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Relics #2
The Folded Land
The creatures of the supernatural black market stir with unrest, portending another deadly battle against humankind, in this fantasy horror novel from the author of The Silence
In the dark underbelly of our world, there's a black market in arcane things—living and dead. Angela Gough has been pulled into this world, making her a criminal on the run.
In London she encountered the Kin. They are satyrs and centaurs, Nephilim and wraiths—all hunted and slaughtered for their body parts. Fleeing back to the United States, Angela discovers the Kin are everywhere, and they are tired of being prey.
When her niece Sammi is struck by lightning, she is drawn toward the mysterious Folded Land and its powerful and deadly ruler. Helped by her lover, Vince, and caught in the midst of a Kin uprising, Angela must locate Sammi before the girl is lost forever.
In the dark underbelly of our world, there's a black market in arcane things—living and dead. Angela Gough has been pulled into this world, making her a criminal on the run.
In London she encountered the Kin. They are satyrs and centaurs, Nephilim and wraiths—all hunted and slaughtered for their body parts. Fleeing back to the United States, Angela discovers the Kin are everywhere, and they are tired of being prey.
When her niece Sammi is struck by lightning, she is drawn toward the mysterious Folded Land and its powerful and deadly ruler. Helped by her lover, Vince, and caught in the midst of a Kin uprising, Angela must locate Sammi before the girl is lost forever.
336 pages, Paperback
First published March 20, 2018
53 people are currently reading
516 people want to read
About the author
Tim Lebbon
294 books1,534 followersI love writing, reading, triathlon, real ale, chocolate, good movies, occasional bad movies, and cake.
I was born in London in 1969, lived in Devon until I was eight, and the next twenty years were spent in Newport. My wife Tracey and I then did a Good Thing and moved back to the country, and we now live in the little village of Goytre in Monmouthshire with our kids Ellie and Daniel. And our dog, Blu, who is the size of a donkey.
I love the countryside ... I do a lot of running and cycling, and live in the best part of the world for that.
I've had loads of books published in the UK, USA, and around the world, including novels, novellas, and collections. I write horror, fantasy, and now thrillers, and I've been writing as a living for over 8 years. I've won quite a few awards for my original fiction, and I've also written tie-in projects for Star Wars, Alien, Hellboy, The Cabin in the Woods, and 30 Days of Night.
A movie's just been made of my short story Pay the Ghost, starring Nicolas Cage and Sarah Wayne Callies. There are other projects in development, too.
I'd love to hear from you!
I was born in London in 1969, lived in Devon until I was eight, and the next twenty years were spent in Newport. My wife Tracey and I then did a Good Thing and moved back to the country, and we now live in the little village of Goytre in Monmouthshire with our kids Ellie and Daniel. And our dog, Blu, who is the size of a donkey.
I love the countryside ... I do a lot of running and cycling, and live in the best part of the world for that.
I've had loads of books published in the UK, USA, and around the world, including novels, novellas, and collections. I write horror, fantasy, and now thrillers, and I've been writing as a living for over 8 years. I've won quite a few awards for my original fiction, and I've also written tie-in projects for Star Wars, Alien, Hellboy, The Cabin in the Woods, and 30 Days of Night.
A movie's just been made of my short story Pay the Ghost, starring Nicolas Cage and Sarah Wayne Callies. There are other projects in development, too.
I'd love to hear from you!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
August 24, 2018
In a world where mythical creatures traverse the realm of storybook fiction into the real world, little separates the horror from human with the spilling of blood a commonality all too thirstily explored in the follow-up to 2017's Relics, The Folded Land.
A collective of beasts; both magnificent and malicious accompanied by a few trusted humans play a deadly game of and mouse as a small contingent of Kin seek to dethrone mankind from the top of the predatory food chain.
The Folded Land follows on from the events of Relics and continues the 'relic' theme in a creative way. The first book looked a relics as a black-market collectors item, whereas The Folded Land, takes it to the extreme with fresh kin appendages being sought out for nefarious purposes.
My rating: 4/5 stars. The concept is great and I love the way the mystical character norm is flipped on its head. The Folded Land is a top notch follow-up to Relics.
A collective of beasts; both magnificent and malicious accompanied by a few trusted humans play a deadly game of and mouse as a small contingent of Kin seek to dethrone mankind from the top of the predatory food chain.
The Folded Land follows on from the events of Relics and continues the 'relic' theme in a creative way. The first book looked a relics as a black-market collectors item, whereas The Folded Land, takes it to the extreme with fresh kin appendages being sought out for nefarious purposes.
My rating: 4/5 stars. The concept is great and I love the way the mystical character norm is flipped on its head. The Folded Land is a top notch follow-up to Relics.
April 29, 2018
Originally published at Risingshadow.
Tim Lebbon's The Folded Land is a highly enjoyable and suspenseful sequel to Relics, which is one of the best urban fantasy novels of recent years. Just like Relics, this novel is a refreshingly different kind of an urban fantasy novel. It's a dark and intense reading experience for those who love good stories.
What separates The Folded Land from other urban fantasy novels is its freshness and originality. The author has an exceptionally gripping vision about what urban fantasy is and he effortlessly conveys it to readers. If you're a fan of the darker side of speculative fiction and enjoy well written urban fantasy, you'll find a lot to enjoy in this novel, because it's satisfyingly dark and urban fantasy elements are handled in an excellent way.
The Folded Land continues the story that began in Relics. In Relics, an American criminology student Angela Gough found out about the Kin and her whole life changed because of it. She and her lover, Vince, faced gangsters and helped the Kin, but it cost them a lot and they had to flee from London.
In this novel, Angela has become a criminal on the run and the authorities are trying to find her. After the strange and violent happenings in London, she has fled to the USA and tries not to attract the attention of those who hunt her. Angela has found out that the Kin are not only found in London, but are everywhere. She hears from Vince that her niece, Sammi, has been struck by lightning and has been kidnapped by the fairy she and Vince helped to save in London. Angela wants to find Sammi before it's too late to save her...
The story is delightfully fast-paced and well written. The author keeps things on the move and delivers a couple of intriguing surprises along the way that readers are not prepared for. The story transcends the normal boundaries of urban fantasy, because the author has infused the story with dark fiction elements.
The characterisation is good and effective. The cast of characters is wonderfully diverse, because the author writes about humans and various members of the Kin. Both the human characters and the members of the Kin are well portrayed. It's great that the author also pays attention to interaction between the humans and the Kin.
Here's a bit of information about some of the characters:
- Angela is a well-created character, because her life has changed completely after what has happened in London. The happenings have turned her into a criminal on the run and her whole life has been ripped apart. She does her best not to attract the attention of the authorities and others who hunt her.
- Vince is Angela's lover who is also on the run and is wanted by the authorities. Vince loves Angela and helps her.
- Sammi is Angela's niece who, after being struck twice by lightning, is drawn towards the mysterious Folded Land. Her whole life changes when she is being led towards the Folded Land.
- Gregor is a menacing character who is killing members of the Kin and collecting components that can be used to fulfill the promises of the Script. The Kin have tried to find him, but he has always managed to avoid being captured.
