I really struggled with this one tbh. I DNF’ed for over a month and thought I’d try and come back to it.

I just can’t, I’m so confused, nothing makes sense. I am so lost.

I usually love his work so I am really disappointed in how much I couldn’t get into this book. Perhaps I’ll give it another go at a later date.

It has been a while since I picked up a book by Tchaikovsky. I think the last time was back when Children of Time came out? I think? In any case, it was high time, I actually read something by this author because I still remember being amazed by Children of Time and how amazing it was. So, it was with slightly high expectations I was going into the book and it delivered and then some. I mean, it’s not the most original trope but the way everything was plotted made this an absolutely brilliant ride for me.

This is a multi- POV book that starts with a bang. Truly. We have humans scattered across the universe because something called the Architects came and made the earth unlivable and it was only through sheer luck that the humans survived to the point where there are multiple factions now that are oftentimes on the opposing sides. The one thing about this book and this author that I really love is that while providing a good story and tight pacing, there’s so much science and technology that could be, the whole thing makes the immersion all the more real.

So, the story starts to pack even more of a punch when a salvage ship comes across something in the Unspace. It might be an indication of the Architects coming back and if it is, the scattered humanity might once again be in danger. A danger they still have no idea how to face or defeat. I am a sucker for mysterious alien artifacts or some long forgotten civilization artifacts being found and this book ticked off that box too. We don’t get too much information about the Architects but there’s crumbs scattered throughout the book and it’s enough for me to know that we’ll most likely get more information as the series progresses.

There’s enough political intrigue to keep those who are interested in such things thoroughly entertained too. There are a lot of factions and some of them are about being ‘pure’ humans and not so humans so it is probably relatable on some level seeing as our world has problems of the same scale. I really enjoy reading about people and how thoroughly predictable they can be no matter what setting they are in. This is not the book to ease you into science fiction though, I think. It has too many technical terms and such but if you are not afraid of trying to understand things, this is a great book. It also feels very much like the author is just setting the stage for more explosive things to happen in the later books even though this book has plenty of explosive things happening. So, don’t be afraid to pick it up if you want an adventure in space with a wide scale.

ONE-SENTENCE REVIEW: Everything about Shards of Earth kept me glued to the page, and I can’t wait for the next book.

I love Science Fiction but I don’t always read it, because I always think I would need to think a lot in order to enjoy the plot. LOL. This is definitely true with Shards of Earth. There was a lot of thinking involved here. I felt like all throughout the book, I was trying to come up with things, of what might happen next or why things happened, and yet I was always wrong. I can be stupid like that. hehe.

But I enjoyed this book so much.

At the first few chapters, I thought I wouldn’t like it. I had a hard time getting into the story and the world but as soon as I did, I didn’t stop getting fascinated by everything in the book. The concept of this book is probably not fresh to readers of sci-fi, especially space operas but the author really knows how to get his readers immersed and interested into his story. I love the idea of a story set in a world after Earth was destroyed, not a very new concept but always loved it. This book also features bio-engineered human who used to fight the old enemies that destroyed Earth. I think it’s so cool that they can communicate telepathically with the enemies. The idea of Unspace is also cool, though not new. And of course, the Architects. I really thought they’re some kind of heroes or something good, but they’re not. But still, it’s so fascinating what they do to planets as their way of creating some kind of new universe. They really are architects.

The pacing of the story was just enough. I mentioned I had a hard time getting into the story at first, but that wasn’t the book’s fault but just me. I just don’t always get sci-fi easily. putting that aside, the story flowed really well till the end. Right from the start when a sign of Architect’s work was found, I was hooked. Right from the start, I was intrigued by the Architects. I wanted to know everything about them, who they really are and where did they come from, and also what do they really want. I also really enjoyed the politics aspect of the story. It was realistic even for a book that’s set in space. I think it’s realistic that there will always be war and people who would do everything for what they believe in…I’m talking about cultish kinds of factions.

As for the characters, I love Idris. He’s a hero I would root for till the end. But I love Solace more. She’s also a main character and she fascinates me. This is definitely a plot-driven book more than character but the characters played a big role on why I enjoyed this book so much. I also enjoyed learning more about the various creatures in this fictional world that the author created.

I really found Shards of Earth very fascinating. I was immersed and intrigued the whole time reading it. I highly recommend this book to every fantasy and sci-fi readers. The author is new to me but after reading this book, I will definitely check his back lists.

Apocalyptic space opera with pirates, clones, unique plot, engaging characters, and so much more. This is not my normal genre, but I enjoyed the story and would recommend it to friends.

Disclaimer: A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review as a part of TheWriteReads Book Tour on Twitter.

Space Operas. The epitome of a fun Sci-Fi romp to binge read at an incredible pace while indulging in a shed load of classical Sci-Fi tropes with excessive glee.

Shards of Earth takes these common and quirky themes, twists them on it's head, subverting all expectations. All while having one hell of a time.

I've been flirting with the idea of cracking open a few of Adrian Tchaikovsky's books for a while. So when the opportunity arose to be one of the first to explore his latest intergalactic adventures, ofcourse I was gonna check it out. Tchaikovsky has boomed in popularity recently and after reading a book of his, I can safely vouch that his reputation is well-deserved.

But what's this book about?

Humanity is readjusting to life in space after a fearsome species known as "The Architects" arrived and decimated life on Earth, leaving the planet in a striking arrangement as a reminder of the power behind them.

One war later and we follow Idris, a survivor of the aforementioned carnage, who remains unchanged by time, unable to rest but now seeking a change of pace as he works with a ragtag crew on a salvage vessel.

But what if the war isn't over?

At first I wasn't sure what to make of the premise. Granted I might not be the best to articulate it, but I certainly had more questions than answers.

And that's what Tchaikovsky does so well. He keeps you gripped with intrigue throughout. Throw in some awesomely eccentric supporting characters and you already have the recipe for a decent story.

I'll admit the story starts off slow. Newbie sci-fi readers may become overwhelmed by Tchaikovsky's vast and detailed world building. Experienced sci-fi readers however, are gonna feel right at home.

It took well into the end of the first part of this book for things to really kick into gear, but once they do, the story really begins to accelerate into overdrive.

You've got intriguing politics between races and factions.

Inventive spins on extraterrestrial characters. No regular green martians here. They all feel like refreshing creative takes on galactic beings. Including one who just can't resists verbalising profanity both excessively and repetitively.

And the chemistry between these characters is brilliant! Kris was my personal favourite. Assured, bold and possessing the ability to wheel in our outrageously over the top crew.

The mysteries kept me guessing right until the end. I expected plenty of divisive conflict and that's exactly what I got. Each character had their own philosophies, their own loyalties and definitely their own individual agendas. That led to some entertaining drama. We see them develop as the interact deeper with one another, resulting in some sweet and satisfying resolutions. I was constantly second -guessing our crew and their intentions.

When push comes to shove, Tchaikovsky was a brutal god to his characters writing them into difficult situations and certainly wasn't hesitant in cruelly killing some of them off. The Architects proved to be this elusive and powerful enigmatic race that I was craving to learn more about.

The book is divided into five parts. Each one exploring a new location. This was a breath of fresh air as I felt like we were truly embarking on a great adventure. Our characters never felt stagnant or dull because they were constantly being thrown into new and exciting scenarios.

Some details are likely to evade your perception on the first read. But this only makes me firmly believe that Shards of Earth will become more satisfying with re-read upon re-read. It both defines and and defies the meaning of Space Opera, packed with charming characters worthy of your attention and story line that will have you guessing until the end.

The Final Verdict: 8 out of 10

A wild ride from beginning to end! I wasn't expecting almost anything that happened and, even if it was a very long book, I was never bored.
I have always loved how Adrian Tchaikovsky writes. It's different, it's gripping, keeps you glued to the pages.
The plot is complex, there are many characters to keep track of but once you get used to all the complexity, you're in for one very great book full of twist and turns.
I can't wait for the sequel!

An Epic Adventure Through Space

Shards of Earth is an epic adventure through space that reminds me somewhat of The Expanse series because it similarly puts a motley crew of misfits from multiple societies with conflicting beliefs together in a single small space vessel and pits them against the universe. However, in this particular universe, humankind has already reached the distant stars, made friends with extant aliens, and faced “the adversary”, and this novel is the beginning of a rematch.

Opening

This epic science adventure begins as it means to go on…with an epic space battle. The reader is thrust in medias res as unfamiliar terms and characters are thrust into view at a grueling pace.

The opening has an extremely high learning curve. This is especially so since we begin the story three times. First in the long past epic battle, then from Solace’s viewpoint, then from Idris’ viewpoint. Worse, Idris’ viewpoint begins with a told info-dump history of a single spaceship that is unimportant in the grand scheme of things.

I found myself a little lost during the first three chapters but struggled through because I had heard so much about how good this story was overall. I was glad I pushed through. In retrospect, I had to push through a similar learning curve during the opening chapters of The Commonwealth Saga. It just comes with the epic science fiction territory.

The Characters

There were so many characters introduced in the first few chapters that I soon lost touch. I was especially confused by the members of Idris’ crew and found myself frequently flicking back and forth attempting to match names with previous descriptions of what species the people were and their occupations on the scavenger spaceship Vulture God.

After maybe seven chapters, the characters became better fixed in my head, and then I really started to enjoy myself.

Solace is the easiest character to get into. She is proactive and easy to visualize because she’s a clone of the perfect Amazon warrior. In my mind, she quickly became Gal Gadot’s version of Wonder Woman. Whether that’s an accurate image of Solace, I don’t care. The way she’s introduced, that’s how I immediately pictured her.

Solace’s actions are easy to identify with and to agree with. She’s following orders, and those orders are clearly aimed at saving humankind from a deadly external threat. Her feelings for her dying comrades but determination to do her duty make her an instantly sympathetic character.

Her internal conflicts later on, as her morality and loyalties are constantly challenged, make her somehow vulnerable and…cute. Yeah, she’s a kick-ass warrior princess and veteran soldier who sometimes acts like a virgin schoolgirl around Idris and frequently worries about disappointing Mother. You can’t help but love her and feel sympathy for the decisions she’s constantly forced to make that hurt her heart.

Idris is my favorite character, and I think that’s because I found him the easiest to relate to. Strangely, he’s like an every-man character despite the fact he has a superpower that makes him more important than any other character in so many ways. He’s just somehow your average everyday bloke who just happens to be immortal and capable of navigating the paths through multidimensional space.

Olli is my least favorite character. I think that’s because she takes her fanatical views to somewhat of an extreme despite the frequent evidence she’s shown that prove her wrong. However, she does have a fabulous character development arc and some awesome fight scenes toward the latter part of the book. Her scorpion is badass.

Kittering is the most interesting character. I loved how he was first introduced as a crab-like creature with a lurid advertisement playing on the video screens around his shell. Like Yoda, his voice is a big part of his character as he attempts to mold his alien thoughts into human speech.

I loved the way Kit is constantly checking his finances and complaining about the crew’s expenses yet often puts his life on the line to protect the rest of the crew. I especially liked his decision about naming his future kids. Cute!

The Unspeakable Aklu is a fabulous antagonist. I loved his disdain for lesser species, but his empathy with Olli was especially intriguing. I adored his surprise ability toward the end of the story. Very nicely done. It kinda reminded me in a scene from Doctor Who when the Daleks were reintroduced in the more modern version of the series, Season 1 Episode 6, 2005.

The Plot

Like any space epic, there are multiple plots flowing side-by-side. My favorite plot line was the relationship arc between Idris and Solace. I wanted to see more of that. However, the dominant plot is obviously the main action plot where humankind is at threat of extinction because some godlike alien species wishes to remove them from existence.

I liked the twist in this action plot in the form of the deceit and manipulation of facts by Hierograve Sathiel and his Hegemony cultists. This plot line was used well to add doubt to the true facts and seed decent.

I really enjoyed the final, action-packed resolution of this story. I especially enjoyed the “coming-together” element of the resolution to the final pinch. Very nicely executed.

However, I would have liked to have seen more of the ongoing relationship arc between Solace and Idris after the events of the main story. Maybe some kind of epilogue.

The Setting

As with all epic science fiction, there is a lot happening in this fabulous story and the setting is a major part of the book. As I mentioned earlier, this story reminded me of The Expanse series. In a similar way, a motley crew “borrow” a spaceship from the superior warrior culture to use during their adventure, the Dark Joan, though it’s not their main spaceship in this story.

Unlike The Expanse, there are aliens at the very start of this story. The aliens are fascinating, especially Medvig’s hive mind of an “intelligence distributed across a knot of cyborg roaches”. Awesome!

I especially loved the “Angels of Punching You In The Face”. However, more care could have been taken over the status of Solace’s armor. It is constantly taking damage but then reappearing a few scenes later all repaired and functional. We’re never shown it being repaired or maintained. It just magically appears to be ready the next time it’s needed.

For example, in chapter 16, Solace appears in Jericho’s Anchortown wearing her armor despite the fact it was severely damaged the last time we saw it. Now, I assumed that at this point the armor she was wearing was the armor she previously lost aboard the Vulture God and has now recovered, but it’s not mentioned.

It would have been nice to see share Solace’s pleasure at recovering her old armor and finding it hadn’t been stolen or damaged in her absence. It would have been wonderful to see her repairing her armor and complaining about a lack of the right kinds of parts and tools on a Colonial vessel.

The Prose

The author’s prose is crystal clear and engaging…once you’ve climbed that initial learning curve. There were some really great similes, such as the one about hammers and nails in chapter six.

The told info-dump at the beginning of Idris’ viewpoint in chapter one is an isolated case. The rest of the story is successfully shown rather than told and contains little in the way of info-dumping.

There were a few formatting issues in my copy of the ARC. In places, paragraphs were truncated inexplicably as if there were two paragraphs with an arbitrary ending and beginning. No text was loss, jut an extra break inserted.

In other places, paragraphs were merged, so two or more people might be found speaking within one paragraph. I hope this was just and issue with my copy and not something that is repeated in everyone’s book.

My Opinion

Despite my problems with the learning curve, once I got into the characters and setting, I loved reading Shards of Earth. The world-building is awesome, the characters unforgettable, and the resolution fantastic. I have no hesitation in rating it as 5 out of 5.

Notice:

I received this book to read and review as part of the @The_WriteReads tours team Shards of Earth Ultimate Blog Tour. All opinions are my own, unbiased, and honest.

Shards of the Earth is a brand new world entering into the Sci-Fi Realm. It’s the fantasy equivalent of worldbuilding only in the Sci-Fi Realm. There are new worlds, new civilisations, new peoples to deal with. The premise is simple. Once upon a time, there was Earth, and Earth basically decided to colonise the world. Okay, so that’s step one done. Then Earth’s colonies became off-shoots of each other, extending like a tree. Each Earth colony on various planets and worlds formed their own basis and separate identity. These colonies became far-flung settlements of colonisation, and just as history goes to prove, these colonies then form their own agendas. They are the worst architects in all of human history.

That’s step two done. However, Earth was then destroyed by these moon-like giant aliens called the Architects who came and shaped Earth in a horrific way, basically re-designing humanity. If that’s so, then just examine the book cover. They are the worst architects in history. Earth’s colonies banded together, along with the other alien civilisations, and the Partheni (A sort of Amazon warrior type race that was genetically cloned to basically get away from Earth seeing all the division and hatred that existed upon it.) along with Humanity’s secret weapon, the Intermediaries, or Ints for short. The Intermediaries are basically like ancient sages, being able to access inhuman minds in the Unspace, in a way that ancient sages used to fight, accessing the minds of Gods. Except, we don’t know what the Architects are. All we do know is that when they encountered humanity, they ‘reshaped’ planets and destroyed ships. Humanity’s worst nightmare. The Intermediaries stopped the war, and the Architects vanished.

That’s the basis for this world in a nutshell. This is hard sci-fi to understand, and many times I did struggle to keep up with the story because this is the first book in the series. Any sci-fi world takes time to get through. I took plenty of notes to make sure I didn’t get lost in the novel. Because you have to appreciate just how much time, effort, and value went into creating this world. You don’t just wake up one morning and decide to create a world like this, you spend years working on something as big as this. The story I feel is in a conundrum in some areas, for example, some action scenes were reminiscent of Star Wars. On the other hand, it felt like an episode of the Expanse with a heavy emphasis on realism. In another way, there was a certain vibe with the Hunger Games, as I felt that the Intermediaries aren’t seen as real humans, just objects of the instrumental divine will to be used against secret aliens. On top of that, the world was introducing new characters, new worlds, and it felt like the story wanted to be all in one. Which it certainly does in the climax, because I can tell you one thing. The latter half of this book felt like I had watched the Expanse Season 4. I won’t say much but it’s a hint. I feel like this book needs to be adapted into an Amazon Prime or Netflix show or even a video game made by Obsidian Studios. Because this book is written in an episodic format combined with epic worldbuilding. I could clearly see what was happening and what was formulating in my mind when I read this.

The characters in this novel are strong enough to stand out on their own. Idris, for example, has his own personality, along with Solace (One of the Partheni), Kris, the lawyer aka the badass, and Oli, who is one of the most underrated characters in this novel. I also loved Captain Rollo, he was delightful to read. If it’s one thing about Rollo, he can see the future ahead. Let’s talk about the Partheni for a second. It is obvious that the Greek mythical influence of the Amazonians is present with their name: The Parthenon. One of the things I love about Sci-fi is when I read humans giving ancient names to their ships, race and culture. It proves just how relevant ancient history is to humanity. Solace is a Partheni warrior, but she’s just a good soldier that obeys orders, and I really disliked her because she did not go beyond questioning orders, she never tried to do much, and to be honest, this mirrors real life. There will be soldiers that will work for organisations that never question their motives. The Parthenon however, are a powerful organisation, having the finest warships against anything that the alien civilisations could throw at them. But the Colony has the Ints. Except that Idris participated in the first war against the Architects, but now that he’s woken up, he’s an older, more experienced man, but he has not lost his youth. But he is now older than anyone in the crew of the Vulture God. Now that Idris and Solace are on the ship of the Vulture God, they become trapped in something that is much bigger than them.

Here is an interesting point: The Partheni aren’t viewed as real humans, being an only female society by the other residents of the colonies. And thus, the Nativists, who call themselves ‘real humans’ are against grown human beings in a laboratory. It’s very ironic that the very definition of racism can be turned into anything. It just goes to show that racism is just jealousy disguised as hate. It stems out of insecurity. Partly, every conflict in this world is stemming out of insecurity and nothing more. You don’t need to know the history, not even the origins of this world, just know that humans are afraid of home-grown human beings in a laboratory, insect-like aliens, moon-like giants, some race having their cultural identity to be identified with ‘Original’ or something like that. Humans are afraid that they are no longer on top of the food chain. With Earth gone, what else do they have but the Colonies? Insecurity. Insecurity and miss-communication is a primary drive going on here at the heart of this story. The Nativists create intense conspiracy theories as to why humans don’t run the universe. It’s as simple as that.

Idris and the crew of the Vulture God embark on one of the most epic journeys ever taken in my opinion, in a sci-fi novel. Sci-Fi is something I appreciate rather than read, because creating new worlds, new identities, new races, is hard enough to do for any author. Even the best of the best struggle with it sometimes. No one is perfect in Sci-Fi or fantasy for that matter. What I do appreciate is that Sci-Fi shows the true mirror of what humanity is. Because it’s true when we create new worlds like we will one day, when humanity goes to space and starts terraforming planets and does all of this, what then will happen to the human race? Will it be like Kali-Yuga as described in the Hindu Epics? Will it be Armaggeddon once Earth is destroyed when we come into so-called contact with aliens? What will happen? The truth of the matter is the human race is confused and afraid. That’s it. And Idris and his crew are also afraid, in fact, many times because they hold secrets that scheming politicians, mercenaries and bandits, gangsters, and plenty of cults are going to find them for to get an artefact of such incredible value, that it may be the very key in protecting some crucial aspect of this world.

This book is begging to become an adaptation of a great sci-fi show in the making. It is extremely well written, and it is a great novel. I enjoyed this, and this is a solid 8/10.

I have submitted my Amazon review as well as Waterstones review

I have to start by saying I’ve not yet finished reading this book, life has unfortunately got in the way. However I can review what I’ve read so far and honestly, it’s stunning!

There’s a lot of detail, which is to be expected especially when there are multiple races/species, governments, etc involved, but once I got to the point where they all became clear then the story really took off. Up to that point I could follow it and was enjoying it but getting everything straight in my head has improved my enjoyment massively.

Idris is working on a ship called the Vulture God, the crew of which is a mix group but very likeable and I can see how they work well together. While Idris is undoubtedly the main character and the one who attracts more at attention at the places they visit, at this point in the story it’s not all focused on him alone. There is explanation of his past, the Architects and a few other pieces of information that give the depth of understanding needed to appreciate why the Architects are so feared and why people are reluctant to believe they may be back.

I’m loving being immersed in this story, visiting new places and almost being part of the crew as they deal with the consequences of what they found in space. It’s great to feel part of the story unfolding in front of them and I’m glad this book attracted my attention. Science fiction is not the main genre I read and so far I’ve not read any books this large, from that perspective it’s certainly epic, but I am enjoying the size of it because it gives the story a lot of space to grow and develop even further and following that is going to be an adventure. I just need to make sure I clear enough time in my schedule to accommodate the book size, especially when I read more like this in the future.

4.5 stars

This would be a hard review to write, because there is so much to love about this book that it is really hard to make order and write something with sense and coherence. But I would try.
Let’s start with something easy: this book was amazing because it is full of surprising things. And I think that I could leave it at that and be done. Because, really if I have to sum up this book “full of surprising things” would be perfect! This is quite the chunky book, and it has a completely new world-building with science in it, so I thought that it would take me some time to read it. And yet I just flew between its pages. I was there, sometimes comfortably curled up on my couch, sometimes on the edge of my seat, but always there along with the story and the characters, and it took me no time to read it. And this was surprising.
The world-building is quite full of interesting and fascinating things. We get interesting societies out there, races and all that you can imagine, and more. In this respect it remembered me a little of The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. It is not that these two books are similar in much, but in the variety that they offer, all the differences that we can see in their worlds, well yes, I think them similar. Sure, Chambers books are more optimistic and have a sort of “feel good” vibes to it, that this one by Tchaikovsky lack (but I am not saying that we have a grim and pessimistic book, it is just that it is not on the heavy optimistic side).
The Architects are surprising. I was intrigued by them, and they have some big surprises for us in store. But this part of the story/world-building to me was superb.

Sorry, don’t let the new paragraph deceives you, we aren’t done with the surprising part. There are two more points that I want to make here, and they were my absolute favorites in this list of favorite things! Battleships fights! I mean, they are just the coolest ever! Usually I enjoy fights (soldiers/sea ships/battleships/whatever) but I am not a huge fan. I mean, they are there, if I think they are well done I enjoy them but they usually didn’t hook me up, didn’t really engage all of my attention. But here… oh my! I was there, on the edge of my sit, I couldn’t put the book down. I was there, and I was just so hooked up! It was surprising how much these parts were engaging. Really! You have to try for yourself!
And then we have the fact that we get a lot of questions in there, obviously, because it is the first book in a series and it is a whole new world, with complex cultures and characters. So questions are expected. What I wasn’t expecting was to receive so many answers too! And I am not complaining, at all! Especially about the Architects. They kept me wondering for a lot of time, and I was ready to have to wait the next books to know more about them, to find some answers but… I was wrong! And I am quite quite happy to have been wrong!

But with a complex world-building, full of things to discover and all kinds of different people to inhabit it, and with a fast-paced plot, with a lot happening (and some fantastic battleships fights!), we have some amazing characters too.
Idris and Solace have the lion’s share, and they are amazing characters. They both are veterans and they share some pasts, but they are so different. Idris has not aged or slept since the war he “shared” with Solace, he is sullen, he is frail, and he is quite damaged. But, to be honest, everybody is damaged. Idris is a member of a mismatched crew, and this crew has become his family and his safety line.
And the crew is really something. We have the captain, Rollo, who is the glue that keeps them all together (in more than one sense), Olli, who is just so resourceful and full of surprises, Kit, the alien who helps us see all the differences in this world, Kris, the lawyer, who has become one of my favorite characters. And I wasn’t expecting to like so much a space lawyer!
And now we go back to Solace. She is a warrior, and she is part of a bio-engineered race of woman warriors, sort of. And she is the one who shows more growth in there. Talking about “growth” can be a bit misleading, because it is more that we see her slowly showing herself for who she really is, and we can see her adapting to new situations and points of view. So, yes, it is growing, but it is also discovering. And I appreciated it a lot.

There are a lot of things I can say about this book because I loved it. I enjoyed it, I was hooked by it, and it made me think. So I couldn’t ask for more, really. And I really hope you would try this one out, because it is really worth it, and I hope to have at least conveyed how much I liked it!

Morning, afternoon, evening, night... I don’t know what time of day it is but greetings nonetheless.

I had my 2nd dose of vaccine yesterday morning and now I’m fully vaccinated and fully feeling like sh!t. My joints hurt my whole body over, from my shoulders, to my fingers, to my toes. Is it worth the pain? Yes, of course! But that doesn’t change that it knocks you for six.

With that in mind, I have finished reading Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky and as usual, he does not disappoint and I am so thankful to @blackcrow_pr and @torbooks for the #gifted copy (and the lovely finished copy that arrived today!!) because it was my most anticipated release of this year and IT WAS AMAZING. I can’t wait for book two and three.
Unfortunately, due to how I’m feeling this is the best I can manage by way of a review but...

BUY THIS BOOK. Solace and Idris are amazing and you will not regret it.

Thank you.

A fascinating story but it takes its time to set the stage and immerse the reader in the world. I admire Tchaikovsy's imagination but I prefer when he gets to the point faster.

Thank you to The Write Reads, Tor, and Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I make no secret that I’m more of a fantasy fan than an science fiction fan, but sci-fi has always held a special place in my heart and imagination. I think my tend to go more towards fantasy is that, sometimes, my brain is just not up to all the science inherent in the genre! So I caught myself over the years steering away from sci-fi and, for some reason, especially space operas. But, having recently read a few space operas that I absolutely loved, and knowing that Adrian Tchaikovsky is a rather renowned science fiction writer, I thought “Why not?” and signed up for this tour.

(Not gonna lie, that gorgeous cover may have had something to do with it, as well!)

Well, not only did I find myself engaged in a fast-paced and thrilling story, but I stumbled across one of my absolutely favorite tropes: found family! We follow quite a cast of characters in this story, but our main focus is Idris and Solace, two war veterans who are thrown back together years after the war has ended. Idris and Solace were both part of the force that “defeated” an entity known as the Architect: a massive alien ship that floated about the galaxy, rearranging planets on a molecular level into, basically, space art and leaving millions dead in it’s wake. The galaxy has known relative peace for years, but, when Idris and the crew he has made a home with discover a vessel that has been “Architected”, everything changes.

Y’all, this book was incredible! Though it had a bit of a slow start introducing the science of this universe, the action picks up fairly quickly and, once it does, the pace is breathtaking. I found myself tearing through this not small book in record time because I just need to know how it was going to end! I loved the author’s writing style, as well. He has a tone to his writing that perfectly matched my sarcastic sense of humor, lol. And he also has a way of delivering emotional scenes that pack a wallop. Which, ya know, I appreciate in my novels.

My favorite aspect of this story, however, has to be the found family element. The crew of the Vulture God captured my heart and I would fight for them! It was such an incredible part of the tale that added an extra something to this beautifully crafted story. Also, the casual LGBTQIA+ representation was much appreciated! And we have a prominent disabled character, as well! Just… the science and the action were fantastically executed, but the characters are the true heart of this story.

Final thoughts: This was a wonderfully crafted and engaging start to a new epic science fiction series! Though it started off a bit slow and could be a bit of a technical slog at the beginning, it soon ramped up into a fast-paced, heart-pounding space adventure that kept me on the edge of my seat! The plot was fantastic and the world-building was great, but where this story truly shined was in its characters. If you enjoy your space opera with a side of beautifully written found family, then I think you would love Shards of Earth!

Book source ~ Tour

Earth and many other worlds were destroyed by the Architects, a species that is planet-sized and who kills billions when they reshape a world (or ships) into art. Mind-blowing stuff. How do you stop something so huge, who doesn’t even acknowledge sentient life? Enter the Intermediaries or Ints. Idris Telemmier is a survivor of the war against the Architects as is Solace, a member of the Parthenon. 70 years after they ended the war it looks like the Architects are back and this time there are precious few of the first class of Ints left to fight this time. However, Idris is still alive and he’s going to do all he can to defeat them or, at the very least, convince them to go away. Solace is once again by his side, but will it be enough?

Ho-ly shit! This is a massive richly detailed world. There are so many species, so many customs, so much politics that in the beginning it was hard for me to get a handle on everything. It didn’t help that my life was completely disrupted in May so I could only shoehorn in a few pages at a time. Not conducive to a great reading experience of an epic space opera. In any case, it does take a bit of sorting out as to what the hell is going on and who is who, but once the dust settles oh, boy. Hold on to your britches because this is one hell of a ride.

The characters are awesome. Each and every one of them. There is not a single one who drags the story down. Each species is unique and described in detail. Even so I did have a hard time picturing some of them. The story flows. I mean, really flows. There’s action and danger and personal conflicts. It has everything. The story revolves around Idris and Solace, but is told from a couple of different POVs which is good because a tale this massive needs more than one POV to provide a well-rounded feel. Now that I’m immersed in this world I need more. I will definitely be continuing this series. If you love epic sci-fi then you better not pass this one by.

Review:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Shards Of Earth, by Adrian Tchaikovsky is a compelling and engaging sci-fi full of mystery, action and intrigue.

So a big thankyou to TheWriteReads for a spot on the tour for this very anticipated book! This book was so interesting and unique, I enjoyed every second of it. This book is the start of the Final Architecture trilogy and kicks off with the end of the war and the effects of it decades later.

Firstly, the prose flows easily, despite the heavy sci-fi nature of the story, it is easy to read and engage with. Tchaikovsky manages to balance the heavy information we need with compelling writing to make it easy to absorb without feeling heavy or slow. We learn about the world and the war through different people, groups and perspectives and it works wonderfully to help move the story along. We also get multiple narrative perspectives that work well with the story, and gives us insight into all the different types of people, aliens and entities that exist in this war wrecked world.

The actual plot is compelling and full of action. While we get to see the end of the war, the majority of the book takes place decades later and focuses on Idris and Solace. Idris is an Int, a person crafted and moulded to fight the Architects by mentally connecting with them. Solace was meant to be an protector, a warrior, the last line of defence in the war. Idris hasn’t aged or slept and Solace has been on ice, that is until she is sent to re-recruit Idris back to her side – however, Idris is finally free and wants nothing more than to stay with his ragtag crew on their salvage vessel. That is until the two and the crew come across something suggesting the Architects are back.

The Architects are incredibly interesting, I loved the idea behind their form of attack. Upon finding this evidence the plot really kicks off and we get the ragtag crew full of diverse characters fighting their way across different planets. I loved all the crew members and the different groups they had to fight through over the course of the story. While the architects are the main looming threat of villain of the book, Tchaikovsky does an excellent job at showing how war creates different social divisions and loyalties and how they all come to conflict in war ruined systems. I really enjoyed watching the team go up against different factions, extremists and thieves all while trying to unravel the truth behind the architects return.

The characters were engaging from start to finish, diverse in nature, ability and species they were all rich and well fleshed out creating an interesting team that you easily connect with and root for. The inclusivity was natural and I really liked how disability was not seen as a setback (though we do get the story tackling some more serious issues surrounding disability and genetics, this is done well). I loved the dialogue and relationships between them all, and how these changed and grew over the course of the book.

Finally, I loved the plot, characters and concept behind this book and the ending sets up wonderfully for a second installment. By the end of the book I was on the edge of my seat, excited and anxious to know what would happen next.

I was not sure what to expect of this book but thought it was a great opportunity to broaden my genre horizons since I've not really read any science fiction of this caliber. It was a good choice.
The book throws you right in there, and as a reader you are right in the middle of things from the start. You don't really have much time to adjust to the new environment, the new characters and species, which makes it more immersive. Funnily enough, on the other hand this also made the start of the book a little hard for me. It took me a while to really get into this book, to really want to continue it. About 20% to 30% I got well and truely hooked.

While the worldbuilding is extensive, the book really rides on the backs of the characters. While Idris and the genetically engineered humanoid Solace are surely the main focus, you also see a lot of the other characters, humanoid or not. I loved the dynamic of the Vulture’s crew. They were so diverse and different. They had many different skills and roles on board of the ship and everybody had their own personality and goals and believes. Of course that makes them clash and bicker which each other which made me grin while reading time after time but it also made me think about their arguments and their viewpoints.

What really impressed me though, were the battle scenes. From the few brushes with high fantasy books I’ve had, I’m used to the fact that battle scenes are boring or confusing and I tend to skip over them. Not my finest point, I know. With Shards of Earth I didn’t have that problem at all. The battle scenes were engaging and I loved reading every bit of it.

Shards of Earth is the first instalment in The Architects Trilogy and delivers all the far-future worldbuilding and biological strangeness that many readers loved about Children of Time. The book dives straight into the action and doesn’t slow down. There’s a steep learning curve with different names, places and organisations to get your head around, but the handy glossary helped jog my memory between reading sessions.

While the story and the narrative voice with its subtle, dry humour are recognisably Tchaikovsky, the author describes Shards of Earth as his first foray into space opera. In contrast to his previous science fiction work anchored in scientific plausibility, The Architects uses fictional elements such as faster-than-light travel that Tchaikovsky describes as leaning more towards the fantastical.

I mention this since it led to some very cool concepts, and experiencing Tchaikovsky’s curious imagination in full was my favourite thing about the book. Who else would come up with ideas like incomprehensible moon-sized aliens that can manipulate matter on a molecular level? Or a spacecraft that substitutes propulsion with a ‘grabby drive’, harnessing ambient gravity to flit through space like an interstellar fly? Discoveries are vast in this story set in a post-singularity far-future.

The plot closely follows a ragtag salvaging crew who are in just a bit over their heads, and there’s plenty of drama of the personal and world-saving variety to keep up the tension. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel like I really connected with the characters, but I might have been more emotionally invested in the book had my schedule allowed for longer reading sessions.

While I didn’t love Shards of Earth quite as much as I did Children of Time, the overarching mystery of the Architects has me excited to see where this series goes next.

I have to say I am not a huge space opera reader, but the premise of Shards of Earth really caught my interest. Although, I will admit I did not realize how long this book actually was until I opened it up. Needless to say, I was a bit intimidated especially as this isn’t a genre I primarily read. But, like the saying goes “go big or go home,” certainly seems to fit this scenario. So I dived in and was actually quite surprised on how much I actually enjoyed this story.

It has been 40 years since the last war with the Architects. Earth was completely destroyed, many people were killed and many others were forced to leave their homes only to find a new place to call home. They would do anything to protect their new homes from the Architects, so an enhanced form of humans were created to protect their species. Solace, a Parthenon, is one of these enhanced humans. She is part of an all woman led fighting team of bad*sses. Idris is an Intermediary who can also connect with the Architects. Solace is now on a quest to get Idris to join them as they already share a brief history together. But, Idris just wants to be left alone on his salvage vessel. But, when Idris finds something of value, will the Architects come back for an all out war?

The opening chapters of this story really starts off strong and puts the reader right in the middle of all the action. It is really intense and I found myself flipping through the pages. I will admit there are a lot of characters and species/classes right from the start, but Tchaikovsky makes it so easy, through his writing, to follow along and grasp the different characters/species. I never felt as if I had to reread previous passages to understand who someone was or what species they belonged to and if you are lost there is a handy glossary in the back that can help you along. I will admit that some seasons went over my head, but considering this is not a normal genre for me, I still think I did quite well.

Shards of earth is a great start in The Final Architects Trilogy and I am for certain. The word building was absolutely phenomenal, I loved the diverse cast of characters especially the women warriors! I highly highly recommend picking up this book if you are a fan of space operas. Even if you are new to the genre, this story will ease you right in.

A big thank you to UK Tor, BlackCrow, and NetGalley for the eARC of this book.

"Shards of Earth" is a great story set in space and has everything I like in it: war, aliens, politics, and action.

I'm somewhat new to the adult sci-fi genre, so please take this review with the grain of salt. I'm still trying to find out what works and doesn't work for me in this genre and I'm trying out different types. What drew me to this book was the premise, it sounds amazing and I actually got the audiobook to listen to while working which made the experience pretty good for me. I would switch between the ebook and the audiobook. The narration is excellent and if you like audiobooks, I do recommend it.

Now, I think this book was a slight miss for me due to its complexity and also because I wasn't actually in the mood for it but if I was waiting to get in the right mood for sci-fi, we'd be waiting for another year.

While I did enjoy it for the majority of it, and I can also tell that this isn't a bad book at all, it just didn't work for me and I'm sad because I really wanted it to be a hit for me. It has all the things that I like except for one: the characters.

I really can't tell you much about any of them save for Solis and Idris who are the two characters who left the most lasting impression on me. However, I still can't think of much about them. I love the idea of who they are and what has been happening to them and with them and I would've loved to have explored that a bit more.

The novel is actually a lot more plot-driven than I expected and has a lot of action, which I usually don't mind if I care about the characters. I feel like I, as the reader, was thrust into the world and the storyline pretty much right off the bat and so I was mostly confused, wondering what was going on for the most part.

I liked the writing a lot and all of the action scenes were very well-written. After I got used to the writing, it got so much easier to read and I flew through it. I actually enjoyed a lot of the new species and the world as a whole. Some of the scientific things flew over my head but that's to be expected. I do have to say that I love it when there are aliens in sci-fi novels so this increased my enjoyment by a lot.

The ending was quite satisfying to me. Even if I couldn't connect to the entire novel, I loved the conclusion and I'd definitely read the sequel.

This was also my first Tchaikovsky book and even though it wasn't completely my taste, I will try his other books too.

I do want to stress again that this is NOT a bad book at all, it just wasn't completely for me. However, it does have great world-building, concept, great action scenes, and atmosphere.

"Shards of Earth," the first book in "The Final Architects Trilogy" focuses on the long-term aftermath of an alien invasion of a different sort. The Architects invaded the galaxy, but instead of simply dominating humans and the other races, they destroyed planets in a way which leaves the survivors shaken. After several decades, the Architects left and the societal galaxy has changed, but there have been signs that the Architects have returned. The question is: should the news go public? Not to mention, who is left that knows how to fight them off?

The main characters in this novel are the crew of the ship, the "Vulture God," scavengers who travel throughout the galaxy and perform jobs for payment. The "Vulture God" accepts a job no one else wants. The good news is the "Vulture God" completes the job. The bad news is the crew stumbled upon something HUGE, which forces them to become fugitives.

"Shards of Earth" is part hard science fiction and part space opera. Readers can tell this story is a space opera—the mention of spaceships, galaxies, space battles, etc.—from the Prologue. The hard science fiction becomes noticeable when readers learn about the genetics of each race and the ecosystems of each planet. Yes, it is A LOT of information and scientific terminology, but the world-building that comes from it presents a believable galaxy.

"Shards of Earth" is an informative and an exceptional story about alien invasions, feuding factions, and eugenics. I’m glad this book tour gave me the opportunity to read this book in advanced, which allowed me to complete a book by Adrian Tchaikovsky! Fans of Megan E. O'Keefe and Martha Wells will enjoy this series the most!