The Lost Reliquary

4.25 stars rounded to 4 stars; wow I really liked this! Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for this eARC.I'm a huge fan of [b:Gideon the Ninth|42036538|Gideon the Ninth (The Locked Tomb, #1)|Tamsyn Muir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1546870952l/42036538._SY75_.jpg|60943229] and the rest of The Locked Tomb series, so if you're saying this is for fans of Gideon the Ninth, I'm right there first in line.And honestly, the only thing that was relevant from that comparison was the wisecracking from our main character, Lys, and the flippancy towards religion. And yet, The Lost Reliquary is able to tell its own story even with those similarities (I haven't read [b:Godkiller|61244268|Godkiller (Fallen Gods, #1)|Hannah Kaner|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1659863757l/61244268._SY75_.jpg|96558181] which is the other comparison, but I'll believe it's probably a bit similar there as well.).Actually, I think the better book to compare this to would be [b:The Knight and the Moth|205335957|The Knight and the Moth (The Stonewater Kingdom, #1)|Rachel Gillig|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1729088690l/205335957._SY75_.jpg|211353763] and you can see my own review here. But I think this book does things a lot better than TKATM. Both books involve someone of a religious order leaving their sacred space to go out into the world seeking divine object(s) to commit deicide. While I disliked TKATM's weak worldbuilding and annoying characters, in The Lost Reliquary I was plunged into a fascinating world of a former pantheon and interesting and well-rounded characters. There was minimal infodumping as well as plot twists I didn't see coming.I really enjoyed reading about Lys and her journey throughout the book. She's had this one goal to destroy the goddess she worships and when she gets the opportunity of a lifetime to get close to her goal she goes for it. Her true feelings have influenced her personality to be flippant and all quips while she's constantly alert and observant to make sure no one ever suspects her lack of devotion. It's too bad she got partnered with the most devoted person she's met in order to take back the one thing that can destroy their goddess. I also really liked reading Lyn and Nolan's interactions throughout the book, they go from reluctant allies-to-rivals-to-actual partners working together, all while Lys is hiding her true goal. And the ending! Holy shit! It was foreshadowed all along, but Nolan and Lys wanting to save each other but both unwillingly becoming avatars made my heart melt so much. I appreciated the lack of romance here however I do ship them and if this turns out to be a slow-burn romance asdfghjkl. I NEED the sequel immediately so I know what happens next to our characters (I am also most excited to properly know more about Morgan!), please and thank you.Small bits that led to this being a 4.25 stars review include Nolan's changing characterization as we learn more about him and his motivations, it's not a negative thing but it did make it a bit hard to pin down who he was exactly, and the pacing slowing down around the halfway mark, to go from point A to point B hunting down their target to staying static in one place trying to find out what to do next was a little disruptive. I understand it from a narrative perspective and enjoying reading about a unique setting, but the pacing just got slowed, that's all. I would definitely recommend this if you are a fan of Gideon (just the character, not the book), if you wanted more from the worldbuilding in TKATM, or if you want to read an exciting and unique adventure with action scenes and plot twists you can't predict.