An Echo of Things to Come

got 35% of the way and just couldn't push through :/ too confusing and not really pulling me in. time to unload the trilogy lol

Well then... People were gushing about how the main book was alright, but the epilogue was incredible and made the book worth reading. They are both right and wrong at the same time. An Echo of Things to Come was a step up in quality from the first book, which was unsurprising. If you've ever read the Inheritance Cycle, you'll understand when I say this is the Eldest of this series. In the first half there's not a lot of action. Enough to keep you sated and on your toes, but not enough to become stale. There's a lot of revelations in the first half. The second half felt like a boulder slowly starting to roll down a mountain, picking up speed and momentum as it goes, until finally it meets some immovable object, shattering into a million pieces. The epilogue was incredible, tying minor details in the first book to major plot elements, darkly mirroring the very last part of the final chapter, and offering foreshadowing of the ultimate conclusion of the story. It is an incredible work of fantasy.

I want to address the Wheel of Time comparisons. Spoilers for both series to follow.

The comparison between Wheel of Time and Licanius is entirely justified. There is an enormous amount of Wheel to be found within the books. Ancient abandoned city of great evil swathed in mysterious mists? Check. Large cast of characters? Check. Madness? Check. Intricate magic systems? Check. One half of the magic spawning from a Dark God? Check! Immortal servants of the enemy? CHECK! Barren wasteland to the north in direct contact with the dark god? Check. I could go on.

I do not think that the comparisons are unjustified. Tal'Kamar seems to pull inspiration from Rand Al'Thor. Asha from Egwene. I haven't found a stand in for Matrim yet. Orkoth and Mashadar. Deilannis and Shadar Logoth. The comparisons are strong. However, as much as I love Wheel of Time, Licanius is more efficiently written. It is tighter. Major plot elements from the first book are actually major elements of the overall narrative, where I've always felt Eye of the World was almost a standalone story with very few real ties to the Wheel of Time's overarching plot. The Eye of the World is mentioned only a handful of times after the first book, and always in passing. A great example of what I'm saying is Deilannis. Deilannis is this books stand in for Shadar Logoth, and it plays a much more important and prominent role. Sure, Rand and Nynaeve cleanse the taint using Shadar Logoth, but otherwise it is largely forgotten. Most of the events that happened there could easily be placed in other locations. It exists to cleanse the taint as a plot device and that's about it, everything else surrounding it is fluff. Deilannis on the other hand, is the goal of the enemy. It is where he needs to get to in order to achieve victory. Tal'Kamar's plans center on Deilannis. It is where Davian is killed by Tal'Kamar (which hints at Tal's over all plan to end the Augurs is by having them time travel and killing them one by one in the past. Potentially. I haven't finished the third book yet.) Davian lives in Deilannis for months. It is where Tal'Kamar and Nethgalla met and Nethgalla gave him the siphon. It is so interlinked into the plot that it makes Shadar Logoth's impact on the plot of Wheel of Time look like childs play. This is just one example, cherry picked of course. But it really does feel like Wheel of Time with a more structured plot and much tighter writing.

One of my most pleasant surprises of 2024 was The Shadow of What Was Lost, the first book in James Islington’s Licanius trilogy. Going into that book, I was expecting a solid but not spectacular Wheel of Time knockoff and came away very impressed by Islington’s natural talent as a fantasy writer. That book did everything right in terms of being the opener to a door-stopper fantasy series, so I was very excited to see what Islington had in store for the rest of the series. With that said, second installments are notoriously challenging and so I tempered my expectations.

As it turns out I didn’t need to do that! An Echo of Things to Come is in many ways better than The Shadow of What Was Lost. My biggest gripe with Shadow was its characters. I liked the characters there but I didn’t find myself growing that attached to them. I felt that the characters were mere conduits for some really strong storytelling and great worldbuilding. Here, that changes. The characters in Echo feel a lot more fleshed out and interesting than they ever were in Shadow, allowing for a lot more emotional resonance as I started caring a lot more about them.

What’s even better is that this increase in character quality does not come at the expense of what made Shadow as good as it was. Islington’s pacing is once again quite strong and in Echo that’s even more necessary as the scope expands a lot more. A lot of Echo follows four POVs in at least three different locations, making it a really tough juggling act. This is an act that many writers would fail but Islington doesn’t and the result is as good of a second volume to a fantasy trilogy that you’re going to get. My expectations are officially through the roof for the final book in the trilogy.

