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Shadows of the Apt #2
Dragonfly Falling
Two young companions, Totho and Salma, arrive at Tark to spy on the menacing Wasp army, but are there mistakenly apprehended as enemy agents. By the time they are freed, the city is already under siege. Over in the imperial capital the young emperor, Alvdan, is becoming captivated by a remarkable slave, the vampiric Uctebri, who claims he knows of magic that can grant eternal life. In Collegium, meanwhile, Stenwold is still trying to persuade the city magnates to take seriously the Wasp Empire's imminent threat to their survival.
In a colourful drama involving mass warfare and personal combat, a small group of heroes must stand up against what seems like an unstoppable force. This volume continues the story that so brilliantly unfolded in Empire in Black and Gold – and the action is still non-stop.
698 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 6, 2009
432 people are currently reading
4542 people want to read
About the author
Adrian Tchaikovsky
191 books17.4k followersADRIAN TCHAIKOVSKY was born in Lincolnshire and studied zoology and psychology at Reading, before practising law in Leeds. He is a keen live role-player and occasional amateur actor and is trained in stage-fighting. His literary influences include Gene Wolfe, Mervyn Peake, China Miéville, Mary Gently, Steven Erikson, Naomi Novak, Scott Lynch and Alan Campbell.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 376 reviews
December 6, 2023
Watch my video review by clicking here.
Absolutely wonderful from start to finish, and is turning into the wonderful multi-POV epic story that I wanted so badly from the first book.
Absolutely wonderful from start to finish, and is turning into the wonderful multi-POV epic story that I wanted so badly from the first book.
February 9, 2017
The good? Non-stop action. It's war and it's really war, with all the grand deaths you could ever hope, and for me, the world-building of all these insect-ish humans helps drag me *out* of feeling emotionally invested, so I could get through so much death and destruction without falling into a stupor of sadness.
Drephos really stands out as mr. mad scientist and I did really enjoy the hell out of him. The artificers in general got me going pretty good and some of the reversals were rather enjoyable, and I mean both the good reversals and the bad.
The bad? Non-stop action. It's war and it's really war, with only small scenes of character building not related to war, and while it is slightly more interesting than the first book's skirmishes, I kinda wish that I had been able to really get *into* the action rather than just note what was happening.
It's probably just a personal preference thing. I didn't really *love* any of the characters enough to pull me along with huge enthusiasm.
I can be enthusiastic about the all the insect-human races and the fact that those who can use magic can't use artificing and the same is true for the opposite, as well. Unfortunately, while I could have been dragged deep into a story that explored these rules deeper and perhaps even broke them more spectacularly, it just didn't happen enough for me to get excited.
War. War never changes. Even if it's a flying army of wasp-men fighting steampunk airships.
Drephos really stands out as mr. mad scientist and I did really enjoy the hell out of him. The artificers in general got me going pretty good and some of the reversals were rather enjoyable, and I mean both the good reversals and the bad.
The bad? Non-stop action. It's war and it's really war, with only small scenes of character building not related to war, and while it is slightly more interesting than the first book's skirmishes, I kinda wish that I had been able to really get *into* the action rather than just note what was happening.
It's probably just a personal preference thing. I didn't really *love* any of the characters enough to pull me along with huge enthusiasm.
I can be enthusiastic about the all the insect-human races and the fact that those who can use magic can't use artificing and the same is true for the opposite, as well. Unfortunately, while I could have been dragged deep into a story that explored these rules deeper and perhaps even broke them more spectacularly, it just didn't happen enough for me to get excited.
War. War never changes. Even if it's a flying army of wasp-men fighting steampunk airships.
July 12, 2025
В "Разединени равнини" приключенията на майстор Стенуолд Трудан и неговите млади агенти продължават стремително.
Виждаме израстването им в тази сложна обстановка на кръвопролитни сражения, всички те трябва да направят своя избор и не винаги това е очевидния такъв за читателя.
Империята на осите тръгва открито да завоюва Равнините, но тогава се намесват и паякородните, стояли до този момент настрана от конфликта.
Продължавам с третата и четвъртата част, където ще е развръзката на тази първа четирилогия от серията "Сянката на умелите"!
Виждаме израстването им в тази сложна обстановка на кръвопролитни сражения, всички те трябва да направят своя избор и не винаги това е очевидния такъв за читателя.
Империята на осите тръгва открито да завоюва Равнините, но тогава се намесват и паякородните, стояли до този момент настрана от конфликта.
Продължавам с третата и четвъртата част, където ще е развръзката на тази първа четирилогия от серията "Сянката на умелите"!
June 19, 2021
This is the second book in the Shadows of the Apt series by Adrian Tchaikovsky.
He’s one of my favourite authors. If you're reluctant to dive into a long series without first getting to know an author, I've got a few recommendations. Fantasy: Guns of the Dawn (Austen's Elizabeth Bennet goes to war); Sci-Fi: Children of Time and Dogs of War.
The premise of the Shadows of the Apt series (which spans ten books) is simple: every species in this fantasy series is an insect-kinden, and has got the mannerisms, characteristics and qualities of said insect. We've got dragonflies, beetles, ants and flies etc.
Then one day, the Wasp Empire attacks.
This is a vast, detailed world and Tchaikovsky's love for everything that crawls is found on every page. The plot is of epic proportion with a sprawling war, and there's a huge cast of characters. Tchaikovsky excels at writing morally grey characters.
I highly recommend this series to all fans of epic fantasy. This is innovative, original and has not been done before.
He’s one of my favourite authors. If you're reluctant to dive into a long series without first getting to know an author, I've got a few recommendations. Fantasy: Guns of the Dawn (Austen's Elizabeth Bennet goes to war); Sci-Fi: Children of Time and Dogs of War.
The premise of the Shadows of the Apt series (which spans ten books) is simple: every species in this fantasy series is an insect-kinden, and has got the mannerisms, characteristics and qualities of said insect. We've got dragonflies, beetles, ants and flies etc.
Then one day, the Wasp Empire attacks.
This is a vast, detailed world and Tchaikovsky's love for everything that crawls is found on every page. The plot is of epic proportion with a sprawling war, and there's a huge cast of characters. Tchaikovsky excels at writing morally grey characters.
I highly recommend this series to all fans of epic fantasy. This is innovative, original and has not been done before.
October 15, 2021
New favorite author to add to the list! If you enjoy military themed fantasy (two different sieges!) great characters, and unique fantastic worldbuilding then this is for you!
May 12, 2025
Mr. T's second novel and the next installment of the Shadows of the Apt continues the saga of the Lowlands and the Wasp's empire's military adventures to conquer it, one city at a time. Mr T has build an intriguing world here; at one time, various huge insects dominated humanity, but somehow (magic?) humans adapted, sporting/becoming somewhat insect like themselves and mastering the bugs with their 'art'. Hence, we have wasp-kinden, beetle-kinden, ant-kinden, spider-kinden and so forth. Each kinden has their own art-- ant-kinden have telepathy with one another, wasp-kinden can shoot fireballs from their hands, and on and on.
The wasp empire is relatively new on the scene, cobbled together over just a few generations, transforming the wasps from a bunch of squabbling tribes into an empire. After a brutal 12 year war against the Dragonfly lands, the wasps now eye the lowlands-- the center of the Apt. 500 years ago, the moth-kinden ruled humanity, their strange magic backed up by the cold steel of the Mantis-kinden-- stone cold warriors. The former slave races/kinden threw off their chains, however, and carved their own ways, utilizing technology (e.g, the 'apt'). The former rulers-- moths, mantis, spiders, etc., are known as 'inapt' in that they cannot make sense of or use 'modern' technology, even things like crossbows. The former slave races, however, march forth with ever new and developing tech, very steampunkish even though steam power is not very often utilized.
The last volume left us with a cliffhanger-- the wasps were about to besiege an ant city and another wasp army was threatening the heart of the lowlands. Mr. T takes us on a blood soaked journey here, with war manifesting in all its ugliness. Our main protagonists remain the same: Stenwold Maker, a beetle from Collegium, the center of learning of the lowlands; 'Che' Maker, Stenwold's niece who has fallen for Achaeos a moth; Tisamon, a Mantis-kinden weaponmaster and his daughter Tynisa (half spider); Salma, a Dragonfly nobleman, Totho, a halfbreed artificer and so forth.
