The Curvy Bookworm

Author: Lindsey Sparks
Series: Echo Trilogy, Book One
Genre: Time-travel romance, fantasy and Egyptian mythology
My rating: ★★★★☆

If you’re a fan of The Mummy and fancy a story with time travel, ancient Egyptian mythology and romance, then Echo in Time could be the perfect trilogy for you.

I first came across this book on Instagram and instantly knew it would be my next read. Something about the combination of archaeology, Egyptian mythology and time travel immediately caught my attention.

Although the story was originally published several years earlier, Somehow, it had completely passed me by until this year.

Not that I’m complaining. By discovering it late, I didn’t have to wait impatiently for the next books in the trilogy to be released.

What is Echo in Time about?

The story follows Alexandra Larson, known as Lex, an archaeology graduate student whose life begins to change after her mother reveals a long-held family secret.

Soon, Lex begins experiencing vivid dreams, strange memories and visions of things she should have no way of knowing.

As the line between the past and present starts to blur, Lex becomes caught up in a mystery involving ancient Egypt, powerful gods, dangerous prophecies and a connection that appears to stretch across time itself.

My thoughts

This book started brilliantly.

I was hooked almost immediately and wanted to know what was happening to Lex, where her visions were coming from and how everything connected to ancient Egypt.

The archaeological elements and Egyptian mythology were easily some of my favourite parts. They gave the story that sense of mystery and adventure that reminded me of The Mummy, although this book places much more emphasis on romance, supernatural abilities and time travel.

It has a really interesting concept, particularly in the way memories, dreams and different points in time begin to overlap.

However, that was also where I occasionally struggled.

There were several moments where I had to stop, go back and reread a section to make sense of what had happened. With visions, memories and time periods all beginning to cross over, it was not always immediately clear where Lex was, whose perspective I was following or whether something was happening in the present or the past.

Some readers will probably love piecing together those details, but I occasionally felt as though I had missed an important sentence somewhere.

Romance, mythology and time travel

There is quite a lot happening in this book.

Alongside the central mystery, there is romance, family history, Egyptian mythology, supernatural danger and a much bigger story beginning to unfold.

At times, the number of ideas makes the book feel exciting and unpredictable. At others, it can make the plot feel a little crowded.

The romance is an important part of the story, so readers looking purely for historical adventure may find it more romance-heavy than expected. Personally, I enjoyed the combination, although the mythology and time-travel mystery were what interested me most.

I also liked that this is not simply a story about somebody accidentally falling through time. The time-travel elements are connected to identity, memory and relationships that have developed across different lives and eras.

Does it work as the first book in a trilogy?

Echo in Time introduces a much larger world, so it definitely feels like the opening chapter of an ongoing story.

There are plenty of mysteries to explore, relationships to develop and unanswered questions left for the following books. Thankfully, the complete trilogy was already available by the time I discovered it, so I could continue without waiting years to find out what happened next.

Although some parts confused me, I remained interested enough in the characters and the wider mystery to want to continue.

My final verdict

Echo in Time combines ancient Egypt, mythology, romance and time travel in a way that feels imaginative and different.

It hooked me straight away, and I loved the sense of mystery surrounding Lex’s visions and her connection to the past. However, the shifting memories and timelines occasionally became difficult to follow, and I found myself rereading certain sections to work out exactly what was happening.

Despite that, it was an enjoyable beginning to the trilogy and left me curious to see where the story would go next.

My verdict: An imaginative, romantic time-travel adventure for anyone still wishing they could experience The Mummy for the first time.