Green City Wars was a wildly creative ride, cementing Adrian Tchaikovsky as one of the most consistently original and brilliant writers out there.
In a futuristic world, humans live in perfectly balanced eco cities, living lives of luxury all supported by unseen ‘little helpers’: genetically and cybernetically engineered animals intended to keep the cities maintained and working for its inhabitants with one rule: don’t bother humans. But, unknownst to their makers, a complex world of animal politics, gangs and warfare thrives beneath their feet. We follow Skotch, a rather down on his luck raccoon PI put on the case to find a missing mouse. But he’s not the only one. Weasel assassins, rat gangs, squirrel armies and hungry cats are only a few of what Skotch must contend with and what the mouse carries has the potential to change everything about their world.

It’s a really strong concept that led to a really unique and enjoyable reading experience, think Redwall meets a noir detective film. The worldbuilding was incredibly intricate and as a result felt really authentic. I absolutely loved the sheer amount of detail - multiple factions, alliances and groups that made city feel so alive. There was also a lot of potential for more stories and books with background threads and I hope there will be because I’d love to explore more facets of the society. I do think the worldbuilding could have been a little better balanced with the plot. There was a lot of info-dumping, especially in the first 100 pages, and quite a lot of the information was repeated several times which I didn’t need- it felt like Adrian Tchaikovsky didn’t quite trust his audience to keep up in places. I still really enjoyed it, but a little more editing and trimming could have made a fast paced and more engaging first half.

Skotch was also a really engaging protagonist. I loved his internal conflict. It was an interesting choice to have a racoon protagonist when the story is set in a German city, but it did really work to make him feel like a bit of an outsider. All of the side characters were excellent too, a wonderful mix of moral greyness and opposing desires. Adrian Tchaikovsky is just so good at writing different character dynamics.

The as I said, the plot is quite slow paced to begin with which could be a turn off for some people, but I found the opportunity to get fully immersed in the world really enjoyable. And, once the plot did get going, it was breakneck and brilliantly twisty! Sometimes, worldbuilding like this can feel like just setdressing but this was not the case here! Every world detail felt like it had a real impact on the plot and story trajectory, everything same together un a really satisfying way.

As ever, Adrian Tchaikovsky had something to say, even if it wasn’t ’in your face’ and the undercurrent of satire and a dash of wry humour added something really wonderful to the story. As I always say, I cannot wait to see what he writes next! Definitely pick this one up if you’re looking for something entirely original, a lot of fun and with a satirical bite to it.

Green City Wars is a wonderful science fiction dark noir, with a talking racoon P.I and a whole host of other artificially intelligent animals, adding something a little different to the narrative.

The world building is fantastic, as I have come to expect from a Tchaikovsky book. There was cleverly scattered little animalistic references or word play throughout, which instantly kept you locked into the world and POV of these unique characters and very invested in the plot.

The mystery was very carefully paced. It kept you guessing throughout, with enough surprising twists to keep you turning pages until the big reveal.

Another brilliant sci-fi, from an author that is fully cementing themselves as a favourite of mine.

I went into Green City Wars expecting a quirky noir mystery featuring talking animals, but Adrian Tchaikovsky delivered something way deeper and more ambitious. The idea of a raccoon private investigator searching for a missing mouse already sounded fun. Still, the story quickly unfolds into a dark, layered sci-fi noir regarding exploitation, class systems, and survival beneath humanity’s so-called utopia.

The worldbuilding was easily my favorite part. Humans live comfortably in “green cities” while genetically engineered animals quietly do all the labor underground, forming their own factions, gangs, economies, and power struggles hidden from human eyes. Every species feels distinct, with instincts and behaviors woven naturally into the story. Skotch, the raccoon PI, is cynical, flawed, and endlessly entertaining to follow, while the supporting cast adds so much personality and chaos to the world. The balance between gritty detective fiction, action, humor, and social commentary worked incredibly well for me.

Overall, Green City Wars is strange, funny, gritty, and surprisingly thoughtful all at once, and I’d absolutely read more stories set in this world.