| Title | : | Relics |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1785650300 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781785650307 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 382 |
| Publication | : | First published March 21, 2017 |
| Awards | : | British Fantasy Award Best Horror Novel (the August Derleth Award) (2018) |
When Angela Gough's lover Vince goes missing, she sets out to find him whatever the risk. She learns that he was employed by the infamous London crime lord Frederick Meloy, providing bizarre objects beyond imagining. Descending into the city's underbelly, she uncovers a deadly side to the black market. It might have claimed Vince, and Angela may be next.
Gripping supernatural terror launching a new trilogy by the acclaimed author of Coldbrook (distinct, unique, and absorbing), The Silence (truly addictive), and the Alien-Predator Rage War.
Tim Lebbon's RELICS opens a darkly beautiful glimpse into another world, one lurking in the shadows, hovering at the corner of the eye. If Anne Rice and Clive Barker had written a story together, it might have looked something like this novel: richly imagined, fantastical, yet grounded in the grit and reality of modern-day London. I look forward to the wonders and terrors yet to come. --JAMES ROLLINS, New York Times bestselling author of The Bone Labyrinth
A magical, perilous drama full of characters who live and breathe, darkness you can feel... --Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author of Ararat
"Tim Lebbon is an immense talent."--Joe R. Lansdale, creator of Hap and Leonard
Relics Reviews
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'Relics' is a fantastic first book in Tim Lebbon's Relic series. Equal parts Dark Fantasy and Horror, this character driven novel is filled with mythological creatures and fantastical surprises for criminology student, Angela Gough, and her fiancé, Vince.
Unbeknownst to Angela, Vince is involved in the covert business of buying and selling "Relics" - i.e, ogres, faeries, sprites, goblins, gryphons, etcetera. This is a lucrative, shady, savage - and occasionally deadly - trade. So, when he goes off the grid, she has no idea the numerous unearthly dangers which lay ahead for both of them. As she begins her search, Angela finds she has been drawn into a terrifying otherworldly experience - of which she could not have imagined possible in her wildest nightmares...
Filled with horrific surprises around every corner, this unrelenting roller coaster ride kept me on the edge of seat from start to finish.
Narrator Esther Wane does a fantastic job as the solo narrator for the entire novel. She nails the voices for male, female, Whisps and faeries alike. Great job.
Recommend to all Dark Fantasy and/or Horror aficionados. -
Warning: I almost didn't write this review. I dislike focusing on the negative, which is why up till now I skipped reviewing 1 star books that I finished. My disdain for this book is enough to alter that. Snark and sarcasm will ensue.
This had a really nice epilogue which made me quite curious as to what came next… or at least it did, until I remembered how much of a mess most of the book was, then I promptly bludgeoned that curiosity, hoping to wound it enough to keep it far away.
The book commits one of the greatest sins an urban fantasy novel can... it's dull. Beyond that I have a laundry list of complaints: the characters are ridiculous, the author seems to love to describe the majority of characters as “fit” (over 50% of the named human characters get that description upon introduction, sometimes it’s even voiced by a character) and everything in it has been done before and better. It’s like a greatest hits album, where your favorite songs are covered by a different band; there may be the occasional interesting spin, but the lack of creativity gets dull. We have our gentlemen mobster who everyone talks about being so bad, but we're never shown this to be the case and instead just comes off as helpful, we have our mysterious magical organization with extremists wanting to reveal themselves to the world, we get the researcher who has dedicated his life to understanding magical creatures but has been labeled a joke by his colleagues... we have a lot of characters, but we don't need to focus on them or make them interesting by giving them an actual personality. Being a cliche is enough for us. We’ve seen it all done before, but with more personality and better writing.
The book takes a very workman like approach to prose. It never gives too many descriptions or details to set the world, yet the world never feels too mysterious as he goes to great effort to make sure the delicate reader is never too confused about anything (the mystery plot that is set up early on, fear not gentle reader, through the use of multiple narrators, we will be sure to show you who the villain is so quickly so that none of the antagonist's lies will confuse you!)
I’m reminded of when I saw the movie Jack Reacher. The film starts with showing the murderer in the opening scene. Jack is then called in to investigate whether or not an old friend of his was the killer. Any tension that could have been gained from questioning if his friend was the real murderer is negated by the OPENING. I don't know if it's the same in the book, but as a filmgoer it annoyed me then and it annoys me now. What is the point of setting up a mystery, but quickly giving ALL the details so quickly that we as the readers/audience just have to sit and twiddle our thumbs while the characters catch up with us? In this case it feels like the author liked one of the characters so much that he didn't want to taint our view of him with that pesky ambiguity.
Let’s break out the spoiler tag for this one.
One last thing before my rant has ended. While I recognize that opinions vary, I find that book decided to focus on the least interesting character in the entire novel as our protagonist. We're given criminal organizations, relic hunters, an insane satyr , fairy politics, so instead we'll focus on an everygirl who has little in personality and whose distinguishing characteristics are that she's an American living in London (which could be removed with little in terms of plot changes) and that she's in love. The book starts with her giving a noir-ish opening... I expected this character to be interesting. I was disappointed.
So, in closing: avoid this book. Read a good urban fantasy or horror novel... or, well, anything. There are so many better books telling a similar story. Read one that is actually worth your time. -
between 3 & 4 stars. I've now read a handful of books by tim lebbon, and each one I think, "this'll be the novel that launches him into to elite it genre writers". I thought that with Coldbrook, and was certain this would be the one. however this didn't quite reach the lofty requirements to launch Lebbon into the elite category.
so close but so far, a decent but not excellent novel. -
"Mythical creatures had once existed, and there was a trade in their remains.
Some of the creatures still existed, and they were hunted and killed for profit."
Fusing together horror and fairy tale, Relics takes the reader deep beneath the modern world veneer and into the shadows hidden on the peripheral of normalcy. What lurks in the outer and under, is real, hidden in bedtime stories for too long, an ambitious few of the once worldly creatures want to ascend and rein supreme, replicating their presence from the 'time before'. Not all of these creatures, collectively known as 'Kin' are ready to coexist in the modern world which makes for some interesting and violent conflict throughout the spellbinding pages of the book.
Vince, one of the main characters in the first installment of the Relics trilogy, procures ancient and rare artifacts for the wealthy but soon turns his back on the trade when he's tasked with killing a mythical creature by his employer. Rather than contributing to the Kin's extinction, he saves her, Lilou - a nymph who is irresistible to man and woman alike, and from their his life above the surface is thrown under the currents of the mythical, as a whole new world of monsters, beasts, pixies and fairies opens up.
Relics is a great start to a new urban fantasy/horror trilogy from author Tim Lebbon. The novel quickly introduces a band of exciting and interesting characters while still managing to make them all have a place within this and the broader story. I can't wait to see what happens in the next installment due for publication some time this year (2018).
My rating: 4/5. -
This was their world. The underside, the hidden depths. They moved via shadows and made them into friends. Sometimes they threw shadows, casting vague deceptions to avert attention so that they could slip past. It wasn't magic. Once upon a time it had been, but that was long, long ago. Very few of them held magic anymore.
Original review is below, but I liked Relics more the second time around. It's a new take on the "discovery of the hidden world of the fae/werewolves/whatever" trope, and one that's done well - if gorily in places, but that fit with this version of the hidden world.
Angela is a great character I'm excited to see more from - Vince is a bit of a blank page, but that's in keeping with the style of the story too, he's the suddenly unknown object of a quest, more than a character in his own right. There has been more entries in the series since I read this, so perhaps we'll get a bit more time to get to know the survivors.
----
I really went back and forth on this one - I love the stories Tim Lebbon comes up with, but I don't ever fully sink into his writing like I can with some authors, I always know I'm still reading.
Relics was a bit slow to get off the ground, but with the help of some solid characters , it worked it's way up to a really solid last quarter/ending. -
Relics is an urban fantasy thriller, with a killer climax and some smart twists on classic myths and legends. A few more twists on tropes and characters, too, would have made it much more recommendable; as it is, it’s relatively fun, harmless pulp that most fans of fantasy and horror will probably enjoy.
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Having had this in my Audible library for quite some time, I decided to finally read, er...listen to RELICS. I wish I hadn't waited so long!
