This was a decent fantasy sequel. For context, I liked but didn't love the first book. I wanted to give this series another opportunity to win me over wirh book two.

I find this one to have fairly good characters and plot but there is nothing about this one I found to be particularly particularly memorable. This piece of epic fantasy just felt safe. It didn't take a lot of chances or subvert the tropes. I am typically more drawn to innovative narratives and this one leaned so heavily into the basic tropes.

All that being said, I would primarily recommend this one to readers who enjoy very traditional fantasy series and are looking for another they haven't read yet.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

3.5/5 stars

My tastes have definitely changed and refined since I got back into reading as an adult, and I can tell because of how differently I felt about this book compared to the first in the series, Empire of Exiles.

That said - I did still very much enjoy this book. But, the pacing felt off and the cast of characters and former-nations and cultures and religions and naming conventions and all of it….it was too much. The book went too many directions to truly follow what was happening which I think is intended, to keep you guessing….but nobody enjoys feeling truly confused all the time do they? I couldn’t even tell you if there were true breadcrumbs because they could have been lost in the weeds.

But, I do have great admiration for Evans writing - it was compelling and kept me engaged, even when I was confused or some parts dragged. I think this is a fantasy that will appeal to a very specific subset of fantasy-readers, it definitely isn’t for everyone. But I did still enjoy it and am invested in how it plays out - I am excited for book 3. We saw some great character development that I’m excited to see payout in the finale!

This one is a little difficult to review. I think my main impression is lukewarm. The exciting overarching threat in the first book was still present in this one, but sort of a ... side aspect of it that started getting a little convoluted in my opinion. I still liked the characters and the magic and there were some interesting developments, but some of the side plots could have been condensed and the plot would have been a little easier to follow. That said, I did finish it and I'm interested in finding out what happens in the last book!

Uncovering a chilling conspiracy at the edges of the empire was incredibly unnerving for Amadea and the other archivists, but the silence that followed might be even worse. Imperial agents have found no further sign of incursion, and the archivists themselves have been sworn to secrecy by the empress herself about the events that happened near the wall. That order is made more difficult when the skeleton of a holy saint is discovered missing, replaced by the bones of an unknown person. Suddenly the Imperial Archives are in the middle of a heated political conflict, as ducal representatives question if the empire is still capable of leading and protecting its people. And while the archivists try to dig to the bottom of the mystery, one of their own confronts the fact that her own magical affinity may be growing too powerful for her to control.

RELICS OF RUIN is a fantastic sequel to EMPIRE OF EXILES, poking into new facets of the world while returning to old friends. Here's the easy version of this review: if you liked the first book, you should thoroughly enjoy the sequel. It was lovely to be back in the Imperial Archives, with its idiosyncratic archivists and stalwart Amadea trying to hold everything together. There's more conspiracy, more fallout from the events of book one, more people with hidden backstory. But even while I was enjoying everything that was "more," I did bump slightly against the feeling of "same."

Let's start with the good stuff: I really enjoyed exploring new corners of the world the author has created. I wrote in my last review that it felt like we'd barely scraped the surface of getting to know this world, and RELICS OF RUIN proves my point. We get to see more of the political structure in this outing, as the disappearance of the saint's body stirs up no end of political turmoil that politicians are eager to capitalize on. Meanwhile, Tunuk, who had previously been a secondary character, becomes a full POV character, allowing us to see more of the Alojan people and their culture. And lastly, we finally get to learn more about Richa's backstory, which had been previously hinted at but never fully explored.

I also really appreciated the way the third person POVs really captured the internal thoughts of characters who are struggling with various aspects of mental health. Amadea may appear to have things under control on the outside, but inside she is barely hanging on as one person after another burdens her with a weighty task or secret that she can't share with anyone else. Her grounding trick of noticing textures and colors around her is a signifier of how much she is trying to not completely spin out. Meanwhile Tunuk seems to suffer from a form of depression, always internally voicing thoughts that bitterly contemplate people's ulterior motives or dismiss the idea that anyone could simply want to just be his friend.

And then of course, there's Yinni, a character who is coming to grips with the fact that she may have more power than she's able to control. But her desire to seek help is countered by the fear that in doing so, all autonomy will be taken away from her, that she'll become a ward of the state with no say in any part of her life. All these very real concerns of our various characters really flesh them out and make for some great heartbreaking conflict as characters make assumptions about the motives of others; the readers know why certain characters are behaving the way they are, but nobody else in the room does.

I did have a few small issues with the book. One is that it's very easy to feel like the plotting of this book is in some ways repetitive. We have an archivist who has a friend implicated in a murder, and they are driven to investigate to prove their friend's innocence, much as Quill did in the first book. It makes for some familiar beats that I wish the author had steered away from.

