Welcome to Anara, a world mysteriously crumbling to devastation, where nothing is what it seems: Ancient relics emit technologically advanced power...
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Sep 10, 2011
Cinnamon
rated it: 
This review may also be found on A Thousand Little Pages.
Relic Master Galen Harn and his apprentice Raffi know that all is not well the moment they set foot in the settlement that had boldly requested their help a few days before. Drawn by curiosity and the possibility of discovering a relic, the pair nevertheless decides to venture into the castle-like fortress that is the settlement’s stronghold and soon come to regret the decision. After an unpleasant meeting with the leader Alberic More...
Relic Master Galen Harn and his apprentice Raffi know that all is not well the moment they set foot in the settlement that had boldly requested their help a few days before. Drawn by curiosity and the possibility of discovering a relic, the pair nevertheless decides to venture into the castle-like fortress that is the settlement’s stronghold and soon come to regret the decision. After an unpleasant meeting with the leader Alberic More...
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Nov 01, 2011
Maureen
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Opening: "The seven moons were all in the sky at once."
First of all--the main twist of this book? I totally called it! At one point I was suspicious and shortly after that I became convinced and then my conviction paid off. I think it's essentially a function of having read so much of a certain genre--I'm not sure I would have caught it as a younger reader. And it certainly didn't spoil the book for me, as I had to wait to nearly the end to have my suspicion confirmed.
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First of all--the main twist of this book? I totally called it! At one point I was suspicious and shortly after that I became convinced and then my conviction paid off. I think it's essentially a function of having read so much of a certain genre--I'm not sure I would have caught it as a younger reader. And it certainly didn't spoil the book for me, as I had to wait to nearly the end to have my suspicion confirmed.
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Oct 25, 2011
Stacey
rated it:
This review was completed by Amanda Harbin, staff reviewer with the YA Fantasy Guide.
Relic Master is a fun and easy to read adventure story. The main characters are reminiscent of the Harry Potter series in the sense that the story follows a boy and his older mentor. Like the Harry Potter series this book is accessible to both boys and girls! Don’t be misled the similarities to the Harry Potter series do not go much further. The story is simple and easy to follow, but also very e More...
Relic Master is a fun and easy to read adventure story. The main characters are reminiscent of the Harry Potter series in the sense that the story follows a boy and his older mentor. Like the Harry Potter series this book is accessible to both boys and girls! Don’t be misled the similarities to the Harry Potter series do not go much further. The story is simple and easy to follow, but also very e More...
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Oct 17, 2011
Stephan
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This review was first published at The Ranting Dragon.
Catherine Fisher first published her Relic Master series in the UK in 1998. Back then, it was called The Book of the Crow series and the title of the first book was The Relic Master. Thirteen years later, the US can finally meet Fisher’s YA fantasy series, now titled Relic Master, with The Dark City being the first of four volumes in the series.
Collector’s item
The Dark City was released today, on May 17, with the More...
Catherine Fisher first published her Relic Master series in the UK in 1998. Back then, it was called The Book of the Crow series and the title of the first book was The Relic Master. Thirteen years later, the US can finally meet Fisher’s YA fantasy series, now titled Relic Master, with The Dark City being the first of four volumes in the series.
Collector’s item
The Dark City was released today, on May 17, with the More...
Oct 03, 2011
Amy
rated it:
This story has some small echoes of Incarceron in it, but it is still an original story with an interesting plot. Relic Masters are being hunted down by the Watch and the world is in turmoil. Relic Masters seem to have magic and can help control the devices that are found that belong to the Masters, the creators of the world. These devices are using technology driven but that art has been lost so only relics remain. The Watch is determined to destroy anything that has do with the Masters. Raffi
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Sep 04, 2011
Aaron
rated it:
Fantasy meets dystopia in this first volume of the new Relic Master series by Catherine Fisher. She has has been getting the attention of upper-elementary and middle school aged kids with her writings for some time. And this story is not going to disappoint them.
Galen Harn is one of the few Relic Masters still around. The masters are an order that has specialized in hunting down the ancient technologies that used to help society rung before some major event forced culture back to a med More...
Galen Harn is one of the few Relic Masters still around. The masters are an order that has specialized in hunting down the ancient technologies that used to help society rung before some major event forced culture back to a med More...
Jul 22, 2011
Dorine
rated it:
I love magic and mayhem. YA fantasy novel, Relic Master- The Dark City by Catherine Fisher has both. This 376 page book, published by Dial, is the first in a four part series. And the really cool thing, all 4 books come out this summer. #1 The Dark City- May 17, 2011. #2 The Lost Heiress - June 14, 2011. #3 The Hidden Coronet - July 12, 2011 and #4 The Margrave- Aug. 9, 2011.