I'm a bit pressed for time, so I'll keep this brief. RELICS tells the story of Angela whose boyfriend, Vince, disappears. Not being one to just throw in the towel, Angela begins a search that leads her to an entire new world-that of the Kin. A world her boyfriend has been aware and part of for quite some time. Will Angela be able to locate Vince? What part does Vince play regarding the Kin? What ARE the Kin? You'll have to read this to find out!
Filled with fairies, nephilim, satyrs and more, I thought this audio was delightful. The narrator provided voicing that I believe took this novel to another level. I loved her, I liked the book and I will continue with this series on audio!
*I bought this audio with my hard-earned cash!* -
Imagine, if you will that all those fantastic creatures of myth and legend had really existed. Their remains strewn all over the earth like dinosaur fossils. Would they be displayed in museums for everyone to observe and wonder about? Or would they end up in private collections for the ultra rich? How much would they pay for satyr penis? To what lengths would they go to have that impressive piece in their private collection?
This is where Tim Lebbon has gone with Relics. A captivating premise, one that allowed Lebbon to explore his imagination to its fullest extent.
But a great story needs more than just a great premise. It needs the characters that will pull the audience in, make them feel like they are part of the story, not simply observers at a distance. Lebbon has done a fantastic job of making his characters real and relatable. They experience the normal things that we all do, until the exceptional upends their lives.
I went with the Audible version of Relics. The narration of Esther Wane was exceptional, her characters, and changing of accents was seamless. She helps make a great story better.
Relics cements Lebbon as a go-to author for me. -
everything felt ok to me, it wasn't fantastic in any way but i liked the premise and the writing is good. hopefully will read more of lebbons work to see if i like it more than this. urban fantasy has always been a hit or miss for my own sake and this fell kinda flat for me unfortunately.
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Extraordinarily dull. I had a very difficult time even caring about the plot and the characters at all. I had to force myself to get through this one.
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I was really surprised by this book, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it so much. It’s been sitting on my shelf gathering dust for two years and my mind was hesitant to start it because of this. But it ended up being really great, I loved the whole forbidden artefacts storyline. It was incredibly interesting and I loved that there was so magical and supernatural vibes sprinkled in. My only issue was the characters, I wasn’t a huge fan of them and it didn’t affect my enjoyment a bit. Other than that I loved it!
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2 ½ stars. I was not surprised or delighted. Things were predictable and done before.
I loved The Hunt by this author under the name T J Lebbon (aka Tim J Lebbon). I read that he was doing a sequel to The Hunt. This was his next published book so I bought it hoping it was as good or maybe it was the sequel. Sadly “Relics” is not the sequel. It’s a different genre, fantasy and written under the name Tim Lebbon. Also it wasn’t as good.
STORY BRIEF:
Relics has a large collection of fantasy magical creatures like satyrs, nymphs, fallen angels, witches, and weird things. Some bad guy humans know about them and collect their body parts. Vince and Angela are humans in love. They get drawn into this world. A couple thugs are trying to kill Lilou a nymph. Vince kills the thugs which save’s Lilou’s life. He is knocked unconscious so she protects him and hides him in a safe place. Angela searches for Vince and meets more of these creatures.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
I was pleased that there was a happy ending for Vince and Angela. But the story did not delight me. It felt TV-ish. Bad guys kidnap and beat-up good guys. Good guys fight the bad guys. There was no interesting relationship development. No interesting events or unusual smartness. I wanted it to be over.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Swearing language: strong. Sexual content: a few references to people having sex but no details shown. Setting: current day London, U.K. Copyright: 2017. Genre: fantasy fiction. -
This is a fantastic novel. Some on gr liken this novel to an urban fantasy thriller, but it’s got a bit of horror in there as well. And I loved every second of it. At no time was I ever bored while listening to the audiobook. I was hooked by the first paragraph, and I wanted more. More otherworldly happenings, more fantastical beings, just... MORE. And this novel really delivers.
The way this whole world is brought into existence by the author Lebbon is seriously wonderful. I adored the characters, human and non-human alike. I never knew where this novel was headed, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride there. The way that myths and fairy tales were woven into this novel was tremendously well done. I spent the last half of the novel desperately wishing I could get my hands on the second novel in this series, RIGHT NOW. I really need to know what happens, next! But alas, I will have to wait my turn for the local library’s copy.... 😭. I will definitely check out more of Lebbon’s work as soon as I can, that’s for sure...! I know I’m seriously thinking about purchasing these audiobooks as soon as I can afford them, so I can listen to them all again soon.
