The Sea Watch - Adrian Tchaikovsky

THE SEA WATCH

Book 6 of "Shadows of the Apt"

Read about the previous books HERE

ISBN - 978-0-330-51146-9
FIRST PUBLISHED - 2011
PAGES - 703
BINDING - Paperback
GENRE - Fantasy

AUTHOR - Adrian Tchaikovsky

BEST-SELLERS - Empire in Black and Gold, Dragonfly Falling

SYNOPSIS - [from the back cover]

A shadow is falling over Collegium.

Despite the tenuous peace, Stenwold Maker knows that the Empire will return to his city. Even as he tries to prepare for the resurgence of the black and gold, a hidden threat is steadily working against his people. Ships that sail from Collegium's habor are being attacked, sunk by pirates. Some just go missing ...

Lulled by the spread of lies and false promises, Stenwold's allies are falling away from him. He faces betrayal on every side, and the Empire is just waiting, for the first sign of weakness to strike. But the Empire is not the only power that has its eyes on Collegium. And even the Wasp-kinden may not be powerful enough to stave off the forces massing in the darkness and turning hungry eyes towards Stenwold's city.

FL Speak - [contains spoilers]

I just cannot have enough of this series. When you are reading an extremely long series, there comes a time when you need a break and start afresh. While reading "Shadows of the Apt", I've gobbled it up as soon as possible. If that doesn't tell you how wonderful this series is, nothing else will.

Just as Book 5 was solely Che and occasionally Thalric, book 6 is our own spymaster Stenwold Maker. And Stenwold Maker's character has grown by leaps and bounds as he grows older. If you've discovered this series, then the name of the book itself will give you a clue about what to expect. Yes, its about time the sea-kinden made themselves known.

Collegium is in relative peace mode now that the war has paused for the time being. But palpable tension is in the air as the Imperial army has conquered the distant city of Khanaphes and some of its army is in marching distance towards Myna again. But more than the war with the Empire, the city of Collegium faces threat among its own. On top of that reports are flying in that ships are mysteriously vanishing around the port of Collegium. As Stenwold looks into the matter, he discovers another betrayal among his allies. The Spider-kinden Teornis has other plans for Collegium and the once allies now find themselves opposite each other of the sword.

When Stenwold and Teornis decides to face off in a diplomatic way, the are attacked and kidnapped and find themselves in an impossible place - the hold of the sea-kinden. I will not even bother explaining the different sea kinden, suffice to say that they are vast. Just as the land-kinden includes Beetles, Ants, Bees, Spiders, Wasps, the sea-kinden has its own exotic types. And although they may not have reached the same technological level of the land-kinden, the sea kinden are huge and immensely powerful. Faced with the threat of the Wasps, the Spiders and now the sea-kinden, Stenwold Maker must find allies in the unlikeliest places if he is to save Collegium from the brink of destruction.

The Sea Watch took the ever-growing series into a far greater level and now Adrian Tchaikovsky must deliver the best of the best in the last 4 remaining books. This is a fantastic series, something that comes once in a couple of decades and then sweeps you in awe with its originality and execution. Non-stop adventure, intrigue, double-crossing and the threat of war keeps everyone on their toes, including the readers as they are transported to a world where they feel they are a part of it.

Not many new characters, Laszlo and Jodry Drillen may still appear in the remaining books, unless ofcourse someone kills them [which is entire possible]. Another betrayal at camp Maker and if you try hard, you can almost guess who it might be since only a few of them are alive.

Great book, impressive writing, this is one series I'm proud to read.

Rating - 5 stars

PRICE - INR 195/- [Homeshop18 Price]

The Scarab Path - Adrian Tchaikovsky

THE SCARAB PATH

Book 5 of 'Shadows of the Apt'

Read about the previous books HERE

ISBN - 978-0-330-51145-2
FIRST PUBLISHED - 2010
PAGES - 688
GENRE - Fantasy
BINDING - Paperback

AUTHOR - Adrian Tchaikovsky

BEST-SELLERS - Empire in Black and Gold, Dragonfly Falling

SYNOPSIS - [From the back cover]

The war with the Wasp Empire has ended in a bitter stalemate, and Collegium has nothing to show for it but wounded veterans. Cheerwell Maker finds herself crippled in ways no doctor can mend, haunted by ghosts of the past that she cannot appease and seeking meaning in a city that no longer feels like home.

The Empress Seda is regaining control over those imperial cities that refused to bow the knee to her, but she draws her power from something more sinister than mere armies and war machines. Only her consort, the former spymaster Thalric, knows the truth, and now the assassins are coming, and he finds his life and loyalties under threat once again.

Out beyond the desert of the Nem, the ancient city of Khanaphes awaits them both, with a terrible secret entombed beneath its stones.

FL Speak - [contains spoilers]

The war is over. Temporarily. Most authors, while writing big series, tend to lose the plot midway. It happened with my all time favorite "The Wheel of Time" as well. However, Adrian Tchaikovsky makes sure, he doesn't make that mistake. Book 5 starts with an all new beginning and almost all new characters. If you've read the first 4 books, you'll realize that almost all the original members are now DEAD!

Books 1-4 can be counted as one mini-series. If you've loved the journey so far, you can continue reading on. But its better not to pick this book up if you haven't read the first 4.

So let's recap, shall we? The Emperor is dead and Seda has assumed command of the Wasp Empire. The army has been called back and for a brief time there's peace. Thalric, is again a Wasp officer, this time reporting directly to the Empress. Stenwold Maker has realized just how lucky they were to survive this once. So he calls upon Che to lead an expedition to a distant, unheard of beetle city, Khanaphes, in an attempt to learn more about them and maybe make them potential allies. Pursuing them is Thalric, who wants to visit Khanaphes for the Empire's own agenda.

In an unknown city, where frail truce can break in a snap and loyalties exchanged for gold, Che and Thalric once again find themselves in the middle of a disaster....because unknown to Thalric, the Wasp Rekef is sending a scorpion-kinden army to take down Khanaphes and make sure Thalric stays dead. Betrayed by his Empire once again, Thalric and Che, fight to keep the enemy at bay while a higher power lies in wait...for a bigger purpose.

Our anti-hero Totho is back in this novel as well and it looks like he's still pining for Che who [beg your pardon] doesn't give a rat's ass to his feelings. For once, I loved Totho in this book even though it looks like he will turn out to be a major villain as the story continues. Apart from Che, Totho and Thalric, hardly any characters look like they will be returning in the next book. We've missed Tynissa here, but as the end suggests, she'll be one of the main ones in the next book.

This book is about Che. She grows and matures as the series progresses. The author has planned something special for her but still, I'll ask you net to get attached to the characters. They end up dying.
 

As predicted before, new cities are being discovered, new insect kindens rising. For a fresh start to the survival of the Lowlands, this is a hell of a second beginning. Adrian Tchaikovsky is releasing one book after another within a gap of 6 months. Just how fast is he writing????

My Rating - 4 stars

PRICE - INR 198/- [Homeshop18 Price]

Salute The Dark - Adrian Tchaikovsky

SALUTE THE DARK

Book 4 of 'Shadows of the Apt'

Read about the previous books HERE

ISBN - 978-0-330-51144-5
FIRST PUBLISHED - 2010
PAGES - 459
BINDING - Paperback
GENRE - Fantasy

AUTHOR - Adrian Tchaikovsky

BEST-SELLERS - Empire in Black and Gold, Dragonfly Falling

SYNOPSIS - [from the back cover]

The vampire sorcerer Uctebri has at last got his hands on the Shadow Box and can finally begin his dark ritual - a ritual that the Wasp-kinden Emperor believes will grant him immortality - but Uctebri has his own plans both for the Emperor and the Empire.

The massed Wasp armies are on the march, and the spymaster Stenwold must see which of his allies will stand now that the war has finally arrived. This time the Empire will not stop until a black and gold flag waves over Stenwold's own home city of Collegium.

Tisamom the Weaponsmaster is faced with a terrible choice: a path that could lead him to abandon his friends and his daughter, to face degradation and loss, but that might possibly bring him before the Wasp Emperor with a blade in his hand - but is he being driven by Mantis-kinden honor, or manipulated by something more sinister.

EXCERPT - The machines of war are turned on your own people. Your friends are loyal to you, and they shall die for it, or be scarred through, and never to recover what they once were. Blood is born of blood, welling up between the trees, beneath the gold lightning. Ancient evils brought to light, the dead tradition of the life-​drinkers remade, and armies marching under a standard of black and gold and running red. A pillaging of the past for power, so that even the worst excesses of the old times are dug up. The worms of the earth! I see the worms of the earth feasting on all our corpses. Autumn leaves, Stenwold Maker. So many that you shall not see again. They fall and fall, the leaves of autumn, red and green and black and gold.

FL Speak - [contains spoilers]

The war that was inevitable has finally arrived. And for the first time, the end looks nearer.

Collegium is as much prepared as it can possibly be. The bee city of Szar is on the verge of rebellion after the death of their Queen. The Wasp Emperor has ordered Totho's crew to deal with the situation. Tisamom has disappeared. After breaking all ties and bonds with his kinden, Tisamom has walked the road of mindless suicide as long as he is near to the Emperor he wants to assassinate.

Achaeos, barely alive after the wound received from Tynissa, travels to Tharn with Che, in order to heal and prevent the horrors of the Shadow Box from escaping. Little do they know, their efforts hold little meaning. At Tharn, Che meets the disgraced Wasp officer, Thalre, who is running from his own empire. Together, Che and Thalre move to Myna to fuel the resistance against the Empire. However, being allies with a renegade Wasp doesn't always guarantee your safety, as Che soon find out.

Salma, now leader of a wandering horde of people, is creating Havoc among the Wasp armies as they appear and disappear at will and thwart the well laid plans of the Wasps. Nero and Taki travel back to Solarno, to start the rebellion as time draws to a close.

This is it. All the hints, clues and everything that made you question in the first 3 books are answered here. Tchaikovsky ties down all those loose threads in an epic conclusion of the first half of the series. And this series is far from over. If you've attached yourself to a particular character, I will ask you to get over it. Because by the end of the book, you'll need to eventually. Over the course of 3 books, Stenwold's close friends and confidants include Che, Tisamom, Tynissa, Nero, Taki, Achaeos, Salma and a few more. And sadly, only a couple of them survive the epic battle that commences. They have paid with their lives for duty and a sense of honor but even then, their loss has left me with a hollow feeling in my heart.

This is by far the best book. The very best. Salute the Dark raises the standard of fantasy a notch higher. Duty, love, ambushes, strategic war planning, bloodlust, dog fights in the air, this book has the best of everything. Everything comes to an end here, but the tale has not yet ended.

My Rating - 5 stars

PRICE - INR 195/- [Homeshop18 Price]

Blood of the Mantis - Adrian Tchaikovsky

BLOOD OF THE MANTIS

Book 3 of 'Shadows of the Apt'

Read about the previous books HERE

ISBN - 978-0-230-70416-9
FIRST PUBLISHED - 2009
PAGES - 429
BINDING - Paperback
GENRE - Fantasy

AUTHOR - Adrian Tchaikovsky

BEST-SELLERS - Empire in Black and Gold, Dragonfly Falling

SYNOPSIS - Driven by the ghosts of the legendary Darakyon, the moth-kinden Achaeos has tracked the stolen Shadow Box to the marsh town of Jerez - but he has only days before this magical artifact will be lost to him forever...

Meanwhile, the forces of the Wasp Empire are mustering for their great offensive. Stenwold and his followers have only a short time in which to seek allies before the Wasps are on the march again, conquering everything in their path. And if they cannot throw back the Wasps before spring, then the hated black and gold flag will be flying over every city in the Lowlands before the year's end.

And should the Shadow Box fall into the hands of the Wasp Emperor, then nothing will save the world from his relentless ambition.

EXCERPT - The Mayfly Prolonged had hold-space that just fitted Nero and Che crouching, comfortably enough for him but exceedingly cramped for her.

"So what's the bad news?" she asked.

"You know the Empire airship you had all the problems with," he began.

"Yes?"

"Well we reckon it was dropping off," said Nero. "Because there's a whole load more Wasp soldiers in Solarno now, enough to get everyone worried. I think its starting."

FL Speak - [contains spoilers]

Adrian Tchaikovsky continues his impressive tale of the Lowlands with another fact paced novel. Book 3 sees the split of Stenwold's agents all over the Lowlands in the hopes of creating an alliance that will challenge the ever-growing Wasp campaigns.

Achaeos, Tisamom and Tynissa make their way to the black market city of Jerez where the Shadow Box was last supposed to be seen. They are also accompanied by the renegade Wasp officer, Thalric, who is still unsure of his loyalties. Upon reaching Jerez, they are constantly monitored by Wasp agents who wants the Shadow Box for their Emperor.

Meanwhile Che and Nero make their way to the Spider city of Solarno where the Wasps are playing the games of the Spiders' themselves. Cleverly manipulating until they control the city without bloodshed if possible. Che and Nero meet Taki, a fly-kinden pilot who accompanies them and rescues them when the Wasps finally make their move.

Stenwold travels to the ant city of Sarn, which is now facing direct war from the Wasps. Because if Sarn falls, Collegium will fall. The Alliance of the Lowlands is formed with the sole intention of challenging the Wasp advance. Unfortunately, the assassination of the Sarnesh queen threatens to overcome all the work Stenwold has accomplished.

More and more insect kindens are coming out in the later novels and we may yet see some water creatures soon. The writing is fast paced and now that so many cities have been covered in the saga, you can be sure that the war will not be ending soon. This book focuses on espionage rather than on war. And the city of Jerez is specially made for such a craft. A city teeming with thieves, assassins and black marketeers, Adrian Tchaikovsky proves that he can write about war and covert operations with the same ease.

The world of the Lowlands is growing. Its good to see that the cities are being explored one by one instead of just exploding and then the ruckus of multiple plots in multiple cities. However, it does seem that such a time will arrive in a near future when the author has to write about all the kindens and cities so as to keep as on the loop of what's going on. Regarding the characters, I think Tisamom is not going to grow at all. He's still the broody, veteran, confused killer he is supposed to be. Totho is downright irritating even though he has walked over to the enemy camp. Cheerwell is well, a third wheel in the whole plot. But atleast she's doing something.

A good continuity, this book didn't disappoint at all. A shocking twist before the end reveals that we might see even more of the insect kindens.

My Rating - 4 stars

PRICE - INR 198/- [Homeshop18 Price]

Dragonfly Falling - Adrain Tchaikovsky

DRAGONFLY FALLING

Book 2 of 'Shadows of the Apt'

Read about Book 1 HERE

ISBN - 978-0-230-70415-2
FIRST PUBLISHED - 2009
PAGES - 673
BINDING - Paperback
GENRE - Fantasy

AUTHOR - Adrian Tchaikovsky

BEST-SELLERS - Empire in Black and Gold

SYNOPSIS - The armies of the Wasp Empire are on the march, and first to feel their might will be the city of Tark, which is even now preparing for siege. Within its walls Salma and Totho must weather the storm, as the Ant-kinden take a stand, against numbers and weaponry such as the Lowlands have never seen.

After his earlier victory against them, the Empire's secret service has decided that veteran artificer Stenwold Maker is too dangerous too live. So disgraced Major Thalric is dispatched on a dangerous mission, not only to eliminate Stenwold himself but to bring about the destruction of his beloved city of Collegium, and thus end all hope of intelligent resistance to the remorseless imperial advance.

While the Empire's troops are lying waste all in their way, the young Emperor himself is treading a different path. His thoughts are on darker things than mere conquest, however, and if he attains his goal he will precipitate a reign of blood that will last a thousand years.

EXCERPT - Thalric slumped away heavily in the bed, feeling his strength drain away all at once at the very sound of that name. She had been hunting him. All this time, she had been hunting him, and he had never been aware.

The Commonweal during the Twelve-Year War...when the Rekef Outlander agents such as himself were moving ahead of the army, disrupting any resistance the Dagonfly-kinden could mount: raids, sabotages, rumours.

And assassination - dark deeds that he had performed gladly, knowing that the impenetrable shield of the imperial will kept him safe from guilt or blame.

"I killed her children," he recalled hoarsely. "And I made her watch."

FL Speak - [contains spoilers]

Adrian Tchaikovsky has created a fantasy series that is unique and almost unheard of. Creating a fantasy world where humans derive their skills and powers from insects is fantastic to say the least.

By the end of Book 1, we see that Stenwold Maker and Tisamom manage to free Salma and Che from the Empire's clutches and managed to postpone the plan of conquering Collegium by ambushing the Wasp soldiers as they were about to launch a strike at the Collegium. But the threat to the Lowlands is far from over. The Wasp Empire has marched to the city of Stark where Salma and Totho have made their way to save the Butterfly-kinden lady.

On an ambush party led by a Tarken ant against the Wasp invaders, Salma and Totho fail in the attack and are captured. When the enemy offers the chance of a lifetime to Totho to work as an artificer in the Empire, Totho change loyalties and joins the enemy but manages to send Salma to safety.

Totho has been the greatest surprise in this novel. The awkward, bumbling fool who was once in love with Che and couldn't accept her rejection has aligned himself with the enemy. The same enemy that Che and her friends are trying to fight. Totho isn't exactly the villain, you kind of have a love-hate relationship with him. Circumstances made him who he is.

The Empire now with Tark under their control has their eyes fixed on Collegium and has send emissaries to another hostile ant city of Tekken to be their allies. Collegium has finally acknowledged the threat of war but there is only as much the peace loving beetle city can do. While Stenwold sent word to their allies of Sarn for backup, the Empire itself sent a contingency of their Wasp soldiers to attack Sarn. With the battle fought on multiple sides, Collegium has defend themselves against a disciplined Ant kinden soldiers.

Everything you loved about the first back is back here. Adrian Tchaikovsky really knows how to write an action packed novel. More and more insect kindens are being introduced and the characters have evolved beautifully as the tale proceeded.

A betrayal amongst his own people threatens to destroy Collegium from within as another darker power has invested itself into the war. The Emperor of the Wasp himself has dabbled into darker magic which could plunge the Lowlands into darkness forever. On his way stands the frail scholars of Collegium, a secretive Mantis kinden and an unlikely alliance of the Apt that the Lowlands has never seen before.

My Rating - 4.5 stars

PRICE - INR 198/- [Homeshop18 Price]

Empire in Black and Gold - Adrian Tchaikovsky

EMPIRE IN BLACK AND GOLD

Book 1 of 'Shadows of the Apt'

ISBN - 978-0-230-70413-8
FIRST PUBLISHED - 2008
PAGES - 612
BINDING - Paperback
GENRE - Fantasy

AUTHOR - Adrian Tchaikovsky

BEST-SELLERS - debut

SYNOPSIS - The city states of the Lowlands have lived in peace for decades, bastions of civilization, prosperity and sophistication, protected by treaties, trade and a belief in the reasonable nature of their neighbors.

But meanwhile, in far-off corners, the Wasp Empire has been devouring city after city with its highly trained armies, its machines, its killing Art... And now its hunger for conquest and war has become insatiable.

Only the aging Stenwold Maker, spymaster, artificer and statesman, can see that the long days of peace are over. It falls upon his shoulders to open the eyes of his people, before a black-and-gold tide sweeps down over the Lowlands and burns away everything in its path.

But first he must stop himself from becoming the Empire's latest victim.

EXCERPT - "What will you do," he asked the Ant-kinden woman, "if you cannot go home?"

"I'll not be the first Ant renegade to go mercenary. If you now take us to Helleron I will sell my sword there," she said. "The market for us is good, and like to get better."

"The same for me," Tisamom confirmed.

"Tisamom ---"

"No." There was more finality in the Mantis's voice than Stenwold had ever heard from him. "No return to Collegium for me, Stenwold. No debate and diplomacy. No society. No kind words, ever again. I followed you down that path once, and see where I am now."

FL Speaks - Wow. What a debut. Of all the hundred's of fantasy books I read, this might possibly be the most different of them all.

The book starts with the Wasp Empire in black and Gold marching on to the city of Myna. Stenwold Maker and his friends prepare to stop the menacing advance before the army marches over the entire Lowlands. But their traps fail and they realize they are betrayed by their friend, Atryssa.

The Wasp soldiers, who can harness the power of the Wasp insects, fly like them, crush the city of Myna. But Stenwold and his friend, Tisamom escape the horror. 17 years later, Stenwold is living in Collegium, a city which boasts of an University and where people from all the kindens are accepted. Stenwold Maker recruits young students and prepares them as agents before the ever growing Wasp Empire turn their eyes towards the central Lowlands.

The magical system and culture created by the author is simple as well as Brilliant. In the vast Lowlands, there are different races of humans. Some are beetle kinden, some spider kinden, ant kinden, dragonfly kinden and so on. Each of these races has different attributes different from others. The Spider-kind people can influence people's decisions. Beetle-kind are hard workers, Dragonfly-kind are agile and wings sprout on their wings when they open themselves to the Art of their kind.

Not all the races are superior. The Kinden is divided into two main types - Apt and Inapt. Apt kinden do not possess and magical properties, while the Apt has certain such properties. However, Inapt kinden are not comfortable with machines and devices which the Apt are extremely comfortable with.

Che (beetle kinden), Salma (dragonfly kinden), Totho (beetle kinden) and Tynissa (spider kinden) are the latest recruits of Stenwold Maker. When his pleas about the coming invasion goes to unheard ears in the Collegium, Stenwold is forced to send his four students to the city of Helleron where the Wasp empire is currently residing in a facade of false friendship. Things turn from bad to worse when the four are attacked and Stenwold's agents in the city are compromised. As Che and Salma are caught by the enemy, Stenwold with his old friend, Tisamom and the remaining two students make their way to the ill-fated city of Myna to rescue their friends.

Painful secrets are revealed as the wary group of rebels looks for a traitor within their group once more as the enemy makes an even bolder plan that even Stenwold, the spymaster, failed to fathom. Racing against time to stop the destruction of another city, Stenwold and his wards must find out the secrets and solve the confusion between them if they are to prevent the Wasp Empire from conquering another city.

Phew! A beautiful tale beautifully written. The possibilities in a fantasy world are endless and Adrian Tchaikovsky hits a home-run with this novel. Extra-ordinary concept, I'm still wondering about other races of humans that are yet to make an entry. By far, Mantis-kinden, with their warriors and the Ant-kinden, people who can communicate to each other with their minds are my favorite race.

My Rating - 4 stars

PRICE - INR 198/- [Homeshop18 Price]