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beetfuse's review
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: Blood and Gore
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: Death, Police brutality, Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Cannibalism, Excrement, Gun violence, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Cursing, and Mental illness
Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcoholism, and Misogyny
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
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