Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC!

Another reviewer said this was like Ocean's Eleven meets the Bible and I couldn't agree more. I absolutely loved this! With a truly enjoyable cast of characters ranging from an old bickering married couple, a holy fool and a sarcastic conman, the tale within is truly an adventure and was a pleasure to sit down and escape into.

There isn't anything I can call out as being 'bad' with this book; it just wasn't holding my interest. One thing that kept pulling me out of the story was difficulty grasping the tone; I couldn't tell if it was supposed to be humorous or serious or both. That probably doesn't make any sense, and I apologize, but I found myself stopping to reread sections multiple times.

It's all very Ocean's Eleven meets The Bible, written by Mel Brooks 🤷🏻‍♀️

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for this opportunity to read rate and review this ARC book which will be available July 22,2024!

I honestly do not know what to make of this book. It’s raucous. It’s funny. It deals with a saint in 1087 and what to do with their bones. It was fun and there is queer rep but I still don’t have a truly good opinion on it. I am confused.

"O blessed bone. The skull, the seat and throne, the citadel, the watchtower. Then the cage. Let scholars and mystics argue whether the body is integument and tomb or vehicle, vahana, the stilted assemblage that allows us to walk freely in the world, our only perch."

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I adored this story so much. Strikingly original, ingeniously comedic, and surprisingly touching - it's been a longggg time since a book has rendered me this speechless and oh how I've missed the feeling. There's no way my puny words can ever adequately describe this phenomenal work.

Nicephorus, a cloistered monk, has been unwillingly recruited into an unsavory band of saint hunters (aka grave robbers) to steal the body of St. Nicholas. The Italian city of Bari is being ravaged by the pox, and the hope is that by bringing the remains of the saint back to the city its inhabitants will finally be healed. And that's all of the story that I'm willing to divulge. The rest you should just experience for yourself.

Nicked is a heist for the ages and such an incredible blend of both historical fiction and fantasy. It ended up being so different from what I was expecting based on the synopsis. When I picked this up, I was fully preparing myself for an evening of mindless entertainment via a humorous historical romp, and while it was all a helluva good time, Nicked was nowhere near as cloyingly slapstick or comedic as the description leads one to believe. Don't get me wrong this book is incredibly funny but never in a way that felt forced. I loved the comedy and the relationships and the adventure. However, what I least expected were the moments of profound beauty that just slowly creep up on you. Just think of any bygone moment when you're just having the time of your life but then suddenly stop and realize all of the small wonders of the world and how lucky you are to get to be here in this very moment to enjoy them. Sounds crazy, but that's the feeling I got at times reading this book. I'm not surprised that M.T. Anderson is primarily known for his children's stories because there is just so much subtlety and nuance and pure magic here that's really lacking in fiction these days. The writing too is absolutely SUBLIME, and don't even get me started on the characters!! Bravo M.T. Anderson, bravo 👏 👏 👏

What a gorgeous, gorgeous book. While there is no great tragedy within its pages (aside from the fact that there is an ending at all and Nicked doesn't just go on forever), I am still getting teary-eyed reflecting on this tale of faith, mortality, miracles and human connection in our vast and beautiful world.

"Look out at the clouds, and how they roil and turn red like Armageddon. Never forget that your life is a wonder. You were dead, and now you live. Never forget that there are miracles everywhere, and you are only present in this world to see them once."

This was a real treat!

I picked this up simply for the grand heist- stealing a saint's bones based on a greedy interpretation of a poor monk's dream? Yes, please! 'Nicked' is so much more than that. It's clever in its humor and historical depiction. I swooned and rooted for our saint hunter and monk at every turn. I can see why some might say there's not much build up or yearning between them but it was nice to have it hinted at and not some sort of huge plot device. The writing is amazing. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy so I can highlight it to hell and back.

Thank you to NetGalley, M.T. Anderson, and the publisher for the advance copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc of this novel!

I have mixed feelings about this book. I would go back and forth between thinking this was such a fun/engaging read and a boring/confusing read. I think what I liked most was Nicephorus and his interactions with the other characters and the world. I also found the flashback scenes of Saint Nicholas's miracles engaging. It was just the rest of the book that I wasn't as fond of. Lucky for me, the majority of the book was from Nicephorus's perspective. I am also baffled at how this is based on real historical accounts. At the end of the book, Anderson gives details about the real life grave robbing and I still refuse to believe it haha. Anyway, while I found parts of this book a little taxing, I mostly found it a fun romp and I'm glad I gave it a read.
If you're looking for a fun book that can easily be read in a day, I recommend giving this one a try. (oh, but also, just so you are aware, the description currently lists this book as "full of romance" and that isn't really the case. There is a little romance, but it's mostly just one character periodically pining for another character who could not care less.)