In a way, this novel seems to be one bloodbath after another, and for sure it is, but on the other hand, we get to see some pretty rich character development and world building on display as well. More and more kinden are introduced and we begin to catch a glimpse of how huge the world actually is-- the lowlands are a very small part of the whole.
Mr. T is known for his biological 'constructs' and his kinden are a pleasure, each with their own 'art', and the technology is amazing as well-- flying machines of all sorts, 'automobiles' something like military ATVs, repeating crossbows and nailguns, all kinds of tools of war. We learn much about the ants here, perhaps the most warlike of the lowlanders, but also more of the Mantis-kinden as well. Tricky spiders with their cunning and endless 'dance' of guile and deceit politically, and of course, the wasps and their secret police pulling strings where ever they can.
My primary issues with this concern the uneven pacing at times; at times a bit of a slog, and in other places, impossible to put down. Yet, Tchaikovsky seems to be getting better at this the second time around. It almost feels like he has so many cool ideas that the narrative gets in the way a bit! Nonetheless, overall a gripping read. Highly recommended if you like military fantasy. 4 buggy stars!
The wasp empire is relatively new on the scene, cobbled together over just a few generations, transforming the wasps from a bunch of squabbling tribes into an empire. After a brutal 12 year war against the Dragonfly lands, the wasps now eye the lowlands-- the center of the Apt. 500 years ago, the moth-kinden ruled humanity, their strange magic backed up by the cold steel of the Mantis-kinden-- stone cold warriors. The former slave races/kinden threw off their chains, however, and carved their own ways, utilizing technology (e.g, the 'apt'). The former rulers-- moths, mantis, spiders, etc., are known as 'inapt' in that they cannot make sense of or use 'modern' technology, even things like crossbows. The former slave races, however, march forth with ever new and developing tech, very steampunkish even though steam power is not very often utilized.
The last volume left us with a cliffhanger-- the wasps were about to besiege an ant city and another wasp army was threatening the heart of the lowlands. Mr. T takes us on a blood soaked journey here, with war manifesting in all its ugliness. Our main protagonists remain the same: Stenwold Maker, a beetle from Collegium, the center of learning of the lowlands; 'Che' Maker, Stenwold's niece who has fallen for Achaeos a moth; Tisamon, a Mantis-kinden weaponmaster and his daughter Tynisa (half spider); Salma, a Dragonfly nobleman, Totho, a halfbreed artificer and so forth.
In a way, this novel seems to be one bloodbath after another, and for sure it is, but on the other hand, we get to see some pretty rich character development and world building on display as well. More and more kinden are introduced and we begin to catch a glimpse of how huge the world actually is-- the lowlands are a very small part of the whole.
Mr. T is known for his biological 'constructs' and his kinden are a pleasure, each with their own 'art', and the technology is amazing as well-- flying machines of all sorts, 'automobiles' something like military ATVs, repeating crossbows and nailguns, all kinds of tools of war. We learn much about the ants here, perhaps the most warlike of the lowlanders, but also more of the Mantis-kinden as well. Tricky spiders with their cunning and endless 'dance' of guile and deceit politically, and of course, the wasps and their secret police pulling strings where ever they can.
My primary issues with this concern the uneven pacing at times; at times a bit of a slog, and in other places, impossible to put down. Yet, Tchaikovsky seems to be getting better at this the second time around. It almost feels like he has so many cool ideas that the narrative gets in the way a bit! Nonetheless, overall a gripping read. Highly recommended if you like military fantasy. 4 buggy stars!
April 16, 2023
Another absolutely fantastic book in this series. If the quality of the books stays this high it will make my all time favorite series list. It's such a great mix of action, politics, and characterization there really don't seem to be any weaknesses. Oh yeah and the extremely creative worldbuilding gets even better here as more kinden and characters are introduced. If you like fantasy read this series.
May 25, 2023
On a re-read, this is easily a 5 star read! I do not think I caught a few remarkable things the first time around. It is a story about second chances (and there are at least three who get these second chances here). Loved the theme around choices. Top notch.
Better late than never! Review is finally in!
https://solseit.wordpress.com/2019/03...
Review to come; I struggle to avoid gushing right now. The main features are the story (so much happening, so many different story lines balanced beautifully) and the characters. Their development is just uncanny; their morality is dubious in many cases and it makes it for an incredible journey.
I cannot wait to start Blood of the Mantis.
Better late than never! Review is finally in!
https://solseit.wordpress.com/2019/03...
Review to come; I struggle to avoid gushing right now. The main features are the story (so much happening, so many different story lines balanced beautifully) and the characters. Their development is just uncanny; their morality is dubious in many cases and it makes it for an incredible journey.
I cannot wait to start Blood of the Mantis.
February 11, 2018
4.5 Stars
That was a really good book. Dragonfly Falling took all of the good things from Empire in Black and Gold and made them better. It’s a sequel that improves on what was already a high quality start to the series and takes it to even greater heights.
At the end of the first book Stenwold and his charges had managed to stop the Wasp’s attempt to take Collegium by surprise. But now the real war begins. The hidden strategies are over and the Wasp Empire makes its move to take over the Lowlands.
Like the first book, the story is told from a number of different POV. Certain characters got more page time than others. In Empire in Black and Gold, Cheerwell and Tynisa got a lot of attention. Neither of them got quite as much time this go round. Instead there were more chapters focused on Totho, Salma, and Stenwold. For the most part I thoroughly enjoyed all 3, although for me Stenwold’s story was easily the most interesting.
While I really enjoyed the first book, the plot did seem a bit slow at times. That is definitely not an issue here as the action starts early and never lets up. There are some truly incredible battle scenes in this book, from the siege of Tark to the assault on another city. The combination of the technology with the unique abilities of the different kinden made for some very unique and compelling sequences. I definitely wouldn’t consider this book grimdark because of the more likable characters and lack of dreary tone but some of the action is still brutal.
We also got to see a bit more detail about some of the different kinden in this book. The Ants were a big part of the story and their shared mind perspective was interesting. We also got to learn some more about the Mantids and Dragonflies. The author did a superb job building upon the foundation from the first book to add more layers to the different races, including the Wasps. In Dragonfly Falling a bit more is revealed about them and I’m curious to see what comes of some of the plot points seeded in this book.
The only real negative for me is that I’m still not a huge fan of the author’s writing style. Some of the phrasing and dialogue still feels a bit awkward. There are also some POV switches that happen without any real warning, although it seemed like fewer than in the first book.
I really enjoyed Empire in Black and Gold and Dragonfly Falling was even better. I've heard from a few people that the series improves as it goes on. If that's the case this could end up being a favorite series.
That was a really good book. Dragonfly Falling took all of the good things from Empire in Black and Gold and made them better. It’s a sequel that improves on what was already a high quality start to the series and takes it to even greater heights.
At the end of the first book Stenwold and his charges had managed to stop the Wasp’s attempt to take Collegium by surprise. But now the real war begins. The hidden strategies are over and the Wasp Empire makes its move to take over the Lowlands.
Like the first book, the story is told from a number of different POV. Certain characters got more page time than others. In Empire in Black and Gold, Cheerwell and Tynisa got a lot of attention. Neither of them got quite as much time this go round. Instead there were more chapters focused on Totho, Salma, and Stenwold. For the most part I thoroughly enjoyed all 3, although for me Stenwold’s story was easily the most interesting.
While I really enjoyed the first book, the plot did seem a bit slow at times. That is definitely not an issue here as the action starts early and never lets up. There are some truly incredible battle scenes in this book, from the siege of Tark to the assault on another city. The combination of the technology with the unique abilities of the different kinden made for some very unique and compelling sequences. I definitely wouldn’t consider this book grimdark because of the more likable characters and lack of dreary tone but some of the action is still brutal.
We also got to see a bit more detail about some of the different kinden in this book. The Ants were a big part of the story and their shared mind perspective was interesting. We also got to learn some more about the Mantids and Dragonflies. The author did a superb job building upon the foundation from the first book to add more layers to the different races, including the Wasps. In Dragonfly Falling a bit more is revealed about them and I’m curious to see what comes of some of the plot points seeded in this book.
