Relics

by John J. Desjarlais

Consumed by an impossible longing for the lovely Baroness Blanch DuVal, trapped in the middle of a conspiracy to assassinate King Louis IX, and struggling to keep his faith, Jean-Michael finds that love, war, and treachery await him at every turn.

Genres: Fantasy, Christian Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1993

Reviews

[Summer Seeds · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing special here. The story is predictable and often boring. The "vivid descriptions" were chunky and awkward instead of smooth flowing.

[Helena Schrader · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Relics" is a fun read with an endearing protagonist. In the mid-13th Century, Jean-Michel is a young, naive knight, who is pushed by circumstances on a quest to find a relic for his cathedral. What starts out as a simple task becomes increasing complicated and eventually takes Jean-Michel to the Holy Land and an encounter with King Louis IX of France.

The story moves along well, fast paced and enthralling, and describes Medieval Europe and Christian Palestine in colorful detail. It is particularly good at conveying how all pervasive Holy Church and the Catholic Faith was in this period -- something we easily forget in our secular age.

What I liked best, however, was the hero -- precisely because he was an unlikely hero. Jean-Michel has a guilt complex because his mother died giving him birth, and suffers from low self-esteem because his father and elder brothers treated him as superfluous and ridiculous. He is gullible and makes many mistakes in the course of his quest, but this is exactly what makes it so easy to identify with him and wish him well.

The reason I give this book four instead of five stars is simply because it doesn't take itself seriously. The book is a "tale" told with humour, but not a serious attempt to make history or humans more comprehensible. Maybe that's not a fair criteria, but I think there are other books that are more compelling and I wanted to save the five stars for them.

[Patricia Rockwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's a clever historical novel set in medieval France. A young knight, Jean-Michel is devoted to the church, and when his local cathedral catches fire, he risks his life attempting to save the building's only holy relic. Although he doesn't succeed and the sword of St. Martin is apparently lost to the flames, Jean-Michel survives with a strange, cross-shaped mark on his sleeve. This "sign" sets him on a journey to find a replacement relic for the church that carries him throughout Europe and the Holy Lands. Along the way, he meets and is mesmerized by a young noblewoman who becomes his patron, as well as a host of other intriguing characters--good, evil, and amusing.

This book reminds me so much of Voltaire's "Candide" with the innocent hero on a quest; the beguiling, yet more clever, heroine; and the various other priests, servants, noblemen, and who appear to guide or mislead the young man. Like Voltaire, whose tale was designed more to satirize his contemporaries, Desjarlais too has much to say about the world today in the guise of an epic. His observations on religious disputes are particularly apt.

[Honeybee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love stories of castles and knights, but there is so little good stuff written about this part of our history. Desjarlais is a master of historical fiction--weaving vivid descriptions of the food, clothes, beliefs, politics and habits of the time into a story that grabs hold of your imagination and doesn't let go! For the guys, there's plenty of swordplay, action and intrigue. For the girls, there's romance and uncertainty. I never knew what a key role the collection and preservation of relics played in the history of the Catholic religion. It's also great to get into the mind of someone who might have lived in that time period and see how similar their dreams and struggles were to our own. I heartily recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about the days of the Crusades and doesn't mind learning a thing or two in the process!