Echoes of the Storm by Charlene Newcomb is a fast-paced action story in space, featuring epic space-battles and some steamy romance. I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest book review. And I can honestly say it’s a great book. It has a ‘Star Wars’ feel to it since it’s about a rebel alliance taking down the Empire. So if you love that sort of story, keep on reading for the rest of my book review of Echoes of the Storm.
Or, click here if you just want to read the conclusion.
It’s no surprise that Echoes of the Storm has a Star Wars vibe since Charlene is a huge fan of the franchise. She’s even contributed short stories to the Expanded Universe. The battle scenes in the book and all the military details around it are very live-like, which is also not surprising: Charlene is a US Navy veteran. Though now, she’s an academic librarian.
Genre: Adult Action Romance, Sci-Fi, LGBTQ | Publisher: Self-published
The Story
The story in Echoes of the Storm starts with Jack Gamble: he’s betrayed by his lover Norse, who pretended to fight for the resistance but instead fought with the Galilei Empire. It led to Jack and his crew being trapped, along with the other resistance fighters. Jack got away, but the resistance took a bit hit.
And though Jack got away from the Galilei, they encounter a ship with mercenaries who try to take over their ship but only succeed in taking Jack and one of his crewmembers. Luckily, Captain Ben Stone, the ship’s commander, doesn’t seem so bad after all. But things get tricky when Norse broadcasts Jack’s face over the entire galaxy, promising a big reward. Can Jack trust Ben? And will the resistance be able to rise again?
I found the story fast-paced, with some good twists and turns along the way. It is told from different perspectives, so not just Jack’s, which makes sense. It gives a broader view of the war and what both sides are doing to prepare. I usually prefer a more select cast of character, though, or a clearer division, instead of more jumping within a chapter. But that’s just me.
Characters
As I said, we get Jack’s perspective of the story, but we also gain insight into the minds of Ben Stone, Tic, another spy for the resistance, commander Berg, who works for Galilei, and even Norse. I would’ve liked it if there would’ve been a female perspective, but there are some pretty awesome and strong female characters in the story. So that’s definitely a plus.
I did think Charlene developed all the characters exceptionally well—they all had their own personalities, and it wasn’t difficult to switch between the different POVs because of that. I was never confused as to whose narrative I was following.
As far as romance goes, I absolutely loved Jack and Ben together. I kept hoping for them to admit their feelings to each other, though I could understand the reluctance. Especially on Jack’s side, after being betrayed by Norse. There are some other romantic threads in the story, but Jack and Ben’s was by far my favorite.
World-building
The world was one that felt somewhat familiar—at least if you’ve seen Star Wars. While none of the planets or people’s names are the same, it had that same feel to it. The details all worked really well, with different planets, ships, and even very detailed military operations. It made everything feel very realistic, and I thought it was one of Echoes of the Storm’s strong points.
Writing
The writing was easy and pleasant to read, straight, and to the point. There was some good balance between action sequences to more quiet, contemplative scenes and dialogues. Charlene also did a good job of keeping the suspense of the story growing throughout. This was amplified because we saw different viewpoints, so we also knew more than any individual character. As a reader, I was dying to know whether or not the resistance would pull through and fight back against Galilei and if they would succeed.
Conclusion
So, as to the conclusion of my book review of Echoes of the Storm: it’s a highly enjoyable read, with plenty of action and space-battles, along with some romance and inner conflicts. It was fast-paced, easy to read, and had solid world-building.
If you’re looking for a space-story with a Star Wars, feel to it with some steamy romance on the side: this is your book! I’d definitely be happy to read more by the author, so hopefully, you’ll enjoy it as well.
Let me know if you have any thoughts about this book: are you going to read it? Does it sound like something you’d enjoy? Or have you already read it? Or do you have any comments/questions about this book review of Echoes of the Storm? Let me know!
