
Publisher: SparkPress
Pages: 400
Amazon Link
Synopsis: Decades of war started by a genocidal faction of aliens threatens the existence of any human or alien resisting their rule on Earth. Dani survives by scavenging enough supplies to live another day while avoiding the local military and human-hunting Wardens. But then she learns that she is part of the nearly immortal alien race of Echoes—not the human she’s always thought herself to be—and suddenly nothing in her life seems certain.
Following her discovery of her alien roots, Dani risks her well-being to save a boy from becoming a slave—a move that only serves to make her already-tenuous existence on the fringes of society in Maine even more unstable, and which forces her to revisit events and people from past lives she can’t remember. Dani believes the only way to defeat the Wardens and end their dominance is to unite the Commonwealth’s military and civilians, and she becomes resolved to play her part in this battle. Her attempts to change the bleak future facing the humans and Echoes living on Earth suffering under the Wardens will lead her to clash with a tyrant determined to kill her and all humankind—a confrontation that even her near-immortal heritage may not be able to help her survive.
Review: I thought this was an amazing read! The detail and world building in this novel was out of the solar system! There’s a fine line between just the right amount of detail and too much detail, one which Stephen King himself falls over at all the time, but this book managed to succeed it! The characters were also compelling and well developed. The pacing was also well done and I’m so happy that a romance isn’t the focal point in this.
The only issue I really had with the book is that you are thrown straight into the novel and it can really throw you off for a few chapters. Hang in there, it gets better.
Verdict: Worth the read.
Book: Echoes of War
Author: Cheryl Campbell
Book Series: Echoes Trilogy
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: LGBT moments and characters!
Publication Date: September 10, 2019
Genre: Sci-Fi
Recommended Age: 17+ (violence, language, gore, slight sexual content)
Publisher: SparkPress
Pages: 400
Amazon Link
Synopsis: Decades of war started by a genocidal faction of aliens threatens the existence of any human or alien resisting their rule on Earth. Dani survives by scavenging enough supplies to live another day while avoiding the local military and human-hunting Wardens. But then she learns that she is part of the nearly immortal alien race of Echoes—not the human she’s always thought herself to be—and suddenly nothing in her life seems certain.
Following her discovery of her alien roots, Dani risks her well-being to save a boy from becoming a slave—a move that only serves to make her already-tenuous existence on the fringes of society in Maine even more unstable, and which forces her to revisit events and people from past lives she can’t remember. Dani believes the only way to defeat the Wardens and end their dominance is to unite the Commonwealth’s military and civilians, and she becomes resolved to play her part in this battle. Her attempts to change the bleak future facing the humans and Echoes living on Earth suffering under the Wardens will lead her to clash with a tyrant determined to kill her and all humankind—a confrontation that even her near-immortal heritage may not be able to help her survive.
Review: I thought this was an amazing read! The detail and world building in this novel was out of the solar system! There’s a fine line between just the right amount of detail and too much detail, one which Stephen King himself falls over at all the time, but this book managed to succeed it! The characters were also compelling and well developed. The pacing was also well done and I’m so happy that a romance isn’t the focal point in this.
The only issue I really had with the book is that you are thrown straight into the novel and it can really throw you off for a few chapters. Hang in there, it gets better.
Verdict: Worth the read.
November 28, 2019
Check out our Echoes of War post on Wicked Reads.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Erica – ☆☆☆☆
Spoiler-Free Review
Cheryl Campbell is a new-to-me author
Echoes of War is the debut in the Echoes Trilogy.
I'm always looking for something a bit different that melds several genres together, a novel that I won't forget as soon as I start another. Dystopian meets Science Fiction.
Echoes of War was rich in detail, painting a fully envisioned world, without being laden with too much description. Earth has been overrun with aliens in this dystopian tale, Dani is one of the human survivors, doing all she can to stay that way. I was able to get a good grasp on the world building, without it being spoon-fed to me, nor was it lacking explanation.
Starting off with a bang, Echoes of War is action-packed and exciting, spanning a long period of time. Where I had difficulty is how the time seemed to jump forward, the characters felt different.
While the world building and war-torn environment were stellar, this was at the expense of the character development and relationship connections. There wasn't much growth for the characters, actions/reactions not jiving up to their maturing ages, sounding more young adult than adult, whereas young children sounded mature and logical in comparison.
I thoroughly enjoyed Echoes of War and look forward to continuing the trilogy. Recommended to those looking for something different, who are more interested in action and world building vs character building.
Reviewers received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
July 28, 2019
Three of my favourite genres, survival, post apocalyptic and science fiction, all in one book? Add into the mix a complex, and flawed female protagonist, and plenty of action to keep me interested, it's easy to see why I couldn't look past Echoes of War when I saw it offered up on Netgalley for an honest review. And despite my high expectations, Echoes of War did not disappoint.
The first in a trilogy by Cheryl Campbell, Echoes of War is an edgy, post-apocalyptic sci-fi set in New England. Dani is a scavenger, living on the fringes of society as a Brigand, not trying to be a hero, and just trying to live another day with her brother, Jace. She avoids the Wardens, an alien race that has come to Earth and spent the last few decades trying to eradicate humans. But that all changes when she risks her life to save a human boy, and when he calls her out on her inaction, she decides to step up and out of the shadows, and try to fight back against the Wardens.
I loved the fact that Dani was far from perfect. She makes mistakes, sometimes even big ones, and in doing so, felt much more believable and complex. I enjoyed her gradual growth as a character from the first chapter, right up to the very end, the changes brought about by not only the events that unfold, but the friendships she builds over the years.
I found the first few chapters a bit confusing and it was difficult to really tell what was going on, and who was who. But once I got my head around that, I found Echoes of War difficult to put down. The romances, like the characters, were complex, and not the focus of the novel, though I did find Gavin's love for Dani a bit sudden and out of the blue, with few scenes at that point to establish it. However, as we do start to see them interact, it does start to make more sense.
Overall, I really enjoyed Echoes of War, and can't wait to see what Cheryl Campbell comes up with next in the sequel.
* This eBook ARC was provided by Sparkpress & Smith Publicity through NetGalley for an honest review.
The first in a trilogy by Cheryl Campbell, Echoes of War is an edgy, post-apocalyptic sci-fi set in New England. Dani is a scavenger, living on the fringes of society as a Brigand, not trying to be a hero, and just trying to live another day with her brother, Jace. She avoids the Wardens, an alien race that has come to Earth and spent the last few decades trying to eradicate humans. But that all changes when she risks her life to save a human boy, and when he calls her out on her inaction, she decides to step up and out of the shadows, and try to fight back against the Wardens.
I loved the fact that Dani was far from perfect. She makes mistakes, sometimes even big ones, and in doing so, felt much more believable and complex. I enjoyed her gradual growth as a character from the first chapter, right up to the very end, the changes brought about by not only the events that unfold, but the friendships she builds over the years.
I found the first few chapters a bit confusing and it was difficult to really tell what was going on, and who was who. But once I got my head around that, I found Echoes of War difficult to put down. The romances, like the characters, were complex, and not the focus of the novel, though I did find Gavin's love for Dani a bit sudden and out of the blue, with few scenes at that point to establish it. However, as we do start to see them interact, it does start to make more sense.
Overall, I really enjoyed Echoes of War, and can't wait to see what Cheryl Campbell comes up with next in the sequel.
* This eBook ARC was provided by Sparkpress & Smith Publicity through NetGalley for an honest review.
September 26, 2019
Cheryl Campbell, a children’s writer, has written a YA dystopian novel that begins hundreds of years after an alien race invaded earth and lived amongst us before rising up and completely destroying cities and their residents. Millions of humans were killed and the rest are being hunted by the aliens as the book opens.
