Adrian Tchaikovsky

[Corvinus85]

9 minutes ago, Rhom said:

Is the hardback that rare?

I think it's a case of someone putting the decimal in the wrong place. Though even $100 would be too much.

Edited June 21, 2022 by Corvinus85

[Underfoot]

Adrian Tchaikovksy has been on my list for awhile, and the Guns of the Dawn discussion here nudged me into picking it up. What a great read! Thanks to everyone who suggested it. 

Super well-paced - didn't waste any time but still did enough world and character-building to not have the story beats feel rushed, unearned, or out-of-nowhere. Emily's arc was indeed excellent, and I'm not mad that it ended where it did (even though the fallout would've been fun to see). The prose was good and drew me right in. I liked the world and how natural the magic and fantasy elements felt, even though they weren't the focus. 

Overall a really great foray into his books. Any recommendations to follow up Guns of the Dawn? Anything else in that world? Not feeling sci-fi right now. 

[Rhom]

1 hour ago, Underfoot said:

Adrian Tchaikovksy has been on my list for awhile, and the Guns of the Dawn discussion here nudged me into picking it up. What a great read! Thanks to everyone who suggested it. 

Super well-paced - didn't waste any time but still did enough world and character-building to not have the story beats feel rushed, unearned, or out-of-nowhere. Emily's arc was indeed excellent, and I'm not mad that it ended where it did (even though the fallout would've been fun to see). The prose was good and drew me right in. I liked the world and how natural the magic and fantasy elements felt, even though they weren't the focus. 

Overall a really great foray into his books. Any recommendations to follow up Guns of the Dawn? Anything else in that world? Not feeling sci-fi right now. 

The Shadows of the Apt that I am reading is fantasy.

[Corvinus85]

I've read the novela Elder Race. It was fine. I liked it until the last act where apparently

Spoiler

the "demon" was from another dimension, instead of space, but there was no time to explore that, just blow up the connecting gate and life goes on.

Is he intending to write sequels to it?

[williamjm]

19 hours ago, Underfoot said:

Overall a really great foray into his books. Any recommendations to follow up Guns of the Dawn? Anything else in that world? Not feeling sci-fi right now. 

He hasn't done anything else in the Guns of the Dawn world so far.

If you want fantasy then he's done two series, the Shadows of the Apt series and the Echoes of the Fall trilogy. There's a lot I like about the Apt books although compared to Guns of the Dawn they have some pacing issues at times. I also liked the Echoes of the Fall books (starting with The Tiger and the Wolf), they were written later and I think Tchaikovsky had learned a lot from writing his debut series.

[williamjm]

On 7/3/2022 at 12:51 AM, Corvinus85 said:

I've read the novela Elder Race. It was fine. I liked it until the last act where apparently

  Hide contents

the "demon" was from another dimension, instead of space, but there was no time to explore that, just blow up the connecting gate and life goes on.

Is he intending to write sequels to it?

Spoiler

I did think it was interesting that Lynesse seemed to understand somehow that it was a threat from beyond their world and not from space (I can't remember the exact phrasing used) which is why she says they call it a demon rather than a monster, but Nyr doesn't really follow-up on it.

I also wouldn't be too surprised by a sequel, although I haven't hear anything about one.

Meanwhile, I see Tchaikovsky has found time to write yet another novel, called City of Lost Chances, coming out in December which will be at least the third this year. This is the blurb:

Quote

 

There has always been a darkness to Ilmar, but never more so than now. The city chafes under the heavy hand of the Palleseen occupation, the choke-hold of its criminal underworld, the boot of its factory owners, the weight of its wretched poor and the burden of its ancient curse.

What will be the spark that lights the conflagration?

Despite the city's refugees, wanderers, murderers, madmen, fanatics and thieves, the catalyst, as always, will be the Anchorwood – that dark grove of trees, that primeval remnant, that portal, when the moon is full, to strange and distant shores.

Ilmar, some say, is the worst place in the world and the gateway to a thousand worse places.

Ilmar, City of Long Shadows.

City of Bad Decisions.

City of Last Chances.

 

 

 

[dog-days]

By the name of [fantasy god moniker of choice], how does he do it? Is he really identical triplets? 

Also, is my local library service going to buy it? 

[shortstark]

Been on a Tchaikovsky binge recently

Read Elder Race Ogre and The Doors of Eden, Ogre was underwhelming but both Doors of Eden and Elder Race were well done, I have noticed a political slant to the writing though which is a bit heavy handed at times, but as it generally aligns with my leanings I don't mind it so much, others might find it jarring though..

[Altherion]

On 7/2/2022 at 7:51 PM, Corvinus85 said:

I've read the novela Elder Race. It was fine. I liked it until the last act where apparently

  Reveal hidden contents

the "demon" was from another dimension, instead of space, but there was no time to explore that, just blow up the connecting gate and life goes on.

Is he intending to write sequels to it?

When I read it, I thought that it might be related to Children of Ruin. That is,

Spoiler

The "demon" looks an awful lot like a confused version of the virus that can take over sentient life after it has learned the faster-than-light communication and travel at the end of the book.

 

[mcbigski]

Cage of Souls and a few others were on Kindle unlimited and that came up as a suggestion.  Fine read.  Recommend.

Trouble sleeping last night and ran through Precious Little Things.  Also a very solid and happy to see there's more in the same setting.  A few Sanctuary vibes with the criminal element and also even some Discworld vibes.  Distinct from them both but if you like them both, you may like that too.

Going to have to read deeper into his catalog.

<Apparently Precious Little Things was the main bit in that setting and there's still a prequel to go, but enjoyable either way.  >

Edited January 27, 2023 by mcbigski

[RedEyedGhost]

I've been reading Shadows of the Apt over the past year, and am nearing the end of The Air War.  I'm liking this book quite a bit, but as others have noted the series definitely has pacing issues.  Several years ago I had read Echos of the Fall - you can really see the way his writing had developed, they're just so much more smooth than the Apt books.  I do wish I hadn't jumped straight into the latter.

[Rhom]

1 hour ago, RedEyedGhost said:

I've been reading Shadows of the Apt over the past year, and am nearing the end of The Air War.  I'm liking this book quite a bit, but as others have noted the series definitely has pacing issues.  Several years ago I had read Echos of the Fall - you can really see the way his writing had developed, they're just so much more smooth than the Apt books.  I do wish I hadn't jumped straight into the latter.

I've been working my way through it since last summer.  (With other books interspaced at times.)  I'm nearing the end of The Sea Watch.  Its been interesting to see him branch off in the prior book taking some characters to a completely unknown area of the world and then doing the same to a different group in this one.  

[williamjm]

53 minutes ago, Rhom said:

I've been working my way through it since last summer.  (With other books interspaced at times.)  I'm nearing the end of The Sea Watch.  Its been interesting to see him branch off in the prior book taking some characters to a completely unknown area of the world and then doing the same to a different group in this one.  

I do like that the series isn't a single ten book narrative but is broken up into smaller sub-series and has some books that are almost stand-alones. I think The Sea Watch probably sets a record for the number of different kinden in it.

[RedEyedGhost]

The Sea Watch was great, and was a nice break from the usual war (I certainly had to break up the series with other books too.  The first four books definitely felt like they were part one, and I'm assuming the last three will be a final trilogy, as 5-7 were all fairly self-contained (kind of felt like Abercrombie's stand alones).  The Scarab Path is probably my favorite so far.  

 

[polishgenius]

I read City of Last Chances the other week. I like these more niche-style books he writes where he gets to flex his imagination and that. Not that it's anything completely out-there, but you know, you've got his epic fantasies and space operas and then these little curios. 

 

On 6/21/2022 at 7:53 PM, Corvinus85 said:

I think it's a case of someone putting the decimal in the wrong place. Though even $100 would be too much.

 

Going back to this, just because I was curious: there are two copies of the hardcover on Amazon now, both for $1,500. Not an error, evidently. 

 

 

[williamjm]

13 hours ago, RedEyedGhost said:

The Sea Watch was great, and was a nice break from the usual war (I certainly had to break up the series with other books too.  The first four books definitely felt like they were part one, and I'm assuming the last three will be a final trilogy, as 5-7 were all fairly self-contained (kind of felt like Abercrombie's stand alones).  The Scarab Path is probably my favorite so far. 

The last three do form one of the story arcs, although I think some of the key elements of the finale of the series don't get introduced until the ninth book.

The Scarab Path was one of my favourites in the series.

[Rhom]

16 hours ago, RedEyedGhost said:

The Sea Watch was great, and was a nice break from the usual war (I certainly had to break up the series with other books too.  The first four books definitely felt like they were part one, and I'm assuming the last three will be a final trilogy, as 5-7 were all fairly self-contained (kind of felt like Abercrombie's stand alones).  The Scarab Path is probably my favorite so far.  

 

 

2 hours ago, williamjm said:

The last three do form one of the story arcs, although I think some of the key elements of the finale of the series don't get introduced until the ninth book.

The Scarab Path was one of my favourites in the series.

I loved the reveal that the Masters of Kanaphes were

Spoiler

Slug Kinden

I believe that might have been the first encounter we had with Kinden that weren't specifically affiliated with insects?

[Rhom]

I've been so careful not to get around on the internet and find any message boards with significant discussion on the series though for fear of spoilers.  I regret that I wasn't reading them contemporaneously to their release.  The upshot of that though is that I have the entire series in the slick looking black covers with the simple art.

[RedEyedGhost]

3 hours ago, williamjm said:

The last three do form one of the story arcs, although I think some of the key elements of the finale of the series don't get introduced until the ninth book.

Mild spoiler question:

Spoiler

The Worms?  With them having the name of the final book, I assume that's where it's going.

They were mentioned at the end of book seven with Che in the Commonweal, and Seda went to one of the seals in book eight.

 

1 hour ago, Rhom said:

I've been so careful not to get around on the internet and find any message boards with significant discussion on the series though for fear of spoilers.  I regret that I wasn't reading them contemporaneously to their release.  The upshot of that though is that I have the entire series in the slick looking black covers with the simple art.

I'm waiting to start series more and more, just to be able to read them close together.  Way too burnt out on long waits in between books.

[Rhom]

26 minutes ago, RedEyedGhost said:

Mild spoiler question:

  Hide contents

The Worms?  With them having the name of the final book, I assume that's where it's going.

They were mentioned at the end of book seven with Che in the Commonweal, and Seda went to one of the seals in book eight.

 

I'm waiting to start series more and more, just to be able to read them close together.  Way too burnt out on long waits in between books.

I do assume that those will be the kinden in the final book based on the title, but no there's a line near the end of The Scarab Path as Che is escaping the Masters who have been pretty enigmatic where it says:

Spoiler

"Che would remember for ever the sight of them as she glanced back one last time: beautiful by an alien aesthetic, huge and commanding, and gleaming in that bluish light.  The immortal Slug-kinden, the Masters of Kanaphes."

Prior to that, I don't recall their kinden being mentioned.  But the slime that was mentioned on the walls of the great pyramid made sense as well as their bloated appearance once that line was revealed.

But I do think they were the first kinden not related to an insect.  Then in Sea Watch there are obviously several that are not related to insects.

Edited January 31, 2023 by Rhom