Again, it is not bad, but not great. There is a lot of complex lore and not enough lovable characters, but I feel I should finish the series.

An Echo of Things to Come by James Islington completely hooked me. It's a masterclass in building anticipation. Unlike some sequels that info-dump revelations, Islington takes a patient approach. The story unfolds like a blooming flower, each chapter revealing a new layer of the complex world and its intriguing mysteries. This deliberate pacing might seem slow at first, but it serves a purpose. It allows the characters to truly come into their own. We witness their internal struggles, their strengths tested, and their vulnerabilities exposed. As they grapple with their pasts and the burdens they carry, their personal growth becomes deeply intertwined with the fate of the world, making them all the more relatable and their triumphs all the more satisfying.

Despite the slow reveals, Islington weaves a captivating narrative, rich in world-building and laced with suspense. Each new discovery feels like a hard-won victory, leaving you eager to delve deeper. This entire trilogy has become a favorite, and I can't wait to see where the journey takes us next. Believe me, I'm diving straight into the third book, The Light of All That Falls!

4.5 stars!

The sequel was just as good as the first book! I love how the whole story is a mystery to untangle and that you get to learn about this world alongside the characters. Until the very end, you can't be sure that you know what's going to happen.

Age range: 16+
Too violent for younger readers.

7/10

The middle part, with the endless politics for Wirr and the seemingly meaningless “training montage” for Davian and Ishelle, didn't work for me at all.

In the 2-3 last chapters, I feel like the prose is mediocre at best. I couldn't get invested in the action as these action-packed scenes never “flowed” for me.

The epilogue pulls this up from a 3-star, 6/10 rating.

I love the characters, world, and story, but the dependence on the memories really kills my excitement a little. It wasn't too bad in the first book but this one relied on it way too much, and it just killed the momentum of the story every time it happened, sometimes multiple times a chapter. Really hope the third book doesn't have that problem.

3.5 stars* This book turned out pretty good but it was by no means easy to get through for me. There was constant flashbacks which helped build a back story for Caeden but there was just so many of them it really messed with my momentum. There was several times I had to reread stuff because I couldn't remember what I just read. All that being said the ending was fantastic and it really builds tension for the war that's about to come. I was really impressed with some of the monsters that were described in the book. Very unique and creepy! There was also a lot more magic in this one which was as well. I have a feeling the last book is going to be amazing!

This book really only needs one word to describe it: WOW. It takes everything from the first book and builds on it in a really satisfying way, answering questions and throwing more out there. You are left only wanting more. What an engaging plot, what a world the author has created. I cannot wait to dive into the conclusion of this series.

The characters have been split into different groups and locations in this book, but it WORKS. Some authors can't pull this off without feeling like some of characters are less important, but you really feel the weight each group is holding. Everyone is important for different reasons. And once again, the ending of this book just feels like a punch to the gut. There's foreshadowing for this ending in the first book, but you don't see it for what it is until it is literally right in front of you.

Holy crap.

SO GOOD. Five stars.

I have finished this book and working on a full review for my YouTube channel, Pages of Light! - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq9v4MKGNcFNZaeVMtH3bjw/

This was ardous. There were parts that were superbly written but many that were too complex. It probably requires another read but maybe just before the next book comes out. The world building is top notch and the characterisation excellent so let's now wait for the finale.

I loved the first book, and that is what drove me to finish this volume. The plot was fine, the characters ok, but I was constantly distracted by the seemingly infinite varieties of the word “wry” that the author used and the editor let through. I really do think Islington can be a great writer - but as tweeted, I hit a wryly wry threshold of wryliness that led me to screaming into the aether.

An awesome second act to an awesome series

A gripping story that continues from the first in the series exploring the consequences of actions driven by two sides who think they are in the right. There are so many intriguing themes to explore in this narrative, from the question of free will in a world with gods and the ability to see in the future to the choice of the individual over the greater good. I can't wait to read the final installment and go back and reread these two. I hope James never stops writing! He is definitely my new favorite fantasy author