- Lilou is an intriguing nymph, because she is old and wise and can use her powers to seduce others. It was fascinating to read about her connection to Fat Frederick Meloy and how she observed him, travelled with him and used him.
- Mallian the Nephilim dreams of the Ascent, which would reveal all of the Kin to the humans and the Kin would take their place beside or above humanity. He wants full exposure for the Kin.
I enjoyed reading about the ancient fairy and her plans, because she had her own desires and needs. The author's vision of what she does with her powers is captivating in its grandness. It was interesting to read about her strong magic and how she used it.
The author writes about what the Kin-killer Gregor does in an unflinching way. There's unrelenting brutality and darkness in his actions that will terrify readers, because he's a remorseless killer who kills the Kin for his own purposes. He believes in what he does and mercilessly hunts his prey.
One of the best things about The Folded Land is that the magical and mythical beings known as the Kin are presented as fascinatingly inhuman and mysterious beings. It's great that the author hasn't tried to make them too human, but describes them as something different. Although some of the Kin may appear to be humanlike and consider certain humans to be their friends, they're different from humans and have various abilities.
In this novel, the author delves deeper into the world of the Kin and reveals that the Kin are everywhere around the world. He writes about how the Kin live in the shadows, hide themselves from humans and evade them in order to survive. He also tells of how the Kin and the humankind once existed alongside one another, but that time has passed and is ancient history that only a few still remember.
It's good that this novel doesn't have any kind of paranormal romance elements. I greatly respect the author for avoiding these elements, because paranormal romance elements are often the main reason why many urban fantasy novels are bad.
I found myself fascinated by the Fold and everything it presented. I'm not going to reveal what it is, but I can mention that it's an integral part of the story and reading about it is fascinating.
There's something about this novel that reminds me of Clive Barker's dark fantasy/horror novella Cabal. This novel also has distinct echoes of Neil Gaiman's novels. The Barkeresque and Gaimanesque elements blend in an intriguing way during the story and make for an interesting read.
I think that one of the most important reasons why The Folded Land is splendid entertainment can be credited to the Tim Lebbon's background as a fantasy and horror author. The author delivers a good and solid story, and he avoids tiresome clichés and plot twists that have become the bane of the genre.
Tim Lebbon's The Folded Land is one of the few urban novels that I can highly recommend to readers without hesitation due to its fascinatingly dark and intense story. If you enjoy reading urban fantasy, I urge you to read this novel, because it's urban fantasy at its best and most compelling.
Highly recommended!
Tim Lebbon's The Folded Land is a highly enjoyable and suspenseful sequel to Relics, which is one of the best urban fantasy novels of recent years. Just like Relics, this novel is a refreshingly different kind of an urban fantasy novel. It's a dark and intense reading experience for those who love good stories.
What separates The Folded Land from other urban fantasy novels is its freshness and originality. The author has an exceptionally gripping vision about what urban fantasy is and he effortlessly conveys it to readers. If you're a fan of the darker side of speculative fiction and enjoy well written urban fantasy, you'll find a lot to enjoy in this novel, because it's satisfyingly dark and urban fantasy elements are handled in an excellent way.
The Folded Land continues the story that began in Relics. In Relics, an American criminology student Angela Gough found out about the Kin and her whole life changed because of it. She and her lover, Vince, faced gangsters and helped the Kin, but it cost them a lot and they had to flee from London.
In this novel, Angela has become a criminal on the run and the authorities are trying to find her. After the strange and violent happenings in London, she has fled to the USA and tries not to attract the attention of those who hunt her. Angela has found out that the Kin are not only found in London, but are everywhere. She hears from Vince that her niece, Sammi, has been struck by lightning and has been kidnapped by the fairy she and Vince helped to save in London. Angela wants to find Sammi before it's too late to save her...
The story is delightfully fast-paced and well written. The author keeps things on the move and delivers a couple of intriguing surprises along the way that readers are not prepared for. The story transcends the normal boundaries of urban fantasy, because the author has infused the story with dark fiction elements.
The characterisation is good and effective. The cast of characters is wonderfully diverse, because the author writes about humans and various members of the Kin. Both the human characters and the members of the Kin are well portrayed. It's great that the author also pays attention to interaction between the humans and the Kin.
Here's a bit of information about some of the characters:
- Angela is a well-created character, because her life has changed completely after what has happened in London. The happenings have turned her into a criminal on the run and her whole life has been ripped apart. She does her best not to attract the attention of the authorities and others who hunt her.
- Vince is Angela's lover who is also on the run and is wanted by the authorities. Vince loves Angela and helps her.
- Sammi is Angela's niece who, after being struck twice by lightning, is drawn towards the mysterious Folded Land. Her whole life changes when she is being led towards the Folded Land.
- Gregor is a menacing character who is killing members of the Kin and collecting components that can be used to fulfill the promises of the Script. The Kin have tried to find him, but he has always managed to avoid being captured.
- Lilou is an intriguing nymph, because she is old and wise and can use her powers to seduce others. It was fascinating to read about her connection to Fat Frederick Meloy and how she observed him, travelled with him and used him.
- Mallian the Nephilim dreams of the Ascent, which would reveal all of the Kin to the humans and the Kin would take their place beside or above humanity. He wants full exposure for the Kin.
I enjoyed reading about the ancient fairy and her plans, because she had her own desires and needs. The author's vision of what she does with her powers is captivating in its grandness. It was interesting to read about her strong magic and how she used it.
The author writes about what the Kin-killer Gregor does in an unflinching way. There's unrelenting brutality and darkness in his actions that will terrify readers, because he's a remorseless killer who kills the Kin for his own purposes. He believes in what he does and mercilessly hunts his prey.
One of the best things about The Folded Land is that the magical and mythical beings known as the Kin are presented as fascinatingly inhuman and mysterious beings. It's great that the author hasn't tried to make them too human, but describes them as something different. Although some of the Kin may appear to be humanlike and consider certain humans to be their friends, they're different from humans and have various abilities.
In this novel, the author delves deeper into the world of the Kin and reveals that the Kin are everywhere around the world. He writes about how the Kin live in the shadows, hide themselves from humans and evade them in order to survive. He also tells of how the Kin and the humankind once existed alongside one another, but that time has passed and is ancient history that only a few still remember.
It's good that this novel doesn't have any kind of paranormal romance elements. I greatly respect the author for avoiding these elements, because paranormal romance elements are often the main reason why many urban fantasy novels are bad.
I found myself fascinated by the Fold and everything it presented. I'm not going to reveal what it is, but I can mention that it's an integral part of the story and reading about it is fascinating.
There's something about this novel that reminds me of Clive Barker's dark fantasy/horror novella Cabal. This novel also has distinct echoes of Neil Gaiman's novels. The Barkeresque and Gaimanesque elements blend in an intriguing way during the story and make for an interesting read.
I think that one of the most important reasons why The Folded Land is splendid entertainment can be credited to the Tim Lebbon's background as a fantasy and horror author. The author delivers a good and solid story, and he avoids tiresome clichés and plot twists that have become the bane of the genre.
