M. R. Carey: Echo of Worlds

Hi everyone 

Echo of Worlds is the second book in the Pandominion duology by M. R. Carey (or Mike Carey). 
I got my book from Bol.com.

"Two mighty empires are at war - and both will lose, with thousands of planets falling to the extinction event called the Scour. At least that's what the artificial intelligence known as Rupshe believes.
But somewhere in the multiverse there exists a force - the Mother Mass - that could end the war in an instant, and Rupshe has assembled a team to find it. Essien Nkanika, a soldier trying desperately to atone for past sins; the cat-woman Moon, a conscienceless killer; the digitally recorded mind of physicist Hadiz Tambuwal; Paz, an idealistic child and the renegade robot spy Dulcimer Coronal.
Their mission will take them from the hellish prison world of Tsakom to the poisoned remains of a post-apocalyptic Earth, and finally bring them face to face with the Mother Mass itself. But can they persuade it to end eons of neutrality and help them? And is it too late to make a difference?
Because the Pandominion's doomsday machines are about to be unleashed - and not even their builders know how to control them." 

First, let’s talk about everything I loved. The characters are fantastic; every single one is distinct, fully fleshed out, and compelling. I cared about the ones I was supposed to care for, and I disliked the ones I was supposed to dislike (even though I understood their motivations). Carey has a real talent for creating characters who feel like real people, people who are layerd and can be morally gray. 
The worldbuilding and concepts are also fascinating. The idea of a multiverse at war, with an extinction-level threat looming, is gripping. The setting is vivid and it makes you think about our world. I love the idea of these stepwise worlds and the endless possibilities it could give us if this were true. 

Unfortunately, my biggest issue with Echo of Worlds is the same one I had with Infinity Gate: the writing is dense, and the pacing is all over the place. The first 200 pages were a real struggle. The writing style is so dense and technical that I found myself easily distracted by the smallest things. It didn’t feel like a relaxing read at all. The technical exposés that sometimes take up multiple pages didn’t help; they pulled me out of the story rather than drawing me in. Reading this book felt more like work than enjoyment for most of the time.  

I was really excited about the concept of the Mother Mass, but it felt underrealized. It had so much potential but it felt like a missed opportunity.
The ending didn’t feel satisfying at all. Without giving away spoilers, the resolution relied heavily on a deus ex machina; something I always absolutely hate. We’re just supposed to trust it to know what’s best for everyone? That’s not how I like my stories to wrap up.

Echo of Worlds has amazing ideas and characters, but the execution left me frustrated. The dense writing, uneven pacing, and unsatisfying ending made it a tough read for me. In the end, it just didn’t deliver the experience I was hoping for.

Have you read The Pandominion Duology? What did you think? Did you struggle with the pacing like I did or maybe it wasn't a problem for you? Let me know in the comments; I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena