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Reliquary Douglas Preston , Lincoln Child
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Reliquary
Douglas Preston , Lincoln Child
Reliquary Douglas Preston , Lincoln Child Hidden deep beneath Manhattan lies a warren of tunnels, sewers, and galleries, mostly forgotten by those who walk the streets above. There lies the ultimate secret of the Museum Beast. When two grotesquely deformed skeletons are found deep in the mud off the Manhattan shoreline, museum curator Margo Green is called in to aid the investigation. Margo must once again team up with police lieutenant D'Agosta and FBI agent Pendergast, as well as the brilliant Dr. Frock, to try and solve the puzzle. The trail soon leads deep underground, where they will face the awakening of a slumbering nightmare.
Reliquary Details
Date : Published August 1st 2005 by Tor Books (first published 1997) ISBN : 9780765354952 Author : Douglas Preston , Lincoln Child Format : Mass Market Paperback 464 pages Genre : Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Horror
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From Reader Review Reliquary for online ebook
Sean Gibson says
If reading Relic was the literary equivalent of eating a hot dog, reading Reliquary is like eating a chili cheese dog with extra onions—it’s more of everything that was good (and also heartburn-inducing) about its predecessor. Higher stakes, a more elaborate (and ridiculous) mystery, crazier science/pseudo- science…heck, it even threw in a Scooby-Doo-esque villain (“I’d have gotten away with it, too, if you meddling FBI geniuses with cloying southern accents hadn’t stopped me!”).
So, chances are, if you’re in the mood for a chili cheese dog with extra onions and are okay with the downside of planting that baby in your stomach (including the inevitable Ron Burgundy-style “Milk was a bad choice!” exclamations you’ll undoubtedly utter when the plot takes a few face-palming turns and/or our characters feast on a delicious roasted subway rat), you’re going to scarf this down and keep coming back for more. Because Preston and Child know how to craft an addictive thriller. They know how to keep pages turning. They know how to create a world within a world within a world in the storytelling play land that is Manhattan. (Bonus points for this story taking place (and having been written) in the nascent days of the interwebs and cell phone technology, when our sleuths couldn’t rely on handheld devices to give them all the answers they needed, which added a layer of delicious, um, relish to the proceedings (I’m running out of hot dog toppings, people).)
I’m looking forward to continuing on with Pendergast and company’s adventures, though I understand from smart people (aka, Steven) that a detour into Thunderhead should be undertaken before opening up The Cabinet of Curiosities…
In the meantime, I’m going to go take some antacids. And brush my teeth. And maybe eat an entire mint plant. (Though I’m not sure if any of those things are powerful enough to offset the effects of the mighty chili cheese dog with extra onions and relish. Maybe I’ll just look into a stomach and mouth transplant.)
Mike (the Paladin) says
I didn't care for this one quite as much as I did the first (Relic). Pendergast is still a good character but the story wanders a little farther into the suspension of disbelief area.
There is one point in this book that disappointed me particularly, but to go into what would require a notable spoiler. So, the book is still readable and enjoyable, Pendergast is still a good character (aside from the "Gary Stu" aspects. He is somewhat of a superhero.)...but I still didn't care for it quite as much as its predecessor.
The book here is still fun and an "actioner" but it's built on the last story and wobbles a bit not being as well plotted or constructed. Read it to fill in the Pendergast saga, it's a quick read and if you plan to follow the entire "series" (as Andy Griffith said in his Hamlet routine) "you will need it later".
I would say don't let it put you off as later parts of the Pendergast saga are much better.
Terry says
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Very fun and exicting sequel to Relic. Those who enjoyed the first book would likely enjoy this follow-up, which included several of the original characters. The book is filled with action and science and a great, creepy setting, which is hard to believe is based on reality. I enjoyed very much, and look forward to reading more of the adventures of Pendergast. Thanks to Ginger also, for a great buddy read!
Quentin Wallace says
[ The whole mad scientist posing as a god to the monsters in the sewer just didn't work to me, even though there at least were good explanations presented for what led to the events. I just thought the first story with the wandering monster in the museum was much better than the more human like monsters living
Lisa says
Enjoyable sequel to Relic - it has the same fab characters and the same spooky story but this time set in the underground tunnels of New York. Love all the 'science' bits as before and just think it's a fun creepy story. To add to the hilarity I listened to this one on audio and the man talking in a girl's voice made me laugh so much and then when they were denoting a thought rather than something said aloud they used an 'echo' effect - heehee! (I am so childish sometimes!) kartik narayanan says
Reliquary is to Relic what Aliens is to Alien. Both are them are great books (and movies) and while the first book (movie) focuses on a single predator in a closed space, the latter focuses on multiple predators in larger space.
Reliquary, while being as intense as Relic, also manages to have time for character development. In addition to the gang of four we saw in Relic (Pendergast, D'Agosta, Margo & Bill), we have new characters who also have their own unique stories.The great writing as well as the fast pacing carries over from Relic.
In conclusion, Reliquary is a great sequel to Relic.
Erin ? *Proud Book Hoarder* says
With that tantalizing wrap-up of Relic, I couldn’t wait to revisit the story and characters in Reliquary. I’m glad the authors decided to continue the story of Mbwun right off, although it’s clear after the prologue that much has happened and mutated behind the scenes.
You get a return of the familiar characters, but most have changed a little, partly from the events they survived and partly from the developments which befell them as a consequence of those events. Margo has rounded out to be a little more lifelike, Pendergast still amuses (but is gone a lot), and D’Agosta is fortunately back as well (but missing a little something?).
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While this book didn’t capture the intensity of the first, it was ambitious. Child and Preston dug into the fascinating and underexplored theme of the ‘mole people,’ an underground society of human dwellers who adapt to the dark because of how much time they spend in it. A whole other society hidden from ours, many of them the dregs of the former society they belonged to, such as criminals bailing on parole and parents skipping out on the child welfare system. A large group of them, however, were victims of homelessness and had nowhere else to go. The authors conclude this fiction piece by pointing in the afterword to a non-fiction book written about this very subject.
The underground tunnel scenes are intense, creepy, but they never touch the atmosphere of the original. The track rabbit eating scene was one of the grossest I can remember reading about. The end has a surprising villain, didn’t see that coming.
It’s hard to put my finger on why this book doesn’t work as well as the first one. Still, it’s a good book and a worthy sequel. I’m curious on the third, which likely takes on a brand new plot entirely.
Scott says
Drug fueled cannabalistic secret underground societies? Mass-affluent revenge driven political coups? Battle of wits between Type A NYPD and brilliant minds of Pendergast and company? You’re god damn right! There was not a single dull moment in this book and enjoyed it considerably more than it’s predecessor. I am so happy to have “lucked” into these authors and this series. If there is the slightest hesitation to read these books, stop. Just do it. Yes, I am only on book 2 but cannot wait to continue them.
*petty annoyance - I am far from an evolutionary biologist, however it seems the book was written with thorough research and factual basis which is much appreciated. However, amongst the vivid descriptions and action packed sequences there is gun talk. I am not an extremist in any way, but there is no safety to “switch off” on a glock. A “clip” is only used on belt-fed fire arms. These simple and easy facts to get correct were not.
As I said, this is petty and does not take away from the excitement and brilliance of the book, but in the moment, annoyed me and took me out of the tunnels. I battled with myself on whether I would mention this and couldn’t get away from it, so sorry for the rant . :)
Ginger says
What a fun and suspenseful book to read! Fans of Relic will enjoy Reliquary. All the same characters from Pendergast, Margo to D'Agosta are in this sequel. You'll enjoy a few new characters such as Hayward (a badass woman cop for NYPD) to the chief of police that's the typical narcissistic politician that makes bad decisions. (Woah, sounds familiar, huh?) ?? hahaha
It's got a great setting for a book, the NYC tunnels. This was so fascinating since it's based on facts and the community that live below New York City. I really loved this part of the book besides all the science information Dr. Margo Green has to solve.
