Book Review: City of Echoes

City of Echoes by Judy I. Lin is a book set in the Avatar: The Last Airbender universe. Unlike other novels in this world, which focused on past avatars Kyoshi, Roku, and Yangchen, this book focuses on a regular person during the time of Aang. Remember Jin from The Tales of Ba Sing Se episode in Season 2? She went on a date with Zuko. Now she has her own book! My husband spotted this book at the store and I bought it instantly. Whoever's marketing these Avatar books needs to step up their game, they're always a surprise for me!

Jin, a refugee in Ba Sing Se, aspires to be a calligrapher, like her grandfather. Her best friend Susu helps run a family bakery and helps keep Jin fed. However, when Susu's family experiences money trouble, she's sold to the government to work as a cultural ambassador. Jin is determined to help pay off Susu's debt to get her back, especially when Susu appears but doesn't recognize her closest friend. However, Jin realizes the best paying jobs have some high risks involved.

Obviously I loved this book because of the universe. Jin's story helped deepen and explain some events from the end of Season 2. It was a fun read and I'm hoping there's more in the Avatar universe from this author soon!

Downside? What downside?


This book is for you if you love Avatar: The Last Airbender, especially Season 2 or Ba Sing Se. This book is not for you if you have no idea what Avatar: The Last Airbender is, I just don't think this book explains the universe enough for this to be an entry point. But if you're unfamiliar with the world, dive in with the show, it's a GEM!

Have you read City of Echoes? Which other side characters deserve a novel? Let's discuss in the comments!