Tim Lebbon's The Folded Land is one of the few urban novels that I can highly recommend to readers without hesitation due to its fascinatingly dark and intense story. If you enjoy reading urban fantasy, I urge you to read this novel, because it's urban fantasy at its best and most compelling.
Highly recommended!
April 4, 2018
4.5 Stars
The Folded Lands, book two in the Relics series by Tim Lebbon is a great follow up to the fun book one. Tim Lebbon writes horror, fantasy, science fiction, and even a bit of the new weird. Tim Lebbon has shown that he is equally adept at writing both horror and fantasy and he writes for adults and the young adult club as well.
The Relics series is a fantastic urban fantasy story about greed, love, devotion, betrayal, and redemption. The story is filled with many urban fantasy creatures. The characters make the series work and I cannot wait to read more about them. It is highly imaginative and fun every step of the way. Much of this story works through discovery so I cannot go into much details without spoiling anything.
Fast paced adventure filled with cool places, things, and creatures. I loved it.
Tim Lebbon is one of my favorite authors and I will read anything that he writes. I highly recommend him to horror and fantasy lovers.
The Folded Lands, book two in the Relics series by Tim Lebbon is a great follow up to the fun book one. Tim Lebbon writes horror, fantasy, science fiction, and even a bit of the new weird. Tim Lebbon has shown that he is equally adept at writing both horror and fantasy and he writes for adults and the young adult club as well.
The Relics series is a fantastic urban fantasy story about greed, love, devotion, betrayal, and redemption. The story is filled with many urban fantasy creatures. The characters make the series work and I cannot wait to read more about them. It is highly imaginative and fun every step of the way. Much of this story works through discovery so I cannot go into much details without spoiling anything.
Fast paced adventure filled with cool places, things, and creatures. I loved it.
Tim Lebbon is one of my favorite authors and I will read anything that he writes. I highly recommend him to horror and fantasy lovers.
April 6, 2023
This review was crossposted on my blog.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5.
A few phrases that adequately describe this book are: a study in mediocrity; forcefully average; principled in its lukewarmness; dogmatically tepid. This book was just good enough to keep reading it, but just bad enough to not really care what happened or who it happened too. Unlike Relics ,which fit well within several genres, namely, horror, thriller, and urban fantasy, The Folded Land focuses in on the urban fantasy genre, which is a shame, because Relics strength’s were the horror and thriller aspects, and the worldbuilding was just so-so. The Folded Lands attempts to develop many of the characters from the prequel, but it largely falls flat. Simply because this book series is an easy read, I will finish the trilogy the final installment being The Edge .
Plot: 2 out of 5
Just meh? The plot twists were very obvious, and the pacing was poor throughout the story. Some things were dragged out way to long, and others went by way to fast.
Setting: 2 out of 5
In this book, Lebbon really tried to invest in worldbuilding and character development, but both fell really flat. The worldbuilding elements were rather nonsensical and never explained. We’re never really informed why the lightening strikes were needed, the importance of the map etc. etc. I hate it when plot lines rely or contain unnecessary coincidences. Anyway, world building is lackluster, lore is meh, the magical creatures are meh. Not horrid, but not great.
Characters: 2 out of 5
Oh Lebbon, what were you thinking? How is it possible to go on for pages and pages about the same characters without making them any more complex? To be honest it was rather impressive that I could learn more about these characters and not care at all.
Writing Style: 3 out of 5
Lebbon is not a bad writer of horror or thrilling plot elements, but did not distinguish himself at all in the urban fantasy elements of this story. Easy to read, easy to follow.
Personal Enjoyment: 2.5 out of 5
This book was infuriatingly mediocre. If it was any worse I would have set it down, if it was any better I would have enjoyed it. Oh well, on to the next.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5.
A few phrases that adequately describe this book are: a study in mediocrity; forcefully average; principled in its lukewarmness; dogmatically tepid. This book was just good enough to keep reading it, but just bad enough to not really care what happened or who it happened too. Unlike Relics ,which fit well within several genres, namely, horror, thriller, and urban fantasy, The Folded Land focuses in on the urban fantasy genre, which is a shame, because Relics strength’s were the horror and thriller aspects, and the worldbuilding was just so-so. The Folded Lands attempts to develop many of the characters from the prequel, but it largely falls flat. Simply because this book series is an easy read, I will finish the trilogy the final installment being The Edge .
Plot: 2 out of 5
Just meh? The plot twists were very obvious, and the pacing was poor throughout the story. Some things were dragged out way to long, and others went by way to fast.
Setting: 2 out of 5
In this book, Lebbon really tried to invest in worldbuilding and character development, but both fell really flat. The worldbuilding elements were rather nonsensical and never explained. We’re never really informed why the lightening strikes were needed, the importance of the map etc. etc. I hate it when plot lines rely or contain unnecessary coincidences. Anyway, world building is lackluster, lore is meh, the magical creatures are meh. Not horrid, but not great.
Characters: 2 out of 5
Oh Lebbon, what were you thinking? How is it possible to go on for pages and pages about the same characters without making them any more complex? To be honest it was rather impressive that I could learn more about these characters and not care at all.
Writing Style: 3 out of 5
Lebbon is not a bad writer of horror or thrilling plot elements, but did not distinguish himself at all in the urban fantasy elements of this story. Easy to read, easy to follow.
Personal Enjoyment: 2.5 out of 5
This book was infuriatingly mediocre. If it was any worse I would have set it down, if it was any better I would have enjoyed it. Oh well, on to the next.
April 6, 2018
I'm grateful to the publisher for an advance copy of this book.
The Folded Land is the sequel to Lebbon's 2018 horror fantasy Relics, (my review here) in which Angela discovered that her boyfriend Vince was involved in a gruesome trade in "relics" - body parts of the Kin: monsters or mythical creatures from the ancient past, long before humanity ruled, whose heydey, the Time, is lost in the fog of myth.
Worse, she discovered that not all relics originated with the long dead...
Now, Angela is on the run, blamed by the police for the massacre that concluded Relics - and by the surviving relic hunters, for the loss of their friends and family. She has left London and is back in the US, trying to lie low, but the past - and the Kin - have other ideas.
This is an excellent follow-up to Relics, possibly actually better than the earlier book. There is a notable shift in tone, as Angela has to engage with what the existence of the Kin means for humanity. The Kin are bewitching, delightful, so rare and special that even meeting one is a privilege - but they are also inhuman, savage and powerful.
Many hark back to older times when they strode the land without fear.
Some aim for Ascent, revealing their power and taking back their usurped place in the world.
And in the space between those two ideas of the Kin - the rare and the precious, hunted almost to destruction by humans, and the powerful and deadly - sits this story. It's a tale sketched in shades of grey, with no moral absolutes. The Kin have suffered, we see them suffering, but they are also - or some of them are - ruthless and savage. Lebbon is good at sketching the sheer otherness of his monsters, their non-humanity - even the most sympathetic. These aren't run of the mill urban fantasy creatures settling down to cosy, albeit weird, lives that echo those of humans. There's a real sense of rawness, of peril here, never more than when the story turns to the enigmatic fairy Grace, whom Angela rescued in Relics.