Esther Wane is the narrator of this novel. I haven’t run across this narrator before, because she seems to mainly do fantasy novels and young adult fiction as well as fiction. I do hope I run across her again, as I enjoyed her work very much. I’m very glad to see that she is the narrator for the other two books in this series, too!
If you haven’t read the relics series before and are new to it like I am, please give it a try. I think you may love it as much as I did. It really is a rare and tasty treat.
4 huge shiny stars, and recommended to everyone on planet earth, and beyond. 🎈Especially Shawn! 🎈 -
DNF @ exactly 50%, woo!
The unintentionally exactly-mid-book DNF:ing is also the most exciting thing that I have to share about this book.
Relics isn't a bad book, not... precisely. It is, however, a dreadfully meh book.
Tim Lebbon had such a promising premise; mythic arcana sold through a black market, a procurer of said items gone missing and this time it's the damsel who's off to save the prince in distress.
But, alas, it wasn't meant to be. While the book as a whole didn't manage to invoke much feeling in me, there were some things that did irk me. For example, the fact that every person described was either fit, athletic, slender or well built. I don't believe that to be true of any place, but especially not of an urban metropolis such as London, where bars, pubs and fish n' chips stands can be found at every corner (I feel obliged to state that this is actually an assumption on my part, based on a, perhaps not entirely healthy, obsession with England sustained through copious amounts of british tv shows).
The fact that these observations were often times absolutely unnecessary and provided the reader with... well, nothing. In my mind all of the characters have blank faces, because the only attribute described was that of their physical shape.
I was also annoyed by the usage of stereotypes by Lebbon. Fat Frederick was the "mob guy", who, despite the nickname of "Fat" was in fact - you guessed it! - in excellent shape, hated being called Freddie and exacted excruciating revenge upon any who dared to refer to him as such.
Freddie (look at me being all audacious), had the obligatory goons as well as the equally mandatory arch nemesis (also, despite the graying of her hair, fit as a fiddle).
The heroine of the story was a class A solver of puzzles, finder of secrets and able to pick a lock with a hair pin (or maybe it was a paper clip, I forget) having only read about it.
As a friend said to me, life's too short for bad fiction. -
4.5 Stars
Relics is the first book in a series by the same name by one of my favorite authors writing today. Tim Lebbon writes horror, fantasy, science fiction, and even a bit of the new weird. Tim Lebbon has shown that he is equally adept at writing both horror and fantasy and he writes for adults and the young adult club as well.
Relics is a fantastic urban fantasy story about greed, love, devotion, betrayal, and redemption. The story is filled with many urban fantasy creatures. It is highly imaginative and fun every step of the way. Much of this story works through discovery so I cannot go into much details without spoiling anything.
Fast paced adventure filled with cool places, things, and creatures. I loved it.
Tim Lebbon is one of my favorite authors and I will read anything that he writes. I highly recommend him to horror and fantasy lovers. -
Relics by Tim Lebbon wrapped me in it's leather coated arms and welcomed me back into the Urban Fantasy fold. As I rested my head upon the books firm broad chest a contented little sigh escaped my lips.
It had been couple years since I had experienced the strong, musky, not unpleasant smell of Urban Fantasy, and I couldn't help but wonder why I had let so much time and so much zombie fiction come between us.
Never again I whispered as I sunk into it's dark, pages. -
I liked this, it kept me reading through to the end, irrespective of all the holes in the story, but it's more urban fantasy than horror. There are some genuinely horrific moments in it but still to much UF to call it true horror.
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Occasionally, in warmer weather I look for fresh urban fantasy. I picked this up hoping the series might take me through a long summer of beach-reads. Despite being forewarned, I found it to be uninspiring.
