Echo Queen

Echo Queen
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy!
Source: ARC Courtesy of the author!
Check out my review of Echo Prophecy, Book One in the trilogy, here.

As we rejoin Lex, it's just not her day, Marcus's eyes do some funky colour change business, then he tries to drown her in the bath....awkward. Turns out Apep, the thing possessing Set can now hop a ride in to Marcus too. Which kind of makes Marcus in to a really big threat. Luckily for her that really lovely doctor from Prophecy, turns out to be Aset, Marcus's sister, and she shows up in the nick of time, with some very bizarre instructions, including fleeing the present time to stay alive.

The next thing Lex knows, she's 4000 years in the past, hanging in Egypt with Nuin who's introduced her as his wife, and ya know...the goddess Hathor. She must train with Nuin to learn how to wield the power he gave her, and she must use it often, if she doesn't, the power will rip out of her, and it's not pleasant. While she makes something to help Marcus with his withdrawals, Lex will have to rely on the very moody young Heru, and as Heru....let's say, warms up to her, are things about to get very, very complicated?

While Lex is away, trouble is brewing, a group called The Kin are working against Lex and co and it turns out that two of their own are willing to betray them. The question is....which two? Will Lex make it back in one piece? Who's out to get Nuin? And can they stop Apep?

So, everyone who read my review for Echo Prophecy knows how much I loved it, and ya know...the series, so you can imagine my reaction when an email with this new installment attached appeared in my inbox! This series is literally the kind I've been waiting for, these are my perfect books, the blend of history, particularly Egypt, romance, action, paranormal and mystery is the kind of thing I've always been looking for but never found....until now.

I'm a history geek, and to cut to the chase, Egypt is a part of history that really intrigues me, and because Lindsey is like a freaking mind reader or something, in this installment she's all ".....screw it let's go back to Old Kingdom Egypt and hang out". Seriously, I've gotta give props to Lindsey for the sheer amount of research that went in to this book. I have never been back to Ancient Egypt, shocking I know, but we don't all have super cool time travelling abilities or a Tardis, anyways, the world building combined with the research of the time blended together to give you a real feel for what it must have been like to live back then.You could practically smell the (slightly icky most of the time) smells and feel the sun and everything was painted so vividly it's like you where there.

I loved the world created in the first book, and this one was just as all encompassing, so engrossed in reading was I, that I pretty much tuned the outside world out and a bomb could have gone off and I probably wouldn't have noticed!

I love how tidbits of history where woven in to the narrative, just enough to intrigue you and interest you, but not an overload. I love how much history is subtly woven in to the book, alongside the rich lore we have for Lex's people. Don't get me started on the mind blowing new installment to the lore regarding Nuin and ya know....the freaking universe. It's astounding how detailed the lore is, and we get more and more throughout each book and it's so extensive and detailed without bogging down the narrative. It's a wonder.

The time travel trip, the whole Nuin/universe thing and a couple of other little things all combine to ensure this continues to be one hell of a unique book, that you really can't put down, I think it would have taken a crowbar to get my hands off my Kindle.

I can't praise Lindsey enough for the narrative/plot line in this book. Like always, I couldn't figure out anything, I had no idea what was going to happen next so this was a pretty big roller coaster of a story for me. I probably should have, but I just had no idea where it was going next.

We have two perspectives going on in this book, while Lex is back in time, we check in with the present thanks to Kat, and I have to see the way it was done was flawless. The change was smooth, it made sense, and it was timed just right. We'd leave Lex and then it'd be Kat's turn, in one instance we missed out on Lex pretty much packing, but in the other we left Lex, and then when we returned to present day, Kat was reading the walls of Lex's sanctuary where she wrote down everything that had happened. I just thought it was so smooth and so cool how we left Lex.....turned the page...and it was Kat...but then we got a little chunk of writing from Lex that Kat was copying down that let us know what was going on before we caught up with the present time people. I explained it really shittily, but you'll know what I mean when you read the book, and I promise that it's way cool, refreshing and intriguing. Not to mention it smoothly carries on the story in a unique way.

Lindsey has done an incredibly awesome job with a very complex plot. Lex travels back in time, and you really do have to pay attention because things have to happen for Lex to be where she needs to be to go back in time, then before Lex returns to present time, she has to set up those things, run a quick rescue mission and so on. There's young Marcus (like...4000 years younger Marcus) and there's memories that have to be changed until she can come back and unblock them, there's a bonding etc etc, I don't want to give too much away, but this could have got reaaally complicated and a total mind fuck, but Lindsey wrote the whole time travel thing very clearly so it was complex, but easy to understand.

It's just kind of mind blowing when you realize Lex was behind EVERYTHING and you realize the ins and outs and in the present time you see something and then in the past you see what really happened and literally I cannot rave enough.

So yes, complex plot, very well done, with smooth narrative that was engaging from both POV's.

I still love Lex, I mean I would have freaked out more than once, but she just carries on and gets shit done. I mean she meets Heru's wives and kids, and yes she's upset in the beginning but when you think about how much it must have hurt, but she still lived with them all. She's an extraordinary character.

And speaking of Heru's family...how could you leave us hanging regarding a certain frozen in time daughter?!

Every single character jumps off the page, and comes to life for you. The depth involved with these characters is incredible. We learn more about Set and before he was possessed when he was a really nice person, we learn more about Kat, and we learn waaay more about Nuin and Marcus. These already complex and detailed characters keep having more added to them that just makes you love them more and more!

The final book in the trilogy has been set up perfectly and very subtly. We have an inkling of where it's going and what's going to happen next, or at least one challenge, but to be honest we don't really know, I would theorize something but I will be so very, very wrong!

Echo Queen is a strong sequel to Echo Prophecy, exploring more of the time travel aspect of Lex's power, and let's just say...shit gets real. Filled with all the things you loved in the first book, and then some, it's engaging, atmospheric and 100% enjoyable. It really is a must read, the book is incredible and this is one of the best series I've read in a loooooong time! Echo Queen is action packed, so much is going on there's never a dull moment, it's a truly fantastic blend of genres/features and you would be silly to miss out on all the fun!

Seriously, fun, Lindsey is nice to us and doesn't cause us pain and suffering ;)