This book sucked me in almost immediately. Amazing world building, badass female characters finding themselves, plot twists. Just read this book! Totally worth it.

Thank you to Netgalley and E.J Dawson for this ARC!

Trigger warning sexual assault of a child. First in a series.
As a nonathletic, book nerd I find the main character relatable. Darkkin, sounds nefarious, I like that. The Matriarchal society is interesting. Has at least one LGBTQIA+ character, though nothing really happens in that vein (which I like, there are too few books devoid of romance) Good character development and relationship progressions. Took me only one day to read, despite being a fantasy (which usually take me a bit longer).
Overall a good book

A beautiful world, the story is so well described that you feel like you’re there. An absolute whirlwind of a story with relatable characters and a storyline that keeps you hooked from the get go.

This is definitely an author I’ll keep my eye out for and hoping this story arc continues somewhere down the line.

Thank you to E. J. Dawson and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

E.J. Dawson's "Echo of the Evercry" takes readers on an enthralling adventure through a world where magic is both feared and embraced. Larissa, our resilient protagonist, struggles to reconcile her inner desires with societal expectations. In a sisterhood dedicated to hunting down corrupted sorcerers, Larissa's aversion to killing sets her apart. But beneath her facade, a growing affinity for magic lies dormant, waiting to be unleashed.

From the moment I delved into the pages of this mesmerizing fantasy tale, I found myself captivated by Larissa's journey. The author beautifully portrays a Matriarchal society, where strong and capable women take center stage. Larissa's path is one of self-acceptance, as she grapples with her unique abilities and finds her place in a world that demands conformity.

The world-building in "Echo of the Evercry" is simply exquisite. E.J. Dawson effortlessly transports readers into a realm brimming with vivid imagery and intricate details. From the grand halls of the sisterhood to the menacing creatures they face, every setting is brought to life with immersive descriptions. I felt as though I was walking alongside Larissa, experiencing the wonders and perils of this enchanting world firsthand.

One aspect that truly impressed me was the author's skill in crafting complex characters. Larissa, in particular, resonated deeply with me. Her relatability and likability drew me in, and I found myself rooting for her every step of the way. The development of her character, as well as the surprising twists and turns, kept me on the edge of my seat. E.J. Dawson expertly weaves a tapestry of friendships, betrayals, and unforeseen revelations, ensuring that the story never loses its momentum.

While the pacing of the narrative was generally engaging, there were a few instances where I felt a bit lost in the intricacies of the plot. Some fight scenes seemed overly complicated, momentarily muddling the overall flow of events. However, these instances were minor in comparison to the sheer enjoyment I derived from the book as a whole.

"Echo of the Evercry" is a refreshing departure from conventional fantasy novels, as it places a strong emphasis on friendship and personal growth rather than romance. Larissa's bonds with her fellow comrades drive the narrative forward, highlighting the power of unity and loyalty. The absence of a romantic subplot only served to enhance the richness of these relationships.

In conclusion, E.J. Dawson's "Echo of the Evercry" is a remarkable debut that left me yearning for more. The author's masterful storytelling, combined with the enthralling world-building and compelling characters, creates an unforgettable reading experience. Larissa's quest for self-discovery and the echoes of the Evercry will resonate with readers who appreciate fantasy, adventure, and strong female protagonists. I eagerly await the continuation of this enchanting saga, hoping to unravel more secrets and delve deeper into the magical realm crafted by E.J. Dawson.

A world where magic is seen as a darkness and knights are trained to kill to protect. Here we find Larissa, who doesn’t want to kill, and is someone drawn to magic. Maybe she is just what the land needs! This is a fantasy story with strong capable women in a Matriarchal society. A twisting tale of half lies and full lies. A sad tale with what ending? A tale of discovery and belief in what? A tale of friendship and maybe love? The answers can be found in this book that seems to be the beginning of a wonderful fantasy saga. Wonderful? Yes! Thank you to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

“History is not always sung by the heroes. It is sometimes written by the villains who told their story first.”
Plot- ★★★★
Characters- ★★★★
World building- ★★★
POV- Single pov from the FMC

This book was given to me, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy, adventure and bad ass female characters. In the book we get to follow Larissa on her journey to save her mother and to accept herself. I found it hard to get into the book the first chapters, it was a bit hard to understand how it all worked. However, once I got a better understanding of it all, I was hooked. I was also pleasantly surprised to learn there were no romance in this book at all! It focuses more on friendship between the girls and the obstacles they must face on their journey. There are many twists and turns, and I could not have predicted the end at all.

