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robinwritesallthethings's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
What It’s About: Picking up several years after the first book left off, this story sheds light on Greg’s mysterious activities at the end of that novel and finds Pendergast and his previous allies attempting to prevent the return of Mbwun to New York City.
Plot: The first book was so exciting that it was hard to imagine a direct sequel that measured up, but this totally did. The scope is expanded so the stakes are higher, and there are more enemies and problems to solve, but none of it feels forced. And, of course, all our favorite characters return to be put in peril.
Style: Once again, the science is blended beautifully with the action, and explained in such a way that it’s easy to follow.
Trigger Warnings: Several main characters are in law enforcement, and there are depictions of the homeless, including drug addicts. The murders are quite gruesome as well.
Final Thoughts: I love this series more after reading the second entry. If I didn’t have a pile of ARCs waiting to be reviewed, I would be borrowing the third book and reading it immediately!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Police brutality, Grief, Cannibalism, and Murder
andmingmingtoo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I felt like this book was a worthy sequel to Relic! It may have been a little harder to suspend disbelief in this one, but the aesthetics were tense in a good way. I do think that the concept of a vast underground tunnel network with its own communities is interesting, as well as gilded age-opulence falling into disrepair (and you can tell the authors had respect for the subjects they were inspired by). I also give kudos to the authors for turning something that seemed like a plot hole in the first book into a clue/reveal and for creating a evolutionary biologist/anthropologist mad scientist . This series is holding up as a good re-entry into reading for me, and I look forward to reading the next installment!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Chronic illness, Excrement, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Classism, and Deportation
Minor: Genocide, Mental illness, and Misogyny
This book has a lot of murder and violence! It is a murder mystery, so people do die, but the deaths are often described in a visceral way that could be unsettling. I'm pretty squeamish, and it only bothered me a little bit though! Just be careful and safe :) Additionally, there's a big scene towards the end of a large riot, where there's a lot of fighting, insults toward homeless people, and general violence, as well as some things that could be triggering in a police brutality way like the use of tear gas.beetfuse's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
A solid sequel to Relic, although I did not enjoy it as much. The ending dragged on a bit and it started to get repetitive. But it was a creepy read nonetheless and we get to follow the same amusing characters we met in Relic.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore and Blood
sarah_ann_roth's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Cursing, Gun violence, Mental illness, Excrement, and Cannibalism
Minor: Alcoholism, Misogyny, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
leahmonroe's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
From the very beginning, Reliquary proved to be a worthy sequel of Relic. The mysterious atmosphere of the first installment prevailed, and it is just as fast-paced. A real page-turner.
Reliquary continues the story of Relic, however we skip eighteen months into the future. Our protagonists return - Margo Green, now referred to as Dr Green, still shaken by the tragedy that that happened in the Musem, Lieutenant D'Agosta, just as full of retorts and resentful of corrupt officials if not more, journalist Smithback, overtaken by the success his carreer gained and, of course, Agent Pendergast - and quickly they have to face the fact that the mystery and horror of a year and a half ago is not over and about to resurface with a vengeance.
What I loved a lot about Relic, were the characters and their natural charisma and chemistry with each other. It was a relief to see that that wasn't abandoned by the authors for the sake of the twists and complexities of the plot. Which still happen, of course, but our heros are thrown into the mix and react not like cardboard cutouts, but in continuity of the previous novel. While the only objections I could have are Smithback being underutilised and far away from the other characters for a long while, and Pendergast turning slowly into Sherlock Holmes with forced eccentricity, which I'm not that big of a fan of, I must say that they delivered. They make an amazing team that is just a pleasure to read about with a great, readable friendship dynamic.
The plot does not disappoint as well. While we do move away from the Museum, New York itself proves to be just as an interesting setting, and, of course, the underground. Through the sufficient and not overt descriptions I felt the claustrophobia and anxiety of our characters, venturing deeper and deeper into the depths of Manhattan soil. Learning about the various homeless communities, which turn out to be actually real, was a form of an enlightening experience. The amount of research the authors did is astonishing, and you can sense just how much work they put into this novel. Combining that with the recurring Mbwun mystery, we have a dense plot, filled with twists and layers, that I was super excited to discover and gasp at. The 'Museum Beast' does not become a tiring mechanism at all, which is impressive. A lot of that is due to the writing, which is very natural and organic, reminiscent of old Crichton novels.
Overall, a very satisfying and captivating entry from the Doug&Linc duo. I can't wait to read more of their work. I hope that, while the Mbwun mystery is over, the characters from these novels will return to the Pendergast series.
Reliquary continues the story of Relic, however we skip eighteen months into the future. Our protagonists return - Margo Green, now referred to as Dr Green, still shaken by the tragedy that that happened in the Musem, Lieutenant D'Agosta, just as full of retorts and resentful of corrupt officials if not more, journalist Smithback, overtaken by the success his carreer gained and, of course, Agent Pendergast - and quickly they have to face the fact that the mystery and horror of a year and a half ago is not over and about to resurface with a vengeance.
What I loved a lot about Relic, were the characters and their natural charisma and chemistry with each other. It was a relief to see that that wasn't abandoned by the authors for the sake of the twists and complexities of the plot. Which still happen, of course, but our heros are thrown into the mix and react not like cardboard cutouts, but in continuity of the previous novel. While the only objections I could have are Smithback being underutilised and far away from the other characters for a long while, and Pendergast turning slowly into Sherlock Holmes with forced eccentricity, which I'm not that big of a fan of, I must say that they delivered. They make an amazing team that is just a pleasure to read about with a great, readable friendship dynamic.
The plot does not disappoint as well. While we do move away from the Museum, New York itself proves to be just as an interesting setting, and, of course, the underground. Through the sufficient and not overt descriptions I felt the claustrophobia and anxiety of our characters, venturing deeper and deeper into the depths of Manhattan soil. Learning about the various homeless communities, which turn out to be actually real, was a form of an enlightening experience. The amount of research the authors did is astonishing, and you can sense just how much work they put into this novel. Combining that with the recurring Mbwun mystery, we have a dense plot, filled with twists and layers, that I was super excited to discover and gasp at. The 'Museum Beast' does not become a tiring mechanism at all, which is impressive. A lot of that is due to the writing, which is very natural and organic, reminiscent of old Crichton novels.
Overall, a very satisfying and captivating entry from the Doug&Linc duo. I can't wait to read more of their work. I hope that, while the Mbwun mystery is over, the characters from these novels will return to the Pendergast series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Gore
Minor: Animal death