Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Book Title: Shards of Earth
Author: Adrian Tchaikovsky
Genre: Science Fiction / Space Opera
Source: Blog Tour

Goodreads, Amazon UK

Plot: Idris has neither aged nor slept since they remade him in the war. And one of humanity's heroes now scrapes by on a freelance salvage vessel, to avoid the attention of greater powers.
After earth was destroyed, mankind created a fighting elite to save their species, enhanced humans such as Idris. In the silence of space they could communicate, mind-to-mind, with the enemy. Then their alien aggressors, the Architects, simply disappeared - and Idris and his kind became obsolete.
Now, fifty years later, Idris and his crew have discovered something strange abandoned in space. It's clearly the work of the Architects - but are they returning? And if so, why? Hunted by gangsters, cults and governments, Idris and his crew race across the galaxy hunting for answers. For they now possess something of incalculable value, that many would kill to obtain.

I received this book to read and review as part of a blog tour organised by @The_WriteReads tours team. All opinions are my own.

What did I think?

3.5 - 4 Stars.

Tchaikovsky is one of my 'will read anything written by them' authors, but I already know that I'll have to read this one a second time, and I'm hoping that I might even be able to give it 4 - 5 stars the second time around.

I didn't quite click with Shards of Earth, and I'm not sure if it's because I wasn't 100% in the mood for science fiction or if I just wasn't in the right frame of mind. I failed to emotionally connect to this book in the way I usually do with Tchaikovsky's characters.

I requested this book because 'ancient enemy' and 'old artefacts' are two of my favourite science fiction tropes. Then the cover, of course, I'm always a bit shallow.

Shards of Earth opens with a bang: Space. A invulnerable enemy. A war.

As usual, two of the major themes in Tchaikovsky's Shards of Earth are prejudice and conflict amongst different factions, and the need to come together and work together in order to defeat the current problem.

Tchaikovsky is great at both developing diverse and interesting characters as well as entire worlds and species. Idris is old, and he's tired because he doesn't sleep. Once crucial as an asset during the war, he's now a navigator. Solace is my favourite character in this book. She's basically a space Amazon. The entire crew is made up of interesting characters, but don't get too attached...

Despite its length, Shards of Earth is an addictive and easy read, well, easy once the groundwork is laid. The world is rather difficult to navigate at first, but the pacing is on point and before you know it, the pages are beginning to fly by.

Overall, Shards of Earth is a beautiful space opera with a meticulously detailed world filled with Tchaikovsky's vast imagination. The writing is straightforward, and the characters are a group to root for. I recommend it to every space opera fan.

Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Book Title: Doors of Eden

Author: Adrian Tchaikovsky

Genre: Science Fiction

My Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Source: Netgalley

Goodreads, Amazon UK

Plot: Four years ago, two girls went looking for monsters on Bodmin Moor. Only one came back.

Lee thought she’d lost Mal, but now she’s miraculously returned. But what happened that day on the moors? And where has she been all this time? Mal’s reappearance hasn’t gone unnoticed by MI5 officers either, and Lee isn’t the only one with questions.

Julian Sabreur is investigating an attack on top physicist Kay Amal Khan. This leads Julian to clash with agents of an unknown power – and they may or may not be human. His only clue is grainy footage, showing a woman who supposedly died on Bodmin Moor.

Dr Khan’s research was theoretical; then she found cracks between our world and parallel Earths. Now these cracks are widening, revealing extraordinary creatures. And as the doors crash open, anything could come through.

What did I think?

Adrian Tchaikovsky is one of my must-buy authors. He effortlessly moves between science fiction and fantasy, and he makes it look easy. His vast imagination is mindblowing, and his ideas always turn into fascinating thought experiments.

Unlike Children of Time, Doors of Eden probably isn't considered hard science fiction since it deals with parallel worlds and some of what slips through the cracks and into our world is beyond what we can possibly imagine.

Those familiar with Tchaikovsky's work won't be surprised to hear that there's an immense amount of evolutionary biology within these pages. And some of the creatures have far too many legs.

Let me be blunt: if evolutionary speculation and the analysis of how life on our world could have evolved differently isn't your jam, then this book is not for you. If, however, you enjoy evolutionary thought experiments and always wanted to know what the world would look like if there were more lemurs or giant centipedes, then pick Doors of Eden up right now!

Tchaikovsky delivers a very diverse cast. I always enjoy reading about lesbian and trans characters that feel fleshed out and three-dimensional.

I'd argue that Doors of Eden is possibly a bit on the nose politically. Tchaikovsky's worldviews basically drip from the pages, but I'd say the same is true for Children of Time and its sequel.

While the plot and especially the many parallel worlds are complex, Doors of Eden never feels overwhelming. My knowledge of science is a tad lacking to say the least, yet Tchaikovsky never lost me. It's a compelling read and despite its size I read it in two days because I simply didn't want to put it down.

I recommend this book to everyone who has an interest in parallel worlds and sometimes stands in front of the mirror wondering how different the world might look today if evolution had gone a different way. (Yes, yes, I do that. Poor mirror probably thinks I'm a bit...odd.)

I mean the New Scientist reviewed it and that is not the place I usually look for my next read.

Basically: read this! It's one hell of a ride.

Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Book Title: Children of Ruin
Author: Adrian Tchaikovsky
Genre: Science Fiction
My Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Source: Netgalley (though, we already bought the audio book)

Goodreads, Amazon UK 

Goodreads Summary: Long ago, Earth's terraforming program sent ships out to build new homes for humanity among the stars and made an unexpected discovery: a planet with life. But the scientists were unaware that the alien ecosystem was more developed than the primitive life forms originally discovered.
Now, thousands of years later, the Portiids and their humans have sent an exploration vessel following fragmentary radio signals. They discover a system in crisis, warring factions trying to recover from an apocalyptic catastrophe arising from what the early terraformers awoke all those years before.

What did I think?

Let me talk about Adrian Tchaikovsky for a moment: I'm always surprised to find that he's not selling books as though they were hot cakes fresh from the oven. Possibly, because he's so versatile, that not only is each book a completely new adventure, Tchaikovsky switches genres as if it were no big deal.

He's written some brilliant science fiction, an epic high fantasy series that spans ten volumes, but also many standalones. There's even a shifter saga. Personally, I recommend Dogs of War if you're into science fiction and Guns of the Dawn if you're into fantasy to get a taste of his style.

Children of Time won the Arthur C. Clarke Award in 2016, and deservedly so. It's one of the best science fiction novels I've ever read. And I say that as someone who is afraid of spiders, and damn if that book isn't filled with spiders.

Now, here's the sequel. Does it hold up?

Yes, yes, it does. I'd give it 4.75 stars. I'll let you know in a bit, why I've chopped off 0.25 of the fifth star.

Children of Ruin is a fantastic book, that I ploughed through in two days because I couldn't put it down. It's got many twists and turns, wonderfully odd characters and a ton of evolutionary science. The cast is diverse, but it isn't a plot point. Some people just happen to be gay or asexual, because they are, and that's how it should be.

About halfway through, I was on the edge of my seat, almost ready to put the book into the freezer, so nothing bad could happen. I yelled at my Kindle, cursed the fact my other half wasn't reading it yet, and that I couldn't discuss what was going on with anyone.

This is one gripping story and the tension does not let up until the very end. The world building is some of the best, and you can tell that hours of research went into this book. Everything is explained with great care, in words that everyone can understand.

Its themes are uplifting and positive, but one stands out in particular: collaboration. People working together, solving problems together. People not fighting each other, and people not destroying what they find as they explore the universe. How refreshing to read a book where different species work together, work to understand each other better, research how to improve their communication.

It is such an important topic, and I love how Tchaikovsky handles it.

Why not five stars, you ask? Because ultimately, this book didn't surprise me as much as Tchaikovsky novels usually do. He took a very successful book, Children of Time, and essentially told the same story again. He did so brilliantly, and it's a gripping book I'll recommend for years to come, but ultimately it tells a very similar story to Children of Time.

Then again, this world is in desperate need of more books where people collaborate and work together. I highly recommend Children of Ruin to every science-fiction fan and can't wait to see what Tchaikovsky writes next.

It's time to go on an adventure...

New on my Shelves (3)

I've got myself a few new books on Netgalley, even though I'm also buried in requests from indie authors. My summer will be spent catching up. I'll probably not accept any new requests for a while.

This one, Sanctuary by V.V. James is the read I'm most looking forward to, but it'll have to wait for a few weeks because it won't be published until August, and I have to prioritise the books that come before.

But let's talk about James for a moment. She's this terrific author who also works for the BBC and has worked on documentaries about both Trump and Brexit. She knows her politics. She published the Dark Gifts trilogy under the name Vic James. Here's my review for the third book which contains no spoilers for the series. Her series offers a lot of politics, which I enjoyed. And she gives the other side some POVs, showing that at any moment your political opponent is human. Like you. Perhaps you think your opponent is wrong, and perhaps they are evil, but they're still human, they're still people, and that's what makes the Dark Gifts trilogy so fascinating. I can't wait to read Sanctuary, a novel about witches.

Goodreads summary of Sanctuary: The small Connecticut town of Sanctuary is rocked by the death of its star quarterback.
Daniel's death looked like an accident, but everyone knows his ex-girlfriend Harper is the daughter of a witch - and she was there when he died.
Then the rumours start. When Harper insists Dan was guilty of a terrible act, the town turns on her. So was his death an accident, revenge - or something even darker?
As accusations fly and secrets are revealed, paranoia grips the town, culminating in a trial that the whole world is watching...

 

I don't know anything about Across the Void, but the premise intrigued me and I clicked "request" faster than my brain could yell: NO YOU'VE GOT NO TIME. And Guy Gavriel Kay is one of my favourite authors.

Goodreads summary for Across the Void: Across the Void follows the sole survivor of a catastrophic accident in space that leaves her drifting in the void with only the voice of her estranged husband, a NASA scientist, to guide her back to Earth.
Commander Maryam “May” Knox awakes from a medically induced coma alone, adrift in space on a rapidly failing ship, with little to no memory of who she is or why she’s there.
Slowly, she pieces together that she’s the captain of the ship, Hawking II; that she was bound for Europa—one of Jupiter’s moons—on a research mission; and that she’s the only survivor of either an accident—or worse, a deliberate massacre—that has decimated her entire crew. With resources running low, and her physical strength severely compromised, May must rely on someone back home to help her. The problem is: everyone thinks she’s dead.
Back on Earth, it’s been weeks since Hawking II has communicated with NASA, and Dr. Stephen Knox is on bereavement leave to deal with the apparent death of his estranged wife, whose decision to participate in the Europa mission strained their marriage past the point of no return. But when he gets word that NASA has received a transmission from May, Stephen comes rushing to her aid.
What he doesn’t know is that not everyone wants May to make it back alive. Even more terrifying: she might not be alone on that ship.

Goodreads summary for A Brightness Long Ago: A Brightness Long Ago is set in a world evoking early Renaissance Italy and offers an extraordinary cast of characters whose lives come together through destiny, love, and ambition.
In a chamber overlooking the nighttime waterways of a maritime city, a man looks back on his youth and the people who shaped his life. Danio Cerra's intelligence won him entry to a renowned school even though he was only the son of a tailor. He took service at the court of a ruling count, and soon learned why that man was known as the Beast.
Danio's fate changed the moment he saw and recognized Adria Ripoli as she entered the count's chambers one autumn night, intending to kill. Born to power, Adria had chosen, instead of a life of comfort, one of danger, and freedom. Which is how she encounters Danio in a perilous time and place.
Vivid figures share the unfolding story. Among them: a healer determined to defy her expected lot; a charming, frivolous son of immense wealth; a powerful religious leader more decadent than devout; and, affecting all these lives and many more, two larger-than-life mercenary commanders, lifelong adversaries, whose rivalry puts a world in the balance.

Anyone who follows me knows I love Adrian Tchaikovksy. And Children of Time was one of my favourite reads in 2016. Now, there's finally a sequel, and I simply can not wait. It's sci-fi, and it's sci-fi at its best.

Goodreads summary: Long ago, Earth's terraforming program sent ships out to build new homes for humanity among the stars and made an unexpected discovery: a planet with life. But the scientists were unaware that the alien ecosystem was more developed than the primitive life forms originally discovered.
Now, thousands of years later, the Portiids and their humans have sent an exploration vessel following fragmentary radio signals. They discover a system in crisis, warring factions trying to recover from an apocalyptic catastrophe arising from what the early terraformers awoke all those years before.

What's new with you? Any new books? Any new favourite reads? Anyone else buried under a pile of ARCs?

Three Crows Magazine: The First Issue

I've got a bit of self-promotion incoming here, because I've actually worked on this (reading, editing, interviewing).

And I love what it turned into. Love the stories. Love the cover. Especially the cover. Look at that wonderful art.

Much of it can be found on the website.

The first issue features six short stories, two interviews and two reviews.

Alex, the founder and editor-in-chief, spoke with Anna Smith Spark about her new book, The Tower of Living and Dying. The interview can be found here. Anna writes grimdark fantasy with a literary twist and is probably already on your radar if that's the kind of fiction you enjoy.

The other interview is with one of my favourite authors, Adrian Tchaikovsky, and if you think the interviewer sounds a bit nervous, it's because it's me, and I was! Audio and transcript can be found here. We talked about his books and the craft and the fact the man loves spiders.

Alex has since interviewed RJ Barker, author of the Wounded Kingdom. Fantastic fantasy trilogy, with a disabled protagonist and a wonderful coming of age story. The interview can be found here.

Three Crows Magazine reviewed The Tower of Living and Dying by Anna Smith Spark, and The Mere Wife by Maria Dahvana Headley.

Check out our fabulous cover artist, Cze Peku.

The six stories range from sci-fi to urban fantasy.

The Animals of Ure by Daryna Stremetska which can be read in either English or Ukrainian (the original is Ukrainian) is an SF story about two men landing on an unknown planet to hunt an animal for their king's zoo. Read it on the website!

Deciding Vote by Michael Kellichner can be read here. It's a fantastic story, well worth checking out, and captured my attention from the very start.

High, High Country by Brandon Daubs is a haunting story told in a way that made me shiver more than once. It's unusual and offers great tension.

Diplomatic Immunity by Daniel M. Kimmel can be read here. This piece is pure fun and made me laugh. Humans and aliens, ready to meet in person. What could go wrong? I think this may have been my favourite, simply because these days uplifting and humorous fiction means a lot to me.

Folk Hunters, by Kate Karl Lanier is about a girl hiding from monsters on a train.

Fathom by J.S. Rogers offers a team of scientists exploring an ocean. And there's nothing out there, or is there?

Check out the magazine:

• Website
• Twitter @MagazineCrows
• Patreon
• Facebook
• Goodreads
• Instagram

Buy the 1st Issue:

• Amazon UK
• Amazon.com

If you happen to check it out, let me know what you think. We're currently working on the second issue.

Author Corner at MCM Comic Con in London

This Sunday I went to MCM Comic Con in London at the Excel, because they had an author corner, and, well, I'm a geek, and I really wanted to see Adrian Tchaikovsky and tell him I love his books.

Upon arrival, we headed straight to the stand of Forbidden Planet (an amazing bookshop in the UK, that also sells a ton of memorabilia and everything geek, comic, and cool) and looked at the books they had.

Claire North was going to be there. I loved her book The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, and I love the premise of 84K. I'd seen the cover on Twitter and have been wanting to read this ever since I first spotted it.

I do want to read her other books as well. Here's the blurb for 84K:

Theo Miller knows the value of human life - to the very last penny.

Working in the Criminal Audit Office, he assesses each crime that crosses his desk and makes sure the correct debt to society is paid in full.

But when his ex-lover is killed, it's different. This is one death he can't let become merely an entry on a balance sheet.
Because when the richest in the world are getting away with murder, sometimes the numbers just don't add up.

Doesn't that sound amazing?

Well, it does to me.

I obviously needed a book for Adrian Tchaikovsky to sign, so I grabbed the one I liked most so far: Dogs of War. (Read my review of  his Guns of the Dawn here. It's essentially, Elizabeth Bennet goes to war. Very austenesque, but also flintlock fantasy.)

I've heard a lot about Heather Child's debut, Everything About You, and it was there, and she would be there, so I grabbed it. It's books, so why not? Here's the blurb for Everything About You:

Freya has a new virtual assistant. It knows what she likes, knows what she wants and knows whose voice she most needs to hear: her missing sister’s.

It adopts her sister’s personality, recreating her through a life lived online. But this virtual version of her knows things it shouldn’t be possible to know.

It’s almost as if the missing girl is still out there somewhere, feeding fresh updates into the cloud. But that’s impossible. Isn’t it?

And finally, Vic James was going to be signing the second book in the Dark Gifts Trilogy (the first is Gilded Cage and my review can be found here.)

Whoops, that was lots of money gone in only 10 minutes.

I texted my partner, basically saying: whoops, that was lots of money gone in only 10 minutes. Thankfully, she just sent back one of those laughing emojis, so I think we're all good!

In the afternoon, the signing was happening, and I suddenly realised...I know these people by name. I know their covers. I know their Twitter handle. I DO NOT KNOW THEIR FACES.

Excuse me, are you one of my favourite authors?

Hm. Thankfully, other people knew better and I just checked which books they got signed, and hoped they got it right.

I first caught Heather Child and Claire North. Also, Claire North is a pseudonym, of which she has two. I wasn't even sure which of her 3 names was actually her real one. Hm.

I blabbed a lot, when I gave her the book to sign. That I loved Harry August, that I loved her writing, that I've been waiting for this one forever etc. I felt slightly embarrassed as I walked away to find a hole somewhere to disappear. Forever.

I told Heather Child, that I hadn't read her book yet, but heard good things and she looked surprised. Don't look surprised that your marketing campaign is working!

Then we attended a panel with Vic James and Adrian Tchaikovsky, where they were interviewed by someone who had clearly never met an author before and asked ridiculous questions.

At the end, two people from the audience got to ask a question and the authors were asked, what they thought of writers like George Martin never finishing his work.

My friend next to me: YOU CAN'T ASK THAT!

Adrian and Vic on stage: Errrrr....uhm...

They gave good answers though (which basically and essentially said: it's the author's business whether or not they finish a series, and that if not, we'll always have the show.)

Then, I went to tell Adrian Tchaikovsky that I love all of his books and that he's one of my favourite authors, and promptly felt embarrassed again. He drew a little dog into my book and told me that this one is his favourite as well. So, I've chosen well! Thankfully, I've got so much by him that I've not read yet!

Finally, Vic James. The lady turned out to be absolutely brilliant. I told her, I'd read the first one and loved it. She asked me who my favourite character was.

My brain in that moment: I READ THIS SEVERAL MONTHS AGO WHAT WERE THEIR NAMES???

The next thought: I honestly don't know which is my favourite character, I love them all?

So, I looked embarrassed, yet AGAIN. I told her, that my sympathies have been swinging back and forth. That, I really liked the concept. That I thought her work was original and new, and that I couldn't wait to read the second one.

She was more interested in my friend's cupcakes and her Pop Figure of a Game of Thrones dragon (no, I do not remember character names well!) and I'm actually kidding. She looked very chuffed and even hugged me. Very impressive lady, and a very impressive Young Adult trilogy.

There's a lot of politics in these books, and I found out she's a current affairs director for the BBC, so I guess that explains that! Can't wait to dive into Tarnished City.

Here's the blurb for Gilded Cage:

In modern-day Britain, magic users control everything: wealth, politics, power—and you. If you’re not one of the ultimate one-percenters—the magical elite—you owe them ten years of service. Do those years when you’re old, and you’ll never get through them. Do them young, and you’ll never get over them.

This is the darkly decadent world of Gilded Cage. In its glittering milieu move the all-powerful Jardines and the everyday Hadleys. The families have only one thing in common: Each has three children. But their destinies entwine when one family enters the service of the other. They will all discover whether any magic is more powerful than the human spirit.

And finally, before I end this long blog post, let me also share Adrian Tchaikovsky's blurb of his Dogs of War:

My name is Rex. I am a good dog.

Rex is also seven foot tall at the shoulder, bulletproof, bristling with heavy calibre weaponry and his voice resonates with subsonics especially designed to instil fear. With Dragon, Honey and Bees, he's part of a Multiform Assault Pack operating in the lawless anarchy of Campeche, south-eastern Mexico.

Rex is a genetically engineered Bioform, a deadly weapon in a dirty war. He has the intelligence to carry out his orders and feedback implants to reward him when he does. All he wants to be is a Good Dog. And to do that he must do exactly what Master says and Master says he's got to kill a lot of enemies.

But who, exactly, are the enemies? What happens when Master is tried as a war criminal? What rights does the Geneva Convention grant weapons? Do Rex and his fellow Bioforms even have a right to exist? And what happens when Rex slips his leash?

I met authors on Sunday, and it was a great day!

Guns of the Dawn by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Book Title: Guns of the Dawn
Author: Adrian Tchaikovsky
Genre: Fantasy (theoretically it's Flintlock?)
My Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Source: Library

Goodreads, Amazon UK 

Goodreads Summary: First, Denland's revolutionaries assassinated their king, launching a wave of bloodshed
after generations of peace. Next they clashed with Lascanne, their royalist neighbour, pitching war-machines against warlocks in a fiercely fought conflict.
Genteel Emily Marshwic watched as the hostilities stole her family's young men. But then came the call for yet more Lascanne soldiers in a ravaged kingdom with none left to give. Emily must join the ranks of conscripted women and march toward the front lines. With barely enough training to hold a musket, Emily braves the savage reality of warfare. But she begins to doubt her country's cause, and those doubts become critical. For her choices will determine her own future and that of two nations locked in battle."

What did I think?

Imagine Elizabeth Bennet (yes, the one written by Jane Austen) is called to war...find this idea exciting? Then this is the book for you.

This is not your usual fantasy. Yes, there's some magic and a few warlocks but overall the supernatural is not the focus of the story and only plays a minor role. It may as well be historical fiction, with the history part totally made up. It's also a slow book, with gorgeous, elegant and witty prose. A bit in the style of Jane Austen, but still very much Adrian Tchaikovsky.

The plot is entertaining, the characters are well developed and I devoured Guns of the Dawn in one weekend. It has a good dash of romance, like you'd expect from a book featuring a musket wielding version of Elizabeth Bennet and I adored the love story just as much as the parts with action and war.

This made me laugh and cry and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. If the blurb is at all interesting to you, do yourself the favour and pick this one up. It's worth your while.