Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: Lost in Amber
SERIES: RELIC, Book 4
AUTHOR: Maz Maddox
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 223 pages
RELEASE DATE: June 7, 2022
BLURB:
“Probably hot, fun and a little weird, but Yu won’t let me read the story until I can beat him in rock, paper, scissors. He cheats.”
– Dalton
“This story is action packed and wild. Dalton just really sucks at rock, paper, scissors.”
– Royal
“I’m not doing this. Stop asking me for a quote.”
– Baha
“Yu is one of my oldest friends and someone I deeply respect. This story is a peek into a life that is mysterious and uniquely his.”
– Montana
“…..”
– Henry
RELIC #4 — Yu’s Story
Being alive for millions of years means I’m rarely surprised.
In the long expanse of my existence, I’ve been rescuing fossils for only a breath. During that time, my path has crossed with many different people — shifter and human alike.
Some friendly, some nefarious.
A hundred years ago, one such man graced me with his presence.
He was one of the few to have almost killed me.
Imagine my surprise when I see him again, buying the rarest amber fossil to have ever been discovered.
Precious. Beautiful. Unique.
A true treasure millions of years in the making.
I won’t let him get away again.
REVIEW:
Lost in Amber, the fourth book in Maz Maddox’s dinosaur shifter action/adventure series RELIC, departs from the tried and true aspects of the three series books that came before. Smash & Grab, Sink or Swim, and King & Queen all provide raucous romps with action, danger, plenty of sexy times, and lots of humor. Each book features a heavy dose of the RELIC found family and the heartwarming, often hysterical interactions between them. But Lost in Amber breaks with the pattern. Maddox jettisons the catchy conjunctive title, the high-energy, antic-filled, twisty-turny plots, the hot chemistry between the male protagonists, and the humor. Even the found family aspect is muted.
But all is not lost. Lost in Amber is plenty enjoyable, even if much more subdued than its predecessors. It gives us the story of the mysterious Yu and Lance, the dinosaur shifter that shot him a century ago. If you’ve read the prior books – (I don’t recommend reading Lost in Amber without that context) – you know that Yu is one of five shifters that comprise RELIC, the series’ eponymous under-the-radar, fossil search and rescue team. This is a found family unit led by Montana, the magnificent, formidable T-Rex shifter who discovered each of Dalton, Baja, Royal, and Yu shortly after they woke up to a strange new world. Montana is the father/big brother authority figure for the team. Dalton and Royal act like “two million-year-old children”/juvenile delinquents, especially when they team up. Baha acts like the beleaguered older brother, snarling and complaining. In King & Queen, a new shifter, Henry, entered the fold and Montana has been trying to help him acclimate – a task easier said than done.
But we know little about Yu. He’s always been the most aloof and mysterious of the group. In fact, halfway into Lost in Amber, I still felt like I knew little about him. Ironically, this book feels more like Lance’s story – sweet, anxiety-ridden, adorkable, bowtie-wearing, dinosaur shifter Lance – who is small but mighty. I adored Lance, so much so that Yu’s behavior towards him in the early parts of the book really annoyed me. Their history and dynamic is driven by the visceral connection between them, established through a brief encounter a century ago. That tether has survived like a living, breathing thing all this time despite their separation, until a priceless, exceptionally rare fossil encased in amber unexpectedly brings them into the same orbit again. But their relationship felt unbalanced, with Yu the predator and Lance the prey.
Maddox brings the RELIC series “feel” back in the last third of Lost in Amber, and my enjoyment exponentially increased. Yu finally endeared himself to me and I found myself rooting for his relationship with Lance. The action picks up, we gets some twists and humor, and some adorable dinosaur protectiveness. While it’s a travesty that we barely see Dalton, and Baja, not at all, I do like how much we get to see of Montana and the setup for his story which will be featured in the next and (I assume) final book in the series.
On the whole, Lost in Amber is an enjoyable story that showcases Maddox’s hyper-creative mind through the fictional universe she creates. Her attention to detail, thorough research, and exceptional ability to deliver stunning imagery show through. However, the darker tone and one location setting – Shanghai, China – are also off-brand for the RELIC franchise. That being said, the RELIC series is fantastic – one of my top reads of 2021. Yu’s story is an easy, engaging read, and an essential component of the journey for this found family of feathers, frills, fangs and f*ckery.
And if you don’t know where that reference comes from, read the series and you’ll find out … 😉
🦖 🦖 🦖
RATING: 
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