The author is a competent writer. The prose is this book is technically good. Dialog, descriptive prose and action sequences are good enough. Descriptive prose is generally better than dialog. Some of the descriptive prose evokes vivid imagery. Oddly, the more mundane scenes were much better than the highly charged ones. For example, I was unmoved by a sewer rat lapping up a bound protagonist's blood, but titillated by the protagonists running commentary on the couple in the flat above’s lovemaking heard through the ceiling. A major fault in the story was the prose was uneven. A rotten apple spoils the barrel. The occasional crap sentences and paragraphs are very noticeable amongst the generally good verbiage. It was as if critical editing had been omitted? There was a moderate amount of violence, mostly brute force, and some sex. Body count is moderately high, but blood and gore was not very horrifying (to me). Sex is non-graphic, hetero and generally well handled.
There are two protagonists, Angela and Vince. I expected serious character development. Angela was well developed. I thought casting her as an academic criminologist was clever. Her partner and love interest, Vince, was completely botched. For the part he played in the story, there should have been a symmetry in Angela’s and Vince’s development. There was not. I never developed any interest in Vince or fear at his peril. Supporting characters were not very original. Although they were appropriate. Fredrick "Fat Freddy" Meloy was the typical Sociopath Gangster . Mary Rock is a Retired Monster . There were also thugs, coppers, a BFF, and helpful wonks. I did like the handling of the mythological creatures and the Fae. The fairies, nymphs, fox gods, witches, Nephilim, satyr, etc.. All met my expectations for their parts.
The story is a vanilla Scylla and Charybdis situation. Angela and Vince get caught between Fat Freddy and Mary Rock and the mythological creatures in a three-way. (Its a two-way if you consider it "evil mortals vs. self-interested creatures of myth".) The plot includes a predictable dungeon crawl , but with guns and a monster. As expected, folks get eaten in the dark by a monster.
I had issues with several plot holes—gaping ones. So, Vince's other life was a complete surprise to Angela? I felt it would be too hard for Vince to completely hide his business activities and income during their long, intimate, co-habitating, relationship. It was too hazardous, lucrative, and they were too public for him not to be exposed. Angela was also savvy with modern police procedure, intrusion and surveillance (including avoidance) techniques. However, she would only selectively use them for her benefit. In addition, she didn’t think bad guys were using the same techniques on her. For example, Angela wanted to escape surveillance by the bad guys. Angela never left her mobile behind or bought a burner. It’s odd, because She was clandestinely tracking folks by their mobile. Yet, she didn’t think Fat Freddy or Mary Rock, both with demonstrated capability and greater resources would do the same?
Location and location scenes were good. I’m an avid fan of London-based urban fantasy. This was as good as other London urban fantasies I like:
Rivers of London,
London Falling and
Fated.
I wanted to like this book. The second star is because I really like the premise of Relic. That is, the remnants of a population of mythological creatures surviving hidden into modern times. Also, the author is not a bad writer. There are snippets of really good prose in the book. He's good at creating atmosphere. However, there are a larger number of crap lines and paragraphs spoiling the effect. The story also fails in its execution. Character development was fatally spotty. And the quest plot was frankly wobbly.
I won’t be reading the next book in the series:
The Folded Land.
Readers looking for a better London urban fantasy read might try:
Clockwork City. Note this is the second book in a longer series that is not London-based. -
I may have expected or hoped for something more gruesome or chilling but with this book I was certainly very entertained and engrossed all the way through.
It is the first in a trilogy, all of which are now available I believe. So yes, a tale of a man who finds and locates mysterious mythical of folklore relics for his employers. Something goes wrong and he is taken into safely. His girlfriend begins to search for him and soon encounters the most unusual and almost unbelievable things and beings as she attempts to rescue her lover.
This is a kind of modern urban fantasy story which reminded me of the book Cabal from one of my favourite authors Clive Barker (quickly adapted into the cult film Nightbreed by Barker himself) and also of tales from Neil Gaiman. Do not expect a lot of horror though this author has written books in that genre previously. This is not bad thing, as the tale does contain some brutal moments but has many more fascinating scenes and curious fantasy and mythical creatures and beings, and the characters and all very entertaining. I now hope to read the next two books in the series when I find the time soon. -
Over the last few years, authors like Mark Morris, Mike Shevdon, Tom Pollock and Liz de Jager have produced work that consistently proves that there is plenty of life left in the urban fantasy genre. The latest to add their name to this esteemed list is Tim Lebbon. Relics is the first book in a new trilogy, and I tell you what, it is an absolute corker.
Have you ever been in that situation where you catch a subtle movement in the periphery of your vision? Or perhaps there is an unexpected sound in the darkness of the night. Are there things that have happened to you that just can’t be explained away? These experiences could be completely normal, you could dismiss them as nothing, but what if they’re not? What if there are beings out there in the dark. Strange creatures that are made of terror and joy and everything in between.
Angela Gough leads a normal existence with her partner Vince. He deals in the property market while she work from home, completing her thesis in criminology. Things couldn’t be better. Angela is content and has come to the conclusion that Vince could well be the love of her life. Without any warning, Vince disappears. One day he is there as normal, the next he is gone. Vince’s disappearance effects Angela like a punch in the gut but she steadfastly refuses to give up on him. She wants answers regarding his departure, irrespective of what those answers might be. There is a determination to Angela’s character that shines through. Rather than just accept Vince’s loss, she takes it upon herself to investigate his disappearance. The questions that drives her – How can the one person she thought she knew, and trust, suddenly be absent without any prior warning? Why is Vince suddenly such a mystery? He appears to be leading a strange double life, and who or what are the Kin? Angela has to try to separate the grains of truth from all the rumour. Her investigations lead her into London’s criminal underbelly and a club called The Slaughterhouse. The owner, Fat Frederick Meloy, is a “legitimate business man” with more dodgy contacts and shady businesses than you could shake a stick at. Can he shed any light in Vince’s location? When it comes to Mr Meloy there is only one lesson you need to learn – never, ever call him Fat Freddie. It is only ever Fredrick. Call him Freddie and you’ll regret it.
It almost goes without saying that there is more to Vince than meets the eye. Alternate chapters detail his story and begin to explain why he walked away from his old life, and Angela. Is he moved by noble intentions, and where exactly do his loyalties lie? I like this approach. Alternating the perspectives between the two leads allows the reader to get a far better understanding of the story as a whole. It also allows the author to mess with reader’s expectation which I have to admit is wonderfully evil.
The Kin are made up of all manner of wondrous beings, but I don’t want to dwell on them too much. Trust me it is much more fun discovering about them yourself. There is one character though, called Mallian, who I will mention briefly. He wants nothing more than to restore the Kin to their former status. He wants them all to ascend back into glory. Spotify must have been listening because my musical recommendation for Relics is an album called Ascension by Ninja Tracks. It’s a modern, anthemic soundtrack that it is the perfect companion piece to the novel.
There is a certain something about London that always manages to capture the imagination of genre authors. Our nation’s capital has been around for some considerable time and I think it makes for the perfect location when you are crafting urban fantasy. I’ve done a bit of reading about this. Turns out, recent archaeology has found evidence of bridges that data back to 1500BC and timber structures that go much further back than that. The metropolis has grown up around this history doesn’t it seem entirely possible that some myth could be in the mix somewhere as well? London becomes almost a character in its own right. Especially at night, when the Kin can move more freely around the city.
As an aside, don’t think I didn’t spot your Hictchcockian cameo, Mr Lebbon. I saw you there, hiding in plain sight on the streets of London. A certain police officer had an awfully familiar sounding surname as well, now that I think about it.
I’ve read a couple of standalone books by Tim Lebbon previously, The Silence and Coldbrook (both are excellent and I strongly encourage you to seek them out). Relics is something different though. This is just the first part of a far bigger story. The author has created a modern day fable that I genuinely think has the potential to become a genre classic. Relics is a pitch perfect example of urban fantasy expertly executed. The story hits narrative beats that reminded me of my two favourite novels by Clive Barker – Cabal (filmed as Nightbreed) and Weaveworld. Lebbon explores some of the same ideas as Barker, the suggestion that a secret society can survive in the shadows of a modern city, but approaches from a completely different direction. I love the thought of this, the miraculous existing in parallel with the mundane. Just imagine, if you know where to look, the beasts of legend are living among us. -
Two years ago Tim Lebbon's The Silence was my favorite read of the year. I was already a fan of his work, and I decided to pick this book up off the new releases shelf at the library on the strength of that experience. I went into Relics totally cold. I read nothing about it, not even back cover completely cold. I am not sure if I had read those things if I would have been super interested. That said I am glad I read this book, and even though I did not dig it as much The Silence I think it is a good novel.
Relics is a weird crime, urban and dark fantasy story that has elements of horror. There are many elements that Lebbon is weaving into this story which sets up a continued story. The main character Angela is a academic who is thrust into this work of poachers when her boyfriend Vince disappears and the search forces her into a secret life he was living.
These poachers are not selling tusks or rhino horns but parts sometimes living, sometimes long dead of mythological creatures. The underworld of creature hunters is by far the more interesting aspect of this novel. The criminal underground of monsters hunters was far more interesting than Angela who is out main point of view. Don't get me wrong in the 70 pages I was very invested in her search and mystery for her lost Vince.
Once we actually start to solve the mystery the underground of mobsters and monsters eclipse Angela and that is somewhat of weakness in the narrative. The criminal underground is fasinating and the mythological creatures even more so. One thing I really liked is how the story built to the revalations and yet the book ends with hints of much more to come.
I bet many of the reviews on line that are positive will focus on the ending. While I was certainly not completely sold on this novel/or story universe the ending was as perfect set-up. Lebbon's powerful ending perfectly sets up a far more interesting second chapter.
In many ways when I closed the book it felt like I was reading a prequel. I don't know how to explain it any other way. I really liked, but didn't love this novel. That is OK, because I am glad I read it. I suspect the second book will be awesome and the fact that I want to read is the best thing I can say. -
I feel compelled to begin this review noting I’m a huge Tim Lebbon fan. He’s one of the hardest working authors in the industry and he’s got the talent and dedication to his craft that will only carry him to further heights.
This being said, Relics is a novel I struggled with, and while I love the concept, I never felt connected to our protagonist or involved in the story. The separation of loved ones that was the driving force and motivation for some highly out of character actions just never felt real enough to me, and I found myself frustrated, and worse, bored.
While I won’t be picking up the sequel, I will be continuing with more of Lebbon’s work, and one of the beautiful things about books in general is that what works for one person might not for another. It doesn’t necessarily mean the book isn’t good, it just didn’t connect with me the way I had hoped. -
When her boyfriend, Vince, goes missing, Angela, an American criminology student, discovers he is part of the criminal black market underground for arcane things- gryphons, faeries, goblins, and other fantasy creatures. As the trail leads her deeper into London’s dark side, she crosses paths with a crime lord whose life is dedicated to collecting such relics. Then she finds out that some of these relics aren’t as ancient as they appear. Some of them are a live.
Wow. This book was so..... BORING. There were a few spots here and there where your interests were peaked, but then it was quickly squashed by soul sucking boredom. I was really disappointed. I have heard such great reviews of this author. I assume his other books are better?
These characters were not very interesting and never really felt a connection with any of them. :/ just about everyone was described as “athletic”. Seriously. And Vince had been lying to Angela, about some kinda big things, since they met, AND that he is in the criminal underworld.... but, are we angry or upset with this man we now know very little about? Nah. Why would we be upset our whole relationship is built on lies? Clearly their love is a special snowflake and nothing can tarnish that kind of love. Honestly, a little over half way through the book and I didn’t care if Vince was alive or dead or what twists there were or anything. I just wanted it to end. So. Slow. -.- -
I'm grateful to Titan Books for an advance copy of this.
I found this a refreshingly different take on urban fantasy. Yes, we're in the heart of the city, and, yes, there are mythological creatures around, but there's no magic - that died years ago - and it's largely, the "monsters" who are the victims here, subjects of a merciless trade in body parts... and worse. So the book's suffused, almost, with a conservationist sensibility: the nymphs, angels, pixies and so on are the last of their kind, hunted almost to extinction and clinging on in dark corners and secret hideaways. That gives the whole book a distinct focus and a shape, as well as reversing the usual assumptions that something nasty's out there, waiting to eat us.
It's an intriguing premise, and Angela is an intriguing - an appealing - hero, drawn into a strange world with rules she can't understand when her boyfriend doesn't come home one night. Looking beyond the obvious explanation, Angela sets out to find him, rapidly getting into a world she never knew existed - a world of little known underground tunnels, of shadows in alleyways, of crime dens in Soho backstreets, strange, shrivelled creatures packaged up for delivery and most of all, of supremely creepy villains. Angela's resourceful and she puts her knowledge of crime to good use, but will it be enough to bring success in her search - or even allow survival in the world of Fat Frederick (NEVER shorten his name!) let alone that of Mary Rock?
Lebbon tells a violent, tension-filled story, the action pretty much continuous - but he also finds time to bring in some nice portrayals of London - the summer London that's almost like an outdoor room, crowds moving comfortably through the parks and streets, oblivious to the seedy yards, abandoned buildings and shadowy watchers... It's all very real and also very readable. And that relaxed, comfortable London is only a mask, a mask that slips in the most gore spattered finale that I've read in ages.
Of course there is a little more to the book than cruel humans hunting down Kin, and I sensed that Lebbon was setting up some tensions among the latter for future books - which I devoutly hope will follow soon - but on the whole it's straightforward, though a couple of characters play an ambiguous role - and even Vince turns out to be less innocent than you'd think.
A good, gripping read. I'd strongly recommend you get in on this series at the beginning. -
DNFing at page 210
I may pick this up at a later date, but for right now I just can't. I have tried so hard to get into this book and I just can't bring myself to care about the characters.
The world was so interesting, but I'm not impressed with the execution. So many things were bothering me, from the characters (mostly the characters), to the slow pace. Only a few pages before I DNF'd did things actually start to get interesting. Unfortunately, they weren't interesting enough to keep my interest (can I say 'interest' ONE more time? lol)
The characters were SO 2-dimensional, they were all just focused on one thing, and while granted I can kind of understand given certain circumstances, the thoughts that would run through their heads just.. *sigh* I find it difficult to believe would ACTUALLY occur to an actual human being all things considered.
The characters were self-centered at odd moments, and no one and I mean NOT A SOUL felt like a real person. And again, the world showed so much promise!
Again, I may try this again at a later date, but for right now, I'm going to try and find a book I will actually enjoy. -
Notes:
Currently on Audible Plus
I've tried a few books by the author. I like the ideas but the way the story unfolds do not really work for me. -
Tim Lebbon puts together a great cast of characters, builds an immense world around them (think
Neverwhere but more condensed), and then throws us into the fire of it all. Well written without fluff, dark without being overly macabre, and with subtle hints of romance make it a good read for those who like their fantasy a little less epic and more to the modern. -
1.5 rounded down to 1
Setting:
This book takes place in modern day London.
Characters:
Angela: Angela is probably the most undefined main character I've ever read. Aside from loving her boyfriend hey only trait is an interest in criminology (which definitely only exists to justify why she has a couple of skills she needs for plot reasons). Angela is so uncharacterized that if Vince said her chest is her best feature you couldn't actually get mad at him because it's not as if she has sort of personality for him to enjoy.
Vince: Vince shows up as well, making certain he remains just as devoid of personality as his girlfriend.
There's a gangster who never does anything gangster-y. There's a second gangster who exists to be evil just for the sake of evil.
Plot:
Angela is concerned one day when her boyfriend Vince doesn't come home from work and isn't answering her texts and calls. As she tries to find out where he might have gone, she discovers Vince was involved in something that ought to be impossible, the underground trading of bits of dead mythical creatures, but there's proof she can't ignore.
My Thoughts:
More than anything what we have here is wasted potential. The basic premise of the book sounds interesting but the author managed to produce a wholly uninteresting book from it.
This is one of the books that's hard to write about because it's so tremendously mediocre that it inspires no feelings at all.
The characters are bland and uninteresting.
The plot is bland and uninteresting.
The world building is bland and uninteresting.
This book is so utterly lacking in anything of interest of substance that I can't even care enough to dislike it.
It's like eating nothing but plain white bread and water for a meal. It's not actively bad like the diseased corpse of a half rotten plague rat, but at least the plague rat would taste like something. -
Well I didn't like this book. The plot idea sounded very interesting and I was looking forward to seeing how the ideas would be played out. For some reason I just did not seem to like the writer's style and pace. The opening seemed to drag and just slowly move along. I do not plan to try the next 2 books in the trilogy. This one just didn't seem to catch with me, not recommended
-
Yawn.... started great, then died a clumsy death.
