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Nicola McDonagh
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Echoes from the Lost Ones A Sci-fi Dystopian Adventure: A post-apocalyptic sci-fi action adventure. (The Song of Forgetfulness Book 2) Kindle Edition

by Nicola McDonagh (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 36 ratings
See all formats and editions

What would you do if you found out everything you believed in was a lie?

Alone in the hostile Wilderness, Adara embarks on a life-threatening quest to find her brother.

But someone or something is following her every move.

With starving cannibals, kilted wild men, and sinister monks out to get her, Adara’s only hope is to join forces with the terrifying masked Clonies and their savage wolfhounds.

Can she trust these mysterious mutants? Or will they betray her to the enemy?

"I loved the language, and both the style and the voice of the book reminded me of Patrick Ness' Walking Chaos Trilogy."

Download your copy of this action-packed sci-fi dystopian adventure now!

Previous page
  1. Book 2 of 5
    The Song of Forgetfulness
  2. Print length
    345 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    June 1, 2015
  6. File size
    1690 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review


Unique - By Chanatkinson - 5* Amazon review

I downloaded this book after enjoying Nicola McDonagh's short story collection 'Glimmer'. I loved her style and the dark topics, so decided to read more. This book did not let me down; in fact it has left me thirsty for more. There is a lot going on in this book set in a dark dystopian future, but the characters are brilliant, real, and quirky, and keep everything moving along nicely. I loved the unique language, and both the style and the voice of the book reminded me of Patrick Ness' Walking Chaos Trilogy. I would definitely recommend it to people who enjoy his books! A brilliant and unique read for adults and young adults alike. Very impressed and will be reading the next installment.


Wonderful, inspiring entertainment - something different, something that touches you. By Katharina Livia Hareon - 5* Amazon Review

Highly original, inspiring fiction. Love it!!

Just look at the cover and description, and it will speak for itself. Lovely book!



Dystopian done right. By Andrea Houtschon - 5* Amazon Review

Echoes from the Lost Ones: Song of Forgetfulness is dystopian done right. I do appreciate a masterpiece when it comes across my desk. This story is one such masterpiece, reminiscent of an Escher painting that ever draws the eye as the brain searches and seeks to map out the complexities of his art.

What really drew me in was the surprisingly eloquence of the language both used as the first person narrative and spoken by the Adara and growing cast of characters.


New to McDonagh's works this story has me craving more. Echoes from the Lost Ones: Song of Forgetfulness is a delicious appetizer, serving only to whet the appetite while the entrée cooks.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00YPH91E0
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oddly Books; 2nd edition (June 1, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 1, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1690 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 345 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 36 ratings

About the author

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Nicola McDonagh

Nicola McDonagh

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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Nicola McDonagh lives in Suffolk, UK, is an author, editor, creative writing tutor, and photographer. She writes in multiple genres including science fiction/dystopian and magic realism. She has won short story competitions and been awarded a Certificate of Excellence by All Authors Publications and Promotions.

“Author Nicola McDonagh has a way of putting the reader in the moment with vivid imagery and her book 'Glimmer and Other Stories' is a wonderful example of her ability to do just that. Her writing is, quite simply, beautiful.”

"I loved the unique language, and both the style and the voice of the book reminded me of Patrick Ness' Walking Chaos Trilogy. I would definitely recommend it to people who enjoy his books!"

Nicola enjoys experimenting with language and the visual image, often combining the two to create unusual stories and photographs that are often surprising and surreal.

Want to know more? Why not join her mailing list for free downloads and other news: http://www.oddlybooks.com/join-our-mailing-list/4593173986

Keep in touch. Nicola is on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Linkedin, Soundcloud and has a Wordpress blog. To connect go to: http://www.nicolamcdonagh.com/

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
36 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Kobbytetteh
5.0 out of 5 stars So so Fantastic
Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2013
Verified Purchase
....Nicola McDonagh carves out her own reality for a fantastic read.

So this is So out of my genre. It's annoying off late, the books I love reading (chicklit ) get not five stars, but books I wouldn't pick even if the writer is standing by the shelf begging get five stars. I would have called this mid-life crisis only I am not of age yet.

I totally digged this book. The language was out of the ordinary and intriguing. The main character was hilarious and the setting was both breathtaking and mysterious.

Adara is set on a mission to find her brother kidnapped by some band of villains called "Agros". Through her mission she makes an encounter with "manlymen", "nealymen", "clonies", "backpackers", "nuns", false priests and "babychesus".

