RELIC REVIEWS!
Relic is a great example of how immersive world-building, captivating characters, and reader engagement can come together to create a wonderful reading experience. From the very first page, Sean Hall transports the reader into a world that feels incredibly vivid, which makes the reading experience phenomenal.
What really makes Relic great is its pacing. Hall strikes that perfect balance between action, intrigue, humor, and world exploration, ensuring that you’re never left skimming, waiting for the “good parts” or looking at what page you’re on.
In my opinion, if you’re a fan of the video game Starfield, or any other incredible sci-fi mass media projects, then Relic is a must read! Sean Hall has crafted something special, and I can’t wait to see what comes next!
I was lucky enough to snag one of the early print copies of Relic and have been blown away by it. For a debut novel, Sean has thrown out twists and turns, intense action sequence, and heavy, detailed world-building that rivals other giants in this genre. Relic is a mix of cyberpunk and space opera—with a heist thrown in the middle.
The emotional weight that the lead character, Owen, brings to the table is palpable on every page and his lighthearted banter with Tex is a welcome addition of comic relief. Relic is a fun, exciting, and high-octane cyberpunk adventure that will keep you turning the page until the very last beat.
If you enjoy video games like Cyberpunk 2077, Mass Effect, Starfield, and even No Man's Sky, you will absolutely adore this book. It's the weight and the sprawling universe of James SA Corey's Leviathan Wakes meets the intense action of John Scalzi's Old Man's War meets the humor and humanity of Andy Weir's The Martian.
Highly recommend to any sci-fi lovers. Get yourself a copy immediately.
A Formidable Addition to 21st Century Science Fiction
Sean Hall's debut novel 'Relic,' written in the first-person perspective, is full of everything you could want from sci-fi. A solid plot, good motivation, well-detailed characters, scientific descriptions of weapons, vehicles, and tools, a snarky robotic buddy to the main protagonist, a ruthless power-hungry villain, and sooo much more.
This book has a great pacing and seems to change scenes only when necessary to further the plot, rather than employing it as a trope to maintain the reader's interest. It has a great balance between descriptive writing, action, and emotional storytelling. Sometimes you'll feel as if you're walking the planet and taking in the scenery, other times you might be surprised you're reading a book and not playing a first-person-shooter video game! All of this is well-balanced with the emotional moments. There were several times my heart dropped in my chest, and THAT is a great sign of incredible writing.
There were some references to Sean's other personal interests, such as music and tattoos, so you can tell he poured his heart into this. 'Relic' was a marvelous adventure that felt like I got to enter into a world designed just by Sean. I got to walk alongside not only Owen Beck, but also the author's own imagination. I was very happy with the ending and am looking forward to not only re-reading this book, but also to any further additions to Sean Hall's literary career!
Relic by Sean Hall is written like hard sci fi future noir meets classic space adventure tale. The story is set against a future noir world that feels alive and lived in. Our tale brings you a criminal underworld, powerful corporations, rainy cityscapes as well as your space ships, blaster fights and alien creature encounters. Throw in a heist and a treasure hunt and you have all the ingredients to great sci fi adventure in a deftly blended mix of genres striking a balance of hard boiled and heartfelt. The quality of the writing is well above what you ordinarily expect from a self published novel. The story moves along briskly while filling in the deeper motivations and backstory of our anguished hero giving him depth. I definitely felt shades of Richard K Morgan meets Destiny and Uncharted without feeling overly derivative. I flew through this story and I am eagerly awaiting the next.