The only real negative for me is that I’m still not a huge fan of the author’s writing style. Some of the phrasing and dialogue still feels a bit awkward. There are also some POV switches that happen without any real warning, although it seemed like fewer than in the first book.
I really enjoyed Empire in Black and Gold and Dragonfly Falling was even better. I've heard from a few people that the series improves as it goes on. If that's the case this could end up being a favorite series.
July 22, 2021
This was a real step up from Empire of Black and Gold and I had a great time reading this sequel. Epic is definitely the best word to describe Dragonfly Falling as you experience huge battles and sieges across Tchaikovskys' world. Loved all the characters as they really get suffer the brutality of war and while these books may not be of the grimdark variety it is certainly unstinting in the level of violence.
The concept of humans with insect abilities is really cool and the author really delivers on this in a big way.
So, if you want the excellent characterisations of Gemmel with the intense action of Abercrombie set in a world that has the depth and complexity of the Malazan,then this is the series for you.
Brilliant and highly recommended.
The concept of humans with insect abilities is really cool and the author really delivers on this in a big way.
So, if you want the excellent characterisations of Gemmel with the intense action of Abercrombie set in a world that has the depth and complexity of the Malazan,then this is the series for you.
Brilliant and highly recommended.
March 25, 2023
The second book is even more about war than the first one ... strictly speaking it is one long account of war on several fronts. At first I wasn't sure I'd like that, but as the war goes on, the known characters from book one find themselves in different places and sometimes even on different sides of the battle. Some get even more depth and grey layers which is quite rewarding to witness. My two favs from book one, Cheerwell and Tynisa, didn't get many scenes in this second book, but I was assured by the author himself that Cheerwell will play a major role later on, which delights me to no end.
So even though this second book is 600 pages about nothing but warfaring, I found myself again hooked and rooting for the characters. This is what I wanted to have in a book. After several Fantasy books I've dragged through I'm especially happy to finally have started this series which is worth my time!
So even though this second book is 600 pages about nothing but warfaring, I found myself again hooked and rooting for the characters. This is what I wanted to have in a book. After several Fantasy books I've dragged through I'm especially happy to finally have started this series which is worth my time!
August 6, 2024
I loved this book. If the rest of the series is similar I can't fathom why it's so underrated. Best Tchaikovsky book I've read so far and second best this year after Gwynne's Valor (possibly third after Wrath but not sure).
We see more of the fascinating world with characters now traveling all over Lowlands, splitting up and getting together again. That getting together is maybe too "accidental" but I just don't care in this case. Besides, I can pretend it's because of similar magical ties that bound Achaeos to Che in book one... I expected some pay-offs to come in later books but instead it happened here, accelerating the story. I have no idea where this will continue as it seems it could wrap up in the next two books but there are eight left.
Story never gets dull, there is always one battle or conflict to be resolved while the rest of the characters are heading towards their own conflict or just overcame one. It doesn't give the story a break neck pace like Gwynne likes to do but there's always enough motivation to keep reading. And for me the mysteries of what and how magic works in this world were motivating me as well. The veil is lifted a little bit higher and we learn more about Darakyon Forest and what was it like in the days of lore.
Characters have grown up and Selma and Totho even say it out loud. There's almost zero of YA-ish stuff from the first book like the love triangle. This is war and it's brutal. By no means grimdark stuff, every even a little but major death gets its space and characters aren't discarded mercilessly.
Last 120 pages were epic. It's rare for me to be blown away by the fantasy elements in books because they are rarely utilized in really clever ways. Battle of the Rails was one such moment. Thousands of wasp-kinden in the air with sky turning black vs. thousands of ant-kinden shooting at them with crossbows in perfect unison because they can communicate telepathically and coordinate to fire at the same moment. And there are other such examples in the book.
Which makes some of the stuff more jarring when it makes little to no sense. Spider-kinden apparently have at least three arts - shooting web, telepathic control of other people's emotions and a Wolverine-like or Assassin's Creed like blade coming out of their hands. Since when do spiders have blades? And how does it go out? They don't have Wolverine's healing factor. Do they have permanent holes in their hands? It's never explained. Also, Dragonfly-kinden now have razor sharp claws. What? It's not at all important in the grand scheme of things but it took me out of immersion. At least if Tchaikovsky described how this stuff works in better detail. Is it magic? But then Apt-kinden should be baffled by it and they are not. What about that mood adjustment? Pheromones? Who knows... I digress.
Can't wait to read the next book. It's like LOTR met Malazan and had a child called Shadows of the Apt with none of the grim stuff and much lighter philosophical ponderings. There's even a McGuffin equal to the One Ring.
We see more of the fascinating world with characters now traveling all over Lowlands, splitting up and getting together again. That getting together is maybe too "accidental" but I just don't care in this case. Besides, I can pretend it's because of similar magical ties that bound Achaeos to Che in book one... I expected some pay-offs to come in later books but instead it happened here, accelerating the story. I have no idea where this will continue as it seems it could wrap up in the next two books but there are eight left.
Story never gets dull, there is always one battle or conflict to be resolved while the rest of the characters are heading towards their own conflict or just overcame one. It doesn't give the story a break neck pace like Gwynne likes to do but there's always enough motivation to keep reading. And for me the mysteries of what and how magic works in this world were motivating me as well. The veil is lifted a little bit higher and we learn more about Darakyon Forest and what was it like in the days of lore.
Characters have grown up and Selma and Totho even say it out loud. There's almost zero of YA-ish stuff from the first book like the love triangle. This is war and it's brutal. By no means grimdark stuff, every even a little but major death gets its space and characters aren't discarded mercilessly.
Last 120 pages were epic. It's rare for me to be blown away by the fantasy elements in books because they are rarely utilized in really clever ways. Battle of the Rails was one such moment. Thousands of wasp-kinden in the air with sky turning black vs. thousands of ant-kinden shooting at them with crossbows in perfect unison because they can communicate telepathically and coordinate to fire at the same moment. And there are other such examples in the book.
Which makes some of the stuff more jarring when it makes little to no sense. Spider-kinden apparently have at least three arts - shooting web, telepathic control of other people's emotions and a Wolverine-like or Assassin's Creed like blade coming out of their hands. Since when do spiders have blades? And how does it go out? They don't have Wolverine's healing factor. Do they have permanent holes in their hands? It's never explained. Also, Dragonfly-kinden now have razor sharp claws. What? It's not at all important in the grand scheme of things but it took me out of immersion. At least if Tchaikovsky described how this stuff works in better detail. Is it magic? But then Apt-kinden should be baffled by it and they are not. What about that mood adjustment? Pheromones? Who knows... I digress.
Can't wait to read the next book. It's like LOTR met Malazan and had a child called Shadows of the Apt with none of the grim stuff and much lighter philosophical ponderings. There's even a McGuffin equal to the One Ring.
October 31, 2024
*** 4.25 ***
A hard book to rate and a difficult subject to read... I am a humongous fan of AT as an author and I have never been disappointed. I love his passion for insectoid life and how he works with their characteristics to affect his creations. What makes this particular book uncomfortable is seeing one of our protagonists spiral into doubt and where that leads him. He is smart, he is not a bad person, but his passions and choices lead him on a very questionable path and although I hope he can find his way back, unfortunately I don't foresee a good ending for him in the future...
War and seeing all its victims is always hard to read. The subject is dark, the current situation is bleak and no end of suffering is in sight... So, bring it on!I am all in this series and can't wait to see where Tchaikovsky leads us!👍😎
A hard book to rate and a difficult subject to read... I am a humongous fan of AT as an author and I have never been disappointed. I love his passion for insectoid life and how he works with their characteristics to affect his creations. What makes this particular book uncomfortable is seeing one of our protagonists spiral into doubt and where that leads him. He is smart, he is not a bad person, but his passions and choices lead him on a very questionable path and although I hope he can find his way back, unfortunately I don't foresee a good ending for him in the future...
War and seeing all its victims is always hard to read. The subject is dark, the current situation is bleak and no end of suffering is in sight... So, bring it on!I am all in this series and can't wait to see where Tchaikovsky leads us!👍😎
August 19, 2017
Definitely an improvement on the first, which was no slouch of a book. Bigger in scope but not hard to follow. There's a lot going on in here, a technological evolution, multiple war fronts, interpersonal drama, politics, a lot of shit. But it is fun throughout and highly highly original. Fo sho continuing the series.
