Synopses & Reviews
The eagerly awaited second title in Katherine Roberts' thrilling new fantasy trilogy, The Echorium Sequence.
Welcome to a world from another time. It is a world where the wind, the waves, and the land itself can be controlled by an unearthly music. A world where the forces of good and evil are held in harmony by the Singers who have mastered the secret Songs of Power. A world on the brink of destruction, threatened by a dark lord whose evil knows no bounds. Twenty years after the events that take place in Song Quest, a new danger threatens the land of the Singers, and two new young heroes must rise to confront an evil power. Shaiala, a girl who has been raised by the centaurs, and Renn, a gifted but insecure Singer, must join together to face the forces of darkness. Only by trusting one another can they triumph.
Review
Praise for Song Quest in the UK:
"For the child who keeps asking for the next Harry Potter...a Tolkeinesque fantasy." -- The Times
"There are so many deft and exciting touches...I raced through it, occasionally moved to tears." -- Jacqueline Wilson
"Fascinating and poetic...extremely original too." -- Joan Aiken
"Full of good ideas and original thinking. It's a page turner." -- Jan Mark
Praise for Spellfall:
"Unicorns, Spell Lords and the Death Head Gang join together to give a thrilling and fast paced fantasy adventure with shades of Tolkein and Pullman. Superb." -- The Bookseller
"A great read. Roberts knows exactly how to rack up the tension and create parallel universes." -- The Guardian
"A welcome and well-written addition to the sorcery genre." -- The Observer
"Involving and suspenseful." -- The Sunday Times
"I think this is a brilliant book -- a bit spooky at times, but very, very exciting too...It's just like Harry Potter -- only better!" -- Time Out (Anna Weguelin, aged 8)
"A spellbinder! I raced enchanted through every twist and turn." -- Jean Ure
Praise for Crystal Mask
Roberts (Spellfall, 2001, etc.) returns to the fantastic world she created for Song Quest, but fails to include any likable inhabitants. Twenty years have passed at the Echorium, where the Songs of Power keep the peace, when Shaiala, a wild girl raised by centaurs, is brought for treatment. The apprentice Singer Renn reluctantly uses his ability to communicate with magical Half Creatures to uncover her suppressed memories hinting that black "khizerstal" is again being used for sinister purposes. Despite their annoying bickering, the two young people join a perilous expedition to the lands of the Horselords to confront this danger, never dreaming that they will need to join forces to overcome the evil that lurks ahead. Song-based magic, while hardly an original premise, is skillfully handled, and the Half Creatures are charming entities, although treated disdainfully by most humans. Unfortunately, they are used as little more than triggers for the incomprehensible actions of the unappetizing heroes. Renn is self-centered, petulant, and cowardly; Shaiala is heedless, pigheaded, and shockingly violent; even Kherron, who returns from the first novel to provide adult leadership is arrogant and abusive. Only Erihan, a Horeslord prince who inexplicably befriends Shaiala, is at all appealing; indeed, it is difficlut to distinguish heroes and villains on the basis of either their actions or their attitudes. As the final confrontation sputters into an inconclusive anticlimax, the one interesting revelation, which might explain some contradictions, is pointlessly repudiated. Fans of the first book might enjoy the updates on favorite characters, but hardly anyone else will care.
--Kirkus Reviews, Feb. 1st 2002
On the Isle of Echoes, Singers keep peace between Half Creatures and humans through the power of four songs. Twenty years earlier, the Singers conquered an evil renegade who tried to wrest away their power into his own hands using a crystal spear. Now, when a wild girl with little language and strange stories of centaurs is brought to the Isle of Echoes for Song treatment, eighth-year student Singer Renn is pulled into a desperate plot to rid the world of the same evil fought by the previous generation in Song Quest (Element, 1999). In Crystal Mask, Roberts continues the story with fast-paced action and surprising plot twists. Her world is original and detailed, and the characters respond realistically to extraordinary events. The pacing is consistent, with enough cliff-hangers and mystery to maintain interest. Readers familiar with the first book will enjoy revelations about the previous generation.
Synopsis
A wild girl, a horse lord prince, magical creatures, the rumored return of the dreaded Khiz priest, and an awesome challenge to the power of the Singers make for a thrilling sequel to the award-winning "Song Quest."
About the Author
Katherine Roberts was born in 1962 in Torquay, England. She studied math at school, and completed a degree in the subject from the University of Bath. Since then she has worked with racehorses, computers and also spent time working in a pet shop. These days she is an award-winning childrens novelist, and also helps out with an annual Creative Writing Awards Scheme for local schools.
Katherine Roberts cites Ursula LeGuin and Philip Pullman as two of her favorite novelists, however her favorite changes with whatever mood shes in.
Katherine Roberts lives in Ross-on-Wye, England.