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Relics of the Fallen
He knows what he saw in Iraq. The Army told him he didn't.
Staff Sergeant Dan Kelly, an Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician, watched a strange machine in an insurgent weapons cache open a hole in the air and consume the two soldiers he was leading. The official record calls it a mortar strike. The Defense Intelligence Agency calls it closed.
Eight years later, weeks from retirement, Dan is recruited into a program that has been operating quietly for more than a a Texas compound whose teams locate, render safe, and study artifacts produced by no civilization in recorded history.
Weapons that bend gravity and flatten steelDevices that rewrite the languages their victims speakMachines that seem to dream, and sing to one anotherDan's new team of former operators, scientists, and bomb technicians is already under attack by someone who knows their missions before they launch, and who has been weaponizing these relics for years. The trail leads back to a name from Dan's last war.
Relics of the Fallen is fast, hard-edged military science fiction with cosmic-horror strangeness, a veteran's eye for the details, and a hero whose best weapon may be his willingness to listen.
Staff Sergeant Dan Kelly, an Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician, watched a strange machine in an insurgent weapons cache open a hole in the air and consume the two soldiers he was leading. The official record calls it a mortar strike. The Defense Intelligence Agency calls it closed.
Eight years later, weeks from retirement, Dan is recruited into a program that has been operating quietly for more than a a Texas compound whose teams locate, render safe, and study artifacts produced by no civilization in recorded history.
Weapons that bend gravity and flatten steelDevices that rewrite the languages their victims speakMachines that seem to dream, and sing to one anotherDan's new team of former operators, scientists, and bomb technicians is already under attack by someone who knows their missions before they launch, and who has been weaponizing these relics for years. The trail leads back to a name from Dan's last war.
Relics of the Fallen is fast, hard-edged military science fiction with cosmic-horror strangeness, a veteran's eye for the details, and a hero whose best weapon may be his willingness to listen.
308 pages, Paperback
Published August 12, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 16, 2026
A solid military urban fantasy-sci-fi mix.
Something, whether aliens or gods, have left behind pieces from other civilizations. Dan Kelly joins the Wormwood team, after retiring as an army bomb tech; his new job, collect the relics for his government and the science geeks. Only problem, someone else is also collecting them. Bigger problem, they are USING THEM!!!
Lot of detailed description of weapons and caliber, but it doesn't cross into gun porn per say. More like a description of the tools needed. The same attention to detail is applied to the alien relics. Dan is used to taking things apart visually before moving in to disable bombs; his attention to detail of his surroundings is excellent and true-to-character.
Action packed, but also with attention to building a community within the job make this a well-rounded narrative. Good characters, a detailed start of world building for the series, solid and steadily-progressing plot leaves you ready for the next step even as the first story of the series wraps up. (Read in August 2026, I don't know when the next book is coming out.)
Something, whether aliens or gods, have left behind pieces from other civilizations. Dan Kelly joins the Wormwood team, after retiring as an army bomb tech; his new job, collect the relics for his government and the science geeks. Only problem, someone else is also collecting them. Bigger problem, they are USING THEM!!!
Lot of detailed description of weapons and caliber, but it doesn't cross into gun porn per say. More like a description of the tools needed. The same attention to detail is applied to the alien relics. Dan is used to taking things apart visually before moving in to disable bombs; his attention to detail of his surroundings is excellent and true-to-character.
Action packed, but also with attention to building a community within the job make this a well-rounded narrative. Good characters, a detailed start of world building for the series, solid and steadily-progressing plot leaves you ready for the next step even as the first story of the series wraps up. (Read in August 2026, I don't know when the next book is coming out.)
September 2, 2025
A Fresh Take
I've read military sci-fi, techno-thrillers, and urban fantasy. This book combines the best aspects of all three, and leaves you wanting more!
I can't wait to follow the further adventures of Dan and the crew at Wormwood.
I've read military sci-fi, techno-thrillers, and urban fantasy. This book combines the best aspects of all three, and leaves you wanting more!
I can't wait to follow the further adventures of Dan and the crew at Wormwood.
October 18, 2025
An easy read
Many times you can tell within the first couple paragraphs if the author is of the type to keep your interest. Nick did it in one for me. I lol forward to seeing many more like this.
Many times you can tell within the first couple paragraphs if the author is of the type to keep your interest. Nick did it in one for me. I lol forward to seeing many more like this.
March 1, 2026
A great blend of intrigue, a little otherworldliness, mil sci-fi and storytelling
I loved this blend of the unknown, maybe fantasy, maybe aliens and definitely hard-fighting military themes. I hope there’s more to come after this great start.
I loved this blend of the unknown, maybe fantasy, maybe aliens and definitely hard-fighting military themes. I hope there’s more to come after this great start.
August 18, 2025
Well done!
Well, flushed out characters, believable scenarios, and “insider“ knowledge, along with interesting plot twist make this a very enjoyable book! Highly recommended!
Well, flushed out characters, believable scenarios, and “insider“ knowledge, along with interesting plot twist make this a very enjoyable book! Highly recommended!
July 29, 2026
Really enjoyed reading this book!
November 7, 2026
A good read
Great story, good characters, flowed easily and Kept me interested to the end. Will definitely look for the author again.
Great story, good characters, flowed easily and Kept me interested to the end. Will definitely look for the author again.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews