Shards of Earth
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- Create Date：2021-08-04 04:19:40
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Adrian Tchaikovsky
- ISBN：B093CM9Y44
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Summary
* Duration: 18 hours and 43 minutes *
The Arthur C。 Clarke award-winning author of 'Children of Time' brings us an extraordinary new space opera about humanity on the brink of extinction， and how one man's discovery will save or destroy us all。
The war is over。 Its heroes forgotten。 Until one chance discovery。。。。
Idris has neither aged nor slept since they remade him in the war。 And one of humanity's heroes now scrapes by on a freelance salvage vessel， to avoid the attention of greater powers。
After earth was destroyed， mankind created a fighting elite to save their species， enhanced humans such as Idris。 In the silence of space they could communicate， mind-to-mind， with the enemy。 Then their alien aggressors， the Architects， simply disappeared - and Idris and his kind became obsolete。
Now， 50 years later， Idris and his crew have discovered something strange abandoned in space。 It's clearly the work of the Architects - but are they returning？ And if so， why？ Hunted by gangsters， cults and governments， Idris and his crew race across the galaxy hunting for answers。 For they now possess something of incalculable value， that many would kill to obtain。
©2021 Adrian Tchaikovsky （P）2021 Orbit
The Arthur C。 Clarke award-winning author of 'Children of Time' brings us an extraordinary new space opera about humanity on the brink of extinction， and how one man's discovery will save or destroy us all。
The war is over。 Its heroes forgotten。 Until one chance discovery。。。。
Idris has neither aged nor slept since they remade him in the war。 And one of humanity's heroes now scrapes by on a freelance salvage vessel， to avoid the attention of greater powers。
After earth was destroyed， mankind created a fighting elite to save their species， enhanced humans such as Idris。 In the silence of space they could communicate， mind-to-mind， with the enemy。 Then their alien aggressors， the Architects， simply disappeared - and Idris and his kind became obsolete。
Now， 50 years later， Idris and his crew have discovered something strange abandoned in space。 It's clearly the work of the Architects - but are they returning？ And if so， why？ Hunted by gangsters， cults and governments， Idris and his crew race across the galaxy hunting for answers。 For they now possess something of incalculable value， that many would kill to obtain。
©2021 Adrian Tchaikovsky （P）2021 Orbit
Reviews
Chris Monceaux
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Click here to see more of my reviews and other bookish content！***Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of the book。 My review contains my honest assessment and thoughts about the book。***This book is space opera at its finest。 Compelling characters， masterful world-building， and an engaging plot that explores important themes。。。this story has it all。 The pacing is great and kept me wanting to continue turning the page to see what would happen next。 This book did not fee Click here to see more of my reviews and other bookish content！***Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of the book。 My review contains my honest assessment and thoughts about the book。***This book is space opera at its finest。 Compelling characters， masterful world-building， and an engaging plot that explores important themes。。。this story has it all。 The pacing is great and kept me wanting to continue turning the page to see what would happen next。 This book did not feel like it was over 500 pages long。 I finished it in two days， and I read most of it in one sitting。 I was that engrossed with the world and story。 That being said， the writing was quite dense， and the story starts with dropping you into a world where there are multiple factions， planets， and races， which was confusing at first。 The author， however， did a fantastic job of revealing details about different aspects of the world at a good pace throughout the story and included a glossary/appendix of important planets/races/events at the end of the book to help keep everything straight。The world-building in this story was absolute perfection。 So much wonderful creativity was on display here， and I loved every minute I spent with this spectacular piece of art。 The races of the many different creatures were so much fun to learn about。 Never in my life did I think I'd come across a world-conquering race of giant clams， especially one that also includes a giant gangster clam。 Like， what？ All of the creatures and races received in-depth， excellent descriptions that made them jump off the page， which was a lot of fun。 Although， at times the description did bog down the story a bit， especially in the very beginning when many of the new creatures were first introduced。 I also particularly loved the concept of unspace and its link to the mind。 The descriptions of the characters' time in unspace and its impacts were some of my favorite things to read in the book。 The author succeeded in making this universe seem massive and unique and left me wanting to learn so much more。 