A beautiful, 4-star review was just posted on Amazon by Matt Kincaide for Echo. Thanks Matt!!!
“Kent Wayne’s Echo Volume 1: Approaching Shatter, was an enjoyable, gritty piece of military sci-fi. It certainly wasn’t what I was expecting, but that’s not a criticism. I was expecting blood and guts military action, maybe something with aliens bugs exploding left and right, but what I got was a deeply personal story of an elite soldier coming to a turning point in his life and his career, re-examining his own assumptions and values. Don’t get me wrong though, there’s still enough action to keep the pages turning.
Far in the future, Atriya is an elite soldier, part of the Crew, a specialized unit that uses advanced technology to transform themselves into super-soldiers in their fight against the Dissidents. He’s one of the best. And yet, something is missing. Guided by his friend and teacher, Verus, Atriya begins searching for a deeper meaning in all of it, and a deeper purpose in his life. When he makes a powerful enemy in an officer with political and religious connections, he’s forced to make a difficult choice that will change his life, no matter what he decides.
The sci-fi elements are well done. Kent Wayne has created a deep, coherent universe. The technology, the history and the cultures make sense, and the author’s military experience gives the material a hard, realistic edge. In fact, one of my only complaints might be that the author spends too much time describing the technology. The character elements are also excellent. Most of the story concentrates on Atriya, and I really felt invested in this character. I sympathised with him and cared about the outcome.
The story, as other reviewers point out, does end with a cliffhanger, which is a little frustrating. But that’s the point of a cliffhanger, isn’t it? You’re supposed to be frustrated, so you want to read the next book. And I certainly do.
Kent Wayne is a newer author, and the quality of his writing can be inconsistent at times, and a little heavy with narrative exposition. But none of that was a deal-breaker. The proofreading was nearly flawless, and the book was entirely readable and enjoyable. I look forward to the next book in the Echo series.”
Buy Echo on Kindle here: Echo on Kindle, or Echo on other eReaders here: Echo on other eReaders.
Congratulations! How do you get such reviews–any reviews at all on Amazon? My friends and family will buy but not review.
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Well first off, I ask them for a review at the end of the book, but you’ve probably already done that. FYI-Amazon won’t post reviews by anyone they suspect has a personal affiliation with you. But it also seems to be a percentage of volume-for every 10 sales I receive roughly one review. Hope that helps!
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Thank you 🙂 I figured they had some system of keeping things fair. I just wanted to get one on there so people will buy the book.
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Can’t remember where I heard it, but supposedly 25 is the magic number-that’s when it starts getting associated/recommended with other books of the same genre. But keep plugging away! I see that you have good reach from the response level to each of your posts. Good luck, Melinda! 🙂
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Thank you 🙂 I am trying.
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OK, I’ll have to move ‘Echo’ up in my reading list. This was a solid review. I’m looking for exemplars for my own writing so this might fill the bill. Heavy narrative can be a problem in newly created universes … how to pull the reader into a believable alien scene. Universe building can go to one’s head, i.e., give him delusions of godhood. I’m also curious about the reviewer’s comment on technology. The recent book/movie ‘Martian’ was lauded for its deep technology (much more in the book) and most of my draft readers like and want more technical detail … which as a technical intelligence analyst in a previous life, I’m happy to deliver.
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Thanks! Echo definitely won’t please everyone, that’s how the cookie crumbles, but my personal standard is when I’ve edited a page for the umpteenth time, can I still get drawn in.
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