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Relics of the Ancients #2
Hidden Relics
What they don’t know may doom the livable worlds Captain Elya Nevers and the Furies face a different kind of danger back home as they bid farewell to fallen comrades, wade into the murky realm of Solaran politics, and hunt for knowledge about the Telos relics—while being hunted themselves. Overmind X is still at large. She's hungry to get her talons on the next artifact of alien power. Will she find it before the Solarans get their own house in order? And what terrifying existential threat to the galaxy does she become if they’re too late? Hidden Relics is the second interstellar adventure in the Relics of the Ancients series of space opera novels by bestselling author M.G. Herron. For fans of Star Wars , Battlestar Galactica , and anyone who enjoys seeing starfighter pilots and their bots kick some serious alien menace.
- GenresScience Fiction
372 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 12, 2022
84 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
About the author
M.G. Herron
42 books95 followersM.G. Herron is the author of The Gunn Files, The Translocator Trilogy, and other stories of science fiction and fantasy.
His work is published both independently and through publishing houses such as Audible Studios and Aethon Books. Altogether Herron’s novels have sold tens of thousands of copies.
Based in sunny Austin, Texas, MG’s alter ego, Matt, works for a product design agency as a content strategist. He enjoys traveling with his wife and their dog, hiking, rock climbing, and making up stories.
Learn more at mgherron.com.
His work is published both independently and through publishing houses such as Audible Studios and Aethon Books. Altogether Herron’s novels have sold tens of thousands of copies.
Based in sunny Austin, Texas, MG’s alter ego, Matt, works for a product design agency as a content strategist. He enjoys traveling with his wife and their dog, hiking, rock climbing, and making up stories.
Learn more at mgherron.com.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 14, 2022
Hidden Relics is the follow up to Starfighter Down, and picks up not long after the events over the planet Robichar, in which the Kryl attacked the settlement there. However, they did not attack in their usual manner, as it was not about the planet, this time, it was about a Relic that was hidden on the planet. During the events that occurred in book 1, Captain Elya Nevers, along with some survivors of the invasion, managed to find the Relic and bring it back to Admiral Kira Miyaru onboard the Paladin of Abniss.
At the start of book 2, we see Admiral Miyaru trying desperately to convince the Chairman of the Colonisation Board to halt the colonisation process in the short term, until the Kryl threat has been contained. However, she fails.
Without giving spoilers away for what is just an exceptional story, book 2 continues into a combination of intriguing political thrills, as well as stunning and brutal combat.
Elya is convinced that there is a much bigger picture with regards to the relics, and since the events of book 1, even though this has only been a few weeks, he has spent all of his time investigating the relics, as well as the Telios, those that created them.
Elya’s investigations however start to uncover things that lead him into areas that he should not be looking, and pretty soon, he and those he works with, find themselves the targets of a shadowy organisation, both trying to stop the investigation, and retrieve whatever the crew has, including the relic and the slug from Elya’s head.
With the death of Walcott in book 1, the team needs a new Leader as well, and this introduces a new character, unfortunately, it is someone from Casey’s past, someone who Casey does not like, and there is instant animosity between the two. But no one knows why? This leads to some very interesting issues as Flight 18 is crucified by this new Lt Comm, making their lives a living hell.
As all of this is taking place, the Colonisation Board has sent out a new ship and fleet to colonise a planet, but not long after it is sent, all communication is lost – and there is only one hope – Admiral Miyaru and the Paladin of Abniss.
Book 2 is a bit different to book 1, in that we get to see a lot of the political workings of the system of the Solaran Empire, how there was the original war with the Kryl, but now that various factions believe that the Kryl are no longer a threat (since they nuked the Kryl homeworld), that Humans can once again, spread out into space, and cut back on military spending, without worrying about the ramifications. It is only the various military elements, who are made out to be alarmist, that seem to believe that there is an imminent threat. Whilst there are elements of this story that have been seen before – Herron has done a brilliant job of making this story his own – the world building is just exceptional, with incredibly detailed and in-depth descriptions of every aspect you could think of and more. From the Solaran Empire, to the Rogue Kryl Overmind, to the mysterious Telios, everything is comprehensively covered to create this compelling Universe you get completely lost in.
