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galleytrot's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
READ: Feb 2024
FORMAT: Digital
ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: 5 / 5⭐
TECHNICAL / PRODUCTION: 4.5 / 5⭐
FINAL – OVERALL: 4.75 / 5⭐
In this book, a pair of extremely valuable fossils pop up that may be absolutely critical to the continuation of the shifter species, and the difficulty around the situation prompts Montana to take the job on for himself. An unrelenting Henry makes certain that he won’t be going alone, though, and while the last thing Montana needs is to be worrying about a newly-awakened and barely-trained shifter during the most important and dangerous mission of his life, he yields. Tragic pasts and brighter futures collide, and control must be sacrificed for trust and love to break through walls meant to keep hearts protected from loss and grief.
What a wonderful conclusion to the RELIC series, packed to the brim with an incredible ensemble of characters, wild antics, hilarious situations, steaming-hot attraction, and a satisfying conclusion. I‘ll say that through the past couple books in the series, my opinion on Henry as a character didn’t amount to much, but he was truly given the perfect chance to grow into something remarkable. He was nothing like I expected in a partner for Montana, but he was everything that Montana needed. Montana himself went through pretty much the exact character arc I was expecting, and I’m okay with that.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it a million times over: Maddox’s strength is in world-building through incredible characters. The stories themselves can sometimes be middling, but the characters will always, always blast the fun-factor through the roof. This book didn’t address every question I had in regards to the RELIC universe; I feel like there are a good number of loose ends left untied. Despite that, I’m still left satisfied and content with the amount of speculation left open for me to ponder, and the groundwork is there for the story to continue through Origin, if that's a direction Maddox plans to take. There were a number of mistakes (typos, grammar, continuity) in the book suggesting it could've used another pass for editing before release, but as is typically the case for Maddox books: the story is too much fun to hold it against the author.
This book has representation for gays, bisexuals, pansexuals, and non-binary individuals. A wide variety of characters are portrayed as non-white.
The following elaborates on my content warnings. These may be interpreted as spoilers, but I do not go into deep detail.
This book contains: animal death (predators hunting for sustenance); panic attacks; blood, injuries (cuts, bruising, bullet wounds, piercing/stabbing); weapon violence (fists, improvised weapons, blades, guns); drug use; alcohol use; death, murder; and, vomiting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Cursing, Gun violence, Murder, Animal death, Blood, Grief, Death, Alcohol, Drug use, and Panic attacks/disorders
avis03's review
adventurous
emotional
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
MM, PNR, RomCom, 1st Dual POV
Status: KU, Series of Interconnected Standalones, Third Act Conflict -External, Breakup
Henry: Dino Shifter (Albertosaurous), Awake for 1 Year, Plant Daddy, New Fossil Rescuer, Shoulder Length Hair, Has Panic Attacks, Sexually Inexperienced, Verse
Montana: Dino Shifter (T-rex), Awoke Late 1800s, Widower (8 Years), Fossil Rescuer, Verse
Notes: Found Family, Grumpy/Sunshine, Fossil Recovery Mission,Work Trip to a Strip Club, Mistaken for a Stripper (Henry), Attending a Gala, Fossil Heist , Overcoming Grief
Sex Notes:Shower Masturbation (Suction Cup Dildo), Post-Danger Sex, Rimming, Blowjob, Lube Use, Condom Use, Doggy Style, Spanking while Fucking, Hair Pulling, Aftercare
CWs:Guns, Violence, Depictions of Hunting and Animal Death
Status: KU, Series of Interconnected Standalones, Third Act Conflict -
Henry: Dino Shifter (Albertosaurous), Awake for 1 Year, Plant Daddy, New Fossil Rescuer, Shoulder Length Hair, Has Panic Attacks, Sexually Inexperienced, Verse
Montana: Dino Shifter (T-rex), Awoke Late 1800s, Widower (8 Years), Fossil Rescuer, Verse
Notes: Found Family, Grumpy/Sunshine, Fossil Recovery Mission,
Sex Notes:
CWs:
mcdermotte1639's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
wildfaeriecaps's review
5.0
What a great end to a series (I'm assuming it's the end as the author note sort of hints that it is). Henry is such a sweet, caring, tender soul. I love him and he needs to be protected at all costs. That said, his vulnerability and open heart caused me no small amount of emotional pain. Montana was often so cruel and/or oblivious to Henry's feelings and intentions that I just wanted to shake him. He had his reasons, yes. But wow, did the whole thing mess with my heart. Of all the books in the RELIC series, this one caused the most genuine tears from me. Despite the turmoil, I loved reading this book. I adore the RELIC crew and their "boyfriends and strays" with my whole heart. Confession, though? I'd totally go for a book about Ruben. Like, *please* let me have this.
writtenechoes's review
3.0
Unfortunately this series ends not with a bang but with a small little sizzle for me. I’m sad because I’ve been anticipating Henry and Montana’s story since book 3. Although I liked their individual characters, I did not enjoy the romance.
Henry crawled from a dinosaur dig site and had to be taught how to be a human. He was basically a dinosaur in human form for two books. He was a gentle soul, kind and not understanding of how nasty the world could be. His puppy crush on Montana was cute but in the beginning it made me uncomfy although I can’t really explain why. Maybe because Henry acted like a child. Montana obviously had no clue and the first 60% of this book is clumsy awkward Henry trying to woo Montana. The heist plot in this one was almost messy and tied up far too quickly and easily at the end. They found the fossil but then what? We don’t see any of that we’re just told in the epilogue that Lance was able to extract shifter DNA for Simon and Blaise so they could live forever and be dinosaur shifters like their mates. Too much time was spent on the weird mission where Henry had to be a stripper. And when these two FINALLY got together …. I didn’t care. I take that back I did care because I didn’t think Montana was a very good match for Henry. I just loved how soft and sweet Henry was and Montana was kind of a dick. And the dead spouse trope here was messy, given a lot of time in the front end but not much in the back end.
I didn’t hate it but also I was underwhelmed by the romance. I enjoyed seeing the team I’ve come to love over five books but I didn’t see enough of them to make me enjoy the book as a whole. Such a shame but you can’t win them all. I am still hopeful for a spin off series because I need to know Ruben and Xiang’s story.
Henry crawled from a dinosaur dig site and had to be taught how to be a human. He was basically a dinosaur in human form for two books. He was a gentle soul, kind and not understanding of how nasty the world could be. His puppy crush on Montana was cute but in the beginning it made me uncomfy although I can’t really explain why. Maybe because Henry acted like a child. Montana obviously had no clue and the first 60% of this book is clumsy awkward Henry trying to woo Montana. The heist plot in this one was almost messy and tied up far too quickly and easily at the end. They found the fossil but then what? We don’t see any of that we’re just told in the epilogue that Lance was able to extract shifter DNA for Simon and Blaise so they could live forever and be dinosaur shifters like their mates. Too much time was spent on the weird mission where Henry had to be a stripper. And when these two FINALLY got together …. I didn’t care. I take that back I did care because I didn’t think Montana was a very good match for Henry. I just loved how soft and sweet Henry was and Montana was kind of a dick. And the dead spouse trope here was messy, given a lot of time in the front end but not much in the back end.
