Nicked

A Novel

By: M. T. Anderson

Narrated by: Euan Morton

AN NPR NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR • From the award-winning and bestselling author of Feed comes a raucous, slyly funny, and delightfully queer work of historical fantasy, based on a bizarre but true quest to steal the mystical corpse of a long-dead saint

"[An] uproarious saga . . . drawing on contemporary accounts, fantastical folk tales, and [Anderson's] own knack for high jinks."—New York Times Book Review

"[A] rollicking comic novel."—NPR

The year is 1087, and a pox is sweeping through the Italian city of Bari. When a lowly monk is visited by Saint Nicholas in his dreams, he interprets the vision as a call to serve the sick. 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 seven-hundred-year-old bones of Saint Nicholas are rumored to weep a mysterious liquid that can heal the sick, Tyun says. For the humble price of a small fortune, he 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.

What follows is a heist for the ages, as Nicephorus is swept away on strange tides, and alongside even stranger bedfellows, to commit sacrilegious theft. Based on real historical accounts, Nicked is a swashbuckling saga, a medieval novel noir, a meditation on the miraculous, and a monastic meet-cute, filled with wide-eyed wonder at the world that awaits beyond our own borders.

So much detail!

So much detail at times I had too much to try to process and lost the plot.

Wildly imaginative yet based on real events

Funny, eventful, surprising. Euan Morton’s narration is perfect, capturing a variety of characters using different voices which are spot on. I loved it.

Engaging

Well written story, with lots of humor and moments of suspense to keep the listener (reader) engaged from beginning to end. The narration is well done and makes for this read an entertaining adventure.

A medieval romp!

Brilliant writing, dialogue, full of plot twists and interpersonal romance and conflict. A reimagining of actual medieval tale of relic hunters. Recommended read!

A gripping story!

This book is wonderfully written to take the reader on the same adventure as our characters. The personalities are all so distinguished that even just the tone in which they are written is telling to whom is speaking with the voice acting being a beautifully additive touch. This book is a must read for those with a love of history, pirates, and adventure.