The Story- Anara is a strange world where members of the "Order" are being hunted to the death by More...
The Story- Anara is a strange world where members of the "Order" are being hunted to the death by More...
Jul 05, 2011
drey
rated it:
The Dark City is the first book in Catherine Fisher's new Relic Master series. It introduces you to Galen Harn (a Relic Master) and his scholar Raffael Morel--called Raffi; and follows their adventure as they search for missing relics in a kingdom where magic is suspicious and their Order is out of favor. This introduction happens pretty quickly, and the action flows almost immediately from that point. What else would you call it but action when they're trapped, stolen from, and then set to hunt
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May 22, 2011
Stephanie
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The Dark City by Catherine Fisher is the first in a fast-paced epic fantasy series, Relic Master. There are plenty of satisfying action, suspense, and adventure in this first, but there promises to be much more in the coming installments, the rest of which are thankfully going to be released one month after another this summer: The Lost Heiress, The Hidden Coronet, The Margrave.
Fireseed storms, invisible islands, drowned forests in the middle of the ocean, and a beast-like tribe wh More...
Fireseed storms, invisible islands, drowned forests in the middle of the ocean, and a beast-like tribe wh More...
May 22, 2011
Gail
rated it:
I really enjoyed Incarceron written by Catherine Fisher. When I saw this new book of hers, I couldn't wait to read it. The book was about a time when The Watch is trying to destroy people who used to be in control of the world and who were good. They had powers. A war broke out and many of the order were killed or died. The book starts with one of these men who used to have power in search of someone who can restore his powers since he lost his by touching an evil relic. His young apprenti
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May 17, 2011
Freida
rated it:
This is the first of four books about the journeys of a Master of the outlawed Order, Galen, and his scholar, Raffi. This book is to be released in May of 2011, and unlike most series readers will not have to wait long for the others since they will be released, one in each of the following months, June, July, and August. I received an advance reader copy from the publisher, but I have to say that I will pre-order each of the next books so that I don’t miss one.
Galen has lost his More...
Galen has lost his More...
Apr 22, 2011
Lily
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Relic Master by Catherine Fisher
Reviewed by Moirae the Fates book reviews
Welcome to Anara, a world mysteriously crumbling to devastation, where nothing is what it seems: Ancient relics emit technologically advanced powers, members of the old Order are hunted by the governing Watch yet revered by the people, and the great energy that connects all seems to also be destroying all. The only hope for the world lies in Galen, a man of the old Order and a Keeper of relics, and his six More...
Reviewed by Moirae the Fates book reviews
Welcome to Anara, a world mysteriously crumbling to devastation, where nothing is what it seems: Ancient relics emit technologically advanced powers, members of the old Order are hunted by the governing Watch yet revered by the people, and the great energy that connects all seems to also be destroying all. The only hope for the world lies in Galen, a man of the old Order and a Keeper of relics, and his six More...
Apr 01, 2011
Roxanne Hsu
rated it:
I found myself thoroughly engrossed in this tale of fantasy/scifi blend. Usually, I get annoyed by authors who mix magical elements in otherwise supposedly a science fiction world. It always seems to be a cop-out: when something cannot be sufficiently explained with scientific theories or technical knowledge, we just throw in some magical powers and voila, the story can move on. Fisher did something different here: she created a world of magical elements with a few technological gadgets throw
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Mar 18, 2011
Ally
rated it:
This review is of the advance reading copy I received through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.
Fantastic book. In one sense it's one of those I have a hard time figuring out how to review without giving it away. Although at the same time, unlike most, I still haven't figured it out enough to give it away! It has elements of scifi (the relics are actually technology but it seems like magic to them) but its mostly fantasy (talking, clothing wearing creatures with fur, other More...
Fantastic book. In one sense it's one of those I have a hard time figuring out how to review without giving it away. Although at the same time, unlike most, I still haven't figured it out enough to give it away! It has elements of scifi (the relics are actually technology but it seems like magic to them) but its mostly fantasy (talking, clothing wearing creatures with fur, other More...
Jul 12, 2011
Angela
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
May 20, 2011
Jules
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My review was initially posted on my blog: http://onebookshy.blogspot.com/2011/05/r...