In the year 1087, Brother Nicephorus has a dream. He interprets his dream to mean that St. Nicholas wants to have his remains retrieved from Myra and relocated to Bari. When Nicephorus shares his dream with the monastery's abbot, he initiates a quest to satisfy St. Nicholas. Timing is everything, and retrieving the relics coincides with the expensive proposal of a relic hunter. The problem is that the relics are guarded and residing in a church. The persons sent to retrieve the relics will need to steal them. The monastery Brother Nicephorus lives in cannot steal these relics but they could pay a relic hunter for them. The city and church agree that the relic hunter should travel to Myra and be guided by Brother Nicephorus. This trip across the sea will be dangerous and this small group will be racing to be first on the scene.

This is an imaginative story that is based on historical fact. Stealing saintly artifacts is sacrilege and involving a monk provides an interesting addition to the tale. The adventure and drama will satisfy those looking for intrigue and wonder seen through the eyes of an innocent monk.

Based on real, recorded events, this book should have interested me more. I’m a big fan of M.T. Anderson from the years of reading his books to my kids (we particularly liked his Whales on Stilts series) and I had high hopes for what is billed as his “adult debut”.

Nicked would make a better movie than a novel in my opinion. It is almost non-stop action, which held my attention, but tired me out as a reader. The book tells the story of a lowly monk (Nicephorus) living in a small town (Bari) which is being ravaged by the pox in the year 1087. Nicephorus reports being visited by St. Nicholas in a dream and his superiors interpret this dream as a call to steal the bones of St. Nicholas from a church in Myra who houses them in its tombs. The bones are said to emit a substance that heals the sick, which could save Bari’s population and earn the town renown. A charismatic bone-stealer (Tyun) is called to accompany Nicephorus (“the dreamer”) on the mission and the action is underway.

The full-tilt action and adventure in this tale will appeal to many. Anderson is still the compelling writer that I learned to love through the Whales on Stilts books, plus his YA work Feed and the Octavian Nothing series. I had a hard time connecting to the characters in Nicked as I wanted to, however, and wished the pace could be slowed down to accommodate character development. In the end, I felt rushed to finish the novel…too rushed to appreciate subtleties in the tale. Others love the book, though, so readers should consider that mine is but one opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pantheon for providing me with an e-ARC of this novel.

I think the central premise of the book was certainly interesting. Apparently this was based off an actual heist that happened, and I appreciated the nods to the moments in history when it happened. Unfortunately, that was kind of the extent to which I enjoyed this novella. This book is written in a pretty dry way--dry humor, dry descriptions--and while I enjoyed a few moments of the humor, the fact that the book was also written in a dry way didn't work for me. I couldn't get invested in the characters or the plot and the "romance" (I can't really call it a full romance because the chemistry wasn't really there and neither was any emotional investment on my part) just didn't feel like it. Plus, there were some moments in the book where the writing was attempting to be archaic and kind of purple-prose-y(?) but left me feeling very, very confused.

Interesting effort, but ultimately not for me and not very enjoyable to read.

Going into Nicked, I honestly wasn't sure what to expect.

Coming out of it? If someone took The Locked Tomb series, Our Flag Means Death, and one of those 10th century bibles that monks illustrated when they got bored--you know the ones--and shook all of these things together in a box, you'd get something like Nicked. Which is to say, it shouldn't have worked, and yet it does brilliantly.

Anderson takes the historical account of the quest to steal a saint's bones, and creates a raucous tale out of it. I loved the humor and the tone; it never feels over the top or anachronous, but has the sort of sly wit that I enjoyed from the aforementioned works. I loved the characters of Nicephorus, a sort of holy fool, and Tyun, a conman with sarcasm for days. I wanted to devour this in one sitting--it's a small volume, so I definitely could have--but also wanted to live in the fabric of Anderson's writing for days.

The one thing I didn't love is the relationship between Tyun and Nicephorus, one of the selling points. I totally see the attraction, but the quest for Nicholas and the adventures on the ship really take the focus (Matteo, a spoiled Venetian nobleman, is a particular scene-stealer). I would have loved some slower moments in the middle to really feel that build-up so that the relationship's eventual payoff feels more well-earned. Still, there are a lot of "blink and you miss it" moments here, so perhaps on a future read, I'll catch more of them!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Pantheon, and M. T. Anderson for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed reading this book, it had everything that I was looking for from the description. M. T. Anderson has a great writing style and has a great overall feel to this story. The characters worked with the story being told and enjoyed the previous book I read from M. T. Anderson. The cover was what drew me in and thought it worked with the story overall. I enjoyed the fantasy element and was invested with everything going on.

