I am increasingly impressed by this series. Each instalment reveals more of this fascinating world and introduces another host of believable and complex characters.

It's depiction of war, conquest, and the erosion of cultures is at once both realistic, horrifying and fascinating. The moral conundrums each character faces and how they react has you feeling sympathy for characters who then turn around and do something horrific, and vice versa.

This 3rd instalment has opened up the world still further, and yet it still feels like it has plenty of mysteries and secrets to reveal. I can't wait for the next installment!

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I don’t know how the author continues to create such amazing world building but here we are! It’s such an immersive world with a range of characters. Some new and some familiar from the previous books.. my favourite aspect of the book is Gil, I feel like she gives the ‘bad guys’ aka the Pallesteen a bit more humanity.

I’m looking forward to the next book!

A fantastic third instalment in the Tyrant Philosphers series. This time we meet new characters, and see some familiar faces too. Tchaikovsky is a wonderful storyteller, and this book is no exception. With broken gods and entrapped spirits, a city on the verge of rebellion and colonisers who refuse to accept the locals' ways, the story and the characters keep you enthralled all the way through. A great read that I highly recommend.

Days of Shattered Faith is the third novel (they can be read as standalones) in the science fantasy series Tyrant Philosophers, written by Adrian Tchaikovsky, and published by Head of Zeus. In this third novel, Tchaikovsky continues describing how the Palleseen are trying to shape the world, painting a choral story about Alkhalend's changes with the Pal influence, showing his skill to create a fully detailed part of the world, and to weave a story about colonialism and religion.

An instalment that also shows a different way of colonization, portraying the Palleseen taking advantage after offering their help to one of the parts of a succession conflict; and as a consequence, we become spectators of how, using that excuse, the Palleseen try to impose their "rational" way to see the world, creating another source of conflict over an Alkhalend, that, effectively, is shattering.

The cast of characters is wide, but Tchaikovsky manages to richly endow most of them, and with an especial attention to those non-humanoid characters, which tend to be overlooked in the genre. Each one has their own storyline that clashes at moments with the own historical moment happening over Alkhalend, a reflection of how the history doesn't stop for the individuals; but even in this situation, Tchaikovsky manages to make us connect with them.

My attention was fully caught by Tchaikovsky's full of detail descriptions, painting a vivid portrait of Alkhalend and their people; a place that has its own past and religion (which is deeply explored), and that will be changed by the foreign influence. Despite this is a relatively long book, I practically devoured it, as the pacing and the jumps between POVs greatly situated, making you crave for more.

Days of Shattered Faith is an excellent novel, a story that analyzes colonialism in a fantasy setting while giving its own set of individual stories; if you like science fantasy and history, this is the perfect pick. I can't wait to see how the Tyrant Philosophers series continues in the next instalments, but right now, it's shaping to be one of my favourites in the genre.

The Tyrant Philosophers is a rare series that works beautifully as a collection of standalone stories while gradually building a deeper, more intricate understanding of its richly imagined world. Days of Shattered Faith continues this tradition, blending recurring characters and layered world-building into a narrative that is as engaging for newcomers as it is rewarding for long-time readers.

Drawing inspiration from the shadows of British imperialism, the book sets itself apart by transforming these historical echoes into a vibrant, imaginative tale. The author’s skilful world-building and prose bring every corner of this universe to life. What truly captivated me, though, were the main characters, each offering a distinct perspective on colonialism and revolution. These characters go beyond mere archetypes, bursting with individuality and humanity that made me just as invested in their personal stories as in the larger narrative.

The interplay between the characters—how their lives intersect and influence one another—adds a layer of complexity and intrigue that kept me hooked until the very last page. The ending strikes a satisfying balance, tying up key threads while leaving just enough unresolved to hint at more stories yet to be told. I can’t wait to see where this world takes us next.

For those new to the series, Days of Shattered Faith stands confidently on its own. But for readers who love immersive storytelling, multidimensional characters, and a world that feels both familiar and fantastically unique, the entire series is well worth exploring.

