Relic (Books of Eva #1) by Heather Terrell YA dystopia Hardcover/eBook, 288 pages Publication: October 29th 2013 by Soho Teen
The truth will test you...For fans of Game of Thrones and The Hunger Games: high fantasy and dystopia meet in this high-stakes tale of a civilization built on lies and the girl who single-handedly brings it down.When Eva’s twin brother, Eamon, falls to his death just a few months before he is due to participate in The Testing, no one expects Eva to take his place. She’s a Maiden, slated for embroidery classes, curtseys, and soon a prestigious marriage befitting the daughter of an Aerie ruler. But Eva insists on honoring her brother by becoming a Testor. After all, she wouldn’t be the first Maiden to Test, just the first in 150 years.Eva knows the Testing is no dance class. Gallant Testors train for their entire lives to search icy wastelands for Relics: artifacts of the corrupt civilization that existed before The Healing drowned the world. Out in the Boundary Lands, Eva must rely on every moment of the lightning-quick training she received from Lukas—her servant, a Boundary native, and her closest friend now that Eamon is gone.But there are threats in The Testing beyond what Lukas could have prepared her for. And no one could have imagined the danger Eva unleashes when she discovers a Relic that shakes the Aerie to its core.
GET THE FREE PREQUEL CHRONICLE, HERE
Guest Post:
10 Surprising Things About the Author
1. I am obsessed with all things cinnamon. It began with cinnamon Jolly Ranchers when I was a kid, and has now progressed with a fascination with the different types of cinnamon. I especially love Vietnamese cassia.
2. I love to travel, and while I have been fortunate enough to explore a lot of the world, I still have Egypt, Jordan, Israel, and the Arctic regions -- not a shocker given the RELIC setting -- on my bucket list.
3. I met my husband in the Hong Kong airport. When we tell people that we met on line, they always assume we mean over the internet -- but we actually mean on the passport control line!
4. I was a lawyer for over a decade, and -- who knows? -- may one day return to the practice of law.
5. I am the oldest of six children; my brothers and sisters live all over the country, and I’m inspired by their varied life choices.
6. When I’m writing, I have to listen to the same music over and over; I really can’t deviate. For RELIC, I listened to Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto and Mumford & Sons’ Babel so many times I lost count. I’m transitioning my music for the sequel to RELIC because I really can’t listen to either album again.
7. I adore museums, and one of my favorite places in the world is the airy room that houses the Ancient Egyptian Temple of Dendur in the Metropolitan Museum in New York City, where I used to live. When I really need inspiration for my writing, somehow this place does the trick.
8. I enjoy scuba diving. I got certified on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, and the most spectacular place I’ve ever done dives is in the ocean around the Fijian island of Savusavu.
9. My favorite season is fall, probably because I love all thing pumpkin -- pumpkin lattes, pumpkin bread, pumpkin soup -- and the changing of the leaves, of course.
10. I have always wanted to be an archaeologist (maybe that’s not so surprising given that Eva in RELIC is one!).
About the Author:
Heather Terrell worked as a commercial litigator in New York City for over ten years, but she has always been obsessed with myth, lore, and the gap between history and the truth. This preoccupation has led to several loosely factual historical novels (The Chrysalis, The Map Thief, Brigid of Kildare) and the pure-lore Fallen Angel series. Relic is the first installment of The Books of Eva series. She lives in Pittsburgh with her family.
Visit her at her website or Facebook