Book Review: The Relic

The Relic

By:  Colleen Helme

Publisher:  Mundania Press

Publish Date:  August 2011

Format:  Paperback 209pgs, 5" x 8"

Genre:  Fantasy

Series:  2nd, and conclusion, in Flame of Destiny series; 1st Book ~ Flame of Destiny

Recommendation:  Oh yes.  Magic and shadowbeasts are all back! And we learn more about the relic.

Book Synopsis:
In the aftermath of a recent battle, Callista has become the sole guardian of the relic, a powerful crystal full of darkness.  She hopes to use it to turn the shadowbeasts back into the men they once were, but so far, has not been successful.  Unless she can change them, she will have to kill them, and that is not an option she is willing to face.

Left on her own in the Ruins of Belton, she realizes the relic is growing more powerful.  For each day that passes, it becomes more difficult to keep that power under control.  Desperate to find the answer that will ultimately destroy it, she seeks the origins of the relic in the Eastern Province.

As Justin battles a deadly enemy, Callista is caught in a personal fight between the forces of good and evil.  The relic is the key to unleashing an even darker power that will ruin everything, and Callista's determination to destroy it is the only thing that will save them all.

The epic conclusion to Flame of Destiny.

First Sentence:
The deep veil began to lift, leaving a thin trail of awareness that shimmered through the obscurity of his shelter.

My Thoughts and Summary:
It's been two months Callista has been living at the Ruins of Belton with the relic trying to change the Shadowbeasts, Patel created with dark magic, back to their proper being.  Callista has felt the power of the relic pulling at her, more so recently.  With the pull of the dark powers and lack of human contact, as Justin is detained with royal business then sent away to tend to the needs of a Northern Province under attack by thieves and mysterious missing men, Callista is being affected and feeling lonely.  There might be another reason for this pull, one Callista never expects.  Others have awaken from the use of the relic, who once had and will have control of the relic again.  Their intended use is to release the long, dark and forgotten history of the relic locked away with the hidden twisted magic.  Patel is gone, but something else is now stirring with the relic being used.  Can Callista find the answers to help return the relic to what is needs to be, return the Shadowbeasts to their former forms, and save herself before she has to kill her friends and be over taken with the darkness or killed by a new powerful enemy looking to gain control?

Callista's weight is starting to wear thin.  She has not been around people since Patel's defeat, and fears people would fear her, and feeling lonely.  But she has made a promise to the Shadowbeasts; to free them or kill them, which she doesn't want to do.  She has come to realize the dark power and pull of the relic has burrowed to deep into her.  Her flame is suffering, and her love for Justin is put on hold until she can control herself and not harm him.  She knows she needs to find Patel's books that were to share his knowledge of the jewel.  The darkness is to strong and with being attacked by a new group of people, Callista leaves even though her "guardian," as Justin believes he is, has not returned from the trip to the city in need.  She can't stand it any longer and has to go on her journey.

The relic is much more than we had suspected when in the hands of Patel, and even with Callista.  This story gives an ancient history of it.  We have a history here we learn, with the wizards and magics, and even how they got turned to be healers and such now.

Callista and Justin have admitted feelings for each other and are a couple...in a way.  Callista has realized the relic can affect Justin through her and their bond when her feelings and desires are strong near him.  Which causes Callista worries for Justin's safety.

This second, and final, book picks up exactly where Flame of Destiny ends.  There are brief refreshers, but no retelling of the story, no wasting words on what we already know.  Wonderful as I'm excited to get back into the action with Callista and Justin.  I love the fast pick up and action along with troubles present and coming to Callista.  We see familiar characters from Flame of Destiny along with meeting new.  I really like how we were reminded of each individual Shadowbeast in Callista's care.  It's done through a meaning to current story.  The new characters fall in both categories of ally and enemy.  There is constant movement in the story leaving me wondering on the characters, the next attack and from where, suspense of what will happen, and who to trust and not to trust.

Definitely strongly suggest reading these two books in order as you need to understand the first book to go with this storyline.

If you would like to purchase The Relic:

In Print:

In ebook on Kindle:

Or if you would like to start the series, Flame of Destiny:

In Print:

In ebook on Kindle:

I read this book for my own enjoyment.