I received access to this eARC thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Head of Zeus for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

AT has swiftly become of those epic high fantasy authors I auto buy to enjoy complex mind-boggling world build with a host of characters that are each unique and fully formed. An author I sit alongside Stephen Donaldson, Robert Jordan and Steven Erickson.

After two essentially stand-alone predecessors, Days of Shattered Faith marks The Tyrant Philosophers transition to a more liner classic book series. The book is huge, of course, and this broad scope has its upsides, with the implications that past events in books 1 and 2 have already begun to reshape the world's story and a return of some beloved characters from book 1 and 2.

This book parallels obviously to the real-world history of British colonialism in India but it's presented brilliantly, with AT presenting the ambiguities and ironies on both sides of the imperialist game that is easily ignored by books thay havent committed to such a complex and intricate world build.

Creo que llevo como seis libros de Adrian Tchaikovsky este año, impresiona mucho su facilidad para escribir y publicar, pero más aún el alto nivel que tienen prácticamente todas sus obras. Con Days of Shattered Faith, la tercera entrega de la saga The Tyrant Philosophers, el autor decide dar algo más de cohesión a la serie y transformarla en eso, una serie. Los dos primeros volúmenes eran prácticamente de lectura independiente pero este tercero ya repite personajes, consolida el mundo y, en definitiva, serializa la historia dándole tejido conectivo. No sé si me alegra o no el cambio, porque bastantes series llevamos ya en marcha ahora mismo, pero no deja de ser verdad que sarna con gusto no pica y que mientras mantenga el nivel no me importará que siga sacando volúmenes como le apetezca.


Days of Shattered Faith recuerda y mucho a la historia del colonialismo británico de la India, pero claro, todo pasado por el tamiz de fantasía al que el autor nos tiene acostumbrados. Me gusta mucho la intrahistoria de los dos hermanos que se enfrentan por la sucesión del trono, aún a sabiendas que los Palleseen esperan a la vuelta de la esquina para exprimir todas las riquezas de la Joya de las Aguas hasta que quede más seca que el ojo de un tuerto.

Es cierto que el libro es bastante largo y en este sentido creo que juega un poco en su contra y en contra del narrador del audiolibro, David Thorpe, que aunque realiza una muy buena labor a veces no es capaz de mantener el tono narrativo o esa es mi impresión. Más de 20 horas de audio requieren un esfuerzo de atención por parte del que escucha que necesita también ayuda para engancharse por parte del que lee.

Es loable la titánica labor que lleva a cabo Tchaikovsky para enfrentarnos constantemente a dilemas morales en los que no es nada fácil tomar una decisión. Lo que quizá falla algo en esta ocasión es que los personajes nuevos no son capaces de robarles el protagonismo a los antiguos, bien sea porque a los de las entregas anteriores los conocemos más en profundidad y nos caen mejor, bien sea porque la caracterización de los nuevos adolece de falta de vigor y algo de interés. No me cabe duda de que en las siguientes entregas profundizaremos más en sus relaciones. Por cierto que no había visto por ningún lado anunciada la siguiente entrega, pero ahí está Lives of Bitter Rain preparada para octubre del año que viene.

Las historias secundarias siguen dejando el terreno preparado para las bifurcaciones que decida crear Adrian en el futuro, aunque seguramente ya las tenga más que planificadas y precisamente por eso vaya dejando comentarios y detalles a suerte de huevos de pascua para los lectores más avezados.

Days of Shattered Faith tiene el dudoso honor de parecerme el volumen más flojo de la saga y a la vez haberme tenido enganchada durante toda su lectura, con lo cual quiero decir que vayáis corriendo a haceros con él en cuanto se pueda.

