The Echorium Sequence

The Echorium Sequence is a fantasy trilogy by Katherine Roberts. The trilogy comprises Song Quest (1999), Crystal Mask (2001), and Dark Quetzal (2003).

The trilogy follows the tales of The Echorium; the singers located on the Isle of Echoes. In the first book, Song Quest, the major characters were singer Rialle, and Kherron, followed by Renn and Shaiala in Crystal Mask. In Dark Quetzal, the major characters included are Kyarra and Caell. The trilogy follows each generation carrying on from the previous generation in each book starting with Rialle and Kherron. The series features creatures such as nagas, centaurs and half-creatures. The trilogy is aimed at young teens.

Plot summary

Song Quest

In Song Quest, the reader is introduced to the first major character Rialle and her friend Frenn including other minor characters. The plot focuses around the merlee - a half-creature; half fish, half man. The merlee are slaughtered for their eggs by the Karch which they believe will help cure their Karchlord of his illness. The Singers decide to investigate further and visit the Karchlord himself. The illness was a trick to get rid of the Karchlord as Frazhin wanted revenge on the Singers. Frazhin captures Rialle and Kherron, the Karchlord and his loyal soldiers must defeat the Khizpriest Frazhin and his men at the Singer Island. They march towards Southport (on the west coast) and sail towards the island to save it before Frazhin obliterates the Echorium. With help from half creatures, they are able to stop Frazhin's invasion.

Crystal Mask

In Crystal Mask, the setting begins at the same starting place as the previous novel (at the Echorium) only several years later. Crystal Mask introduces new major characters - Novice Renn, Shaiala and Erihan. Reappearances include Second Singer Kherron and Rialle. Frazhin also appears again as the villain who has now married Aunt Yashra who have both set up a palace called the Khizalace in the Sunless Valley. The story focuses around Shaiala, a girl who has grown up with centaurs throughout her childhood. She is brought to the Echorium for treatment as she has no memory of how she ended at up the Echorium. They find she reacts violently to khiz crystals and immediately suspect Frazhin. They journey to the mainland, taking Renn as he is able to communicate with Shaiala who speaks the half-creature's language (the language the centaurs speak).

Note that adults cannot speak the half-creature's language as they lose the ability with age.

They eventually find out that Frazhin is held up at the Sunless Valley and conducting a child snatching organisation in which they take orphans from towns and take them to the Khizalace to be trained as their own breed of singers. It is another attempt to destroy the Singers but it fails as the Singers gain allegiance with the Kalerei who help them defeat Yashra and her husband Frazhin.

Khiz

Khiz or Khiz-crystal is a fictitious mineral. Khiz can primarily be mined in the Sunless Valley to the South of Rivermeet in the Purple Plains. The Sunless Valley has dangerous entrances; The Pass of Silence can prove fatal if a sound is emitted along the pass, if this were to happen boulders and rocks would fall and kill whoever was in the pass at the time.

Khiz-crystal is a black crystal with similar properties to bluestone (stone with magical properties, used by the singers of The Echorium to amplify the Songs and to send their voices across great distances, e.g. to send messages). If specially modified the khiz-crystal can be used to control or steal people's memories and masks made of khiz-crystals can transfer thoughts from one to another.

Usage in The Echorium Sequence

Song Quest

Frazhin, then known as the Khizpriest, uses the khiz-crystal (as part of a staff) to read Kherron's mind in relation to the singers, and it is told that he has used it in the past.

Crystal Mask

Aunt Yashra and Frazhin use the khiz-crystals to communicate with each other when Yashra journeys away from their hidout in the Sunless Valley this is because Frazhin is fatally injured and cannot travel with Yashra so the masks help greatly for them to always be together.

Aunt Yashra also uses the khiz crystals to wipe Shaiala's mind at the start of the book. It proved almost 100% effective but Shaiala gathered her memories back when she was shown khiz-crystals; she started to remember snippets from the past.

Frazhin forces a khiz-crystal into Kherron's throat when he is held prisoner in the Khizalace, which results in Second Singer Kherron 'losing his voice'.

Dark Quetzal

Frazhin uses khiz-crystals to brainwash many half-creatures species to join his cause to destroy The Echorium, including merlee, quetzals and nagas. The half-creature species are completely unaware of how this brainwashing process works and have no idea where members of their species are disappearing to.

Night Plume, a quetzal is broken of the brainwashing spell by a captured Singer Rialle and agrees to help vanquish Frazhin and his plans.

Characters

Major characters

* Singer Kherron - becomes the Second Singer of The Echorium in Crystal Mask. Features in Song Quest, Crystal Mask and Dark Quetzal
* Singer Rialle - mother of Renn, sensitive to the songs of half-creatures. Features in Song Quest, Crystal Mask, and Dark Quetzal
* Singer Renn - son of singer Rialle. He is able to understand half-creature speech. He features in Crystal Mask and Dark Quetzal
* Singer Kyarra - Frazhin's daughter, raised on the Isle of Echoes. She features in Dark Quetzal
* Shaiala - human child brought up by centaurs. Features in Crystal Mask and Dark Quetzal
* Erihan - son of Horse Lord Nahar. Features in Crystal Mask and Dark Quetzal
* Aunt Yashra - mother of Kyarra. Features in Crystal Mask and Dark Quetzal
* Frazhin - uses khiz crystals to manipulate humans and half-creatures. Features in Song Quest, Crystal Mask and Dark Quetzal
* Lord Nahar - father of Erihan and leader of the Kalerei. Features in Crystal Mask and Dark Quetzal

* Night Plume - is a Quetzal, half-man and half-bird corrupted by Frazhin's use of the khiz crystal. Features in Dark Quetzal

Minor characters

* Singer Caell - novice singer, can communicate with half-creatures. He features in Dark Quetzal
* Singer Graia - first singer, features in all 3 books, Song Quest, Crystal Mask, and Dark Quetzal
* Singer Toharo - Second Singer in Song Quest but gets killed during a cave-in.
* Singer Eliya - features in Song Quest as First Singer. Dies due to poor health and old age.
* Lord Zorahan - leader of the Harai. Features in Dark Quetzal

Awards

Song Quest - Winner of the Branford Boase Award

See also

* Khiz
* The Echorium
* Isle of Echoes

External links

* [http://www.katherineroberts.com/ Katherine Roberts homepage]
* [http://www.goodtoread.org/books.cgi/author/roberts-katherine Reviews of all 3 books]