What do you think?
Rate this book
Terrible Worlds: Transformations
Preaching to the Choir
Not yet published
Expected 11 Aug 26Elena Mendes thought she understood what “old money” was.
She knew her boyfriend Ross Enderbough was rich. Like, “old money” rich. She knew he was the scion of some eccentric British line that predates the whole United States. She knew he didn’t really get on with his family, and that he fled to America to study free of their influence.
Ross has been summoned to Enderby, the family mansion built as a monastery centuries ago, for an exclusive, mysterious family gathering that happens only once a generation. Spouses and partners aren’t invited, but Ross has asked Elena to come anyway for moral support.
But there are secrets in the mouldering old pile, and terrors in the unkempt woods on the estate. And Elena slowly comes to realise that “old money” means so much more than she’d ever imagined…
She knew her boyfriend Ross Enderbough was rich. Like, “old money” rich. She knew he was the scion of some eccentric British line that predates the whole United States. She knew he didn’t really get on with his family, and that he fled to America to study free of their influence.
Ross has been summoned to Enderby, the family mansion built as a monastery centuries ago, for an exclusive, mysterious family gathering that happens only once a generation. Spouses and partners aren’t invited, but Ross has asked Elena to come anyway for moral support.
But there are secrets in the mouldering old pile, and terrors in the unkempt woods on the estate. And Elena slowly comes to realise that “old money” means so much more than she’d ever imagined…
176 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication August 11, 2026
About the author
Adrian Tchaikovsky
203 books19.3k 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
Want to Read
November 30, 2025what?
June 19, 2026
Preaching to the Choir is Adrian Tchaikovsky’s latest entry to his Terrible Worlds series. This series uses novella length stories grouped around shared themes, for this subset the stories will be centered on transformations. And through the gothic inspired journey of Elena, we learn of the very wealthy and connected Enderbough family as she joins her boyfriend Ross for a once in a generation reunion at their sprawling and forest surrounded family estate.
As in the Gothic haunted mansion tradition, from their arrival, Elena is filled with a deep sense of foreboding, especially after glimpsing the creepy angel statue at the entry. And the family is far from welcoming, from the opening of the estate door, there has clearly been a miscommunication, Ross was not supposed to bring anyone. The family does little to ease the tension, continually talking about internal matters and icing out Elena. Only among the cousins does there seem to be feelings of rapport and friendliness.
As Ross and Elena spend more time at the estate, the sinister becomes much more clear. The mansion is hard to navigate, having been added to and renovating many times over the centuries. It is surrounded by a heavy and dark forest. Ross, Elena and two of the cousins attempt to explore the forest by path, but when two of them are injured and the family closes ranks to emphasize a specific version of events, the hostilities go from hinted to outright. Will Elena and Ross make it out? And what is it the family is so set on keeping secret?
Tchaikovsky, quite prolific, offers a science fiction fueled tale of gothic horror. The mansion and the woods provide excellent atmosphere, and Elena, who sees too much too soon reacts with realistic fright and panic, but still retains sanity and curiosity.
Recommended to readers of gothic horror, conspiracies of the wealthy or monstrous transformation.
I received a free digital version of this book via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.
As in the Gothic haunted mansion tradition, from their arrival, Elena is filled with a deep sense of foreboding, especially after glimpsing the creepy angel statue at the entry. And the family is far from welcoming, from the opening of the estate door, there has clearly been a miscommunication, Ross was not supposed to bring anyone. The family does little to ease the tension, continually talking about internal matters and icing out Elena. Only among the cousins does there seem to be feelings of rapport and friendliness.
As Ross and Elena spend more time at the estate, the sinister becomes much more clear. The mansion is hard to navigate, having been added to and renovating many times over the centuries. It is surrounded by a heavy and dark forest. Ross, Elena and two of the cousins attempt to explore the forest by path, but when two of them are injured and the family closes ranks to emphasize a specific version of events, the hostilities go from hinted to outright. Will Elena and Ross make it out? And what is it the family is so set on keeping secret?
Tchaikovsky, quite prolific, offers a science fiction fueled tale of gothic horror. The mansion and the woods provide excellent atmosphere, and Elena, who sees too much too soon reacts with realistic fright and panic, but still retains sanity and curiosity.
Recommended to readers of gothic horror, conspiracies of the wealthy or monstrous transformation.
I received a free digital version of this book via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Read as an arc from Netgalley.
Preaching to the Choir honestly reminded me a lot of a mix between the movie Ready or Not and The Fall of the House of Usher tv show. Both of which I am a big fan of, so this is not a bad comparison at all. The biggest difference is that this is not funny like Ready or Not, and probably a bit less gory than House of Usher. There is a little bit of gore, to be fair, but it is not super detailed or protracted so in comparison, it's not a super gory book at all.
This is fairly atmospheric, which is what you usually want from a gothic story. Vibes were on point, you felt that discomfort, that something uncanny, and that slight disorientation, from pretty much the very start. You weren't completely sure who to trust in the story and the ending went in the direction that I personally wanted it to. That doesn't happen all that often in stories like this, so I am very happy about that. The reveal about what was happening shouldn't have surprised me, but it kind of actually did.
This was read as an arc, so I assume that some changes are still to be made... I say this because there was one or two things that stood out that need editing. Namely, near the start, there are a couple things that the characters talk about and then a few pages or a chapter later they discuss the thing again as though it's never been discussed before. Total revelation, even though they already know all of it. Also when the MC realises what is happening she describes the thing, but she doesn't actually name it for several pages and that was odd. Like most people will get it from her description, but not everyone. It was just an odd thing to not say the word as soon as she had the revelation. But yeah, hopefully that's all arc stuff and will be fixed before final release. It's not enough to make the book bad though.
Adrian Tchaikovsky continues to be one of my favourite authors, and I am always looking forward to seeing what he comes up with next and discovering if it's going to be one I love or one of those few that just do not work for me at all.
Preaching to the Choir honestly reminded me a lot of a mix between the movie Ready or Not and The Fall of the House of Usher tv show. Both of which I am a big fan of, so this is not a bad comparison at all. The biggest difference is that this is not funny like Ready or Not, and probably a bit less gory than House of Usher. There is a little bit of gore, to be fair, but it is not super detailed or protracted so in comparison, it's not a super gory book at all.
This is fairly atmospheric, which is what you usually want from a gothic story. Vibes were on point, you felt that discomfort, that something uncanny, and that slight disorientation, from pretty much the very start. You weren't completely sure who to trust in the story and the ending went in the direction that I personally wanted it to. That doesn't happen all that often in stories like this, so I am very happy about that. The reveal about what was happening shouldn't have surprised me, but it kind of actually did.
This was read as an arc, so I assume that some changes are still to be made... I say this because there was one or two things that stood out that need editing. Namely, near the start, there are a couple things that the characters talk about and then a few pages or a chapter later they discuss the thing again as though it's never been discussed before. Total revelation, even though they already know all of it. Also when the MC realises what is happening she describes the thing, but she doesn't actually name it for several pages and that was odd. Like most people will get it from her description, but not everyone. It was just an odd thing to not say the word as soon as she had the revelation. But yeah, hopefully that's all arc stuff and will be fixed before final release. It's not enough to make the book bad though.
Adrian Tchaikovsky continues to be one of my favourite authors, and I am always looking forward to seeing what he comes up with next and discovering if it's going to be one I love or one of those few that just do not work for me at all.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Well this was an interesting read but then again it is Tchaikovsky, so if you go into this thinking it's going to be normal that's on you.
Overall I found the story engaging if not a bit confusing at times. Tchaikovsky has a way of telling his stories where one minute I'm following along just fine and the next I'm lost, and I do feel a lot of that is due to the vocabulary he uses and how he uses it. This isn't a bad thing, it keeps me on my toes and introduces me to new words and I like that, but I will not lie it does make it a struggle sometimes.
We follow a decent sized cast of characters who all distinctly have their own voice, though at times I did get confused as to who was talking but that's due to how the scenes were written and not because I was mixing them up. Elena was a great character to follow, although sometimes I couldn't tell if what she was going through was purposely meant to come across as confusing because she was confused or if I was just struggling to follow the writing. The story is creepy, dark and unsettling. I really enjoyed the horror side of this tale, it kept my curiosity piqued.
The only real frustration I have with this tale is understanding the connection between what is revealed about the family and how it helped them become so filthy rich and have so much influence. I understand parts of it but the grand scheme of it leaves me feeling a bit underwhelmed with the outcome. I didn't find the ending to be that strong. I also found the reveal of what the horror was to be kind of lackluster, though I give points for originality (unless this exists in some culture I am unaware of it).
Overall its another interesting novella and one that will either bit a hit or miss for people.
Overall I found the story engaging if not a bit confusing at times. Tchaikovsky has a way of telling his stories where one minute I'm following along just fine and the next I'm lost, and I do feel a lot of that is due to the vocabulary he uses and how he uses it. This isn't a bad thing, it keeps me on my toes and introduces me to new words and I like that, but I will not lie it does make it a struggle sometimes.
We follow a decent sized cast of characters who all distinctly have their own voice, though at times I did get confused as to who was talking but that's due to how the scenes were written and not because I was mixing them up. Elena was a great character to follow, although sometimes I couldn't tell if what she was going through was purposely meant to come across as confusing because she was confused or if I was just struggling to follow the writing. The story is creepy, dark and unsettling. I really enjoyed the horror side of this tale, it kept my curiosity piqued.
The only real frustration I have with this tale is understanding the connection between what is revealed about the family and how it helped them become so filthy rich and have so much influence. I understand parts of it but the grand scheme of it leaves me feeling a bit underwhelmed with the outcome. I didn't find the ending to be that strong. I also found the reveal of what the horror was to be kind of lackluster, though I give points for originality (unless this exists in some culture I am unaware of it).
Overall its another interesting novella and one that will either bit a hit or miss for people.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I have no idea how to review this novella without spoilers, but it was good — really good. I haven't read a ton of Tchaikovsky, but I've started slowly working my way through his Terrible Worlds stories and was surprised to find that this one is more old-fashioned horror-y than the others I've read. There are some sci-fi and fantasy elements, sure, but there's no wardrobe to a Narnia-esque land or aliens or anything of the sort. This story is full of monsters and terror and rich British people behaving very badly, and I loved every minute of it.
Perhaps the ending isn't the most unpredictable ending in literary history — I saw it coming from fairly early on — but it's a wild ride getting there and it really is the perfect conclusion to … everything. If there's one thing I've learned from horror novels, it's that nothing good can come from being summoned back to a centuries-old family estate for a once-a-generation reunion with your awful relatives. And being an outsider who just happens tag along for this bizarro gathering? Far, far worse. This novella is full of foreboding and horror and creepiness, and it's one story I certainly wouldn't want to be the main character in. I think. But also kind of maybe?
So, yeah — no spoilers. Just go into this one blind because it's a lot of fun in a horrifying sort of way. I can't believe I waited so long to start reading Tchaikovsky, because he's quickly becoming one of my new favorite authors.
4.35 stars, rounded down.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Solaris for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is August 11, 2026.
Perhaps the ending isn't the most unpredictable ending in literary history — I saw it coming from fairly early on — but it's a wild ride getting there and it really is the perfect conclusion to … everything. If there's one thing I've learned from horror novels, it's that nothing good can come from being summoned back to a centuries-old family estate for a once-a-generation reunion with your awful relatives. And being an outsider who just happens tag along for this bizarro gathering? Far, far worse. This novella is full of foreboding and horror and creepiness, and it's one story I certainly wouldn't want to be the main character in. I think. But also kind of maybe?
So, yeah — no spoilers. Just go into this one blind because it's a lot of fun in a horrifying sort of way. I can't believe I waited so long to start reading Tchaikovsky, because he's quickly becoming one of my new favorite authors.
4.35 stars, rounded down.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Solaris for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is August 11, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
── 5.0✦
(thank you solaris publishers through netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review)
Kings, queens, politicians, religious leaders, business moguls; these are powerful people in the history of the world and in the background, hovering over their left shoulders in the shadows, are the Enderboughs. A family that can trace its lineage to the earliest of humanity, whose traditions are older than some countries’ independence and who every 40 years hosts a family reunion. Strictly family is invited to this reunion—no partners who married in and definitely no dating prospects—but Ross Enderbough who fled to America to live away from his family’s influence, forced to make the trip, brings his girlfriend Elena. Elena, who knows that her boyfriend comes from ‘old money’ but has no idea that everything she believed about that term will be changed once she steps into the family mansion, Enderby.
There’s always that one novella that completely captures me. In Terrible Worlds: Revolutions, it was Ogres and depending on the third novella Tchaikovsky releases in this Terrible Worlds: Transformations series, ‘Preaching To The Choir’ might be that one novella for me. While ‘Saturation Point’ reminded me of Annihilation, this reminds me of ‘‘Ready or Not’ and I was completely entranced. I read this in one sitting. Adrian Tchaikovsky did it again.
Also referring to an American as “baggage back from the Colonies.” had no right to make me laugh as hard as it did.
(thank you solaris publishers through netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review)
Fidelitatis Et Perseverantiae
Kings, queens, politicians, religious leaders, business moguls; these are powerful people in the history of the world and in the background, hovering over their left shoulders in the shadows, are the Enderboughs. A family that can trace its lineage to the earliest of humanity, whose traditions are older than some countries’ independence and who every 40 years hosts a family reunion. Strictly family is invited to this reunion—no partners who married in and definitely no dating prospects—but Ross Enderbough who fled to America to live away from his family’s influence, forced to make the trip, brings his girlfriend Elena. Elena, who knows that her boyfriend comes from ‘old money’ but has no idea that everything she believed about that term will be changed once she steps into the family mansion, Enderby.
There’s always that one novella that completely captures me. In Terrible Worlds: Revolutions, it was Ogres and depending on the third novella Tchaikovsky releases in this Terrible Worlds: Transformations series, ‘Preaching To The Choir’ might be that one novella for me. While ‘Saturation Point’ reminded me of Annihilation, this reminds me of ‘‘Ready or Not’ and I was completely entranced. I read this in one sitting. Adrian Tchaikovsky did it again.
Also referring to an American as “baggage back from the Colonies.” had no right to make me laugh as hard as it did.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was an interesting book. I love Adrian Tchaikovsky's writing and was intrigued to see what he'd do with a 'Ready or Not'-style premise - he's usually excellent at ramping up tension with an appropriate payoff, so how would this horror title fare in his hands?
It doesn't outstay its welcome, that's for sure. Short and sweet, we enter the creaky mansion, meet the weird family and discover strange goings on at breakneck speed, with a literal chase then ensuing before the denuement... and done! This is the perfect book for a spare afternoon with a storm going on outside for maximum atmosphere.
All of the characters were well-realized, from our protagonist Elena and her boyfriend to the more sympathetic family members - which means that when the Bad Stuff starts to happen, the stakes are set high because we care about them and want them to survive. Perfect, no notes.
I think my only niggle is the ending, which was always a choice on the table for our heroine, but still appeared somewhat unexpectedly for me. It's that rare case of a Final Girl (almost) making the difficult decision rather than the plot-predictable one, and I appreciated it while being left pondering what it meant for what happens next.
While great fun, I think I'd have liked a more novel-length version of this story that allowed for a bit more background and world-building, because I was enjoying it so much. Not a bad problem at all, and I enjoyed my time with this little adventure - very intrigued to see if the author dives into such waters again in future.
I was kindly sent an early copy of this book by the publisher, but the above opinions are entirely my own.
It doesn't outstay its welcome, that's for sure. Short and sweet, we enter the creaky mansion, meet the weird family and discover strange goings on at breakneck speed, with a literal chase then ensuing before the denuement... and done! This is the perfect book for a spare afternoon with a storm going on outside for maximum atmosphere.
All of the characters were well-realized, from our protagonist Elena and her boyfriend to the more sympathetic family members - which means that when the Bad Stuff starts to happen, the stakes are set high because we care about them and want them to survive. Perfect, no notes.
I think my only niggle is the ending, which was always a choice on the table for our heroine, but still appeared somewhat unexpectedly for me. It's that rare case of a Final Girl (almost) making the difficult decision rather than the plot-predictable one, and I appreciated it while being left pondering what it meant for what happens next.
While great fun, I think I'd have liked a more novel-length version of this story that allowed for a bit more background and world-building, because I was enjoying it so much. Not a bad problem at all, and I enjoyed my time with this little adventure - very intrigued to see if the author dives into such waters again in future.
I was kindly sent an early copy of this book by the publisher, but the above opinions are entirely my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
First of all, thank you, Netgalley and Solaris, for this advanced reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Adrian Tchaikovsky is one of my favourite authors. I love the way he blends ecology, politics, and speculative fiction. Preaching to the Choir is a little different from his usual work, but a similar heart beats beneath the horror. As I read, I felt able to connect the dots between the story and the ecological ideas it draws upon, which added considerably to the experience. The whole book feels remarkably believable: the characters are convincingly written, and the events gain a certain verisimilitude from Tchaikovsky’s understanding of ecology.