The other issue is that I had been hoping this book would start to explore more of what's going on on the other side of the wall that divides the empire from the ruins of their homeland. (Why that matters should be familiar to readers of EMPIRE OF EXILES.) We popped open that question at the end of book one, but the focus on RELICS OF RUIN remains squarely on the drama playing out in the current empire, with brief interludes to events that happened twenty years in the past. Those interludes raise a whole host of questions without actually answering them, serving to set up stakes for book three without giving me any of the answers I so desperately crave. My only hope is that the ending point of book two means I will FINALLY get those answers in the third and final book.

Overall, RELICS OF RUIN was a welcome return to a world I have grown very fond of. While some of my questions remain unanswered (for now), it was another twisty mystery that delved into the complicated politics and history of the empire, as echoes of a past coup still cause strife in the present day. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the sequel and eagerly look forward to the finale and perhaps finally seeing what is really happening on the other side of that wall.

Note: I was provided a free ARC by the publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Thank you to Orbit Books and Angela Man for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Relics of Ruin will be available on April 30th, 2024. This it the second book in the series.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year. I was utterly floored by Empire of Exiles and couldn’t wait to see what happened next. And, wow, did a lot happen! There’s a possible coup in the making and murderers on the loose. And yet, that isn’t the crux of the story. It isn’t what drives the narrative. What makes Relics of Ruin stand out are the characters and what they struggle with. Sometimes a book just grips me, and that was the case here. I was enthralled from page one.

Yiini and Amadea are both silently scared, terrified of who they are and what it might mean. Tunuk is learning that the people he looked up to might not be what he thought, and is coming to grips with how that affects him. I really wanted to give him a hug, poor guy. Quill is trying to navigate his new duties, his budding friendships, and his ongoing grief over the events in Empire of Exiles. And, at the heart of all that, is the anxiety that each of them faces alone, the questions: What if I’m not good enough? What if all of me, the true me, isn’t worth caring for?

That worry, that ache, made these characters believable. Who hasn’t asked themselves these questions at some point? They way they handle these questions are also incredibly relatable. Insecurity divides the group as the each grapple with their own obstacles. This added an extra level of danger, as there were separate puzzle pieces that couldn’t fit into a whole unless each character was able to share everything about themselves with the others.

There isn’t a slow moment in Relics of Ruin. There is always something happening, and I was instantly caught up in the narrative. From mysterious deaths, the possible return of an old enemy, and a reckoning a long time in the making, it would be easy for things to become convoluted or overwhelming. But they never do. The author navigates the complexities of her plot with great skill and assurance.

The ending adds an extra level of “wow”, although I don’t know how that’s possible. I am desperate to see what happens next. Relics of Ruins is astounding, a worthy continuation to what is amping up to be a new favorite series.

This was a great follow-up to Empire of Exiles! The second book is so hard in a series, but this one did an awesome job. I love all the characters in this series and I really love Evan's writing style. This one kept me reading late into the night!

This is a great series! That being said, I liked the first one a bit more. Since it's the second book in the series, I won't give any details, but I love the complex characters and magic. All the unique races are fascinating. I also think the spiral is very interesting.

If you want unique magic in your fantasy, you should read this series!

I didn’t think it could get better than the first book but here we are. This series continues to be full of fantasy, adventure, mystery and endless twists and turn. This is truly a unique story that’s unlike anything I’ve read before. I’m already eagerly waiting for the next one

Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for the e-arc to review.


I absolutely loved Empire of Exiles. This one I didn't love as much. For a few different reasons. One is that I didn't connect with most of the characters until towards the end. The other is that at some point, especially in the beginning I sometimes felt bogged down by a lot of the cultural worldbuilding with all the different names and trying to remember which Saint was who. That being said, the world itself and the even the different cultures (all of them being unique) continues to amaze me.

Star wise (if I must) is 3.5 rounded to 4.

Once again, Erin Evans has intricately weaved together a tapestry of vivid imagery, complex characters, and a gripping narrative that immerses you into a world teetering on the brink of collapse. From pulse-pounding action sequences to quiet moments of introspection, this novel will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

What!?!? This was what a sequel book should be! Holy hell so good! Characters are great and the world building is out of this world! Do yourself a favor and read the best book of the year hands down!!!