Anyway, I love this series! The books are gripping, suspenseful and have a wonderful quality of great characters to love and hate. The books are very entertaining and honestly, isn't that what you want while
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Thanks to my awesome friend Terry for doing a buddy read with me on this book. Looking forward to tackling book #3 with you!!
Colleen says
I love these books so much. I'm trying to reread the whole series (for what is probably the fourth or fifth time) before the latest book comes out in May. Funny reading this again, I couldn't help but notice how little Pendergast is in this one. All of the later ones focus on him much more, but in the earlier ones, the strength of the book is much more in the cast of characters and not one individual.
I like how fleshed out the world is. And I give major points to both authors for giving me so many characters I like (no one annoys me)--Margo, D'Agosta, Smithback, and Hayward all have equal billing with Pendergast. Even Brambell, the Medical Examiner in this one, gets referenced in later book--I think the Ice Limit, where his brother is the doctor on that ship. So minor things tend to reoccur in later novels, which I really like.
I do roll my eyes occasionally at how EVERYONE (except for D'Agosta) in these books has committed obscure 16th century poems to heart or how Pendergast always can worm out information or favors from people by recalling that they once had an article published in a 1997 quarterly of Southwestern Arizona Architecture. But after reading thousands and thousands of pages of this, I also find it a charming conceit.
I also read Mole People because the authors urge us to at the end of the book (and it's obvious how much they draw from that source) and that's another amazing book.
TS Chan says
A great sequel to the first of the Pendergast series, Reliquary is an absorbing, page-turner that is better than its predecessor.
Seeing updates of this book popping up in my feed recently was a good reminder that I've been intending to continue with this series. Reliquary is the sequel to Relic with the same cast of main characters who survived the horrors at the Museum of Natural History, after a time-gap of about eighteen months.
I find that it is not easy writing reviews for thriller novels. The enjoyment is always in not knowing much about the book in the first place. So if you want to know about the plot, you'll not find it here. All I can say is that if you have read Relic and its Epilogue, the mystery is not so mysterious after all. As for the plot, it is predictable but entertaining. This is a series about Agent Pendergast, so you know he is going to survive, right? And he better damn well does as I really enjoyed the Pendergast character. He is eccentric, learned, calm and competent. Despite his strangeness, this Southern gentleman is not to be trifled with. I love how he exudes this threatening presence without ever needing to raise his voice or point a gun at his intended target.
This is not to say that the other main, and even supporting, characters are shabby too, each having a distinct personality suited to their respective role within the story. I have to admit that there are some typical annoying individuals that always seem to appear in these stories. You know, the incompetent police captain who does nothing but whine and always try to either claim glory or blame others to his advantage or the
PDF File: Reliquary... 6 Read and Download Ebook Reliquary... chief who is more concerned of his political standing over doing what is right. Characters like these are the one cliche that I could seriously do without as they infuriate me to no end. Notwithstanding, the fact that I want some individuals to live and some others to die a less than peaceful death only shows that the book is thoroughly engaging me.
Reliquary takes the story out of the Museum of Natural History into the underground tunnels of New York City; from one atmospheric and creepy location to another setting that is even more sinister. The real history of NYC has it that there is a massive web of underground tunnels - a significant portion of which are still unmapped - which are inhabited by people. The author took inspiration from the published stories of these inhabitants who are called "the mole people" to shed light on the plight of these underground homeless.
The geek in me has always enjoyed a bit of scientific investigation, whether it is steeped in real theories and discoveries, or not. This book reminded me both of Patricia Cornwell's Scarpetta and Crichton's Jurassic Park series as forensic science meets evolutionary biology. Between these interesting laboratory scenes and the great action ones in the underground tunnels, I find myself unwilling to put down the book when I had to. And one thing's for sure though, Preston & Child know how to write a suspenseful climax.