November 23, 2023
Take away my machines and they would be at each other’s throats with swords and knives instead. Then take away their steel and they would pick up rocks and clubs. There is no saving them: they are merely the fuel for war’s engines. Only we, Totho – we are the point, the reason. We, because, alone amongst this destruction, we create, and we create so that they may destroy, so that we may create anew.
Let me scream in the pure bliss that I experienced while reading this book. Oh, the sieges. The beautiful, monstrous, life-ending sieges!!! AHHH! Okay. Okay. Let me try and put all my thoughts somewhat coherently.
“Dragonfly Falling” is the second instalment in the Shadows of the Apt series by Adrian Tchaikovsky, who has now cemented himself as one of my favourite authors. The man outdid himself. Now, the book picks up after the end of Empire in Black and Gold but we are introduced to a new character, the Emperor of the Wasp Kinden. Different from the first instalment, Dragonfly Falling has an array of characters, many of them having recurring point of views throughout the book. These different characters give us a needed point of view of the other side of the story.
The book is definitely more plot-driven than character-driven with what I feel is Tchaikosvky setting up the rest of the series. There are multiple battles in this book as the characters are spread out in the Lowlands. While Salma and Totho are in the Ant city state of Tark, Stenwold, Tynisa and Tisamon remain in Collegium with Che and Achaeos having been sent out to try and get the rest of the Lowlands to band together. We are introduced to another character named Felise Mienn, a dragonfly hunting down Thalric across the Lowlands and she is the definition of a slightly deranged girlboss. Dariandrephos (Drephos) is an artificer working for the wasp empire. A half-breed of wasp and moth and he is the mad scientist character who just wants to invent weapons. He may be a bit mad but it’s a quirky trait you grow to love. Thalric continues to work for the Rekef and serving his empire.
We are all grown now. Che, when the Wasps enslaved her and put her before their torture machines. Tynisa when she discovered her birthright. To me on the point of a sword . . . and to Totho here and now. We have put childish things behind us, and look at the world we have grown into.
Che and Achaeos are barely in the book so there’s not much to say about them other than I am so excited for Achaeos’ storyline in the next book. Let’s see that awesome Inapt magic. I sadly still don’t care for Tisamon and Tynisa which sucks, cause the next book is named Blood of the Mantis and I just don’t care about them (lol). Though I am excited for the certain journey they will be taking. In this book, we see Tisamon take Tynisa back to his homeland for her Mantis’ rite of passage. Thalric isn’t well explored in this book with little to no screen time and that slightly disappointed me because I found his character fascinating and he was a favourite in the first book along with Stenwold, but those two were quickly swept away by a certain character’s incredible character arc. The characters I want to focus on are Salma, Stenwold and Totho.
I was severely disappointed by Salma’s storyline in this book. Despite the fact that the title references Dragonflies, our very own dragonfly character barely gets screen time and when he does, he’s just pining over what’s her name. I am excited for where his character ended up and is heading towards. I just hope he gets the attention he deserves in the later books. As Salma said:
‘In the Lowlands they don’t understand it. In the Empire too I’d guess. I’d almost forgotten it myself, but I am a prince and that still means something, wherever I am.’You better remember Salma, you better.
The “Defence of Collegium” was one of the best parts of this book. It was a perfect representation of what I love so much about military fantasy. The siege was so well-done and executed that I found myself crying in some instances. The only thing I hated was whatever the hell Stenwold was doing. I understand the reasoning for the whole situation and I’m happy he actually has a flaw but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. That whole situation removed him from my favourite character of the series. I was rolling my eyes the whole time.
Totho. Totho! Totho!! In the span of time it took me to finish the audiobook, Totho just swooped in and became one of my favourite characters. Being a half-breed, he is used to being ignored and taken for granted, even by those considered his friends and family such as Stenwold, Che, Salma and Tynisa. And this resentment has been unknowingly growing in him and when he meets Drephos (I love this mad scientist so much), it all goes to hell and I loved every single second of it. That last scene with Drephos was so chilling to the bone and I just UGH!!!. I can’t wait to see where his character goes and I’m honestly rooting for him.
*sweeps Stenwold and Thalric (still have hope for him) aside*
SLAMS TOTHO ON THE TABLE!
I’M ROOTING FOR YOU TOTHO!
The themes explored in this book about war are glorious. Especially the relation between scientific advancement and war. As the quote I first highlighted explained, it is during war that most weapons are invented. Look at our own world and the nuclear bomb. Look at Oppenheimer’s reaction to the weapon he created. Look at that parallel reaction between Master Graden and Drephos with that character. Adrian Tchaikovksy you genius. I love you. I can’t wait for the next book.
But he was an artificer and this war was an artificer’s thing, a mechanical process cranked over and over by the constant refinement of the weaponsmith and the armourer, the automotive engineer and the volatiles chemist. Seen in that light, in that harsh but clear light, the whole business became somehow admirable. If he looked past the meat, contrived not to see it, then it was just another process that sharpened and honed itself each time it was set in motion.
July 8, 2024
Absolutely terrific! This series is so underrated. It has so much potential and is already going in ways I didn’t expect. So glad to be reading it now.
June 19, 2011
"Have you any idea how many bolts we've loosed in the last few seconds? Let Malkan spend his men instead, because they are more easily replaced."
I expected more of the same from the first book of this series, and when I read Dragonfly Falling, I was very surprised, because where the first book is at most a story of duels and skirmishes and guerrilla battles in the streets, this one drops you into a war. And I don't mean that there is a whole book worth of setup and then the war is the climax. The war rages through the whole book and there's not much pausing to catch one's breath for either the characters or the reader. It's army vs. army and there are a lot of armies and there is a lot of death.
It's rare in epic fantasy to really cut to the core of war as a dehumanizing thing, because most focuses on the valor of the heroes of the given story. Even in something like A Song of Ice and Fire, for all of its gritty realist take on fantasy, it's really only one shred of the story (Arya in books 2-3 and Brienne in book 4) where the cost of war is brought home to the reader in the way that it is here. That's because something like the Battle of the Blackwater happens only through the eyes of a handful of POV characters, but Tchaikovsky's mode of telling the story gives you a much more total experience as the Wasp Empire begins its war against the Lowlands and the Lowlands, to the surprise of all, rally to fight back. And the scale of this war is epic, and it's told in an epic way in the classic sense. There are a huge number of characters who seem to be introduced only to be killed, reminiscent of something like The Iliad in the way that the reader is there with them in their final moments. The sheer number of these drives home that tragedy of war: that the lives of those people all amounted to naught because they're grist for the mill.
The blend of the fantasy and the steampunk is fantastic here, with a lot of focus in this volume on the core of that technology being to devise new and more effective ways for different people to kill one another. It's telling how the artificers on different sides of the conflict respond to the use of their creations. A brilliant character of the Wasp Empire is introduced here to drive this home: Colonel-Auxilian Drephos, whose frequent monologues espouse the notion that people would be killing one another with sticks and stones if there were no machines, and so why not use his intelligence to streamline the process of those people (whom he repeatedly refers to as just meat) to kill one another? He is mad and he is a genius. When I read a new series I often find myself comparing characters to the standard archetypes, and how certain qualities remind me of certain characters from another work. Drephos certainly fits the mad scientist vein, but he's so unlike the way this is usually presented because we see him in his element, and not as a direct antagonist because he, himself, is not taking the field against the good guys, nor sending assassins to kidnap/kill someone's child or whatever.
Also introduced in this volume is the Emperor of the Wasps, which I think was important to do at this point because it shows the power behind the menace. He is not directly a significant character here, but clearly he will be impacting the story in subsequent volumes.
This is really a great second installment. If what's left of the series is anywhere near this level, then there's something special on our hands.
I expected more of the same from the first book of this series, and when I read Dragonfly Falling, I was very surprised, because where the first book is at most a story of duels and skirmishes and guerrilla battles in the streets, this one drops you into a war. And I don't mean that there is a whole book worth of setup and then the war is the climax. The war rages through the whole book and there's not much pausing to catch one's breath for either the characters or the reader. It's army vs. army and there are a lot of armies and there is a lot of death.