It's one of the few horror books where I didn't immediately guess the ending! I really like the protagonist; she is competently written and doesn't do anything too stupid that would break my immersion. This book also includes pictures of artefacts in the story, which was a nice touch.
The final act and conclusion of the book were exceptional. No notes, 5 stars
Adrian Tchaikovsky is one of my favourite authors. I love the way he blends ecology, politics, and speculative fiction. Preaching to the Choir is a little different from his usual work, but a similar heart beats beneath the horror. As I read, I felt able to connect the dots between the story and the ecological ideas it draws upon, which added considerably to the experience. The whole book feels remarkably believable: the characters are convincingly written, and the events gain a certain verisimilitude from Tchaikovsky’s understanding of ecology.
It's one of the few horror books where I didn't immediately guess the ending! I really like the protagonist; she is competently written and doesn't do anything too stupid that would break my immersion. This book also includes pictures of artefacts in the story, which was a nice touch.
The final act and conclusion of the book were exceptional. No notes, 5 stars
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Talk about perfectly timed and on the pulse writing! Wow! I needed this horror now like I needed water. I really cannot express how perfect this story was and it consumed my afternoon and will forever stick with me. If you liked Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher, you will love this story too.
Quick, no spoiler synopsis, Elena joins her boyfriend, Ross, for a family gathering at their stuffy old money manor with all the typical old money gothic details and looming eccentricities. The only problem is Elena was not invited. What follows is deliciously quick and everything you could expect and many things you would never ever expect. Get this book!
Thank-you, Rebellion Publishing, Solaris Books, and Adrian Tchaikovsky, for this complimentary copy. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Quick, no spoiler synopsis, Elena joins her boyfriend, Ross, for a family gathering at their stuffy old money manor with all the typical old money gothic details and looming eccentricities. The only problem is Elena was not invited. What follows is deliciously quick and everything you could expect and many things you would never ever expect. Get this book!
Thank-you, Rebellion Publishing, Solaris Books, and Adrian Tchaikovsky, for this complimentary copy. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5 stars
I grabbed this on a whim from NetGalley. I've bounced off some of Tchaikovsky's meatier novels and had him filed as "not an author for me" but I can't resist the siren song of a gothic horror novella. I'm so glad I gave in to temptation as it turns out, given the right story, Tchaikovsky IS an author for me. This 100 page novella hit all the right beats: creepy ancestral home; aloof, uppercrust British people; inexplicable horrors lurking outside the safety of the metal-barred, thick wooden doors. I LOVED Elena as a POV character. Her sardonic commentary on the Enderboughs, as a working class American woman in the midst of aristocratic Old Boys cracked me up.
Although this is tagged as part of a series, it is written as and intended to be read as a standalone.
If you're looking for a spooky bite-sized read with healthy side of Eat the Rich, this one is fun!
I grabbed this on a whim from NetGalley. I've bounced off some of Tchaikovsky's meatier novels and had him filed as "not an author for me" but I can't resist the siren song of a gothic horror novella. I'm so glad I gave in to temptation as it turns out, given the right story, Tchaikovsky IS an author for me. This 100 page novella hit all the right beats: creepy ancestral home; aloof, uppercrust British people; inexplicable horrors lurking outside the safety of the metal-barred, thick wooden doors. I LOVED Elena as a POV character. Her sardonic commentary on the Enderboughs, as a working class American woman in the midst of aristocratic Old Boys cracked me up.
Although this is tagged as part of a series, it is written as and intended to be read as a standalone.
If you're looking for a spooky bite-sized read with healthy side of Eat the Rich, this one is fun!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Ready or Not vibes are strong in Preaching to the Choir, a standalone gothic horror novella set in a creepy English mansion. The eeriness is there right from the start and it doesn't let up, making use of every single page. There are also some creepy images placed through the book which bring some of the descriptions to life. All in all, it had me racing through all 176 pages in no time at all!
I don't want to say much about the plot to avoid spoilers, so I'll just say that this is a great, quick read. Whether you read horror all year round or dip into it for Summerween and/or actual Halloween, the novella length is great for giving a quick horror hit, like watching a film!
Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley, but this is my voluntary and honest review.
I don't want to say much about the plot to avoid spoilers, so I'll just say that this is a great, quick read. Whether you read horror all year round or dip into it for Summerween and/or actual Halloween, the novella length is great for giving a quick horror hit, like watching a film!
Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley, but this is my voluntary and honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I had no idea Adrian Tchaikovsky wrote horror, so this was such a pleasant surprise. This novella immediately made me want to pick up the rest of the series. As I was reading, I couldn't stop thinking about how much it reminded me of Delilah S. Dawson's Guillotine (which is high praise because that's still my favorite of her books). It has that same unsettling atmosphere and creeping sense of familial dread, just with a little less blood. Tchaikovsky's signature writing style, with its rich, layered prose, was a perfect fit for this story. It packed a lot into such a short read, and now I'm looking forward to seeing what else this series has in store.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Adrian Tchaikovsky, and Rebellion for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Adrian Tchaikovsky, and Rebellion for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
From the very beginning the setting makes it clear that something is very wrong on the family estate, and not just because Elena is surrounded by an old money family. The setting is very well done, and while Elena and the reader get glimpses of what is wrong, it only comes together to a clear picture of exactly what is happening at Enderby towards the end of the book. The horror aspects are well written, leaving the reader invested in figuring out what is happening, and despite the short length of a novella I was invested in what happened to Elena, Ross, and Ross's cousins.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I’ve read a few Adrian Tchaikovsky books and this one was on par with those. It was a bit slower than I expected, but once I settled into it, I enjoyed my time. Even though the start was slow, the ending was surprising and it was well worth the effort. Give it time to get going and I think most will be pleased with the direction it goes. There is quite a lot going on so it’s hard to keep track of things which was a great way to keep me guessing. I highly recommend this if you’re looking for a mystery/horror book.
Thank you, NetGalley and Rebellion/Solaris for inviting me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.
Thank you, NetGalley and Rebellion/Solaris for inviting me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was my first read from this offer and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The narrative paired with the gothic, “old money” setting was mysterious, creepy, and propulsive; I sat down with it last night and read straight through! The ending did seem to come out of nowhere but still somehow made sense once I had some time to think through it, and I was really impressed with how much character work the author was able to pack into a short number of pages. I’m looking forward to checking out more of his work since it’s been recommended to me quite a bit!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I'm usually quite a fan of the prolific Adrian Tchaikovsky, but this one didn't hit in the way something like his recent "Saturation Point" did. Venturing into the genre of spooky British mansion murder mysteries (given that it's just such a well-tread arena), I anticipated an inventive Tchaikovskian reinvention. And, while, yes, there's his usual sci-fi twist, it all felt a bit underdeveloped and didn't resonate in the existential way some of his other novels do. It was a quick enjoyable read on a plane, but will not stick with me sadly.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC.
I enjoyed this one more than I expected. The first half, I wasnt sure where it was going; it felt almost YA, and it's not the traditional sci-fi or fantasy I'm used to seeing from Tchaikovsky.
But for a book that had me clueless as to where it was going, the ending tied together beautifully. Of COURSE that's what's going on. How could it be otherwise?
I enjoyed this one more than I expected. The first half, I wasnt sure where it was going; it felt almost YA, and it's not the traditional sci-fi or fantasy I'm used to seeing from Tchaikovsky.
But for a book that had me clueless as to where it was going, the ending tied together beautifully. Of COURSE that's what's going on. How could it be otherwise?
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Half way through, I was reminded of Charles Stross and a very excellent short story he wrote. And so it turns out, Tchaikovsky admits to a conversation with Stross at a previous time.
This is far from a condemnation. This is high praise, for the concept behind this particular novella is excellent. And creepy. And deliciously evil. :)
No spoilers. It's very much an American butting romantic heads with aristocracy story. And more. Muahahahahaha
This is far from a condemnation. This is high praise, for the concept behind this particular novella is excellent. And creepy. And deliciously evil. :)
No spoilers. It's very much an American butting romantic heads with aristocracy story. And more. Muahahahahaha
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Exactly what horror should be. No slow burn, no boring as shit flashbacks, just wham bam creepy shit is happening, y'all. Perfect novella size, so you can knock it over in an hour. Let's fucking go. Five stars.
Big thank you to Solaris and Netgalley for the ARC.
Big thank you to Solaris and Netgalley for the ARC.
Want to Read
November 18, 202511/08/26
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
RTC
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews