About the First Book
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Echidna – The Long Way Home explores themes of fate, survival, and the cycles of rebirth. Death is reframed not as an ending but as an evolution, echoing the monks’ teachings that human bodies are cocoons for consciousness. The prophecy of the “boy who will bring the end of the world” underscores the inevitability of destruction and renewal. Friendship and love—embodied in Robert and Kinne’s bond—highlight humanity’s need for connection even in times of despair. The Echidna itself, named after an egg-laying mammal, becomes a metaphor for hatching into a new stage of human existence, both physically and spiritually.
The story brims with emotional and external conflict. Robert wrestles with the trauma of abduction, the burden of secrecy, and his growing desires for freedom and love. Jetchi struggles with faith, guilt, and his place among the monks, while Kinne faces the tension between childhood innocence and the grim reality of global collapse. The asteroid apocalypse heightens the stakes, fracturing societies and leaving only fragments of humanity aboard ships like the Echidna. Interpersonal drama follows—Robert’s reunion with Kinne becomes complicated by her relationship with Kemper, fueling heartbreak, rivalry, and betrayal that intertwine with the larger battle for survival.
The Echidna Books 