Shadows of the Apt is one of the most creative and well crafted fictional universes I've had the pleasure of reading. The decalogy features some of thShadows of the Apt is one of the most creative and well crafted fictional universes I've had the pleasure of reading. The decalogy features some of the best fantasy print to every caress the page; full of interesting and dangerous landscapes brought to life by equally interesting and complex characters.
The Tales of the Apt books; short story collections set in the same universe are the cream on top of a very rich cake.
The fourth installment (and hopefully not the last) sees a bunch of authors given licence to delve into the world of the varied kinden and breathe new life into some of the lesser-knowns from the series proper while also introducing new characters to the fold.
Some of my personal favorite characters in Totho, Uctebri, and Dephos all make some form of an appearance throughout the collection of stories which serves as nice Easter eggs for longtime fans of the series.
Whilst I generally enjoyed all the stories, particular highlights include; OLD BLOOD and THE GOD OF PROFOUND THINGS by Adrian Tchaikovsky, THE MESSAGE by John Gwynne, THE PROMISE OF A THREAT by David Tallerman, and THE MANTIS WAY by Peter NEWMAN.
Be it Wasp, Sea, Mole, Beetle, Bee, Mosquito or Mantis kinden - there's a story for every Shadows of the Apt fan. ...more
The short stores in this collection act as a perfect companion piece to the greater Shadows of the Apt series. Unlike the first collection, Spoils of The short stores in this collection act as a perfect companion piece to the greater Shadows of the Apt series. Unlike the first collection, Spoils of War, A Time For Grief contains much more genre diversity; there's noir, gladiatorial pit fighting, horror, murder in the halls of academia, and of course war - albeit on a much smaller scale than the series proper.
The first story 'Loyalties' is a great return to this deep fictional world. Balkus is one of the lesser known in the broader fantasy series so it was good to see his character get plenty of page-time. 'Bones', the second short story provides a behind the curtain peak at what came before the kinden via an ill fated archaeological dig.
The third story, 'Queen of the Night', a theatrical short was disappointing and not what I was looking for in this collection. A bump in an otherwise smooth road. 'Fallen Heroes' features a gang turf war and the fighting arena of Helleron told from the unique perspective of fly kinden was great. Tisamon, one of my favorite characters is a champion in this story and his role is fitting of the characters lore.
Probably the best story in the collection , 'The Price of Salt' is a mix of horror and western in which a band of bounty hunters are tricked into defending a remote community from the horrors of the zombie-like locusts, kinden affected by the turning of the full moon. It's a bloody tale with edge-of-the-seat suspense complimented by some great characters, some of which appear in 'The Peacemongers' story later in the collection.
The diverse nature of storytelling continues with 'The Naturalist' which brings murder to the halls of academia all for the cover up of a kinden conspiracy nearly unearthed as fact; spider and scorpion, cur from the same cloth or is it simply a curious case?
'The Last Ironclad' is the collections' ode to gladiatorial pit fits with the last living Sentinel (heavy armor infantry) having to rekindle his thirst for war to pay a crippling debt. As much about action and warfare as it is peace and character.
I didn’t really like the Noir/detective story in ‘Alicaea’s Children’ but loved the return to Princep Salma in ‘A Time for Grief’ - it was great to see some familiar characters from the series proper. While ' The Peacmongers' rounds out the collection by taking the reader back to the Commonweal and the 12 Year War.
My rating: 4/5 stars, I really enjoyed the richness of these stories to compliment the series proper. Such an intriguing lore. Note - this collection will appeal more to readers familiar with the Shadows of the Apt series more-so than new readers. ...more
Short stories set predominately in the Commonweal during the Empire's occupation in the 12 year war containing a vast array of characters, some new, sShort stories set predominately in the Commonweal during the Empire's occupation in the 12 year war containing a vast array of characters, some new, some favorites, some obscure yet all equally engaging and fun to read. As vast as the characters in this series are, so are their stories. Author Adrian Tchaikovsky writes diverse stories that take his characters on many interesting journeys distinct in their own right but complementary to the series proper. I would recommend reading the Shadows of the Apt series first in order to fully appreciate how good this collection is. 5/5 stars. ...more
The Shadows of the Apt series as a whole has been one of the most inventive and utterly unique series I've had the pleasure of reading - and - despiteThe Shadows of the Apt series as a whole has been one of the most inventive and utterly unique series I've had the pleasure of reading - and - despite SEAL OF THE WORM being book 10 (and the final) there was well enough content and stories to warrant further installments. This is both a sign of quality writing, engaging plotting, and conceptually brilliant world building.
Unlike my reviews for other books in the series I won't focus on the plot as I'm likely to give something away but I will say that SEAL OF THE WORM concludes The Shadows of the Apt in the best way possible. All the plot threads converge and seamlessly intertwine culminating in a tense and action packed conclusion.
There is capacity for author Adrian Tchaikovsky to explore events such as the Twelve Year war and numerous threads post SEAL OF THE WORM which could lead to a new chapter in the epic saga that is Shadows of the Apt - here's hoping.
In a word: Exceptional, I can't recommend SEAL OF THE WORM and the 9 books preceding enough - they are simply a must read for fans of fantasy fiction.
The 9th installment in the Shadows of the Apt series continues the momentum of the previous books. While it didn't pack the same punch as DRAGONFLY FAThe 9th installment in the Shadows of the Apt series continues the momentum of the previous books. While it didn't pack the same punch as DRAGONFLY FALLING and THE SCARAB PATH (my two favourite books in the series) it did have a number of shock and awe moments that I didn't see coming, despite being a long-time series reader.
Tchaikovsky thrusts the plentiful cast into all out war spanning multiple fronts with varied forms of conflict. There's magic, traditional warefare (both on land and in the skies) and face to face combat. There are casualties, and for readers of THE AIR WAR (book #8), some of those 'second generation' Collegium characters may not be around as long as first thought.
Che and Seda, the beetle and the wasp Empress find themselves in the forests of Etheryon and Nethyon in search of a powerful magic seemingly guarded/owned by the mysterious Argastos, a War Master of sorts who holds a supernatural-like grip on their respective quests. Accompanied by their faithful band of warriors, both are faced with bloodshed, heartache and a doom far greater than any wasp-Lowland conflict could result in.
While Stenwold continues to fight valiantly against the might of the wasp empire as they march towards Collegium, Sarn (Ant city state), and Princep Salma. Aided by the force of the Spiderlands, General Tynan and his Second Army are ruthless in their mission to expand upon the empires influence and boundary. However, the alliance with Mycella and her spiders is far from strong with deception a possibility throughout proceedings.
As usual there is a lot going on in these books which at times made it hard to take in all the crucial events/character exchanges. However, I found that by reading large chunks at a time, the story read seamlessly and I was able to retain much more than reading in small bursts.
WAR MASTER'S GATE sets the scene for the next installment perfectly (THE SEAL OF THE WORM). Without giving anything away, the series looks set to head in a completely different direction - given the ramifications of WAR MASTER'S GATE, I'm interested to see how Tchaikovsky brings his wounded and segregated characters back to the battlefield.
A great and epic read - as usual. Shadows of the Apt is my all time favourite fantasy series.
‘The Air War’ is the latest look at aviation fantasy in the Shadows of the Apt which comprises all the elements typical of this format from kamikaze c‘The Air War’ is the latest look at aviation fantasy in the Shadows of the Apt which comprises all the elements typical of this format from kamikaze characters, fierce air battles, and spiralling suspense at G-Force speed. Tchaikovsky’s first foray into air battle was in ‘Blood of the Mantis’ which tested the turbulence without going to the extremes of full scale warfare across multiple cities as depicted in ‘The Air War’. From Solarno, to Myna, all the way to Collegium, the cities of the Lowlands and environs – no sky is safe as the Wasp initiated war extends its boundaries with devastating results.
Taki and the fly-kinden rise to greater prominence than previous instalments with a number of characters contributing heavily towards the story that previously held minor or no roles. This helped to keep the series fresh and provided a means to expand upon the world building and deep characterisation of those who inhabit the Lowlands and environs. There is a not so subtle nod at the recreation of the successful band of mixed kinden popularised in ‘Empire of Black and Gold’ and ‘Dragonfly Falling’ with Straessa (ant/spider half-breed), Eujen (Bettle), Gerethwy (woodlouse), and Averic (wasp) the new breed of students at Collegium. Despite being new characters, Tchaikovsky does a great job at developing and making the reader care about them. Eujen is probably the most interesting, almost a younger Stenwold-like idealist.
The early battle in Myna is reminiscent of the ferocious land based encounters in ‘Dragonfly Falling’, with the exception being Myna’s battle is a mixture of ground and airborne assault. Tchaikovsky is a master of detailing combat through flawless narrative and picture perfect realism. While Collegium itself is touted as a place of peace and intellectual stimulus yet at its core, it’s politicking threatens to rot its very foundation. In an attempt to maintain a semblance of normalcy amidst times of war by clinging to order and bureaucracy, Stenwold himself undergoes an interesting change of perception.
There are many good things in 'The Air War' – the highlights of which are primarily focused on the full frontal warfare and interesting characterisation of key playerS on both side of the confrontation. I found myself cheering equally for fly-kinden wasp sympathisers (Pingge) just as much as I did Taki and Laszlo. I also liked the reference to ‘Makerist’ as a form of political view. ‘The Air War’ is building towards something big. Empress Seda, while not playing a large role, does lay the foundation for further interesting plot threads to unfold in future instalments. I cant wait for more. 5 stars
Forged with the blood of many a Kinden, the seventh instalment of the Shadows of the Apt series is a tale of love and retribution wielded by deaths miForged with the blood of many a Kinden, the seventh instalment of the Shadows of the Apt series is a tale of love and retribution wielded by deaths mistress and rippled across the vast land of the Commonweal and surrounding environs. The true sequel to both ‘The Scarab Path’ and ‘Salute the Dark’, ‘Heirs of the Blade’ mystifies foremost with magic courtesy of the omnipresent Darakyon, and the ageing masters of Khanaphes. The unseen dimension this direction added to core characters in Tynisa, Che, and Seda establishes a sound platform of which to springboard further allure and relevance to the inapt methodology. I particularly liked the necromancer angle in which death simply signifies another means by which warriors can influence parties and destroy the living.
Echoes of the Twelve Year War resonate louder than the beat of a war drum throughout the Dragonfly Kinden’s open apprehension when interacting with a servant or perceived servant of The Empire. The Wasps themselves assume almost a mythical form of legend in the Commonweal and are treaded with equal parts apprehension and admiration. While this latest instalment focuses on the relatively uncharted Commonweal – one can’t help but draw comparisons to the Dragonfly notabilities rule to that of the Empire – the monarchy a core element to the plot to provide context to the lives and rule of the Dragonfly Kinden.
In ‘Heirs of the Blade’, we also gain further insight into the lore of the infamous weapon master through their tradition, etiquette and mutual respect of the ‘dance of death’. Tynisa, the face of modern day one person army undertakes a journey of self discovery leaving a trail of blood in her wake while invoking wasp Kinden like tendencies along the way (Re: Gaved). Painting Tynisa in such a light further defines her depth but also showcases a more human aspect to the accomplished yet self-banished warrior.
Despite the 5 stars I give this book, there were momentary lapses in action and seemingly irrelevant interactions which did little to maintain the flow of the series, however, these few and far between enough to be excused. Overall a solid addition to the series which sets up the next instalment and further expands on the rein of terror sure to be imposed by the Wasp Kinden Empress and her followers. Highly recommend! ...more
Stenwold Maker takes centre stage in a story derived from politics, betrayal, war, and assassination in which his home Collegium is once again under tStenwold Maker takes centre stage in a story derived from politics, betrayal, war, and assassination in which his home Collegium is once again under threat of invasion – and it’s not just the usual suspects this time. Fighting to keep the peace, Stendwold embarks on a journey which leads him to the unexplored depths of the sea, east to the Spiderlands and north the newly formed city of Princep Salmea. All of the settings are quite unique and have a distinct feel about them; Tchaikovsky once again does a great job of creating a world that is as enthralling as it is all consuming. ‘The Sea Watch’ felt more like a bridge to future books in the series as apposed to a defining point in the history of the Lowlands – one can only imagine how all the threads established in this book (and the Scarab Path) will be pulled together in what should be a momentous event as the ark reaches its conclusion. Fans of this series should look to this book as a combination of ‘Empire In Black and Gold’ and ‘Salute The Dark’ in terms of the new character development, the creation of a new settings and the pivotal events which should cause ripples throughout the Lowlands for many a time to come - 4 stars. ...more
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