An Echo of Things to Come

***An Echo of Things to Come*** is the second book in *The Licanius Trilogy*. It was published by Orbit Books and released on August 22nd, 2017. It is 752 pages long and consists of a prologue, 49 chapters, and an epilogue. The audiobook was published on August 22nd, 2017 by Podium Audio.

## Synopsis

In the wake of the devastating attack on Ilin Illan, an amnesty has been declared for all Augurs - finally allowing them to emerge from hiding and openly oppose the dark forces massing against Andarra. However as Davian and his new allies hurry north toward the ever-weakening Boundary, fresh horrors along their path suggest that their reprieve may have come far too late.

In the capital, Wirr is forced to contend with assassins and an increasingly hostile Administration as he controversially assumes the mantle of Northwarden, uncovering a mystery that draws into question everything commonly believed about the rebellion his father led twenty years ago. Meanwhile, Asha begins a secret investigation into the disappearance of the Shadows, determined to discover not only where they went but the origin of the Vessels that created them - and, ultimately, a cure.

And with time against him as he races to fulfill the treacherous bargain with the Lyth, Caeden continues to wrestle with the impossibly heavy burdens of his past. Yet as more and more of his memories return, he begins to realize that the motivations of the two sides in this ancient war may not be as clear-cut as they first seemed...

## Plot overview

The following is a high-level overview of *An Echo of Things to Come*, taken directly from the first few pages of The Light of All That Falls.

Caeden, after weeks of wrestling with the knowledge that he was once Aarkein Devaed, reluctantly accepts the truth of his identity. Asar assures Caeden that he switched sides and in fact renounced the name Aarkein Devaed long ago; despite this, Caeden continues to struggle as Asar tries to help him restore his memories, catching only glimpses of his former life.

Their efforts are interrupted when Nethgalla, in the body of Elliavia, arrives in Mor Aruil and mortally wounds Asar, claiming that she is Caeden's wife and is there to help him. Confused, Caeden heeds Asar's dying warning about Nethgalla and flees using the Portal Box. In doing so, he remembers to his horror that his plan is to seal the rift in Deilannis—which will necessitate the killing of each and every one of both the Venerate and the Augurs.

Meanwhile, near the major southern city of Prythe, Davian and Ishelle train in Tol Shen, protected by the newly declared Augur Amnesty but also unable to leave because of it. Davian becomes increasingly frustrated as the Shen Council continue to disregard the threat of the Boundary collapsing, seemingly content to keep the Augurs at the Tol and showing no desire to properly prepare them to fix it.

In Ilin Illan, Asha, continuing in her role as Representative, risks reprisals as she makes multiple secret trips back to the Sanctuary—despite the orders of both the Athian Council and the Assembly—in order to investigate the mysterious disappearance of the Shadows. At the same time, Wirr grapples with his new position as Northwarden, navigating the fraught political consequences of the new world he has created by changing the Tenets. He also attempts to help Asha by looking into the mysterious origins of the Vessels used to create Shadows, trying to determine where his father obtained the weapons that facilitated the overthrow of the Augurs twenty years ago.

Rumors of a threat to Wirr's life prove true when, during dinner with the Tel'Rath family, an assassination attempt is made upon him. Only the intervention of Scyner, who has been watching Wirr and Controls the assassins before they can do him any harm, enables him to survive. After saving him, Scyner tells Wirr that the information he has been looking for is in his father’s journal, hidden at Wirr's family’s estate in Daren Tel.

After burying Asar, Caeden finds himself in the Plains of Decay and inadvertently frees Meldier from his imprisonment in a Tributary: a device that has been draining his Essence for centuries in order to supply energy to the Boundary. Meldier, unable to take action against Caeden for fear that it will result in the bargain with the Lyth remaining unfulfilled, shows Caeden that he was responsible for the destruction of Dareci—insisting that Caeden is on the wrong side of the fight, and pleading with him to reconsider his current course.

Asha, during one of her secret trips into the Sanctuary, stumbles across a meeting between a clearly disturbed Isiliar, the sha'teth named Vhalire, and an Echo. Believing that she might be able to uncover important information, she risks following the Echo into the catacombs beneath Tol Athian. However, the Echo realizes that it is being followed, leaving Asha lost underground.

Asha keeps her nerve, waiting until she is eventually able to follow Isiliar and Vhalire again. She witnesses Isiliar's attack on Vhalire with the blade Knowing; when Isiliar leaves Vhalire severely wounded, Asha speaks briefly with the sha'teth before killing it. She escapes and hides Knowing elsewhere in the catacombs, having been warned by Vhalire that Isiliar will be able to track her otherwise.

Davian, believing that he is being followed by an Augur in Prythe, discovers that Erran and Fessi have been tailing him in the hopes that Scyner—whom they wish to bring to justice for Kol's death in Ilin Illan—would eventually approach him. The two newcomers are reluctant to submit themselves to the Augur Amnesty; not only do they mistrust the Shen Council, but they are concerned about the existence of what appears to be an Augur-proof area at the center of the Tol.

Davian agrees to ask the Council about this mysterious area, but returns to find that Rohin—a newly arrived Augur—has achieved instant popularity within the Tol. It quickly becomes apparent that Rohin's talent is a form of Control, causing everyone who hears him to be convinced of the truth of his words. Davian alone, his natural ability to see lies directly conflicting with Rohin’s power, is able to resist.

Rohin imprisons Davian in a kan-proof cell within Tol Shen; Davian, needing kan to be able to draw Essence from his surroundings to survive, desperately manages to create an artificial Reserve of Essence within himself before being sealed in. Despite the dangers supposedly inherent in using kan within his own body, Davian does not appear to suffer any ill effects from the act.

Wirr, advised by the king to leave the city for a few days after the assassination attempt, travels to his family estate in Daren Tel in the hope of finding his father's journal. There he receives a cold welcome from his mother, Geladra Andras, who informs him that everything from his father's study has already been handed over to Administration. Not bothering to temper any of her strongly anti-Gifted sentiment, it is immediately apparent that Geladra does not believe Wirr should be Northwarden, showing both suspicion of and disdain for her son’s recent decisions.

Later, at Daren Tel, Wirr is approached by Breshada, the Hunter who helped him and Davian in Desriel. She has been following him since recognizing him in Ilin Illan, desperate for assistance after discovering that she has somehow become Gifted herself, and having been branded an Andarran spy by her own people as a result. Wirr reluctantly agrees to find someone to help her control her new ability.

That evening, Wirr's sister Deldri reveals that their mother lied to him, and that the contents of his father's study have in fact not yet left the property. Deldri assists him, and he eventually finds both his father's old journal and an Oathstone: a small Vessel used by Administration to bind Administrators to the Tenets. Furious at how Geladra has been treating both of them, Deldri asks Wirr to take her back to the capital; Wirr is reluctant but, after Geladra forcibly attempts to stop them from leaving, agrees.

Fessi and Erran rescue Davian from his cell in Tol Shen, having become aware that something is wrong after Davian failed to show up at a scheduled meeting. Davian explains what Rohin has done; the three then intercept Driscin Throll as he returns to the Tol from traveling, warning him of Rohin's ability and enlisting his help in stopping the Augur.

Driscin tells them of an amulet in Tol Shen's vault that will prevent Rohin from being able to touch kan; the four of them break into the Tol, retrieving the amulet and ultimately imprisoning Rohin.

When Davian questions him, Rohin says that he has foreseen the utter destruction of northern Andarra; he also claims that the leadership of Tol Shen knew of the Blind's devastating attack on Ilin Illan well before it happened. After Reading him, the Augurs discover that he was sent to the Tol by Scyner, though for what purpose is unclear.

Caeden, continuing to trust the Portal Box to take him where he needs to go, arrives at the snow-covered city of Alkathronen. He soon discovers Isiliar's destroyed Tributary; Isiliar, who has evidently been driven mad by her time in the device, has been lying in wait and viciously attacks him.

Alaris saves Caeden from Isiliar; after Caeden heals from his extensive injuries and wakes, Alaris does his best to convince him that he is fighting for the wrong side. Caeden learns that he needs to find Nethgalla again, as it appears that she has taken the final Vessel he needs to satisfy Andrael's agreement with the Lyth. Alaris tells Caeden that he will most likely find Nethgalla in Deilannis. Caeden returns to Ilin Illan, briefly reuniting with Karaliene before heading to Deilannis to confront Nethgalla.