There were a few instances where I got a bit bored and lost in what was happening. Some fight scenes were just overly complicated in my opinion, and it all mushed together into a blur of words.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would love if there were more to come. I would give a small CW, there are mentions of SA, child-abuse and suicide.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

I thought Larissa was a wimp, but I had to retract that thought when she was given a responsible task. It was an ominous one filled with deceit, betrayals, and anger. Left with no other choice, Larissa went with her inner feelings. The story was okay, but I wasn’t keen on the ending.

I am so upset that I just couldn't get into this book. I am not someone who admits defeat easily but I got a third of the way through the book and to me nothing happened!

When I started I was intrigued by the initial plot however, it just didn't move. There was a really creative and interesting concept to this story in that the main character feels different and that her path is not the one taught to her. Larissa's creative and quick thinking provided the makings of an excellent lead character.

Thank you to E.J. Dawson and NetGalley for an E-ARC of Echo of the Evercry.

The book starts off following the story of Larissa Westwyn after completing the Empirical. She’s uncertain of where she belongs and has a hard time discovering her role in the world. However, she begins her journey as a darkkin. Larissa’s story begins to unfold throughout the book and she discovers things from her past.

I had a hard time getting through this book. Some parts were great, but other parts were a bit slow and hard to get through. I often found myself not completely interested in the story/what was happening.

Overall rating: 3/5.

This is Larissas story; It is a retelling of her quest, of her coming into her own, of her echo of the evercry. Filled with adventure, magic, bad ass female knights (and creatures and castles too) we're thrown into a world with an abundance of FMCs, it's a sisterhood- yes, while men do still exist in this world, the women are the ones mostly running all factions with the fair ladys order being of most importance here.

The world building was so immersive, it sucks you right in. Add fantasticly written complex main characters and this book has everything you want from a fantasy read. I have definitely been left me wanting more of the story!
(Crossing my fingers hoping its gonna be a series 🤞🏻)

I would definitely say to grab this one for anyone into fantasy reads; it's written beautifully and worth the read.

This is definitely my preferred genre, and with the sheer volume of reading I do, it is not often I read a book and argue (in my head at least!) with the characters, or find myself actively hoping for one outcome over another - that is the power of this book. The world and character building are such that you will be drawn into the world, actively wanting one result or another. It is truly an immersive and enjoyable story, remenicient of my favorite epic fantasy stories. I am really hoping to read a lot more in this world.

I love it when you get blindsided by a book you went into with no real expectations and you get sucked into the world so completely it's like you've been transported there.

Echo of the Evercry was a fantastic mix of a large number of good things. From likable, and flawed characters, to complex and often twisting plotlines and sub-plots that folded upon themselves so much it was this writhing mass of uncertainty that just dragged the reader along with it.

Delicious world building, a structured, yet flawed set of lore and beliefs, magic and mayhem all mixed in with a youthful, but not childish, cast of young women. Characters with differing strengths and weaknesses, hidden pasts and pre-planned futures, the way they play off each other and work together, was well crafted and kept my interest the entire story.

Do I have questions about what's going to happen after the events in this book? Yes. Is this part of a series or trilogy? I don't know, but I sure hope so. Will I read more by this author? Absolutely!

If you're a fan of epic fantasy, of magic and spells, grand fantasy settings and colourful and rich world-building I think you'll enjoy this book. The writing is honed and well edited with a clear voice and engaging lilt. It will leave you wanting to keep reading well past your bedtime, and fill your dreams with haunting wolfish cries.

Are there things in the story I'd change? Yes, but this isn't my story, it's Larissa's and that means the reader gets to be a witness to all that she endures and enjoys. Every weary step and hot bath.

Covering themes like not belonging, dealing with expectations of our elders and coming to terms with having to question the things we've been told are true our entire lives, this book allows the weight of those themes to breath and be explored fully by not only the characters, but the reader also.

Why not 5 stars? The opening, although hook enough to keep me reading, did drag on a little, and the first chapter or two took a little time to get into. I think this is a slight disservice to an otherwise strong and thoroughly enjoyable book.

**Note: I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley**

Larissa will do anything to save her mother, even travel with the girl who bullied her all through school. But as they battle monsters and mercenaries, Larissa must grapple with dark truths about the sisterhood and her heritage, and decide who she can really trust with her mother's fate…and her own.

This book was good, but it suffered from a lack of a more in depth explanation of the magic system. I know that was part of the plot was discovering new things about magic, but I think if we even got a prologue with a story from the fair lady about how the magic works etc I think it would’ve been really helpful. I think we also needed a bit more on *why* Larissa and Valare have this rivalry and hatred between them. I’d be excited to see some of these things explained further in q second book.

How amazing it is when books surprised you and surpass your expectations. I really enjoyed this book: I loved the magic system and story-telling. It's a great high fantasy with bad ass women coming into their own. I loved the main trio of women and how different each of them were. This book is full of magic, secrets, adventure, and a few plot twists that will have you at the edge of your seat at some points. I would highly recommend this story to lovers of epic fantasy and extensive world building and intriguing and interesting characters.

I received and reviewed an ARC, but my review has not been influenced in any way by the author or publisher.

History is not always sung by heroes. It is sometimes written by the villains who told their story first.

In Dawson's Echo of the Evercry, it can be hard to work out who is a hero and who is a villain. Yes, there are characters that are fighting against the evils of magic users gone bad. And yes, there is clearly a problem with the corruption that stems from unchecked use of magic. But it's not ever that simple in the real world, nor is it simple here.
There is a lot of conflict in this book, between characters and between factions. What keeps it interesting is that while the cause of conflicts is often apparent, it's not always what it first seems, and there is often not a 'good' and 'bad' side. Dawson has created characters that are complicated, have mixed feelings, don't always act in their own best interest, and sometimes need a good slap over the back of the head... in other words, they are people.
Mild spoilers ahead, read at your own risk.
<spoiler>There are a faction of knights, called to destroy the magic users who have been corrupted by power. The knights are well trained, respected (or feared), and powerful. But they also rely on their own magic users to know their enemy. But who is the enemy, really?</spoiler>
The lead cast are all women, with a matriarchal organisation of great power. Men exist in this world, have positions of authority and otherwise, but are not the focus of the story at all. There are hints of romance, but much more than that there is a classic story of growing up being forced into a way of life that is not by choice, and learning that you have a choice.
I heartily recommend this book, and I'm left wanting to know what happens next.

Echo of the Evercry is a high stakes fantasy filled with magic, secrets and twists that leave you vying for more. The story begins with our female main character Larrisa Westwynn struggling to find where she truly belongs as a knight in training for the Fair Lady's order, a sisterhood whose sole purpose is to hunt sorcerers that are corrupted by what is known by Evercry. However Larrisa finds herself unable to kill, much to the disapproval of her absent mother. Larrisa also finds herself harbouring a dangerous and sinful secret; she is drawn to magic and feels its pull continue to grow stronger and stronger. After failing her graduation test into knighthood, Larissa finds herself being welcomed by the darkkins, a group of people who study and wield magic in the fight against the Evercry. A message from her mother whom went missing on a mission years prior arrives, urging for Larrisa's help in defeating a formidable sorcerer that only she can defeat. Desperate to help save her mother, Larrisa embarks on a journey which is what the majority of this book is centered around. I personally really enjoyed the pacing of this book. Nothing felt too rushed or overlooked, nor was I finding my bored with the story dragging. The magic system is unique and the story itself is very immersive. I found myself on a journey with Larrisa as a character as she works to discover who she is as she faces dark truths about the sisterhood and her heritage. I definitely recommend giving this book a read.

I really enjoyed this story! I thought it was clever and well written. It had me hooked right from the start, to finish!

I usually don’t go for this genre but the plot had grabbed my attention and it did not disappoint!

Thank you for the chance to read and review to give my honest feedback.

Magic, secrets, adventure, and a few plot twists are what you have in store with this amazing book of fantasy! Larissa, the main character, begins the story uncertain of where she belongs. She has lived her life serving the Fair Lady and has been training to be a knight but she doesn't like to fight. When her trial to complete her training comes, it sets in motion the rest of the story. Larissa begins a new path as a darkkin, a wielder of magic, that has her hearing the call of the Evercry, the chaos of the world and it's magic. With an adventure that gives a Wheel of Time vibe, Larissa faces danger as she uncovers parts of her past and her future while figuring out who she can trust and who is thwarting her every move. I loved being along for the ride!

My favorite quote from the book speaks to those times in our lives that have a crossroad and we aren't certain which way to go: "We sometimes find ourselves in situation outside of our control, but it isn't the end, or what defines us. You'll do well with the darkkins. You have the call of magic within you."

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for sending this electronic book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Reminiscent of more modern fantasy books like The Black Witch by Laurie Forest, this book tells the tale of a girl who feels she is meant for the path she has always been taught is wrong. Captivating and lovable, this book has you hooked from the very beginning and will have you unable to keep from turning the page to continue. Cant recommend enough