The Hidden Relic (The Evermen Saga Book 2)

When I reviewed  Enchantress (The Evermen Saga Book 1)  earlier in the month I was cautiously impressed by the way in which James Maxwell deftly balanced the fantasy element with a strong storyline and a well-developed set of characters. I expressed the hope that the sequel, `The Hidden Relic', would live up to that high standard.I wasn't disappointed. In `The Hidden Relic' he skilfully develops the original storyline/characters and gives us some brilliantly written scenes in which magic takes centre stage. And, when Enchantress Ella decides to get involved, hot lakes tend to freeze over whilst, in the heat of battle, solid bridges - made of nothing more substantial than light - become extremely useful.I was initially a little concerned about Amber and whether, as a enchantress, she was going to end up playing second fiddle to Ella. But, as the story develops, she takes on a well-defined and increasingly important role.Even without the sudden twist of those last few pages, I would definitely have downloaded Book 3 of the saga. But those few pages suggest that the Evermen Saga might rank as one of the best fantasy series of the last few years.I have just one - personal and slightly idiosyncratic - criticism. I wish James Maxwell could be a little more creative than repetitively qualifying dialogue with `he said', `she said'. A writer of his undoubted skill should be able to avoid this syntactic pitfall.I ended my review of 'Enchantress' with the comment `provided you're not expecting Tolkein or Jordan it's an excellent and enjoyable read.' Where Tolkein and Jordan are concerned it might still be true but I suspect James Maxwell could easily challenge fantasy writers such as Terry Brooks and Ian Irvine.Most definitely read and enjoy.

Another very gripping storyline which took me longer to finish as I had to work. Worth the read yes, the story gets twisted as the plot builds. If you have not read it yet buy the 1st book and continue the journey for mankind in a way you will not imagine. Thank you again Mr Maxwell

Many twists and turns to these books. A really great read. I highly recommend this trilogy.I’m looking forward to reading the third and final book😁

Although some people won't agree, I believe that if a book is part of a series then you need to read all the books to understand it. That's how I feel you know when you have a good story. This book is the second in the series and I find with a lot of second or sometimes even third books the authors tend to explain too much of what we already learnt it the book before and in such an obvious way. With this book I don't think I had any of that and if there was then it was hidden well or I don't remember (I am in the middle of the third book so pardon my memory if I am wrong). I also liked that any explanation was cut up into short chunks. I don't read a lot of books like this one (I'm a sucker for a good romcom) but there are an odd few that I have loved. I also like that there is a map at the beginning as I'm one of those readers that like to have a good discription to allow them to imagine the scene and also how far the characters have travelled and how far they are from the people they love.The story is strong and imaginative with enough twists and turns. The story travels well with a good pace and jumps between character cleanly so that the story flows better. If a character hints something or something happens that changes another characters situation, then we need a little suspense but we don't want to wait ten or more pages to get to it.Good book well worth the money and time. My college tutor won't be happy though as I have been procrastinating instead of doing coursework!

I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of magic, battles, ethics and past civilisations. Some enjoyable characters and a magic system that works pretty well. There are some imaginative twists and turns although it can be a bit neat and tidy in a curious slightly simplistic sense. Some of the relationships are a bit naive and there are odd lapses in the generally good dialogue. In one moment you think you are reading a stunning high quality epic but it can have these momentary slips into teen fantasy. Almost as if the author was tired of a particular segment and need to wrap the thread up quickly before getting in to the next phase. I am probably being a bit petty in this review because all in all it was a great read and I am really looking forward to the next episode. I think it's a 3.5 rather than a 4 but don't know how to do a half !

The book is good but no L of the Rs. It was never intended to be overly complex, but the lead characters are strong but flawed, tough but emotional. The role of women in the book is equal to that of men and they aren’t portrayed as weak victims thank goodness. First two books are a good read but I doubt that I will read the next two, not yet anyway.

Quite work environment rotating toy yahoo under investigation over people around some days following Goodreads have jumped kids look zealous

I really enjoyed reading this second book! It held a good pace and definitely kept me interested.The only smallest of niggles were that the location of the relic was guessable from relatively early on.. - and then there was a little bit at the end that didn't seem consistent/make sense. I don't think is in any way a spoiler, though I'm thinking you'll probably work what I'm talking about. Really enjoyed the other 99.5% of the book though!Not quite sure how the next book will go .. but considering I've enjoyed the last two, like others, I'll be keeping an eye out.

É um livro de aventura e magia, bem escrito e que prende a atenção do leitor, mas as cenas eróticas são apelativas e inúteis à narrativa.

The Hidden Relic is the second book in James Maxwell’s “Evermen Saga”. This one is set right after the events of book one. The Primate was dealt a blow in his plan to take over with his black army, but he is not finished. He goes north to enlist the help of a people who were exiled long ago because of their power of re-animation of the dead. Along with their army’s strength, and their knowledge of how to extract essence from human bodies, the Primate plans to make another attempt at a worldwide reign. He has another trick up his sleeve as well. He has stumbled upon a book left by the Evermen and it tells of a source of power, a weapon, that could be the deciding factor in the war. The only question is can he find it before the Akari realize they’ve been double crossed?On the other side, Miro, Ella, Killian, and Amber each must make their own sacrifices and play their own roles if they are to stop the Primate before all is lost.This book is much like the first one in that the pacing is quick, the world building is very solid, and the characters are well developed (and continue to develop throughout the story). These are the first books that I’ve read from Maxwell, but I can certainly see why he’s such a popular author. Both of these first two books have been extremely well done. There is a circumstance or situation here or there that was settled a little too conveniently or a solution that presented itself at just the right moment, but that’s forgivable considering how good the rest of the story is. Two books in, I wouldn’t call the Evermen Saga a masterwork, but I would say that it’s certainly been a fun ride that is hard to put down. With this one Maxwell has guaranteed that I’ll finish the series and in all likelihood, read his other series as well. Another great effort and most definitely worth the read.

Wonderful character development and with a ragingly engaging plot, entrancing from beginning to end. I thoroughly enjoyed the central characters growing through their experiences and found the experience of the book to be magical! Looking forward to The Path of the Storm.

Bonheur! Ce deuxième tome est à la hauteur du premier, surprise en moins. J'ai retrouvé mes "charentaises":- le Prince du désert cruel mais amoureux, avide de gloire mais finalement qui a l'écoute attentive- une magicienne aussi belle que courageuse, allant aux quatre coins du monde pour sauver son peuple, grâce à une baguette foudroyante- un chef de guerre tacticien et intelligent (un de mes personnages préférés, il reste humain, pense parfois plus à lui qu'à son peuple et fait souvent des choix audacieux et parfois des choix idiots... mais pas souvent, car c'est un des héros)- une jeune femme pragmatique (la plus forte évolution durant les deux tomes, on passe de LadyDi - pendant ses fiançailles- à la Dame de Fer et ça tient la route)- un héros atypique, isolé et mystérieux, prompt au sacrifice- un vieillard increvable, dans tous les sens du termeIl y a moins de scènes domestiques que dans le premier tome et beaucoup plus de batailles et de sang. Logique, la dictature s'est mise en place et les peuples se rebellent. Néanmoins on n'en fait pas une overdose grâce au suivi de l'histoire via des points de vue multiples. Normalement ça me lasse, ici je trouve que cela fait respirer l'histoire (au bout de 10 ou 20 pages de batailles sanglantes, on passe à un voyage dans le désert, puis à la protection d'une relique, etc.), il n'y a pas de sentiment d'ecoeurement, de trop plein comme on peut avoir quand les scènes musclées s'enchaînent les unes après les autres.J'ai acheté les deux tomes suivants et je suis impatiente de les découvrir. Le twist final semble maintenant orientée l'histoire vers les Chevaliers d'Ambre, pourquoi pas? Comme d'habitude rien d'original, mais c'est bien écrit et rythmé, cela distrait, les bons sentiments finissent par prédominer, c'est déjà beaucoup et cela me plait.

I enjoyed Part Two of this triology just as much as Part One and had to buy and read Part three directly after Finishing this one!