Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Children of Time is one of my favourite science fiction novel of the past decade or so (probably true for many others — it justifiably won the Arthur C. Clarke Award). Shards of Earth is the first novel in a new science fiction series from the author, and it’s quite the opening salvo: expansive, action-packed, and populated by varied and engaging characters. I very much enjoyed this.

The novel follows the trials and tribulations of a rag-tag crew of a freelance salvage vessel. They are somewhat misfit in make-up, but have formed strong found-familial bonds. As is so often the case in such novels, they manage to run afoul of pretty much every centre of power in the populated galaxy. And, as it happens, also something far larger, and far scarier…

As the crew investigate what they find in space — a spaceship wreck that appears to have been destroyed/reformed by an Architect, they are forced to navigate the shifting tides of power and influence among the human diaspora. The implications of what they find have far-reaching implications, in terms of politics (which is apparently just as frustrating in this far-future as it can be today) and also the potential return of the Architects. They’re an enjoyable bunch to spend time with, as are the allies they acquire over the course of the story. I quickly became invested in their fates, and look forward to seeing how their arcs continue over the series (assuming they survive, of course…).

Idris is a great character, and his strange and rarefied position makes for some interesting character traits and also implications for the story. In particular, his thoughts and memories of the the Architects and the war are particularly interesting. One thing that I found especially chilling was when he remembers first brushing up against the Architect’s mind — the realization that this huge, alien destroyer may not even have been aware of the humans before the defeat, so small were they that they barely registered (if at all) when they were reforming planets.

"It felt the intrusion, but didn’t understand what he was. He was turbulence, interference, static. A bad dream. But he was nothing it recognized in any meaningful way."

The novel is filled with great turns of phrase (being in the “asylum of aggrandizement” was a personal favourite), and while I did enjoy spending time with some characters more than others, each of them brings something special to the novel — not to mention, their special skills to the crew and adventure. The action is frequent and varied, but doesn’t get in the way of, nor overwhelm the story itself. Tchaikovsky has a gift for situating the reader without indulging in info-dumping or excessive exposition. It’s an eclectic future, with different races and also different branches of humanity, changed and adapted to their new ways of lives and environments in subtle (some less-so) ways. There are familiar science fiction tropes, but almost all of them are tweaked just enough to feel fresh and interesting (I found the idea of the void particularly good, and somewhat uncomfortable), as was Idris’s nature and others like him.

Even though this is the first book in a series, Tchaikovsky has done a very good job of making sure there’s a clear story and sub-plot that is resolved within the single volume. Yes, it’s a story that very much sets up the next book, but it also forms a quite satisfying ending in itself. There may have been the odd moment when I’d wished the story would move just that little bit faster (not something I experienced with Children of Time), but it nevertheless built to a quite satisfying part one finish and read in general.

Adrian Tchaikovsky doesn’t really need much of an introduction anymore: He’s one of my favourite authors, and I’ll read pretty much anything with his name stamped on the cover. If you’re looking for a new science fiction series to start, I’d very much recommend giving this one a try. I can’t wait to read book two.

DNF @22%

I can't believe I'm doing this, but I think it's about time that I DNF'd this.

After reading and loving the Children of Time duology by this author and LOVING it, I knew that I needed to read anything else by him that I could get my hands on. And when I saw that an eARC of this was available on NetGalley to request, I had to go for it.

Unfortunately, it was a big disappointment.

It's an adult sci-fi, but it reads more like YA. It's slow and info-dumpy and the two main characters read the exact same. And I've been reading this for over a month now and I just can't. I just have no interest in what's going on or what's happening so I'm just going to stop.

I'm also sad because I think there is a sapphic relationship somewhere in this book, but I don't think it's worth me reading this almost 600-page chunk-of-trees to find out :(

I do still think I will read more from this author, but something about this book just didn't work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

One of the best Space-Operas that I have encountered (Welcome to my favorites list). Although there is not much new or unique here (we see fairly typical Sci-Fi tropes such as sentient AI, eugenic cloning, cybernetic biohacking, enigmatic aliens, hapless ship crew, et al.), Tchaikovsky masterfully weaves it all into a compelling world that comes across in a way that makes it easy for the reader to imagine themselves in the story along with the [well developed] main characters.