This review can also be found at Booknest
Stephen says
Oh the humanity…the expectation-murdering ugh of the dreadful sequel to the quality original. Unfortunately they happen. Some are a menace to the phantoms of our youthful memories:
…others make us long for murderous Revenge on the studio that spawned it from their retched, greed- dripping Jaws.
Some sequels have plot/acting/directing so loaded with mockery- needed fail that we are transformed into staunch proponents of the virtues of franchise euthanasia:
…and some sequels are just big, bloated, ego-filled piles of worthless SHAT:
Finally…there are sequels for which this reviewer has no words:
*convulsive shudder*
Relic, the first book in the Pendergast series was a lot of fun and I thought did a great job of taking the murder/mystery thriller and accessorizing it was an “X-file” like supernatural element grounded it plausible scientific explanation. It’s junk science but it completely allows for the suspension of disbelief.
That non-standard plot device and the introduction of a very engaging main character, Aloysius Pendergast, the brilliant Southern FBI agent with an open-mind for the bizarre. The story was engaging and I had a very good time with it.
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Thus, I was really looking forward to this sequel.
U N F O R T U N A T E L Y ...
The story turned out to be a lifeless, potentially series-killing disappointed for me. It had none of the charm or attempted credibility of the first novel.
PLOT SUMMARY:
The story takes place about 18 months after the events of Relic and reunites the reader with many of the original players along with some new faces to solve a series a brutal murders being committed against the homeless population living under New York City. The condition of the bodies and the nature of the injuries leads to speculation that something unusual (i.e., non-human) may be committing the crimes.
Like so many pooch-screwing, shark-jumping sequels, this story suffers from trying to be so much bigger and louder than its predecessor. It fails and the result is simply a story that loses all sense of focus and narrative suspense. The characters are denied any opportunity to display any depth and become mere “caricatures” of the people I liked so much in the original.
Now, on the positive side, Pendergast is still an engaging character and when he is on the page he makes the story better. However, he’s not around enough to help out, let alone save, what is an otherwise very uninspired story.
Hopefully, this is just an anomaly and future stories in this series will get back to the formula that worked so well in the first book. It has made me cautious about continuing the series and I am certainly not going to jump right into book 3.
Still…memories fade…pain lessens…forgiveness is possible. I may be back.
2.0 stars.
Dirk Grobbelaar says
Eighteen months before, she had stared into the face of Mbwun, seen her reflection in its feral red eyes.
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First of all: the cover of Reliquary is misleading. I have a vague suspicion that the critter depicted is a rather innocuous and extraordinarily baboon-like depiction of Mbwun, because it certainly isn’t a Wrinkler. It was important for me to get that off my chest, because Reliquary is the first Pendergast novel that I read out of sequence. Why? Well, the closing chapters of Relic and the cover art of Reliquary had me thinking that this was going to be a repeat of the previous novel. Well, it isn’t.
[He] jerked his head back instinctively at the sight, but not before his brain had registered something out of his worst nightmare, worse for being vague in the dim light.
This is a fairly spooky novel, and more than a little gruesome at times, but it doesn’t quite manage to maintain the level of terror that Relic did throughout. It’s basically a “zombie” novel (of sorts) dressed up as a mystery thriller, with elements of Heart of Darkness and The Island of Dr. Moreau. Categorising it is basically impossible.
“There are perhaps more types of underground inhabitants, Dr. Brambell, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
There’s a lot of potential for spoilers here, but the basic premise of the plot is: people are turning up dead with their heads missing. Sound familiar? It should. But (obviously) there’s a twist, and I have to commend the authors on the way they tied the two novels together. Even though there is a Mbwun connection, it is rather unique and not quite what I had expected.
[He] saw, with a sense of eerie unreality, that they were cloaked and hooded.
There is a lot of science in here, and it’s again clear that Preston & Child do a lot of research when writing their novels. That said - this novel requires a lot of suspension of disbelief. More so than Relic or, probably, any of the other Pendergast novels I’ve read. Again: I can’t tell you why, since that would be a spoiler.
