Customer Reviews

Song Quest (The Echorium Sequence, Book 1)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While I wouldn't compare this book to Harry Potter, or the Prydain Chronicles, it was a good entry into what I'm sure will be a fun new series, definitely worth the time I spent reading it. It was unpredictable enough so that, unlike most fantasy books I read I really couldn't guess how it would end after finishing the first chapter, but also not so intense so that it couldn't appeal to younger kids as well. The plot flowed along nicely in most places, though a few times it got a bit dull and difficult to move through. Rialle has been raised for most of her life on the Isle of Echorium, where children who possess magical talents are taught how to "sing" their powers. She's truly happy there; not only is she the best at what she does, but she's also lucky enough to have friends who adore her. However, she somehow knows her childhood is over when one day, the first Singer summons her to go on a dangerous mission to try to help the half-creatures, whose angiushed wailings only Rialle seems able to hear... Without giving away more of the plot, I can definitely say that this would be an excellent book for anyone ten or older.

The book Song Qest, by Katherine Roberts, is the most exciting book I've ever read. This book is a thrilling tale of magical creatures and great evil. Song Quest is a fantasizing story, extremely original and is like the next Harry Potter. The story by Katherine Roberts is about an island far away where strange and mysterious creatures live: the Singers. The Singers can hear the silent voices of magical half-creatures and can speak over great distances using only their minds. Safely away from teh mainland on the Isle of Echoes, wehre the forces of good and evil are held in harmony, they use their unearthly songs to keep peace in the world. Although the singers live in a deeply isolated island, there are still evil threats to destroy their Isle and all that is good in the world. Now only two young Singers can save the Isle on an incredible journey to defeat the forces of darkness. Sweet Rialle who stays strong, and rebellious Kherron who's longing for freedom pushes him into the arms of the enemy. There are many more characters in the book besides Rialle and Kherron: Frenn, Graia, Chissar, Singer Toharo, Cadzi, the Karchlord, Half-Creatures, First Singer, and many more. In my opinion, Frenn is my favorite character. He is rialle's boyfriend who is very loving and caring. He protects Rialle on their wild adventures and sticks up for her whne she's in trouble. These characters go through many obstacles in tryin gto find out who they are and where they belong. Frenn, Rialle, and Kherron go on a life or death journey and realize whom they really are. I could never go through what Rialle went through while away from home. she was hungrey, sick, and scared and the thought of dying on the journey made her nauseous. I have never experienced what she went through, but I have experienced similar emotions. Song Quest is my favorite book because I never could tell what would happen next and I would have never predicted what happened at the end. This wa the most suspenseful book i've ever read in my life and it never got boring. I was also thankful for the glossary in teh back of the book because there aer so many made up names that I needed to know. I recommend this book for ages 10 and older. It might be a little confusing for younger ages. If you like adventure, suspense, love, and fantasies then this is the book for you.

This is a wonderfull book filled with everything there is to have in a book. I've read the most books and this is one of my favorites. Truley a glittering gem. Fantasy, adventure, this book has it all. A must read

This is a book which introduces you to a totally new fantasy world, the world of the half-creatures and the Singers. It starts off well with the scenes at the Echorium, the home of the Singers. The five songs were very intresting and a good idea. But after that the story goes down a bit. I had to perservere to finish it, as it didn't really keep your attention. The characters Rialle and her friend weren't very memorable. There was so much detail to absorb that it was hard to concentrate on the story. It would probably be a better read second time around. For good readers and fantasy fans only.

The second reviewer of this book has it quite correctly. Katherine Roberts's works came to my attention a few months ago, when I read this and "Spellfall" (also a delightful book) and found a fantasy far better than HP. Roberts combines beautiful prose, an invented "Singer" community and their array of Songs, and half-creatures like something out of old legends and myths.

The Singers live on the Isle of Echoes, where they are taught in how to use various songs that affect others - the dream song of Challa, the laughter of Kashe, the pain song of Shi, the fear song of Aushan and the death song of Yehn. Rialle is one of the most gifted of the Singers, a young girl who hears the "half creatures" crying - the merlee. What she can make out are cries of pain and grieving. Rialle's jealous classmate Kherron goes off wandering by himself - and finds a shipwrecked sailor who rapidly pulls him into a grotesque situation. When the sailor's compatriots find and capture the merlee, Kherron is forced to gut the half-creatures and extract their eggs.

Rialle is soon sent off on a ship with the Second Singer (the second in command?) to the mainland. Along the way she finds that her ex-Singer friend Frenn has stowed away, and she also dives overboard, where she frolics with the merlee. But she senses their pain and grief soon after she is brought back onto the boat. Upon arriving at the mainland, she soon finds that other half-creatures -- quetzal, half-birds -- are being destroyed by the evil forces at work there...

In a way the Singers are reminiscent of the Jedi knights of Star Wars -- taught in special arts that they must guard and use carefully, feared by some, and lacking the ordinary familial structures (children born in the Echorium are raised by the organization). It's an intriguing arrangement, and the idea of the Songs is excellent. (The rhyme that goes with them isn't bad either)

Rialle's initial naivete both makes her endearing for the reader, and helps us see her grow more experienced and wiser as the book progresses. Frenn is a good counterpart/sidekick, tougher, cocky, and sometimes a little sad; the scene where he attempts the Songs on the boat is heartbreaking. Kherron is best described as the rebel who has to deal with getting what he wanted. His growth as a character is even more pronounced than Rialle's; he has the rare quality of a character that you are fascinated by and understand, even if he is not initially a sympathetic character.

Roberts' prose runs into downright flowery for a kids' book; some of the best passages include such things as Rialle's swim with the merlee. This book is not for squeamish or easily-frightened children, however: they might be disturbed by such sections as Kherron having to remove eggs from the dead merlee, lots of blood, and the quetzal eating parts of the dead priests.

Kids and teens with imagination (and a high squeamishness tolerance) will adore this book; adults will probably enjoy it as well, as Roberts' invented universe is far more original and amazing. Also recommended is the sequel "Crystal Mask," and Roberts' "Spellfall."

I am a seventh grade science teacher and I am always looking for great story books to recommend to my students. However, I was disappointed with this story. The reading level is low and the simplicity of the writing is better for students around ages 9-10 than the advertised middle school level. The story moves quickly without great transitions or character development. The author has some interesting ideas that deal with half-creatures and singing, but there is a lack of development and explanation for what kind of world these characters are living in. If you need an easy and fast moving story to develop your student's reading ability, then I recommend this book.

This is the best book ever it has all the ingredients of a really good book and a twist that makes you want to read on. It is so captivating I could hardly bear to leave the singers world at the end.READ IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

it was so good i couldnt put it down! its action packed and it wants to make you learn more about the two main characters. its about these two kids going through school to become singers, people with extaordinary voices able to sing songs that make people laugh or cry, who go on a journey all for the sake of one race.

I picked this book up at the bookstore because I liked the title. Now I'm glad that I did. This is one of the best books I've ever read!!!!! I really like the idea of Songs and Singers. Also, the characters are very realistic, much more realistic than the Harry Potter characters. If you like Harry Potter, you'll love this!!! Buy it now!!!!!!!!!!!

This book was just ok. The story was interesting enough i suppose, but nothing that really made it stand out from any other story. It was disappointing that there was no romance and there were not any major plot twists. If you are looking for a book that you read when you have lots of time and very little to do it would recomend it.