After turning Rohin over to the Shen Council, Davian, Ishelle, Fessi, and Erran head north for the Boundary, defying the Council's wish to keep them in the Tol.

In Ilin Illan, Wirr begins reading his father's journal, gradually uncovering the truth behind the origins of the rebellion against the Augurs. Aelric approaches Wirr and asks for an excuse to be sent south, wishing to deal with a personal matter that he doesn't want anyone else—including Dezia—to know about. Wirr reluctantly agrees.

As a group is organized to travel to Deilannis, Asha volunteers to go, hoping to uncover more information in the Great Library about the origin of the Shadows. At Karaliene's urging, Wirr sends Breshada as well, with Asha agreeing to try to teach the former Hunter how to control Essence.

Not long after they leave, Isiliar violently attacks the palace, believing Caeden to be hiding there. Many are killed in the mad rampage, and Deldri, among several others, is injured. Only Alaris's appearance and subsequent subduing of Isiliar eventually puts a stop to the unchecked violence.

After the attack, Dezia inquires after Aelric, and she and Wirr realize that he has gone to deal with his financial backers for the Song of Swords, who were angered after he deliberately lost the final match of the tournament. Dezia, deeply concerned for her brother, leaves to go after him.

On the road to the Boundary, Ishelle is ambushed by flying Banes called eletai, which leave her all but dead until Davian arrives and is able to revive her. Though she is quickly healed and able to continue on their journey north, it is clear that the severe injuries she suffered during the attack have taken a toll.

Asha and Breshada, along with the rest of their party, arrive at Deilannis to discover that the bridge is guarded by snakelike Banes known as dar'gaithin. They attempt to enter the city, but in the ensuing fight Asha falls from the bridge into the river Lantarche. She is miraculously saved by Breshada; together they find a way back up into the city and then to the Great Library, where Asha discovers an ancient account describing the Siphon and its connection to the Shadows.

As Wirr prepares for Geladra to officially challenge him for the position of Northwarden, he discovers that while holding an Oathstone, he is able to force anyone who has a Mark—either Gifted or Administrator—to follow his instructions. Despite Taeris's urging him to use this newfound ability to consolidate his position, Wirr resists doing so, determined to find a way to remain the leader of Administration without resorting to such objectionable measures.

Davian, Ishelle, Fessi, and Erran reach the Boundary, dismayed to discover not only that it is steadily weakening, but also that the kan mechanisms governing it are complex beyond anything they could have imagined. To their surprise, they also find what appears to be a potential way through the massive barrier of energy and into Talan Gol.

Caeden arrives at Deilannis, reaching the Great Library and finding Asha and Breshada already there. Breshada immediately reveals herself to be Nethgalla; after handing Caeden the Siphon in order for him to bind the Lyth, she tricks Asha into using the sword Whisper on her, effectively transferring the power of the Siphon—and thus the responsibility of powering a Tributary—over to her.

Healed of being a Shadow but now condemned to a worse fate, Asha returns to Ilin Illan, intending to immediately use the Travel Stones to go north and find the Tributary that Caeden had once intended to use himself. Wirr, upon learning of this and seeing an opportunity to prove the threat of the failing Boundary to Administration, persuades Geladra to come north as well—agreeing that if she returns to Ilin Illan unconvinced, he will step down from his position voluntarily.

Caeden, now finally in possession of the Siphon, returns to Res Kartha and explains his plan for freeing the Lyth to Garadis. Though furious that they will be forced to give up their extraordinary strength, the Lyth reluctantly accept that Caeden's proposal still upholds Andrael's deal. They allow themselves to be bound, transferring their collective power to the Siphon, and thus to Asha. As part of the deal, now that they are able to once again leave Res Kartha safely, Caeden agrees to send them to their ancestral homeland of the Shining Lands.

At the Boundary, Davian, Asha, and Wirr are briefly reunited. Despite Geladra's insistence that the Augurs remain under Gifted supervision, Ishelle, temporarily not in control of her own actions, uses the gateway they previously discovered in the Boundary to enter Talan Gol. Davian and Fessi follow her in an attempt to bring her back, only to have the entrance seal shut behind them, trapping them in enemy territory.