This is a riveting, fast paced, action-thriller, with outstanding character driven story-telling. Elya is a fascinating character, with a troubled past (one that is covered well in the free short story Spare Parts), having been a refugee as a child, and now caught up again in another Kryl invasion, he is suffering significant PTSD episodes to his past. He is incredibly focused though, on finding and uncovering the artifacts, and more importantly, who Subject Zero is, and why it appears to be the Legendary Capt. Omar Ruidiaz. Capt Osprey (Raptor), is just as good as the brilliant Sqd Leader, who is a bit hot headed, but is also born to lead, until she comes up against her nemesis – Lt Comm Spector. This book actually brings to light some of the terrible consequences of bullying, and how it can impact people so deeply – there is some brilliant character work here, not just for Osprey, but all of her unit. Tying this all together of course, is the amazing Admiral Miyaru – who is just wonderful, in every sense of the word. She is at times quirky, but she is also gritty and just thrilling. Miyaru is easily one of my favourite characters (next to Hedgebot of course)
One of the really fascinating characters in this book is Subject Zero – we get to see inside his head a bit in this book (no spoilers), and this aspect of the story is utterly intriguing, as well as brutal at times, but also captivating. Ruidiaz’s story is one that makes this story just so good.
Starfighter Down was a brilliant start to the series, introducing us to the characters and the story, but Hidden Relics is the stunning sequel that you always hope for, as it is not only full on intrigue and enthralling combat – but it leaves you wanting more!! I finished this in less than a day, it was so good, I just couldn’t put it down (who needs sleep right?), and it is one of those standout Sci-Fi series that you will be thinking about days later! Must Read Series!! One of the standout series of the Year!!
At the start of book 2, we see Admiral Miyaru trying desperately to convince the Chairman of the Colonisation Board to halt the colonisation process in the short term, until the Kryl threat has been contained. However, she fails.
Without giving spoilers away for what is just an exceptional story, book 2 continues into a combination of intriguing political thrills, as well as stunning and brutal combat.
Elya is convinced that there is a much bigger picture with regards to the relics, and since the events of book 1, even though this has only been a few weeks, he has spent all of his time investigating the relics, as well as the Telios, those that created them.
Elya’s investigations however start to uncover things that lead him into areas that he should not be looking, and pretty soon, he and those he works with, find themselves the targets of a shadowy organisation, both trying to stop the investigation, and retrieve whatever the crew has, including the relic and the slug from Elya’s head.
With the death of Walcott in book 1, the team needs a new Leader as well, and this introduces a new character, unfortunately, it is someone from Casey’s past, someone who Casey does not like, and there is instant animosity between the two. But no one knows why? This leads to some very interesting issues as Flight 18 is crucified by this new Lt Comm, making their lives a living hell.
As all of this is taking place, the Colonisation Board has sent out a new ship and fleet to colonise a planet, but not long after it is sent, all communication is lost – and there is only one hope – Admiral Miyaru and the Paladin of Abniss.
Book 2 is a bit different to book 1, in that we get to see a lot of the political workings of the system of the Solaran Empire, how there was the original war with the Kryl, but now that various factions believe that the Kryl are no longer a threat (since they nuked the Kryl homeworld), that Humans can once again, spread out into space, and cut back on military spending, without worrying about the ramifications. It is only the various military elements, who are made out to be alarmist, that seem to believe that there is an imminent threat. Whilst there are elements of this story that have been seen before – Herron has done a brilliant job of making this story his own – the world building is just exceptional, with incredibly detailed and in-depth descriptions of every aspect you could think of and more. From the Solaran Empire, to the Rogue Kryl Overmind, to the mysterious Telios, everything is comprehensively covered to create this compelling Universe you get completely lost in.
This is a riveting, fast paced, action-thriller, with outstanding character driven story-telling. Elya is a fascinating character, with a troubled past (one that is covered well in the free short story Spare Parts), having been a refugee as a child, and now caught up again in another Kryl invasion, he is suffering significant PTSD episodes to his past. He is incredibly focused though, on finding and uncovering the artifacts, and more importantly, who Subject Zero is, and why it appears to be the Legendary Capt. Omar Ruidiaz. Capt Osprey (Raptor), is just as good as the brilliant Sqd Leader, who is a bit hot headed, but is also born to lead, until she comes up against her nemesis – Lt Comm Spector. This book actually brings to light some of the terrible consequences of bullying, and how it can impact people so deeply – there is some brilliant character work here, not just for Osprey, but all of her unit. Tying this all together of course, is the amazing Admiral Miyaru – who is just wonderful, in every sense of the word. She is at times quirky, but she is also gritty and just thrilling. Miyaru is easily one of my favourite characters (next to Hedgebot of course)
One of the really fascinating characters in this book is Subject Zero – we get to see inside his head a bit in this book (no spoilers), and this aspect of the story is utterly intriguing, as well as brutal at times, but also captivating. Ruidiaz’s story is one that makes this story just so good.
