And I am back to squeal about another new book release! There have just been so many delicious books coming out lately, guys. It’s fabulous. And this one. Oh, this one makes my fairy tale loving heart so happy.

Quite a while back, the illustrious, incredible, beautiful fantasy writer and magical human bean, Jenelle Schmidt, posted on her blog the opening of a new story she had begun. A semi-original, semi-Rapunzel inspired fairy tale. The snippet was THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING and I needed moooore. Well, praise all that is good, that beginning snippet quickly became a PUBLISHED BOOK. That we can now all read and hold and love and pet and devour (this is getting creepier the more verbs I use) and I AM SO HAPPY. SO SO HAPPY.

My first full awareness of Jenelle was when I read her story in the Five Enchanted Roses anthology, Stone Curse. I immediately fell in love. The pure imagination, the gorgeous prose, the absolutely loveable characters, and utter fairy tale-ness of it all was everything I love in fiction. So to say I was ecstatic when Jenelle announced she was writing another fairy tale is putting it mildly. It was more like a shrieking-at-the-top-of-my-lungs, anxiously-awaiting-more-news, squealing-endlessly when I saw the cover for the first time sort of ecstasy.

And, at last, I can officially squeal about it in public! An Echo of the Fae is HEEEERE!!!!! And I get the honor to join in on the blog tour!

This is proving to be the month of reviews because YEP, I’ve got another one today! Hope you guys don’t mind. Again, there are just so many good books releasing right now! I literally have a couple of more reviews to do later, but for today let’s give An Echo of the Fae all the love! (‘Cause it totally deserves it.)

Synopsis

Echo enjoys the peace and solitude of the Faeorn forest, regardless of how strange spending time in the “haunted” wood seems to others.

But on the cusp of her thirteenth birthday, the discovery of a family secret reveals why Echo has never been drawn to the sea like her mother. This discovery shakes the foundations of her world and sends Echo on a quest, not merely into the forest, but into the heart of the fae-lands themselves, to rescue the sister she didn’t know existed.

Elves, dragons, and fairy courts will put Echo’s wit and resolve to the test. But with time running out for her sister, will Echo even be able to save herself?

A fairytale adventure perfect for fans of The Secret of Roan Innish and The Girl Who Drank the Moon.

AMAZON | GOODREADS | AUTHOR’S WEBSITE

 An Echo of the Fae is a standalone novel full of fairy tale wonder, mythical creatures, an enchanting world, and, ultimately, a moving theme of family and belonging.

Though it’s geared more toward middle-grade readers, if you love whimsical, charming fairy tale reads, YOU NEED THIS ONE.

THE PLOT

With her odd appearance and love of the supposedly haunted forest, twelve-year-old Echo can’t seem to fit in with the other children in her cozy little village by the sea. Thankfully, she has her parents, whose love and support encompass her fully.

But one night, everything she holds dear is upturned when she learns her family’s terrible secret. Now she must journey into the world of actual fae, save a sister she didn’t even knew existed, and maybe, possibly, hopefully make it all out alive. She can’t bear the thought of failing, but if she succeeds, the life she so loves may change drastically.

From a cozy little town by the sea to an enchanting fae world to danger and impossible tasks and strange creatures, this whole book was such a beautiful fairy tale read from start to finish.

THE CHARACTERS

Where do I even begin with these precious, precious souls? Though the story does have exciting quests, mythical creatures, mystery, and danger, the true heart is the characters and their relationships and sorrows and joys. This is a story about family, and the poignant themes shine so beautifully on every page.

The heartbeat of the story is, of course, Echo herself. Young, softhearted, melancholy Echo, who far prefers the company of trees and woodland animals than children her age. I loved how real Echo was. Her thought process, her fears, her wishes and dreams—they were so similar to my own at twelve years old.

Her arc was so beautiful and realistic and inspiring. The poor girl had to go through a lot. It’d be hard on any of us, but this girl is only twelve-years-old! Her occasional breakdowns and thoughts of giving up were so realistic. But even in the face of fear and pain, she found her bravery and kept going. And just… *wipes away tears* It was so beautiful.

And can we talk about the parents??? It’s so rare to find a middle-grade fantasy story where the parents are more or less the center of the plot, in a GOOD way. I absolutely adored Echo’s “Mamai” and “Dadai”, as she calls them. The love they pour into her, despite a deep secret they are hiding, was admirable and inspiring. It is actually because of them that Echo goes off on her adventure, and she includes them in all of it. Like…she doesn’t hold back secrets or sneaks away like you’ll find in pretty much every other middle-grade fantasy book. IT WAS SO REFRESHING.

