Being historical fiction, I appreciated the overall story of the theft of the bones of Saint Nicholas in 1087. The planning and deceptions kept me reading. However, I struggled with the stories inserted into the main novel and with trying to keep the characters straight.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pantheon Publishing for the ARC to read and review.

3 stars; I enjoyed this well enough. I don't come across much literary fiction set in the 11th century, much less with an LGBTQ+ angle, so I give the author credit for that. I don't think the book rises to great heights, but I would recommend it to people.

Many thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

A medieval comedy following a saint hunter and a lowly monk who embark on a quest to find the bones of Saint Nicholas and bring them to the plagued city of Bari—Nicked by M.T. Anderson is a wonderfully unique book that I had a blast reading!

>> ❤️ What I loved: Spectacular writing and storytelling make this book shine. This is an absurd book in the best way, balanced with some sweet sincerity in its speculations on life, belief, and morality. A fast-paced adventure with a somehow adorable romance subplot between Nicephorus and Tyun had me invested until the very end.
>> 💔 What I didn’t love: My only small complaint is that there’s a bit of confusion about what is actually happening at the very beginning of the book (we are thrust into a situation with many characters who are only referred to by title rather than names). Otherwise, this was a great read from start to finish!

Fans of adventure and historical fiction, especially those who enjoy more whimsical literary novels should definitely give Nicked a chance.

**Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 (4.5-5)**

**Acknowledgments & Disclaimers**
✨ Thank you to NetGalley, M.T. Anderson, and Pantheon Books, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book.
✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.

What a fun ride this was. I loved the world building, and the author clearly did a lot of research before writing this novel. I can't wait to see what comes next from M T Anderson. This was darkly funny and an engaging read. Definitely pick it up if you're even slightly curious. Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the Publishers for the ARC in exchange for my review.

“Nicked” by M.T. Anderson

I have never read any of Mr. Anderson’s work before, but I suspect this will not be the last.
What a super adventure story! And it is true-ish - at least as true as most history of the first millennium is. I also love the cover which is dark and sinister, with a hand in the process of “nicking” i.e. stealing, a long dead skull.
The actual story is the tale of the attempt to move (i.e. steal) the body of Saint Nicholas from his original burial place in Myra(in SouthWest Turkey), to Bari in Italy, where he remains today. The narrative itself reminded me somewhat of the Odyssey (island hopping around the Mediterranean), with a flavor of the Aubrey/Maturin novels (desperate chases and ship battles) and a dash of Monty Python. Yes, it is quite funny in places. Unfortunately there is also some tedium as the history of Saint Nick (yes, THAT Saint Nick) and his miracles are elucidated. Initially I did not find this an easy read, but I it was much more engaging once I settled in to the style of the work.

The main protagonists are the monk Nicephorus who “has an irritatingly pure and generous heart” and is unable to tell a lie, but he could speak in Latin. (It was at this point that I knew I was going to enjoy this unusual book.). He falls asleep while his fellow monks are keeping a vigil in an attempt to banish the deadly pox that is sweeping the town of Bari. While asleep he dreams of Saint Nicholas. Is this a sacred dream sent by the Saint himself, or merely caused by sleep deprivation? Nicephorus is not sure, but his abbot and the Archbishop are excited, even though the saint that appeared in the monk’s dream looked as if he had been dead for seven centuries (as indeed he had).
There is so much going on in this story that it is hard to summarize. It is your prototypical “tall story “. There is a dog headed man, (yes, this is all true - do you doubt me?) and a relic collector. There is an old man in a wheelbarrow who is so excited at meeting both in the same day, that he exclaims, “ Sometimes life serves me shit on a trencher, but today Fortune hands me a fucking dumpling”. This had me rolling on the floor laughing. (And if you are offended by strong language and/or sacrilege I would recommend you move along, but you would be missing a quiet gem.

The relic collector’s name is Tyun and he is the exact antithesis of Nicephorus. “You can still see Lot’s wife where she was transformed into a pillar of salt. …..The locals use her as a sheep lick “.Just hilarious!
The high jinks continue, including (for some reason trying to milk a billy goat who was not happy about the attention. Tyun is able to transform any disaster into a positive. He never gives up. Is anything he says true? A very good question.
Did I mention that Saint Nicholas’remains secrete a holy ichor? Pretty clever, heh? And did I happen to mention that all of this is true? A maxim that Tyun learnt from one of his previous masters, “Where ever there is joy, it’s a good place for pickpockets” And I am sure that is certainly true. Also, the more I peruse this story, the more I find in it.

Already familiar with M.T. Anderson's YA titles, I knew that Nicked would be truly zany and original and it lived up to every one of my expectations.

Brother Nicephorus has a dream that he believes means he and his order should help those afflicted by the pox but his superiors think it means they should move a saint's remains. In order to do so, they bring in a famous grave robber to partner with Nicephorus.

Full of interesting historical tidbits and a wacky cast of characters, Nicked is an excellent adult debut by an already beloved author. I can't wait to see what comes next for Anderson.

4.5. Award-winning young adult author M.T. Anderson makes his adult debut with this raucous tale of treasure and miracles based on true events. In 1087 Italy, a city is afflicted with illness and is desperate for relief. When Brother Nicephorus, a Benedictine monk, has a prophetic dream of Saint Nicholas, his superiors believe the cure lies within the saint’s bones which are rumored to contain a mysterious healing liquid. They hire Tyun, a rapscallion relic hunter, to steal the bones and they set out with a reluctant Nicephorus in tow. This is a heist for the (Dark) ages, bursting with superstition, wonder, friendship and a hint of queer romance.

I think I was not the best audience for this one. I was rather bored for most of it. It might be better for someone who loves historical religious fiction. The adventure part and the slight romance was fun but the little excerpts about the saint were really boring to me.

This book sent me down the rabbit hole so many times, I had to keep my phone by my side the whole time I was reading! I looked up words I didn't know, geography, history, iconography... It was just delightful how much I didn't know and how much I learned.

That said, what really kept me going with this story was the attempted heist of St. Nicholas's remains, and all the obstacles that got in the way of the success of the relic-hunters. Each event unveiled something else about one of the characters, from the protagonist to the ship's "cook", as each one contributed to the quest. It was so much fun to follow the adventure through this world--a history and time period I'd never really considered before, and to feel so very richly immersed in it.

I really had no idea what to expect of Nicked, but it turns out that as well as being elegantly written about an inherently cool topic – a saint heist! – it’s also funny, wry, hopeful, and clever. And inspired by true events! Excuse me while I go down a rabbit hole of research into the history of saint-stealing!

Nicked says quite a lot without directly saying it – there’s a fair bit of implicit commentary (is that a thing?) on what we’d now call the Catholic Church, not so much on the faith itself (although also that, specifically the obsession with saints and saint-worship) as on the higher-ups who pull the strings and make decisions for everyone else. For example, it’s not poor Nicephorus’ dream that sets this whole thing off – the wealthy of Bari have already decided Bari must have a saint’s relics, and their motivations are certainly not religious. The Church higher-ups who help arrange the expedition are also not actually doing so out of faith; all those movers and shakers are in it for the money and the prestige, or both. Nicephorus’ dream is the thinnest of gauze tissues with which they try to hide their own greed – one wonders who they think they’re fooling, because it’s not each other, and it’s surely not God. Do these people even believe at all? Judging by the way everyone refuses to ever explicitly say they are committing blasphemy (or would it be sacrilege?), I think they know God wouldn’t be happy with them – which they presumably wouldn’t worry about if they didn’t believe?

Or maybe it’s more like, ‘I don’t know if He’s real, but let’s act like He is just in case, and also He totally won’t know what we’re really up to if we never say it outright’.

Which is more than a bit ridiculous, but it’s a very self-aware ridiculousness, wry and charming, that’s woven throughout the whole book. At the same time, there’s a streak of quite lovely earnestness, mostly coming from Nicephorus, who is a dear and a darling with unexpected depth – not because he’s naive (he isn’t) but he may be the only real believer among the cast, and I was surprised to find myself liking him for it. (Probably because he’s not stuffy and arrogant about it.) I adored his growth over the course of the book, and the misadventures he got into, and his ending! I would happily read a whole series about the shenanigans he gets into, but Nicked is perfect as a standalone too.

(…And I only just realised that Nicked, as a title, echoes St Nicholas, as in, you’ve been St-Nicholased! How did I miss that?!)

I don’t know anything about St Nicholas as a saint, so I have no idea if the stories about him contained in Nicked are genuinely part of his lore (…probably not the right way to refer to it!) or if Anderson made them up, but I loved how they were written, and the way Anderson tied them together and pulled morals from them. The prose is gorgeous in those parts – and it’s quite lovely and elegant in the rest of the book, quick and bright.