A difficult one to discuss without spoilers, this. Even if I say that Tchaikovsky's two previous novels about the Palleseen Sway showed first an occupied city, then a war, and that now he's looking at the other way an empire can get its claws in, offering to assist one party in some petty local dispute that ends up giving away the whole country...well, that already takes us halfway through the book. And apart from watching the whole horrific pratfall that's been playing out on our own world for at least two millennia go down somewhere else, much of the fascination here is in the details of who and why and how that goes for them, which are heartwrenching in the reading, but where a summary would be at once importunate and next to meaningless. So. Let's say that, if you know the basic set-up of the series, with the Pals determined to rationalise and 'perfect' a fantasy world, and you look at that title, and then you consider the locale for this book is the monk-heavy kingdom of Usmai...well, conclusions can be drawn. There are the terrifying Louse Monks who guard the throne, the death cult of the old empire, the jolly monks of the city's most noticeable god (who is essentially a very large frog), and it's a fair guess that some or all of them are going to have a bad time of it. But there are so many other sorts of faith that can shatter, aren't there? Faith in one's mission, one's nation, one's friends, oneself. The sense of everything fraying, the unprecedented fast becoming all too precedented, is a familiar one nowadays, and particularly when charismatic characters more concerned with grand notions than rules suddenly find themselves running out of road, it's easy to infer recent real world parallels. But underlying all of it is the reductionism of the Palleseen world-view, in which gods, magic, relics would all be better rendered down into raw energy to power lamps and factories. I don't know Tchaikovsky's own views on religion, but he's clearly on the left-liberal side politically, and in these books I detect something similar to Pratchett's later re-evaluation of faith, that maybe on reflection there were worse things for people to get zealous about. Certainly, reading this while people who define themselves as anti-capitalist have been poking fun at protesting farmers, asking why anyone who's asset rich but cash poor doesn't just sell up, as though there couldn't really be any other applicable metric than monetary value, even though they're the side who supposedly don't weigh the world that way, I've seen uncomfortable parallels.

When I read City Of Last Chances, I thought it was a stand-alone novel; House Of Open Wounds retained one character. Now, though, we're definitely in series territory, and this doesn't read like the end of a trilogy, either. I've read a lot of other Tchaikovsky, but never his other epic fantasy, because when it started I wasn't aware of anything to elevate it beyond a hundred others, and by the time I knew Tchaikovsky was always worth a look, his incredible work-rate made it unlikely I would find space to catch up with an earlier 10+ book series on top of reading the new ones. As such, I can't compare the two, but I do find it interesting how this not only manages to reformat the old genre standby of an evil empire (the Sway doesn't cackle; its representatives sound concerned, insist they're there to help, and some of them even mean it) but to feel unusually bottom-up. Which is a particular feat when the main characters include princes and ambassadors. As a whole I'm not sure it's quite up there with Open Wounds, but few can evoke a city, a moment, or a mindset this well, never mind the poor sods caught up in it.

(Netgalley ARC)

Days of Shattered Faith is an expansive fantasy novel from the master of world-building, Adrian Tchaikovsky. This is the third book in The Tyrant Philosopher’s series and follows Loret and Angilly (or Gil to her friends). Set in Alkhalend in Usmai, which seems to be a South-Asian inspired kingdom, this novel explores new elements of the world and delves deeper into issues of imperialism, trade and colonialism. Clearly, this book deals with some serious issues but there are clear real-world parallels which centres the narrative and makes the world building seem very grounded and believable.

As with the other books in this series, you can technically read Days of Shattered Faith as a standalone. This is really refreshing way to read as so many fantasy books that are being published at the moment are long series. It’s quite a commitment to sign up for, so I really like that these stories are interconnected but separate.

As always, Tchaikovsky creates a wonderful world that you can get completely lost in. Whilst it may be difficult to read for people who are new to the fantasy genre (certainly the names are hard to keep straight in your mind), it is very rewarding when you read about a completely unique world. The prose and characterisation are also strong in this novel. Whilst Loret and Gil are not my favourite characters from this series, their personal stories were compelling, and I enjoyed watching them grow.

This is a thought-provoking fantasy book that confronts some very serious topics. But at the same time, it is also a fun book to read. With the complex storytelling and characters, it is easy to get engrossed in the novel. I hope the author continues writing this series.

Solid next installation in the series. Love this world and Tchaikovsky continues to shine in this series.

