First nursing associates graduate among 1,000 students in Lincoln". The Lincolnite. 23 January 2019 . Retrieved 23 January 2019. Shadows of the Apt consists of ten books. Quite a commitment, but it's done, so no waiting for the last few books. This is a world filled with human-insect races, and no, the Wasps are not very nice. The series has a steampunk flair with lots of races using and developing technology. With a multitude of races (insect-aspects), naturally comes a multitude of conflict. Fear, ignoring danger for profit, crucifying religion for reason, racism, etc. It makes for a very engaging fantasy book. The issues are tangible and real, without feeling arbitrarily political. At it’s core, EMPIRE is an extremely thoughtful book while telling an entertaining tale.

The Lowlands’ city states have lived in peace for decades, hailed as bastions of civilization. Yet that peace is about to end. A distant empire has been conquering neighbours with highly trained soldiers and sophisticated combat techniques. And the city states are its desirable new prize. Story behind Shadows of the Apt by Adrian Tchaikovsky – Entering the Shadows". Upcoming4.me. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014 . Retrieved 8 August 2014. Cheerwell and Salma are impriosned in Myna while Thalric begins his mission for the Rekef to investigate Ulther, the city's Wasp governor. Thalric straps Cheerwell to a torture table, apparently about to forcibly draw information on Stenwold from her, but only uses the noise made by the torture machine to conduct a clandestine conversation with his ally Aagen about exposing Ulther. In the end he forces matters with his former mentor quite simply, confiscating a rare and beautiful Butterfly-kinden woman, Grief in Chains, from Ulther's harem. Ulther sends men to kill Thalric but Thalric survives the fight and goes after Ulther.Adrian Tchaikovsky was born in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, and headed off to university in Reading to study psychology and zoology. For reasons unclear even to himself, he subsequently ended up in law. Adrian has since worked as a legal executive in both Reading and Leeds and now writes full time. He also lives in Leeds, with his wife and son. Adrian is a keen live role-player and occasional amateur actor. He has also trained in stage-fighting and keeps no exotic or dangerous pets of any kind – possibly excepting his son. Redemption's Blade (Solaris Books, 2018), ISBN 9781781085790, is the first book in a multi-author series. The series was continued with Salvation's Fire by Justina Robson and published on 4 September 2018. Clute, John (13 June 2022). "Tchaikovsky, Adrian". In Clute, John; Langford, David (eds.). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (4thed.). To start with, that first chapter was great. I know some people don’t like being dropped right into the action from the start but for me a great prologue that leaves me asking questions and wanting to know more is one of the best ways to get me hooked. Like the prologue from the Eye of the World or the Way of Kings or the Shadow of What Was Lost, it made me immediately interested in what was happening. Plus there was some really cool and unique action.

This book feels like the beginning of the big conflict that will probably take place in the next 9 books. It is very fast paced and has multiple settings and plots going on, also changes location quite often, but never really gets into loads of action and large-scale events. Which is fine, as the action that did take place, was what I would critizise most about Tchaikowskys writing.I feel like this is so far a worldbuilding-focused story, with characters, that are likable and easy to grasp. From his debut novel (this one) to his more recent works, it seems to be some sort of secret ingrediant... He knows his insects, one could say. Adrian, I can’t begin to express my gratitude for creating this masterpiece and I hope many will appreciate this work and all its glory! It has changed the way I want stories to be told forever and I have you to thank! This book is good enough to make you switch sides and like whatever gener this is (not 100% on that really). The world is rich, the characters are round and lifelike, and the story is compelling. Adrian Czajkowski (spelt as Adrian Tchaikovsky for his books; born June 1972) is a British fantasy and science fiction author. He is best known for his series Shadows of the Apt, and for his Hugo Award-winning Children of Time series. [1]

If this really is just the beginning - as it feels like it is - then I am very excited to continue. A great beginning with a genius approach to world- and character building.Relying on a simple premise as this, gives you a large amount of advantages as an author, that you would otherwise have to be very careful about, and especially as a first time author get you into some problems or inconsistancies. Also, what's with creating steampunk-ish multi-legged automobiles rather than ones with, I don't know?, wheels?!

Insect-kinden? There are several human races who long ago adapted to prehistoric insects. Examples: mantis-kinden are warriors, beetle-kinden like mechanics, wasp-kinden can fly and use stingers. I only want to know, what ingrediant HE took to come up with this and put out a BANGER of a debut out with this one. 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 neighbours. Adrian certainly has civilization building down to an art. I thought this was a fun, "different" take on sword and sorcery with bug people. You take away the main challenge, an author faces, when deciding to tell a story in a SFF setting, the exposition and information needed for the reader, to be immersed and believe in the world; to have an understanding, that can create urgency and feels consistent.

I can’t believe this is a debut novel. There were some slower chapters and a lot of worldbuilding to get used to. Otherwise this was such an exciting world of insectoid beings. Some have talent in magical abilities called Art, and others create mechanical or technological devices called Apt. After an attempt on Stenwold's life by thugs hired by the Wasps he decides to send Tynisa and Salma on the airship Sky Without to the industrial city of Helleron to meet with his associates there. Totho also makes an impression on Stenwold and he includes him in the group, but it is only after the attempted assassination that Stenwold agrees to let Cheerwell go as well, taking his place on the airship so his presence will not endanger the young agents. Once aboard the airship and bound for Helleron Tynisa seduces a Wasp captain on the ship, Halrad, to keep him from investigating them too hard. However, the tables turn when Thalric, a Rekef Outlander agent for the Wasp Empire tasked with ending Stenwold's activities, arrives on board looking for him. Once he discovers them the agents are forced to flee the ship, stealing the flier he arrived in and killing some of their pursuers. They crash-land a few miles from Helleron and are forced to complete their journey on foot, arriving later than planned. By this time the man they were meant to meet with, Bolwyn, has been killed by Scyla, a shape-shifting Spider-kinden working with Thalric, and their rendezvous is a trap. Though all four agents escape they become seperated. Totho is rescued by Scuto, a Thorn-bug kinden and Stenwold's head agent in Helleron who controls his own espionage operation within the city. Tynisa flees through the streets, increasingly taken over by her killing instincts, and ends up among a street gang who her take her in as an enforcer. Cheerwell and Salma make their way to one of Cheerwell's relatives within the city, Elias Monger. While staying at his house outside the city Cheerwell encounters a young Moth-kinden man, Achaeos, who was injured in a raid on Monger's mine workings. Rather than turn him in she overcomes his mistrust and tends to his wound. The idea of an all devouring race slowly conquering an entire world just appeals to me and the execution is pretty good. The standout sections are the political scheming and negotiations between the different insect/human races; dialogue is definitely the authors strongest writing skill. The downside to this book is the fighting/battle scenes; they’re such a drag. I found myself zoning out every time there was a scuffle. They seemed amateur compared to the rest of the book. I hadn't even known about this epic fantasy series, until a friend outside the USA mentioned it. The good thing about that is: all ten books in the series are out (though one or two are not published here yet), which means not having to wait, if the succeeding volumes entranced me as much as this first one did. Adrian Tchaikovsky interview". Archived from the original on 9 November 2009 . Retrieved 28 May 2010.