This book was so Amazing!! The storyline was interesting and the characters were well done! This book took my on a wild ride, the fantasy was top notch and kept my attention! I can’t wait for for the next book!!

Did I love this book? Yes
Did this book explored many fantasy tropes? also yes
Do I want to keep them coming? Yes please

I don't mind fantasy books using our most beloved tropes at once if it is in an unique way and you can still pick the stories apart. Well this one did not disappoint. I find myself enjoying it way more than what I thought I would and I made my friend read it as well lol

3.5 stars

I believe that is a great fantasy story. The book is engaging. The plot has me very interested. The dialogue among the characters is easy to read as well as the narration of the story. I like that writer did add complicated wording to the book. I thought the book was easy to to read. The entertainment was interesting. Some moments were surprising. That only made the book better. Each character had the own story to tell, which was awesome.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

The plot was intriguing and the pace was good. Really liked seeing the fmc development and going through this all adventure and action. I thought the romance was a bit fast. But in the end was okay

This book had great pacing especially starting off mid scene. I love how Catanya struggled with her conscience throughout and how she didn't necessarily get a happy ending. The tension between her and her brother and the slow burn of their confrontation was keeping me hooked to reading the book whenever I could! This one is, however, a book that doesn't spare violence; we're talking mass murder and child death. The fantasy names were unique and easy to pronounce. Diyah was a highlight as a supporting character as was Drayk, and the author did great with incorporating flashback to establish backstory.Basically everyone';s dialogue was better than Catanya though; particularly Cadyan, whose final chapter was riveting.

Best Quote: "I suppose we must ask ourselves what is more valuable, obedience or loyalty?"

Catanya grows up an orphan in Camlee Lodge but on the coronation of the new king, she experiences a revelation that reveals her as being connected to the new king and having magic. Her life is in danger and she must flee the lodge just as the king's troops come searching for her. Meanwhile, her best friend Diyah is taken prisoner by the king but her ability as a healer helps her to improve her situation along with those of a few other girls from the orphanage.

This was a reasonably good start to the series and it left me intrigued to find out what happens next. Catanya's experiences while travelling are interesting enough to keep me reading. She has to keep her identity hidden which causes problems for those she comes to care for. Not to mention the magic she has recently discovered and which she has little control over. There's a fair bit of death and destruction along the way. At the palace, the twin brother of Catanya is raging over a fracture in his own magic and Diyah is witness to some of his anger. But she does seem to have an ally of sorts in one of the king's men who has secretly helped her situation.

I suspect there are romantic connections building for both women so I will see how that plays out along with development of other aspects of the plot.

Overall I give this 3.5 stars. Thank you to Mad Endeavor for providing the advanced reader copy. I have written this review voluntarily.

The Relics of Illayan
The Quiescence Trilogy, Book 1
by Kathryn Knowles
Publication:16 Nov 2021
Publisher:Mad Endeavour
Genre: #General Fiction (Adult) #Romance #sci Fi & Fantasy


Felha, the Queen, has to do something distracting to save her daughter.
Cadyan and Catayna are both the same for me, an undertone to her. She's not fighting herself on the run from her brother King.

If you want magic, find magical powers within this book
Diyah, I love her wit.
Cadyan is a Vicious king who will kill anyone in his path, and his mother has some resentment towards him.

This book has a perfect world of fantastic descriptive writing. Caydan, a character from the book, I began to loathe absolutely. I enjoyed reading about Catanya's journey of discovery and her adventures in the book.
I look forward to reading more about the author's analysis of the backgrounds of the supporting characters. I'm excited to see where the story goes next and can't wait to continue the journey in the next one! The magic system was also well-detailed.

Catanya and her strong will were especially memorable. Characters I didn't care for them, but that was due to how well they were written.

The pacing was perfect for me, and I didn't get bored or lose interest.

Book two, The Warrior Queen
Book Three, The Age of Resonance - available November 2022

Well paced, romantic, sweeping fiction that makes you want to sit and READ. Knowles is a brilliant writer, giving time and thought the ebb and flow of the story that pays off in a major way. This is the kind of fantasy that will get you out of a reading slump. Though at times it can feel a bit contrived, with some bits of dialogue a touch campy or some plot devices a bit too convenient, it is easy to forgive given the fascinating storyline and the gripping climax. Invite yourself into Caerlon, have a seat at the table, and simply enjoy yourself.

