Historic Echo, located in Northeast Oregon, is home to numerous historical and recreational sites along the corridor of the Oregon Trail.
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Something struck his shoulder and pain flared, but his scream was one of fury. Wetness splashed across his throat and chest, and he was unsure whether it was his. A sword jabbed at him and he fell back, straight onto another. The man stepped back, holding his nose, eyes watering as he looked in comical surprise at the blood pooling in his hand. I will summarize this by saying that those of you who are tired of books tailored to the young adult crowd might find this there cup of tea.
He writes exceptionally thought provoking dark fantasy that really is not for the faint of heart. This book as well as his other works will sit with you long after you are finished with them. I am a huge Tim Lebbon fan and cannot recommend him highly enough. Nov 30, Ranting Dragon rated it did not like it Shelves: This is a work of very dark but slightly epic fantasy that sometimes borders on the horror genre. It is about a huge city called Echo City, named after its Echoes which are layers of old parts of the city built over by new parts but left intact beneath the surface.
From deep down there, down beneath the earliest of Echoes, something is slowly rising. Fortune-tellers are predicting it, while others are feeling it in the waters of the river and creatures that live down in the Echoes are panicking. Could he be the prophesied savior? While reading the book, I found myself contemplating how well this story could do as an epic fantasy series, instead of a stand-alone novel. There are pages upon pages of people walking through the city and its Echoes, seemingly without destination, to come full circle in the end, while nothing really happened to justify the almost pages of story in between.
It was the potential that kept me reading, but after finishing this book, all I felt was disappointment. Convoluted It must be said, though, that Lebbon has tried to turn Echo City into a very epic novel. There are over a dozen different viewpoints, some of which are quite well-written. Every now and then there is an amazing chapter which offers a stunning view of a city in chaos. I felt that nothing in this book was properly set up; there were just too many coincidences.
For example, there is a point when one of the characters, Nophel, needs to investigate something that happened in the city. Lack of vision Another thing that bugged me was the city itself. Layers upon layers of history built upon each other with characters traveling these through hidden passages kept me up many a night, marveling about such a wonderful setting. But then, one of those nights, it struck me: An entire section of the city is dedicated to farming. The story tells about fields still being present in the Echoes, soil and all.
Yet, the city has been surrounded by deadly desert since the time of the first Echo, so where would they possibly find all that soil? Also, there is never any mention about pillars or other form of support for these layers to rest upon. In fact, there are several mentions of huge plains in the Echoes. Why should you read this book? Oct 29, Stefan rated it liked it Shelves: Echo City is a vast and ancient city in the middle of a huge, deadly desert. Its inhabitants have been isolated for thousands upon thousands of years and have come to believe that the city is actually all of the world, because venturing out into the surrounding desert is certain death.
Gorham, her former lover, is still a Watcher fighting against the theocracy of the Marcellans and its military arm, the Scarlet Blades. This disparate group of characters is about to go through a shocking change in their lives, because early on in the story, Peer is witness to the impossible: She quickly realizes that she has to bring the visitor, who is the first person ever to survive exposure to the desert, to her former colleagues in the Watchers, despite the fact that he appears to have lost most of his memory A feeling of hopelessness and loss permeates the entire book, from the ancient city, resting on countless millennia of isolated history and mercilessly ruled by a corrupt theocracy, to most of its characters who are, almost without exception, defined by what they have lost rather than what they are.
There are many more differences than similarities, though, and Echo City is a unique and impressive fantasy setting. Tim Lebbon excels in his ability to make the city seem like a real place, with several districts that have a unique atmosphere, including some that are ruled by vicious criminal gangs and, maybe most strangely, one that appears to house several huge domes in which an entire mysterious race has been isolated for centuries. There are also some seriously bizarre mutated creatures, such as the Bellowers and the Scopes, that take Echo City to a whole new level of weirdness.
In terms of setting, this novel is a huge and memorable success that made me wish the book included a map and some illustrations. Unfortunately, there are some issues with pacing. The second half of Echo City contains a few chapters that barely advance the story, making it drag a bit towards the end. Trimming these down would have improved the reading experience tremendously.
Some of the characters could have used more depth and back story, including main characters Peer and Gorham, but fortunately this is balanced out by some truly fascinating ones such as Norphel and especially Nadielle.
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Regardless, Echo City is a memorable dark fantasy novel with an impressively rich setting that could well be developed further in a prequel. Feb 01, Marcus rated it did not like it Shelves: This book was a struggle to get into - a struggle I ended up losing I might add. Lately I've been in a mood for post-apocalyptic stories and the attractive cover of Echo City coupled with the intriguing concept hooked me.
Unfortunately after the opening sequence - dark, foreboding, heavy, etc - nothing else happened to keep me going. I tried to keep reading but it was a chore. Unlike other books where I look for any excuse to keep reading, Echo City was like a term paper you keep putting off. I This book was a struggle to get into - a struggle I ended up losing I might add. I don't know what it was about the book but I just couldn't get into it. I kept thinking, "It'll pick up any page now.