It's rare in epic fantasy to really cut to the core of war as a dehumanizing thing, because most focuses on the valor of the heroes of the given story. Even in something like A Song of Ice and Fire, for all of its gritty realist take on fantasy, it's really only one shred of the story (Arya in books 2-3 and Brienne in book 4) where the cost of war is brought home to the reader in the way that it is here. That's because something like the Battle of the Blackwater happens only through the eyes of a handful of POV characters, but Tchaikovsky's mode of telling the story gives you a much more total experience as the Wasp Empire begins its war against the Lowlands and the Lowlands, to the surprise of all, rally to fight back. And the scale of this war is epic, and it's told in an epic way in the classic sense. There are a huge number of characters who seem to be introduced only to be killed, reminiscent of something like The Iliad in the way that the reader is there with them in their final moments. The sheer number of these drives home that tragedy of war: that the lives of those people all amounted to naught because they're grist for the mill.
The blend of the fantasy and the steampunk is fantastic here, with a lot of focus in this volume on the core of that technology being to devise new and more effective ways for different people to kill one another. It's telling how the artificers on different sides of the conflict respond to the use of their creations. A brilliant character of the Wasp Empire is introduced here to drive this home: Colonel-Auxilian Drephos, whose frequent monologues espouse the notion that people would be killing one another with sticks and stones if there were no machines, and so why not use his intelligence to streamline the process of those people (whom he repeatedly refers to as just meat) to kill one another? He is mad and he is a genius. When I read a new series I often find myself comparing characters to the standard archetypes, and how certain qualities remind me of certain characters from another work. Drephos certainly fits the mad scientist vein, but he's so unlike the way this is usually presented because we see him in his element, and not as a direct antagonist because he, himself, is not taking the field against the good guys, nor sending assassins to kidnap/kill someone's child or whatever.
Also introduced in this volume is the Emperor of the Wasps, which I think was important to do at this point because it shows the power behind the menace. He is not directly a significant character here, but clearly he will be impacting the story in subsequent volumes.
This is really a great second installment. If what's left of the series is anywhere near this level, then there's something special on our hands.
May 23, 2021
В този втори том нещата загрубяха, т. е. станаха епични. Нацистко-осородната заплаха плъзва из цяла Европа, пардон - Равнините. Запознаваме се с висшия ешелон на осородната власт, пътуваме до свещения остров на богомолките (те май са нещо като викингите), научаваме много за мравкородните (японци-китайци-корейци), а се появява и интелигентно-технократски-гениален безскрупулен фентъзи двойник на Вернер фон Браун. Започва бомбардировката над Лондон, т.е. обсадата на Колегиум. Битки и интриги изскачат зад всеки камък и борче.
Силата на Чайковски е, че има богато въображение и същевременно спестява ненужни илюзии на читателя и не обижда излишно интелигентността му. Дори в това ескейпистко приключение неприятни истини, подмолни пластове, обрати не по матрица и липса на комиксовото разделение добри-лоши надзъртат от всеки герой или случка. Героите му са сложни, живи, кървят и умират, без да се изпада в самоцела на дЕдо Мартин. Няма я защитната и сляпа YA мрежа в мозъците им (най-вече на новата вълна YA “как-пък-не-романтични” авторки) и да ги спасява тъкмо преди някоя неприятност.
Естествено, поопростил е политическата обстановка като за по-млади читатели. Тъй като до десети том има да изтече още бая мастило, тук има поне едно 200 страници излишни, посветени на ненужни второстепенни герои и странични сблъсъци, а сюжетната линия на Салма и неговата пеперуда я е хванала липсата. Но пък дори и те не натежават чак толкова и са приятни.
Да видим какво ще изскочи от кутията на Пандора (буквално, тъй като отмъкнаха баш този артефакт от Колегиум) по-нататък.
***
🐜 “Паропс беше крайно ексцентричен по мравешките стандарти, което означаваше, че от време на време го занимават необичайни мисли.”
🐝 “Ако си затвориш очите за месото, ако измислиш някакъв начин да го отстраниш от картинката, войната беше поредният процес, който подлежи на постоянно усъвършенстване.”
🐝 “Занаятите се хранят от войната, Тото. Убеден съм, че го разбираш. И войната се храни от занаятите”
🪲 “лично аз предпочитам да преподавам история, а не да я творя.”
🪲 “Колкото до съмнението, те безспорно се съмняваха, но не в това, в което трябваше.”
🐜 “отхвърлила беше чувствата му по най-лошия начин — дори не се бе досетила за тях.”
Силата на Чайковски е, че има богато въображение и същевременно спестява ненужни илюзии на читателя и не обижда излишно интелигентността му. Дори в това ескейпистко приключение неприятни истини, подмолни пластове, обрати не по матрица и липса на комиксовото разделение добри-лоши надзъртат от всеки герой или случка. Героите му са сложни, живи, кървят и умират, без да се изпада в самоцела на дЕдо Мартин. Няма я защитната и сляпа YA мрежа в мозъците им (най-вече на новата вълна YA “как-пък-не-романтични” авторки) и да ги спасява тъкмо преди някоя неприятност.
Естествено, поопростил е политическата обстановка като за по-млади читатели. Тъй като до десети том има да изтече още бая мастило, тук има поне едно 200 страници излишни, посветени на ненужни второстепенни герои и странични сблъсъци, а сюжетната линия на Салма и неговата пеперуда я е хванала липсата. Но пък дори и те не натежават чак толкова и са приятни.
Да видим какво ще изскочи от кутията на Пандора (буквално, тъй като отмъкнаха баш този артефакт от Колегиум) по-нататък.
***
🐜 “Паропс беше крайно ексцентричен по мравешките стандарти, което означаваше, че от време на време го занимават необичайни мисли.”
🐝 “Ако си затвориш очите за месото, ако измислиш някакъв начин да го отстраниш от картинката, войната беше поредният процес, който подлежи на постоянно усъвършенстване.”
🐝 “Занаятите се хранят от войната, Тото. Убеден съм, че го разбираш. И войната се храни от занаятите”
🪲 “лично аз предпочитам да преподавам история, а не да я творя.”
🪲 “Колкото до съмнението, те безспорно се съмняваха, но не в това, в което трябваше.”
🐜 “отхвърлила беше чувствата му по най-лошия начин — дори не се бе досетила за тях.”
June 16, 2024
Everything turned up to 11!
This world of the -kinden is growing. This world is complex, awesome, and original.
Whereas in book one, we saw Stenwold and his agents prep for war, book two is WAR with detailed pages of sieges, battles, strategy, and weaponry. I preferred the one-on-one fighting that we saw more of in book one. It highlights the characteristics of the fighter and its kinden in a more specific way.
In book one, I fell in love with many of the main characters and enjoyed their different point of views. In book two, there are many point of views from new characters and very few from our main characters in book one. The point of views change quickly, and I did not get to spend enough time with most of the new characters to feel any connection. Or understand them.
I will read book three before I make my decision whether to continue with this ten-book series. I highly recommend it for lovers of military fantasy and recommend ‘checking it out’ to other fantasy readers.
This world of the -kinden is growing. This world is complex, awesome, and original.
Whereas in book one, we saw Stenwold and his agents prep for war, book two is WAR with detailed pages of sieges, battles, strategy, and weaponry. I preferred the one-on-one fighting that we saw more of in book one. It highlights the characteristics of the fighter and its kinden in a more specific way.
In book one, I fell in love with many of the main characters and enjoyed their different point of views. In book two, there are many point of views from new characters and very few from our main characters in book one. The point of views change quickly, and I did not get to spend enough time with most of the new characters to feel any connection. Or understand them.
I will read book three before I make my decision whether to continue with this ten-book series. I highly recommend it for lovers of military fantasy and recommend ‘checking it out’ to other fantasy readers.
July 9, 2012
Book the first grabbed me with its adventurous plot and a handful of character relationships that offered interesting drama. In the sequel, Tchaikovsky picks up these two threads and then adds a bunch of political machinations and warmongering. We meet some royal and military personages and we dally in map rooms and throne rooms and other places where big decisions get made by the big bad asses in the story.
All of this maneuvering: not interesting.
BAD GUYS: Let's push this army over here.
