Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #302595 in Books
• Published on: 2007-01-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 368 pages

WOOD & VALE
'A good historical thriller... A debut novel that leaves you looking forward to the author's next work'

Review
'A good historical thriller... A debut novel that leaves you looking forward to the author's next work' (WOOD & VALE )

PETERBOROUGH EVENING TELEGRAPH
A good old-fashioned yarn... my biggest disappointment was that the ending came too soon.'

Customer Reviews

A Decent Debut
Relics by Pip Vaughan-Hughes is a decent a debut novel and an entertaining start to what is undoubtedly intended to be a series of novels.

Set in the thirteenth Century, Relics introduces readers to Brother Petroc, novice monk studying in the (I assume fictional) English town of Balcester. No sooner have we been introduced to Petroc however, than events conspire to leave him framed for murder and on the run from both the authorities and those behind the killing he is wanted for. Fleeing or his life he falls in with a bunch of pirates commanded by the enigmatic Captain de Montalhac. From there the plot spins of into a complex conspiracy involving religious & political power, early Christian relics, both real & fake, more murders and revenge. Meanwhile our protagonists are sent haring across Medieval Europe and as far north as Greenland before events reach their conclusion.

With the novel written entirely from Petroc's first person perspective he is our guide to this world of religious corruption, superstition and political intrigued. Vaughan-Hughes draws this world well, giving the diverse locations a real sense of place and atmosphere. He also manages to avoid for the most part clunky anachronistic dialogue or lapsing into too much interminable exposition. His characters too are well conceived and recognisably human, from Petroc and the Captain to the obligatory love interest Anna and the villain of the piece, Kervezey.

Where weaknesses are apparent is in the story's pacing and some of the plotting. Whilst Petroc's desperate situation is initially compelling, once he meets up with the Captain (who is something of the book's Han Solo to Petroc's Luke Skywalker) and the sense of pressing danger passes what replaces it is less engaging. Tales of the trade in religious relics and of power in a Europe that has long sinced disappeared do not grab as strongly as one man's desperate flight from a crime he did not commit. Especially since much of actual intrigue occurs off stage and is merely recounted second hand by characters. By the time that events come to a conclusion it is hard to care that much about some of the motivations of those involved. Only Petroc's story really holds interest.

The situation is not helped by pacing that is uneven, with periods of intense action interspersed with longer period of comparative inaction. This is partly a consequence of the distances travelled by Petroc and his companions, and the time that must inevitably pass for them to go from Britain to Greenland and then down to the Med in the age of sailing ships and horses. With long periods at sea with nothing more than the minutae of life aboard ship to describe, it can at times be hard to maintain interest in what's on the page. Vaughan-Hughes doesn't help himself by sending Petroc, the Captain and his crew all the way to Greenland on an errand that is only tangentally connected to the central plot. Whilst it does allow for the introduction of Anna, the least believable of all the characters encountered, otherwise it adds little to the main story and simply slows down events even further.

These critisms apart however, overall Relics is an entertaining story set during a interesting period of history. Petroc, the Captain and all the other characters are engaging company, and well written bouts of suitably bloody action interspersed throughout the book restore the reader's sense of excitement when it threatens to flag. If Vaughan-Hughes can tighten up the plotting and pacing of his next book in the Peroc series this has all the making of an appealing start to an entertaining series.

Fantastic Historical Adventure
The debut novel by Pip Vaughan-Hughes is a gripping read from start to finish. The basic story revolves around Brother Petroc, a monk who is more concerened about the purity of his soul than what is going on around him. Suddenly Petroc is thrust into center stage when he is framed for a brutal murder by a sinister member of the Knights Templar. From there this engrossing tale goes into overdrive with Petroc on the run and so begins the adventure of a lifetime. What I loved most about this book is the well written narative. Pip Vaughan-Hughes does a brilliant job of keeping the story flowing and keeping the mystery and suspense up. A rollercoaster of a read this book will keep you enthralled from the best first line I have ever read to the last. I for one cannot wait until the next one.

A very real slant on a fantasy adventure
How can this be real and fantasy at the same time. OK so it's a fictional novel the involves murder, treasure, princesses and all the usual fantasy subjects you would expect. Add to that, however, the realism of human symptoms caused by a long sea voyage, blood and guts described as 'blood and guts' and the short comings of our hero that are usually heroically skirted over by other authors. It struck me as a teenagers book written for adults. I found Pip's writing style to be both refreshing and disturbing at the same time. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a story you can really get into. Similar in standard and genre to the Tim Severin 'Viking' trilogy. I very much look forward to this authors next book.