SHARDS OF WAR REVIEW SERIES

One such pilot is Idris Telemmier who works with a crew of the Vulture God, salvaging spaceships, but by being in Unspace he is able to communicate with the Architects and he knows war is coming, but he also makes a startling discovery which is going to have ramifications for him and his friends.īeing a space opera we have a variety of alien races, factions and federation-like bodies. If that wasn’t bad enough, pilots believe that they are not alone in Unspace and can feel a threatening presence that can drive them insane, therefore passengers are put to sleep, but pilots have to stay awake. Not many can survive this process and those that do, are extremely valuable and in danger of being kidnapped. The other twist is the space travel which occurs by entering Unspace, which can only be accessed by pilots who have had their minds altered. Sadly, one of the planets to experience this conversion was Earth, turning the fleeing remains of humanity into space-bound refugees. Two unique twists are the Architects, which are huge, almost-planet size creatures who can alter matter, choosing to turn spaceships and planets into art, or sorts, unfortunately these aren’t capable of sustaining life anymore once they have been converted into crystalline structures. What Tchaikovsky offers the reader is an epic space opera, with the necessary components: battles, a variety of alien species, and enhanced humans, and a greater mystery and a greater threat, but also giving it his own unique spin. It is probably best to say that this is worth reading before you start on the prologue. After chapter thirty there is a reference section on “The Universe of the Architects” which comprises of a glossary, a section on characters (namely the crew of the Vulture God), other key characters (including gangsters, and prophets, administrators, scientists, noblemen and crooked lawyers!), worlds, species, ships and a very handy timeline.

SHARDS OF WAR REVIEW SERIES

Tchaikovsky’s latest novel, the first is a series called 'The Final Architecture', is a meaty tome and starts with a prologue and is divided into five parts, which are made up of thirty chapters, but these are divided into sections following the leading characters. For they now possess something of incalculable value, that many would kill to obtain.

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. Now, fifty years later, Idris and his crew have something strange, abandoned in space.

Then their alien aggressors, the Architects, simply disappeared – and Idris and his kind became obsolete. In the silence of space they could communicate, mind-to-mind, with the enemy. After Earth was destroyed, mankind created a fighting elite to save their species, enhanced humans such as Idris. And one of humanity’s heroes now scrapes by on a freelance salvage vessel, to avoid the attention of greater powers.

Until one chance discovery… Idris has neither aged nor slept since they remade him in the war. Review of Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky Fiction Reviews

Shards of war review