Review: Echoes of The Forgotten by Lori Holmes
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Introduction:
What is your name, boy?” the dread Chief demanded.
“I-I don’t know!”
Awakening among the remains of a smoking forest, panic sweeps through the boy.
All he knows is he does not belong. Not to the tribe whose lifeless bodies adorn the forest floor, or to the hard-eyed, fur-clad warriors that surround him.
All he knows is that he hates the red-haired beast who gloats in his face.
Called by a past he can no longer remember and driven forward by powers beyond his control, the half-witch, Du Mu, finds himself caught in the grip of the most powerful Cro clan to walk the Plains.
Eldrax saved his life, but Du Mu cannot bring himself to trust the bloodthirsty leader of the Hunting Bear clan. Determined to escape his captor, Du Mu must discover the truth behind the voice that calls from the very centre of his soul before his past is lost to him forever.
But does that past truly exist? As new friends and allies take hold of his heart, Du Mu must decide once and for all what truly matters; the past he has forgotten, or the future and all its unknown joys and dangers.
A decision that will place Du Mu on the path towards his ultimate, terrifying destiny.
Review:
Echoes of The Forgotten by Lori Holmes is a good coming of age fantasy genre book. While the world building wasn’t up to what I usually prefer and writing left a lot to be desired there is no denying Lori Holmes knows how to weave a good story. Narrated in multi POVs, personally I found the book to be a mixture of both good and bad.
Set in a primitive tribal world infused with fantastical beings such as elves, Echoes of The Forgotten follows the story of Juaan, later known as Khalvir, a young mixed race boy of elf and human Cro clan decent. Unless I am mistaken I believe this is a prequel to Lori Holmes’ The Ancestors Saga series, given what I’ve gleaned from looking at their book titles and set in the same universe. Hence lies the problem with the world building. I feel the author was under the impression that everyone who pick this book up would have already read the aforementioned series, given how sparse the world building was in Echoes of the Forgotten and how she never explained certain terminologies within it’s pages. A mere mention at the beginning of the book would have been nice so a reader who’s new to this world wouldn’t feel frustrated trying to understand certain terminologies. I am not saying it completely distracted me from my reading but it would have been nice to understand the bigger picture going into the book.
Even with these little overlooked elements, the story Holmes weaves in Echoes of The Forgotten was very beautiful. The pacing of the story was great and I liked all the characters and their individual character arcs. While the book’s overarching plot may have eluded me, I sensed a larger, overarching revelation that seems poised to unfold in the forthcoming installments. The story was imbued with an air of suspense and intrigue, occasionally delving into somber and ominous facets that elicited emotionally poignant instances.
The character of Juaan/ Du Mu /Khalvir was intricately molded, a testament to the author’s skill, and I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in his tumultuous journey throughout the book. His story was replete with heartache, anguish, occasional bonds of companionship with newfound allies, and the uphill battles he faced in acclimating to unfamiliar environs while yearning for a place he could genuinely call home.
While Eldrax was undoubtedly dark and morally grey, I loved his character and the dark layer he brought to the story. Rannac was a great addition to the story as well. He was level headed, logical and empathetic. These two viewpoints injected a profound complexity into the story’s fabric making the story much more interesting. Additionally, Nameeda, Tamuk, and Lorhir served as commendable supporting characters, further enriching the tapestry of the tale.
I really wish I would have gotten the chance to read the author’s The Ancestors Saga series before diving into Echoes of The Forgotten. All in all, this book is a good start to what I feel would be a great series and I am looking forward to reading the next installment.
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