Devotion is the purest form of love
The Lost Reliquary is a witty, fast paced and thought provoking epic fantasy. We meet Lys, a trained warrior of the last living goddess - blessed by their blood. Although the blessed part is debatable, based on what we learn from Lys. Our friend is forced to serve her goddess and fights internal conflicts as well as physical ones to find her answers. Oddly enough, the deeper she digs, the more questions arise and we are left to ponder what devotion to a god truly means.

There were perfectly satisfying plot twists, that had me up in arms! The inner monologue of Lys is spot on and her commentary is that of a friend anyone would love to have. We even have an animal companion, I’ll give you one spoiler, it’s a horse.

The characters are very nuanced and Ely truly had me guessing until the very end. Fast paced, intriguing plot and lore, and most importantly the magic system made sense and wasn’t overly complicated. This is a definite and easy 5 star read and I can honestly say, I enjoy Ely’s writing style and will read whatever she puts out next!

Thank you to @lynzely and @sagapress @netgalley for this amazing journey!

Mixed feelings here. The beginning was really good. The ending was fantastic. But for me, the middle sagged heavily. I think ultimately that the pacing in the second act was off, and a lot of the scenes seemed either repetitive or inconsequential. If all of that had been tightened up, I would have enjoyed the book more. Still, I was satisfied with the ending, and I’ll most likely pick up the second in the series.

I received a free copy from Saga Press via Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. Publish date October 21st, 2025.

I requested this book based on its striking cover and comps to Gideon the Ninth and Godkiller. In The Lost Reliquary, Lys is a reluctant potentiate to the cruel fire goddess Tempestra-Innara. When a heretic attack leaves the goddess and many of Lys' fellow dedicates injured, Lys is freed from the cloisters for the first time in her life on a mission to find the heretics--a once in a lifetime opportunity for Lys to plot to kill the goddess.

The core of The Lost Reliquary is Lys' struggle between her forced reverence of the goddess and her passionate hatred of being bound to uphold Tempestra-Innara's cruel laws. The goddess' holy light forces their dedicates to worship them, and induces an addictive craving to please. The only way Lys can escape is through Tempestra-Innara's death--she can't run away without going into godly withdrawal. Lys' combination of involuntary fawning devotion and seething hatred is compelling, and carries much of the plot. However, Lys' other defining trait is an irreverent snarkiness that no doubt invited the Gideon the Ninth comp. While other readers may differ, I found Lys' constant witticisms and inability to take anything seriously a bit grating. Her obvious love of horses was sweet, though.

Despite the comparison to two queer novels, Lys only ever expresses attraction to men. (Although perhaps I can hold out hope for a sapphic romance in book two.) I found this to be a disappointment, but I did enjoy Ely's handling of the main relationship between Lys and the cold and fanatically devoted Nolan, who's sent on the mission with her. Nolan is an interesting character in his own right, an opaque manipulator who hides his true thoughts under a mask of standoffishness. Most authors would jam in an obligatory romance, but Ely resists the temptation. Lys even comments early on that Nolan is annoyingly attractive, but as they get to know each other better, these thoughts seem to disappear. An interesting approach, and I'm glad their relationship wasn't romantic.

The worldbuilding was a touch spare, but it suited the protagonists. Cloistered Lys only knows Tempestra-Innara, devotion, and stories of the old gods, and we don't get much more detail. Just as Lys knows little to nothing about the lands outside Tempestra-Innara's domain, we don't learn anything about them either. The plot tends a little towards the predictable fantasy journeying of a quest, but there are a handful of really excellent twists I won't spoil that keep the plot tense. Including the last chapter--based on that ending, it's clear Ely is planning a direct sequel.

An interesting debut about being bound to a goddess you hate. Recommended for fans of Godkiller or Frances Hardinge's Deeplight.

Oh, this book was fantastic. It so wonderfully presents the ideas of faith and devotion and the way both love and hate exist side by side.

The world is so beautifully built, gods long dead but still influencing the shape of the world. There is just the right amount of snark, Lys pushing every boundary that she meets. This book is everything that I love about fantasy; it's absolutely incredible.

The Lost Reliquary immerses readers into a well drawn world that has undergone religious wars and introduces the character of Lys. Lys is a potentiate, raised within the Dawn Cloister and sent by the cloister on a mission to stamp out some heretics and return a lost reliquary. Success in this mission, could translate to rich rewards in their religion who worship the goddess Tempestra-Innara, not necessarily a reward that Lys desires but ... And Lys is not alone in her mission, she is joined by Nolan, a potentiate from another cloister who is at times ally and times competition. Together they travel to a distant land and through cunning, circumstance, strange luck, and some interesting skirmishes --did I mention she fights with a scythe in each hand-- we reach the apex of the plot. But, as in so many good series, the first book ends by pulling the rug out from under us and everything seems to fall apart. The combination of an interesting plot, vibrant world-building, complex characters, and a pov character who piqued my interest, all kept me hooked on this book right up to the cliffhanger ending. I eagerly await the next entry to this series to see where all the pieces land.
I received access to this eARC thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, S&S/Saga Press) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

My rating: 5/5 Stars.

This was the first thing I have read by Lyndsay Ely and I would like to begin by saying WOW. The Lost Reliquary was fantastic.

Gods, goddesses, and the heretics/devotees in between make up the bulk of the Lost Reliquary. Lore is not in short supply within this book.

I adore a strong FMC, and Lys fits the bill. If I had to choose three words to describe her (which would not be nearly enough) I would have to say witty, strong, and headstrong. Throughout her journey she not only pisses people off in the BEST kind of way, but does so with purpose… most of the time. Her partnership with Nolan is rocky at first, shifting into something else entirely by the end. I definitely found myself thinking “just kiss already!”. The tension between Lys and Nolan was ugh. Fabulously written. I can’t tell what I want to happen between them but I cannot wait to see more of their story in the next book.

Nolan himself is an interesting character. Of course, we are seeing him through Lys, and I cannot help but wonder what the “real” Nolan is. Is he the one who wishes to serve? To devote himself to Lys AND Tempestra? Or is he something else entirely? I love a handsome, tormented MMC. Especially one who knows his way around a weapon.

I tore through this book (all 417 pages) of it in two days. I am a mood reader at heart and ignore the constraints of a “what’s next” on the TBR list. This was an instant skip to the top for me based on description. I absolutely cannot wait to see more of Lys + Nolan’s story in a future sequel. If you are a fan of fantasy, fabulously written plot, and twists that will make your jaw drop, The Lost Reliquary is for you.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Lyndsay Ely, and S&S/Saga Press for allowing me an ARC and the chance to review this book.