Description:
Alkhalend is a city in turmoil, with an unclear line of succession and both foreign and religious interests circling. We (mostly) follow Gil, emissary of one of the aforementioned foreign interests, but with personal reasons for getting close to one of the potential heirs, and her aide, Loret, who's just turned up.

Liked:
Populated both with a host of compelling characters and by a unique and interesting setting. It's mostly political machinations, but there are a lot of magic and monsters thrown in, and the intrigue is all personal enough to be pretty thrilling. I liked the hapless heir - shades of Dostoyevsky's Prince Myshkin. I liked the whole thing; perhaps a shade less than the previous one, but still quite a lot.

Disliked:
Still don't love the relationship between Jack and... well, let's avoid spoilers... his beau, although I think it's done a little more justice in this one. I'm not sure some of the actions of some of the characters near the end felt fully justified, although most did.

Would recommend. I still haven’t read the first of this series, but it’s probably best to start at the beginning!

The third in the series, the loved characters are there and the machinations of war and politics continue. I probably favoured books 1 and 2. Seep world building and wonderful characters as always. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC. Thank you to the author.

On a strange tropical island, where the Pals are starting to grow in power, we meet a cast of new faces and a few old ones in a showdown that will bring gods to their knees and could also mean the end of the Palleseen Sway.

Loret is fresh off the boat and arrives in Alkhalend, ready to be a clerk to the Palleseen Resident, Sage-Invigilator Angilly. But Loret isn't much of a clerk and she isn't much of a Pal, or even a Loret if truth be told. Angilly is also not much of a Pal, but she does things to help move the Sway in the direction her superiors want, which is all for the good. But she has managed to get her chosen Prince set up as Heir, until a massive civil war breaks out and throws everything into disarray.

And with some very familiar faces popping up in the middle of the disarray, you can expect chaos to well and truly reign.

This is the third instalment of the Tyrant Philosophers, and it is as brilliant as the previous books. Worth picking up (though if you have not read the other two ((And why haven't you??)) then it may be advisory to do so.

Sadly I enjoyed the other two books in the series far more. The focus slipped from my favourite characters in the hospital, and because I had lost the charm of following the dysfunctional band I got bored by the fighting scenes.
The background of the main protagonist stayed blurry to the end.
I love his books but won't be re reading this one.

I didn't realise this was book 3 in a series when I applied for the arc. After doing some research I found it could be read as a stand alone which I did although I think It would of been so much better if I had read book 1 & 2 first. I did enjoy it though and found the plot to be so unique & different. I struggled at times to get fully invested in the characters but overall it was great.

This whole series is absolutely one of a kind! I enjoyed this from start to finish and would absolutely recommend to every fantasy reader

Did not finish, brilliant world building but required a lot of patience to get through the series, the switching of the characters’ perspectives is brilliant but still found it difficult even in the third book to stay attached

When the Palleseen empire comes to town, they play for keeps, something that the melting pot city of Usmiat finds in this latest entry of the Tyrant Philosophers series by Adrian Tchaikovsky, Days of Shattered Faith. Fans of the first two books will find fun surprise returns, but the meat of this book are the new cultures and people that find themselves unwittingly pitted against the Ends and Means Commission of the Palleseen empire. Perhaps more meandering in its path than before, this entry managed to hook me in all the same with the plight of Usmiat.


Days of Shattered faith starts off on the smaller scale, focusing on Gil, a diplomat of the Palleseen empire, her freshly arrived and suspiciously inept aide Lorut, and Gil’s good friend and heir to the throne of Usmiat, Dekamran. Tides have recently turned for Gil and Dekamran in Usmiat, as the defeat of the Loruthi’s forces and the exile of Dekamran’s warmongering elder brother put them both in positions of power when before they commiserated in the dregs of the court. Usmiat has its own Waygrove (like the one in Ilmar in City of Last Chances) an interdimensional crossing place that here has deposited several cultures that Usmiat has pulled into its orbit – such as the deadly Louse monks (utilised as royal guard) and the Ibeleth lizard folk of the river and their dinosour-like ogrodons. However, as things in the country start to unravel, with a zealous Palleseen Decanter making trouble for Gil and the return of Dekamrans older brother, the plot starts tumbling forward with a momentum leading to something inevitable, even if the zigs and zags threw me off the scent.

