Five Kingdoms #4: Death Weavers by Brandon Mull

My name is Cole, and my quest to help Mira and save Destiny has carried me into the echolands. I've been told to avoid making deals with other echoes, but I've already screwed that up with disastrous results. All of my friends have been captured. An evil torivor named Nazeem is controlling echoes to help him escape from a prison, so he can control the echolands and the Outskirts. He seems to have a special interest in Destiny, but I'm not sure why. I'm starting to hear the song of the Other and feel its pull, but I must fight it. I'll be lost forever if I give in. My own power is mangled and useless, and I don't see any way that my quest can succeed. However, I can't give up on saving the princesses and my friends, or everything in existence will be lost. No pressure there!


I recommend you start with book one, or things won't make any sense. An unexpected treat in this book is the introduction of Ferrin and Drake from Mull's Beyonders series. Harvan is an entertaining character, as he's an adventurer and storyteller. Yes, he's helping Cole, but it seems he's mostly in it for the tales he'll be able to exaggerate later. I can't say that I fully understand the concept of shaping and how things work in the echolands, but it hasn't kept me from enjoying the plot. There are different kinds of echoes, and none of them can lie. However, seemingly harmless agreements with them can be twisted into major mistakes. Echoes never get tired, and they don't need to eat or breathe. Consequently, this keeps the plot moving, since the characters never need to stop for rest. A mysterious horse, Cole calls it Thunder, pops up several times to save the day and is a key element in the events leading up to the climax. This book will make you think and use your imagination, but it's worth it!