The surviving humans, among them Dani a twenty-something woman, are starving and being hunted. Dani is a scavenger able to find enough food for herself and her friend Jace. When some unknown thing changes and the aliens step up their search for the remaining humans and seem bent on killing them all, Dani must stop being a loner. When she learns she’s not a human after all, her world is rocked, but she carries on. She stops being annoyingly immature and steps up to help the hunted to survive.
Campbell has done a good job introducing the dystopian world as Dani knows it, but fails to tell us why the aliens wanted America and why they are trying eliminate the humans. Her descriptions of the war-torn area in which Dani and Jace live give the reader a real feel for the kind of life they are leading.
The action begins right on page one and continues for a number of chapters when the author changes direction and begins to describe Dani’s previous lives. I personally think it would have been a much stronger book had Campbell not changed the focus, but rather continue to have the characters fighting not only for survival, but for their lives as well.
If you like dystopian novels with interesting main characters, a plotline with potential, and the first book in a proposed series, you will undoubtedly enjoy this book.
My thanks to Spark Press and NetGalley for an eARC.
The surviving humans, among them Dani a twenty-something woman, are starving and being hunted. Dani is a scavenger able to find enough food for herself and her friend Jace. When some unknown thing changes and the aliens step up their search for the remaining humans and seem bent on killing them all, Dani must stop being a loner. When she learns she’s not a human after all, her world is rocked, but she carries on. She stops being annoyingly immature and steps up to help the hunted to survive.
Campbell has done a good job introducing the dystopian world as Dani knows it, but fails to tell us why the aliens wanted America and why they are trying eliminate the humans. Her descriptions of the war-torn area in which Dani and Jace live give the reader a real feel for the kind of life they are leading.
The action begins right on page one and continues for a number of chapters when the author changes direction and begins to describe Dani’s previous lives. I personally think it would have been a much stronger book had Campbell not changed the focus, but rather continue to have the characters fighting not only for survival, but for their lives as well.
If you like dystopian novels with interesting main characters, a plotline with potential, and the first book in a proposed series, you will undoubtedly enjoy this book.
My thanks to Spark Press and NetGalley for an eARC.
September 9, 2019
Language: R (251 swears, 73 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
The Wardens are the army of alien invaders who started the war hundreds of years ago. While some humans are fighting to defend from the Wardens’ attacks, a large group of humans and aliens are simply trying to survive the chaos of the war raging around them. Dani is one of these survivors. She’s always looked out for herself and her dog, but, when the opportunity comes to reclaim her home from the Wardens, Dani can’t help herself from fighting against the odds.
I was intrigued by the premise but skeptical as the story started. However, as the story unfolded, I found myself lost in Dani’s struggles and vision for the future. Her seemingly reckless and determined nature made sure that there was never a boring moment, and I fell in love with her friends made along the way. This story necessitates several large time gaps where the author jumps over weeks, months, and even years at a time. Usually I am not a big fan of big time jumps, but Campbell expertly crafted the transitions is a way that the flow was smooth and the story continued to be engaging through each time jump. Campbell’s success in making me interested despite a pet peeve I usually have with books only made me more enthusiastic about reading what she had written. The mature content rating is for sex, prostitution, and attempted rape; the violence rating is for war violence, death, and suicide contemplation.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/
The Wardens are the army of alien invaders who started the war hundreds of years ago. While some humans are fighting to defend from the Wardens’ attacks, a large group of humans and aliens are simply trying to survive the chaos of the war raging around them. Dani is one of these survivors. She’s always looked out for herself and her dog, but, when the opportunity comes to reclaim her home from the Wardens, Dani can’t help herself from fighting against the odds.
