Hello everyone and welcome to my tour stop for the #RelicTour hosted by the lovely Shealea (Shut Up, Shealea) and Caffeine Book Tours! Also, a special thank you to Talem Press for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. So without further ado, let’s get to the blog post!
Relic (Book #1 The Relic Trilogy) by Bronwyn Eley
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Published: September 12th, 2019 by Talem Press
Rating: 3.75/5 stars
“Apprehension silenced even the smallest murmur from the crowd–not because the Shadow was dying, but because of what it now meant for them all.
What would you do if you were taken away to fulfill a position that meant to kill you?
The story follows Kaylan, a talented Blacksmith in her own right who’s taken to serve as Lord Rennard’s Shadow, an appointment that renders one life forfeit in exchange of saving many. As his personal servant, the Shadow serves to shield others from the poisonous effects of Rennard’s gemstone necklace, containing one of five rare Relics that protects the owner’s bloodline but slowly kills everyone in its immediate proximity. As Kaylan loses more hope in the passing days and starts to accept her inevitable fate, she learns of a secret rebellion aimed to find and destroy all five bloodlines that possess the Relics. Destroying the Relics would mean the end of Lord Rennard and potentially saving Kaylan’s life, but is one life worth the sacrifice of many others’ lives?
“Power is a seductive thing.”
I’m so happy that 2019 has been the year of so many original fantasies. For a debut novel, Eley delivered a dark fantasy that gives off Hunger Games and Game of Thrones vibes by putting the main character in undefeatable circumstances yet fighting tooth and nail to defy them. The story had darkness lurking in each turn of the page, making you question the loyalties that are presented to you and grasping onto hope at every possible second. Although it had a solid foundation, it felt as if the magic system could have been developed a little more and a faster pace could have made for a more captivating reading experience.
“Oh, and Kaylan? Come back to me.”
The characters for me were the strong point of the story overall. Each character’s distinct traits played such an integral role in the plot as a whole and every relationship throughout added another dynamic dimension to the story. One last thing I will add that I really thought was interesting was how the reader is immersed in how Kaylan grasps her current surroundings. As our narrator, the reader gets to experience everything Kaylan is first-hand. The longer Kaylan serves as the Shadow, her mental state dwindles further, making it harder for her to tell the difference between what is fact and fiction; as a result, this definitely adds a different twist to the overall reading experience and makes for lasting impression.
I hope that you enjoyed this review and hopefully makes you want to go check it out now that it’s finally out in the world!
About the author:
Bronwyn Eley has been writing her whole life and spent a lot of time reading all kinds of books, but especially fantasy. Her passion for everything medieval grew thanks to her experiences with the military, traveling, and studying Linguistics at university. Relic is her debut fantasy novel, kicking off her Relic Trilogy.
Be sure to catch up on the other tour stops of the #RelicTour here and to join us in the #RelicTour twitter chat!
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