Echo North by Joanna Ruth Meyer

Description from Goodreads:

Echo Alkaev’s safe and carefully structured world falls apart when her father leaves for the city and mysteriously disappears. Believing he is lost forever, Echo is shocked to find him half-frozen in the winter forest six months later, guarded by a strange talking wolf—the same creature who attacked her as a child. The wolf presents Echo with an ultimatum: If she lives with him for one year, he will ensure her father makes it home safely. But there is more to the wolf than Echo realizes.

In his enchanted house beneath a mountain, each room must be sewn together to keep the home from unraveling, and something new and dark and strange lies behind every door. When centuries-old secrets unfold, Echo discovers a magical library full of books-turned-mirrors, and a young man named Hal who is trapped inside of them. As the year ticks by, the rooms begin to disappear, and Echo must solve the mystery of the wolf’s enchantment before her time is up, otherwise Echo, the wolf, and Hal will be lost forever.

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My Review:

I discovered this book and author during Phoenix Fan Fusion a couple of weeks ago. I had a feeling I would love Joanna Ruth Meyer's books so I bought both Echo North and Into The Heartless Wood (review coming soon) at the Changing Hands booth. While it was a bit impulsive, I also already pre-bought my ticket to her signing for the sequel to Echo North before even reading it! Signing is in July by the way at the Tempe location for Changing Hands. Do I regret buying this ticket now that I have read Echo North? Absolutely freaking not!!! I read this book in only a few hours. It honestly did not feel like I was reading. WARNING: minor spoilers

I really enjoyed the writing style. It was descriptive without being text-heavy and everything just flowed together wonderfully. The story itself was beautiful and perfectly paced. I thought it was going to be a beauty and the beast retelling but quickly realized it was one of my favorite retellings, East of the Sun, West of the Moon. It is a Norwegian fairytale that I feel does not get enough love. So, if you're not familiar with the original fairytale, you're in for a treat!

I really loved Echo as a character. While she missed her family and her home, she didn't wallow or lose herself. While she did a lot of escapism by using magical books to travel to fictional lands (I mean who wouldn't), she did her best to take control of the situation and learn as much about the house and the wolf as she could. I also liked that she prioritized the house and the wolf as much as she could despite having multiple opportunities to neglect the enchantment.

I loved the mystery of Hal and the wolf. They were fascinating characters from beginning to end. I will say that Echo's romance with Hal didn't make the most sense to me. I get the trope of sacrificing yourself for love, but it felt very one-sided. Especially, with the twist towards the end when we learn of the winds' involvement. While I can see why Echo fell in love with Hal, I don't see why she stayed with him after breaking the enchantment. This probably would have ruined the book for me if the characters weren't as good as they are and if the world-building of this book have been what it is now. Everything thing else was absolutely amazing.

I definitely recommend this book if you love fairy tale retellings. Even if you don't this is a fascinating read with complex characters and interesting creatures. I am super excited to read the next book. I'll probably read it right away when I get it at the book signing next month. Overall, in my opinion, as long as you love fantasy and magic, you will not regret reading this book.

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