The one thing the book does seem to suffer from is too many protagonists. This is the last book that features such a big leading cast, and with The Cabinet of Curiosities, Pendergast takes the lead role for himself, which makes for a much sleeker reading experience.
The good news is: the baddies are well and truly frightening. And I do mean frightening.
There was something bestial about their scuttling that turned his blood to ice.
The action moves from the New York museum (Relic) to the New York City underground. Expect scenes involving sewers, tunnels, subways, shafts… and other even more ominous surroundings. In other words, expect a lot of darkness, claustrophobia and downright terror.
In all truth: this is a 3-star book. It’s not as evenly paced as I would have liked and things get rather melodramatic towards the end. However… the sheer level of dread the Wrinklers evoked at times garners another star.
And then the screams began: ululating, rising louder and louder as they rent the soft summer night.
Lobstergirl says
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Please let me never again read a novel about a race of mutated hoboes living underground.
StoryTellerShannon says
MINI REVIEW: A nice follow up to book one that doesn't suffer through the typical sophomoric slump. Yes, the beast is back but in a totally different manner so no real spoilers there. Focus upon the mole people of NYC with some interesting tidbits of American History that go back quite a ways. Dialog and story plotting are particularly well done and new characters come to visit. If you enjoyed the first book then you should enjoy this one as well.
WHEN READ: July to September 2010; MY GRADE: B plus to A minus.
Jovana says
Zanimljiva sve vreme. Simpati?ni likovi.
Jeffrey Keeten says
”Aloysius Xingu Leng Pendergast is generally described as being stoically aloof and eccentric, though his ineffable politeness and unerring intellect imbue him with an irresistible charm or enigmatic sense of danger if the occasion should call for it. Well-learned in many subjects, he converses easily with doctors, scientists, intellectuals, vagabonds, highly specialized masters of specific disciplines, and people of a wide variety of language and culture alike. He is a master of psychological manipulation, disguise, and improvisation.
Pendergast appreciates the finer things in life, including expensive cuisine and wines. Food and drink he enjoys include Château Pétrus wine, antipasto, green tea of only the purest and most spiritual kind, gelato, and steak tartare. He has a great distaste for opera.” Wikipedia
The survivors from the first book in the series, Relic, have returned in another monster mash adventure that will take them deep into the underground, beneath the streets of New York City. Pendergast is back, still in his supporting role, but for me he is always the star of the show. He is a man I could see myself spending some time with at his fabulous apartment, sipping a fine wine and discussing books and the theater. I might even convince him to give opera another chance. I’d probably also try to get him to spend some time outdoors. His pale, corpse-like appearance could use a healthy dose of natural vitamin D.
The monster from Relic may have perished, but due to the mad workings of a desperate scientist, there are these human hybrid creatures called Wrinklers who are growing in numbers deep in the bowels of the underground.
”’No! No!’ Waxie yelled in desperation, trying to kick away the grasping hands of the closest figure and knocking back its hood in the process. Smithback jerked his head back instinctively at the sight, but not before his brain had registered something out of his worst nightmare, worse for being vague in the dim light: narrow lizard’s pupils, thick wet lips, great creases and folds of extra skin. It suddenly
PDF File: Reliquary... 10 Read and Download Ebook Reliquary... dawned on him that these must be the Wrinklers….”
The Wrinklers crave the same plant life that was brought back from the Brazilian jungle to the National History Museum. This plant was the catalyst for the horrific events in the first book, Relic. Now, the problems have spread from the tunnels beneath the museum to the rest of New York. Homeless people, called moles, who have “elected” to live beneath the city, are starting to show up dead, but not only dead...the headless variety of dead. When Wrinklers can’t get enough of the plant they need, the next best source of food for them is the human hypothalamus. Unfortunately, they have to go through the skull to get what they crave.