BAD EMPEROR: Make it so.
GOOD GUYS: I think the army's going over there, let's mess with them.
BAD EMPEROR: What went wrong?
BAD GUYS: We don't know.
BAD EMPEROR: The guilty parties will be punished and their women made into my latest concubines. I am evil and I will have wicked sex with anyone who wrongs me!
BAD GUYS: We have another plan.
BAD EMPEROR: Make it so.
On the plus side, Tchaikovsky keeps selling his insect totem-based society with good ideas that he introduces throughout the story without info-dumps or "Wow lookee at my World-building technique!" moments. It's an impressive accomplishment whose magnitude is made clear to me every time I try to explain the premise of this series to the uninitiated. To read it is to believe it.
Overall: this was fun, and I kept reading.
All of this maneuvering: not interesting.
BAD GUYS: Let's push this army over here.
BAD EMPEROR: Make it so.
GOOD GUYS: I think the army's going over there, let's mess with them.
BAD EMPEROR: What went wrong?
BAD GUYS: We don't know.
BAD EMPEROR: The guilty parties will be punished and their women made into my latest concubines. I am evil and I will have wicked sex with anyone who wrongs me!
BAD GUYS: We have another plan.
BAD EMPEROR: Make it so.
On the plus side, Tchaikovsky keeps selling his insect totem-based society with good ideas that he introduces throughout the story without info-dumps or "Wow lookee at my World-building technique!" moments. It's an impressive accomplishment whose magnitude is made clear to me every time I try to explain the premise of this series to the uninitiated. To read it is to believe it.
Overall: this was fun, and I kept reading.
November 21, 2024
A fantastic return to the Lowlands, book two in The Shadows of the Apt is everything a sequel should be - it continues the story of book one, raises the stakes, introduces new lore/characters/points of interest, and the pacing pushes everything along at a good clip.
There are so many characters to love, so many who are a mystery, and so many more still hiding I’m sure. Wasps and Bees, Beetles and Spiders, Dragonflies and Mantids, the breadth of the kinden knows no bounds, and it is just the sort of world building rabbit hole I can fall into for days at a time!
The war is unfolding, with dozens of moving parts, duels, battles, and sieges, trickery and betrayals, ambushes and slow descents into darkness. A thousand small acts build to the conflict, each adding their own wound to the Lowlands everyone is desperate to fight for - some for defence, some to conquer.
I loved this just as much as the first and will be diving eagerly into the third book in the not-too-distant future!
There are so many characters to love, so many who are a mystery, and so many more still hiding I’m sure. Wasps and Bees, Beetles and Spiders, Dragonflies and Mantids, the breadth of the kinden knows no bounds, and it is just the sort of world building rabbit hole I can fall into for days at a time!
The war is unfolding, with dozens of moving parts, duels, battles, and sieges, trickery and betrayals, ambushes and slow descents into darkness. A thousand small acts build to the conflict, each adding their own wound to the Lowlands everyone is desperate to fight for - some for defence, some to conquer.
I loved this just as much as the first and will be diving eagerly into the third book in the not-too-distant future!
June 14, 2023
Questo secondo volume della saga fantasy di Tchaikovsky mi ha preso un po' in contropiede, e a lungo ho ritenuto non fosse all'altezza del precedente.
Poi però ho realizzato che lo stavo divorando anche senza averne il tempo, e che quando non lo leggevo continuavo a pensarci. E ho capito che no, non è inferiore al primo, solo enormemente diverso.
Laddove il primo ci presentava ambientazione e personaggi, con guerre e battaglie ma anche e soprattutto il viaggio dei ragazzi che crescono (rapidamente) e finiscono invischiati nelle ruote della guerra e del destino, qui invece il tema è semplice: guerra.
La guerra delle Vespe, che proseguono con i loro piani per prendere le città delle Lowlands.
La guerra del Master Maker, che quasi da solo lotta contro la minaccia imperiale e cerca di smuovere la sua città, di svegliarla e di prepararla allo scontro inevitabile.
Ma sono tante guerre.
La guerra a Tark e quella a Sarn, la guerra vicino alle città delle Mosche e quella di Collegium.
E ancora, nuove "razze" che vengono alla luce, antichi poteri che tornano in scena, l'orgoglio dei vecchi dominatori ormai messi da parte dalla storia.
La guerra tra magia e tecnologia, tra presente e passato per il futuro.
E fino all'ultimo si rimane in dubbio su chi cadrà e chi resisterà, su dove sarà il fulcro della resistenza alle Vespe (e anche su chi ci sarà, perché no, mica è detto che tutti i personaggi abbiano la plot armour...).
Molto buoni alcuni nuovi personaggi (Drephos su tutti, il perfetto scienziato pazzo capace però di conquistare e traviare con la sua follia e malvagità pure io giovane e devastato padawan, o il misterioso Ucterbi), buone le evoluzioni di vecchie conoscenze (il Maggiore stesso, ma anche Totho, Tynisa, Salma).
Mi ha convinto assai meno la parte di Arianna e Stenwold, francamente.
Ottimo secondo tassello per la serie, che promette grandiosi sviluppi (specie con Salma, con i ragni e con la corsa alla Scatola delle Ombre).
Poi però ho realizzato che lo stavo divorando anche senza averne il tempo, e che quando non lo leggevo continuavo a pensarci. E ho capito che no, non è inferiore al primo, solo enormemente diverso.
Laddove il primo ci presentava ambientazione e personaggi, con guerre e battaglie ma anche e soprattutto il viaggio dei ragazzi che crescono (rapidamente) e finiscono invischiati nelle ruote della guerra e del destino, qui invece il tema è semplice: guerra.
La guerra delle Vespe, che proseguono con i loro piani per prendere le città delle Lowlands.
La guerra del Master Maker, che quasi da solo lotta contro la minaccia imperiale e cerca di smuovere la sua città, di svegliarla e di prepararla allo scontro inevitabile.
Ma sono tante guerre.
La guerra a Tark e quella a Sarn, la guerra vicino alle città delle Mosche e quella di Collegium.
E ancora, nuove "razze" che vengono alla luce, antichi poteri che tornano in scena, l'orgoglio dei vecchi dominatori ormai messi da parte dalla storia.
La guerra tra magia e tecnologia, tra presente e passato per il futuro.
E fino all'ultimo si rimane in dubbio su chi cadrà e chi resisterà, su dove sarà il fulcro della resistenza alle Vespe (e anche su chi ci sarà, perché no, mica è detto che tutti i personaggi abbiano la plot armour...).
Molto buoni alcuni nuovi personaggi (Drephos su tutti, il perfetto scienziato pazzo capace però di conquistare e traviare con la sua follia e malvagità pure io giovane e devastato padawan, o il misterioso Ucterbi), buone le evoluzioni di vecchie conoscenze (il Maggiore stesso, ma anche Totho, Tynisa, Salma).
Mi ha convinto assai meno la parte di Arianna e Stenwold, francamente.
Ottimo secondo tassello per la serie, che promette grandiosi sviluppi (specie con Salma, con i ragni e con la corsa alla Scatola delle Ombre).
April 10, 2024
I must correct myself: This is not my first series-DNF, but my second one. But still: Tchaikovsky did it.
I know how much he is famed for being one of the greatest writers currently working in the SFF space... I know that 'Children of Time' is basically universally named an absolute masterpiece. Same for 'Shards of Earth' and the likes. But despite all that I am kind of worried about how I'll enjoy them and have even put them further down my TBR because of this book alone and what it maybe says about him as a writer - especially about him as a writer for *my taste*!
But let's skip all that for now and let me put down some of my rambly thoughts first...
Alright, this might turn into a bit of a rant; a diving into mindless negativity (maybe even hate at times). But keep my review for book 1 in mind.
The praises for that one still apply here. The at times very intelligent choices of narrative devices by Tchaikovsky - mostly in form of the base-conceptuality of the world/races/cultures and how he diminishes the risk of him as a writier not being able to provide the necessary understanding for the reader.
I won't get too much into detail about all of that again, but i still - as I said - really like the idea of taking something with instant associations from the reader and deriving from it an entire set of complex cultures, factions and lore.
So what did this second entry in 'The Shadow of the Apt' series do differently, that outweighs all of this almost entirely?
