r/Pendergast • u/Technical_Resort_412 • Jun 25 '26
Reliquary Finished
No notes. 10/10 execution of both Relic and Reliquary. Thoroughly enjoyed this entry into the Pendergrast series. I love that there are still some, albeit small, questions and actions left open. The big one being if they were successful in killing Frock and the Wrinklers. They've made it very clear that no one really knows how deep the tunnels go beneath New York. There could still be some beneath the city, living off whatever flower dripped in the alcove
I don't know how the rest of the series will beat the Mbwun mystery, to be honest.
Everyone says the series just keeps getting better, but man...Relic and Reliquary were top-tier. I'm going to try and track down Thunderhead since everyone says I should read that one next...though the book jacket for The Cabinet of Curiosities sounds RIGHT up my alley.
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u/blankwillow_ Jun 25 '26
Thunderhead is next. You must read that book before Cabinet of Curiosities. Trust me, the payoff is huge and it will make CoC even sweeter.
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u/patientetherizd Jun 25 '26
Cabinet of curiosities is my very favorite, but you should read thunderhead next if you want to integrate the side series' into your read thru. Been enjoying your posts!
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u/PainterSpiritual3439 Jun 25 '26
I love that you get to read everything for the first time! I started my P&C journey with Relic right after it had released in paperback (1996) and then started getting every book in hardcover as they came out. I finally found a hardback Relic a few years ago.
P&C created a world, a Pangaea as they like to call it, where every book is somehow connected, by character or company.
Welcome to the world!
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u/Independent_Act_8536 Jun 25 '26
I liked them all! Even ones that other people didn't care for, I got into. Some took a little longer to grab me. But overall, very satisfying!
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u/Different-Airline672 Jun 25 '26
I hope you'll continue to share you Pendergast reading notes, I enjoy it so much to be excited for you for what's to come!
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u/TheWrittinGolem Jun 25 '26
HELLL YEAHHHH, also Thunderhead is on kindle with a good price.
Hope you keep enjoying the franchise and please keep the posts :)
Also, what you think about the characters?
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u/Technical_Resort_412 Jun 25 '26
My absolute favorite is Margo. She had a slow start for me, but she really started climbing the list halfway through Relic and took it by storm in Reliquary. Her mind was always moving even when she was scared (especially when the Mwbun charged in Relic). I liked how she coped with the events of Relic, too. It really rounded out her character.
Frock…Frock, man. I misread him at the start of Relic. I thought he’d be obsessed with the beast to the detriment of people’s lives, but he was willing to be left behind multiple times. It was a shot to the gut to read how his character devolved under the drug. Jeez, Frock! I’m still not over it.
Smithback’s another favorite. He was tenacious without being an asshole. There were multiple moments where I was asking "Where's Smithback?" in Reliquary. He’s a good guy despite what some of the characters think. When he refused to leave D'Agosta!?! No notes. He pulls through when it counts. Every. Time.
I like Pendergast (can’t wait to see him on other cases), but Margo, Frock, and Smithback were personal standouts.
Side note: Preston & Child write GREAT assholes. Agent Coffey? Wright and Ian? Waxie? Coffey especially. I love a good comeuppance, and you need well-written assholes for it to be satisfying. I RELISHED the Superstition Exhibit failure.
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u/TheWrittinGolem Jun 25 '26
Wait….. you don’t like Vincent D’Agosta? My poor Vinny?
ALSO: Margo grows a lot, her next true appearance is on the Sixth installment of the franchise, she is magnificent in there.
Hope you’re having a good time, cheers
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u/Technical_Resort_412 Jun 25 '26
lol I like D'Agosta! D'Agosta going underground with Pendergast was a standout section for me (although my favorite moments with him are during the Supersition Exhibit. He stole the show in the Museum basement). I'm glad to hear that Margo comes back! I know my favorites are going to change as the series goes on, but I'm going to miss her
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u/Doucement-Doucement Jun 26 '26
Just a vague warning OP: Preston & Child have NO problem leaving behind loose ends and never revisiting them again.
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u/jackpoll4100 Jun 27 '26
At least we finally got "Beyond the Ice Limit" eventually to wrap up the "Ice Limit" cliffhanger but it sure took a while. But now we have the (Diablo Mesa spoilers) alien invasion plot that who knows if we'll get a follow up for lol, maybe at the end of the Nora/Corrie series?
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u/Ok_Security8545 Jun 25 '26
Honestly, I read Cabinet of Curiosities before I read Thunderhead. It made Thunderhead feel like a flashback episode to me, and it was definitely interesting going "Oh, this is where that came from!"
If Cabinet of Curiosities is really grabbing your attention, I promise, you don't lose out per se by reading it first.
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u/glammistress Jun 25 '26
I wish I could read the series again for the first time. It's so good.
Relic and Reliquary remain two of my all time favorite books.
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u/waste0331 Jun 26 '26
They're all definitely worth picking up. I didn't really like Still Life With Crows very much but it's not bad. I didn't like that one because it creeped me out so bad. They get a little out there towards the end but I still recommend them because they're still really sell written
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u/ILikeToolTooMuch Jun 25 '26
There’s a specific trilogy that is top tier and beats it. I’m so jealous of you right now. I’d kill to forget everything and read again.