I was intrigued by the premise but skeptical as the story started. However, as the story unfolded, I found myself lost in Dani’s struggles and vision for the future. Her seemingly reckless and determined nature made sure that there was never a boring moment, and I fell in love with her friends made along the way. This story necessitates several large time gaps where the author jumps over weeks, months, and even years at a time. Usually I am not a big fan of big time jumps, but Campbell expertly crafted the transitions is a way that the flow was smooth and the story continued to be engaging through each time jump. Campbell’s success in making me interested despite a pet peeve I usually have with books only made me more enthusiastic about reading what she had written. The mature content rating is for sex, prostitution, and attempted rape; the violence rating is for war violence, death, and suicide contemplation.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/
September 14, 2019
Title: Echoes of War
Author: Cheryl Campbell
Genre: Dystopian, YA
Rating: 3.0 out of 5
Dani is a Brigand: living on the fringes of society and scavenging to survive. The Wardens, an alien race, came to Earth centuries ago and lived disguised as humans until they were discovered. Now they’ve destroyed much of humanity—and are trying to destroy the rest. Then Dani’s brother reveals she’s an Echo—one of the near-immortal alien race who reset back to a younger age when they die, but not militant like the Wardens.
Soon Dani is trying to convince the other Brigands they need to work with the military so they can defeat the Wardens. But Dani will have to learn from her mistakes if she’s to help them succeed.
Okay…it was really hard for me to write this summary, which tells me a bit about this book’s issues: it’s a little too undefined to be completely coherent. Frankly, Dani was kind of childish, and while this is partially explained due to her nature, she never seems to learn from her mistakes and is just hell-bent on doing things her way—no matter the repercussions to other people. I did not find her very likable. And this book felt more like an unpolished manuscript to me: sometimes there are no explanations/motivations for characters’ actions—I can’t relate to people if I don’t have the slightest idea why they’re doing things. And there are several places lacking transitions, where time passes—four months, in one case—with zero transition at all, which felt very abrupt and threw me out of the story.
(Galley courtesy of SparkPress via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)
More reviews at Tomorrow is Another Day
Author: Cheryl Campbell
Genre: Dystopian, YA
Rating: 3.0 out of 5
Dani is a Brigand: living on the fringes of society and scavenging to survive. The Wardens, an alien race, came to Earth centuries ago and lived disguised as humans until they were discovered. Now they’ve destroyed much of humanity—and are trying to destroy the rest. Then Dani’s brother reveals she’s an Echo—one of the near-immortal alien race who reset back to a younger age when they die, but not militant like the Wardens.
Soon Dani is trying to convince the other Brigands they need to work with the military so they can defeat the Wardens. But Dani will have to learn from her mistakes if she’s to help them succeed.
Okay…it was really hard for me to write this summary, which tells me a bit about this book’s issues: it’s a little too undefined to be completely coherent. Frankly, Dani was kind of childish, and while this is partially explained due to her nature, she never seems to learn from her mistakes and is just hell-bent on doing things her way—no matter the repercussions to other people. I did not find her very likable. And this book felt more like an unpolished manuscript to me: sometimes there are no explanations/motivations for characters’ actions—I can’t relate to people if I don’t have the slightest idea why they’re doing things. And there are several places lacking transitions, where time passes—four months, in one case—with zero transition at all, which felt very abrupt and threw me out of the story.
(Galley courtesy of SparkPress via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)
More reviews at Tomorrow is Another Day
September 11, 2019
* Thank you Smith Publicity for the advanced copy for an honest review *
Dani is a scavenger living on the fringes of a society in Maine, who soon discovers she’s an Echo- an immortal alien race. Now faced with the fact that she isn’t as human as she thought she was, she risks her own life to save a young boy from a violent kidnapping. This act sets in motion events that help her discover her past and determine her future. But can she survive and can she as a human.
I devoured this book! If there’s one thing to know about me it’s that I’m not the biggest fan of Sci-Fi. With that being said this isn’t the kind I hate. It’s more post-apocalyptic, Dystopian.. and I love to devour those. This story was very intriguing and unique. I loved the characters and the human connection of finding oneself while trying to survive. Dani was definitely a fresh voice and she made laugh. And I laughed at the banter between all the characters. A rag tag group that look out for one another. Now while the intro was a little slow for me to get into, once it picked up I just kept going. The ending also ended with a perfectly done cliffhanger. Not too dramatic but had you saying “ooh what’s going to happen next in Boston.”