The characters in this book were deep and fully realized。 Their motivations and flaws were unveiled in a natural way as the story unfolded。 It felt like I was going on this adventure with them and getting to know them along the way。 The two main characters， Solace and Idris， are alike in some ways yet also so different。 Solace was one of many warrior angel sisters of the Parthenon， a group of genetically enhanced soldiers， who felt most at home in the strict hierarchy of her military society。 However， she began to realize the allure of freedom and individuality throughout the story and grew more independent as she interacted with the other characters。 Whereas， Idris was done with the military at the beginning of the story and did not want to be part of anything bigger than himself ever again。 As events unfold， he was called upon to do his duty and leave his nomadic life behind。 The two of them were bred for war， in a sense， and spent most of the book dealing with the aftermath of the last war they were instrumental in winning。 Idris， in particular， showed clear signs of PTSD。 The side characters in this novel were just as well-conceptualized as the main characters， and the author did a great job of making me feel something for all of them， heroes and villains alike。 Of course， for the villains it was mostly feelings of horror or dread。The plot of the story was interesting and complex。 It kept me guessing at many points， and my guesses were often wrong。 Although， in hindsight many of the twists should have been obvious as there were great hints sprinkled throughout the text。 The politics in the story was fascinating to read because it captured certain aspects of human nature so well。 Humans love to organize into groups and seem to distrust individuals from other groups。 Typically， the only time the groups get along is when facing some common disaster or external threat， which is illustrated quite well by the multiple human， and alien， factions in this book。 It also showed how quickly the threat and the great gains of unity are forgotten once the disaster passes， which ultimately leads to division yet again。 If only we， and the characters， could learn from the past and not forget history。 The book also explored many other powerful topics， including the ethics of using human subjects in research and genetic manipulation and whether individuals should have to give up their freedom for the sake of the greater good。Overall， this was a phenomenal book， and I cannot praise it enough。 If you like science fiction or space opera， you will probably love this book。 It laid the foundation for a fantastic story， and I cannot wait to see what's next。 Therefore， I rate it 5 out of 5 stars。 。。。more
Adrik Kemp
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Space opera at its finest， great and diverse bunch of loveable rogue characters and action-packed。
Liz （Quirky Cat）
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Shards of Earth is the first novel in Adrian Tchaikovsky's latest series， The Final Architects Trilogy。 It's an extensive science fiction novel， as only Tchaikovsky could ever dream of pulling off。tMankind had to find new ways to stay alive following the destruction of the earth。 They created enhanced humans， ones with linked minds and the ability to communicate with the enemies。 It made them the deadliest of opponents。 And humanity's best defense。tIdris is one of those humans。 After the Archite Shards of Earth is the first novel in Adrian Tchaikovsky's latest series， The Final Architects Trilogy。 It's an extensive science fiction novel， as only Tchaikovsky could ever dream of pulling off。tMankind had to find new ways to stay alive following the destruction of the earth。 They created enhanced humans， ones with linked minds and the ability to communicate with the enemies。 It made them the deadliest of opponents。 And humanity's best defense。tIdris is one of those humans。 After the Architects vanished， it seemed like people such as him had no purpose in the great expanse of space。 However， Idris and his lot know that war is never far behind， especially when questions have been left unanswered。tHonestly， I'm almost at a loss for words here。 Shards of Earth is every bit the intense and expansive science fiction novel that I had hoped it would be。 Arguably， it is so much more than that。 In fact， my brain is already demanding a second read-through of this novel， just to make sure that I captured every detail。tOn that note， it's probably worth mentioning that it is every bit as dense as it is tense。 There is a lush backstory for readers to delve into， not to mention a plethora of characters and motivations to understand and appreciate。tIt makes the world （universe） come to life， and it feels vibrant and threatening all in one。 It's perfect， especially for fans of epic space operas。 This is a novel that will not disappoint; I can promise you that much。tThanks to Orbit and #NetGalley for making this book available for review。 All opinions expressed are my own。 Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks 。。。more
Kimberly
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This is my first Adrian Tchaikovsky book and I was not let down。 My husband has read several of his other novels and I've always hemmed and hawed about getting into space operas。 Reading Shards of Earth made me regret that decision。 This book had sci-fi， action， and adventure。 I loved the detailed exposition and descriptions of a multitude of alien species。 The conflict of this book is between the mysterious alien species， The Architects， and well everyone else in the known universe。 The first b This is my first Adrian Tchaikovsky book and I was not let down。 My husband has read several of his other novels and I've always hemmed and hawed about getting into space operas。 Reading Shards of Earth made me regret that decision。 This book had sci-fi， action， and adventure。 I loved the detailed exposition and descriptions of a multitude of alien species。 The conflict of this book is between the mysterious alien species， The Architects， and well everyone else in the known universe。 The first battle of the book brutally describes the path of destruction the Architects have created。 In response the humans have created the Intermediary program after one human is able to fend off an Architect attack by using seemingly psychic powers。 One of our main characters， Idris， is an intermediary that was created for the war。 Not just any intermediary either， but one of the first and one of the only left alive that have faced the Architects。 The intermediary program was successful and the Architects have left the universe alone for some 50 years， but now they seem to be returning。Idris has been serving with a rag tag space crew salvaging deep space wrecks。 But the return of the Architects has him， his crew， an old friend， and many other characters swallowed into conflict。 We jump from planet to planet learning more about the threat， and the Essiel， a clam like alien species that promises protection against Architects。 As the mystery of the return of these villains unravel we're taken through action， loss， found family， and mystery。 I loved this novel and it had an excellent ending。 My only complaint is that I wish some of the exposition that was saved for the last quarter of the novel had been moved up。 There was a lot of information that was covered too late in the story。 I know it was meant to be like a big reveal， but it fell a little flat for me。 Still I can't wait to read the next book！ 。。。more
Melissa Nowark
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“They were flies in the face of god。”I’ll read and enjoy any found family space opera you can throw at me， and Shards of Earth is no different。Idris Telemmier is an Intermediary， an altered human used as a weapon against the Architects， a giant crystallized moon structure with the ability to restructure entire planets。 The war with the Architects began shortly after Earth was destroyed， and thanks to Idris， they’ve been gone for decades。Now， Idris is living his own life on a junker ship with the “They were flies in the face of god。”I’ll read and enjoy any found family space opera you can throw at me， and Shards of Earth is no different。Idris Telemmier is an Intermediary， an altered human used as a weapon against the Architects， a giant crystallized moon structure with the ability to restructure entire planets。 The war with the Architects began shortly after Earth was destroyed， and thanks to Idris， they’ve been gone for decades。Now， Idris is living his own life on a junker ship with the crew he’s found as his family。 Soon， Myrmidon Executor Solace， part of the Parthenon， tries to get Idris to leave his family in order to join the Parthenon itself， so they can create their own Intermediaries in case the Architects come back。This was SO much fun。 I was a little overwhelmed by the war and battle parts， but overall it was a very fun read。 It was action packed， left you wondering what was going to happen， and certain parts were genuinely terrifying。 I would actually shelve this book under sci-fi horror or thriller。 There were even some tear jerking moments。 I can’t wait to read more about this hodgepodge group of people。 I’m also thankful to Tchaikovsky for adding in a glossary， list of characters， ships， and a timeline。 It was nice to reference to while reading and helped me be less confused。Thank you to Net Galley， Orbit Books， and Adrian Tchaikovsky for this advanced review copy！ Shards of Earth releases on August 3rd。 CW: slavery， body mutilation， agoraphobia， eugenics （mostly the mention of） 。。。more
Ed Manley
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Could not get into the characters and the story is extremely verbose
Nick
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It's a space opera - but not as we know it。。。。Pure space romp with intelligent life forms and an intriguing plot。 My test of a good series of books，films，tv etc。 is that as I finish one do I immediately want the next and the answer to this question for this series is YES。Characters are as believable as any space opera pirates。 Blossoming romances amidst the debris of war adds a frisson， the politics and science work （ish） as backdrop to Idris's struggles against a huge anti human presence。 Can't It's a space opera - but not as we know it。。。。Pure space romp with intelligent life forms and an intriguing plot。 My test of a good series of books，films，tv etc。 is that as I finish one do I immediately want the next and the answer to this question for this series is YES。Characters are as believable as any space opera pirates。 Blossoming romances amidst the debris of war adds a frisson， the politics and science work （ish） as backdrop to Idris's struggles against a huge anti human presence。 Can't wait for the next book。 。。。more
