Ocean's Echo

Product Information

Well-paced and deftly written, it's one of the most enjoyable space (or planetary) opera romances that I've had the pleasure to read, and I look forward to seeing more of Maxwell's work in the years to come.

Not only can they read minds, but they can navigate chaotic space, the maelstroms surrounding the gateway to the wider universe. Nevermind that there must be some kind of artificial reproduction system, since all the talk of one gen parent, while the other might only be supplying some material, so maybe they could test or screen genetic material? Excellent again, I was so absorbed in the story I had to ration myself so that I didn't finish it too quickly. Tennal often set out to make trouble, it was true, but this evening, he was genuinely here for a drink and a good time. And in a book that pretty much relies on those characters and their relationship, that was a killer.

although it took me a while to get invested in the story, i was eventually drawn in and intrigued by the second half, which was way better than the first half. and as they work together to find a way out of the dilemma, they find each other totally blown away by each other. CONTENT WARNINGS: mind-control, coercion, mental health struggles (self-destructive tendencies and thoughts, self-neglect including chaotic eating habits), imprisonment, mind/body sharing, some drug and alcohol use. He knows that there is a lot wrong in the military, but somehow believes that it follows the rules and regulations it espouses?

Everina Maxwell's debut, "Winter's Orbit", stole my heart, and I hoped this one could too; unfortunately, while I did enjoy it, it just couldn't hold my interest. The talent is rare and considered unseemly at best and a threat at worst - leading most readers to hide their powers or get press-ganged into military service. Because it takes place in the same world, it's hard to not compare them, but it has a similar vibe to Winter's Orbit, but Ocean's Echo feels much more of a sci-fi story, with an undercurrent of romance in it. De-emphasised here as it is, this particular type of pairing and relationship absolutely makes me feral. Ocean’s Echo is a stand-alone, romantic space adventure, set in the same universe as Everina Maxwell’s hit debut, Winter’s Orbit.

They had very distinct voices and personalities and it was super fun to read about them clashing and then slowly learning to respect and trust each other. I don't know if I've ever seen as masterful a combination of cracking sci-fi adventure story with really well-developed romance. He didn’t have any motivations beyond annoying everyone around him and screwing things up in interesting and intentional ways.

There is a lot that is left unwritten, especially the political fallout of the book’s events, but the ending nevertheless manages to be full of promise yet immensely satisfying and final.I love the world that Everina Maxwell has created in Winter's Orbit so I was thrilled to see that Ocean's Echo takes place in that world, just in a different part of the galaxy. His intentional self-destruction is like a set of sparkly fireworks going off and burning down everything - you can't look away from the sparks! Tennalhin is the insouciant nephew of The Legislator (president equivalent) but he's also a strong reader, and at the start of the book, she's given up on reforming him and is sending him off to the military to be synced for life with an architect. Similar to the first book in this world (Winter's Orbit) we have one lead who has a lot of chaotic energy and another who is more organized, I enjoy this dynamic and actually enjoyed the relationship development in this more than Winter's Orbit, probably because it was glacially slow burn but with still A+ pining. The only reason I didn’t rate Ocean’s Echo a full five stars is because I wanted a tiny, tiny bit more romance.

The bartender paused and squinted at him suspiciously, as if Tennal didn’t look quite wealthy enough or dangerous enough to be here. It was a glittering front for an underground gambling ring, so it was full of dangerous people, but Tennal had stopped caring who he mingled with some time ago. There would be instances when a new point would be revealed, and I knew it was relevant somehow, but for the life of me, I could not figure out how. Dozens of people gathered around various games, or the bar, or smaller tables where more serious business was being done. I was super duper excited to request this one off NetGalley because I really enjoyed Winter's Orbit, but then I actually read the synopsis and it implied it had three of my absolutely least favorite things: mind control, military fraternization, and power imbalance brought about by those two things.Tennel and Surit are expected to sync together, a term used in the military for a reader and architect, where the architect takes full control of the reader. There are some hints of potentially kink-y stuff of Tennal wanting to be overpowered mentally to enjoy sex, but that is not developed later on the book.