M.T. Anderson very quickly became an auto buy author for me. This book kept me up late into the night and was poignant and well thought out. Well thought out and just absolutely stunning

While I struggled with this book because I found it dense due to the beautiful descriptive writing and talk of the time period in the setting of this book. Which is of course a fault of mine own being a reader of typically ya and quick fun fantasy. Once I got used to the density this book was amazing. I loved seeing the rich history, the dynamic characters and relations grow. Faith be tested and a wild adventure. The writing is spot on and keeps you engaged and ready to see what comes next for the main character.

MUST READ. My favorite book of 2024. Anderson's 11th-century world was bizarre, magical, and enthralling. The book balanced the youthful thrill of adventure with profound observations of faith and human nature. Pacing and dialogue was impeccable. Storytelling at its finest (and most entertaining).

The pox has broken out in Bari and the town is looking for a miracle. Enter Benedictine monk Brother Nicephorus who has a dream of St. Nicholas (yes, that St. Nicholas) whose remains apparently ooze a healing liquid. Thus, sweet Brother Nicephorus joins Tyun, a thief of holy relics, Reprobus the dog-headed man, and their motley crew on a mission to save the town by retrieving the miraculous bones from their final resting place in Myra.

This was a fun read, heavy on the comedy. I enjoyed the tongue in cheek humor, the medieval setting, and getting to know each of the characters’ backstories.

⭐️3.5 stars⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Pantheon Books for the ARC!

I found this book funny at times, as a good heist novel should be, but also interesting in its inspiration from and modeling after medieval texts. The use of a literal dog-headed man, for example, was clever and resulted in my favorite character. I also thought the mixture of religions and ethnicities of the time period were used well, with all being treated with the same amount of irreverence. There are no real punch downs.

While yearning and romance are present between two male characters, it’s a fairly light element in the book. I admit, I wither there had been more, both in amount and variety, as this is being marketed as a queer text. However, I did enjoy the relationship that was present. It developed organically and built well up to a satisfying conclusion.

I think this book was good. The cast of characters was interesting and all so different from one another. I love the setting and environment this book created it really helped to create well rounded and dynamic characters.

Thanks to Pantheon and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC! This is an unbiased review.

I absolutely DEVOURED this book. Fans of The Locked Tomb should snatch this up. We have a sweet little love story between a completely hapless and helpless little ignorant baby of a monk, and a ferocious and dashing relic thief/liar/pirate. We have bones galore, gory tales of Catholic saints, queer yearning, lies upon lies upon lies, the Middle Ages Were Magic, and a true story of a heist for the ages.

The biggest reason for my comp to TLT comes from the combination of grotesque myth and sheer, joyous, human comedy. Somehow managing to be SO funny without anachronism or fourth wall breaks and having the humor come just from the pure ridiculousness of human nature is a real feat that I don't often see in historically accurate books.

The writing is gorgeous and rich, managing to capture the wildness and magic of the 11th century without derision. The choices the characters make are informed so deeply by the times they live in, and the author makes every aspect of this beautiful story come to glowing life.

I absolutely loved every part of this book from cover to cover and expect it to be one of my favorites for years to come. I can't wait to reread it.

Ahh! This was so perfect. M.T. Anderson has bestowed to readers a perfect novella stuffed full of history and longing. There are so many things I could gush on and on about from this book, but I'll keep it short. Firstly, the fact that this is based off of real events (which I didn't know going into the book) made it so much more fascinating. I could tell the author spent quite a bit of time researching this time period and the real heist of St. Nicholas's body. Second were the characters! Nicephorus and Tyun were so fun to read about. Their histories and relationship were so well crafted, even in such a short amount of pages. Genuinely some the best main characters I've read in a while. I would 100% read more from them. Third was the writing, which was just stunning, from the descriptions to the dialogue. This is a book I could widely recommend, to history buffs and queer adult audiences, to high fantasy lovers and existing Anderson fans. This was so well done. This definitely has solidified a spot on my top ten reads of this year already.

I thoroughly enjoyed this queer medieval heist novel (what an irresistible pitch, my god). I showed up for the gang's quest to steal a saint and stayed for the tender exploration of what it means to believe and how we lie to the ones we love to keep them safe. The novel is short, pacey, and wonderfully descriptive. I'll be reading everything that Anderson writes!