Asha and Erran also defy Geladra and leave to find the final Tributary, which Asha is able to locate thanks to her ability to sense the whereabouts of the Shadows. They find their way to an island that has been completely hidden by kan, just off the coast and within sight of the Boundary itself. There she and Erran again meet Scyner, who has been waiting for Asha to arrive. Erran recognizes that the amulet Scyner now possesses is the one they used in Tol Shen to subdue Rohin. Scyner admits to killing Rohin and taking the amulet from him.

An attack on the island by a group of tek'ryl—massive, scorpion-like Banes—is repelled when Asha intervenes, unleashing her full power for the first time and annihilating the threat. Meanwhile Erran returns to where they last saw Ishelle, Davian, and Fessi, hoping to uncover what happened to them before Asha uses the Tributary and potentially seals them in Talan Gol.

The three Augurs in Talan Gol find themselves in a nest of eletai, Ishelle's strange behavior clearly driven by a link to the creatures resulting from the Banes' previous attack on her. Discovering a set of Telesthaesia armor and realizing that one of them might be able to make it back to Andarra while wearing it, they return to the Boundary, reaching it just ahead of a large army.

Wirr, Geladra, and Karaliene witness the Boundary beginning to fail, a terrifying horde of Banes breaking through. The three of them take shelter, assisted by Erran, as a devastating surprise attack by the eletai crushes the insufficient Andarran defenses. As they hide from the Banes, Geladra and Wirr realize that Erran is the one who had been Controlling Elocien over the past few years.

Through Erran, Asha is able to see that the Boundary needs reinforcing immediately, despite her now knowing that Davian will be trapped on the other side as a result. Ishelle is able to make it through the weakened wall of energy thanks to the protection of Telesthaesia, but Davian and Fessi are sealed in Talan Gol as Asha is forced to enter the Tributary and restore the full strength of the Boundary.

Despite having survived the initial attack by the Banes, Geladra is shockingly killed when the corpses left by the eletai eventually mutate and revive, becoming eletai themselves. Horrified and heartbroken, Wirr and Karaliene burn the remainder of the bodies, ensuring that no more eletai are created.

Caeden finally travels to Ilshan Gathdel Teth to confront the Venerate; a fight with Meldier and Isiliar results in Isiliar's death, but Caeden is ultimately captured.

Davian and Fessi are brought to Ilshan Gathdel Teth as prisoners, having been seized after the Boundary was sealed. Fessi, panicking as she recognizes her surroundings, flees; Davian, forced to run as well, discovers that Caeden is being held nearby and is being tortured for information about Asha's location by Meldier.

When Davian intervenes, Meldier tells him that Caeden was once Aarkein Devaed, which Caeden himself ashamedly confirms. Despite his shock at this news, Davian chooses to stand by Caeden; when Meldier attacks, Davian takes him by surprise and kills him with Licanius. Caeden then convinces Davian to behead him with a regular sword—the only way to guarantee his escape from Talan Gol. Caeden promises that he will return soon to set Davian free.

Having woken up in a new body and shape-shifted back into his preferred form, Caeden then relives a final, devastating memory—discovering that, in a fit of rage, he killed a time-traveling Davian almost two thousand years ago.

## Characters

* Davian
* Ashalia Chaedris (Asha)
* Torin Wirrander Andras (Wirr)
* Caeden

**Secondary Characters**
* Taeris Sarr
* Aelric Shainwiere
* Dezia Shainwiere
* Karaliene Andras
* Asar Shenelac
* Elocien Andras
* Erran
* Fessiricia (Fessi)
* Ilseth Tenvar
* Kol
* Malshash
* Scyner

## Statistical analysis

*See also the full statistical analysis for this book*.
*An Echo of What Was Lost* contains 53 chapters, a prologue and an epilogue, of which:

 Davian | 26.76%
 Torin Wirrander Andras | 24.66%
 Ashalia Chaedris | 20.44%

## Editions

An Echo of Things to Come (2017) Audiobook coverDas Echo der Zukunft (2017) German coverDas Echo der Zukunft (2017) German Audiobook cover