W. C. Collier @WCCollier1· May 4
Reviews of novels you (as a Christian) can enjoy and give to your youngin’s
I read Reliquary of the Dead by @DrDavidAFalk. Overall a delightful novel, and also one that gives me an excuse to talk about two potential pitfalls in fiction writing.
The first is that specialists in any field other than fiction writing tend not to make very good fiction writers. They tend to be didactic regarding their field of interest, and not very convincing in terms of character and plot. They also tend to be narrowly educated in their field, with little experience or knowledge to inform the other elements of their story, resulting in glaring plot holes and technical mistakes. Dr. Falk delightfully averts this trope, demonstrating passable knowledge in a wide range of subjects needed for his story—which is a space exploration adventure! With aliens!
Color me surprised. An outer space ancient aliens romp from an actual Egyptologist, and it’s actually good! And fun! And not bogged down in attempts to teach us all how much everyone else gets wrong about Ancient Egypt. In fact, there’s almost no Ancient Egypt in it! This is a good thing, on Dr. Falk’s part, especially for a debut novel. It frees him to do what all fiction writers do: write as non-PhDs, based on research, but with a focus on character, plot, and fun.
Which leads me to the other phenomenon that tends to plague fiction writers: their sense of human psychology tends to be autobiographical. The famous example of this is Lord of the Flies, depicting the breakdown into savagery and tribalism of young boys stranded on a (resource-rich) island. Billed as an insightful indictment of human nature, it really ends up being an insightful window into the author’s nature, and meanwhile a group of actual school boys gets stranded on an island for months and has prayer every night and takes care of its members until drama-free rescue. The human condition is widely varied, and authors write what they know. They write as if all people are the kind of people with whom they are familiar.
Apparently, the kind of people Dr. Falk knows are a-holes. Our protagonist and every character he encounters, are socially inept, backstabbing children in adult bodies. Is academia of Ancient Egypt really so backbiting? We must presume so. And wonder if Dr. Falk needs a hug. That said, while the entire cast are steadfastly unlikable, we yet manage to come to like the protagonist and his loyal assistant/gunhand and root for them. The level of character dev here is on par for commercial fiction, but entertainingly idiosyncratic.
Dr. Falk proposes that, to resolve a politically sensitive and technically demanding crisis in a space colony on the verge of collapse, you need a man with a particular set of skills, and those are… the skills of a socially inept Egyptologist. And yet, he just about pulls it off, at least well enough to keep us entertained, and intrigued by his particular twist on the ancient alien concept.
Lastly, given the abrupt ending, expect a series.
Entertaining, thought provoking, educational, minimal bad language and no lascivious content. Fit for Christian audiences. Enjoy.
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J. Penar
5.0 out of 5 stars. Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2025.
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Highly Re-Readable Collision of Worlds
SUMMARY: It gripped my mind and expanded my imagination each of the 3 times I’ve read it. The first time, I stayed up past 3 AM to finish it because not knowing what would happen next was unacceptable. The second, I read closely, savoring it while looking for any hints, breadcrumbs or foreshadowing I missed. For my 3rd, I was fortunate to be re-reading it having already read book 2, “All The Stars As Angels” (as an unpaid beta reader), and my enjoyment was only elevated by knowing what is coming. It is clear that Falk has expansive plans for his characters and the future worlds they live on, and I don’t regret buying the hardback edition one bit.
In-Depth:
The plot lives up to the promises of sci-fi, fantasy, mystery and adventure with a side of cosmic horror.
As to themes, that over-emphasizing “getting along” at the cost of truth leads to apathy, and apathy to utter destruction. It examines the unnecessary battle between hard sciences and humanities (“Why not both?”, as Tony Stark would say). How “mathematical models are only as good as our knowledge of the variables.” And how humanity’s perception of their status and place in the universe is precariously one discovery by a fed-up Frenchman on a distant exoplanet away from being irrevocably toppled… and transformed.
Characters: So realistic they will likely remind you of people you know, for better or for worse!
Protagonist Pierre Gulet is both sympathetic AND annoying. You cheer for him, AND he makes you facepalm. What I like about that, though, is that it is not easy to predict what he will do. And when he does rise to challenges successfully, it is so satisfying. No Gary Stu, here.
The side characters are each interesting in their own way, with diverse nationalities, occupations, personalities and physical descriptions, and they realistically range from kids to octogenarians. Some people had to win me over; others I loved the whole way through.
I don’t want to say too much about antagonists, though there is one in particular that inspired visceral hatred. Think Delores Umbridge levels. I’ll let you figure out who that is.
Pacing: Brisk to FAST. Once we are introduced to Gulet and his predicament, the story quickly gets going and then never lets up, not even on the final page!
Content advisory, IMO: PG-13 for language and cosmic-horror, but nothing gratuitous.
Verdict: 10/10, would recommend, have already gifted it to someone as well, with more in mind. Will pre-order book two as soon as it’s available, because this series is going on the shelf, not the tablet!
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The Badger
5.0 out of 5 stars. Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2025.
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A brilliant concept beautifully executed
Reliquary of the Dead is a wonderful blend of Science Fiction and Ancient Egyptian that immediately grabs the reader’s attention. Set hundreds of years in the future, the story follows Pierre Gulet, an Egyptologist who is forced to leave his life’s work and begin anew on a distant planet called Gliese 832 c. He’s quickly confronted with the colony’s imminent devastation and must use his unique expertise to its utmost to try to save the colony—and himself.
Pierre is immediately likeable and relatable as he faces challenges on every side while struggling to help those whose prestige has clouded their ability to see reason. Met with resistance at every turn, he must be clever, decisive, shrewd, and take risks that no one else is willing to take.
The story is fast-paced and will keep you on the edge of your seat as Pierre unravels mystery after mystery that will pull you through the dark history of, not only Gliese, but of the entire universe. The author introduces us to everything from brilliant future technologies to the ancient cultures of the Near East and does so in a way that captivates and excites.
Reliquary of the Dead is a must-read for anyone who loves science fiction, Bronze Age Egyptology, and storytelling in general. But this is only the beginning and the author will leave you eager to pick up the next book and continue the epic adventure and discoveries of Pierre Gulet.
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Rachel Schoenberger
242 reviews 13 followers April 19, 2025
Reliquary of the Dead is a captivating start to a new science fiction series set in the 25th century. The protagonist is an Egyptologist named Pierre Gulet who winds up going to Gliese, an exoplanet where a colony of people from Earth has been established. There, he learns that things on the exoplanet are not going well and discovers some incredibly bizarre and interesting things. I found the book highly entertaining and especially enjoyed the ancient Egypt references throughout. It ends on a cliffhanger, so I am very much looking forward to reading the second book in a few months!
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6.22
5.0 out of 5 stars. Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2025.
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Reliquary is a perfect mix of Grounded Sci-Fi, Mystery and Archeology!
Wow! That’s what I really have to say after just finishing the book.
Reliquary is a perfect mix of Grounded(ish) Sci-Fi, Mystery and Archeology!
It also does a fantastic job of not being predictable or falling into tropes, I was actually surprised by the twist!
The characters, (Even the not likeable ones!) are well written and act realistically.
I won’t spoil much, but how many pieces of fiction can give you the vibes of Indy, Dune, Ancient Egypt & system shock (sci-fi) all at once? None before reliquary! And to have a realistic dig site in fiction? What a treat!
I would say reliquary stands out amongst other fiction books in general, not just sci fi.
Print quality was also great, this is no quick print off on demand. And the hardcover having a dust jacket with different artwork on the hardcover itself was a great addition.
I will happily be pre-ordering part 2 when available.
5/5 A must read.