Saturday, May 02, 2015

Review: Echoes by T.D. Wilson


Echoes
Author:  T.D. Wilson
Series:  The Epherium Chronicles 3
Publisher:  Carina Press, March 30, 2015
Format:  eBook, 180 pages
List Price:  $2.99
eISBN:   9781426899201
Review Copy: Provided by the Author

Book three of The Epherium Chronicles

The battle for Cygni colony may be over, but for Captain James Hood and the crew of the EDF Armstrong, the battle for humanity's future has just begun. Hood's defense of the remote outpost against the Cilik'ti aliens was magnificent, but without the timely help of an unlikely ally—a splinter tribe of humanity's bitter enemies—the colony would have been lost and the Armstrong destroyed.

An uneasy peace has prevailed ever since. But as the humans prepare for a crucial meeting, a desperately needed Earth supply convoy is attacked under mysterious circumstances, with the lead escort cruiser's captain disappearing even more mysteriously.

The fate of all of Earth's new colonies hangs in the balance, and Hood is charged with protecting them against growing threats from all sides. When rebellion and unrest challenge the very leadership of the Earth Defense Forces, Hood may need to go it alone…and make the ultimate sacrifice.


Brannigan's Review

Echoes is a book of questions and mysteries. As the crew of the Armstrong make their way to the second of three planets that may be the future home for the human race, they continue to struggle for survival. The Cilik'ti race once ruled by a council has broken into warring factions. The mysterious ship manned by humans continues to cause problems for Captain Hood and his crew for yet unknown reasons, and a third, more cryptic, force rears its head and seems to be willing to fight everyone.

Character-and world-building continue to be strong areas for Wilson as we are introduced to some new characters and a new world. It doesn't take long to become emotionally connected to new characters and their struggles. We also see old characters continue to be fleshed out, which gives them depth. The second planet Tau Ceti is by far my favorite world so far. It held plenty of moments of wonder and it houses some very intriguing lifeforms. My imagination wandered a few times thinking about the possibilities it held for future stories.

T.D. Wilson is creating plenty of tension in this third book of an at least 5 books series as more and more events start to unfold. My only issue with the book is that Wilson doesn't resolve any subplots or questions he raised in the first three books. I like to have answers given along the way and, as yet, there haven't been any. I'm trying to keep up with all the different subplots and questions already raised.

Echoes deepens the mysteries of the overall plot as well as adds additional subplots to a great series. The world-building continues to make Wilson's universe appealing and inviting. I look forward to seeing what the last colony world is like and how everything will take shape in the subsequent books. There are acts of violence and mild language. I would recommend it to teens and adults. It's a wonderful science fiction series that has plenty of action as well as exploration and wonder.





Previously

Embrace
The Epherium Chronicles 1
Carina Press, March 3, 2014
eBook, 200 pages

Book one of The Epherium Chronicles 

Hope. Captain James Hood of the Earth Defense Forces remembers what it felt like. Twenty-five years ago, it surged through him as a young boy watching the colony ships launched by mega-corporation Epherium rocket away. He, like so many others, dreamed of following in the colonists' footsteps. He wanted to help settle a new world--to be something greater.

Then came the war... 

Hope. During years of vicious conflict with an insectoid alien race, it was nearly lost. Though Earth has slowly rebuilt in the six years since the war, overcrowding and an unstable sun have made life increasingly inhospitable. When mysterious signals from the nearly forgotten colony ships are received, Hood is ordered to embark on a dangerous reconnaissance mission. Could humanity's future sit among the stars?

Hope. Hood needs it now more than ever. As secrets about the original colonists are revealed and the Epherium Corporation's dark agenda is exposed, new adversaries threaten the mission, proving more dangerous to Earth than their already formidable foes...


See Brannigan's review here.



Crucible
The Epherium Chronicles 2
Carina Press, May 26, 2014
eBook, 217 pages

Book two of The Epherium Chronicles

January, 2155

Earth Defense Forces Captain James Hood is on the mission of his life. The Cygni solar system is just one space-fold jump away. One more jump and they'll have reached the fledgling colony that Earth desperately needs if the human race is going to survive. But a plot to derail him has already damaged his ship, threatened the lives of his crew and cost him time. Time the colonists might not have.

So much depends on him now, but Hood's confidence is shaken. It's self-doubt he thought he'd buried, a brutal mind-killer for all military commanders. Yet danger surrounds his team; a brutal insectoid alien race is still out there, intent on eradicating humans, and a greater threat from an unknown, elusive enemy has emerged.

The forces at work on Cygni are like nothing Hood has trained for, tactically or emotionally. When put to the test, he must choose to either trust the unlikeliest of allies, or run and seal the fate of the Cygni colony forever.


See Brannigan's review here.

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