Member Review

Adrian Tchaikovsky reiterates his versatility and ingenuity with Made Things, a short fantasy that — fingers crossed — may mark the start of a new series. Seventeen-year-old Coppelia, nicknamed the Moppet, is an orphan surviving by her wits on the seedy side of a city ruled by mages. A touch of magic, a knack for puppet-making, and sharp street-smarts sustain her through petty thievery and odd jobs for a shady old woman. Sharing Coppelia’s cramped accommodations is a group of homunculi — tiny beings fashioned from wood, paper, bone, and spell craft — wary of humans yet trusting her enough to have a pact of mutual aid. When Coppelia accompanies a crew of thieves in a daring attempt to rob a fascinating object from the mages’ quarters, an unexpected discovery disrupts the expedition, killing half the team and imprisoning the girl. Now the little people — a ragtag band of homunculi and lowly outlaws — must take on the mighty, and this time, failure is not an option.

From hard science fiction to enchanting fantasy, Adrian Tchaikovsky handles every genre with mastery. Made Things, at under 200 pages, is a novella by the author’s standards yet brims with all the features a fantasy lover would expect: sharply etched characters, an engaging plot, witty dialogue, and vivid world building. Coppelia and her diminutive companions are instantly likeable, while the roguish band of thieves gradually grow on the reader. The class divide and the desperate lives of the downtrodden are described starkly in Tchaikovsky's minimal prose. The only drawback is its brevity — Made Things packs a great deal into its pages, but at times feels rushed.

This volume also includes the short story Precious Little Things, a glimpse into the homunculi world and a sort of prequel to Made Things. Together, these two tales promise the unfolding of a brand-new fantasy universe from Tchaikovsky’s superior imagination — one I am keen to voyage further into.

I am thankful to Tor / Pan Macmillan for the digital review copy of Made Things in exchange for my unbiased review through NetGalley.