The tl;dr: Relics has a very different vibe from its predecessor, Empire of Exiles. This means that it takes a bit to warm up to the slower paced, thoughtful, and more character-driven stylings of this sequel. However, once you settle into the rhythms of Relics, you are rewarded with a book that is more interested in exploring the characters of this world than a fast-paced, frantic solving of its mysteries. The second half of the book puts things into overdrive as the many pieces start to fall into place. Sometimes the plot and mystery are a bit convoluted, but I love this world and don't want to see it end in the next book!

Relics of Ruin was one of my most anticipated books of 2024 after Empires of Exile knocked my socks off and became one of my top reads of 2022. I couldn't wait to return to this world of shape-shifting changelings, social turmoil, political conflicts, dangerous magic, and clever mystery/fantasy genre mashups. While Relics of Ruin did not quite reach my lofty expectations, it is still an exciting and profoundly satisfying read that only works to confirm that this series should be near the top of your TBR.

Relics of Ruin had a tough job in front of it. As the second book in a trilogy, it has the responsibility of raising the stakes of the over-arching narrative without spinning its own wheels, and it also has to introduce a brand new mystery that somehow matches the mysterious fun of Empire of Exile's gruesome murder. It does both of these admirably, if a tad imperfectly.

The main impetus for the conflict in Relics of Ruin is the theft of a sacred wooden replica of the bones of a culturally significant saint. This mystery didn't grab me as immediately as Empire's murder, and I think this came down to a couple of things. A theft is not as "hooky" as a murder, and this problem was slightly exacerbated by the fact that the stakes of the theft were not immediately made apparent to the reader. I don't know if this was a slight worldbuilding issue or just me forgetting things from the first book, but it took a bit too long for Evans to clearly convey what these wooden bones are, who they represented, and why the theft was significant to the plot. This had a bit of the unintended consequence of making the the first half of Relics feel insular; the connection of the theft to the larger over-arching plot was not apparent and the theft for a long section of the book felt a bit like a side-quest. This was all made slightly worse by how complicated and convoluted the mystery actually was, but luckily Evans takes a step back many times in the narrative to "sum up" all of the clues and revelations.

Because the mystery in relics is more complicated than the murder in the first book, the book does move at a much slower pace. It took me a bit to match Evans' rhythm, but once I did I really enjoyed the slower and more assured pacing of this book. I loved Empires of Exiles because it moved - introducing new characters, magics, mysteries, and more at a runaway pace. I liked Relics because it was able to slow down and sit a bit with the characters. The characters came alive and felt more well-rounded this time around, and their individual motivations, histories, and personalities felt more real and vibrant than ever before. I realized when starting with Relics that the mystery and worldbuilding of Empire of Exiles really stuck with me, but that the characters didn't penetrate my mind. However, after this second outing I was more fully invested with these people, and this time around the characters are what are sticking with me much more than any of the plot. The more character-oriented rhythm ultimately worked for me, but it does mean that Relics has quite a different vibe from Empire.

Once you cross approximately the halfway point of the book, it starts to feel a bit more like Empire as well. The larger plot machinations start to take center stage once again, the it becomes clearer how the individual mystery here starts to fit into the larger narrative that Evans is weaving throughout the entire trilogy. In many ways this series is structured like a three season TV series, where each season is relatively self-contained, and you only get glimpses of how everything fits together until you approach the climax, and everything starts to fall into place. While the first half of the book may seem like this is an episodic adventure, there are some MAJOR ramifications for what is coming later!

I will always want to spend more time in this world, and now that we have settled into the magic systems, politics, and more, I am eagerly anticipating the grand conclusion of this series (which I think is scheduled for later this year in November?). As Relics ends, it simultaneously feels like we are crashing into the conclusion and that there is so much of this universe and these characters to explore. Evans has a tendency to zag when I think they are going to zig, and so I have no clue what is coming next!

4.5 stars. Way better than the first book, which I thought was fine but nothing special. The balance between having a complex, engaging plot while still getting to know the characters is incredibly hard to do, and Evans pulls it off really well. I was able to guess where things were going just before the characters did. Also, a multi-POV where I don't dread at least one of the characters? Amazing. I am fully on the Amadea fangirl train.

I love love LOVE this series and everything that the author is doing with it, I will scream from the rooftops about how more people should be talking about it.

I adore the way Evans writes, her prose is excellent and her character voices are always so clear, whether through dialogue or inner monologue. There isn't a single POV I don't enjoy, and that's definitely rare in a book for me. I loved getting to return to this world and see more of these characters, especially the few who got POV for the first time in this book. Amadea remains my favourite character, I'd follow her anywhere.

The world is so rich and the mystery kept me on my toes as much as the first book. I found this one much harder to predict and it kept me so engaged I had to devour it. I was eager to see some of the loose ends from book one start to resolve and to dive deeper into the back story of this failed rebellion, and I'm so excited to see where the story continues to go from here!