Starfighter Down was a brilliant start to the series, introducing us to the characters and the story, but Hidden Relics is the stunning sequel that you always hope for, as it is not only full on intrigue and enthralling combat – but it leaves you wanting more!! I finished this in less than a day, it was so good, I just couldn’t put it down (who needs sleep right?), and it is one of those standout Sci-Fi series that you will be thinking about days later! Must Read Series!! One of the standout series of the Year!!
July 2, 2022
This was a really great book! It is always satisfying to read 'proper scifi', and this author never fails to measure up. It is the second book in this series, and so most of the world-building has already been done. As the world of this book always made sense to me, I found it very easy to understand the surrounding, history and motivations.
This second book does take the action in a slightly different direction to the first one, which I thought was a very good idea. But the original characters were all still there, my hero Hedgebot too! It's great how he manages to add a lighter note to proceedings.
I felt slightly sad there was less flying in this book, but it was counterbalanced by plenty of action, which is always a winner with me! Hopefully there will be more in the next one!
I found the characters to be really believable - they do seem like real people and they definitely have flaws! This makes for a really satisfying read. I cannot wait for the next book!
This second book does take the action in a slightly different direction to the first one, which I thought was a very good idea. But the original characters were all still there, my hero Hedgebot too! It's great how he manages to add a lighter note to proceedings.
I felt slightly sad there was less flying in this book, but it was counterbalanced by plenty of action, which is always a winner with me! Hopefully there will be more in the next one!
I found the characters to be really believable - they do seem like real people and they definitely have flaws! This makes for a really satisfying read. I cannot wait for the next book!
November 28, 2022
This one was mainly political intrigue and betrayal with a bit of action towards the end.
Cpt. Osprey's old-school bully is now in command of her Wing and she's not changed one bit. Osprey suspects foul play but can she prove it?
Cpt. Nevers is still trying to find out more about the Telos artifacts but the MOXA agents are looking for him.
Overmind X is still in control of Ruidiaz and he's using children to overcome Telos safety measures.
This one seemed to lose itself in the politics and the strange decisions of the main characters (for example, why did Admiral Miyaru leave her place on the Bridge to go on a bug hunt inside the asteroid? Her place was in command of her armada, not running around with marines).
There were several choices made that just didn't seem to fit. But, that's storytelling I guess. You've got to make your characters do dumb shit so the story can move forward sometimes.
This one wasn't as good as the first in the series but still OK.
I enjoyed it - 3 stars
Cpt. Osprey's old-school bully is now in command of her Wing and she's not changed one bit. Osprey suspects foul play but can she prove it?
Cpt. Nevers is still trying to find out more about the Telos artifacts but the MOXA agents are looking for him.
Overmind X is still in control of Ruidiaz and he's using children to overcome Telos safety measures.
This one seemed to lose itself in the politics and the strange decisions of the main characters (for example, why did Admiral Miyaru leave her place on the Bridge to go on a bug hunt inside the asteroid? Her place was in command of her armada, not running around with marines).
There were several choices made that just didn't seem to fit. But, that's storytelling I guess. You've got to make your characters do dumb shit so the story can move forward sometimes.
This one wasn't as good as the first in the series but still OK.
I enjoyed it - 3 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2022
Overall, this is a strong story with some really amazing battles and crazy twists! And my favorite ancient aliens story EVER!
I think the politics and training are just enough to keep the story moving in the right direction. I never got bored through those parts (and they’d be the parts I would be most likely to have to slog through). This story is super engrossing and I loved it.
The character progression is fantastic and the world building on the asteroid was just perfection! There’s a great flow to this story that carries us seamlessly through to the end. The next book is going to be INSANE, I just know it. I hope it’s all about the Overmind and we learn exactly what happened to the Telos. Fantastic job, Matt, and thanks for all the Hedgebot scenes!!!
I think the politics and training are just enough to keep the story moving in the right direction. I never got bored through those parts (and they’d be the parts I would be most likely to have to slog through). This story is super engrossing and I loved it.
The character progression is fantastic and the world building on the asteroid was just perfection! There’s a great flow to this story that carries us seamlessly through to the end. The next book is going to be INSANE, I just know it. I hope it’s all about the Overmind and we learn exactly what happened to the Telos. Fantastic job, Matt, and thanks for all the Hedgebot scenes!!!
July 18, 2022
This is getting good
Other than needing a chapter or two to bring me back into the story, I really enjoyed it.
I don't know if this is part of your grand design or just too much going on. I am all for a break between books but April of next year is pushing my attention span . hurry up and write Matt
Other than needing a chapter or two to bring me back into the story, I really enjoyed it.
I don't know if this is part of your grand design or just too much going on. I am all for a break between books but April of next year is pushing my attention span . hurry up and write Matt
July 25, 2022
Kobo Epub3 DRM-Free: 9781956029062 325/355 pages
Opening almost immdiately after Book 1 the team returns to the home planet where the artifact and the parasite aract considerable interest. Despite her pleas to halt further colony charters the Board continues - with disastrous cconsequences. Flight 18 is embroiled in further problems, not least a new commander who shares a past with Osprey, while Elya tries to trace any mention of the Ancients' Relics...
A slightly slower start before a major confrontation with Subject Zero (and Overmind X) inside a broken asteroid... excellent!
Opening almost immdiately after Book 1 the team returns to the home planet where the artifact and the parasite aract considerable interest. Despite her pleas to halt further colony charters the Board continues - with disastrous cconsequences. Flight 18 is embroiled in further problems, not least a new commander who shares a past with Osprey, while Elya tries to trace any mention of the Ancients' Relics...
A slightly slower start before a major confrontation with Subject Zero (and Overmind X) inside a broken asteroid... excellent!
July 3, 2024
Not as good as the first
This book seems to narrow down to just a surprisingly small cadre of characters that have an inordinate amount of power over what happens to a massive empire. They all, coincidentally almost, always show up where the action is. The novel seems a little too narrow in focus, and loses sight of a much bigger picture.
This book seems to narrow down to just a surprisingly small cadre of characters that have an inordinate amount of power over what happens to a massive empire. They all, coincidentally almost, always show up where the action is. The novel seems a little too narrow in focus, and loses sight of a much bigger picture.
July 13, 2022
This book starts where the first one ends and, since the world building is mostly done, it really gets into the action. The characters feel real and are not perfect and the storyline keeps you interested.
January 12, 2025
Over-mind
An alien hive leader is taking over human beings with her children who have morphed into parasites who can override the thoughts of their host. Finding that they work better in children they are trying to overtake vessels carrying colonists to new planet. Good Read.
An alien hive leader is taking over human beings with her children who have morphed into parasites who can override the thoughts of their host. Finding that they work better in children they are trying to overtake vessels carrying colonists to new planet. Good Read.
July 15, 2022
Fantastic book once again. Intriguing and full of action, trying to discover the relics. Loved every bit, interesting characters.
October 27, 2022
Great stories
December 9, 2022
Fun read!
Kudos to the new breed of sci-fi writers who keep the genre alive and interesting! I'm a fan since Asimov and Clarke.
Kudos to the new breed of sci-fi writers who keep the genre alive and interesting! I'm a fan since Asimov and Clarke.
July 4, 2024
The first half was a little slow, but my faith was restored in the last half. Looking forward to finishing up the trilogy.
March 8, 2025
I'm really enjoying this series. The action is so exciting. The cast of characters is fun, and I really want a Hedgebot of my own.
October 17, 2025
Great Read
I throughly enjoyed this book. It had a good story line and kept me interested throughout the entire story. I recommend reading this book.
I throughly enjoyed this book. It had a good story line and kept me interested throughout the entire story. I recommend reading this book.
January 25, 2026
Great book loved the story can’t wait to listen to the next one I highly recommend this book and the rest of the book series 👍⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️😀
October 10, 2022
Continuing from book 1, that story is a great addition with lots of twists and battles. Can't wait until the next book is available.
December 10, 2025
Mostly politics and very little adventure - battles etc.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews