I adored Children of Time and own the first volume in this series so I thought I would be proactive and request the second. However I have tried to read the first book two separate times and just couldn’t get into it. I think it’s a mood thing so I’ll probably keep the first book and try again but I don’t think I’ll be reviewing this one on my account. My apologies.

<b>Real Rating: </b> 2.5

Plot/story: 3
Setting/worldbuilding: 4.5
Characters: 4
Writing/ prose: 2
Unputdownable: 1

Interesting premise, disappointing execution.

This companion novel felt very much like a compilation of 200 short stories from the Paleseen army. I have to give Tchaikovsky props where due, he is a wildly imaginative author who creates nuanced characters with compelling back stories, beautiful (gruesome!) prose and rich worldbuilding. The things I enjoy in all his books is always the same as above. My issues have always been with choppy plots, Tchaikovsky's writing style is not for me in this regard.

Similar to City Last Changes, this was a chore to read, disliked the inorganic jumping between vaguely related stories and the continuous addition of new povs. Would have preferred 3-4 characters to follow throughout, because the constant introductions were jarring.
Some storylines really grabbed me (Yasnic, Alv, all the little gods) while the rest just felt weirdly repetitive. The relationships of each nationality to religion and the rules that bund them or the Paleseen dichotomy and almost amusing hypocritical use of magic users as sourse of power or literal
The ending was quite satisfactory and rewarding, if this book had been compresssed to half the size, it would have firmly put it in 4 stars and above *for me*.
I have just noticed there is a book 3 planned which in all honesty is annoying as I genuinely was after a standalone novel when I picked up City of Last Chances last year.

Overall I personally can't recommend this easily, however if you are a fan of military fantasy this will be up your alley!

A worthy follow-up to the fantastic City of Last Chances. Tchaikovsky is an author who never fails to disappoint, and his ambition always feels boundless. The cast here are magnetic, and the world is always fascinating. Eagerly awaiting book 3.

This was my second Adrian Tchaikovsky book (after 'Alien Clay') and his skill in writing such different genres absolutely knocked me off my feet. This is fantasy like I have not seen since the supremely original Malazan series, and it was a true pleasure to spend time in its pages.

I didn't initially realize that this was a sequel to previous adventures, and immediately shot out to buy Book 1. I wasn't lost at all, though - the setup of the society, war, races and 'magic' is perfectly clear, and the characters are easily distinguished despite their complexity. A certain scrapper reminded me of the Sharpe books, which seems a good parallel to this series, while at the same time being very different!

Loved it. I've already been recommending it to those who like in-depth, smart fantasy that isn't afraid to get its hands dirty.

Thank you to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for the complimentary copy of House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky.

This book did not grab my attention unfortunately. I felt it went on and on, and could have been shortened.

I did like the characters and the humour presented. Perhaps I should try another of Adrian Tchaikovsky's book to compare objectively.

This is one of Tchaikovsky's best. He takes everything great in City of Last Chances and refines it here, making the story more focused and thematic depth more poignant. It's also funnier and just as inventive, featuring necromancers and demons as well as some fun magic. The prose is maybe the best I've seen from Tchaikovksy. I wish the ending had built to a more bombastic conclusion, but the story was always going to be a bit smaller, following chiefly a medical tent during a war. Loved it though and can't wait for the next one.

This is a retroactive review - initially, I was thrilled to see a second volume in the author's Tyrant Philosopher series. City of Last Chances was easily in my top 5 reads of 2023. Phenomenal worldbuilding, a deeply intriguing cast of characters and clever storytelling made it an instant favourite and frequent suggestion to customers who haunt our SF/F section.

House of Open Wounds is certainly more of a slow burn. It took me two attempts (the first I DNF'd at around 40%). It has all the same ingredients as COLC, but asks more of the reader in terms of trust and patience. The multiple POVs present in COLC really drove the reading experience, where as House of Open Wounds tends to spend more time with certain characters deepening our relationships to them. Still, some of the more inventive and clever writing in the genre right now despite uneven pacing. I can't wait for the final volume.

Once again Adrian T doesn’t disappoint!

This is a slice of life in the backdrop of an army. I loved city of last chances but house of open wounds blew me away.
This is a book that can feel like a warm hug at the same time as showing what life in the army is really like.

The character blew me away. From Maric Jack to the healer and the butcher even Banders ! They all were amazing and I love each and every one of them. The way each relationship bloomed made my heart feel so warm.
There wasn’t a definite conflict but small things that went wrong and impacted the characters. How each decision even if the characters were trying to do good had an impact not always in a good way I loved.

As usual the world is expansive and the creatures of the world even more so. God was still a prick but I love how the relationship grew between him and his follower.
Between each character there was a culture and I loved this so much. It makes me want to know more about this world.

The prose works super well for this type of story.

This may not be a book for everyone but I recommend you give it a try.

4.75 stars.

Marking a return to the world of 'City of Last Chances', Adrian Tchaikovsky presents and almost entirely fresh and engaging story which requires minimal knowledge of it's predecessor's story. The one character carried over, Yasnic, even takes on a new name as he navigates the horrors of magical war. Mostly located at a military field hospital, we're introduced to a host of compelling characters, all of them some way hardened against the brutality of the injuries they desperately strive to heal, but with the secret traumas and desires of each skillfully teased out.

If I have one complaint, it's that the ending is a bit contrived, relying on a handful of coincidences. That doesn't detract from a harrowing novel which you will struggle to look away from.

For those of you lucky enough to have been around when the wonderful M*A*S*H series on TV was running – that vibe of a field hospital coping with the regular influx of wounded is the backdrop and narrative engine of this book. Though, in amongst the desperation of dealing with hideously wounded soldiers, those coming to their aid are… different. Despite rigorously expunging anything magical or religious from the cultures they conquer, the Palleseen find themselves in the position of having to utilise some of those touched by the uncanny. So prisoners able to wield magic to aid healing, or construct lethal weapons find themselves spared from the army’s mincing machine, which accounts for the selection of oddball characters at the Experimental Hospital. The woman able to take on a patient’s wounds and then heal herself… a revoltingly filthy flautist whose music keeps wounds from going septic… and the latest addition to the medical crew – an ex-priest with an odd collection of minor gods in a box which he carries on his back.

The story, which is long, charts the progress of those working within the hospital and the challenges they face, both within and without. While this one takes a bit of time to get going, it wasn’t long before I was utterly engrossed. To be honest – I’d been putting this one off, as the tenor of City of Lost Chances had been a tad on the bleak side and I’ve not been emotionally up to it. But the flashes of humour were more apparent in this one – to the extent that I laughed aloud in several places. Told in multiple viewpoint, I found myself really caring about all the main characters who end up working as a tight-knit team, which becomes more of a found family. Indeed, more than one war orphan ends up there.

In amongst the gripping story, Tchaikovsky isn’t afraid to address bigger questions – is it ever acceptable to sacrifice the interests and wellbeing of the few to safeguard the many? Is religion necessary? Is it vital to have an overarching belief in good and evil in order to keep one’s humanity? I like the fact that while he raises such questions and some of them get answered, those answers tend not to be particularly tidy or clearcut.

Tchaikovsky walks a tightrope between grimdark bleakness and the fey cuteness so often surrounding cosier fantasy reads – and manages to avoid landing in either camp. So while this is a gritty read with plenty of blood and violence – there is sufficient humour and humanity to make this ultimately a hopeful, uplifting read, without at any stage leavening the dire consequences of a long-running war of attrition. It’s a tricky feat to pull off, yet Tchaikovsky triumphantly achieves it.

I look forward to tucking into the final book in this series. It’s always a privilege to read a superbly talented author at the top of his game, who continues to push the envelope – apart from anything else, such writers are rare in any genre. And if you’re looking for such an experience, then get hold of this book. While the first book was an outstanding read – this one is even better. While I obtained an arc of House of Open Wounds from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
10/10

2 ⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.

Ugh.

On paper this book is everything I should like. The first book I struggled with but it had parts that really grabbed me so I wanted to continue with the series. But this is the end for me. A rare thing as I hate not finishing things.

The plot was confusing and overwrought, exceedingly slow and unclear for the reader.

Just not for me, and I know now that this author and me aren’t a good fit.

"House of Open Wounds" by Adrian Tchaikovsky is a masterpiece of dark fantasy, demonstrating his unparalleled ability to blend horror with heart. Tchaikovsky crafts a richly detailed world, populated with complex characters whose depths and flaws only serve to make them more compelling. The narrative is a masterful tapestry of intrigue, magic, and psychological depth, exploring themes of power, redemption, and the human capacity for resilience in the face of darkness. Tchaikovsky's prose is both elegant and evocative, painting scenes that linger in the mind long after the book is closed. This novel not only entertains but also provokes thought, making it a must-read for fans of the genre and newcomers alike. Adrian Tchaikovsky once again proves himself to be a storyteller of extraordinary talent and imagination.

Book 2 in the City of Last Chances series is out and I loved it.

Chaos rules, characters with special powers (and their own Gods!!!) are all important parts of a war machine. It's laugh out loud funny and who knows what the plot is really...it's not important anyway! The author's prose gives flashes of the Master Terry Pratchett...and for that reason, I recommend you read!!.

Adrian Tchaikovsky can't do anything like writing a bad or boring book. This is another novel that confirm that he's a master storyteller and I loved it
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC!

An amazing sequel! I expect nothing less of Adrian Tchaikovsky!

I really wanted to enjoy this one, I was hoping I would as I enjoyed Yasnic and his god from the first book, but...I don't know what it is that doesn't completely work for me. I dnf-ed at 50% because I found it was a chore to try and read more and I was just skimming. If this were shorter I might have stuck it out, but it is not so I called it quits.

There were some good, interesting parts that had me entertained, but then a lot of bits that dragged on for me. I overall enjoyed the new characters, the necromancer and the butcher and all the people in the hospital and yet I couldn't really get into it. It was just a touch too slow I think.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for a copy of this book

This looked like it had the potential to be a great book, but I have to admit I was sorely disappointed.

It was highly original in its fantastical setting of warfare, with a cracking main character by the name of Yasnic, a former priest, healer and rebel, who finds himself. reprieved from the gallows only to be sent to war clutching a box of orphan Gods, He joins 'the Butcher', and some others trying to heal severe injuries brutally with a bone-saw and an alchemical tincture, Much suffering is caused by flesh-rending monsters, arcane magical weaponry and embittered enemy soldiers. There is lots of graphic details that is vividly described against good worldbuilding..

Yasnic proves himself an able healer's assistant tending to those in need, helped and hindered at times by his main god, who is a miniature, humorously cranky character with a beard, not usually seen by others, who argues and frequently debates the whys and wherefores with Yasnic,

Whilst there were aspects of the book that were really engaging and entertaining, with some great wit, overall it just lacked a decent plot and so it just plodded on with little development. May be this was due to the extent of the cast, but it was a long book and so to not have enough pace and development made it become tedious and more of a chore to read. I kept anticipating a shift change, but it just didn't arrive and even the denouement felt like an evaporation of words rather than a satisfying ending. I have struggled to see what made it a good read for others, but is does seem to either hit the mark or it doesn't. I am saddened to say it missed the mark with me.

CHARACTERS
🔲 mary-sue party
🔲 mostly 2D
🔲 great main cast, forgettable side characters
🔲 well-written
🔲 complex and fascinating
✅ hard to believe they are fictional

PLOT
🔲 you've already heard this exact story a thousand times
🔲 nothing memorable
✅ gripping
🔲 exceptional
🔲 mind=blown

WORLDBUILDING
🔲 takes place in our world
🔲 incoherent
🔲 OK
🔲 nicely detailed
✅ meticulous
🔲 even the last tree in the forest has its own story

ATMOSPHERE
🔲 nonexistent
🔲 fine
🔲 immersive
✅ you forget you are reading a book

PACING
🔲 dragging
🔲 inconsistent
✅ picks up with time
🔲 page-turner
🔲 impossible to put down

Similar to the first in this series, I liked this book but it was so very slow.

Reading this novel was the equivalent of studying a miniature painting - huge amounts of detail and depth that at first made me wonder where the story was going, but actually it had the effect of making me warm up to all the characters. It has a real flavour of Les Miserables and examines the nature of religion, including from the deities' points of view too! My favourite character has to be God! A really worthy follow up to City of Last Chances.

Once again, I loved Tchaikovsky’s Tyrant Philosophers series. I adore its pacing, the shifts in character perspective, its action, and everything in between. I might not be as on board with his sci-fi works, but this is truly a fun romp.