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Relic
The novel follows Owen Beck, an elite renegade pilot and former military commander. Devastated by the murder of his wife at the hands of a former friend, Ezrek Valleion, he's a man driven by a singular, desperate goal: to reclaim the life stolen from him. With his loyal, albeit cantankerous scouting drone, Tex, at his side, he navigates the dangers of space in his stealth starfighter, the Astra, on a determined search across the galaxy to discover the truth of a lost ancient civilization rumored to wield the power of time itself. Beck believes that if he can unlock their secrets, he might find a way to bring back the love of his life.
Haunted by the ghost of his wife's memory and relentlessly hunted by Ezrek's brutal army of augmented soldiers, Beck's pain transforms into a burning resolve-not only to exact revenge upon the treacherous Ezrek, but to also harness the ancient civilization's power before it falls into the wrong hands. As he delves deeper into the cosmos, he realizes the stakes are higher than his personal vendetta; the fate of the galaxy itself teeters on the brink...
Relic, an intricately woven science fiction adventure that blends the cyberpunk dystopia and cinematic noir of Blade Runner, the vast worldbuilding scope of Dune, the action and humor of Firefly, and the hard science of Interstellar and The Expanse.
Haunted by the ghost of his wife's memory and relentlessly hunted by Ezrek's brutal army of augmented soldiers, Beck's pain transforms into a burning resolve-not only to exact revenge upon the treacherous Ezrek, but to also harness the ancient civilization's power before it falls into the wrong hands. As he delves deeper into the cosmos, he realizes the stakes are higher than his personal vendetta; the fate of the galaxy itself teeters on the brink...
Relic, an intricately woven science fiction adventure that blends the cyberpunk dystopia and cinematic noir of Blade Runner, the vast worldbuilding scope of Dune, the action and humor of Firefly, and the hard science of Interstellar and The Expanse.
344 pages, Paperback
Published March 11, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 1, 2025
Relic is a great example of how immersive world-building, captivating characters, and reader engagement can come together to create a wonderful reading experience. From the very first page, Sean Hall transports the reader into a world that feels incredibly vivid, which makes the reading experience phenomenal.
What really makes Relic great is its pacing. Hall strikes that perfect balance between action, intrigue, humor, and world exploration, ensuring that you’re never left skimming, waiting for the “good parts” or looking at what page you’re on.
In my opinion, if you’re a fan of the video game Starfield, or any other incredible sci-fi mass media projects, then Relic is a must read! Sean Hall has crafted something special, and I can’t wait to see what comes next!
What really makes Relic great is its pacing. Hall strikes that perfect balance between action, intrigue, humor, and world exploration, ensuring that you’re never left skimming, waiting for the “good parts” or looking at what page you’re on.
In my opinion, if you’re a fan of the video game Starfield, or any other incredible sci-fi mass media projects, then Relic is a must read! Sean Hall has crafted something special, and I can’t wait to see what comes next!
March 6, 2025
I was lucky enough to snag one of the early print copies of Relic and have been blown away by it. For a debut novel, Sean has thrown out twists and turns, intense action sequence, and heavy, detailed world-building that rivals other giants in this genre. Relic is a mix of cyberpunk and space opera—with a heist thrown in the middle.
The emotional weight that the lead character, Owen, brings to the table is palpable on every page and his lighthearted banter with Tex is a welcome addition of comic relief. Relic is a fun, exciting, and high-octane cyberpunk adventure that will keep you turning the page until the very last beat.
If you enjoy video games like Cyberpunk 2077, Mass Effect, Starfield, and even No Man's Sky, you will absolutely adore this book. It's the weight and the sprawling universe of James SA Corey's Leviathan Wakes meets the intense action of John Scalzi's Old Man's War meets the humor and humanity of Andy Weir's The Martian.
Highly recommend to any sci-fi lovers. Get yourself a copy immediately.
The emotional weight that the lead character, Owen, brings to the table is palpable on every page and his lighthearted banter with Tex is a welcome addition of comic relief. Relic is a fun, exciting, and high-octane cyberpunk adventure that will keep you turning the page until the very last beat.
If you enjoy video games like Cyberpunk 2077, Mass Effect, Starfield, and even No Man's Sky, you will absolutely adore this book. It's the weight and the sprawling universe of James SA Corey's Leviathan Wakes meets the intense action of John Scalzi's Old Man's War meets the humor and humanity of Andy Weir's The Martian.
Highly recommend to any sci-fi lovers. Get yourself a copy immediately.
March 14, 2025
4.5/5. More thoughts to come when I have some time. Great debut novel.
April 5, 2025
* I bought a copy through the author’s website. This is a legitimate review.
** While reading the novel and writing the review, I had to suppress the analytical writer’s mindset.
The greatest strength of “Relic” is its imagery. It’s vast and yet straddles the minute details. The author’s passion for art is obvious in the meticulous nature of which he crafts his worlds. From the character descriptions to the items upon furniture, the attention to detail is immaculate. As the author stated on his blog, it took him six years to write “Relic”. The time frame is apparent with how well science is detailed, the weaponry, the uniforms, the technological advancement between architect and current times. The ancient language. The symbolism. Even the riddles. Reading alone can illuminate the fact freestyle of writing did not happen.
I found to have a conflicting relationship with the protagonist, Owen Beck—an understanding for sought revenge caused by the tragedies of his life and the frustration with how a strong character can aggressively falter. But with this conflict, I endured. I pressed for Beck to continue fighting and push beyond the travesties and tribulations. I wanted him to achieve his goal of revenge, although it was not his primary one. I wanted Beck to experience some form of victory throughout his journey. I guess, in the end, he did.
Here’s some quick things I enjoyed: chapter one, chapter fifteen, Tex (the punk), and Dyce (reminds of Stick from Daredevil).
Why I did not give the fifth star:
I did not find myself growing attached to any of the characters or what their actions caused. Yes. I cheered Beck on, and I found myself wanting to snap at Tex, but scenes where I thought I would become emotional during reading did not happen. I yearned for more character detail, more growth from the protagonist and antagonist. If characters had more to them, like a layered labyrinth puzzle, then, perhaps, the story would have more complexity throughout it.
The aspect of revenge felt more like a mention rather than action. Love is the driving force for the novel and ultimately propels it forward. I feel as if nothing came of it.
Beck saved a child and returned her to her village, where he met her father. He then left. The village and what becomes of them is mentioned two or three more times after. I crave more information, and I wonder if there was more to it, how prolific its effect would be to Beck. Would that change him? Make him harsher or sensitive?
The past is evidently important in “Relic”. The book is written in present tense—I’m a sucker for it—and the flashbacks are written in the same tense. Chapter three begins the first flashback and is stated “five years ago”. However, it is the sole flashback chapter that states it is the past. Throughout the book, it flips between present and past, literally that order. It confused me, causing me to backtrack or skim ahead to gather where I’m at. Chapter nineteen introduces a new character’s perspective but does not transition or state it is not the original protagonist. In the same chapter, a flashback occurs, but it is stated, “seven years ago”.
Throughout “Relic”, I found many grammatical errors and confusing sentences. I must remind myself not to be abrasive with it since it is self-published. And I’ll briefly mention the word “just” is used quite a bit.
I wish the author, Sean Hall, the best with his future as an author. I’m intrigued to see where the story goes.
** While reading the novel and writing the review, I had to suppress the analytical writer’s mindset.
The greatest strength of “Relic” is its imagery. It’s vast and yet straddles the minute details. The author’s passion for art is obvious in the meticulous nature of which he crafts his worlds. From the character descriptions to the items upon furniture, the attention to detail is immaculate. As the author stated on his blog, it took him six years to write “Relic”. The time frame is apparent with how well science is detailed, the weaponry, the uniforms, the technological advancement between architect and current times. The ancient language. The symbolism. Even the riddles. Reading alone can illuminate the fact freestyle of writing did not happen.
I found to have a conflicting relationship with the protagonist, Owen Beck—an understanding for sought revenge caused by the tragedies of his life and the frustration with how a strong character can aggressively falter. But with this conflict, I endured. I pressed for Beck to continue fighting and push beyond the travesties and tribulations. I wanted him to achieve his goal of revenge, although it was not his primary one. I wanted Beck to experience some form of victory throughout his journey. I guess, in the end, he did.
Here’s some quick things I enjoyed: chapter one, chapter fifteen, Tex (the punk), and Dyce (reminds of Stick from Daredevil).
Why I did not give the fifth star:
I did not find myself growing attached to any of the characters or what their actions caused. Yes. I cheered Beck on, and I found myself wanting to snap at Tex, but scenes where I thought I would become emotional during reading did not happen. I yearned for more character detail, more growth from the protagonist and antagonist. If characters had more to them, like a layered labyrinth puzzle, then, perhaps, the story would have more complexity throughout it.
The aspect of revenge felt more like a mention rather than action. Love is the driving force for the novel and ultimately propels it forward. I feel as if nothing came of it.
Beck saved a child and returned her to her village, where he met her father. He then left. The village and what becomes of them is mentioned two or three more times after. I crave more information, and I wonder if there was more to it, how prolific its effect would be to Beck. Would that change him? Make him harsher or sensitive?
The past is evidently important in “Relic”. The book is written in present tense—I’m a sucker for it—and the flashbacks are written in the same tense. Chapter three begins the first flashback and is stated “five years ago”. However, it is the sole flashback chapter that states it is the past. Throughout the book, it flips between present and past, literally that order. It confused me, causing me to backtrack or skim ahead to gather where I’m at. Chapter nineteen introduces a new character’s perspective but does not transition or state it is not the original protagonist. In the same chapter, a flashback occurs, but it is stated, “seven years ago”.
Throughout “Relic”, I found many grammatical errors and confusing sentences. I must remind myself not to be abrasive with it since it is self-published. And I’ll briefly mention the word “just” is used quite a bit.
I wish the author, Sean Hall, the best with his future as an author. I’m intrigued to see where the story goes.
July 22, 2025
Relic delivers action, thrills, and science fiction at a non-stop pace. It is a quite satisfying read. I received my copy through the Goodreads Giveaway program.
April 6, 2025
One of the most immersive books I’ve read in a long time. Have read it twice now and it never gets old. Definitely recommend this to any science fiction lover.
July 3, 2025
I love this book. The characters are lovable. The story is exciting. I don’t typically read sci-fi but I’m glad I did for Relic. The book does a great job of keeping you in the present and throwing you back in time. Can’t wait for more of this series and more from Sean in general!
October 14, 2025
***Rating 4.5***
I’m not sure if it’s just me or maybe I’m in a reading slump, but I’m not invested into the story. (25 May 2025). The story, so far - granted I’m on page 61, is good. For a debut novel, it’s good. A great comparison I see this book would be with is Empire of Silence. It’s very descriptive. I totally understand world building needs to be done, first one-two chapters were a bit information overload. I had to pause reading the book and pick up something new to possibly get out of my reading slump.
Update: 6 July 2025
This is my second attempt at the book. I shelved it at pg 61 (13% mark). As of July 2025, I decided to give this another chance. Restarted from page one again. I agree with my previous comments about information overload from chapters 1-2. Once I got past the spot I shelved it at, it got a whole lot better.
Glad I decided to give this another chance. The book reminds me a lot of blade runner mixed with empire of silence. I enjoyed reading it, the plot was engaging, a few moments were predictable - not in a bad way - just as a fellow scifi enthusiast I could see where it was going.
Will gladly be picking up book two!
I’m not sure if it’s just me or maybe I’m in a reading slump, but I’m not invested into the story. (25 May 2025). The story, so far - granted I’m on page 61, is good. For a debut novel, it’s good. A great comparison I see this book would be with is Empire of Silence. It’s very descriptive. I totally understand world building needs to be done, first one-two chapters were a bit information overload. I had to pause reading the book and pick up something new to possibly get out of my reading slump.
Update: 6 July 2025
This is my second attempt at the book. I shelved it at pg 61 (13% mark). As of July 2025, I decided to give this another chance. Restarted from page one again. I agree with my previous comments about information overload from chapters 1-2. Once I got past the spot I shelved it at, it got a whole lot better.
Glad I decided to give this another chance. The book reminds me a lot of blade runner mixed with empire of silence. I enjoyed reading it, the plot was engaging, a few moments were predictable - not in a bad way - just as a fellow scifi enthusiast I could see where it was going.
Will gladly be picking up book two!
October 17, 2025
a genuine treat from cover to cover. 1,000,000/10
March 14, 2025
A Formidable Addition to 21st Century Science Fiction
Sean Hall's debut novel 'Relic,' written in the first-person perspective, is full of everything you could want from sci-fi. A solid plot, good motivation, well-detailed characters, scientific descriptions of weapons, vehicles, and tools, a snarky robotic buddy to the main protagonist, a ruthless power-hungry villain, and sooo much more.
This book has a great pacing and seems to change scenes only when necessary to further the plot, rather than employing it as a trope to maintain the reader's interest. It has a great balance between descriptive writing, action, and emotional storytelling. Sometimes you'll feel as if you're walking the planet and taking in the scenery, other times you might be surprised you're reading a book and not playing a first-person-shooter video game! All of this is well-balanced with the emotional moments. There were several times my heart dropped in my chest, and THAT is a great sign of incredible writing.
There were some references to Sean's other personal interests, such as music and tattoos, so you can tell he poured his heart into this. 'Relic' was a marvelous adventure that felt like I got to enter into a world designed just by Sean. I got to walk alongside not only Owen Beck, but also the author's own imagination. I was very happy with the ending and am looking forward to not only re-reading this book, but also to any further additions to Sean Hall's literary career!
Some brief criticisms: Can't have the good without the bad, right? Subjectively there were more expletives and gore than I was expecting, but given the genre, that's not a problem.
Edit: I received a pre-release version, so this criticism is most likely not relevant anymore!Objectively there were several typos, a few awkward sentences, and some moments where a thesaurus might have been useful. This didn't interfere with the artistic vision of the book though! But I would suggest one more edit and revision before a second printing possibly.
Sean Hall's debut novel 'Relic,' written in the first-person perspective, is full of everything you could want from sci-fi. A solid plot, good motivation, well-detailed characters, scientific descriptions of weapons, vehicles, and tools, a snarky robotic buddy to the main protagonist, a ruthless power-hungry villain, and sooo much more.
This book has a great pacing and seems to change scenes only when necessary to further the plot, rather than employing it as a trope to maintain the reader's interest. It has a great balance between descriptive writing, action, and emotional storytelling. Sometimes you'll feel as if you're walking the planet and taking in the scenery, other times you might be surprised you're reading a book and not playing a first-person-shooter video game! All of this is well-balanced with the emotional moments. There were several times my heart dropped in my chest, and THAT is a great sign of incredible writing.
There were some references to Sean's other personal interests, such as music and tattoos, so you can tell he poured his heart into this. 'Relic' was a marvelous adventure that felt like I got to enter into a world designed just by Sean. I got to walk alongside not only Owen Beck, but also the author's own imagination. I was very happy with the ending and am looking forward to not only re-reading this book, but also to any further additions to Sean Hall's literary career!
Some brief criticisms: Can't have the good without the bad, right? Subjectively there were more expletives and gore than I was expecting, but given the genre, that's not a problem.
Edit: I received a pre-release version, so this criticism is most likely not relevant anymore!
March 6, 2025
Relic by Sean Hall is written like hard sci fi future noir meets classic space adventure tale. The story is set against a future noir world that feels alive and lived in. Our tale brings you a criminal underworld, powerful corporations, rainy cityscapes as well as your space ships, blaster fights and alien creature encounters. Throw in a heist and a treasure hunt and you have all the ingredients to great sci fi adventure in a deftly blended mix of genres striking a balance of hard boiled and heartfelt. The quality of the writing is well above what you ordinarily expect from a self published novel. The story moves along briskly while filling in the deeper motivations and backstory of our anguished hero giving him depth. I definitely felt shades of Richard K Morgan meets Destiny and Uncharted without feeling overly derivative. I flew through this story and I am eagerly awaiting the next.
August 15, 2025
Star Wars meets Tomb Raider in Sean Hall’s fast-paced, high-stake debut novel and it truly lives up to the hype.
It’s clear throughout the story that Hall places a high-priority on depth and quality. The descriptions are deep, the characters well-rounded, the world-building a beautiful mix of some of the world’s most loved fandoms yet unique in its own right.
I did not see that ending coming. I was thoroughly and pleasantly surprised by the turn of events and can’t even begin to guess where the story will go next.
As this book clearly proves, anything can happen in the unknown. I have no doubt that the wait for book two will be well worth it.
It’s clear throughout the story that Hall places a high-priority on depth and quality. The descriptions are deep, the characters well-rounded, the world-building a beautiful mix of some of the world’s most loved fandoms yet unique in its own right.
I did not see that ending coming. I was thoroughly and pleasantly surprised by the turn of events and can’t even begin to guess where the story will go next.
As this book clearly proves, anything can happen in the unknown. I have no doubt that the wait for book two will be well worth it.
July 12, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this amazing debut Sci-Fi novel by Sean Hall. He has crafted an incredible story in a visceral in-depth world, and fleshed-out characters that are believable & interesting. The author's writing ability to describe each moment and scene in detail was surreal to me. I can't recall coming across a style and prose like this before. It really helped me become truly immersed in each moment. This was a terrific read, and I look forward to more stories & adventures from Sean Hall. Two thumbs up!
February 6, 2026
Relic grabbed me from the start. Hall somehow found a way to build a world that feels familiar and unique at the same time. The characters are engaging. The storyline keeps you wanting to know what will happens next. Each new location that is introduced is beautifully described and enjoyable to visualize. Coming from someone that is not generally a Sci-Fi first, reader, I can’t recommend this book enough. Excited for anything Hall releases in the future!
March 11, 2025
I couldn’t put it down! If you are someone who imagines scenes as you read this book will blow your mind! He’s spares no detail and the story line is what movies are made of! I’d love to see this book on a big screen. The seamless thread of humor and pain in this novel will have you in tears laughing and then in tears of despair. Just wow!
July 29, 2025
thoroughly enjoyed this book! more people need to read it
August 9, 2025
The general plot and story were good, but the wording (and occasional onslaught of details) made it difficult to read.
November 12, 2025
Dialog was a bit clunky in some areas but overall solid story. Can't wait for the next book.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews