Relic (The Books of Eva) - Book Review

Enter a new dystopian world in Heather Terrell's book Relic (The Books of Eva), the first book in the new The Books of Eva series. When Eva's twin brother Eamon dies, Eva volunteers to take his place as a Testor. This means that she, along with 11 others, will compete to trek across the icy and snowy land in search of relics from the past. These relics are used to help the people understand why the ancient world was so bad and why the Gods destroyed all of it, except for the Chosen people, with a flood 200 years ago. Whoever brings back the best relic with the best chronicle about that relic will be named the new Archon, someone who unearths the memories of the past and serves as a living example of how the people should act.

As daughter of the Chief Archon, this is a title that Eva hopes to claim. But she's facing the odds. No maiden has been a Testor for 150 years, and unlike her brother, Eva hasn't had much time to train with her brother's trainer Lukas. Also, her mother is against Eva's decision to take up her brother's torch, and Eva's suitor Jasper, who is also a Testor and competitor, also worries for Eva on the quest.

Still, Eva perseveres but ends up uncovering more than just relics from the ice. What she learns changes everything.

I thought this book was good and a quick read. This first book really served to set up the story, and I'm anxious to see how it continues to play out in the second book. The press release I have for this book compares it to The Hunger Games, and while there are some similarities (two hot guys - who does Eva choose??), the environment and backstory is different. I feel like this book is skewed toward a younger audience than The Hunger Games' target audience. It would definitely be appropriate for my middle school book club. Not a lot of violence or blood and certainly no bad language.

Relic (The Books of Eva) is published by Soho Teen and is available to purchase now. I received a free review copy for my honest review.