At the same time, and despite the many brutal deaths littering the book, Lebbon doesn't portray humans, either, as victims. The "kin-Killer", Gregor, strides through this book like the very worst of monsters, his goal obscure, his blade sharp and his tread ominous. He will cross paths with Angela, and the life of her niece, Sammi, will hang between them.
It's an excellent horror story, a superior fantasy, soaked in blood and haunted almost to the end by mystery. And best of all the story clearly isn't over, with The Edge still to come.
This series could have settled down into a bland life-among-the-monsters fantasy but in Lebbon's hands we're given something more, something older, deeper and much, much darker.
Strongly recommended.
The Folded Land is the sequel to Lebbon's 2018 horror fantasy Relics, (my review here) in which Angela discovered that her boyfriend Vince was involved in a gruesome trade in "relics" - body parts of the Kin: monsters or mythical creatures from the ancient past, long before humanity ruled, whose heydey, the Time, is lost in the fog of myth.
Worse, she discovered that not all relics originated with the long dead...
Now, Angela is on the run, blamed by the police for the massacre that concluded Relics - and by the surviving relic hunters, for the loss of their friends and family. She has left London and is back in the US, trying to lie low, but the past - and the Kin - have other ideas.
This is an excellent follow-up to Relics, possibly actually better than the earlier book. There is a notable shift in tone, as Angela has to engage with what the existence of the Kin means for humanity. The Kin are bewitching, delightful, so rare and special that even meeting one is a privilege - but they are also inhuman, savage and powerful.
Many hark back to older times when they strode the land without fear.
Some aim for Ascent, revealing their power and taking back their usurped place in the world.
And in the space between those two ideas of the Kin - the rare and the precious, hunted almost to destruction by humans, and the powerful and deadly - sits this story. It's a tale sketched in shades of grey, with no moral absolutes. The Kin have suffered, we see them suffering, but they are also - or some of them are - ruthless and savage. Lebbon is good at sketching the sheer otherness of his monsters, their non-humanity - even the most sympathetic. These aren't run of the mill urban fantasy creatures settling down to cosy, albeit weird, lives that echo those of humans. There's a real sense of rawness, of peril here, never more than when the story turns to the enigmatic fairy Grace, whom Angela rescued in Relics.
At the same time, and despite the many brutal deaths littering the book, Lebbon doesn't portray humans, either, as victims. The "kin-Killer", Gregor, strides through this book like the very worst of monsters, his goal obscure, his blade sharp and his tread ominous. He will cross paths with Angela, and the life of her niece, Sammi, will hang between them.
It's an excellent horror story, a superior fantasy, soaked in blood and haunted almost to the end by mystery. And best of all the story clearly isn't over, with The Edge still to come.
This series could have settled down into a bland life-among-the-monsters fantasy but in Lebbon's hands we're given something more, something older, deeper and much, much darker.
Strongly recommended.
May 16, 2021
So it had been at least over a year since I had read and enjoyed the first book in this horror fantasy trilogy and on my 2021 reading list was to get back on with the next two books. I had found the first to be just the kind of unusual mature fantasy I enjoyed from the likes of Clive Barker and Neil Gaiman. It had seemed that I had not found many authors willing to explore this area between fantasy, fairy tales and horror in a suitable way.
It did take a little while to remember the events of the first book. Thankfully Lebbon does recap and update the reader but not in way which feels too forced or distracting. It was good to pick up again with the main two characters and see where they were going this time. A set of new characters enter the tale and the villains return along with new surprises. It did almost seem like it was not entirely going to some really fantastical place I hoped it would but it picked up again in the last third of the book and was all written very well. Of course I knew in my mind as I was coming to the last few chapters that it was the middle book of a trilogy so there is chance that the really big events and surprises may be yet to come in that final book.
I do recommend this trilogy (at least the these first two books) for fans of urban fantasy, Gaiman, weird fiction, Clive Barker, China Meiville, folktales and fantasy which is not elves and dragon but something else.
I hope to read the final book very soon.
It did take a little while to remember the events of the first book. Thankfully Lebbon does recap and update the reader but not in way which feels too forced or distracting. It was good to pick up again with the main two characters and see where they were going this time. A set of new characters enter the tale and the villains return along with new surprises. It did almost seem like it was not entirely going to some really fantastical place I hoped it would but it picked up again in the last third of the book and was all written very well. Of course I knew in my mind as I was coming to the last few chapters that it was the middle book of a trilogy so there is chance that the really big events and surprises may be yet to come in that final book.
I do recommend this trilogy (at least the these first two books) for fans of urban fantasy, Gaiman, weird fiction, Clive Barker, China Meiville, folktales and fantasy which is not elves and dragon but something else.
I hope to read the final book very soon.
September 6, 2018
It's been a while since I read the first book in this series and I was interested in seeing where the author took the story as it was left. Sadly it didn't go that far.
We are jumped ahead but a smallish amount of time but the situation hasn't really changed, the characters never feel like they have much depth to them and the Kin are never really explored any more than the first book which just leaves you with more superficial fairy tale and mythical creatures and no real reference for them.
The main story is ok, it drags on a bit and then concludes with a fizzle more than a bang, the big end of book plot point is left hanging with no explanation or investigation or even any real revelation outside of the fairy's own thoughts.
I was just left feeling a bit meh, id hoped things would ramp up a bit and perhaps we'd see some more coming together and explanation for the varied world of the Kin but instead we are shown more fractured glimpses and a big plot that comes to nothing. I sort of hope there's no more to the series but that last little plot reveal at the end seemed like a nice little opening for another sequel.
We are jumped ahead but a smallish amount of time but the situation hasn't really changed, the characters never feel like they have much depth to them and the Kin are never really explored any more than the first book which just leaves you with more superficial fairy tale and mythical creatures and no real reference for them.
The main story is ok, it drags on a bit and then concludes with a fizzle more than a bang, the big end of book plot point is left hanging with no explanation or investigation or even any real revelation outside of the fairy's own thoughts.
I was just left feeling a bit meh, id hoped things would ramp up a bit and perhaps we'd see some more coming together and explanation for the varied world of the Kin but instead we are shown more fractured glimpses and a big plot that comes to nothing. I sort of hope there's no more to the series but that last little plot reveal at the end seemed like a nice little opening for another sequel.
May 30, 2021
DNF at 40%. I wish Goodreads allowed a 'no star review'.
I thought the first book wasn't great but I was willing to continue with the series since it's part of Audible Plus Catalog.
I'm not a fan of love triangles. I find them emotionally draining and seldom do they have anything to do with the main plot of the story. Every scene involving Vince and Angela included Angela's internal ramblings and insecurities about Vince and his relationship with Lilou. Vince didn't do much to dissuade Angela's suspicions either. He would repeatedly tell Angela that he loved her then look 'longingly' at Lilou. The plot kept circling the drain for me. It was time to give up and move on.
I thought the first book wasn't great but I was willing to continue with the series since it's part of Audible Plus Catalog.
