A review by vesperbell
The Relic Guild by Edward Cox
3.0
I received my copy of this book for free from a Goodreads giveaway.
I feel a little apprehensive giving this book three stars because I enjoyed it enough to give it a four. Objectively settling for a very high three, which would easily have been a four had it explored more of the world(s) and aspects of the story which were merely hinted at. Instead, we were mostly focused in and around Labrys Town, a town of humans located inside the Great Labyrinth who have been cut off from the Aelfirian Houses beyond the Labyrinth in the aftermath of the Genii war.
The Relic Guild is split into two narratives, the first dealing with the beginnings of a war involving the Aelfirian Houses and the Genii, led by Spiral, a Thaumaturgist (higher magic beings who possess abilities far beyond those of human magickers) who chooses to rebel against The Timewatcher, the creator and overseer of the Labyrinth. The second narrative is set forty years later and deals with the aftermath of the war, a time in which magic is outlawed for the safety of the population and the Relic Guild, a group of magickers put together to protect Labrys Town, has been left in tatters, leaving it unequipped to deal with a new threat.
These two narratives build up the history excellently alongside the present, allowing you the opportunity to see how things happened by living them alongside the characters, avoiding lengthy info dumps. Some characters appear in both narratives, making it possible to understand their motives and connect the events that made them who they are in the present day. Even the characters who do not appear in both narratives are fleshed out with enough detail to stand out, with the unfortunate exception of Clara who is meant to be the protagonist; a reluctant changeling who has been suppressing her powers for her entire life, Clara has the potential to be incredibly interesting as she grows as a magicker and a member of the Relic Guild.
Culminating in a cliffhanger, the two narratives leave more questions than answers which is somewhat frustrating but helps to build anticipation for finding the answers in future books. Edward Cox has clearly planned out an expansive and fascinating world beyond the confines of the Labyrinth, which I cannot wait to explore more of once the story calls for it.
I feel a little apprehensive giving this book three stars because I enjoyed it enough to give it a four. Objectively settling for a very high three, which would easily have been a four had it explored more of the world(s) and aspects of the story which were merely hinted at. Instead, we were mostly focused in and around Labrys Town, a town of humans located inside the Great Labyrinth who have been cut off from the Aelfirian Houses beyond the Labyrinth in the aftermath of the Genii war.
The Relic Guild is split into two narratives, the first dealing with the beginnings of a war involving the Aelfirian Houses and the Genii, led by Spiral, a Thaumaturgist (higher magic beings who possess abilities far beyond those of human magickers) who chooses to rebel against The Timewatcher, the creator and overseer of the Labyrinth. The second narrative is set forty years later and deals with the aftermath of the war, a time in which magic is outlawed for the safety of the population and the Relic Guild, a group of magickers put together to protect Labrys Town, has been left in tatters, leaving it unequipped to deal with a new threat.
These two narratives build up the history excellently alongside the present, allowing you the opportunity to see how things happened by living them alongside the characters, avoiding lengthy info dumps. Some characters appear in both narratives, making it possible to understand their motives and connect the events that made them who they are in the present day. Even the characters who do not appear in both narratives are fleshed out with enough detail to stand out, with the unfortunate exception of Clara who is meant to be the protagonist; a reluctant changeling who has been suppressing her powers for her entire life, Clara has the potential to be incredibly interesting as she grows as a magicker and a member of the Relic Guild.
Culminating in a cliffhanger, the two narratives leave more questions than answers which is somewhat frustrating but helps to build anticipation for finding the answers in future books. Edward Cox has clearly planned out an expansive and fascinating world beyond the confines of the Labyrinth, which I cannot wait to explore more of once the story calls for it.