The year is 1087, and a pox is sweeping through the Italian port city of Bari. When a lowly monk is visited by Saint Nicholas in his dreams, he interprets the vision as a call to action. But his superiors, and the power brokers they serve, have different plans for the tender-hearted Brother Nicephorus. Enter Tyun, a charismatic treasure hunter renowned for "liberating" holy relics from their tombs. The six-hundred-year-old bones of Saint Nicholas rest in distant Myra, Tyun explains, and they're rumored to weep a mysterious liquid that can heal the sick. For the humble price of a small fortune, Tyun will steal the bones and deliver them to Bari, curing the plague and restoring glory to the fallen city. And Nicephorus, the "dreamer," will be his guide.
In the Middle Ages, a good story involved a fair amount of fabulism and fantasy. Readers may be better served knowing this up front, however, as Anderson’s blending of highly specific, period-accurate details and elements of outlandish medieval lore may otherwise be confusing ... There’s much to recommend about Nicked, though sometimes its disparate elements can feel a little at odds with one another. Anderson’s world-building is thorough and immersive, though he often seems to linger on small details, showing off what must have been copious research in a way that seems excessively showy.
Anderson humorously exploits the polar-opposite qualities of Tyun and Nicephorus, as well as the blind spots of power-hungry leaders ... Alongside the humor and tension, Anderson plumbs questions of what constitutes as faith, and the circularity of human history.
A thrilling and fast-moving international adventure narrated with wit and humor ... Nicked delivers an entertaining and grown-up adventure rooted in religion, humanity and friendship.
