Review: RELIC by Heather Terrell

With so many dystopian novels on the shelves, it’s easy to feel like there’s nothing new. RELIC by Heather Terrell, however, reinvents the genre for the first time since THE HUNGER GAMES.  Perhaps this is setting the bar a bit high in the eyes of a potential reader.  But here’s the thing — this book is truly fantastic.

Soho Teen, October 2013.

Set in the far north, RELIC follows young Eva, about to take on a task that is usually for young men from the Aerie.  Girls are meant to be wives and mothers.  Or, in her case, ladies.  They aren’t meant to take a team of dogs trekking to the edge of the known world for the Testing, where they might search for historical Relics.  Relics like amulets of the false god Apple.

Eva is undertaking this journey in honor of her twin brother Eamon, who passed away under somewhat mysterious circumstances.  And with the guidance of Lukas, an outsider from The Boundary Lands, she might even have a chance to prove herself worthy of The Testing.  What she doesn’t expect, however, is to find something that will shake her entire worldview — her faith, her society, and her family.

Part post-apocalyptic fiction and part high fantasy, RELIC is the beginning of a trilogy that is written artfully and with a voice you will not soon forget.  Delicately weaving in elements of Inuit culture as well as elements you might find in Game of Thrones, Heather Terrell creates a world that is as intricate as it is icy.  The intrigue and mystery make it a page-turner, and the rich and complex characters make it hard to forget.  I cannot wait for the sequel!