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The 'Echo' Series, a Review

Kent Wayne's Epic of the Struggle of Humanity in a Distant World

By Richard PilandPublished 5 years ago 4 min read
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Image used With Permission

Kent Wayne's thrill ride of action and philosophy in the series he entitled “Echo" all culminate into this thought provoking finale. Even the title really encapsulates some of the ideas presented in the book. The Last Edge of Darkness is a book that started being formed after the release of volume three, The Dialectic of Agony, back in February of 2017.

When I spoke to Kent about the book and wrote my initial review on Amazon, he had this to say about the time it took for the last story to come out:

“One of the reasons I spent so much time on Echo 4 was because I really wanted to stick the ending; so many series don't end well, and I knew it had to be satisfactory, especially with the exponential increase in thematic complexity I added. “ -Kent Wayne

I’ve been following the author since discovering him via his blog on Wordpress. I bought and read the first book, Approaching Shatter, and have been ensorcelled since. From the first moments all the way through the epilogue of volume four, it has been a massively wild ride of action, of sci-fi intermixed with fantasy elements, and of multiple philosophies and diatribes.

I will have to suggest that readers be at least 18 years of age before attempting to read this story due to some of the more graphic content in it, but these parts are rare and only help the story and the characters.

Image used with permission

The Story

Let’s begin where the story begins in volume one. We first meet a ‘crusader' named Atriya. He isn’t top dog, but his unit is considered one of the best in this world called Echo, very far and removed from our own planet Earth. From here begins his journey of cruelty, aggression, combat and then followed into his final realization of self by the end of the saga.

I will do my best not to spoil the story from this point on, but we will look at some of the ideas as they are presented within the books. Atriya is on top in the physical sense but always feels like he has plateaued. When we meet the character Verus the first time, he is shown a small instance of a world he never knew existed. This character would be considered the opposing side of the coin, where Atriya was the physical and Verus was the spiritual.

All that leads to the philosophical aspects that heavily reigns within the books.

Character Development

When it comes to the character development over the course of the series, you can tell the arc starts low at the start and then builds up over time. He continues through his multitude of trials in combat and outside of it, building him up to his final version at the epilogue of vol. 4. I find this one of the better development arcs I’ve seen in books, even from seasoned authors with dozens of titles under their belts.

There is only one thing that I find just slightly lacking, and that’s the use of secondary characters to round him off. Kent Wayne works in a couple later on in the series, even building on the profiles of his main antagonists in the last book. Other than that, I have little to complain about.

In the third and fourth books he adds in separate character points of views and events to help tell the story in a more fulfilling way. Each time he steps into these characters he gives them plenty of their own thoughts, how they act, and how they handle their own issues at the points they’re introduced. These all wrap back around to Atriya in the long run, and gives the story a renewed aspect to have in mind as you continue through those books.

Story Elements

The books starts as a science fiction epic about the struggle of an individual in the machinations of an empire. These start to fade as the story builds up, bringing in metaphysical energies and philosophies into play that ends in a major epic of the final struggle.

The use of foreshadowing is limited, but its placement is well thought out and played. Each instance gives a bit of suspense and makes you wonder where it's going.

Ratings

Readability 5/5

Each book is well written and edited. There is no issues with the flow.

Story 5/5

A very strong series of events that all tie together. The twist at the end of Volume 3 really emphasizes the themes in the books and gives volume 4 a wondrous start to use.

Characters 5/5

Characters are well drawn out, each protagonist is very well written and fleshed out, as well as the antagonists.

Overall theme 5/5

The themes presented are well thought out and written, leaving the reader with plenty to think about

Total Ratings 5/5

Conclusion

The Echo series is an amazing tale from an indie author. They are available through Amazon and other usual e-book stores. They’re inexpensive for the content that you get, and I always tell the author I think he deserves to raise the price on them.

Disclaimer: the author of this review is not, directly or indirectly, a part of an affiliate program with any products or sites that may be linked in this article. They are there for suggestions only.

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About the Creator

Richard Piland

Writer, Artist, Motorcyclist, Student all wrapped into one. A random assortment of hobbies follows suit in different fashions for your reading pleasure. Lives in Wisconsin, raised Texan.

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