She makes many discoveries of her purpose and her talent as a birdcatcher. And like a true sci-fi instalment you only expect her powers and knowledge to get better as the instalments appear. But trust that this first sprouts up events that don't make you feel the writer is stalling for stealing-money-into-their-pocket reasons. Like most sci-fi authors do.

Characters you will adore is Wirt, the nearlyman with his constant humor, Eadgard the backpacker sent to lead Adara for her true purpose and Marcellus, the clonie, accompanying our lead girl in the hopes of saving some members of his own sect (the clones).

A shocking discovery in a Monastery amidst secrecy and villainy, leads Adara to find out her true identity (Yeah, right. Like a girl with six fingers should consider herself human).

Though her purpose on start of the novel (finding her bro-bro) isn't achieved, we get to know after a chilling battle (mostly against the auditory sense) that the next installation should deal with her finding an unknown Abbot with equally unknown whereabouts to guide her on her journey with a purpose we are not So sure will concern her "bro-bro"

The most annoying yet suspenseful technique used by Nicola is not making the reader have an encounter with an Agro. She really hyped the malevolent tendencies of these creatures but never let us have even a peak of what their physical attributed were. This kept me reading on and on never expecting an anti-climax in the form of who the real villain of book one was (or were).

Now I am addicted and can't let my mind wander off to an appearance of an Agro And what they'd look like in Book Two. When ever is book two coming anyway?

Follow the series of Adara as she journeys through setting only imaginable in Avatar (the movie) with queer (strange, I mean strange) surroundings of huge trees, animals three times their normal size ('Wolfies'), weird characters with weird attributes perfected in an amazing plot.

Highly recommended for anyone who wants to step out of their comfort zone yet feel safely entertained.

This is not only a must-keep, but a must-read.
5 people found this helpful
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Dogmouth
4.0 out of 5 stars Great story with a very unique voice
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2014
Verified Purchase
What sets this excellent book apart from the crowded field of dystopian novels is the strong voice of the lead character, a plucky young woman named Adara. However, while Adara is unique in the novel's bleak futuristic landscape, she is by no means unique in the world of books - a young hero with a special gift, out in the world, on a quest to rescue her brother. It is the strength of the author's writing, specifically the fascinating speech patterns Adara uses, that keeps this novel from being a mundane adventure in which our hero moves episodically from one peril to the next. As readers, we are transported to this harsh future not so much through descriptions of landscapes, references to technologies, or apocalyptic exposition, but through the intimate nuances of language.

Adara's voice keeps the story small and personal, despite frequent mentioning of larger events - events one suspects will take on a bigger role as the Song of Forgetfulness moves along. Often times the unique vocabulary, the inverted phrasing, and the swapping of adjectives for adverbish thingies, helps our hero describe her own body and its processes. This isn't Tolkien, inventing words to teach us about the history of the world; this is instead a skilled author inventing words to describe defecation and menstruation, among other things. And that brings a good deal of light and humor to what is too often a humorless genre. It also makes Adara feel very real.

Along the way, not surprisingly, Adara meets a cast of characters. Some are friends, some are enemies, and more than a few are shrouded in mystery. As these things go, we know some untrustworthy characters will behave honorably, while some close friends will commit acts of betrayal. While reading this novel I sometimes proceeded along with a sense of dread, that it might succumb to the banalities of its formulaic nature. But always my fears were unfounded as new characters and imaginative details kept the story fresh and fascinating. I was particularly interested in the character of Wirt, a sidekick with a unique manner, and a compelling and horrifying backstory. In fact, it is the nature of Wirt's troubled past that makes Adara and him such interesting companions, as the potential for a romantic connection is complicated in ways you won't find in Shakespeare.

Another unique aspect of the book, that sets it apart, and above, other books of this genre, is its upbeat and positive tone. While the future setting is certainly grim, and tragedy is close and personal, our hero seems unflappable. Again, much of this comes through in the nature of her voice, and her humor (intentional on the part of the author, but maybe not always intentional on the part of Adara). She's an easy girl to root for, and she earns the readers sympathy without playing the standard chords of loss and abuse and loneliness. She gets our support from this great narrative voice, that is so human and honest. The idea that she is special and gifted with unique abilities is entirely believable, not because the author simply tells us she's destined for greatness, but because she's genuinely drawn by the author as someone of singular quality.

