《THE RELIC GUILD (and other stories) Updated regularly.》THE RELIC GUILD TRILOGY (blog post)
Advertisement
The Relic Guild Trilogy has been described in varying ways since the release of its first book back in 2014, and positively so, I'm pleased to say. Mythic fantasy, was one description; traditional fantasy with a difference, was another. Gaslight fantasy, not quite grimdark, epic fantasy with an original twist, fantasy with shades of horror and sci-fi. It's quite a long and happy list, and I'm proud that my story should be a source of debate among readers and reviewers.
What begins with The Relic Guild and continues through The Cathedral of Known Things concludes in The Watcher of Dead Time. This is the story of a secret and dysfunctional band of magickers protecting a million humans in a city hidden at the centre of a giant labyrinth; a city that barely manages to survive, trapped behind walls a hundred feet high, abandoned by the rest of the universe. It is a tale split into two time periods, separated by forty years. The past is set during a great war before the people of the Labyrinth were abandoned; the present is set in the aftermath and the realisation that even after forty years the war has not ended.
The Relic Guild Trilogy is a fantasy, a mystery, an adventure with magic, monsters and mayhem, where nothing is as it seems and relics are as complicated as they are dangerous. It is a single story chopped up into three books, which means books one and two end on something of a cliffhanger. The higher percentage of readers accepted the format and enjoyed the suspense. Others stuck with me, even though they weren't fans of cliffhangers, which is fair enough, and I'm ever grateful to all my readers. A few have been angered by the cliffhangers, feeling somehow cheated by them, and I've been accused of lazy storytelling to endorse a cheap marketing ploy to sell the next book.
Advertisement
Although I'm quite good at being lazy in life, I work very hard at writing. If the The Relic Guild, The Cathedral of Known Things, and The Watcher of Dead Time formed a single book, the physical copy would be a tome, half a million words and fourteen hundred pages long. There aren't many publishers who would release a novel of that size, and even fewer authors who could generate the sales for something so expensive. I am not one of those authors. Thus The Relic Guild is a single story thrice chopped.
Actually, that's not entirely true.
There are two additional parts which add to the singular narrative, two short stories that fit snugly into the tale. Think of them as DVD extras. Both were written as promotional pieces and recorded by the ever wonderful Imogen Church as audiobooks. The best part of these audiobooks is, after they were recorded, generous Gollancz gave them away for free. FREE! Such glorious madness! And the audios are still available to download.
The first short is Hemlock. It's set during the hours before chapter one of The Relic Guild – a prelude, if you will. It's a behind the scenes look at the opening gambit that kickstarts the entire story and features a bit-part character who is responsible for causing a lot of trouble, the titular Charlie Hemlock. The second short is Champion of Dead Time which is set between books one and two. In The Cathedral of Known Things readers are introduced to a particularly nasty demon called the Woodsman and this is the story of its origins and why it came into existence.
So, The Relic Guild is technically a trilogy chopped up into five parts. Or is that too Douglas Adams? Either way, the entire story is far too big to be gathered into a single, good old-fashioned paper and ink novel. However, the brilliant and crafty gang at Gollancz have decided to do it for you digitally.
Advertisement
For the first time ever, the complete tale of The Relic Guild is collected into a single ebook. That's three novels and two short stories: Hemlock, The Relic Guild, Champion of Dead Time, The Cathedral of Known Things, and The Watcher of Dead Time in one volume for only £10.99. £10.99 - that's cheaper than a trip to the movies! Plus, it lasts so much longer. And I promise, hand on heart, there will be no cliffhangers here, not one. All things are known in the end.
The complete story is available from all the usual download sites, Amazon, Kobo, iTunes - whatever your preference. If you'd like to find out more about The Relic Guild and my other works, it's all right here on my website: https://www.edwardcox.net/gallery
.
Advertisement
- In Serial25 Chapters
At Wit's End
Escaping his fate, a young man finds himself powerless in a world of wonder, where magic spills from every hand and demons make both men and monster. Follow Wit as he weaves his own epic. From making unlikely friends and unimaginable foes to being crushed by tragedy and finding the will to move forward, watch as he embarks on an adventure of mythical proportions. Sunday / Thursday @ 8pm Central Time The cover art is the work of a great digital artist named Amir Zand over on ArtStation.
