new amazon.com review of RELICS

[John Desjarlais]

I love stories of castles and knights, but there is so little good stuff written about this part of our history. Desjarlais is a master of historical fiction--weaving vivid descriptions of the food, clothes, beliefs, politics and habits of the time into a story that grabs hold of your imagination and doesn't let go! For the guys, there's plenty of swordplay, action and intrigue. For the girls, there's romance and uncertainty. I never knew what a key role the collection and preservation of relics played in the history of the Catholic religion. It's also great to get into the mind of someone who might have lived in that time period and see how similar their dreams and struggles were to our own. I heartily recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about the days of the Crusades and doesn't mind learning a thing or two in the process!