Basically it all comes down to the narration. Because well... there is none. This is simply bland, lacks even a hint of personality, framing; basically any sense of someone expressing a story and ideas via the medium of text - fiction even.
What I mean by that, is that for me there was no justification for this story to be told. Now this may seem harsh but pretty much comes from what I think a book should be - maybe even what a story should be.
And what it definetely should not be in my opinion, is a telling of events. And I don't mean retelling as stories with a biographic style do (Sun-Eater, Kingkiller, maybe even parts of RotE etc.) or fictional history (Fire & Blood, etc.) do, because that is something different. What these do is telling a story and events, ocurring in a fictional world, and "filtering" it for the reader. There is always something overlaying the raw events; always something else present.
Be it the presence of the character(s) telling the story and serving as narrator, be it those who serve as POV, be it maybe even the author or his authorial/narrative voice itself - and combinations of all these. The framing and guiding towards certain focuspoints is what makes a story - not the events itself (or not singlehandidly at least).
And guess what? 'Dragonfly Falling' for me had absolutely nothing of that. So many POVs, factions, cultures, etc.
So much implied worldbuilding (through the oh-so-intelligent idea that's at base of this series), so many themes and thoughts that naturally come with that. Even great plotbeats and concepts for characters...
But none of that matters to me. It feels like there would have been no author behind this - no writer or person who decided to have fun with the medium of text. No experimentation, no "framing"!
Every scene, every POV, EVERYTHING feels the same. Just a boring beat-by-beat telling of events in each of the plotlines.
There may be the coolest setpiece ever; the largest battle with highest stakes; the most sinister character-beat; the steamiest romance or intrigue or whatever.
But each of these things would then feel exactly the same, as nothing in the narration changes. Neither tone nor focussing on specific elements of the scene, highlighting a point that is made by it, etc. There is nothing to say here and also nothing for me that's worth reading further...
This is not a story about anything. It is some characters doing some things and events taking place - one after the other. But to make a story for me, there has to be more. And sadly, I couldn't find anything.
Now... I do know, that authors evolve and get better as they get along - most of the times at least.
And I am therefore certain, that this is not what I should expect from Tchaikovsky going forward.
It might also very well be, that the series gets better as it gets along; I even know about some plotpoints and introductions later on, that do sound intriguing. But there is simply nothing that makes any more of this boredom worth the read for me.
I will give Tchaikovsky a chance with his later work - also with his SciFi work, as I could see his approach work a bit better in that environment. But I can't deny, that this achievement has damaged my excitement for that quite a lot...
But if I think about it, I should probably not worry too much, as I'll most likely forget these two books in the next couple of hours - judging on how little value and thoughts this has provided me with...
And rant over. I just needed to get this out of my head haha
I know how much he is famed for being one of the greatest writers currently working in the SFF space... I know that 'Children of Time' is basically universally named an absolute masterpiece. Same for 'Shards of Earth' and the likes. But despite all that I am kind of worried about how I'll enjoy them and have even put them further down my TBR because of this book alone and what it maybe says about him as a writer - especially about him as a writer for *my taste*!
But let's skip all that for now and let me put down some of my rambly thoughts first...
Alright, this might turn into a bit of a rant; a diving into mindless negativity (maybe even hate at times). But keep my review for book 1 in mind.
The praises for that one still apply here. The at times very intelligent choices of narrative devices by Tchaikovsky - mostly in form of the base-conceptuality of the world/races/cultures and how he diminishes the risk of him as a writier not being able to provide the necessary understanding for the reader.
I won't get too much into detail about all of that again, but i still - as I said - really like the idea of taking something with instant associations from the reader and deriving from it an entire set of complex cultures, factions and lore.
So what did this second entry in 'The Shadow of the Apt' series do differently, that outweighs all of this almost entirely?
Basically it all comes down to the narration. Because well... there is none. This is simply bland, lacks even a hint of personality, framing; basically any sense of someone expressing a story and ideas via the medium of text - fiction even.
What I mean by that, is that for me there was no justification for this story to be told. Now this may seem harsh but pretty much comes from what I think a book should be - maybe even what a story should be.
And what it definetely should not be in my opinion, is a telling of events. And I don't mean retelling as stories with a biographic style do (Sun-Eater, Kingkiller, maybe even parts of RotE etc.) or fictional history (Fire & Blood, etc.) do, because that is something different. What these do is telling a story and events, ocurring in a fictional world, and "filtering" it for the reader. There is always something overlaying the raw events; always something else present.
Be it the presence of the character(s) telling the story and serving as narrator, be it those who serve as POV, be it maybe even the author or his authorial/narrative voice itself - and combinations of all these. The framing and guiding towards certain focuspoints is what makes a story - not the events itself (or not singlehandidly at least).
And guess what? 'Dragonfly Falling' for me had absolutely nothing of that. So many POVs, factions, cultures, etc.
So much implied worldbuilding (through the oh-so-intelligent idea that's at base of this series), so many themes and thoughts that naturally come with that. Even great plotbeats and concepts for characters...
But none of that matters to me. It feels like there would have been no author behind this - no writer or person who decided to have fun with the medium of text. No experimentation, no "framing"!
Every scene, every POV, EVERYTHING feels the same. Just a boring beat-by-beat telling of events in each of the plotlines.
There may be the coolest setpiece ever; the largest battle with highest stakes; the most sinister character-beat; the steamiest romance or intrigue or whatever.
But each of these things would then feel exactly the same, as nothing in the narration changes. Neither tone nor focussing on specific elements of the scene, highlighting a point that is made by it, etc. There is nothing to say here and also nothing for me that's worth reading further...
This is not a story about anything. It is some characters doing some things and events taking place - one after the other. But to make a story for me, there has to be more. And sadly, I couldn't find anything.
Now... I do know, that authors evolve and get better as they get along - most of the times at least.
And I am therefore certain, that this is not what I should expect from Tchaikovsky going forward.
It might also very well be, that the series gets better as it gets along; I even know about some plotpoints and introductions later on, that do sound intriguing. But there is simply nothing that makes any more of this boredom worth the read for me.
I will give Tchaikovsky a chance with his later work - also with his SciFi work, as I could see his approach work a bit better in that environment. But I can't deny, that this achievement has damaged my excitement for that quite a lot...
But if I think about it, I should probably not worry too much, as I'll most likely forget these two books in the next couple of hours - judging on how little value and thoughts this has provided me with...
And rant over. I just needed to get this out of my head haha
April 20, 2012
With his series, Shadows of the Apt, Adrian Tchaikovsky has created a vast, detailed world, peopled with a wide variety of races that each have their own, unique looks and skills. Inside this place, there is a war coming... a war that will change the face of the 'lowlands' forever.
The interesting thing about this series, which I must admit put me off a little at the beginning, is the way that everyone is associated with different forms of insects - from beetles through to dragonflies, wasps, spiders etc. Yet now, having finished the second book, I find it is one of my favourite things. The races are as unique as aliens in Star Wars or Star Trek, with ancient race hatreds and the scorn of cross breeds, but still capable of joining forces to face a greater enemy, if persuaded by the right people.
I liked that Tchaikovsky uses the grand, sprawling and epic battles and journeys to further the development of the main characters and none of the battle scenes feel like repeats of previous ones. The characters are solid enough to carry even someone who usually detests battle scenes (me). I also appreciate that the main characters have their flaws without being defined by them. Even those that 'turn to the dark side' as it were, still leave me hoping desperately that they will return or make the right decision in the end.
Because of the depth and scale of this book, I very strongly recommend you read Book One: Empire in Black and Gold, before tackling this one, otherwise the insect thing is very confusing and there are far too many characters to get your head around. I suspect that this series would appeal more to male fantasy readers than female (because of the focus on epic war and machines rather than developing relationships) but having said that, there are more than enough awesome female characters to keep me interested, and relationships certainly do feature here and there (often between the lines).
In conclusion, I think that Adrian Tchaikovsky has created a worthy fantasy masterpiece and I can't wait to discover how a war of such huge proportions can possibly be resolved in the final instalment.