I'm not a fan of love triangles. I find them emotionally draining and seldom do they have anything to do with the main plot of the story. Every scene involving Vince and Angela included Angela's internal ramblings and insecurities about Vince and his relationship with Lilou. Vince didn't do much to dissuade Angela's suspicions either. He would repeatedly tell Angela that he loved her then look 'longingly' at Lilou. The plot kept circling the drain for me. It was time to give up and move on.
May 16, 2021
3.5 rounded to 4. Book two of the Relics Trilogy had me struggling to remember what happened and who was who from book one. There was no “story so far” and it took about a quarter of the book to recall the characters.
After that it did get better. There are nymphs, wisps, and centaurs, kidnapping, and double crossing.
After that it did get better. There are nymphs, wisps, and centaurs, kidnapping, and double crossing.
June 18, 2025
DNF at page 259.
I was really hoping to like this one but it just seemed to meander along and I found myself not wanting to pick it up at all.
Very disappointing as Eden by this author is one of my best books of the year.
Another one for the unhaul pile.
I was really hoping to like this one but it just seemed to meander along and I found myself not wanting to pick it up at all.
Very disappointing as Eden by this author is one of my best books of the year.
Another one for the unhaul pile.
November 17, 2024
Book two.
Just as out there with the supernatural world and normal world colliding. Save the world and the stuff like that.
Just as out there with the supernatural world and normal world colliding. Save the world and the stuff like that.
June 4, 2024
The narrator has a soothing voice, especially when narrating Lilou.
Angela started to reign in her impulsivity near the end, thank fucks, she damn near drove me crazy 😅
Angela started to reign in her impulsivity near the end, thank fucks, she damn near drove me crazy 😅
April 28, 2021
This is the follow up to the dire 'Relics'. Lebbon keeps the quality consistant. Awful. The first clue is when a character who died (definitely) at the end of 'Relics' shows up all fine and well for about 6 pages, before she's killed off for good. I know because I finished the trilogy that this is just a writer's error. Quite how it happened I have no idea. Or how it slipped past the editor. Maybe they were both as bored of this story as I was and just didn't give a shit. The character is Claudette. Very sloppy, and it is indicative of the whole story.
It involves Sammi who is Angela's niece... who just happens to be 'special'. What a coincidence! It's never quite explained why. There's a really uninteresting guy who is obviously a dupe... called Gregor who is killing Kin and harvesting parts of their body. Ohhh... what can it be? Who can it be for? Yep... you can guess. Just as you can guess just about everything that happens in this disaster of a book.
We still know nothing about Angela and Vince beyond they are 'fit' (a word the author loves), and that they love each other and they for some inexplicable reason feel kinship with the Kin (Lilou, et al) even though they've ruined their lives. Angela and Vince are now fleeing the authorities in the USA. Enter more one-dimensional characters, both Kin and Human, whose names I've already forgotten.
It's a shame because the premise is really good. But it's so badly written... both in proof reading, the awful dialogue and the pointless repetition. It's like one of those shows that after every ad break tells you what you've just seen. yet again the book is bland and dull and poorly paved. Hated it.
Sorry if anyone thinks any of the above is a spoiler, but it's not really. Nothing is tense. Nothing is a surprise. I really have no idea why there are good reviews or wh no-one picked up that Claudette died at the end of book 1 and was alive again for a pointless death scene in the first few pages of this book. Maybe they liked it because they didn't really read it properly? That would explain a lot.
I really wish Goodreads would introduce zero stars and half-stars.
It involves Sammi who is Angela's niece... who just happens to be 'special'. What a coincidence! It's never quite explained why. There's a really uninteresting guy who is obviously a dupe... called Gregor who is killing Kin and harvesting parts of their body. Ohhh... what can it be? Who can it be for? Yep... you can guess. Just as you can guess just about everything that happens in this disaster of a book.
We still know nothing about Angela and Vince beyond they are 'fit' (a word the author loves), and that they love each other and they for some inexplicable reason feel kinship with the Kin (Lilou, et al) even though they've ruined their lives. Angela and Vince are now fleeing the authorities in the USA. Enter more one-dimensional characters, both Kin and Human, whose names I've already forgotten.
It's a shame because the premise is really good. But it's so badly written... both in proof reading, the awful dialogue and the pointless repetition. It's like one of those shows that after every ad break tells you what you've just seen. yet again the book is bland and dull and poorly paved. Hated it.
Sorry if anyone thinks any of the above is a spoiler, but it's not really. Nothing is tense. Nothing is a surprise. I really have no idea why there are good reviews or wh no-one picked up that Claudette died at the end of book 1 and was alive again for a pointless death scene in the first few pages of this book. Maybe they liked it because they didn't really read it properly? That would explain a lot.
I really wish Goodreads would introduce zero stars and half-stars.
April 8, 2018
In the dark underbelly of our world, there’s a black market in arcane things—living and dead. Angela Gough has been pulled into this world, making her a criminal on the run.
In London she encountered the Kin—satyrs and centaurs, Nephilim and wraiths, they are hunted and slaughtered for their body parts. Fleeing back to the United States, Angela discovers that the Kin are everywhere, and they are tired of being prey.
When her niece Sammi is struck by lightning, she is drawn toward the mysterious Folded Land, and its powerful and deadly ruler. Helped by her lover Vince, caught in the midst of a Kin uprising, Angela must locate Sammi before the girl is lost forever.
Out March 20, 2018
MY THOUGHTS:
I was sent this book in exchange for my honest review.
If you like Urban Fantasy and mostly character driven stories, then this book, which is book two of the Relic Series, is for you.
This is one talented author who is comfortable writing in many genres for both adult and children. His books are packed full of action cover to cover and you won’t be able to set them down until you’ve read every last word. There’s a power struggle presented between human and Kin and I can’t wait to see where Lebbon takes this. His tone shifts in this book from what it was throughout the first, but it’s not any less engaging. He shows the darker side of a world created, one filled with blood, gore and a gruesome need for “Relics.”
The whole concept of creatures of ancient magic existing in the shadows of the human world just gives me goose-bumps. I devoured each page wanting more. This is the second book of the series and there will be a third.
The complexity of the world-building mixing ancient and new and the characters placed within this world… wow! The author’s voice is hypnotizing and his style intoxicating.
He writes with a raw intensity that is so needed in fantasy books of this caliber. He doesn’t hold punches and gives you, the reader, exactly what you need to turn the page.
I love this author and highly recommend his work to horror and fantasy readers alike!
In London she encountered the Kin—satyrs and centaurs, Nephilim and wraiths, they are hunted and slaughtered for their body parts. Fleeing back to the United States, Angela discovers that the Kin are everywhere, and they are tired of being prey.
When her niece Sammi is struck by lightning, she is drawn toward the mysterious Folded Land, and its powerful and deadly ruler. Helped by her lover Vince, caught in the midst of a Kin uprising, Angela must locate Sammi before the girl is lost forever.
Out March 20, 2018
MY THOUGHTS:
I was sent this book in exchange for my honest review.
If you like Urban Fantasy and mostly character driven stories, then this book, which is book two of the Relic Series, is for you.
