Ogres threw me for a while with what kind of a book it was going to be. Ogres suggested fantasy and the cover showed modern technology so one would think it was set in our time. But it isn't, not really. The story starts with a rural area with landlords, straight out of a medieval setting. So I had no idea where we were going with this.

Add on to that is that this book is written in the second person point of view. Someone is telling Torquell's story to him really in you format. It threw me for a while but after a while I got quite used to it.

The landlords are the ogres and the humans are being oppressed by them. When Torquell steps out of line and runs, his family gets punished for it. Literally eaten. There is certainly quite a bit of gruesome takes in this book. And Torquell certainly does not keep his hands clean. But one feels for him as one does for the oppressed.

As we dive deeper into the story and learn the origins of the current world one sees the fantasy crack away to leave room for something perhaps more realistic. I won't give that away but I will say that it made me crawl deeper into the story. I wanted to find out more like Torquell.

In the end I enjoyed this story of Torquell the hero who started a new revolution.

Ogres is the latest novella by prolific British author Adrian Tchaikovsky, whose novellas I have really enjoyed (much more so than his novels) in the past. Tchaikovsky has a tendency in his novellas to do fun or interesting things with his writing and the plot concepts involved, from a story dealing with perspectives of people from very two different technological worlds who see the same story as a fantasy vs SciFi story (Elder Race) to a comedic story featuring a man living at the end of time who tries to destroy anyone else who builds a time machine to get to him (One Day All This Will Be Yours). The results have always been highly interesting and entertaining....and Ogres similarly tries to do something different as well.

In Ogres case, that something different is a story told in the second person (not that uncommon these days) featuring a man in a world ruled by Ogres - giant people - in what seems at first to be a feudalistic fantasy society and soon becomes apparent is something more. The story plays with the concept of what builds a hero, of horrors rich and powerful people inflict upon others, the power of knowledge and common interest to rise up, and more. And the result, especially its ending, is rather strong and very well done. Not sure this rises up to the level of some of his other (and more award worthy in my opinion) novella work, but it's definitely worth a read.



Quick Plot Summary: Young Torquell, son of the village headsman, can do nothing truly wrong in his village. Sure he's immature and gets into trouble, fools around with everyone, and gets along with the bandits who hide in the woods, but in the end, everyone can't help but be charmed by him and forgive his every wrong.

Until the Ogres who rule the world, and own the village, come to town. Wielding devices like magic and featuring incredible strength, even Torquell is supposed to bow down before them, even in his own home. Except one day the injustice of it all becomes too much, and Torquell raises his hand against the Ogre Landlord's son. And as Torquell runs for his life, he comes to realize there's far more to the world of Ogres than he ever realized and that the world isn't a place for ordinary humans for a reason.....right?

Thoughts: Ogres is a novella playing with a bunch of ideas and concepts. First off, it's told entirely from a second person perspective, with Torquell constantly referred by an unknown narrator (until the end) as if he's being talked to by someone, someone with foreknowledge of events to come. Secondly it's playing with the idea of what makes a hero - after all Torquell first strikes back against the Ogres just out of reckless instinct, and then his response is to hide in fear until his next act of recklessness; and in the climactic parts, Torquell is always deathly afraid of what the Ogres might wind up doing, more so than he is committed to a righteous fight. Torquell is built up into a hero by experiences, not by his personality or inclination, which leads to the very surprising ending. Finally this is, like Tchaikovsky's "Elder Race", a story playing with the idea of magic vs science, and how technology looks after a lack of understanding - except unlike in that novella, the use of technology here is a far more selfish and horrifying endeavor, one that foretells a dark future possibility for society.

The result is pretty interesting and well done, and is a fairly excellent use of the novella page length. Probably not award worthy, but well worth your time.

I'm still surprised about how original this is. There isn't a word wasted in this sharp-as-a-dagger story. I read it in one sitting because I could not put it down.

I love Tchaikovsky’s stories and how this author plays with different ideas of inequality and war. The stories are humane, often with a scary central premise.