If you like futuristic, military, dystopians I think this book would be a great one to pick up!!
Dani is a scavenger living on the fringes of a society in Maine, who soon discovers she’s an Echo- an immortal alien race. Now faced with the fact that she isn’t as human as she thought she was, she risks her own life to save a young boy from a violent kidnapping. This act sets in motion events that help her discover her past and determine her future. But can she survive and can she as a human.
I devoured this book! If there’s one thing to know about me it’s that I’m not the biggest fan of Sci-Fi. With that being said this isn’t the kind I hate. It’s more post-apocalyptic, Dystopian.. and I love to devour those. This story was very intriguing and unique. I loved the characters and the human connection of finding oneself while trying to survive. Dani was definitely a fresh voice and she made laugh. And I laughed at the banter between all the characters. A rag tag group that look out for one another. Now while the intro was a little slow for me to get into, once it picked up I just kept going. The ending also ended with a perfectly done cliffhanger. Not too dramatic but had you saying “ooh what’s going to happen next in Boston.”
If you like futuristic, military, dystopians I think this book would be a great one to pick up!!
February 10, 2023
Okay I loved everything about this book! It's a post apocalyptic sci-fi set in America, after Earth has been raided by an immortal race called Echoes. Who are basically humans, but when they die they regenerate usually reverting back to their younger selves whilst remembering their past lives, unless killed whilst regenerating. A concept that immediately had me interested! Even more so when we find out that the main character, Dani, is one of these immortals. However, she doesn't remember her past lives and every time she regenerates she reverts back to a ten year old girl and has to be raised by her brother, who has had the tragedy of watching her die several times before, all the same way.
The third time it happens, he decides to do it differently. Restarting somewhere completely new and being honest with her about who she is from the start. This is all well and good until someone dear to her from her past rocks up, obviously remembering her, but her no memory of him. (Oof that hurt my heart.)
All the twists and turns of this book were so well written and slowly revealed that it really kept me on my toes. Dani goes through so much personal growth during this book, making many friends and memories along the way, which were my favourite parts of the book and I especially liked her and Mary's little giggles even in the middle of a battle!
The third time it happens, he decides to do it differently. Restarting somewhere completely new and being honest with her about who she is from the start. This is all well and good until someone dear to her from her past rocks up, obviously remembering her, but her no memory of him. (Oof that hurt my heart.)
All the twists and turns of this book were so well written and slowly revealed that it really kept me on my toes. Dani goes through so much personal growth during this book, making many friends and memories along the way, which were my favourite parts of the book and I especially liked her and Mary's little giggles even in the middle of a battle!
July 29, 2020
I am a dystopian novels junkie so this book is exactly the type that I gravitate toward when I am reading fiction. The plot to this one was really engaging and had me hooked! The pacing was a bit slow at times, but the second half of the book went really fast. The biggest issue I had with the book, which was a huge con, is that the characters are so uneducated that they don't know how to speak any words besides curse words. It made them hard to relate to and I had to resort to skimming at some parents since it was so bad. The book would have been awesome if their speech could just have had some variety so they seemed somewhat intelligent. Additionally, the main character, Dani, acted more like a young teenager than a 25 year old. That isn't terribly detrimental to the story, however, it was annoying and made her character seem whiny and immature at times. I preferred the supporting characters in the story much more, but their could have been some more character development. Because they tended just to say one word sentences that consisted of curses, the characters weren't terribly developed. Overall, I thought it was an interesting book, but it definitely has adult content and is not YA appropriate.
September 21, 2019
**I received this book as an ARC from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
Firstly, i really loved the idea of this, it had lots of potential and I found the Echoes super intriguing. The echoes are an almost immortal alien specie which can only die from beheading or mid regeneration. A war was started and the story follows an Echo called Dani who survives from going out to scavenge supplies.