I have to admit that the cover fascinated me and is initially what drew my attention to this book. I am really, really glad that it did. This is one of those books that will be read once and then read again and again. I can't wait to get my hands on the next three books in the series. I'm hooked!
This is the first book in the Relicmaster series. The most exciting part is that there More...
I have to admit that the cover fascinated me and is initially what drew my attention to this book. I am really, really glad that it did. This is one of those books that will be read once and then read again and again. I can't wait to get my hands on the next three books in the series. I'm hooked!
This is the first book in the Relicmaster series. The most exciting part is that there More...
Apr 10, 2011
Sandra
rated it:
Galen Harn is a Relic Master. He travels from place to place removing powerful relics left behind. His student Raffael Morel has been with him for four years. He is Galen's eyes into the world around them. An accident has taken away Galen's powers and he must rely on the lessons he has taught his student. They press deeper into dangerous territory trying to find the one thing that will set the world right again. The Watch is determined to destroy the order and will therefore destroy the wo
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Mar 31, 2011
Cat (Books4Hearts, Insanely Cat)
rated it:
(I originally posted this to review blog http://books4hearts.blogspot.com/ and on LibraryThing)
I had very high expectations for "Relic Master: The Dark City" and I can honestly say that they were met! I held these expectations because after reading the amazing "Incarceron" and "Sapphique" by Catherine Fisher, I realized that she had this really whimsical, kind of poetic writing style that I absolutely adore. When I picked up this book, I realized it could More...
I had very high expectations for "Relic Master: The Dark City" and I can honestly say that they were met! I held these expectations because after reading the amazing "Incarceron" and "Sapphique" by Catherine Fisher, I realized that she had this really whimsical, kind of poetic writing style that I absolutely adore. When I picked up this book, I realized it could More...
May 31, 2011
Amanda
rated it:
As a big fan of Incarceron (and to a lesser extent, Sapphique), I was eager to get my hands on anything else from author Catherine Fisher. After giving readers such an excellent series, I didn't see how she could do any wrong. Though the summary of The Dark City, the first in 2011 series Relic Master, didn't seem as unique or interesting, I was willing to try it -how could I go wrong. I was surprised (and a little disappointed) when I found out that the Relic Master series is just a repackaged U
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Aug 13, 2011
Angie
rated it:
This was a quick, light read. It was entertaining but it wasn't anything earth-shattering. The one thing that really saved the story was the fact that I kept trying to figure out what the relics were. Of course they are old technologies and sometimes they are completely obvious like the elevator shaft but at other times it isn't as clear what they are. It is really interesting to try and figure out what they once were. I like the concept of this book; I like the mix of fantasy and scifi. Right n
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Aug 02, 2011
April (CSI:Librarian)
rated it:
(Originally posted @ CSI:Librarian.)
From start to finish, I was enthralled by this book. It is just sort of thing I really wish I could have stumbled upon as a kid, but am still completely delighted to have discovered now.
I loved everything, especially the plotting, the pacing, and the world-building. The dilemmas that characters faced were intense, powerful, and believable. In terms of Galen, Raffi, and Carys, there was no way to keep from feeling for them as they strug More...
From start to finish, I was enthralled by this book. It is just sort of thing I really wish I could have stumbled upon as a kid, but am still completely delighted to have discovered now.
I loved everything, especially the plotting, the pacing, and the world-building. The dilemmas that characters faced were intense, powerful, and believable. In terms of Galen, Raffi, and Carys, there was no way to keep from feeling for them as they strug More...
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May 09, 2011
melydia
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Galen is a Relicmaster and young Raffi is his apprentice, though here they are known as keeper and scholar, respectively. These two are members of The Order, an outlawed group of magic-users and collectors of Maker relics. It's clear early on that these relics are scraps of human technology - a telescope, a wristwatch - but unlike many stories of this sort, the magic they possess is real. Galen has lost his powers and Raffi is still a novice, reminding me a bit of Aahz and Skeeve from Robert
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Apr 10, 2011
Jennifer
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ADVANCED READER COPY
I find that with some fantasy genre books I have a hard time getting settled. The introduction of new words and new worlds along with new characters can be very overwhelming; I struggle with trying to force connections to "my world" when I should just sit-back and let it be. I had this difficulty with Fisher's Incarceron - I repeated the difficulty here with Relic Master. But I plugged on and I was rewarded. Now that I've reached the end of Book #1, I ca More...
I find that with some fantasy genre books I have a hard time getting settled. The introduction of new words and new worlds along with new characters can be very overwhelming; I struggle with trying to force connections to "my world" when I should just sit-back and let it be. I had this difficulty with Fisher's Incarceron - I repeated the difficulty here with Relic Master. But I plugged on and I was rewarded. Now that I've reached the end of Book #1, I ca More...
