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inverarityBook Four in the Shadows of the Apt series.
Tor Books, 2010, 459 pages
Adrian Tchaikovsky's "Shadows of the Apt" is a ten-book series, and I'm on book four. So far every book has been good to very good, but it will probably be hard after a while to remember what was important about each one.
Salute the Dark has several events that are pretty significant, including the death of one of the main characters since the first book, and a major shake-up in the Wasp Empire.
Having taken a sneak peak at the last book in the series, I kind of know where the series is heading, which is why I recognized that for a couple of books now, the Wasp Empire's war against the Lowlands is just the background to the real story, which is Uctebri the creepy Mosquito-kinden sorcerer bringing about the apocalypse. Or something like that. He's been manipulating the Wasp Emperor's sister for a few books now (she has been allowing him to manipulate her for the very understandable reason that her brother is a sadistic homicidal bastard who's going to have her offed as soon as he's tired of tormenting her), and that comes to a resolution, of sorts, at the end of this book.
As with the previous books, the chapters are split between the POVs of a growing cast of characters. Stenwold Maker, our doughty Beetle-kinden protagonist, remains the mainest main character, but Tisamon the Mantis warrior, who's been doing his dark and brooding must-fight-the-entire-world-to-atone-for-my-past-mistakes thing for a few books is also a major part of the story. Thalric the Wasp officer continues to play the role of the "honorable Nazi," Stenwold's niece Cheerwell is still stumbling around somehow surviving despite a complete lack of self-preservation, and there are subplots with our favorite Flies, Ants, Assassin Bugs, Moths, Dragonflies, and many others. (I am still waiting to see Stinkbugs, Ladybugs, and Cockroaches.)
The world continues to move forward with the "Apt" (kinden who can use tools) beginning to push the world into the industrial age. Magic is not quite dead yet, but magic and mysticism retreating before the forces of technological progress is an ongoing theme.
This is not a stand-alone book, so my recommendation is really for the entire series. Four books in, it's still great fun, the plot is still moving forward, and I always enjoy Tchaikovsky's worldbuilding. Salute the Dark was perhaps a bit long on exposition and battle scenes, with pivotal moments of character development a bit farther apart, but I'm definitely queuing up the fifth book soon.
Also by Adrian Tchaikovsky: My reviews of Children of Time, Children of Ruin, Children of Memory, Empire in Black and Gold, Dragonfly Falling, Blood of the Mantis, The Expert System's Brother, The Expert System's Champion, and Made Things.
My complete list of book reviews.
Tor Books, 2010, 459 pages
Salute the Dark is the fourth book in the critically acclaimed epic fantasy series Shadows of the Apt by Adrian Tchaikovsky, winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award. As spymaster Stenwold makes a stand in his home city, others must chose where their loyalties lie.
All must face the end of days....
Uctebri’s long search for the Shadow Box is finally over. Now the vampiric sorcerer can begin his dark ritual. The Wasp-kinden’s emperor believes this will grant him immortality, but Uctebri has his own plans - for the emperor and the empire.
The mighty Wasp armies are on the march. And now war is imminent, spymaster Stenwold can finally separate allies from false friends. For the empire won’t stop until a black and gold flag hangs over Collegium, Stenwold's home city.
Tisamon the weaponsmaster could chose to face the Wasp emperor himself with a blade in his hand. But he’d need to abandon friends and family, embracing degradation and loss. Yet is he driven by Mantis-kinden honour or being manipulated by something far more sinister?
Adrian Tchaikovsky's "Shadows of the Apt" is a ten-book series, and I'm on book four. So far every book has been good to very good, but it will probably be hard after a while to remember what was important about each one.
Salute the Dark has several events that are pretty significant, including the death of one of the main characters since the first book, and a major shake-up in the Wasp Empire.
Having taken a sneak peak at the last book in the series, I kind of know where the series is heading, which is why I recognized that for a couple of books now, the Wasp Empire's war against the Lowlands is just the background to the real story, which is Uctebri the creepy Mosquito-kinden sorcerer bringing about the apocalypse. Or something like that. He's been manipulating the Wasp Emperor's sister for a few books now (she has been allowing him to manipulate her for the very understandable reason that her brother is a sadistic homicidal bastard who's going to have her offed as soon as he's tired of tormenting her), and that comes to a resolution, of sorts, at the end of this book.
As with the previous books, the chapters are split between the POVs of a growing cast of characters. Stenwold Maker, our doughty Beetle-kinden protagonist, remains the mainest main character, but Tisamon the Mantis warrior, who's been doing his dark and brooding must-fight-the-entire-world-to-atone-for-my-past-mistakes thing for a few books is also a major part of the story. Thalric the Wasp officer continues to play the role of the "honorable Nazi," Stenwold's niece Cheerwell is still stumbling around somehow surviving despite a complete lack of self-preservation, and there are subplots with our favorite Flies, Ants, Assassin Bugs, Moths, Dragonflies, and many others. (I am still waiting to see Stinkbugs, Ladybugs, and Cockroaches.)
The world continues to move forward with the "Apt" (kinden who can use tools) beginning to push the world into the industrial age. Magic is not quite dead yet, but magic and mysticism retreating before the forces of technological progress is an ongoing theme.
This is not a stand-alone book, so my recommendation is really for the entire series. Four books in, it's still great fun, the plot is still moving forward, and I always enjoy Tchaikovsky's worldbuilding. Salute the Dark was perhaps a bit long on exposition and battle scenes, with pivotal moments of character development a bit farther apart, but I'm definitely queuing up the fifth book soon.
Also by Adrian Tchaikovsky: My reviews of Children of Time, Children of Ruin, Children of Memory, Empire in Black and Gold, Dragonfly Falling, Blood of the Mantis, The Expert System's Brother, The Expert System's Champion, and Made Things.
My complete list of book reviews.