Chana
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Thank you Orbit for sending me a copy of this book to review！！Overall rating: 3。5 starsShards of Earth is a futuristic sort of post-apocalyptic space opera。 The year is very far in the future and Earth has met its destruction， and not by way of global warming。 Rather， through the act of an all-powerful destructive alien entity （dubbed， the Architects） that humanity has no chance against。 The destruction of Earth starts a century-long war （if it can be called a war when one side is being brutally Thank you Orbit for sending me a copy of this book to review！！Overall rating: 3。5 starsShards of Earth is a futuristic sort of post-apocalyptic space opera。 The year is very far in the future and Earth has met its destruction， and not by way of global warming。 Rather， through the act of an all-powerful destructive alien entity （dubbed， the Architects） that humanity has no chance against。 The destruction of Earth starts a century-long war （if it can be called a war when one side is being brutally defeated by the other） that is ended by humanity's elite new weapons， Intermediaries。 50 years after the war Idris Telemmier a member of the first class of Ints stumbles upon something big。 Something that might mean the war isn't as over as humanity thought it was。 This book has everything， aliens， war， unexplained space voodoo， cults， and a ragtag team of misfits。 If you're into found family this is the book for you。 50 years after the war Idris wants nothing to do with the government that created him， so he's slumming it as a deep space pilot of a scavenger ship where every member of the crew is some kind of outcast。 There are aliens， artificial intelligence hive mind entities， and some of your run-of-the-mill outcasts （aka on the run for committing accidental murder）。 I'm not going to go into every member of the crew but my general review of them is that I enjoyed the ones that stuck around！ A nice thing about this book was that it was told in 3rd person POV that occasionally focused on other characters。 Initially， I thought we would be stuck with Idris for most of it， but we got to see other fun stuff primarily Kris （intergalactic badass lawyer extraordinaire） and Havaer （space cop） were my favorites！In terms of worldbuilding， I feel like there were two sides to it。 On the one hand， Tchaikovsky did a great job of outlining the weird space civilizations and their rules and structures。 The government was understandable， the individual history for each of the stations and planets visited was given over in a way that didn't feel like telling but didn't leave the reader confused as to what was going on。 All in all， the worldbuilding of the worlds and cultures？ 10/10。 However， when it came to actually explaining what Intermediaries do， I was veryyy confused。Ints are a central focus of the book， what with Idris our main character being one， but 548 pages later and I still don't really get what they are。 Experiments are done to alter the brain。 And then intergalactic magic？ I would be open to accepting unexplained magicky stuff but the scope of the Intermediaries abilities are also not really discussed。 I think that there is a part of the Intermediaries that are intentionally left a mystery， an unexplained side effect of Idris's transformation being that he doesn't age or sleep why is that？ No one knows。 Brain-altering experiments and radioactive therapy can do that to a guy apparently。Plotwise， a lot was happening， but in a good way。 Shards of Earth did a fantastic job at setting up the trilogy but still managed to be action-packed in a way a lot of "intro" books aren't。 There were some shortcomings forsure， some characters I didn't like， unexplained details that I couldn't let go of， but overall Shards of Earth was a well-rounded read that sets up what is sure to be an exciting trilogy。 。。。more
Trigger Warning Database
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Trigger & Content WarningsTorture
Rrrrrron
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promising premise but。。。 Too much like Becky chambers with annoying YA like characters and inane beefs。 Quit at 60% through。
Lorraine