I wasn't too fond of the writing to start off with, the word dead was written a few times in the first few pages, minor issue but a little irritating to me. Also there were unnecessary uses of curse words. I have no problem with cursing as i curse a lot myself but sometimes it just seemed like it wasnt needed.
I appreciated the world building but i felt like there could have been more with character development. The main character in particular, i found super frustrating.
Firstly, i really loved the idea of this, it had lots of potential and I found the Echoes super intriguing. The echoes are an almost immortal alien specie which can only die from beheading or mid regeneration. A war was started and the story follows an Echo called Dani who survives from going out to scavenge supplies.
I wasn't too fond of the writing to start off with, the word dead was written a few times in the first few pages, minor issue but a little irritating to me. Also there were unnecessary uses of curse words. I have no problem with cursing as i curse a lot myself but sometimes it just seemed like it wasnt needed.
I appreciated the world building but i felt like there could have been more with character development. The main character in particular, i found super frustrating.
June 3, 2019
*An early copy received from NetGalley and SparkPress in exchange for an honest review*
A post-apocalyptic, alien invasion world that follows Dani, a strong and likeable female character and her family/friends and their struggle to survive. The novel has many elements that kept me reading:
1) Interesting description of a future earth (although not too much description that it distracts from the plot/characters)
2) A conflict between good and evil where you assume good will prevail, but at what cost?
3) Solid character development. The witty banter between characters is particularly strong.
4) Love interests that are woven into the plot in a natural rather than an *eye-roll* way. It adds rather than distracts from the overall plot.
The ending leaves an opening for the story to continue and I look forward to reading more.
A post-apocalyptic, alien invasion world that follows Dani, a strong and likeable female character and her family/friends and their struggle to survive. The novel has many elements that kept me reading:
1) Interesting description of a future earth (although not too much description that it distracts from the plot/characters)
2) A conflict between good and evil where you assume good will prevail, but at what cost?
3) Solid character development. The witty banter between characters is particularly strong.
4) Love interests that are woven into the plot in a natural rather than an *eye-roll* way. It adds rather than distracts from the overall plot.
The ending leaves an opening for the story to continue and I look forward to reading more.
October 1, 2020
Here’s another book I knew was going to be right up my alley before I even started it. Following a young woman in her 20’s named Dani, it shows her world, one torn apart by war, as an alien military has ravaged Earth for the last few decades. Though the Echoes, an alien race who had integrated themselves into the human population for hundreds of years, were living just fine before their military counterparts began trying to extinguish the human race, everyone opposing the Wardens are being torn apart. It’s all anyone can do to just barely survive.
Check out my full review here!
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Check out my full review here!
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August 28, 2019
Cheryl Campbell does an outstanding job of creating a story that instantly pulls you into the surroundings while at the same time builds a new world within it. Her use of current day geography and landmarks told from a future date quickly allows the reader to relate to the story and the challenges faced by her characters. Mix it all with an alien occupied earth, the battle for human survival and you find yourself in a rapid fire of twists and turns that leaves you wanting book two in the trilogy as soon as you put down book one. I know, I emailed the author asking how soon I could get it. Ms. Campbell has clearly started something great here and I cannot wait to continue the journey.
November 30, 2019
I like a good dystopian story, add in a sci-fi slant about aliens and you've got me! I enjoyed this first novel in the trilogy, and look forward to reading the next two installments.
Dani is an Echo - not that she knows about that at the start. The Wardens are also echos, and trying to eliminate all humans left on Earth so that they can establish a new home for themselves. As you can imagine, the humans aren't best pleased about it, and will do anything they can to prevent it. Dani is a skilled scavenger and gets caught up in an attack, she gets killed, and regenerates. That's when the real story starts.
Dani is an Echo - not that she knows about that at the start. The Wardens are also echos, and trying to eliminate all humans left on Earth so that they can establish a new home for themselves. As you can imagine, the humans aren't best pleased about it, and will do anything they can to prevent it. Dani is a skilled scavenger and gets caught up in an attack, she gets killed, and regenerates. That's when the real story starts.