And the nuns. The not-nuns. I CACKLED.

Anyway, I strongly recommend this if the blurb sounds at all interesting to you, because it’s great fun and very human and the cast is marvellous. Going straight on my favourites shelf – I’m going to have to see what else Anderson’s written!

A pox is ravaging the Italian town of Bari when Brother Nicephorus has a dream of Saint Nicholas. Nicephorus is convinced it’s a sign the monastery is meant to sally forth and help the multitudes afflicted with illness. However, his Abbot and the Factor, a wealthy man named Rollo de Bailleul, are convinced the dream is a loftier message. Namely that the saint himself is dissatisfied with being interred in the city of Lycia and desires a new resting place in Bari. The fact that having such sacred remains would surely draw throngs of pilgrims is entirely beside the point. And so the Abbot and the Factor press Nicephorus into service on a sea journey to rescue the remains of Saint Nicholas.

Nicephorus is not thrilled with his assigned task: to vouch that the corpse is indeed that of Saint Nicholas. Nevertheless, he resigns himself to fulfilling his masters’ wishes and hopes the saint will give a sign that he truly wishes to be rehomed in Bari soon. Accompanying him are Rollo, who acts as the authority for the endeavor, and a so-called saint seeker named Tyun who possesses not only a ship and capable crew, but also invaluable knowledge as to the exact whereabouts of the saint’s remains. As the band sets sail for Myra, it does not take long for disaster to find them. First, they are attacked by seafaring barbarians from the north that take out one of the two ships Nicephorus and the others are traveling upon. Once they limp to Myra, the group discovers a city all but decimated by a recent regime change. Then, once Tyun locates the church where the saint is said to be resting, they discover myriad new problems that threaten to dash the whole mission. Nicephorus is the most unlikely of champions, but it is this humble monk who ends up saving not only Tyun’s life, but manages to conclude the whole saint seeking affair to everyone’s satisfaction.

Nicked is an imaginative work of historical, literary fiction. It’s set in 11th century Italy and juxtaposes wealthy religious figures (the Factor Rollo, an abbot, and a spoiled prince of Venice), the sincerely devout Nicephorus, and the treasure-hunting Tyun against each other. These three stakeholders strike a delightful balance and, as the story progresses, Nicephorus and Tyun realize they have more in common than merely seeking saintly remains.

The story opens with an introduction to the delightfully straight-edged Nicephorus. Pious to a fault and immediately willing to step up in the name of doing the good lord’s actual work–namely helping those in Bari who’ve fallen victim to the pox–he is the picture of a sweet summer child. Nicephorus is also categorically unable to tell any falsehoods, which his companions generally find an utterly offensive trait, even as they seek to use it to their advantage and, indeed, are well served by Nicephorus’ upstanding character. During this table-setting stage, we also learn that Rollo and his ilk are generally money-grubbing, fame-seeking, entrepreneurial types who care less about doing God’s work and more about making God work in their favor…namely by turning Bari into a busting pilgrimage destination with a new set of saint’s remains to attract the masses. The whole set up echoes the exact kind of song-and-dance people in positions of power have used since time immemorial to get what they want–something that makes them richer. What I liked about this set up is that despite Rollo and the abbot clearly seeing Nicephorus as a means to a lucrative end, they were not entirely repugnant. That was a role reserved for the self-entitled, self-important Venetian prince who was a character that I loved to loathe.

Soon, the roles of our MCs are clear and their tasks are set. Early in their journey, there is a lot of focus on the gentle teasing Tyun gives to a naive Nicephorus. In general, Nicephorus is not well liked by Tyun’s crew and struggles to make friends (or at least make nice) as someone who is generally useless on a ship. When they get attacked by the barbarians from the north, however, Nicephorus manages to earn the respect of the crew. From that point on, he and Tyun get closer to each other, even as the plot begins to resolve firmly into a comedy of errors.

Eventually, the task of stealing, or liberating, the remains of Saint Nicholas comes down to two teams: Nicephorus and Tyun working together and Rollo and the Venetian working together. By the time the action reaches its zenith, our MCs have been run ragged and end up getting pitted against one other. Underscoring their turmoil is the fact that the town of Myra itself is very unwilling to give up their saintly relic. The citizens of Myra organize against Nicephorus and the others before they are able to abscond with the saint. In the end, it’s Nicephorus who comes to save the day, despite being the least likely of people to have the savvy to save their sour situation.

