Echoes and Empires
By Joly Herman,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Gripping magical fantasy has lots of drinking.
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What's the Story?
ECHOES AND EMPIRES takes place in the Regarian Empire, where Queen Isadora reigns over billions of her people. Among her inner circle is 17-year-old Josslyn Drake, whose father was the Prime Minister of the Empire before his assassination. Now, a year later, Joss is attending the Queen's Gala with her best friend Celina, the new prime minister's daughter. The teens are glimmering in their finery, Joss drinking steadily to suppress the memory of her father's death. But as the night progresses, Joss discovers that an imposter has infiltrated the gala, attempting to abscond with a beautiful gold box. In a clumsy attempt to stop him, the box falls to the ground, releasing an energy that infiltrates Joss' body. She doesn't realize it, but her life will be forever changed by this fateful accident. Will she be able to rid herself of the magic that's inside of her?
Is It Any Good?
Driven, juicy, fun, this magical book's anti-hero embraces her weaknesses and her strengths. Though there are some technical issues with the writing of Echoes and Empires, the flaws might only niggle the careful reader. Can one be "considering my options in" something? Or "put faith in anybody on such a delicate subject"? No biggie? Debatable.
Teens are going to turn the pages to this book hungrily -- it's got an unlikely romance, a political regime with a hidden agenda, family secrets -- and magic. Expect some borrowing from Harry Potter (a character has a spell scratched into his arm that glows when he's compromised), precious little diversity among characters, and excessive drinking. But it's refreshing to read about a girl who not only knows her flaws but also flaunts them, making herself vulnerable to change, and who has an excess of inner strength, despite her admitted narcissistic tendencies.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about drinking in Echoes and Empires. Joss is 17, and she admits she loves to drink as often as she can. What do you think when you read about or watch shows with teens drinking and doing drugs?
Joss will do anything to get what she wants. What's the line between perseverance and manipulation?
Characters in this book show a lot of courage, even when they are trembling inside? What do you do that's courageous?
Book Details
- Author: Morgan Rhodes
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy , Brothers and Sisters , Fairy Tales , Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Razorbill
- Publication date: January 21, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 17
- Number of pages: 400
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: January 21, 2022
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