A review by therese_nook68
Echoes and Empires, by Morgan Rhodes

medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

The concept sounded really interesting, but the execution just... wasn’t it. 
I was excited to read about the character, she seemed like a spoiled, close-minded brat that had a lot of room for growth. But as the book progressed, she stayed pretty much close-minded and bratty and spoiled throughout the entire book and the only way she started to open up , was because of a single girl in the prison who, she basically says is the nicest person ever and that’s the only way she managed to humanize the people who could do magic. The only way. I personally didn’t see a lot of growth with the character considering that this entire storyline hinged on her going through this change. 
I felt like it was hard to conceptualize the magic system, I couldn’t see the gives and takes and see how it worked. The world-building also felt too grand and large and it was hard to visualize how the world was supposed to look and function. I felt like I was just being shown scenes but everything else around them was just a blank canvas rather than them moving from spot to spot and seeing the world. 
The romance also lacked chemistry and just felt forced and somehow... random despite there being so many hints and build up to the relationship? Like I can’t see why the two characters are interested in one another outside for maybe a physical attraction. 
Felt like the book just needed to be better fleshed and planned out for it to feel cohesive. 
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