Nicked is a delightfully quirky work of historical fiction. I enjoyed the interpersonal connections between our main characters and the gentle way Nicephorus seems to come into his own on this ill-advised journey. The principal characters are full bodied and interesting. The plot chugs along until it’s roiling with action that only helps reveal the true natures of our characters. There’s even a little romance between Nicephorus and Tyun. And personally, I loved the prose and how it was peppered with fifty-cent words. If you’re looking for a sweeping adventure with a stunning cast of characters, if you like European historical and religious themes, I think you’ll enjoy this book.

Initially, I was really hooked! The synopsis hinted at an exciting journey unlike the norm. A monk and a thief, who steals religious artifacts, join forces to go on a legendary treasure hunt. Can’t get any better than that!. However, as I kept reading further into the story I had trouble understanding what was going on? If that makes sense? The idea was great, but the writing was losing me. If you have a passion for history or theology, this could be right up your alley. Personally, it didn't quite hit the mark for me.

Despite my own experience, I recognize that every reader brings their unique perspective to a story. I think I’m just a little too slow at times. Maybe, for someone else, this book will hit the spot! So, give it a chance, and who knows? You might just discover a new favorite.

Though I DNF’d this book at 51%, I may pick it up again in the future. For now, I’m giving it a 3/5-star rating with the hope of returning to it.

My thanks to Pantheon and NetGalley for the Digital Advanced Reader’s Copy and the opportunity to review this book.

I was excited to give this a go as the plot sounded really interesting. I enjoyed the writing, but I never quite connected with the story in the way that I had hoped going in.

I was initially really interested in this story. From the synopsis, it didn't seem like something I had ever read before. And that was still the case for my first bit of reading, but soon the writing itself began to push me away. I just couldn't get into the story and push through the humor and subtext that was present. I feel like I was missing something, mostly because of my limited knowledge of the subject matter that this story focuses on. I think that if you have an interest in the specific religion/time period that this story takes place around, then you would enjoy this. I just could never quite get into it.

This book really held me on for the beginning, but I could feel my interest begin to wane.

I may return to this … but for now, it’s a DNF.

I didn't connect with the writing of this one, which was weird because I love the author's other works. That made it extremely hard to get through, and I resented the experience.

The story follows Brother Nicephorus, a humble monk thrust into an extraordinary quest to steal the bones of Saint Nicholas. Alongside the charismatic relic hunter Tyun, Nicephorus embarks on a journey that challenges his faith and worldview.
Anderson's storytelling shines in his ability to create a vivid, immersive medieval world. The novel skillfully balances historical accuracy with elements of the fantastical, particularly in its treatment of alleged miracles and relics.

"Nicked" stands out for its unique genre-blending, described aptly as a "medieval novel noir" and a "monastic meet-cute." This unconventional approach breathes fresh life into the historical fiction genre.

The book explores themes of faith, morality, and the nature of miracles, all while maintaining a sense of adventure and intrigue. Anderson's characterization of Nicephorus offers a compelling look at personal growth and the questioning of long-held beliefs.

Ok, so I am genuinely interested in this, but I have way too many books on my shelf right now. I will happily edit this review when I do get a chance to read it for real!

Thank you NetGalley and Patheon for the e-arc!
Set in an old Italian town, a plague is running ranpete. After the monk is visited by Saint Nicholas in his dreams, he teams up with a treasure hunter as they try to liberate the hundred-year-old bones of Saint Nicholas. These bones are said to be able to heal the sick.
This is a historical heist with queer characters and a ton of humor! This book definitely feels like it's meant to be a bit over the top and dramatic but in a way that makes it so comedic and entertaining to read. The world is exciting with the relics and history woven throughout the story. The love story is so amazing with one of my favorite dynamics playing out; a kind and honest monk having to work with a pessimistic treasure hunter!

I really enjoyed the historical aspects of the book and the pacing of the narrative. It was a little difficult to discern the tone at first, but once I realized there was a comedic, almost satirical element to it, I found it darkly endearing and clever. The writing style was a bit purple prose-y, but it quickly grew on me as I fell into the rhythm and cadence of the author. I would recommend this to fans of Our Flag Means Death and anything Taika Waititi, honestly.