This is one talented author who is comfortable writing in many genres for both adult and children. His books are packed full of action cover to cover and you won’t be able to set them down until you’ve read every last word. There’s a power struggle presented between human and Kin and I can’t wait to see where Lebbon takes this. His tone shifts in this book from what it was throughout the first, but it’s not any less engaging. He shows the darker side of a world created, one filled with blood, gore and a gruesome need for “Relics.”
The whole concept of creatures of ancient magic existing in the shadows of the human world just gives me goose-bumps. I devoured each page wanting more. This is the second book of the series and there will be a third.
The complexity of the world-building mixing ancient and new and the characters placed within this world… wow! The author’s voice is hypnotizing and his style intoxicating.
He writes with a raw intensity that is so needed in fantasy books of this caliber. He doesn’t hold punches and gives you, the reader, exactly what you need to turn the page.
I love this author and highly recommend his work to horror and fantasy readers alike!
July 12, 2019
Tim Lebbon continues to impress with the second instalment in the Relics trilogy. Once again returning to the lives of Angela and Vince, now on the run from the authorities following the dramatic conclusion to the previous book, The Folded Land shifts the focus away from the familiar, cramped streets of London to the expansive countryside of the United States.
Trying to keep away from the notice of police and law enforcement, Angela Gough, the former criminology student, is once again drawn into the mystical and frightening world of the Kin when her niece Sammi goes missing.
After being struck by lightning twice, Sammi is whisked away by a mysterious wraith-like figure and guided across north America towards what she is told is her deceased mother, but is actually a creature of ancient and unimaginable power. Trying to find her niece before something worse happens to her, Angela and her fiance Vince are once again joined by the alluring Lilou and gangster Frederick Meloy, who are on the trail of a vicious Kin killer, who may also have Sammi in his sights.
The Folded Land is a sequel in the truest of terms. It takes the world created in the first book, Relics, and keeps on building, showing readers new and wondrous parts of the universe that weren’t even hinted at before. We learn of the various factions of Kin, and that they are not all working together. We discover that America has its own Kin that are unique to that continent and part of their mythology, such as the Mothman and a Kooshdakhaa. And we learn the shocking news that some Kin have become human over the centuries, and even bred with regular people.
The world of the Kin in the first book was like the setting. It was old and full of history, but it was also small. One tiny location, with dark alleys and hidden tunnels. But The Folded Land expands its horizons significantly, and has grander goals in its storytelling. The change of setting and the bigger threat to our heroes reflects this well. The story moves with a much faster pace than the first book, and conveys the sense of urgency that the characters are feeling, and the race that they are in.
That’s not to say that the story doesn’t have the same attention to characters that Relics had. Instead of focusing the majority of the narrative on Angel with a few jumps over to other characters The Folded Land feels much more like an ensemble piece, where many more characters are given moments of focus and time in the spotlight.
Several new characters join returning favourites this time around, both human and Kin. The Kin killer Gregor is particularly fascinating, and is given plenty of time in the limelight. He’s remorseless and evil, willing to kill anyone or anything that gets between him and his goals. Whilst there are many creatures in the book that would be considered monsters, Gregor is probably the closest to being one, despite being human. This is a trait that Lebbon has visited before in the series, where the criminal Mary Rock proved to be the worst character in the book – no small feat considering she was competing with a psychotic Nephilim and a Satyr that tortures people with the bones of its victims.
The Folded Land is a great follow on to Relics. It takes the characters on a bigger, more dangerous quest. It expands the world and presents the readers with wonders. The characters evolve in new and interesting ways, and the new additions to the cast are a joy, even those with relatively small page time. The perfect sequel to the first book that is sure to keep fans delighted.
Trying to keep away from the notice of police and law enforcement, Angela Gough, the former criminology student, is once again drawn into the mystical and frightening world of the Kin when her niece Sammi goes missing.
After being struck by lightning twice, Sammi is whisked away by a mysterious wraith-like figure and guided across north America towards what she is told is her deceased mother, but is actually a creature of ancient and unimaginable power. Trying to find her niece before something worse happens to her, Angela and her fiance Vince are once again joined by the alluring Lilou and gangster Frederick Meloy, who are on the trail of a vicious Kin killer, who may also have Sammi in his sights.
The Folded Land is a sequel in the truest of terms. It takes the world created in the first book, Relics, and keeps on building, showing readers new and wondrous parts of the universe that weren’t even hinted at before. We learn of the various factions of Kin, and that they are not all working together. We discover that America has its own Kin that are unique to that continent and part of their mythology, such as the Mothman and a Kooshdakhaa. And we learn the shocking news that some Kin have become human over the centuries, and even bred with regular people.
The world of the Kin in the first book was like the setting. It was old and full of history, but it was also small. One tiny location, with dark alleys and hidden tunnels. But The Folded Land expands its horizons significantly, and has grander goals in its storytelling. The change of setting and the bigger threat to our heroes reflects this well. The story moves with a much faster pace than the first book, and conveys the sense of urgency that the characters are feeling, and the race that they are in.
That’s not to say that the story doesn’t have the same attention to characters that Relics had. Instead of focusing the majority of the narrative on Angel with a few jumps over to other characters The Folded Land feels much more like an ensemble piece, where many more characters are given moments of focus and time in the spotlight.
Several new characters join returning favourites this time around, both human and Kin. The Kin killer Gregor is particularly fascinating, and is given plenty of time in the limelight. He’s remorseless and evil, willing to kill anyone or anything that gets between him and his goals. Whilst there are many creatures in the book that would be considered monsters, Gregor is probably the closest to being one, despite being human. This is a trait that Lebbon has visited before in the series, where the criminal Mary Rock proved to be the worst character in the book – no small feat considering she was competing with a psychotic Nephilim and a Satyr that tortures people with the bones of its victims.
The Folded Land is a great follow on to Relics. It takes the characters on a bigger, more dangerous quest. It expands the world and presents the readers with wonders. The characters evolve in new and interesting ways, and the new additions to the cast are a joy, even those with relatively small page time. The perfect sequel to the first book that is sure to keep fans delighted.
May 12, 2022
And to the ends of…. 'this' world anyway…. ***1/2 star review of The Folded Land by Tim Lebbon
So as I mentioned there were SOME things very much left hanging, but it picks right up where the origin story so-to-speak of Angela no longer a normal everyday Londoner but a monster hunter, or monster protector, depending. No longer innocent of the dark forces and creatures she is now a monster hunter extraordinaire, just kidding Angela is still reeling and trying to find footing in this new world, or new awareness… but in this book the stakes are raised as her niece Sammi is pulled into this world as several people are struck by lightening more than once, and it appears the niece is Grace, the fairy rescued at the end of Book One from being another delicacies at the disgustingly filthy rich ghoulish humans. Turns out Grace, is actually a power hungry evil fairy with all kinds of powerful magic, looking for "her", the niece. She is also able to bend and fold reality to create a hidden world.
The niece thing is tinged with bit of a contrived coincidence but I can't say much more, and it's only a small distraction, as all the previous characters and a couples new are introduced.