In “Ogres”, the main character Torquell is a bit of a ne’er-do-well, enjoying his comfortable life on his father’s farm (actually not really his father’s as he, just manages it for an ogre lord), getting into scrapes, and never really experiencing consequences for his actions. Till, one day this utterly changes, and Torquell ends up on the run after an act of violence. Of course he doesn’t get far, and only escapes death because he’s taken in by an ogress who is very curious about Torquell. She ogre tech R&D, and has a number of human researchers working for her. Torquell gets to learn much that is shocking about his world from her, until he escapes again with the intent of starting a revolution.

The story reads like a fable, with the narrator addressing the reader as they describe Torquell’s antics and the horrors committed in the past to explain the current ogres-humans relationship. The tone throughout is knowing, with an undercurrent of restrained fury. Tchaikovsky examines the myth of the hero, while getting you to empathize with the humans in a monstrously corrupt system. (Yeah, that “monstrously” was intentional, considering the title, and the history of this dystopian future Earth.)

Tchaikovsky does not disappoint in this dark tale, and he pulls off an elegant twist near the end, too, laying out a darker future with a glimmer of hope.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Rebellion for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Fantastic book. Beautifully written, as is Tchaikovsky's way, thoughtful, critical, and viciously inspiring. Reading it is like looking into a mirror at our own society.

Adrian Tchaikovsky has only come to my attention in the last couple of years, but he’s quickly becoming a must-read author. After loving a pair of wildly different sci-fi tales in Children of Time and Elder Race, I submitted an ARC request for Ogres without even bothering to find out what it was about. Unsurprisingly, I did not regret it. 

Ogres is a relatively short novella set in a world where humanity is subjugated to a towering race of ogre overlords. The second-person narrative tells the story of a mischievous adolescent growing into a champion for the human cause—a journey that begins when the lead assaults an ogre in a fit of anger and grows into a tale that threatens to shake the very foundations of society. 

I am not typically averse to making comparisons between books, but it’s rare to feel them flooding out like they did as I worked through this novella. Of course, dystopian societies in which a lower class is kept oppressed and ignorant are not unusual—I read another one last week, and while that comes immediately to mind, it’s hardly a unique point of comparison in the setup. But the tone of the narrative in Ogres contrasts strongly with my expectations of the subgenre. Yes, the main character has his moments of rage, but this is not a hot-blooded, angry story. Even when the plot justifies such a tone, the second-person narration creates emotional distance. It’s not something that will work for everyone, and I’m not even sure it would’ve worked for me if extended over hundreds of pages. But in a short novella with high-quality, immensely readable prose? I found it effective, and it reminded me of 2021’s Hugo-winning novella, The Empress of Salt and Fortune, which tells a similarly epic tale using an unusual narration structure that gives the tale a quiet feel. Both books grow into titanic events with plenty of emotional impact, but in each case, the narrative is presented in such a way that the story sneaks up on the reader. 

In addition, Ogres features several instances where the reader has access to key context that the main character lacks. So part of the story is watching as the character figures out what the audience has already realized. One encounters something similar in both Piranesi and The Steerswoman, both of which I enjoyed immensely, so it serves as no impediment for me, but other readers may respond differently. Of course, the entire novella comes in at just over 100 pages, so any such sections are short enough that even a reader who dislikes this sort of subplot will not have their patience tried for long. 

Ultimately, though the build may be slower and more quiet than expected, Ogres grows into a gripping tale that packs an emotional punch and delivers plenty of social commentary. The unusual stylistic choices may be a deal-breaker for some readers, but the second-person narrative is expertly told and justifies its existence in spades in the denouement. I haven’t read anything by Tchaikovsky that’s been short of excellent, and that hasn’t changed a bit with Ogres. 

Recommended if you like: novellas that play with form, slow builds, social commentary. 

Overall rating: 18 of Tar Vol’s 20. Five stars on Goodreads.

<i>Thanks to NetGalley and to the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review</i>

Talking about this book is hard. Really, really hard. Because there is so much packed in this small book. And it is a sort of fairy tale, a classic hero’s journey, sci-fi and rebellion mixed up. Just with more into it. And I can’t really say how the author manages to cram so much in so few pages. It is astounding. Because we have all the ideas that are dear to the author, we get the “our world is slowly, or not so slowly, dying, and it is all our fault” that we can find in every, or almost, every book by him (I am not really an expert, but I have read a few and I have read a ton of reviews for the others, too, because I want to read them all… I just have to find the time! And this seems to be a constant), but he finds new ways to explore them. It’s a bit like all his books are a sort of variations on the theme, and he did every time an amazing job with it, every damn time, writing something completely different, captivating, and thoughts provoking while hooking you up on the story and the characters. And this is exactly what happens with this new book, too.

We get a new take on the hero’s journey, for example. And the author is pretty vocal about it, he said it time and again while telling us the story. And telling us he did, because the story is in the second person, and address directly both the reader and the main character. And we get to know our hero, from the beginning. And it is a story as old as the time, and yet it is new in so many ways.

"You were always trouble.
Inevitable, really. And you weren’t to know it, but you were following a particular trajectory. The Young Prince is always trouble. A youth, misspent in bad company and oafish pranks, who can mend their ways when adulthood comes rapping at the door, is more prized than any number of young paragons. People remember, but fondly."

And we have a world that is intriguing, to say the least. We get to know it slowly, in glimpses at first and then we slowly become immersed in it. And it is an astounding world, where magic and science are pretty blurry, at least at first. And again, we have a trope that it is not so new, the past as a new future, brought on us by our own mistakes. But again it is made new before our eyes.
And we have the importance of knowledge, and the importance of thinking. Especially, we get the importance of stories, and of our narrative. And we get social injustices and we get, over and over, that our downfall is written inside us, us as human beings, us as a society, and that the solution could have been right there before our eyes if we just wanted to see it.

"Because in the end, changing the world was too complicated, and left to their own devices people wouldn’t change their habits, and so we had to change the people."

And the author takes us to some unexpected places, and sometimes it is gruesome and hard and cruel. And sometimes you can see the humor in it, too. And sometimes it would take you by surprise. But the story is alive on its own, and it would take you along for a really interesting, and thought-provoking, journey.
I think that this is quite the masterpiece, really. The only downside was that, for me, it was a bit lacking on the personal enjoyment level.

It seems like I have some problems with the short work of this author. I have read two full-length novels and two short ones. I loved the firsts, and I simply enjoyed the seconds. So I enjoyed them, and this is not bad, but they were a tad disappointing because I was expecting and hoping to love them, especially more so because the ideas behind the short works were brilliant, so obviously between that and the fact that I love the author, I had some expectations. And they were disappointed. Not because the short works were bad, at all, because both of them were pretty great, but because I didn’t love them as I was expecting. There was something lacking, but I think it has more to do with the format than anything else. I am not usually a fan of short stories, even if I have read some amazing ones, too. There are some that I loved, so it is not a made deal, but usually, I am not the biggest fan, I need more space to really feel the characters, maybe, or something like that, and so in the end, it feels like something is missing. But… but they are not bad. And this one, this one is really something!

I really think that this short book deserves to be read and to be known. And I also think that this would be an amazing addition to any bookclubs, because there is so much potential for discussion in there. It is surprising. And it is all so well wrapped up. Even if I was hoping to enjoy myself more, with this one, it was a really important reading, and I had a good time with it. And, the most important thing of all, it made me think!

It's not often I call a piece of work a masterpiece - there's nothing I would change, this is something that everyone should read and be held up as a true piece of perfection. Adrian Tchaikovsky's Ogres is one of those rare birds that any fan of literature, SF or not, should devour. The writing and prose carries the reader along the journey with a unique voice and tense choice. These choices of presentation create fantastic ambiance that really allows the story and characters to shine; not glossing over points of action or drama but presenting them in an almost tableau-like style. The plot and story slowly unfolds, drawing the reader deeper and deeper into the depths of understanding and enlightenment. The characters grow and become highlighted by their actions, slowly revealing more and more about their choices as it develops. If Adrian Tchaikovsky never wrote another book, he could easily rest on his laurels after coming out with Ogres.

Actual Rating: 4.25 stars

In this Robin Hood-esque novella about a person who begins to question the society that every one else blindly accepts, Tchaikovsky has built a world where classism, oppression, and a thirst for violence have run amok. At face value, the tone of the story is merely darkly fantastical, but randomly placed hints of our real world are used to ground readers and we are able to connect parts of this "fictional" story and the motives within it to those that catapulted many historical events of our own.

Though I was interested in the story and themes portrayed in Ogres, the second-person POV created a disconnect with the narrative that was tough for me to overcome. Similarly, the quick progression of plot points was given more attention than the description of scenes, characters, and environment that would have contributed to a richer reading experience.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this novella and would recommend it to those who appreciate a fast-moving plot and the analyzation of injustice.

Many thanks to NetGalley for sending me this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received an eArc of this sci-fi novella through NetGalley in exchange for me honest musings . . .

This novella reminds me of why I need to read more of Tchaikovsky's work.  I might not have any idea where the story is going but I always enjoy the experience.

This is written in second person which took some getting used to.  It follows Torquell, a headman's son, on his inadvertent hero's journey to fight the ogres i.e. Masters.  There is a blend of dystopian, fairy tales (both ogres and Robin Hood), social commentary, and some humor.

I really enjoyed getting to read about Torquell's life and exploits.  I also really enjoyed the ogress Isadora and her assistant Minith.  The evolving plot kept me intrigued and I really loved the ending.  Recommended for sure.  Arrr!

This is my first Adrian Tchaikovsky book ever and i am proud to say that i am a fan of his books.

The book is about a coming of age story of a human to a hero who opposes the Ogres and leads them to freedom. The book talks mostly on slavery, human nature, rebellion, leadership and greed and how it changes from a masters point of view and a slaves point of view.

The book talks more on how our pets or other animals looks upon us as their masters/owners/superiors and how much we as a human are taking everything for granted. Even though the book reads like a Fantasy book, there are elements of Sci-fi and Urban Fantasy in them and these are well explored by different perspectives (of a slave and of a master) to us.

The most interesting part i liked in this book is how these master/slave concepts are interpreted with Gods will and are taught on Churches and Schools. Maybe most of the beliefs that we have today are generated like this.

Finally, a solid 5 Star book and a Personal favourite of mine. Definitely recommended to anyone who needs a good short book with a Sci-fi and fantasy setting.

Wow ....
Cant stop thinking about this book it was amazing. I would recommend it to anyone who loves sci fi.

"People are fighting each other. Because the Masters like their wars. You know when they play cards together? It's like that. It's just like that."

That was... Wow... It's hard for me to find the words. The closest thing that comes to mind is a modern, "Animal Farm" by George Orwell. And the genres presented are masterfully blended.

This story goes some places I didn't expect and was surprised by, the writing is utterly engaging, the word-choice elegant but not overly flowery. The pace non-stop and constantly enthralling. And the characters interesting and memorable.

The writing I found very unique, second person is not something I have read at all to be quite honest, and while I wasn't sure of it at first, it quickly drew me in and had me convinced and down for it very quickly. The setting and story itself is very dark and depressing, but... Real.

This whole story is very political and intellectual. It makes you think, and it's not hard to compare these ogres to modern politicians and upper class, and once you strip the idea of humanity and just have the word, "Ogre" it makes it that much more horrifying, realizing that a lot of the rhetoric they say and practice we see modern day.

Current events especially are quite topical to this story. All in all I highly recommend it, it was not what I expected, but I'm happy that it is what I got.

Ogres rule the world in this novella, subjugating every human to get what they feel is their right as their "betters". It is a cruel and unrelenting life. One day Torquell does something that may change everything.

This book is simply extremely good and it's impossible not to draw parallels to what is happening right now in the world (the last pages of the novella specially). His writing is so good; he is able to completely draw the world and its structures whilst developing the narrative and moving it along. I really like the second person narrative; it could be done really badly but the author is very competent. How he inserts little snippets and musings through this voice is so well crafted. He blends fantasy and sci-fi so well and so seamless that the switch is made swiftly between the two, and it expands the world and the story. When everything starts to be revealed, it is so satisfying even if some plot points I could see coming, there was enough to keep me highly entertained and surprised (the main plot twist I could not guess).

All of the characters are so interesting, layered, and well developed; even characters that have little screen time are extremely real (the monologue about the Gerald is specially good in this situation). Our main character is really compelling and charismatic; it's easy to root and despair for him, while still seeing his limitations and faults. I specially loved Minith. The section of the book where he tries to piece it all together because we see his development and we are following along with the discovery.

My favorite part is the plot; it's just so smart and well-crafted. The first parte sets up everyhting perfectly for the last part, and the latter delivers an amazing view in revolution and its leaders and their goals. I could not predict the last twist but it fits so well with the rest of the narrative. I loved the ending so much, specially the last page.

I have to comment about something that can be seen as spoilers so I'll leave it to the end of the review (marked as spoilers).

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.


*********************************spoilers*********************************








I loved reading this novella after I read Upgrade by Blake Crouch; this one feels like as extra exploration of the effects of the main theme that is talked about in Upgrade.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Rebellion Publishing for giving me a digital copy of this novella in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

Ogres is written in the second person perspective, which I found quite difficult to gel with, as I have not read very many books written from this perspective. I found it a little distracting to begin with - but once I had got used to it the story came to life and I felt able to engage with the characters. The world in which this story is set is made up of a ruling class of tyrannical ogres and their vegetarian serf humans, who sometimes also serve as their food.
Tchaikovsky's excellent storytelling skills soon have you invested in the world of the ogres and I found myself rooting for Torquell, the roguish teenage human son of the village headman, who loses his temper and punches Gerald, the malicious son of the village's landlord. The cruel landlord, Sir Peter Grimes has come to collect taxes and assure himself that all is running smoothly in his villages. Torquell finds himself on the run, hiding out in the woods with Roben and his band of outlaws, in order to preserve his mortality. On returning home a heart-breaking and somewhat jaw-dropping tragedy unfolds which leads to Torquell losing his temper once more with Gerald and killing him. This time when he flees into the woods its as a bone fide outlaw and he quickly joins Roben's band. His story does not end there and the remainder of the narrative explains the further stages of this hero's journey. Soon Torquell is captured by a brutal bounty hunter and eventually taken into the household of the unusual ogre, Lady Isadora, where scientific research and genetic study are the main focus of her life and he finds himself intrigued by history having seen a book with photographs of scenes without any ogres present and with cities full of hundreds of humans. How did society go from that to what is now the status quo with a ruling class of ogres and no more meat eating allowed for humans? Could the humans have brought this upon themselves somehow? We discover these possibilities along with Torquell at about the halfway point in the narrative and the story became much more intriguing and compelling for me at this point.
This short story is clearly a clever allegory for a possible future if we humans do not mend our ways and I ended up thoroughly enjoying it!

Look out Dystopia, here we come! Supposedly a book of fictional characters and situations. I am not so sure as this reads so much more like faction than fiction. Ogres and humans, no, someone has been at the genetic engineering cookbook and the result is here in black and white, described all too well by Mr T. If you want to know what the future holds, this is most certainly a book you should read and sooner rather than later.

I really like Tchaikovsky’s writing. It’s “simple” and straightforward but never simplistic or boring. This book is no exception.
It’s a simple story, that touches on many important subjects such as slavery, racism, new technologies and may result from them, and many others themes.
It’s a 4,5 stars for me and it’s an author I’ll keep reading for sure.

4.5 Stars - Original, insightful and twisty

(Mild spoilers ahead)

Ogres is another novella by Adrian Tchaikowsky who seems to be able to produce books at an awe-inspiring rate. The last of his novellas I read was "One day all this will be yours" and this one is very different but with the same dry wit and insightful writing I have come to expect from him.

Our story follows Torquell, the local "prince" in a world that sounds like it comes straight out of a quaint fairytale. He lives a peaceful life and the only trouble he has is the one he gets himself into, roaming the woods and living the life. But then we hear about the "Masters" or "Ogres" as people call them. They look like humans but are much larger and visit their villages to take what is theirs: taxes, resources, girls - it sounds like a classic medieval setup of a feudal system with the according power dynamics, no? But then we find out that the Ogres actually drive cars, have modern weapons and are the only ones who are able to digest meat or even touch dead animals.

Torquell, who has a bit of a short temper, gets into trouble again, but this time with the Master's son. He has to flee his very small world and only then we learn bit by bit just what it is that is going on with the world. And we realize that this is not a Fantasy novella after all but rather some sort of dystopian Sci-Fi.

The pacing here is absolutely brilliant. Since the story is told from Torquell's perspective we start out just as igonrant as he is and follow him along his journey to understanding a world so vastly different from what he considered normal that it is absolutely mind-blowing. We watch him grow more mature and responsible with this knowledge, which felt very true to me.
This journey is also the perfect backdrop to ask some very pertinent questions about the current state of our society and the pickle we have gotten ourselves into, the nature of power and the future of mankind. Who will pay the price for the mistakes that those in power have made?

There was one thing that annoyed me though - time and again it is being implied that humans need animal protein to be strong and virile, and pure vegetarianism is being connected to weakness on a physical but also personality level. Really?! I was rather disappointed that Tchaikowsky would go with a "real men/women need meat" narrative.

But other than that this was a smart and entertaining read that should appeal to just about everyone who enjoys speculative fiction.

4.5
Another masterpiece by Adrian Tchaikovsky. This is the second novella I've read by him and I was once again blown away by how much he can pack into a short novel! This was not what I was expecting at all. The blend of fantasy and sci-fi was immaculate. The same theme as Elder Race occurs in this one with a different setting... the thin line between the truth you were taught and "the truth". It touches on social, economical and environmental issues and genetic manipulation. So much happens in this little book with so many twists that keeps you gripped all the way!
Knocked half a star off for the second person narration. It was hard to get into at first but well worth the effort.
Thank you Rebellion/Solaris and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Part Pierre Boulle, part revolutionary dystopian tale, Adrian Tchaikovsky's new entry in his Terrible World's trio of short fiction tells the tale of Torquell.

Torquell is a rogueish teen who lives in a pastoral village which is governed by the tyrannical Sir Peter Grimes and his equally cruel son, Gerald.

It soon becomes apparent that things are not as they seem. We learn that the world that is ruled by the 1% (not much difference there I hear you say) except that in this world the ruling class are bone crunching, carnivorous Ogres and the underclass are vegetarian serfs whose only function is to be the play things of their masters.

Torquell's destiny is irrevocably altered when he strikes the Lord's son after he is teased and taunted by the vicious Gerald. The repercussions from his actions lead to a tragic conclusion which results in Torquell becoming a hunted fugitive, and a social oddity.

He is subsequently procured by the socially precocious Lady Isadora, who indoctrinates him into her staff retinue. Whilst there, he is guided by Lady Isadora to begin his education of the world around him and the reasons behind the social structure that has emerged, and question its legitimacy as she similarly questions as she fights the male dominated world of the Ogres.

Now whilst the reader may be expecting a cozy fantasy, especially as it has well known Tolkienesque creatures in the title, Ogres is in fact a biting social commentary. It raises questions about class and social behaviour, the use of atomated weaponry in war, and also what makes a figurehead.

The narrative itself is written in the second person which brings a kind of mythic detachment to the story, whilst also engaging the reader to experience the events that Torquell has throughout the story. Some readers may find this style of writing off putting, but due to Adrian Tchaikovsky's storytelling skill, it does actually become quite beguiling. In some ways it can be quite clinical as you never actually empathise with the characters. However, determining the labyrinthine puzzles at the heart of the plot strangely moved the story along as both the reader and the main character fathom the events that have lead to the current structures of the world Torquell inhabits.

Ogres is a twisty conundrum of a book that is at once strangely immersive, yet leaves you feeling clinically detached and is Tchaikovsky at his experimental best!