The Storm of Echoes is the final chapter in Christelle Dabos‘ “The Mirror Visitor Quartet”. Over the course of the first three books (A Winter’s Promise, The Missing of Clairedelune, and The Memory of Babel) Dabos has introduced readers to an amazing world and fascinating characters.
While the first three instalments did a wonderful job of not just creating the world and introducing the characters who populate it, they also introduced us to the terrifying mystery behind the creation and current state of the world. The lead character, Ophelia, and her husband Thorn, have been searching for the mysterious person named God who was not only behind the creation of the Family spirits who rule each Ark – or fiefdom – on the world, but the mysterious Other who seems to be some sort of invisible entity who is God’s mortal enemy.
Ophelia and Thorn are still on the Ark called Babel, as it is the root of all the mysteries. It turns out it was here that God (or as her name should be spelt Goude) created not only the family spirits but divided the world up into its various arks. However, not everything is under her complete control – as the mysterious Other is still at large and is somehow a threat to Goude’s plans for order and good government.
Somehow or other Ophelia’s ability to use mirrors to travel from place to place is tied into the appearance of the Other in this realm. Is the Other some sort of reflection of Ophelia – an Echo of her existence – or is it merely an entity who was trapped in the dimension behind the mirrors? Is it the force causing whole sections of the planet to just disappear into nothingness – or is that happening because of Goude is losing control over her creation?
Dabos has done an amazing job of creating not only an adventure story set in a world that is both alien and familiar, but of populating it with characters readers will grow to either care for or despise. Almost everyone Ophelia meets has his or her own agenda, but there are also some surprises.
There are people who are genuinely caught up in events beyond their understanding, but still manage to find a way to rise above their own circumstances to have an impact on their world and the lives of those around them. While these secondary characters may not appear as often as the leads, their importance can’t be underestimated.
It’s almost as if Dabos wants to remind us that it takes the efforts of many, not just a few, to enact change. Each person in this series has a role to play in solving the mystery no matter how seemingly insignificant they might appear.
Of course Ophelia is still the lead characters and she is every bit as intriguing in this book as she’s been in the previous ones. Headstrong, intelligent, and brave she continues to surprise everybody. She is the axis around which the story spins and as befitting the centre of the world she is a firm point for readers to hold onto. Constantly changing and self-aware she has no trouble admitting to herself and others when she’s made a mistake, but also has faith in her abilities.
The Storm of Echoes by Christelle Dabos is a wonderful conclusion to “The Mirror Visitor Quartet”. This is probably one of the best and most original Young Adult fantasy series you’ll ever read.
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