Article contributed by Rosie Smith
“The more things change, the more they stay the same.”
Patrick Edwards, author of the moving and powerful Ruins Wake, is back with his newest sci-fi/historical fiction masterpiece aptly titled Echo Cycle. The novel explores the idea that history is cyclical, always repeating itself, which raises the question: do humans ever really learn from the past? Using Rome as a focal point and combining poignant, emotive storytelling and switching seamlessly between ancient history and futuristic dystopia, Edwards explores a range of themes from school-yard bullying, the class divide, and LGBTQ issues, to global economic and political collapse.
Echo Cycle follows two simultaneous storylines which break apart at the start of the book when a group of upper-class, Eaton-esque secondary school students take a school trip to Italy. A fight breaks out and Winston Monk is separated from the group not only by geography, but also by time, suddenly finding himself in ancient Rome in the house of the infamous Caesar Nero. Meanwhile, Monk’s best friend Lindon Banks, believing his long missing classmate is dead, finishes his schooling and embarks upon a career in British politics, helping to steer Britain through its separation from a seemingly collapsing Europe in a Brexit-like fashion, closing the borders, returning Britain to a completely independent nation. Unfortunately, England begins to fall into chaos and disrepair while the rest of Europe pull together and form a successful confederacy and it is up to Banks to travel to Rome as a diplomat to unite Britain with the rest of Europe and save its inhabitants. But the unexpected happens and Banks bumps into an old friend he thought dead! When Banks and Monk reunite, they must use all that Monk has learned from the Roman Empire to ensure history does not repeat itself and ghosts from the past do not resurface in the future.
Edwards cleverly examines current and topical issues through the lens of ancient history drawing parallels throughout the novel. Some things never change, including the class divide. In Nero’s ancient Rome, Monk is enslaved, living on scraps and fighting in the pits while the Caesars have freedom and live as royalty. Is this so different to Edward’s post European Britain where the rich politicians are free to travel the world, living in safety and luxury while the common people suffer food shortages, power outages, and violence? As well as the chasm between rich and poor, other similarities between ancient Rome and Edward’s hyper-modern Europe can’t be ignored. While multiple Caesars fight it out to rule Rome in bloody battles, equal amounts of hostility can be seen amongst the diplomatic negotiations between the UK and Europe with official talks punctuated by warfare and terrorism. The similarities are so significant in fact, that Monk begins to wonder, if the rulers from both times aren’t just alike but maybe the same malevolent and manipulative force is controlling the rise and fall of empires.
As well as a heavily dystopian and political theme, Echo Cycle explores relationships not just on an international level but also on a personal and emotional level with friendships, families, and romances acting as a microcosm for wider global relations. Edwards tackles issues such as loss, grief, and the LGBTQ experience throughout history making for an engaging web of diverse and three-dimensional characters connected to one another in a very human, messy and realistic way, mirroring the relationships between fractured nations of the futuristic planet earth. From widower Banks and his strained relationship with his daughter Sara to Monk and his complicated romantic relationship with historical Roman figure Sporus, Edwards crafts all of the connections so beautifully and poetically, the reader is drawn in and immediately invested in not only the overall plot but also the subtleties of the human experience, something which again appears not to change no matter the time period or location.
Overall, Echo Cycle combines all the best elements of fantasy, sci-fi, historical fiction, and dystopia with the beautiful European scenery and the complexities of human relationships resulting in an emotional roller-coaster of a read. With some shock twists and turns, it is difficult not to devour this book in one sitting then stay up all night questioning (especially if you are British) what you thought you knew about Great Britain’s future, particularly amidst current Brexit negotiations and the UK’s uncertain path moving forwards. If you are having Brexit anxiety… this one might not be for you!
Echo Cycle is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers as of March 10th 2020.
Will you be picking up Echo Cycle? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
68 CE
Fleeing disaster, young Winston Monk wakes to find himself trapped in the past, imprisoned by the mad Emperor Nero. The Roman civilization he idolized is anything but civilized, and his escape from a barbaric home has led him somewhere far more dangerous.
2070 CE
As the European Union crumbled, Britain closed its borders, believing they were stronger alone. After decades of hardship, British envoy Lindon Banks joins a diplomatic team to rebuild bridges with the hypermodern European Confederacy. But in Rome, Banks discovers his childhood friend who disappeared without a trace. Monk appears to have spent the last two decades living rough, but he tells a different story: a tale of Caesars, slavery and something altogether more sinister.
Monk’s mysterious emergence sparks the tinderbox of diplomatic relations between Britain and the Confederacy, controlled by shadowy players with links back to the ancient world itself…
