The Lost Relic

ENIGMA Files #1

by Joshua James

Indiana Jones meets The X-Files in this thrilling, globe-spanning adventure about the greatest treasure hunt of all time—where ancient secrets collide with cutting-edge technology. "EVERY RELIC CAN CHANGE HISTORY... OR DESTROY IT." In the high-stakes world of ancient artifacts and clandestine organizations, a trio of unlikely misfits are drafted into a desperate race to prevent the assembly of a prehistoric relic capable of warping reality itself. Rhett, the stoic ex-military leader haunted by his past; Dinah, the conflicted academic with a penchant for solving ancient puzzles; and Fabien, a dangerous man driven by a personal quest—all are bound together by a cause bigger than any of them. Their journey takes them from the treacherous peaks of the Himalayas to the volatile heart of war-torn Ethiopia, and from the depths of the mysterious South American rainforest to the unexplored realms of spacetime. But what they seek might be more powerful than they were led to believe, it's origins more mysterious, and their enemies more numerous. As they inch closer, the lines between heroism and reckless sacrifice blur. An ancient force waits in the shadows, threatening to unravel the fabric of existence. How far will they go to save a world on the brink of ruin? The Lost Relic is the heart-pounding first installment of the ENIGMA Files series, where every relic unearthed can change history, or destroy it. —— WELCOME TO ENIGMA... The ENIGMA Files read like Indiana Jones, the Goonies, and John Wick were blended with The X-Files, Clive Cussler and Dan Brown. These stories take readers around the globe, uncovering lost civilizations, hidden agendas, and far-reaching conspiracies that pit scientists, soldiers, and adventurers against dark forces of corruption and deceit. Unlock the thrills of the ENIGMA Files...

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure, Audiobook, Mystery, Fiction, Urban Fantasy

327 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 28, 2023

Reviews

[Blake Watts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty crisply written, easy to just keep turning pages. You have to immediately suspend disbelief and not wish for intricate backstory or lengthy explanations of why things work. My stars ratings are more about enjoyment than “literary quality” and I’m not exactly a professor of creative fiction. Looking forward to reading the next one.

[Michael Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new wrinkle for Mr. James: a high-tech search for an ancient artifact, with several twists. It is well-written, with a strange mix of unusual characters, an excellent story, with vivid descriptions that kept me completely engrossed. ENIGMA, a secret organization, has several hidden warehouses for their large collection of ancient artifacts. The company hires three outsiders with diverse backgrounds to search for a particular item. The team are given minimum information about the mission and are sent to the first warehouse, where a few more details are shared. The team learns through their encounters that there is another secret organization, the “Hand of the Sun”, which will use any means to beat the team, including murder, to capture the pieces of the artifact. The story follows the team as they race around the globe from warehouse to warehouse. Will they all survive to reach their objective? The action is non-stop as the suspense builds to the surprise ending. I’m eager to see what Mr. James has in store for us in the next installment!

[Lora · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It's not my typical read but had it been a movie it would have 100% been something I'd buy a ticket to see. The description of this book says it reads like "Indiana Jones, the Goonies, and John Wick were blended with The X-Files, Clive Cussler and Dan Brown". In a lot of ways it reminded me of a video game and how at certain points you get help from various characters and possibly a new weapon to use in the levels ahead. As a lover of Indiana Jones, The Goonies, and John Wick... I gave this book a high rating and recommend it to those of you who also love those movies.

[Rachel Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was marketed as “Warehouse 13 on Steroids” this was not false advertising, indeed it was similar to Warehouse 13, so much so that it was practically plagiarism. Except the author left out the fun historical details and made it an action packed sci-fi “thriller”
I really didn’t get attached to any of the characters. He attempted to give them all backstories, but basically he just alluded to the fact that all three main characters had been offered something to take the mission. Then in one chapter all is lamely revealed.
The author could have easily cut 50-100 pages and still told the same story.

[Patrick Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is like a modern day Jack Kirby comic book. There are several vaults around the world that contain technological items that are ancient and mysterious. Think of something from myth--it's real, but not exactly as the myth states it. These vaults are aware of one another, but do not speak to one another for fear of someone stealing their items, which has begun. A group that wants to awaken humanity to what the items can do has developed (or found--it's never explained) a suit that allows one to walk through walls, granting them access to a vault and to avoid being shot by guards. After a dramatic opening chapter where the theft occurs, three individuals are contacted to join the vault and stop the thefts and find out what is being stolen.

The story is full of plenty of fun techno-babble, some solid action pieces, and two (out of three) interesting leads. I liked the oldest member of the trio and the academic individual. I found the assassin one note, even by comic book standards.

I disliked the constant "who can we trust?" from every character and the credulity was strained with the heroes continuing blindly on their mission. There's also a lot of violence and very few bodies left in its wake. The ending is a bit of letdown and things are left unresolved for the story to continue in two sequels. I don't know if I'm going to read them. This was fun to read, but there wasn't much payoff.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm going to be as fair as I can in this review. First of all, this it NOT an archeological thriller. At least not like the genre I'm familiar with and love. This is a science fiction story, pure and simple. The title, summary and cover art are misleading which is how I got sucked into reading it. Shame on the author. However, if I had read the Kindle blurb on the author I would have known it wasn't what I was looking for. So shame on me. Lesson learned.