Gone are the days where I'd slog through a book just because I paid for it a big reason why I use the library these days. I might give an author with whom I'm familiar more leeway but someone I've never read before? Dec 15, Daniel rated it it was ok Shelves: I do not want to finish this book. I suspected this might happen back at page 80, when I realized that Lebbon was telling far more than he was showing in his writing. Now, at page , I've read enough to put it down for good. Lebbon does put some good ideas into play, and I am still a little curious - just not enough to continue.
For me, the mysteries of Echo City will remain as such. Dec 10, Noelle rated it liked it Shelves: I liked the characters who, I felt, where realistic Apr 01, Allyson Shaw added it Shelves: I got to page before I gave up. The first few pages were solid and grabbed me and even the first few chapters held me but then all the characters became sock puppets furthering the convoluted plot.
The ambiguous ethics in the story were never dealt with- which made for some unpleasant reading. Life is too short to read books I don't like! Jun 01, Jonathan Wood rated it liked it. Good dark fiction, but I had trouble connecting with the characters for some reason. A lot of the action seemed to happen at a distance.
Story wise, this is pretty interesting as a concept - cities built on top of one another as new generations grow and develop, leading to the feared 'echoes'. There were, however two things which I found irritating in the writing style. First, Lebbon's tendency to use overcomplicated words which often took me out of the story I could have otherwise been engrossed in when I stopped the think, 'wtf does that mean? I'd say this is 3. Feb 22, Shawn Edrei rated it it was ok. There's a good idea in this book - centered around the structure and function of Echo City itself - but it's buried under suffocatingly sluggish prose and overly vague plotting and characterization.
Granted, sometimes a book can reward you for fighting your way through it, but this doesn't feel like one of them. I'm not really a fan of Tim Lebbon's, nor Horror for that matter, but although this was overly long and at times boring, i was engaged enough to keep reading to the last page.
Wouldn't read again if knew what i was in store for. Apr 11, Richard Webb rated it liked it. Thus by necessity the city builds upon itself, layering the new upon the old, literally burying its own past. Citizens live in the present with little or no concept of history and the theme of cultural memory actually cultural amnesia in this instance is signified but is worthy of more exploration.
Echo City by Tim Lebbon
The prologue, featuring a sequence of babushka-like progenitors, is grossly engrossing, and sets up some of the corporeal bio-shock that returns later in the book. Lebbon paints a vivid picture of the city and we feel much of its quirks, strangeness and charms through the broad brushstrokes of atmosphere and the finer points of detail about daily life for its inhabitants. This decelerates the story after the momentum-gathering opening, but this is fine as it enables a glimpse into the touching relationship between Peer and Penler. The first act closes with the inciting incident — the arrival into Echo City of a man walking in from the desert -- and everything seems nicely poised.
The man, given the name Rufus Kyuss, is unsure of his role and has no demonstrable abilities and thus has limited impact, again in both senses. This might be in part due to the unquantifiable nature of the Marcellans — their threat is only suggested and this dissipates the dissidence, as it were. However it does make for a delightfully grotesque array of creations, such as a semi-human telescope and a living subway system, even if Lebbon just leaves us to ponder the freak-show without comment.
After some pacing issues in the middle third — there is much moving through the city but not all of it is purposeful — the story then rushes its ending and the looming catastrophe in the city is too Deus ex Machina. Without Spoiling, it feels at odds with the majority of the story, the focus of which is the underground rebellion. So engulfing is the climax it reduces much that comes before to irrelevancy.
A shame, as the rebellion is the human story; the blockbuster ending has scale and volume but little emotional depth and fractures the story, leaving questions hanging. For instance, the enigma of Rufus Kyuss does not seem to fully play out -- who is he and what does his arrival actually mean?
On finishing the book I was not quite certain. It has a tantalizing premise, a set of characters to root for, themes worthy of expansion and a gallery of curiosities, but does itself a slight injustice by being distracted away from these strengths just as they should reach a culmination. The further I waded through it, though the clearer it was that something was missing. However, I want to start with things I really liked about it. When the coffee kicks in. There were great ideas here. Right at the start, as a strange creature walks across the lethal desert, shedding outer layers like a Russian doll, I was immediately intrigued.
The concept of As far as I could make out, it was a little too long, and I feel that a good chunk of the endless walking could be whittled down. The descriptions of the city and the characters both needed more passion, as I felt quite detached from them and the decaying city and only gradually pieced the visuals together.
That said, the twisting of terminology was great. I feel that the writer did too! However I really liked the chap with the diseased face, who had a vendetta, as he had compassion and had been royally screwed over. The Baker was also a fascinating character but everyone seemed too scared to get to know her. Perhaps it would have worked better carved up into smaller pieces with more mini climaxes, and having the destruction of the city much earlier.
I was glad to visit Echo City, but the trip got a bit laborious after the first two hundred pages. View all 3 comments. Sep 22, Holly Mcentee rated it it was amazing. This was actually a re-read for me: I must have read it years ago and forgotten about it. It reminded me of Perdido Street Station in all the right ways. I will make a specific effort to try more by this author. Mar 01, Ross rated it liked it.