8 297 - In Serial30 Chapters
12 Hand Asura
Millions Of years after the war between the 12 gods, inside a small clan next to the largest mountain in the world, lives a boy who is very prideful, his dream is to become the strongest so when he finds out about a weapon that his ancestor used to make the whole world kneel before him, the boy decided to find it for himself.Little did he know that this decision of his will separates him from his family and friends forever.This is a story about a boy who wants ultimate strength but he has no experience or knowledge about the world outside.With a lot of effort and luck by his side the boy may get what he wants but at what cost?
8 231 - In Serial57 Chapters
The White Rabbit: Book 2
In the Urillian Empire, the Empress Xandra rules three-quarters of the planet Xren from her home in the capital of the Earth Continent. Both the fire and water peoples have fallen under her might after a series of wars stretching back three centuries. Earth elves, under Xandra's rule, have spread throughout the planet and established colonies, and are, by all accounts, enjoying what seems to be a prosperous and happy existence. But not everyone in Uril is happy. The holy books speak of elves as the Chosen People of Thesis, tasked with guiding and protecting the lower races. For some people, this scripture has been interpreted to designate their life as one on the lowest rungs of society. Humans have been reduced to a slave class, and serve their elven masters under Xandra's rule, kept at bay by the constant fear of the dreaded Emerald Knight, and their own perceived weakness. Humans do not lead long lives, nor do they possess the wisdom, power, or magical acumen of their elven masters. But there is hope. A group of people have banded together to fight against Xandra, her Knight, and her empire. They call themselves the "Knights of Order" united under the principle idea that Xandra's reign has brought chaos unto Xren, and they wish to restore order. These Knights are led by a man named Xaxac Brigaddon, spoken of as a legend. They say that when the moons are full, some humans transform into powerful beasts. They say that Xaxac is the most powerful warrior on Xren, that in his youth he was enslaved and forced to fight other humans to the death in a bloodsport called "cage fighting", that he could not be touched and held the world championship title for three years running until he faked his own death and escaped his master to join the resistance. They say that he has friends in high places- noblemen, pirates, and the devil himself. They say that if you can find him, he can ferry you to freedom in places where the Earth Elves fear to tread. They say that he is immune to magical attack, and his eyes shine like the silver moon. They say that he is descended from Quizlivian Brigaddon, one of the humans who helped the demon Magnus escape a god. They say that if you want to walk the Path of Order, you should follow the White Rabbit.Come and watch the transformation from human boy to Knight of Order: The life and times of Xaxac OfAgalon OfLangil Brigaddon. Content Warning: This work is based on the real experiences of human trafficing survivors. Xaxac's origins are based on true events, and they are presented realisitcally; this includes but is not limited to: isolation, gaslighting, emotional and sexual abuse, and grooming tactics. This work is meant to hold a mirror up to society; it is based on the real of experiences of people who have experienced slavery and/or abuse. It is an adult work and probably should not be read by anyone under the age of 18. If you are a survivor of human trafficing and/or abuse, your feedback is welcome, but please do not read this if you think it may trigger your trauma. I did not write this with the intention of harming anyone, but rather to provide accurate representation for a group that does not normally get it in the hopes of changing the zeitgeist. I would like to see a world where more people understand what these experiences are like, so that real survivors do not have to deal with microagressions from an ignorant public. Reader discretion is advised. This book does not display these elements as heavily as book 1.
8 156 - In Serial6 Chapters
Understanding a cultivation world
A modern man armed with having read a few novels about cultivation is suddenly transmigrated to a cultivation world. He fights to both survive and thrive in this new archaic world full of arrogant young masters, demonic sects, and incredibly hostile wildlife. Note: In this story, I wanted to focus a lot more on what most novels skim past in regards to cultivation, namely the whole, spiritual growth aspect that seems to be entirely absent from the prosses of obtaining enlightenment the majority of the time, but the method of gaining cultivation. how it works, and what kind of world would develop around it are all things I wish to explore in this novel.
8 153 - In Serial27 Chapters
80s/90s Imagines[DISCONTINUED]
8 107 - In Serial59 Chapters
The Hunter's Alpha
Amber Lyndon's future seemed inescapable as a second class human citizen growing up among the hunters, at least until she is rescued from an attack and taken captive by a brooding alpha who is interested in getting answers from her, and a lot more.#1 in Werewolf (12/03/2021)#2 in Vampire (12/03/2021)Mature content including violence, adult themes and sexual content. Not intended for the 18- crowd.
8 207