The interesting thing about this series, which I must admit put me off a little at the beginning, is the way that everyone is associated with different forms of insects - from beetles through to dragonflies, wasps, spiders etc. Yet now, having finished the second book, I find it is one of my favourite things. The races are as unique as aliens in Star Wars or Star Trek, with ancient race hatreds and the scorn of cross breeds, but still capable of joining forces to face a greater enemy, if persuaded by the right people.
I liked that Tchaikovsky uses the grand, sprawling and epic battles and journeys to further the development of the main characters and none of the battle scenes feel like repeats of previous ones. The characters are solid enough to carry even someone who usually detests battle scenes (me). I also appreciate that the main characters have their flaws without being defined by them. Even those that 'turn to the dark side' as it were, still leave me hoping desperately that they will return or make the right decision in the end.
Because of the depth and scale of this book, I very strongly recommend you read Book One: Empire in Black and Gold, before tackling this one, otherwise the insect thing is very confusing and there are far too many characters to get your head around. I suspect that this series would appeal more to male fantasy readers than female (because of the focus on epic war and machines rather than developing relationships) but having said that, there are more than enough awesome female characters to keep me interested, and relationships certainly do feature here and there (often between the lines).
In conclusion, I think that Adrian Tchaikovsky has created a worthy fantasy masterpiece and I can't wait to discover how a war of such huge proportions can possibly be resolved in the final instalment.
April 26, 2025
Obsessed with this series now.
October 15, 2013
Империята на осите продължава да се разраства, но така е с големите империи - трябва постоянно да растат, да обсебват нови територии и ресурси, защото в противен случай просто ще загният и ще се разпаднат. Следващата цел са основните, важни градове в Равнините - Тарк, крепост на мравкородни, всеизвестният с фабриките и престъпността си Хелерон и... космополитния Колегиум, средището на Академията, философията, занаятите и родно място на нашите герои.
Докато обаче войните текат по куп фронтове, Императора на Осите се е прицелил в нещо по-могъщо, което ще наложи властта му над целия свят без проблеми - страховит артефакт, известен на малцина. За това ще спомогне представител на древна, зловеща раса, считана за изчезнала - раса, с която нощем майките плашат децата си, ако не искат да спят, раса, легендарна в ужасяващите си щения и с афинитет към магията, на който биха завидяли и молецородните, които са били основните й екстерминатори.
Чайковски не изневерява на стила си - книгата по нищо не отстъпва на предходната, просто е логично нейно продължение. За разлика от "Империя в Черно и Златно", където основните стълкновения бяха от дуелен тип или сблъсък между две групи, тук си имаме истинска война, хора - огромни армии се сблъскват, щурмуват се стени, обсаждат се градове, в сила влизат куп изобретения, някои от които дори не са били предназначени за военни действия.
Авторът опитно развива предишните сюжетни линии, добавяйки нови и нови такива, плюс нови и нови играчи и персонажи на сцената, заплитайки такова кълбо, че направо се чудя какво ще е разплитането му - в добрия смисъл, разбира се. Имаме и немалко нови раси - конощипородните, огромни над три метра гиганти, чието Умение е да копаят както никой друг с голи ръце, скръбноликите мокрицородни, огнените мравки с червени очи и др. Интересното е, че тук в центъра на събитията застават полуродните: мелезът между мравка и бръмбар Тото, живото противоречие Тиниса, наполовина паяк, наполовина богомолка, две раси, които се ненавиждат от хилядолетия. На сцената излиза и още един, но няма да спойлвам повече.
Извънредно съм доволен и препоръчвам горещо - който е прочел първата книга, да хваща и останалите, нещо, което и аз ще направя. А ако сте фенове на фентъзито, било то класическо или модерно, не се колебайте да започнете поредицата. Чайковски е постигнал такъв уникален баланс между стиймпънк и магия, че ще ви зариби със сигурност.
Докато обаче войните текат по куп фронтове, Императора на Осите се е прицелил в нещо по-могъщо, което ще наложи властта му над целия свят без проблеми - страховит артефакт, известен на малцина. За това ще спомогне представител на древна, зловеща раса, считана за изчезнала - раса, с която нощем майките плашат децата си, ако не искат да спят, раса, легендарна в ужасяващите си щения и с афинитет към магията, на който биха завидяли и молецородните, които са били основните й екстерминатори.
Чайковски не изневерява на стила си - книгата по нищо не отстъпва на предходната, просто е логично нейно продължение. За разлика от "Империя в Черно и Златно", където основните стълкновения бяха от дуелен тип или сблъсък между две групи, тук си имаме истинска война, хора - огромни армии се сблъскват, щурмуват се стени, обсаждат се градове, в сила влизат куп изобретения, някои от които дори не са били предназначени за военни действия.
Авторът опитно развива предишните сюжетни линии, добавяйки нови и нови такива, плюс нови и нови играчи и персонажи на сцената, заплитайки такова кълбо, че направо се чудя какво ще е разплитането му - в добрия смисъл, разбира се. Имаме и немалко нови раси - конощипородните, огромни над три метра гиганти, чието Умение е да копаят както никой друг с голи ръце, скръбноликите мокрицородни, огнените мравки с червени очи и др. Интересното е, че тук в центъра на събитията застават полуродните: мелезът между мравка и бръмбар Тото, живото противоречие Тиниса, наполовина паяк, наполовина богомолка, две раси, които се ненавиждат от хилядолетия. На сцената излиза и още един, но няма да спойлвам повече.
Извънредно съм доволен и препоръчвам горещо - който е прочел първата книга, да хваща и останалите, нещо, което и аз ще направя. А ако сте фенове на фентъзито, било то класическо или модерно, не се колебайте да започнете поредицата. Чайковски е постигнал такъв уникален баланс между стиймпънк и магия, че ще ви зариби със сигурност.
January 1, 2023
An excellent continuation of the story, world building and characters whose relationships are constantly developing against the backdrop of the imminent war. I think my favourite are the Mantis kinden, I love the way they fight and their characters are fascinating.
This book focuses on the take over of the other kinden and their countries by the wasps. I found this to be interesting as there were many different tactics used by all sides and by the characters in the previous book and also new ones too. It also brings up some moral questions about war and it’s consequences.
On the whole a satisfying story which kept me entertained right up to the end. Jam packed full of action, sieges and battles. I’m Looking forward to the next..
February 26, 2022
A solid sequel to the series
December 22, 2021
This one took me much longer to read than Book 1, but I still enjoyed it.
The world-building is still just as enthralling and original as before - if anything, even better than Book 1. There are very few series that can match Shadows of the Apt in this area.
I also really enjoyed the way this book moved forward the overall arc of the series.
Some flaws started to show, however.
For one, while I do still very much enjoy most of the characters introduced in Book 1, Tchaikovsky introduces TONS more in this book, and I found myself getting a bit overwhelmed. Combine that with that fact the the author also likes to jump quickly between POV's and I had to stop a reread a ton of passages.
This book also had significantly more action than Book 1. In some ways that was fun, but it was also chaotic. Again, the bouncing around, but also - not much time to get know these new characters.
Overall, this is a good book that leaves me definitely wanting to read Book 3. It's not perfect, however, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little disspointed after how much I enjoyed Book 1.
The world-building is still just as enthralling and original as before - if anything, even better than Book 1. There are very few series that can match Shadows of the Apt in this area.
I also really enjoyed the way this book moved forward the overall arc of the series.
Some flaws started to show, however.
For one, while I do still very much enjoy most of the characters introduced in Book 1, Tchaikovsky introduces TONS more in this book, and I found myself getting a bit overwhelmed. Combine that with that fact the the author also likes to jump quickly between POV's and I had to stop a reread a ton of passages.
This book also had significantly more action than Book 1. In some ways that was fun, but it was also chaotic. Again, the bouncing around, but also - not much time to get know these new characters.
Overall, this is a good book that leaves me definitely wanting to read Book 3. It's not perfect, however, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little disspointed after how much I enjoyed Book 1.
March 8, 2010
This is really such a great novel, that it is hard to believe that is the second book of a series. This is an extremely fast paced, relentless, and unforgiving story that puts all our heroes in death's way. This novel is filled with plot twists and character development all the while it is a novel about war. I really have grown to love the insect kinden take on race and think that it makes for great fantasy. I will definately pick up the 3rd book now and recommend all fantasy readers to jump into the Shadows of the Apt series.
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