A rather long prologue introduces us to the two main protagonists … an amazon clone and psionic “navigator” (with an apparent nod to Dune) that reunite decades after they fought off the Lovecraftian “Architects” attack on humanity … who join up with the rather eclectic crew of a deep space salvage vessel (whimsically called the 'Vulture God') retrieve a missing ship from the deep void of space. This sets off a cascading adventure as the crew navigates through conflicting political schemes that draws the reader along to the point that you just don’t want to put the book down (it kept my attention into the dark hours of the early morning) and hands out a few [GoT] surprises along the way. Ultimately we get a satisfying ending and a good setup for a sequel that I can’t wait to read ...

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#ShardsOfEarth #NetGalley

This is the first book in 'The Final Architects' series by award-winning science fiction writer Adrian Tchaikovsky.

The story takes place in the distant future when humans have colonized space and encountered many kinds of intergalactic species. The most frightening of these is an entity called an Architect, a creature as big as the moon, with crystalline spikes radiating from its surface.

An Architect appears suddenly over an inhabited world, then quickly reshapes it into a gigantic sculpture, killing everything that lives there. Architects seem unaware they're destroying sentient creatures, almost like humans view gnats.

An Architect destroyed Earth, but humanity still exists on planets and moons elsewhere in the universe. All worlds containing intelligent beings are on high alert, ready to evacuate at a moment's notice, in case an Architect appears in the sky. Nevertheless, 'sculpturing' by an Architect is so rapid that few can escape, and no weapons - even gravitic drives or mass looms - seem able to stop them.

The first being to successfully interact with an Architect was a human girl called Xavienne Torino. Xavienne's brain could 'connect' with an Architect somehow, and on one occasion Xavienne 'persuaded' an Architect to cease an attack and go away. Xavienne was dubbed an Intermediary, and an Intermediary Program was started to modify human recruits to mimic Xavienne's abilities. The modification - which consists of genetic manipulation, surgery, and intense conditioning - is so extreme that it kills most trainees.

However a few people get through the Intermediary Program, and several Intermediaries - working together - put a pause in the Architect attacks.

The Intermediaries also have another ability. They're able to guide spacecraft through 'unspace', a dangerous region that permits rapid travel across the universe. Unspace drives almost all creatures insane, and - except for Intermediaries - travelers must be sleeping to get through safely.

As the story opens, there hasn't been an Architect attack in decades, and planets across the universe are engaged in all manner of commerce, import, export, mining, trade, etc. that requires space travel. Thus all societies want Intermediaries.

Of the few existing Intermediaries, all but one are 'leashed' (under binding contracts). The lone 'free' Intermediary, named Idris Telemmier, is a navigator aboard a salvage vessel called the Vulture God, whose crew consists of a handful of humans and aliens.

Any number of organizations, gangs, armies, businesses, politicians and so on - both human and alien - are trying to get their hands (or claws or tentacles or whatever) on Idris....and they'll do ANYTHING to accomplish this goal. Thus everyone seems to be on the lookout for the Vulture God, to get access to the Intermediary.

Idris and the other crew members of the Vulture God are at the center of the story, and we follow their adventures as they crisscross the universe.

One group that wants Idris is the Parthenon, whose members are genetically engineered human women. The females, called Partheni, are among the best fighters in the universe, and they'd like Idris to join their ranks. The Parthenon sends one of its own, a woman called Solace, to recruit Idris, and she (temporarily) joins the crew of the Vulture God to try to persuade him.

On one of it's salvage jobs, the Vulture God finds an object that suggests the Architects are back, and this is the underlying theme of the book.

There's plenty of action in the story, with fighting, shooting, stabbing, stealing, killing, destruction, death, and so forth. There's also plenty of prevarication, scheming, conspiring and negotiation. All this makes for an excellent space saga.

Tchaikovsky does a good bit of world-building in the story, and describes all manner of humans; aliens; societies; civilizations; spaceships; weapons; criminals; soldiers; etc....everything you'd expect in a sci-fi novel.

It can get confusing, but Tchaikovsky helpfully includes a glossary as well as lists of worlds; characters, species; and ships. Best of all the author includes a detailed timeline - an outline that depicts the events in the universe that brought it to it's present state.

I enjoyed the book and look forward to the next novel in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley, Adrian Tchaikovsky, and Tor Publishers for a copy of the book.

This caught me for the first half, bogged down in most of the second and left me wondering at the end. This is pure Science Fiction and the Architects are a very unusual and interesting life form. The characters were interesting and there was tension and danger throughout the book. If you want a pure SciFI book this is for you.

DNF

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2021 and unfortunately, I had to DNF it. I gave it a good ~20%, but I really really could not get into the story. I didn't care about the plot or the characters. I thought the concept of the Architects was really intriguing, but it wasn't enough to outweigh everything else. Super bummed that this didn't work for me, but I really hope it works for others.

This wasn’t for me. I have enjoyed this author in the past, but I am not a fan of space opera or military sci-fi. The beginning bored me with all of the info dumping of back story and too many characters/alien species were introduced at once. I made it to the 20% point and realized that I was dreading continuing this long book and reading the next two books of the trilogy is unthinkable. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

The Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky is a great beginning to a new series. Having just finished the book, I can’t project where the rest of the series will go, which is a good thing. Not being able to do so is an indicator of the standalone nature of this book and of how it left me liturgically satisfied.

Book one of The Final Architecture series is about the interspecies crew of an independent salvage ship named the Vulture God. The ship and crew scour the galaxy in search of items that they have been privately contracted to retrieve. Their most recent assignment gets them in the middle of an interworld dispute over the re-emergence of The Architects, an unstoppable alien species that reshapes inhabited planets thus destroying them and their inhabitants.

After locating and salvaging a destroyed ship they were contracted to find, the Vulture God gets hijacked by alien gangsters who steel both the ship and the wreck. The crew, with the help of a Parthini agent, manage to hijack their ship and salvaged prize back. The gangsters pursue them through unspace and finally recapturing the Vulture God on the outskirts of human space. The Partheni, a human clone warrior clan, boards the gangster’s ship, rescues the Vulture God and its crew, and sets up the scene for the book’s climatic finality, a battle with The Architects.

One of the Vulture God’s crew members is an Intermediary Navigator named Idris Telemmier. Intermediaries have mental abilities that help them quickly calculate space routes through uncharted unspace. While Idris is in demand for his skill, he prefers to be part of the Vulture God crew and not be aligned with any government or political group. The humans want him repatriated so that they can use him. Idris is a survivor of the last war with The Architect and was the one who mentally communicated with it resulting in The Architect withdrawing from its world-destroying endeavor. When another Architect shows up over Berlenhof, a central human colonial administrative world, Idris volunteers to command a Partheni ship to attack The Architect and mentally defeat it. He fails in at both and is withdrawn to recuperate. Still recovering from his battle, he takes the Vulture God out to the battle and, this time, mind-melds with The Architect and once again gets it to withdraw.

After several days of recovery, Idris warns the colonies that The Architect will be back and that they should stop celebrating its defeat and spend those efforts better preparing for the next battle. The book ends with Idris joining the Parthini warrior faction where he pledges to establish a class for training volunteers to become intermediaries.

There was more going on in this book than the story. Human colonies are broken up into factions that reflect some of those we have today. There are the Nativists who want a homogeneous human-centric society and are against humans who disagree with them. There is a Hegemonic cult that looks to an alien race for care and protection and whose believers are willing to declare absolute fealty to them. There is the Parthenon whose followers believe that their righteous cloned purity and scientific advancements make them a benefactor class that can be called on to save humanity when threatened. And finally, there are the Hugh, Council of Human Interests, who are human centrist wishing to rule over all the human colonies. These factions are distrustful of each other and look for ways to spread their beliefs to the rest of humanity.

I imagine that the next book takes off from where this one leaves off, but, even without another book, Shards of Earth was immensely enjoyable and was a good mentally engaging read.

Adrian Tchaikovsky is one of my chief go-to authors of Hard Science Fiction. His world building is both exceptional and vivid, so that I am immediately absorbed into the world(s) of the story. SHARDS OF EARTH is Book One of the new FINAL ARCHITECTURE Series, in which "evolved" humans of various stripes battle against one of the most implacable foes ever invented, world-destroying (quite literally). SHARDS OF EARTH is also suffused with wonder, terror, awe, and the full range of human emotions, plus inventively created multiple alien species. Hard science co-exists with philosophy and metaphysics, loyalty with betrayal, love with hate. SHARDS OF EARTH is a richly rewarding reading experience, and I eagerly anticipate Books Two and Three.


Release August 3 2021

Most books from this are a safe bet, and I liked this one too. There are already a thousand ratings and reviews for this so I can't anything helpful except to recommend it.

Thanks very much for the free review copy!!

Adrian Tchaikovsky has launched his new space opera series, The Final Architecture, with a highly action-oriented first volume Shards of Earth. Unfortunately, there seem to be a large number of these series these days, and each series demands a commitment to reading an unknown number of high page-count volumes. For example, and this is just a starting list: Alastair Reynolds’ Revelation Space, James S. A. Corey’s The Expanse, Peter F. Hamilton’s Commonwealth, Ian Banks’ Culture, etc. And it seems like everyone from Linda Nagata to John Scalzi has also been jumping into space opera series lately. This is unfortunate for Adrian Tchaikovsky, at any rate, because Shards of Earth is actually a pretty good entry in the explosively growing subgenre with little room left for differentiation.

My one-sentence plot summary - A rag-tag, but heart-filled, small crew of humans, post-humans, and non-humans rides the edges of law, to confront a mysterious and mighty threat. The story opens with a Prologue, in which we are introduced to the two main characters in the heat of a space battle to save humanity’s primary remaining world. Idris Telemmier is an Intermediary, adept at entering unspace, where faster-than-light travel is navigated, but also where the enigmatic Architects can be sensed. Myrmidon Solace is a member of a parthenogenic race of human warrior women, to whose warship Idris is assigned as a last resort in the defense of Berlenhof. That battle is won, but the war is not over until years later when the Architects simply withdraw and disappear. Now, in the time of the story, Solace is called back on an assignment to find Idris in his self-exile, and recruit him in a power conflict between human factions.

The reader’s awareness of the cluster of humans, post-humans, and non-human civilizations in conflict with the Architects begins to grow when Solace finds Idris on a small salvage ship. There are frequent reversals of fortune, and few moments of rest, and the ship is tossed from one polity to the next. By midway through the book, the world is complexly built, and the reader is finally ready to revisit and understand better the events of the Prologue. Fortunately, there is a glossary and a timeline in an appendix that can also help.

So, what does differentiate this space opera? Well, for one thing, Tchaikovsky’s unspace is a transcendent layer of reality which seems to be entered telepathically, and where all sorts of things are possible. To me this mystical concept seems more typical of supernaturalism than SF. Of course, there are plenty of volumes yet to be written in which plausible explanations may be forthcoming – but for now, it seems too easy to just whip up more visual metaphors, whatever the plot tension requires. For me, this is not a good thing. Secondly, there are moments where I feel Tchaikovsky is deliberately playing with the tropes of the subgenre. For example, the characters are said to be speaking future evolved languages, such as Colvul and Parsef, not English – but Robbelin, the biologist on Jericho, has an outrageously Australian accent. For me, this IS a good thing.

In all, I found the novel to be good entertainment, but not as noteworthy as some of Tchaikovsky’s shorter works.

I read an Advance Reader Copy of Shards of Earth, by Adrian Tchaikovsky in ebook, which I received from Hachette Book Group through netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review on social media platforms and on my book review blog. This new title is scheduled for release on 3 August 2021.

Tchaikovsky knows how to write an epic, both in sf and fantasy. This is another book with large-scale events that makes you pause in awe of the authors ideas. Great stuff!

Sooner or later, Adrian Tchaikovsky is going to make me learn to spell his name. His output rivals Sanderson's, but his willingness to explore more worlds, without the same meticulous detail that tends to bog down other authors, makes him fascinating to me. Children of Time was one of my favorite books of 2020, and while Shards of Earth doesn't rival it, I found it compelling.

An exceptionally long 'Prologue' is the lynchpin between two characters that we will follow the rest of the book. It begins: "In the seventy-eighth year of the war, an Architect came to Berlenhof." Tchaikovsky is generally of the immersion school of sci-fi; he will give you the details, but you need to assemble the pieces, and the Prologue is no exception. There's a lot of ideas dropped here, but the main one is that the unfightable and unknowable Architects are remodeling life as they encounter it, and to date, no one has been able to establish contact. This moment in time will be pivotal, and both Solace and Idris Telemmier will play major roles. Solace is a soldier in the Heaven's Sword Sorority, "the Parthenon. Humans, for a given value of human. The engineered warrior women who had been the Colonies' shield ever since the fall of Earth." Idris is a Colonial and part of the newest 'weapon' deployed against the Architects.

The Prologue is a meaty piece of sci-fi, and I confess, after investing in it, I wanted it to continue. It was a version of The Expanse, tv show), space battle style, with human players against crushing odds in a complicated and only partially understood universe. Unfortunately, as the Prologue ends we get foreshadowing that the investment in world-building is about to pay uncertain dividends: "Thirty-nine years after that, they woke Solace from cold storage one more time and said her warrior skills were needed." Thus the epic space battle turns into a new book, that of a contentious crew of salvagers caught up in galactic events.

If you've followed me more than a few minutes, you know I've been on a sci-fi binge, and the crew-of-misfits in space seems to be one that I gravitate to. Between The Expanse (the show!!) and Suzanne Palmer's Finder series, I've been enjoying the outer reaches of the galaxy, at least after humanity has solved that pesky distance-spanning/lifespan issue. So when I say the rest of the story felt largely familiar, I'm not meaning any insult--it's a subgenre I like. I did hope that Tchaikovsky would bring some of his particular ingenuity, specifically aliens and lifeforms that felt alien, to his version of misfits-in-space. Sadly, it was only near the end where I felt a little bit of that mental frission when I encounter something unique.

The odd-ball crew of seven contains two alien lifeforms and members of humanity from different Colonies, giving a glimpse into potential alien and cultural weirdness, particularly with Kittering, "a crab-like alien," and Medvig, "an intelligence distributed across a knot of cyborg roaches." Unfortunately, Tchaikovsky is willing to break genre rules about red-shirts, which means that the reader may reach out and connect with the different characters, but that experience may be cut short. Considering that this is the first book in what is presumably a series/trilogy, willingness to remove characters felt like an impediment to reader engagement. Contrast with The Expanse, which created a diverse group of people for the reader/audience engagement and took books to remove traces of their influence if they were removed from the story.

I'll also note there were a couple parts where I felt we were getting a little more fantasy than sci-fi, stretching the realm of genre rules (much like the proto-molecule), so take that for what you will. There's a bit about space travel and the unseen which is supposed to stand in for light speed/warp/etc and occasionally seems more mystical than science (don't argue with me: I know science at that level is mystical. Read this and you'll see what I mean). Reminded me of Anne McCaffery's The Rowan, published in 1990.

On the whole, it was engrossing, literally keeping my focus for four hours of a flight. That deserves a bonus all on it's own.

Many, many thanks to both Netgalley and Orbit for the advance reader copy. Of course all opinions are my own--you ever know me to be a mouthpiece for someone else? Also, of course, all quotes are subject to change.

A pulse pounding space opera with great world building, strange creatures,  and plenty of action.  What a great start to a new series!
I received an advance reader copy of this book through NetGalley. My review is given voluntarily.

*I received an eARC from Netgalley/Orbit Books of Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovshy for an honest review*

I have read 295 pages of this book so far. I'm putting this book away for now and I'll come back to it on a later date, probably when I'm off school. This book is incredibly dense and for someone who enjoys their fantasy with a hint of romance, this book overwhelmed me. I do want to read more of the book just not as eagerly as giving up on sleep and reading but reading it when I get the time.

With Shards of Earth, you're immediately thrown into complex jargon explaining new species, unspace, new planets, and unrecognizable terminology without moving the story forward. Tchaikovshy creates detailed scenes so you feel like you're right in the middle of it. Although the dialogue leaves much to be desired and especially, Rollo's dialogue is so childish.

This book isn't my cup of tea, but I can definitely see people loving it.

This is an unforgettable sci-fi story that had me on the edge of my seat. There were strong women, a dark story, time travel, and a diverse cast. The world building is stunning, and the author's humor throughout was fantastic. I cannot wait for the next book!

One of the best sci-fi books of the year. Tchaikovsky crafts a story full of characters that draw you into their journey. The action had my heart beating triple time, as I couldn't stop reading. I'm looking forward to the next two books of this trilogy.

Summary:
This is a new space opera Sci-Fi series by Adrian Tchaikovsky.

Characters:
The story is told from multiple points of view (4) throughout the entirety of the story.

Solace: Amazonian Space Marine?!?!?!? Be still my nerdy little heart. I love Solace. I love her ‘diplomacy’. I adore ‘Mr. Punch’. I am excited to get the chance to learn more about her culture! I am so glad there are more books in the series to come out.

Idris: Not your typical team-mate. Not the person you think of immediately when you need someone to save your ass, and yet… Idris is wonderful. I really enjoyed learning the history of the world through him. I loved his conviction and bravery - probably more so because he was so afraid the entire time.

Positives:
+ LOVE the alien species! SO FREAKING MUCH! <3 Trine!!!!
+ I appreciated the variety amongst the main characters, especially in their strengths and weaknesses. It was really nice to see characters work around ‘perceived’ limitations that others might impose on them. I liked that not all the characters were overtly intelligent, physically attractive, or physically strong - but so much more than any one of those things.
+ The information included at the end of the book, including, but not limited to a timeline, list of characters/worlds/species/ships, and a glossary, was a well thought out and WONDERFUL addition. Not only did it provide a great extension of the history that we learn about during the story but it's going to come in handy later on when the next books in the series come out. Absolutely love that these were included.

Final Thoughts:
I love this book. I have spent the last few days since finishing it ranting and raving to all my friends/family about it - in overly excited, and more than likely, completely unhinged animated babble that made no sense since they haven’t read it yet. It is in the post on its way so I can have it proudly displayed amongst my other favorite sci-fi novels. If you like high stakes, drama, space battles, UNSPACE, alien gangsters, death, destruction, and art(?) all wrapped up in one awesome story replete with mystery and revenge… yeah this book, you need it in your hands. This was like Firefly x Warhammer 40k x The Expanse - oh happy day.

This book is space opera at its finest. Compelling characters, masterful world-building, and an engaging plot that explores important themes...this story has it all. The pacing is great and kept me wanting to continue turning the page to see what would happen next. This book did not feel like it was over 500 pages long. I finished it in two days, and I read most of it in one sitting. I was that engrossed with the world and story. That being said, the writing was quite dense, and the story starts with dropping you into a world where there are multiple factions, planets, and races, which was confusing at first. The author, however, did a fantastic job of revealing details about different aspects of the world at a good pace throughout the story and included a glossary/appendix of important planets/races/events at the end of the book to help keep everything straight.

The world-building in this story was absolute perfection. So much wonderful creativity was on display here, and I loved every minute I spent with this spectacular piece of art. The races of the many different creatures were so much fun to learn about. Never in my life did I think I'd come across a world-conquering race of giant clams, especially one that also includes a giant gangster clam. Like, what? All of the creatures and races received in-depth, excellent descriptions that made them jump off the page, which was a lot of fun. Although, at times the description did bog down the story a bit, especially in the very beginning when many of the new creatures were first introduced. I also particularly loved the concept of unspace and its link to the mind. The descriptions of the characters' time in unspace and its impacts were some of my favorite things to read in the book. The author succeeded in making this universe seem massive and unique and left me wanting to learn so much more.

The characters in this book were deep and fully realized. Their motivations and flaws were unveiled in a natural way as the story unfolded. It felt like I was going on this adventure with them and getting to know them along the way. The two main characters, Solace and Idris, are alike in some ways yet also so different. Solace was one of many warrior angel sisters of the Parthenon, a group of genetically enhanced soldiers, who felt most at home in the strict hierarchy of her military society. However, she began to realize the allure of freedom and individuality throughout the story and grew more independent as she interacted with the other characters. Whereas, Idris was done with the military at the beginning of the story and did not want to be part of anything bigger than himself ever again. As events unfold, he was called upon to do his duty and leave his nomadic life behind. The two of them were bred for war, in a sense, and spent most of the book dealing with the aftermath of the last war they were instrumental in winning. Idris, in particular, showed clear signs of PTSD. The side characters in this novel were just as well-conceptualized as the main characters, and the author did a great job of making me feel something for all of them, heroes and villains alike. Of course, for the villains it was mostly feelings of horror or dread.

The plot of the story was interesting and complex. It kept me guessing at many points, and my guesses were often wrong. Although, in hindsight many of the twists should have been obvious as there were great hints sprinkled throughout the text. The politics in the story was fascinating to read because it captured certain aspects of human nature so well. Humans love to organize into groups and seem to distrust individuals from other groups. Typically, the only time the groups get along is when facing some common disaster or external threat, which is illustrated quite well by the multiple human, and alien, factions in this book. It also showed how quickly the threat and the great gains of unity are forgotten once the disaster passes, which ultimately leads to division yet again. If only we, and the characters, could learn from the past and not forget history. The book also explored many other powerful topics, including the ethics of using human subjects in research and genetic manipulation and whether individuals should have to give up their freedom for the sake of the greater good.

Overall, this was a phenomenal book, and I cannot praise it enough. If you like science fiction or space opera, you will probably love this book. It laid the foundation for a fantastic story, and I cannot wait to see what's next. Therefore, I rate it 5 out of 5 stars.

“They were flies in the face of god.”

I’ll read and enjoy any found family space opera you can throw at me, and Shards of Earth is no different.

Idris Telemmier is an Intermediary, an altered human used as a weapon against the Architects, a giant crystallized moon structure with the ability to restructure entire planets. The war with the Architects began shortly after Earth was destroyed, and thanks to Idris, they’ve been gone for decades.

Now, Idris is living his own life on a junker ship with the crew he’s found as his family. Soon, Myrmidon Executor Solace, part of the Parthenon, tries to get Idris to leave his family in order to join the Parthenon itself, so they can create their own Intermediaries in case the Architects come back.

This was SO much fun. I was a little overwhelmed by the war and battle parts, but overall it was a very fun read. It was action packed, left you wondering what was going to happen, and certain parts were genuinely terrifying. I would actually shelve this book under sci-fi horror or thriller. There were even some tear jerking moments.

I can’t wait to read more about this hodgepodge group of people. I’m also thankful to Tchaikovsky for adding in a glossary, list of characters, ships, and a timeline. It was nice to reference to while reading and helped me be less confused.

Thank you to Net Galley, Orbit Books, and Adrian Tchaikovsky for this advanced review copy! Shards of Earth releases on August 3rd.

CW: slavery, body mutilation, agoraphobia, eugenics (mostly the mention of)