April Update

First of all, an apology for a missing March update.

In the past two weeks I read two relic novels: The Chinese Alchemist by Lyn Hamilton and The Sanctuary by Raymond Khoury.

The Chinese Alchemist tells the tale of a antique seller from Ontario who gets caught up in an international antique smuggling operation in her search of an antique piece for a client. She travels to New York and China in hunting down a piece of artifact belonging to a Tang dynasty concubine who is said to have perfected the recipe for the Elixir of Immortality, and had hidden this recipe in the artifact. Much of the story is set in China, so those who enjoy reading books that depict the Orient might enjoy this. For me, it was almost a refresher history lesson.

The Sanctuary is also about the hunt for an elixir of immortality. Set in Beirut, Lebanon, this story also tells of relic smuggling and archaeology. In this book, the chapters of the main plot are interjected with journal-like entries of a man who seemed to have attained immortality and travelled from Naples at the height of the Renaissance to the Middle East. It is a very enjoyable and action-packed novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

So if you're stuck on finding something to read, these two books can be worth considering.