April 14, 2022
Loved it!
Echoes of War is one of those alien invasion stories that has you looking at people with a critical eye. Could they already be here? Is your neighbor one? Campbell briefly touches on this uncomfortable aspect, with the bulk of her story taking place years later - when humans are desperately trying to survive in and reclaim what is left of their world. The creative plot, vivid battle scenes, and endearing characters made for an engaging read that kept the pages turning. The next book in the series, Echoes of Darkness, is on my TBR!
Echoes of War is one of those alien invasion stories that has you looking at people with a critical eye. Could they already be here? Is your neighbor one? Campbell briefly touches on this uncomfortable aspect, with the bulk of her story taking place years later - when humans are desperately trying to survive in and reclaim what is left of their world. The creative plot, vivid battle scenes, and endearing characters made for an engaging read that kept the pages turning. The next book in the series, Echoes of Darkness, is on my TBR!
May 29, 2019
Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a pretty good sci do novel full of intrigue and action. Dani is a courageous young woman who fights back in a time of war between humans and aliens called Echoes. She discovers the truth about who she really is but doesn't allow it to deter her from her goal to unite factions and bring peace back to earth. it is a very well written novel, easy to follow and engaging. Definitely worth reading.
This was a pretty good sci do novel full of intrigue and action. Dani is a courageous young woman who fights back in a time of war between humans and aliens called Echoes. She discovers the truth about who she really is but doesn't allow it to deter her from her goal to unite factions and bring peace back to earth. it is a very well written novel, easy to follow and engaging. Definitely worth reading.
September 11, 2019
I am lucky enough to have been an advanced reader for Echoes of War. I know it sounds cliche, but I loved this book and I couldn't put it down! I enjoyed this author's YA series Burnt Mountain, so I knew Echoes of War would be good. I wasn't prepared to get so involved in Dani's struggle, and quickly got lost in her reality. Cheryl's style of writing really grabs you and pulls you in, and she did NOT disappoint! I am going to have a hard time waiting for the next book in this trilogy!
September 26, 2019
Really 3.5 for me. My best friend absolutely loved this one but I failed to connect with it 100%.
Extremely strong beginning..action packed, was totally loving it.
The time jump really messed me. There was just too much too fast without any explanation.
I needed to understand why she couldn’t remember when all the other Echoes could...
I didn’t understand the animosity between the different civilian sects.
I’m sorry it just didn’t do it for me.
Extremely strong beginning..action packed, was totally loving it.
The time jump really messed me. There was just too much too fast without any explanation.
I needed to understand why she couldn’t remember when all the other Echoes could...
I didn’t understand the animosity between the different civilian sects.
I’m sorry it just didn’t do it for me.
October 21, 2022
Post-apocalyptic/sci fi is not my favorite genre, and I don’t usually go for books with “War” in their titles (except for WAR AND PEACE), but Cheryl Campbell’s remarkably engaging ECHOES OF WAR just might change my mind. This tale is thrilling and completely unputdownable, and I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish. Lucky for me that this is the first of a trilogy, so I have two more to devour. Brava Cheryl Campbell!
October 12, 2019
First of all, thank you #Netgalley and #Sparkpress for the advanced copy of this book! I loved it! ! I IMMEDIATELY knew I would connect with the main character, (even though I’m 53), Dani has all the spunk and tenacity needed to make me route for her the entire book, and that’s no easy feat!!! Every day I looked forward to picking up this unique story of survival in a world taken over by an alien invasion! I will anxiously await the second book as this will be a trilogy!!! #CherylCampbell#SparkPress
Want to read
July 6, 2019blurbs really gotta stop giving away so much of the story
September 25, 2019
Alien Invasion story where the aliens have been living among us for awhile. I really enjoyed it but couldn't figure out why the echoes could regen but did not heal sickness or injuries very well.
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