Transient Echoes by J.N. Chaney

If you thought my review for the prequel, The Amber Project, was good, then you might be glad to know I liked Transient Echoes even better. The stakes are higher, the bad guys are badder, and even the science the characters have known all their lives is turning against them.

FTC Notice: This book was provided free in exchange for an honest review. This is no way impacts my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Title:  Transient Echoes
Author:  J.N. Chaney
Series: The Varient Saga Book 02
Publish Date:  March 28, 2016
Genre:  Dystopian Sci-Fi
Source: Provided by the publisher

Publisher’s Description: It has been three years since the day of the Second Jolt. Thanks to the efforts of a select few, the world is finally moving on. As the Variant air begins to thin, humanity finds itself on the cusp of a new age of exploration…but at what cost?

After closing the rift—the source of all Variant—the hybrid child known as Terry has been transported to a distant world, far away from the only home he’s ever known. Completely isolated, and haunted by voices from his past, he wanders through the ruins of an ancient civilization long forgotten.

Back on Earth, a young woman named Mei works tirelessly to uncover the secrets of the rift. Against orders, she searches for the truth, making an unprecedented gamble. Will her obsession bring the answers she so desperately seeks…or will it cause even more destruction?

Possible spoilers beyond this point.

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Kat Mandu says…

This story is told by two characters – Terry and Mei. So let’s start with that.

Mei has been exploring the surface ever since Terry’s disappearance. Though she won’t admit it to anyone by herself, she’s looking for proof of his death—or to discover if he’s alive. But on the outside, she and her team are government-funded to research different living conditions on the surface. Though the Variant (the gas that destroyed the former earth) is thinning, it’s still there and Mei and John, both immune to the gas, are doing their best to deal with other issues that have cropped up. Radiation poisoning and threats from the science division being the two major ones. Mei is desperate for answers and one way or another, readers know she’s going to get them.

Terry’s story is quite different. Readers know he’s actually alive despite what Mei may or may not believe. He’s just stranded on a totally different world—one where they speak another language. Colors, faces, and food are different, too, and bad guys never seem to be shorthanded. Terry goes from being on his own and barely surviving to meeting an ally with a history of special abilities that come from meditating. Add this on to Terry’s already improved abilities and he makes for one powerful guy.

Will their worlds collide in the next installment? From the ending, I’m pretty sure that’s a yes.

I really like this series. It’s full of action and emotion, fierce and yet delicate. The writing is excellent and seems very real, even when it’s fiction. I adore the characters. I really appreciate the presence of John, who brings both humor and romance to the situation. He’s a really good guy character and one of my favorites.

Five for this one. I really recommend it to fans of dystopian worlds, science, and great characters.

Our reviews in this series…

• The Amber Project, Book 01
• Transient Echoes, Book 02

FTC Notice: This book was provided free in exchange for an honest review. This is no way impacts my opinion of the book or the content of my review.