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Empire in Black and Gold (Shadows of the Apt)

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The action is very well written and keeps coming, and the dialogue is great. I cannot comment on prose due to the fact that I'm still not 100% sure how to categorize it. The basic plotline is that Stenwold, a Beetle, has been preaching to everyone for 17 years of the imminent Wasp threat, but nobody has listened. The Wasps continue to move and mobilize, and he is laughed at. The cast has many likable characters and their development is also top-notch. And if not 100% clear, if I there is just the information sprinkled in, that they like to play mind-games, politicing and manipulating, I think most of the work is done and the author can go on to tell his actual story without needing to worry about these things too much.

These are questions, that might get explained later, but so far it was a bit strange at times and I noticed, that I was never fully immersed, as vast and well-developed this world felt. Adrian Tchaikovsky was born in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, and headed off to university in Reading to study psychology and zoology. For reasons unclear even to himself, he subsequently ended up in law. Adrian has since worked as a legal executive in both Reading and Leeds and now writes full time. He also lives in Leeds, with his wife and son. Adrian is a keen live role-player and occasional amateur actor. He has also trained in stage-fighting and keeps no exotic or dangerous pets of any kind – possibly excepting his son. There are several insect groups represented and I hope to see more in forthcoming books. Stenwold is a beetle who is an academic. Tisamon is his Mantis warrior friend. Tynisa is his foster Spider-daughter. Che is his beetle niece. Salma is a flamboyant Dragonfly swordsman. Tothe is a half-breed who is very good at mechanical devices. Achaeos is a Moth-seer and becomes an unwilling participant in their fight. Then there’s the main antagonist, Thalric, a captain of the invading Wasp Empire. These are all great characters and easy to route for. I read this series years ago and am so pleased to see it out on audible. Ben Allen does a great job of distinguishing the different characters and maintaining their voices throughout.The whole story is a phantastic spiderweb and you are the fly. Once you're captivated you only can free yourself by finishing the book. First nursing associates graduate among 1,000 students in Lincoln". The Lincolnite. 23 January 2019 . Retrieved 23 January 2019. Stenwold and his last disciples, his spider-kinden ward Tynisa, his niece Chee, his apprentice Totho and a young prince of the Commonweal Salma try one more desperate attempt to do something, while Intelligence Captain Thalric of the Empire currently emissary to the Collegium has Sten on his hit list. I am hooked and I want to see what my favourites are up to, what kind of fate lies in wait for them. What more can I wish for from a good Fantasy read? Adrian Tchaikovsky interview". Archived from the original on 9 November 2009 . Retrieved 28 May 2010.

Cheerwell and Salma are impriosned in Myna while Thalric begins his mission for the Rekef to investigate Ulther, the city's Wasp governor. Thalric straps Cheerwell to a torture table, apparently about to forcibly draw information on Stenwold from her, but only uses the noise made by the torture machine to conduct a clandestine conversation with his ally Aagen about exposing Ulther. In the end he forces matters with his former mentor quite simply, confiscating a rare and beautiful Butterfly-kinden woman, Grief in Chains, from Ulther's harem. Ulther sends men to kill Thalric but Thalric survives the fight and goes after Ulther. This excellent book is about a cruel misogynistic empire in the east that is step by step taking over and enslaving the western lands, while the powers that be turn a blind eye to the suffering and pretend it'll all be OK, it couldn't possibly happen in their lands.Let me say straight off the bat that I enjoyed reading Empire. It was a good book. But there are some gaps that I’d like to get into further on. I liked this book but did not love it, mostly because there was just too much war. The author actually writes war really well but it is not my favourite subject and I admit to skimming a bit. The characters were good and I had developed an attachment to, or at least an interest in, most of them by the end of the book thus ensuring I will move on to book 2. Tomio, Jay (26 September 2008). "Bug Out with Adrian Tchaikovsky Before Children of Time". Nekoplz . Retrieved 11 March 2010. I absolutely adored this first book of the Shadows of the Apt. I grew attached to just about every main or side character, and I was so intrigued by the creative worldbuilding and was left wanting so much more (not a bad place to be when there are 9 more books in the series!).

But the one thing I’d say about Empire is that the cities are interesting, the world between isn’t. Terrible Worlds: Revolutions (Solaris, 2023), ISBN 978-1786188885. Collects three novellas: Ironclads, Firewalkers and Ogres.All of the characters are layered and some are more grey tinted than others. Their struggles and doubts feel real in this epic war world. Everybody, including the antagonist, goes through emotional development - and since this is only book one I am eagerly looking forward to see what is in store for them. We will mee the other important members of the group and learn about the different powers and cultures of the Kinden. But the story also looks at the major players on the Wasp side. From Thalric to the secretive Rekef. No more spoilers. The prose isn't quite as smooth as in Tchaikovsky's later books, but it's already filled with his unmistakable humour. There is a wise man, a threat, a "party", a travel, betrayal, fights. Hmmh, sounds familiar. But there are no elves, dwarfs, hobbits or trolls. Instead we find steampunk elements and most unsual: insect-kinden. All in all this was a fantastic debut and I'm very pleased that I am able to dive right into Dragonfly Falling and subsequent ones without waiting. Provided that I whittle down Mount TBR a bit between books.

Want to help us defray the cost of domains, hosting, software, and postage for giveaways? Donate here: The opening action set piece and the climactic action set piece had me on the edge of my seat, and I found the action to be so well laid out and written that I could picture things so clearly. The book starts with a group of Collegium scholars witnessing the fall of the city of Myna to the Wasp Empire. Here we meet some of the most important characters such as Stenwold Maker (Beetle-Kinden) and Tisamon (Mantis-Kinden) as they are caught up in the madness of the fall. They fear their plans have been divulged to the Empire and seek the traitor. This is an interesting world where the people have traits, think abilities, derived from different insects (Kinden). From the ability to fly or having a sting. These traits also influence their culture and styles of thought. Although I read this less than a year ago, there were things I didn’t remember. So I was surprised for a second time, which was wonderful! My favorite characters right now are Achaeos and Thalric with Tisamon a close second.

I want to say here that this shouldn’t contain any spoilers, though it will explore some of the plot points and certain characters, their traits and the world in general. If you’re squeamish, look away now…

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