Title: Relic
Series: The Relic Trilogy #1
Author: Bronwyn Eley
Publisher: Talem Press
Publication date: September 12, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
In the city of Edriast, there is no deadlier duty than to serve as the Shadow.
As the personal servant of the powerful Lord Rennard, the Shadow's life is all but forfeit. Rennard possesses one of five rare and dangerous Relics – a jewel that protects his bloodline, but slowly poisons everyone else in its proximity. When the current Shadow succumbs to its magic, nineteen-year-old blacksmith Kaylan is summoned to take his place.
It's an appointment that will kill her.
As the time Kaylan has left ebbs away, hope begins to fade... That is, until she discovers a plot to destroy all five bloodlines in possession of the Relics.
A rebel force plans to put an end to Rennard's rule and Kaylan suddenly finds herself embroiled in a cause that might just be worth fighting for. But no cause is without its costs…
As her life hangs in the balance and rebellion bears down on Edriast, Kaylan must decide where her loyalties lie – and how she'll leave her mark on the world.
Relic is the absorbing first novel in The Relic Trilogy, a thrillingly dark YA fantasy series.
Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy at no cost from the publisher/author. All opinions in my review are my own.
This was an impressive debut novel that really mesmerized me. I was so invested in this story that I lost a little sleep. Whoops. But anyway, yes, this book easily kept my attention and I was pleased with the twists in the story.
I love how unique the premise for this story is. I haven't encountered any similar stories before so it was a breath of fresh air to me. I hope that the author gets more in-depth with the relics in the next book. I always like interesting magical systems in the fantasy books that I read and I am curious to see how this series will play out in that respect. I did find the pacing of the story to be a tad bit slow in the beginning, but no less compelling. There was one plot point that escaped me a bit. I was curious as to how the Shadow is chosen. It doesn't really specify the means by which the Shadow is chosen. Guards just show up and that is how Kaylan discovers her rotten luck at being picked. This may be a potential plot hole or it could be something that will be explained later in the series. I guess we'll see.
I was a little surprised at how dark this book is. I suppose looking back it was dubbed as a dark fantasy, which I completely overlooked initially. It is definitely described aptly as there is a lot of violence in this book.
Kaylan is an easily likable character that is easy to connect with. She cares very much for her family and has a strong bearing. Her character felt very genuine and real to me.
Overall, this is a fantastic start to what looks to be a promising series. If you love your fantasy novels filled with brimming rebellion and character-driven plots then you're sure to love this. I am eager to follow the story in the next book in this series!
This was an impressive debut novel that really mesmerized me. I was so invested in this story that I lost a little sleep. Whoops. But anyway, yes, this book easily kept my attention and I was pleased with the twists in the story.
I love how unique the premise for this story is. I haven't encountered any similar stories before so it was a breath of fresh air to me. I hope that the author gets more in-depth with the relics in the next book. I always like interesting magical systems in the fantasy books that I read and I am curious to see how this series will play out in that respect. I did find the pacing of the story to be a tad bit slow in the beginning, but no less compelling. There was one plot point that escaped me a bit. I was curious as to how the Shadow is chosen. It doesn't really specify the means by which the Shadow is chosen. Guards just show up and that is how Kaylan discovers her rotten luck at being picked. This may be a potential plot hole or it could be something that will be explained later in the series. I guess we'll see.
I was a little surprised at how dark this book is. I suppose looking back it was dubbed as a dark fantasy, which I completely overlooked initially. It is definitely described aptly as there is a lot of violence in this book.
Kaylan is an easily likable character that is easy to connect with. She cares very much for her family and has a strong bearing. Her character felt very genuine and real to me.
Overall, this is a fantastic start to what looks to be a promising series. If you love your fantasy novels filled with brimming rebellion and character-driven plots then you're sure to love this. I am eager to follow the story in the next book in this series!
Bronwyn joined the military right out of high school, where she learnt (among other things) to disassemble and reassemble a rifle blindfolded. After that, she spent a lot of her time travelling around the world. Her favourite places (so far) are Scotland, Mongolia, Iceland, and Ireland.
Bronwyn finally found her natural habitat when she landed her first job in the publishing industry. While she has always been a writer, it was only when surrounding herself with books that she realised her life's dream was to become an author. Relic is her first novel.
Bronwyn lives in Sydney and spends her time eating chocolate, reading and practicing her martial arts.
My name is Vanessa a.k.a. Queen Alchemy. I am a 30-something-year-old mother of four nerdy, fantastic children. We live in the Midwest. I have a reading addiction, and I hope that I never recover! I'm the hugest nerd you can find with interests not limited to the following: comics (Batman and Captain America for the win!), science, computers, zombies, unicorns, Harry Potter, cartoons from the 80's & 90's, Frankenstein, history, crafting, cooking & baking, Star Wars, digital scrapbooking, D&D, Minecraft, Hello Kitty, horror, metalcore, royalty, tattoos & piercings, bright colors, and so much more!
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