Make no mistake, this is a mosaic novel like the previous two – but this time it’s a slower lead up, spiralling outwards as more characters end up involved in the building hurricane of events. There are even several characters from previous books that get more page time than expected, refugees from the Palleseen regime. I’m in two minds about this development – I loved the characters, and was very happy to see more of them, but their heavy inclusion did dilute the narrative force somewhat, as (most of them) try unsuccessfully to keep out of the trouble the other POV characters bring to the city. I feel like the new POVs deserved slightly more spotlight in the later chapters, as their actions and relationships drive the core narrative.

It took a while for the main arc of this novel to crystalise for me, but in hindsight part of me knew what was going to happen all along. The key is the Palleseen, as usual, those Tyrant Philosophers, and their particular brand of colonisation. Gil’s careful dance between furthering their aims while supporting Dekamran and his nation, the secret of why Lorut is so reluctant to go back to the Palleseen archipelago, and the ambitions and schemes of other Palleseen agents in the area, are an undercurrent that slowly turns into a raging river, leading to an impactful finale.

As usual, I love the wry humour of these books, built into a setting with a thin layer of dark absurdity. And the setting is vibrant and dark and multi-faceted, with a multitude of factions and agendas within factions. Usmiat in particular reminds me of cities from old swords and sorcery stories, like Lankhmar, full of religions, pirates, unusual customs, strange beasts and streets full of intrigue.

Days of Shattered Faith was a joy for me to read, and while it didn’t come together quite so cleanly as the other two entries in this series, I’m incredibly excited to read as many more books in this series as Tchaikovsky is willing to write. I think new readers would benefit from reading House of Open Wounds first, but there’s plenty to keep fans of the rest of the series happy.

Rating: 8.5/10

A very unique fantasy book.
Didn't expect this plot.
Very well written characters and plot.
Highly recommend.

The third in the “Tyrant Philosophers” series, “Days of Shattered Faith” takes us to afar-flung place where the Palleseen Sway doesn’t yet have the iron grip it enjoyed over the characters and places of the last two novels. This provides the author with a marvelous opportunity to show us more of the world and exactly how badly the Temporary Commission for Ends and Means has fucked up perfectly functional civilisations in their greed for magic to fuel their continued expansion.

I love that this book is as immersive as possible with regard to showing you the foibles, practices, and history of Usmai and the Usmiat people, showing you how things work without explicitly explaining any more than is needed to understand the unfolding plot. This naturally also lends to humour when a character not familiar with the practices of the region (they didn’t even read the briefing dossier!) experiences traditions that spring richly from the page while also being utterly alien to a good Palleseen.

The characters are all well drawn, and the author does exceptionally well at giving you each character’s viewpoint in such a way that you can simultaneously sympathise with characters who have diametrically opposing viewpoints, and the ways in which both of them are partially right and wrong at the same time. It’s all very messy and human, and makes for a rollicking good read.

While the book takes the perspective of several characters through the story, everything feels more tightly woven and plotted than “City of Last chances”, although that’s partly because it’s building on the worldbuilding of the previous two novels and everything makes more sense.

It also helps that we see some familiar faces and continuing story threads in this book – though perhaps not ones you might have been expecting!

This novel managed the difficult balancing act of concluding in a highly satisfying fashion while also leaving me wanting more, a frond of tantalising threads carefully teased and left standing proud of the novel’s weft and warp to make me eagerly anticipate the next book.

It’s hard to say much more without venturing into potential spoilers territory, so let me finish this review by simply saying that “Days of Shattered Faith” is a real page-turner, a wonderful escape from the dreariness of autumn or winter to a sun-soaked land full of drama, humour, and a good few characters it’s a delight to despise.

This book is highly recommended for existing fans of the series; I think newcomers will be able to enjoy it as a standalone novel, but a reader who’s read the other books will get far more out of this one.