👑 The Relics of Illayan 👑

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Finished: 11/26/22


Catanya lived her whole life believing she was an orphan; one day everything changes when her caregiver reveals to her her connection to the crown.

Throughout most of this book Catanya is on the run, and her best friend, Diyah, is a prisoner. The friendship between the two are so wholesome, and can't wait to see their reunion.

I loved all the characters, and the mystery some of them are all keeping. Alot of scheming is happening behind the scenes, and I can't wait to see everybody's true intentions.

I will say this book is pretty slow paced; but I think it'll pick up in the next book! Really intrigued in Catanyas upcoming journey, as well as the hidden relationships between some of the supporting characters.

Catanya and Diyah have lived at Camlee Lodge, a home for orphaned girls, most of their lives. Lady Genna managed the lodge and became somewhat of a mother to the girls. Everything changes when strange powers start to manifest in Cantanya the night the new king was crowned. Unable to hide a the dark secret any longer, Catanya is told that her twin brother is the new king and that she was sent to safety by her mother at birth, as her husband the king would have killed the second heir. When the new king finds out about the existence of Catanya, he orders her captured. One night their village is attacked while the girls were away from the lodge. Lady Genna and many of the girls were killed by men sent by the new king. Diyah and Catanya are about to escape when they are noticed. Diyah sends Catanya away to run to safety. Diyah and a few of the young girls from the lodge are captured by the kings men.

While captured, the novel does take quite a dark turn. The abuse and torture and semi veiled threats of rape are explained in detail. I did find these parts difficult to read, but, it brings to light the horrors that women have faced since the beginning of time, even though this particular book is a work of fiction. Diyah and the remaining girls are eventually imprisoned in the dungeon of the castle where they are tortured and finally left to starve.

Catanya was able to evade initial capture and eventually met up with a boy named Jemys. The two would eventually make it to the village that Jemys lived in. There his aunt would take in Catanya, though none of them knew her secret. Catanya knew she would eventually have to leave everyone behind, no matter how much she grew to love them.

Once the time came for Catanya to leave cane, she was met with terrifying obstacle after obstacle. The book culminates in a showdown between her and her twin brother, the new king.

There are two more books in this series and I look forward to reading them.

In all honesty, I expected more from this. The synopsis sounded intriguing, but to me, this book just felt as though it was sloppily cobbled together.

The dialogue is one aspect that leaves something to be desired—it's not well done, and it's so contrived that this almost feels like a middle grade book at times. The bad guys are caricatures of villains; their dialogue, in particular, comes across as being pulled right from a guide on what every stereotypical bad guy should say: lots of crude remarks about women, laughter as they inflict pain on the MCs, etc. They weren't at all fleshed out. The dialogue of the protagonists isn't any better—in fact, the very first conversation between the two FMCs very nearly made me DNF because of how cheesy it was.

On that note, I also had a hard time believing that these characters were in their early 20s. Their behavior, their dialogue—it really felt more like they were young teenagers to me, and it made it hard to connect with them. I found myself constantly rolling my eyes at them, and I really just couldn't connect with them at all. They came across as cliche and immature.

I also wasn't personally a fan of the way the synopsis described the book vs. how the book actually played out, but that may just be my pickiness. I might have liked this better if the mystery of the FMC's birthright was played up a bit more, as that would've given me a reason to want to continue reading. As it was, that "mystery" was exposed within the very first chapter, and I had absolutely no motivation to keep reading. I didn't care about the characters at all.

This did have its good aspects—for instance, it's clear that the author put a lot of work into the world building, even if that world wasn't properly fleshed out from a reader's perspective—but overall, this feels like a rough draft more than a finished piece.

The Relics of Illayan
The Quiescence Trilogy #1
Sci-fi/Fantasy
Kathryn Knowels
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I loved the world builing in this book. It was well developed without any info dumps and it kept me curious the whole way through. The magic system was nicely detailed too.

The characters were great, especially Catanya and her strong will. There were some characters I didn't like at all but that due to how well they were written.

The pacing was just right for me so I didn't find myself getting bored or losing interest at all.

Overall the writing style and interesting plot made me enjoy reading this book and I think I'd give the next book a read too.

*Thank you to @netgalley and the publishers for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review*