Echo City by Tim Lebbon caught my eye after I saw it's awesome cover online. The story is a stand alone novel and I hate to say it but it's almost refreshing to see an author in the fantasy genre tell a good story in one book! Echo City is essentially a place in the middle of a vast desert. The city itself is a pretty depressing place and it's inhabitants are all plagued with political, social, and religious differences. It's here where we meet the Political outcast Peer Nadawa who lives life on Echo City by Tim Lebbon caught my eye after I saw it's awesome cover online.
It's here where we meet the Political outcast Peer Nadawa who lives life on the borders of this desert. Former rebel now turned outcast Peer has been banished to the outskirts of Echo City and has excepted her defeat. Then one day she sees a man emerge from the surrounding wasteland and she knows with his coming everything is about to change. The setting is where I thought Tim Lebbon really shined. Echo City has a very creepy subterranean feel to it.
It's not warm, not welcoming, and you can't help but feel glad you don't live there. It's no shire, I'll say that much! The author really teases the reader as it's learned early on that something is rising from the depths of Echo City, and it's this curiosity of what it could be that really kept me hooked. One issue I had was that one character ark was a love story, which I'm totally not against, but it felt almost as if he was shoving the romance down our throat.
The other characters were pretty damn original I gotta say! From a deformed worker covered in boils, to a gang of ghosts, to a "butcher" who makes abominations of flesh, if you like weird then Echo City delivers. This book also has a lot of sex, violence, and murder so if you like dark then here's yet another reason to check it out! While Echo City wasn't perfect it was original and entertaining, especially as a stand-alone.
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If Tim Lebbon releases more books set in this world, or even more set in the fantasy genre, I will be checking them out for sure! Overall a very unique reading experience worth checking out! Apr 02, Guy Haley rated it liked it. This is a frustrating book. Set in the last city might be on Earth, might not be , Echo City manages a high level of invention. The eponymous city is baroque creation, enthralled to its own past, the city being built not on, but over the buildings of yesteryear.
Ghostly cities of successively great age — the Echoes - are entombed beneath its bustling streets. Echoes are what you get, with Lebbon playing with the This is a frustrating book. Top marks for world-building, but what he does with this excellent creation is less impressive.
Sep 12, Adrenna rated it liked it. I just don't know about this book. The prologue was astounding. It's written from the perspective of a hideous monster roaming the desert, and it's haunting and beautiful and strange. I had to know more. And then we're introduced to our main character a lady! She's capable and has an intriguing past.
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Even the world building was completely fascinating. For mysterious reasons, the desert is deeply toxic. Anything within it dies miserably. Once I bought the book and started reading, it sort of fizzled out and ended with a whimper. There were too many scenes where the characters wander from place to place, observing the architecture and thinking and pondering and talking. After a certain point reading the book felt more like a chore than an adventure.
Even still, I appreciated the presence of interesting female characters, the unique world building, and the concept of using genetically engineered creatures as technology instead of machinery. It was a struggle deciding between a two or three star rating. I ultimately went with three star because I loved the idea of could have been done with the concept, even if I thought the final product was stale. I might check out other books by Lebbon but I'll do so with tempered expectations this time.
This book was well received out in cyber space and the extracts that I read were very enticing. IMHO this is a very well written book with an authentic plot and characters. The author has managed to draw some superb characters without clogging up the story with unnecessary world building.
It is not a barrel of laughs though and there is very little, if any, humour to lighten the mood. Down in the underside of Echo City, he strove to remember.
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Definitely recommended to the normal crew. Peer Nadawa exiled and confused! Aug 04, Esther rated it really liked it Shelves: Peer has been banished to Skulk for her political - and religious - beliefs. The follow up, The Sound of Music , released on Stevo Pearce's industrial label Some Bizzare in , was entirely performed usings Echo City's own self made instruments and, reflecting the group's increasing involvement in participatory music making and community arts, was a more abstract and experimental recording, derived from studio based improvisations, live and field recordings and pieces recorded in music workshops.
It also featured the project's first use of sampling technology. As well as pursuing a career in the UK, Echo City also worked extensively in Europe in the s, notably with the theatre group Blaumeier Atelier, based in Bremen Germany. They performed in Berlin in Echo City also forged an important collaboration with an arts project for people with learning disabilities in North London, The Siren Project, and the groups collaborated on an album in Loss of the Church.
An as yet unreleased recording was made with Tchad Blake, using his binaural system, at the Union Chapel , London in Some of the session has been released in the mini CD Single Meanwhile, the first album Gramophone was re-packaged, with extra material, and released on the group's own impress, Gramophone Records, as Sonic Sport In , Echo City collaborated with members of the Sun Ra Arkestra at a studio on the Scottish island Jura to make a series of recordings. This has resulted in the mini CD Eruption Day.
The residency included a number of performances, each of which saw the band's current line-up joined by former members Susie Honeyman and Giles Leaman. The exhibition drew on the year history of the project to offer an impressionistic retrospective of Echo City and its work. Over the course of its history, Echo City has involved and collaborated with a number of other musicians and artists.
These relationships have, in cases, spread over a number of years.
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