Book one ended with the Nephilim Mallian's massacre at the cannibalistic dinner soiree (Think of the endangered species dinner from the Matthew Broderick, Marlon Brando film The Freshman) and then he does his best to capture Grace to use as an ultimate weapon but his plans are spoiled when Vince and his rag tag group battle him, but in doing so Vince and Mallian are trapped in the folded land. Separated form reality every bit as much as Hans Solo was frozen in carbonite ending. -DCO
So as I mentioned there were SOME things very much left hanging, but it picks right up where the origin story so-to-speak of Angela no longer a normal everyday Londoner but a monster hunter, or monster protector, depending. No longer innocent of the dark forces and creatures she is now a monster hunter extraordinaire, just kidding Angela is still reeling and trying to find footing in this new world, or new awareness… but in this book the stakes are raised as her niece Sammi is pulled into this world as several people are struck by lightening more than once, and it appears the niece is Grace, the fairy rescued at the end of Book One from being another delicacies at the disgustingly filthy rich ghoulish humans. Turns out Grace, is actually a power hungry evil fairy with all kinds of powerful magic, looking for "her", the niece. She is also able to bend and fold reality to create a hidden world.
The niece thing is tinged with bit of a contrived coincidence but I can't say much more, and it's only a small distraction, as all the previous characters and a couples new are introduced.
Book one ended with the Nephilim Mallian's massacre at the cannibalistic dinner soiree (Think of the endangered species dinner from the Matthew Broderick, Marlon Brando film The Freshman) and then he does his best to capture Grace to use as an ultimate weapon but his plans are spoiled when Vince and his rag tag group battle him, but in doing so Vince and Mallian are trapped in the folded land. Separated form reality every bit as much as Hans Solo was frozen in carbonite ending. -DCO
December 6, 2024
The sequel to Relics continues the story of Angela and Vince, who fled London after a violent confrontation between the magical Kin and human Kin-hunters left a lot of corpses. Angela then had to escape American legal authorities, and is now permanently a fugitive in the U.S.
Conveniently, Angela happens to have a niece named Sammi who's been struck by lightning multiple times. This turns out to involve the faerie that Angela freed back in London, who is now running amok and created a "Folded Land," basically a pocket reality, to hide in.
Lalu the nymph returns, as does the Nephilim Malion, who is plotting "Ascendency," wherein the Kin will come out of hiding and once more assert supremacy overMuggleshumans.
The story is a bunch of tangled threads and tries to tie together all these separate characters and plotlines. It's much more a standard "hidden magical creatures in the mundane world" setting, with lots of violent confrontations, and a predictable reveal about Angela's niece Sammi.
Overall an entertaining read, if you like urban fantasy, with lots of different creatures making their appearance, but the characters aren't particularly memorable and while I will finish the trilogy, it's a fairly mid series.
Conveniently, Angela happens to have a niece named Sammi who's been struck by lightning multiple times. This turns out to involve the faerie that Angela freed back in London, who is now running amok and created a "Folded Land," basically a pocket reality, to hide in.
Lalu the nymph returns, as does the Nephilim Malion, who is plotting "Ascendency," wherein the Kin will come out of hiding and once more assert supremacy over
The story is a bunch of tangled threads and tries to tie together all these separate characters and plotlines. It's much more a standard "hidden magical creatures in the mundane world" setting, with lots of violent confrontations, and a predictable reveal about Angela's niece Sammi.
Overall an entertaining read, if you like urban fantasy, with lots of different creatures making their appearance, but the characters aren't particularly memorable and while I will finish the trilogy, it's a fairly mid series.
December 24, 2019
Unlike its predecessor, Relics, I almost put down The Folded Land several times, especially about two thirds through. The author slipped into present-tense for the bad guys, which I find unreadable. Not only that, but he has a penchant for head-hopping, which became quite annoying, especially in the middle where multiple characters were involved.
All of this came together just after midway through, to the point where the writing got in the way of the story, which is not the way a book is supposed to go, at least for me. I found it a chore to slog through this rather tedious read.
The final straw for me was the ambiguous ending, which begged for book three, because it left so much hanging and unanswered. It was quite unsatisfying. The problem is that after suffering through this one, I have no interest in seeing through the inevitable third book.
Whatever head of steam the author generated with Relics has fizzled out with this one, at least for me, because of not only bad writing, but an incomplete plot.
Sorry, but I’ve got my eye out for this author to avoid. Not recommended, though I’m sure he has his fans.
All of this came together just after midway through, to the point where the writing got in the way of the story, which is not the way a book is supposed to go, at least for me. I found it a chore to slog through this rather tedious read.
The final straw for me was the ambiguous ending, which begged for book three, because it left so much hanging and unanswered. It was quite unsatisfying. The problem is that after suffering through this one, I have no interest in seeing through the inevitable third book.
Whatever head of steam the author generated with Relics has fizzled out with this one, at least for me, because of not only bad writing, but an incomplete plot.
Sorry, but I’ve got my eye out for this author to avoid. Not recommended, though I’m sure he has his fans.
January 31, 2020
I really wanted to love this book, but sadly I did not. I would rate it a 2.5.
This is the 2nd installment of Relics by Lebbon. I really enjoyed the first and was hoping for more of the same and more depth into the characters. What I found was a boring story that made me consider not finishing the book at all. It does get better for the 2nd half, but only slightly.
The Folded Land picks up shortly after where Relics ended. It follows many of the same characters (I won't specify all in case you haven't read the first yet, wouldn't want to ruin who survived). Again we have various mythical creatures, known as Kin, living (and often hiding) in a human world. Some Kin are fine with the way things are now, as they had their time and know it's coming to an end. Others see themselves as far superior to humans and think it's time they rose and took their rightful place in the world.
Sammi, Angela's niece, has been kidnapped by a Kin killer. In a race against time, humans and Kin come together but they all do not have the same motives in mind.
This is the 2nd installment of Relics by Lebbon. I really enjoyed the first and was hoping for more of the same and more depth into the characters. What I found was a boring story that made me consider not finishing the book at all. It does get better for the 2nd half, but only slightly.
The Folded Land picks up shortly after where Relics ended. It follows many of the same characters (I won't specify all in case you haven't read the first yet, wouldn't want to ruin who survived). Again we have various mythical creatures, known as Kin, living (and often hiding) in a human world. Some Kin are fine with the way things are now, as they had their time and know it's coming to an end. Others see themselves as far superior to humans and think it's time they rose and took their rightful place in the world.
Sammi, Angela's niece, has been kidnapped by a Kin killer. In a race against time, humans and Kin come together but they all do not have the same motives in mind.
August 13, 2019
I was gifted this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this was a good continuation of the series and, in fact, I actually enjoyed it a bit more than I enjoyed the first one. We follow the same set of characters with a couple more added in and although the plot isn't necessarily a direct follow on, this books connects well with the first. There are a lot of threads that continue from the first to this one so I would recommend starting with Relics.
I like Tim Lebbon's writing style. It's not overly descriptive but he still manages to create an interesting plot. This book was quick and easy to read and I was able to immerse myself in the story. There were also several twists woven into this plot that I didn't see coming. At times I was generally surprised. I have similar feelings towards The Kin as I did after reading the first one. I love the idea behind them but I just felt we were lacking in information. I was still left feeling like I wanted a bit more. This book definitely isn't as graphic as the first one though, however there was still some gory parts but I found these a bit easier to read.