Simply everything is perfect, and I think everyone who loves deep fantasy worlds and intriguing mystery needs this series in their life. I'm already SO excited for the sequel, and the wait will be excruciating.

Solid continuation of the series. Evans has really developed as a writer and it's impressive to see. Enjoyed it.

A very strong sequel! Really fleshes out a lot of character backstories gives more insight to actions and adds some more history to world, characters, and magic!
Really get to see the characters growing more and see the world changing after the events of the first book!

The first in the series, Empire of Exiles, was my standout, underrated pick of last year, and the sequel, Relics of Ruin, definitely lives up to my expectations. The mystery, the way it connects to the loose ends of the first book, the way it also adds intense depth to the worldbuilding...it's so spectacularly done.

This book is one of my most anticipated of 2024 as I absolutely adored its predecessor, the first book in Erin M Evans' Books of the Usurper series, Empire of Exiles. That book is a tough act to follow because it had everything that I am a sucker for in a fantasy read - a rich detailed history, incredibly well constructed world-building, vividly drawn characters who leap from the page, and a central mystery that keeps you transfixed as you journey to uncover the ultimate answer. So it was with a ton of excitement and eagerness that I threw myself back into this tremendous world and story.

As I got deeper into this sequel I immediately picked up on the fact that this one was going to be a bit of a slower-paced story and much more character-focused. I have no problem with this because Robin Hobb does this a lot in her series as well and she's one of my all-time favorite authors. Sometimes putting on the brakes a bit and focusing more on the characters' motivations, their struggles, and their individual backstories is an effective way to lend some more depth and increase the investment for the reader when things really start to get dicey and they get put into dangerous situations. And that's what we get in RELICS OF RUIN, a good deal more focus on how these people connect with each other and attempt to prepare to face what might be coming.

By no means do I intend to say that this story doesn't have its moments of action, because there are some brilliant instances where more mysteries need to be solved and dramatic scenes arise. There is also a brewing potential conflict emerging from one of the protectorates as separatist sentiment foments and leads us all to wonder if aside form the deadly threat posed by the changelings outside the Salt Wall, there may also be an equal threat inside the wall in the form of revolution. These tantalizing kernels that Evans deftly weaves into the plot are what made this an engrossing read for me.

I appreciated that I got some more answers with regard to the changeling threat, the world before the Salt Wall was constructed, as well as additional insight into the history that led everyone to this place in time. And I know that even more answers will be coming in the next book, which I will await with just as much anticipation as I did this one.

In the end RELICS OF RUIN was another captivating read in this series that left me wanting to keep peeling away the fantastic layers of this story. This isn't instant-gratification fantasy, it requires a certain amount of patience, time, and attention investment from the reader. These are exactly the kinds of stories that I enjoy best though because I don't feel as if I'm being told or spoon-fed a story as much as living it right along with the characters. I can't wait to find out where this is eventually headed but based on how this one wrapped up, I think its going to be one heck of a thrilling ending that cements the Books of the Usurper as a must-read fantasy series for every fantasy fan out there. I need more of this please!

Most of my annotations for this book are "no no no no no no go away"...

Relics of Ruin was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024 and I am so glad that I got to read it early. I loved the first book and I was super excited to return to the archives and mysteries. While I still enjoyed this one, I will admit that I think I liked the first one better.
While the first book focused on a murder mystery, this one is about theft (which isn't as fun of a crime, in my opinion). The mystery was good and I really liked the additional POVs that we got this time. I also think it will make more sense when I inevitably reread it because some of the dots didn't connect right away. I didn't call the main "plot twist," but I did enjoy just riding along with the flow of the books. I think my favorite parts were probably the scenes with Richa, Amadea, and Ibramo at about the 85% mark, just because they were the closest to the danger from the end of the previous book.
This series excels at making me care more about characters than I should. I'm still not sold on Ibramo, but I think he was the only main character I didn't like. I had issues with Tunuk at first but he grew on me. Quill is still my favorite, and I was kind of sad we didn't get as much of him as in the first book, but it looks like that might change in book three? Yinii and the other archivists are still very interesting to be and I love their dynamic. But Richa and Amadea? I love them so much, mostly Richa. We got more of his backstory and let me just say that if Stellano Zezurin shows his nasty little face again, I will personally find a way to enter the book and punch him so hard. I hate him.
Even though I found it to be a little less fast-paced than Empire of Exiles, Relics of Ruin still packs a great mystery with lots of twists and some really great found family dynamics. I don't want to wait for book three.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
4/5