Because, as I said, that is what this book is about: family. And, oh, does it portray it in such a beautiful way.

There were other great characters as well. Like the tiny dragons! YESSS. And a certain tiger who was epic and surprised me in multiple ways.

I don’t want to name names because #SPOILERS but there were a couple of characters who played a big role but I felt like we didn’t get to know as well as I’d like. I really wanted a bit more of a certain elf and the summer princess herself. BUT this was really the story about Echo and her parents, so I understand that there wasn’t always room to give everyone long screen time and arcs.

Other than those minor quibbles, this cast was just… *clutches heart* There are no proper words to express how deep and meaningful this cast was. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve read such a poignant tale on family and being brave and the true meaning of love. Especially from a middle-grade fantasy! These are the types of characters that take hold of your heart and stick with you forever.

OTHER THOUGHTS

I feel like I could just go on and on and on about the characters, but there’s also so much more!

Like the slight Rapunzel themes, which were so fun! Although I emphasize on slight. All-in-all I’d say this was more an original fairy tale than retelling, which I loved. I mean, CLEARLY retellings are my favorite, but it’s also delightful getting new fairy tales now and again.

I love how there’s a whole big mystery unfolding at the beginning. Although I had kiiinda already guessed what the Big Secret was, but it was still exciting watching it unfold, and a couple of bits still surprised me! Then Echo’s adventure into the fae world was SO GREAT. The world and the creatures she met and challenges she faced were fascinating. It’s one of those stories that awakens the imagination, and you truly feel like you’re there with Echo, experiencing it all alongside her.

I do feel like some of the beginning dragged a smidge. I was anxious for Echo to get on with her adventure BUT since her family life is such a core part of the plot, I understand why we needed a long setup. I also would have loved more of the fae world and the different kingdoms and messy politics and certain fae characters’ relationships with each other. A bunch of that was going on in the background, but we didn’t get to really see it. But I’m picky and always want books and worlds to be as big and complex and entangled as possible, especially when it comes to fae kingdoms! So that may have been more a Christine thing, and nothing wrong with the book.

ALSO. Again I say, this story was really about Echo and her family. It wasn’t a fae court intrigue novel. The point is ECHO and her growth. As much as I love big, complicated stories, it’s nice to also have quieter tales. Tales that really get to the heart. And this one did. There just wasn’t room for a bunch of messy politics and crazy fae absolutely everywhere (though we definitely get some!), and that’s okay.

What I really loved about it is how it instantly transported me to my childhood. Echo’s love for the woods and days playing under the trees and watching the wildlife and finding such peace and contentment surrounded by the greenery was ME. I could happily spend hours underneath the trees as a child. And you better believe I always hoped the little hollows in the trees led to a fairy land. This book was my childhood imagination come to life. Reading it made me feel like I was ten years old again, and it brought such a happy nostalgia. If it had existed when I was that age, it probably would have been one of my favorite books in existence!

It’s just one of those stories that truly awakens that childlike wonder in all of us, and I loved it for that.

CONTENT CAUTIONS

Very, very clean! This was written geared toward younger readers, and even has some lovely Christian themes woven within.

There’s definitely a little bit of light fantasy violence. Such as Echo having to walk barefoot on sharp rocks that tear up her feet and facing off with a rather unnerving tiger creature. Plus there’s some talk of general fae mischief and nastiness, though nothing is ever outright shown. Everything stays age appropriate.

I’d say ages 10 – 14 would enjoy this the most, or anyone who loves light fairy tale adventures.

CONCLUSION

Despite my many, many rambles, I feel like I still haven’t even properly encompassed the beauty of this story. Echo’s relatability and growth, the gorgeous writing, the wondrous world of fae, the clever obstacles Echo had to work through, a story with actually loving and EPIC parents, and the true heart and soul of the story: the poignant theme of family.

Also, on a more shallow note, that cover and title, guys! I mean just AWK. SO BEAUTIFUL. I love when the story is just as beautiful as the cover and title of a book, and this one definitely is that!

If you love enchanting middle-grade fantasy reads full of heart and beauty and what it means to be family, you need this story!

. . . 4 out of 5 Stars . . .

LET’S TALK!

What do you think, fair elflings? Is this story not the most beautiful thing??? Does it sound up your alley? And for fun, did you like playing in the woods as a child? Also, who else feels totally cheated that they didn’t find a door to a fairy land??? I tried, I really did…

NOTE: Huge thanks to the author for sending me an ebook copy in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.