I didn’t hate it but also I was underwhelmed by the romance. I enjoyed seeing the team I’ve come to love over five books but I didn’t see enough of them to make me enjoy the book as a whole. Such a shame but you can’t win them all. I am still hopeful for a spin off series because I need to know Ruben and Xiang’s story.
bronwynheeley's review against another edition
4.0
I adored this book. It was everything I wanted, not only from them as a couple, but for the end of the series. I loved both men, especially Henry as he not only working on being human but trying to get Montana to notice him in a romantic way. I don’t have anything else to say but that I loved it.
khalleur's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
kaitlin_durante's review against another edition
5.0
[I received a digital arc for an honest review]
Gardens & Ghosts by Maz Maddox is the final book in the RELIC series. Montana’s been around for a long time and experienced the greatest loss, his husband Reaper. He has found happiness in RELIC’s mission and his brothers but continues to mourn the loss of his partner. Henry has only been awake for a little over a year but loves his life with his RELIC brothers and especially Montana. When Montana faces the most important fossil find yet, Henry convinces him to let him go along as backup. But when things go sideways for both the mission and their relationship Montana finds out that Henry is so much more than he realized.
Wow, Henry the Albertosaurus was just everything. He is such a sweetheart who just wants to shower Montana and his brothers with care and affection. He’s afraid to pursue Montana and be rejected but knows he can be a good mate for the older T-rex. Henry is willing to jump head first into any situation if it means keeping Montana safe and having the mission be successful. He is very direct with his intentions and wears his triumphs and heartbreak on his sleeve.
He was honest. Always so damn honest. From the moment I met the man, he’d always been authentically him, a lost predator trying to squeeze into our lives and make us happy.
Montana was absolutely a work in progress. He was hurting so badly from the loss of his husband and the guilt of possibly loving again that he was unkind of Henry which was extremely uncool. He knows Henry deserves the world but struggles to believe he isn’t too broken to give him that. While they have extreme chemistry it is the intimacy of being a couple that Montana fails to believe in.
“I don’t mind waiting outside the walls until he wants me to see inside. I just want to be beside him.”
This has been a must read series after the introduction to the RELIC world in book one. Maddox has delivered everything we needed and more. It was all the humor and silliness I have come to expect with this crew as well as some heart wrenching moments of Henry and Montana trying to figure things out. The mission is fast paced and exciting with the chaos that usually ensues coming through full force. I can’t believe we’re saying bye to our dino shifter friends but hopefully there is more to come and we’ll get cameos :)
4.5 stars for Henry winning Montana’s heart.
Gardens & Ghosts by Maz Maddox is the final book in the RELIC series. Montana’s been around for a long time and experienced the greatest loss, his husband Reaper. He has found happiness in RELIC’s mission and his brothers but continues to mourn the loss of his partner. Henry has only been awake for a little over a year but loves his life with his RELIC brothers and especially Montana. When Montana faces the most important fossil find yet, Henry convinces him to let him go along as backup. But when things go sideways for both the mission and their relationship Montana finds out that Henry is so much more than he realized.
Wow, Henry the Albertosaurus was just everything. He is such a sweetheart who just wants to shower Montana and his brothers with care and affection. He’s afraid to pursue Montana and be rejected but knows he can be a good mate for the older T-rex. Henry is willing to jump head first into any situation if it means keeping Montana safe and having the mission be successful. He is very direct with his intentions and wears his triumphs and heartbreak on his sleeve.
He was honest. Always so damn honest. From the moment I met the man, he’d always been authentically him, a lost predator trying to squeeze into our lives and make us happy.
Montana was absolutely a work in progress. He was hurting so badly from the loss of his husband and the guilt of possibly loving again that he was unkind of Henry which was extremely uncool. He knows Henry deserves the world but struggles to believe he isn’t too broken to give him that. While they have extreme chemistry it is the intimacy of being a couple that Montana fails to believe in.
“I don’t mind waiting outside the walls until he wants me to see inside. I just want to be beside him.”
This has been a must read series after the introduction to the RELIC world in book one. Maddox has delivered everything we needed and more. It was all the humor and silliness I have come to expect with this crew as well as some heart wrenching moments of Henry and Montana trying to figure things out. The mission is fast paced and exciting with the chaos that usually ensues coming through full force. I can’t believe we’re saying bye to our dino shifter friends but hopefully there is more to come and we’ll get cameos :)
4.5 stars for Henry winning Montana’s heart.