It will take all the powers of their combined intellects to quell this insidious invasion of the truly monstrous creatures concocted by an unexpected supervillain. This was lots of fun, not as tight and cool as the first book. It is just hard to beat a monster in the museum plot, but the writing is top notch, and the suspense keeps ratcheting up as our valiant characters do everything they can to derail the tragedy that is trying to unfold. I’m looking forward to the third book, Cabinet of Curiosities, when Pendergast finally gets his first lead acting role in a novel. The wonderful thing about this series is there are currently seventeen entries and counting so I won’t have to worry about running out for a long time.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
Oscar says
Siempre me han llamado la atención los libros escritos a cuatro manos. No tengo claro cómo se coordinan a la hora de llevar a cabo el trabajo. ¿Un capítulo cada uno? ¿Uno tiene las ideas y otro redacta? Me parece que debe tener más ventajas que inconvenientes, ya que si uno de los dos se atasca en algún punto de la trama, siempre es más fácil salir del apuro consultando al otro. Lo que sí tengo claro es que el dúo Preston- Child realiza su trabajo de maravilla. Saben escribir, bien, muy bien.
‘El relicario’ (Reliquary, 1997) es la secuela de ‘The Relic (El ídolo perdido)’, primer libro de la serie del agente del FBI Pendergast, y absoluto best seller internacional, con adaptación cinematográfica incluida. Hay que empezar diciendo que este segundo libro es mucho mejor que el anterior. Tal vez pueda leerse de manera independiente, pero no lo aconsejo, ya que la historia retoma los hechos poco después de lo acontecido en ‘The Relic’ y es fácil perder todo el entramado que se forma alrededor.
En cuanto a la historia de ‘El relicario’, nos encontramos otra vez en Nueva York. La novela empieza con la aparición de dos esqueletos en las aguas residuales de un río, con claras deformidades. Es entonces cuando entran en la investigación viejos conocidos, como son el teniente D’Agosta y Margo Green, conservadora del Museo de Historia Natural. Parece que algo se está cociendo en los subterráneos de Manhattan, verdadero laberinto y un mundo aparte.
La acción no decae en ningún momento, y vamos conociendo un poco más al enigmático agente Pendergast, cuyo protagonismo es mayor que en la primera novela. Impresionante todo el tercio final, que se lee casi sin respiración. Douglas Preston y Lincoln Child dignifican el tan denostado (a mi entender injustamente) género del best seller.
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J.K. Grice says
The excellent continuation of the Pendergast series.
Shaina says
4.5 Just in case, may be spoilers .. minor ones. Though I think they are in the synopsis on the book.
This book was scary, or gave me a few shivers but for entirely different reasons than Relic. This one took place mostly under the city of NY and again in the NY Museum of Natural History. I’ve always loved hearing about the Paris catacombs, cenotés and cave systems— so this was a bonus mystery underworld waiting to be discovered. The thing is, there are these tunnels, with all of these homeless: vets, mentally disturbed, current and ex drug users, ex convicts, current law dodgers, people who don’t feel like they can be above, and many more types; all there under New York. THAT is what gave me the shivers. Thousands of people living that way. A lot of them harmless, but some dangerous types mixed right in. Some of them never come to the surface. The book wasn’t all fiction. The fact in the book chilled me as much as the fiction. The plot was great once it got going and I had my suspicions of what might happen. I kept making audible sounds at the book. I would also set it down and shake my head. Captain Waxie and a few other characters .... they annoyed me. I love how D’Agosta and Pendergast and Co. dealt with them though. I also love how this (ok real spoiler ) (don’t read this sentence ) built in the end of the last book with Kawakita’s experiments at the end and the drug he made. Blah blah blah. (End spoiler )
There was a lot of suspense in here and I was on pins and needles. Time was really of the essence in here. I just loved it.
I also have to say Pendergast made me laugh a lot in this one. This one was great. This one showed what the agent really was like.
Ah, one last thing. I was not happy about who the main antagonist was in the end. It was plausible, but I don’t have to like it.
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