Apr 01, 2011
Laura
rated it:
I was excited to get an ARC (Advance Reading Copy) of this novel. While I’ll read nearly any genre, fantasy is my first love. THE DARK CITY is the first in a series of four books to be released this summer; it will be followed by THE LOST HEIRESS in June, THE HIDDEN CORONET in July, and THE MARGRAVE in August. Wow, impressive marketing campaign!
The novel is categorized as young adult fantasy, although I’m actually not sure why it was designated YA. It could just as easily be shelved More...
The novel is categorized as young adult fantasy, although I’m actually not sure why it was designated YA. It could just as easily be shelved More...
Mar 24, 2011
Idris
rated it: 
This review is based on an ARC copy.
I have heard so many good comments about Incarceron and Sapphique by the same author, so I was really interested in reading this book. I thought I would really like it, but I didn’t.
Welcome to Anara, a world mysteriously crumbling to devastation, where nothing is what it seems: Ancient relics emit technologically advanced powers, members of the old Order are hunted by the governing Watch yet revered by the people, and the great energy that More...
I have heard so many good comments about Incarceron and Sapphique by the same author, so I was really interested in reading this book. I thought I would really like it, but I didn’t.
Welcome to Anara, a world mysteriously crumbling to devastation, where nothing is what it seems: Ancient relics emit technologically advanced powers, members of the old Order are hunted by the governing Watch yet revered by the people, and the great energy that More...
May 09, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
The Dark City, the first book in Catherine Fisher's new rapid-release series Relic Master, hints at greatness, but it's not quite there yet. There's a lot of world-building happening and groundwork being laid. The story in The Dark City itself is good, but the possible revelations to come could be epic.
Galen and Raffi's quest to find the The Crow takes us on a wonderful journey through Anara, learning how this world works. While I tried to enjoy the adventure, I found myself fixated More...
Galen and Raffi's quest to find the The Crow takes us on a wonderful journey through Anara, learning how this world works. While I tried to enjoy the adventure, I found myself fixated More...
Aug 05, 2011
Jibran
rated it:
Introduction: I'm a big fan of Catherine Fisher's previous and more well known works: Incarceron and Saphiqque, which I hold as two extremely impressive pieces of literature. While I had heard that she had decided to speed release her newest serious: RELIC MASTER, I didn't think it'd coincide so closely with the release of Saphiqque, so towards the final month of my summer I found myself picking up a copy of the first book.
REVIEW
Plot: (3.5/5) Alright, we are speedily introdu More...
REVIEW
Plot: (3.5/5) Alright, we are speedily introdu More...
Jun 16, 2011
Crowinator
rated it:
This book surprised me in a lot of ways, not all bad but not all good either. For one thing, it's not really a new series: Relic Master was published in the UK starting in 1998, and I can only assume it's being repackaged here because of the success of Incarceron and Sapphique. It's some of Fisher's earlier work and it shows; it lacks the depth and more sophisticated writing of her later books. However, the marketing behind its release is quite good -- four books published in four consecutive mo
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May 31, 2011
melissa1lbr
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Things I Liked:
As you know, I adored Catherine Fisher's other books, Incarceron and Sapphique, so I was super excited to get an ARC of the first in this "new" series. In some ways, it felt similar to her other books, but in many ways it was different. It has the same unique and interesting world that has many secrets to be unraveled. Initially, it seems Anara is just another fantasy world with no relation to us. As the story unravels, bit by bit, hints are dropped here and the More...
As you know, I adored Catherine Fisher's other books, Incarceron and Sapphique, so I was super excited to get an ARC of the first in this "new" series. In some ways, it felt similar to her other books, but in many ways it was different. It has the same unique and interesting world that has many secrets to be unraveled. Initially, it seems Anara is just another fantasy world with no relation to us. As the story unravels, bit by bit, hints are dropped here and the More...
May 29, 2011
Melissa
rated it:
This is a fantasy book for the YA crowd. One I would have loved as a kid and enjoyed as an adult. As with some fantasy books we are dropped right in the middle of what is going on, so it took me a couple of chapters to really get into the story line. Once I did, I really enjoyed the adventure with Galen and Raffi and eventually a character named Careys. I do admit once she showed up, the adventure really took off for me.
Besides the characters the world was very interesting. What were More...
Besides the characters the world was very interesting. What were More...