Overall another enjoyable read and a good continuation to this story. I'm still enjoying the plot, themes and ideas, along with the characters and I'm excited to read the final book in this series.
I thought this was a good continuation of the series and, in fact, I actually enjoyed it a bit more than I enjoyed the first one. We follow the same set of characters with a couple more added in and although the plot isn't necessarily a direct follow on, this books connects well with the first. There are a lot of threads that continue from the first to this one so I would recommend starting with Relics.
I like Tim Lebbon's writing style. It's not overly descriptive but he still manages to create an interesting plot. This book was quick and easy to read and I was able to immerse myself in the story. There were also several twists woven into this plot that I didn't see coming. At times I was generally surprised. I have similar feelings towards The Kin as I did after reading the first one. I love the idea behind them but I just felt we were lacking in information. I was still left feeling like I wanted a bit more. This book definitely isn't as graphic as the first one though, however there was still some gory parts but I found these a bit easier to read.
Overall another enjoyable read and a good continuation to this story. I'm still enjoying the plot, themes and ideas, along with the characters and I'm excited to read the final book in this series.
May 31, 2018
c2018 (13) FWFTB: arcane, criminal, Kin, slaughtered, lightning. Another spec-fic bordering on horror and Mr Lebbon certainly excels in horror. For me, the characterisation was still a little thin but the plot is pacy and the world building definitely has some unique elements. Some of the 'explanations' seemed a little thin but managed to make sense in a weirdly dark and perverted way. I ended the book just feeling that I missed something somewhere along the line and wished that I felt more for the characters. Recommended to the normal crew. "He wanted to survive as a friend of the Kin, first and foremost. They had become his whole world. Where did that leave her?"
November 26, 2018
Ratings: 7.5/10
Pages: 336
This book picks up right where Relic left off. However, there is a thin run in the plot to take the sacrificial Angela back into the plot. I found the actual line of this second novel to be more entertaining, and, as you can imagine, near and dear to my heart. A fairy is desiring to make a safe space. I found the plot to be very fast moving, almost too fast to enjoy this new little world that Lebbon has created. Some of the characters are a little flat, but that isn't the point of the book. There are some great twists and turns, and it really left on a cliffhanger. I am looking forward to the third one.
Kindle
Pages: 336
This book picks up right where Relic left off. However, there is a thin run in the plot to take the sacrificial Angela back into the plot. I found the actual line of this second novel to be more entertaining, and, as you can imagine, near and dear to my heart. A fairy is desiring to make a safe space. I found the plot to be very fast moving, almost too fast to enjoy this new little world that Lebbon has created. Some of the characters are a little flat, but that isn't the point of the book. There are some great twists and turns, and it really left on a cliffhanger. I am looking forward to the third one.
Kindle
December 13, 2024
This was a decent book 2 to the series.
The story picks up a few months after the close of book 1. Angela is still on the run and looking for Vince after they became separated.
There are strange things happening in the States now. Reports of people being struck by lightning several times, and Lilou believes that the rescued fairy from book 1, may be behind it.
This was a fast-paced, fun little read. The plot moves quickly, and the cast of characters is roughly the same. There isn't much in the way of growth. It isn't that kind of book, but it is a fun story and an interesting world the author has created.
The story picks up a few months after the close of book 1. Angela is still on the run and looking for Vince after they became separated.
There are strange things happening in the States now. Reports of people being struck by lightning several times, and Lilou believes that the rescued fairy from book 1, may be behind it.
This was a fast-paced, fun little read. The plot moves quickly, and the cast of characters is roughly the same. There isn't much in the way of growth. It isn't that kind of book, but it is a fun story and an interesting world the author has created.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2019
This book is set in a world where all the creatures that you thought were just make-believe are real: witches, leprechauns, moth-men, and more (referred to as Kin in this book). They lead an existence on the fringes of society forever worried that humans will discover their existence. But lately someone is systematically hunting and killing mythical creatures for their body parts. Can Angela and her friends find the killer before more Kin get murdered?
Book is an ok read if you are into urban fantasy.
Book is an ok read if you are into urban fantasy.
June 3, 2021
An epic cauldron of your fairy tale characters and giant pools of blood and all sorts of mangled body parts! Tim Lebbon truly knows how to get the gore just right! He balances the mixture of believable and unbelievable perfectly in this hair raising thriller series. I was instantly hooked from the opening hot pot of chaos Lebbon creates that really gets the ball rolling with force! I am excited to start the final book in the series, The Edge, and bear witness to the magic that is about to be unleashed!
June 11, 2025
After the events in 'Relics', Angela is on the run from the police and has fled to the US with her boyfriend Vince.
But neither the authorities nor the world of the Kin will ever let them go and she becomes even deeper entrenched when her niece is kidnapped by a deranged man on a supernatural mission.
Not as good as 'Relics' maybe. The pacing felt off, like the story wouldn't get going even though a lot was happening. But the ending immediately makes me want to continue with book three, so there's that.
3.75 stars.
But neither the authorities nor the world of the Kin will ever let them go and she becomes even deeper entrenched when her niece is kidnapped by a deranged man on a supernatural mission.
Not as good as 'Relics' maybe. The pacing felt off, like the story wouldn't get going even though a lot was happening. But the ending immediately makes me want to continue with book three, so there's that.
3.75 stars.
May 25, 2019
Read this one straight after Relics and again enjoyable but just not enough pace to make it 4 stars. I love the underlying concept of creatures of myth hiding in plain sight and eking out their long lives in reduced circumstances but just not enough intensity in the parts where you’d really expect the pace to power on. I’ll no doubt read the third when it appears and hope that Mr Lebbon gives us 4 stars or better.
February 3, 2020
Although it was great to have a continuation of the story, what made the first book so good was the mystery and suspense of the unknown. By this time, the cat's out of the bag, so to speak, and none of the mystery remains. Even the serial killer is revealed to the reader early on and it's simply a case of watching the various story threads merge. I did enjoy the story, even though the characters were less well defined and simply more reactive to the situations they found themselves in.
November 5, 2021
A firm 4 out of 5 stars for this one.
I enjoyed the first book in this trilogy but not so much the second.
I found this story to be a little bland and the drawn out a bit too much.
I felt a loss of connection with the main characters also which just didnt sit well with me. I am still willing to continue reading and finish the trilogy but i am afraid the story may flop.
Please prove me wrong.
I enjoyed the first book in this trilogy but not so much the second.
I found this story to be a little bland and the drawn out a bit too much.
I felt a loss of connection with the main characters also which just didnt sit well with me. I am still willing to continue reading and finish the trilogy but i am afraid the story may flop.
Please prove me wrong.
January 18, 2022
The second book was fine, but definitely not as good as the first. The reversal of "protagonists" in the first book to "antagonists" in the second book was a tough transition. It made the plot difficult to understand. Further, the narrative switched away from the real world and more to a magical one, which, in general, causes me to lose interest because the author gets to make up whatever rules he wants. For example, all powerful fairies that can do anything.
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