If I had to offer any criticism of Echoes from the Lost Ones I would say it is an uneven book. The characters and language are at times richly presented, thoroughly developed, and as well done as anything in the genre. However, there are times when these strengths create a harsh contrast with flatter, less successful elements of the story. Many characters are simply drawn cutouts from too many other stories, and they miss the quirky and imaginative details the author gives her main characters. Certain plot elements suffer from this same contrast. A climactic scene near the end is presented through quick exposition, without giving the reader a chance to see how events fully affect the characters. I realize this is an attempt to move the story along quickly as important event unfold in a chaotic situation. And I did tear through the last bit of the book, riveted by the sequence of events.

Generally speaking, I was extremely impressed by this novel. Ultimately the greatest indicator of how much I enjoyed this (or any other) book is whether or not I pick up the next book in the series. I suspect the next book, which I hope to read soon, will explore the larger story, and bring more depth of characterization to some of this book's minor players.
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Top reviews from other countries

Tom
5.0 out of 5 stars Complete with a unique vocabulary
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 3, 2014
Verified Purchase
I have read an abundance of stories based on a vision of a future world, but never have I come across one with unique, simple and believable dialects. If nothing else impresses a reader in the early stages of this work, then the core language and slightly differing dialects should do so.
It is essentially an adventure, and like all good adventures there are stalwarts of both good and evil. Through the use of good plotting and superb characterisation the reader is left in a quandary on occasion about whether certain characters are on one side or the other. There is a sense of danger and foreboding at each stage which is well-maintained throughout.
The central character is young, female, resilient and courageous. Importantly, she is prepared for self-sacrifice for the benefit of others. All of the supporting cast, of which there are plenty, are colourful and well drawn. Between them are fine displays of love, hate, regret, disillusionment, hope, fear and much more besides.
In any story the imagery must transport the reader to the appropriate location, or locations. Although I don’t profess to be a Sci-Fi or Fantasy aficionado, I believe that the author of such genre must strive to create a complete world for their characters, not simply a screen over the world of the present. That task is accomplished here by a writer who knows her craft well.
If this author felt the urge, through the removal of only a few passages, this tale could be amended to have a children’s version, and there are few who could have that said of their work. I am now eager to read the next part of this engrossing tale.
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Margarita Gakis
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!
Reviewed in Canada on June 30, 2013
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What an amazing read! Not only world building but language building as well! So much of the setting comes through in the language of the characters. Adara is a fantastic heroine and protagonist. She is strong, smart and unaware of her true powers. I can't wait to read more in the series.

I cannot stress enough how much I loved the mythology and history of this future world. The cadence and language of the book is amazing.
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R T Worth
5.0 out of 5 stars A great start to an original series
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 15, 2014
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This story begins with teenager Adara running into a group of young men and being taken back to their woman-less camp in a ruthless, post-apocalyptic setting.There the only thing saving her from a rather unsavoury life is the fact she can call upon living animals the men can use as meat, thus granting her safety -at least for a while. Adara however is not the kind of person to live a life of servitude and uses her abilities to manufacture a way of escaping, taking with her the outcast Wirt, a young man also desperate to leave.
What follows is a fantastic, imaginative novel that is vivid in detail and whose characters are memorable. The usage of the neo-language throughout the book is particularly fascinating -once the reader has grown accustomed to the unusual wording, understanding the prose becomes second nature and is genuinly enjoyable -adding to the worldly experience. I haven't encountered such an imaginative use of words since 'Lord Of The Flies'.
Thoroughly enjoyed and look forward to the second installment.
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Fieldcene
5.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable peek into a dystopian future.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 6, 2014
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The jubberty-jibbit of an evolved language in a dystopian future grabbed me right from the start. All the words made so much sense. The girlie Adara shares her thoughts on the way through a forest where she meets an assortment of filthy youths intent on throwing her onto the dirt. She needs her wits about her if she wants to find her brother. Her remarkable gift of song stands her in good stead as she learns of her foretold role among different groups, each more astounding than the last on her journey.
Whilst I enjoyed the story and writing style tremendously, the serial-form ending came as a disappointment despite the clearly stated Book 1 on the title. I'd love the read more of the series.
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Lainey
5.0 out of 5 stars Not finished yet but...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 27, 2013
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I LOVE what I've read so far. Once you get used to the language it's really easy to get into.
Post apocalyptic world where people worry about when they're next going to be able to go to the loo! Genius, why did no one write this before. Next step, The Famous Five: Five Search for a Toilet!
It's something that's bugged me for most of my life, and I'm so glad someone has finally written a story that takes this into account.
It's probably a good thing I've not finished it yet or I'd probably be telling you that 'the ending is sooo awesome' and then say something to ruin it. I can tell it's going to be good though...
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