All that aside, why only 3 stars? The short answer - editing, or lack thereof. Pronoun mismatches, among other sins, drove me nuts. Okay, it's a short ride but you get my drift. Fabien (male) paired with "she" made my eyes roll so hard that I almost strained a muscle and it happened more than once. This is just one example. There were plenty more. The fact that the author claims to have written over 50 books makes the lack of editing unforgivable. The story itself is OK if you want science fiction. Finally, there is one thing I am still having a hard time figuring out - why include a painkiller dependent disabled person in such a physically demanding mission? If a slight twist on Warehouse 13 is your thing then go for it. If you're looking for an archeological thriller I recommend you keep looking.

[Michael Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eerily reminiscent of Sci-Fi Channel's Warehouse

Vast secret repositories of arcane tech located at isolated locations around the globe. Cared for and kept absolutely secret from a populace best left ignorant of the cache of items in their back yards. Each location cared for by families who passed down the responsibility for protecting the secret tech from outside influence and knowledge. One group, The Hand of the Sun, knew about the bunkers that held the items and seriously wanted access to the secrets hidden within. This series is about the protectors assembled to prevent the Hand from getting their hands on the thousands of items and the organization called ENIGMA that oversees the vaults.

I'm looking forward to delving deep into ENIGMA's vaults as the newly assembled heroes fight to protect the collection from falling into the Hands hands, or anyone else wanting to use the items to advance their own agendas. Good story, great storyline and characters! Great read!

[Gilbert Stack · Rating 3 out of 5]

James has developed a world that is very like ours except that it has two secret societies fighting over a number of "magical" items that featured prominently in the ancient myths of our planet but which most people and governments don't believe in. It's fun to see these items pulled out and given a test run both in battle and otherwise and there are a lot of very good action sequences.

The basic plot is that the "evil" secret society (the Hand) is successfully stealing items from the "good" secret society for some unknown purpose. Since the "good" secret society's security has obviously been compromised, they hire three outsiders and use them to counter the Hand. Naturally, nothing is quite that simple--especially as they come to realize that more than one world is literally at stake.

If you like the idea of blending mythical technology with modern day action, you will enjoy this book.

[Manie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lost Relic by author Joshua James really surprised me what with the world building and plot. I got used to intense military action driven Scifi and the deviation to an almost fantasy cum alternate universe touch with a marked rarity orientated yet still action driven world, certainly caught my attention.
There are the places visited, for example. First and "abandoned" shopping mall outside the town boundaries. Then a multi storey building under the Atlantic ocean, followed by a trip to a fortress high up in the Himalayas, etc.
Then there are the vaults with some of the strangest relics I have ever heard of.
The star cast of two action orinted men and a female archeology expert is also not your usual cup of tea.
Then there is that action driven plot....!
What is not to like? I guzzled everything down in one sitting and can't wait to get ahold of the next book in the series.
Enjoy

[Matt Potts · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Relic is an entertaining novel and is a good choice when you want a light and simple read, say over a weekend beach trip. While we do get some back story on the main characters, they never quite evolve beyond cookie cutter and often seem cliche. The plot is very interesting, activating daydreamed thoughts of “what if” and dystopian fears of secret societies building power and manipulating the world from the shadows. I hope to see this author evolve from mass market paperback style writing to character and plot development like Ken Follett or science fiction that approaches prophetic or realm of the possible like Isaac Asimov or Michael Crichton.

I listened to the audiobook on Audible and did not enjoy the reader. He does have a good voice, but the way he reads and his inflection present parts of the story in a vibe or tone that does not match the situation.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook: I enjoyed this book a lot. My attention was engaged from the opening paragraphs until the very end of the story. I admired the worldbuilding. I liked the three outsiders who were brought together to stop the assembly of a lost device. I was entertained by the fast-paced, almost non-stop action which had the group moving from one place to the next as they tried to achieve their goal. I enjoyed Paul Heitsch's narration, and his performance enhanced the story's entertainment. I was given a copy of the audiobook. I volunteered, without financial gain, to post this review which reflected my honest opinions regarding this audiobook.

[Gwen Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness. I loved this book. Taking three strangers and having them search for a relic amongst ENIGMA's own vaults, while trying to stay a step ahead of Apollo, who is a member of the Hand of the Sun, well, definitely not an easy task. And who really is Porter? Can he be trusted? I loved how quickly things moved from one point to another. I can't wait for the second book to come out so I can have the joy of reading more of the adventures of Rhett, Fabien and Dinah and their new jobs at ENIGMA. Thank you, Joshua James, for continuing to keep us all enthralled with your writing.

[Cassi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun quick read

I really liked this book and excited to start the rest of the series. This is a fun quick adventure with interesting characters. I liked the slow character development as they struggled to react to their mission & circumstances. Definitely lots of unanswered questions at the end of this book- will need to get them all I assume to get the whole story. Personally- I like the series approach. It gives me something to look forward to if you have kindle unlimited & like adventure/action stories this is definitely worth your time.

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was far better than I was expecting it to be. It won't surprise me in the least if they decide to make a movie from it. Heroes, villains, an artifact whose function is unknown till the end of the story, and tons of action. I really liked the historian and the damaged soldier, not so much the assassin. But then anti-heroes are the current thing aren't they? Anyhow, when it is all said and done, I definitely recommend this book.

[Bob Morrow · Rating 3 out of 5]

While overall the story was good, one thing I found myself just not getting over was how quickly the main characters get over any shock and fully accept things that normally would be considered miraculous. Most human being would have to struggle to accept such things...these people did so in a matter of minutes. Unfortunately that colored the rest of the story. Also, while I appreciate a fast-moving tale, this one sometimes seemed to have left 'high-gear' in the dust at times...

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't remember why I decided to read this book. I think a friend recommended it to me months ago.
To me it started a bit slow or maybe my mind wasn't paying attention as it should have been. I'm glad I stuck with it as it turned into an almost impossible to stop reading book.
I think it was when they made it to the vault. Anyway, I really enjoyed the book and if I had to choose which character I'd identify with-it would-be Dianah. History professor and useless in a fire fight.
I am on to book 2 in the series.
Enjoy

[Keith Tomaszewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Treasure hunting to the death.

Although slow to start, this was a roller coaster of action. Around the globe, trying to get a jump on finding a relic that could possibly destroy the way we live. The characters are all tenacious in regard to succeeding. The real question was who was willing to die for it. The ending was unexpected and a great seway to the next book. Thanks for the entertaining read.

[Josiah Michaelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s just a fun read. Not spectacular.
The beginning, kind of reminds me of the animated movie Atlantis: the lost empire.
There were a lot of fun ideas. What if myths and legends were real and the powers came from artifacts?
I did not get attached to any of the characters though. And they all had heavy plot armor.
I did not know there were other books. I don’t think I’ll be continuing the other books. But this was fun for what it was.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good start to the series. The main characters are developed throughout the story and the world that has been created has an interesting theme and kept me reading. While the author does wrap up a few threads by the end of the book, there are still more that will carry over to the next book. I enjoyed the story and look forward to the next one.

[Christinaraven]

I enjoyed this first story in a new series with interesting characters. It is not the usual thriller quest story and definitely not the usual trio of main characters. Instead it mixes up a few things to give a wild ride full of questions and lots of action that kept me glued to the end. Lots of fun and with a dash of suspense and mystery to lived things up in my opinion.

[Philip Spick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Entertaining

Despite the improbability of the storyline, a very good read. Not at all what I expected but good entertainment. I will look out for the next in the series and see where this adventure goes. The hero's come across as anything but that yet still survive to win this round. Will they survive the next?

[Saint Vitas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit super hero, but interesting concept

I would like to Study some historic artifacts worthy of hiding from the public. I am at home in a good library or museum. The ancients may not all have been stupid. There must have been shut ins who did thinking like Cabin I we are unfamiliar with.

[Daniel D.]

This is a brilliant book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I highly recommend it for anyone who likes mystery as well as a dysfunctional team that comes together eventually to overcome the odds despite many setbacks. this book is a brilliant combination between ancient history, pathology magic and science. It blends all of them together in a fantastic mystery that will take you across the world.

[Corinne K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Storyline is good and engaging but with so much nonstop action there was no time to explore the personalities of the characters or the artifacts, their abilities, and or side effects which are apparently to integral to the story. I don't know it seemed like the whole story was rushed and that when you finish it you get whiplash.

[Steve Osten · Rating 3 out of 5]

C+

The book was good but not great. It was a rollercoaster of a ride. The plot was interesting but left to many unanswered questions. Rest and his team started off slow but finished with a bang. I'll see about reading the next installment to see if it gets better than this one.

[Michi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little slow. My least favorite so far of James work but still good and worth reading. Enjoyable characters. Feels like it's going somewhere good so worth sticking with it. Sadly I do feel the cover art is deceptive.
And this book needs better editing!

[William (Mr. Bill) Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lost Relic - hi-tech Indiana Jones

A very creative story! To me, it was like a high-tech Indiana Jones with more interesting characters. Book 1 sets the stage for another adventure, sure to be equally exciting. -Mr.Bill

[Larry B Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Adventure

Exciting archeological adventure full of intrigue and fast-paced action. The characters are strong and well developed and easy to follow. I really like this book and I highly recommend it.

[Tim Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable thriller

The coming together of the team from disparate backgrounds forms a critical portion of the story. Their contrasts and ultimate melding g made for an interesting part of the story.

[Teresa Woodard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!!!

This author is new to me, but I'm hooked! This book grabs you in the beginning and doesn't let go until the last page. I'm really looking forward to the next in the series!!!