Welcome to our stop on the blog tour for Relic by Renee Collins hosted by Jaime and Rachel of Rockstar Book Tours. You can follow the rest of the tour here. And don't forget to enter the giveaway to win a signed copy of Relic and set of almanac pages! Thanks for stopping by! :D
Author: Renee Collins
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Release Date: August 27, 2013
After a raging fire consumes her town and kills her parents, Maggie Davis is on her own to protect her younger sister and survive best she can in the Colorado town of Burning Mesa. In Maggie’s world, the bones of long-extinct magical creatures such as dragons and sirens are mined and traded for their residual magical elements, and harnessing these relics’ powers allows the user to wield fire, turn invisible, or heal even the worst of injuries.
Working in a local saloon, Maggie befriends the spirited showgirl Adelaide and falls for the roguish cowboy Landon. But when she proves to have a particular skill at harnessing the relics’ powers, Maggie is whisked away to the glamorous hacienda of Álvar Castilla, the wealthy young relic baron who runs Burning Mesa. Though his intentions aren’t always clear, Álvar trains Maggie in the world of relic magic. But when the mysterious fires reappear in their neighboring towns, Maggie must discover who is channeling relic magic for evil before it’s too late.
Relic is a thrilling adventure set in a wholly unique world, and a spell-binding story of love, trust, and the power of good.
Working in a local saloon, Maggie befriends the spirited showgirl Adelaide and falls for the roguish cowboy Landon. But when she proves to have a particular skill at harnessing the relics’ powers, Maggie is whisked away to the glamorous hacienda of Álvar Castilla, the wealthy young relic baron who runs Burning Mesa. Though his intentions aren’t always clear, Álvar trains Maggie in the world of relic magic. But when the mysterious fires reappear in their neighboring towns, Maggie must discover who is channeling relic magic for evil before it’s too late.
Relic is a thrilling adventure set in a wholly unique world, and a spell-binding story of love, trust, and the power of good.
Relic offers readers an irresistible mystery, an inspiring heroine and a pleasantly unusual world. Renee Collins triggered all the right emotions to keep my attention and leave me wanting more.
Relic begins with tragedy and I was instantly captured by the gravity of the situation. From the very beginning readers are plagued with the question of who is starting these unnatural fires that are destroying whole towns and for what purpose. And while I might not brag about my powers of perception, Renee Collins kept me guessing until the end. But the clues are all there for the talented mystery solver, steadily given and carefully woven throughout the story. I had one of those "ahhhh, I see" moments when the culprit was revealed. In the meantime, I enjoyed trying to figure out who that was.
In the beginning, circumstance forces Maggie to be incredibly brave and strong and I sympathized with her immediately. But she quickly earned more than just my sympathies. She proved herself time and time again to be a selfless, capable, and surprisingly clever young lady. But as a young heroine she lacked confidence and power. Yet these struggles are what made her relatable and believable as a character. She is definitely someone I see readers looking up to.
There is a romance in this story but it is not a dominating plot element, just a nice complement. It might feel a bit insta-love-y to some but I didn't really get that impression since it wasn't a huge focus. The love interest is actually one of the many interesting secondary characters. Renee Collins does a good job of building up the other characters in the story and having each of them have their own story. I am sure many readers, like myself, will be moved by Adelaide's story. I wanted to solve all her problems, and kick many a butt.
There is a romance in this story but it is not a dominating plot element, just a nice complement. It might feel a bit insta-love-y to some but I didn't really get that impression since it wasn't a huge focus. The love interest is actually one of the many interesting secondary characters. Renee Collins does a good job of building up the other characters in the story and having each of them have their own story. I am sure many readers, like myself, will be moved by Adelaide's story. I wanted to solve all her problems, and kick many a butt.
The setting for the story was more Wild Wild West than fantasy. In fact, I would consider it fantasy-light so if you aren't a big reader of fantasy I would not let that deter you. The fantasy element is mostly captured in the history and presence of relics. I myself, as a huge fantasy-lover, was fascinated by the relics. I found the fact that the bones of mythical beasts, long since extinct, could harness power and transfer that power to the user to be both a unique and welcome concept. I actually wish there was more attention paid to them in the story. They do play a critical role, and Maggie herself has a connection to them, but I could have explored this idea endlessly.
It did take some time for me to become fully invested in the story. It's one of those books that sneaks up on you and you don't realize how bad you've got it until you've got it bad. But Relic is a worthwhile read and I urge readers to continue with the story if they begin to feel the same sentiment. Coming out of this book, my dominating thought is "I hope there is a sequel." Great debut, Renee Collins.
It did take some time for me to become fully invested in the story. It's one of those books that sneaks up on you and you don't realize how bad you've got it until you've got it bad. But Relic is a worthwhile read and I urge readers to continue with the story if they begin to feel the same sentiment. Coming out of this book, my dominating thought is "I hope there is a sequel." Great debut, Renee Collins.
About Renee:
Website/Blog/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads
RELIC SERIES Facebook
Giveaway:
A signed copy of RELIC and a printed signed set of RELIC almanac pages. US Only
Novels which keep you guessing are the best - you just don't get bored while reading. The strong heroine and the relics are two elements which appeal to me. I'd love to read this.
ReplyDeleteMada Sch @ Confiture de rêves.
Both very good reasons to read this book! But I can see there being a sequel, heads up :D
DeleteReally good review.
ReplyDeleteThanks Shane!
DeleteThanks so much for the great review! I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure!
DeleteI'm still really excited to read this one after reading your review! It sounds like so much fun! It's next on my read list! So yay!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see what you think!!
DeleteI do like books where they author keeps me guessing, but there are clues. And it sounds like you really liked the MC, which is so important! Great review and I'll have to add this to my TBR list. ~Pam
ReplyDeleteYeah Maggie was a pretty likable character. She had a good head on her shoulders.
DeleteI'm really excited to read this one. I love how original it sounds. Thanks for the chance to win it!
ReplyDeleteIt was very original. I hope you like it!
DeleteI'm very excited about this book! I do have it on hand to read and review, so I may just have to cheat on my current book to read it. Love that it's more Western than fantasy!
ReplyDeleteYeah the Western setting was so much fun! I look forward to reading your review and getting your thoughts.
Delete