I was kind enough to be gifted a copy of all three books in this series by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Check out the Relics Goodreads page for full synopsis.
Check out the Relics Goodreads page for full synopsis.
Relics by Time Lebbon
Published 21st March 2017 by Titan Books
Star Rating - ***.5
Goodreads Challenge - 39/50
I loved the concept of this story. I really enjoyed the idea of an underground black market trade in ancient artefacts, or relics. I also really enjoyed The Kin. I loved how these were based on various mythologies and I really wanted to know more about them and their world. I would describe this as an urban fantasy story. It's set in our modern world but with the fantastical elements of The Kin and I thought the balance between these two was good but as I said I would of loved a bit more of an insight into how The Kin survive in our world. I thought the writing style was good too, it was fast paced and easy to read but had enough complexity to keep my interest. It was quite gruesome in places though and I found myself squirming at times when reading so please bear that in mind if your squeamish.
I thought the characters were interesting too. Angela was a little bit of an introvert but she really came out of herself, full of determination, as the story progressed. She had an agenda and didn't let anything get in her way. There were times when some of the things she did were a little bit impulsive however, to me this made her feel like a real character. The relationship between Angela and Vince was a little bit tropey to start with. They were in a seemingly happy relationship but Vince has a secret life and Angela found out etc. However, as we progressed through the story they actually talked to each other and explained their situations which meant they were able to stick by each other throughout the story which was nice.
I thought the characters were interesting too. Angela was a little bit of an introvert but she really came out of herself, full of determination, as the story progressed. She had an agenda and didn't let anything get in her way. There were times when some of the things she did were a little bit impulsive however, to me this made her feel like a real character. The relationship between Angela and Vince was a little bit tropey to start with. They were in a seemingly happy relationship but Vince has a secret life and Angela found out etc. However, as we progressed through the story they actually talked to each other and explained their situations which meant they were able to stick by each other throughout the story which was nice.
The Folded Land by Tim Lebbon
Published 20th March 2018 by Titan Books
Star Rating - ****
Goodreads Challenge - 44/50
I thought this was a good continuation of the series and, in fact, I actually enjoyed it a bit more than I enjoyed the first one. We follow the same set of characters with a couple more added in and although the plot isn't necessarily a direct follow on, this books connects well with the first. There are a lot of threads that continue from the first to this one so I would recommend starting with Relics.
I like Tim Lebbon's writing style. It's not overly descriptive but he still manages to create an interesting plot. This book was quick and easy to read and I was able to immerse myself in the story. There were also several twists woven into this plot that I didn't see coming. At times I was generally surprised. I have similar feelings towards The Kin as I did after reading the first one. I love the idea behind them but I just felt we were lacking in information. I was still left feeling like I wanted a bit more. This book definitely isn't as graphic as the first one though, however there was still some gory parts but I found these a bit easier to read.
I like Tim Lebbon's writing style. It's not overly descriptive but he still manages to create an interesting plot. This book was quick and easy to read and I was able to immerse myself in the story. There were also several twists woven into this plot that I didn't see coming. At times I was generally surprised. I have similar feelings towards The Kin as I did after reading the first one. I love the idea behind them but I just felt we were lacking in information. I was still left feeling like I wanted a bit more. This book definitely isn't as graphic as the first one though, however there was still some gory parts but I found these a bit easier to read.
The Edge by Tim Lebbon
Published 19th March 2019 by Titan Books
Star Rating - ***
Goodreads Challenge - 49/50
Book 2 left off in a great way and I was super keen to dive into this one. I was expecting a lot of action and high stakes but I just feel like this is what we were lacking. I enjoyed the writing and the overarching story as I've said in my reviews of the previous two books but the subplot of this one made the story feel a little bit disjointed. In each of the previous books we've been introduced to new characters and their story and these integrated well with the overarching plot but the character and story introduced in this one, I don't feel, really added anything to the plot. Due to this the story felt a bit slow to start but the pace did begin to pick up after about half way and I was excited for what was to come as this is the part I had been waiting for but I didn't quite get what I wanted. I wanted action, high stakes, on the edge of your seat story telling but, although the pace did pick up, it wasn't quite enough for me.
As I said, I liked the characters (mostly), I did think at one point Angela was going to turn into one of these characters who act before they think but luckily she didn't, and I liked the overall story line. I feel this book wrapped up the trilogy fine, the ending was satisfactory and we weren't left with any loose ends or unfinished story arcs but unfortunately it just didn't quite live up to my expectations.
As I said, I liked the characters (mostly), I did think at one point Angela was going to turn into one of these characters who act before they think but luckily she didn't, and I liked the overall story line. I feel this book wrapped up the trilogy fine, the ending was satisfactory and we weren't left with any loose ends or unfinished story arcs but unfortunately it just didn't quite live up to my expectations.
Overall Series Rating (3.5*)