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4 1/2 Stars“In the seventy-eighth yest of the war， an Architect came to Berlenhof…Solace remembered。 She had been there。 Basilisk Division， Heaven’s Sword Sorority。 Her first Battle。” Adrian Tchaikovsky， Shards of EarthShards of Earth is an impressive science fiction novel with an intense plot and incredibly well-developed characters。 It explores what it means to be human， the idea of perfection， and the rights of those who are genetically engineered， all interwoven into a story of the possible 4 1/2 Stars“In the seventy-eighth yest of the war， an Architect came to Berlenhof…Solace remembered。 She had been there。 Basilisk Division， Heaven’s Sword Sorority。 Her first Battle。” Adrian Tchaikovsky， Shards of EarthShards of Earth is an impressive science fiction novel with an intense plot and incredibly well-developed characters。 It explores what it means to be human， the idea of perfection， and the rights of those who are genetically engineered， all interwoven into a story of the possible return of terrifying aliens。 This is a book that absolutely fascinated me both in terms of the science and the ethics that I feel is a large part of the story。 The plot is incredible， fast paced and packed with action。 Mr。 Tchaikovsky also created a story within a story that explores deeper questions in science fiction。 While we certainly are nowhere near the science of the book， it does pose ethical questions about how we will eventually deal with advancements in science。 The premise of the book is how the alien race， the Architects， came to Earth and many other planets， and re-formed them。 In doing so， billions of lives were lost。 Humans were colonizing other planets， and while some were able to escape Earth when the Architects came， that vast majority were lost。 As they approach the main human colony of Berlenhof， the battle against them ensues。 A losing battle， as the Architects are very powerful and no one can communicate with them。 No one except the Intermediaries， humans whose minds were genetically altered to find a connection with the Architects。 Idris Telemmier， an Intermediary， reaches the consciousness of the Architects and through his connection， sends them away。 But are they gone for good？ 50 years after the war， Idris is now part of a salvage ship crew of humans and aliens， trying to remain anonymous rather than be pressed into service if the Architects return。 The story was excellent， as was the pacing and prose。 It takes place almost entirely in space， with short jaunts onto various planets。 As a salvage ship， they find a valuable artifact which needs to be deciphered。 What ensues is a hunt for them through space， not only for the artifact， but for Idris and his gifts。 The action is interspersed perfectly with character development。 The action scenes are exciting and very well done。 Even as science fiction， they feel real and would take place much as any battle would， it’s just that this these are in space。 Throughout the narrative， there is loss， pain， mistrust， friendship and what it means to be a family。 Mr。 Tchaikovsky’s strong point was the detailed description of the various alien races， of which there are many， each has their own unique， well-developed personality。 In addition， he also excels in the area of genetic modification， a theme that runs continuously through the book。 Shards of Earth is excellent science fiction and I highly recommend it。AnalysisGenetic engineering is common in this novel。 Rather than delve into each character or alien race， I think it’s important to look at what this engineering means to the characters。Solace is one of the main protagonists in the book and knows Idris from the war 50 years ago。 She is a genetically engineered warrior woman， who belongs to the Parthenon。 Not a separate race， but they do isolate from the rest of humanity after the war。 They are engineered through a process called parthenogenesis。 Simply put， it is the process of producing offspring from an unfertilized egg。 In the book， all progeny are female。 This is actually how queen bees produce male drone workers， so it is not a made-up science fiction concept。 It is a brilliant concept to apply to human genetics。 The Partheni are clones， perfect female warriors made to fight。 But what is perfection？ What is the ideal of perfection？Here is an example of the exceptional way Mr。 Tchaikovsky addresses it in the book。 On the salvage ship， Solace becomes part of the crew。 Ollie， another crew member， resents her being there。 Ollie relies on walkers and special suits she designs to move around。 She is a brilliant navigator and mechanic， but she is not physically “perfect” like the Partheni。 As she addresses her resentment towards Solace， she says:“Look at me， Myrmidon Executor Solace。” Olli twisted in the capsule of herwalking frame， stump arms and stump leg shifting。 “Your precious eugenics wouldn’thave ever made me， would it？ You see a thing like me growing in your vats， you’d flushthe contents out into space。 Not fit for your perfect society， am I” That’s powerful， as Solace is at a loss for words and how to respond。 She must face the truth and re-evaluate the meaning of the Parthenon。 What do those who are genetically altered owe us？ Idris is human and volunteered to become and Intermediary。 He serves on “leash” for the governing powers and is treated as property。 Though he does gain freedom， he is still pursued as property by through the book。 It begs the question do we treat genetically altered people as property？ What is the justification？ There are some genetic alterations we can already do， albeit nominal。 Genetic engineering is a powerful tool that far outpaces the ethical concerns we have。 Mr。 Tchaikovsky tackles it head on with Idris as he refuses to be pressed into service， vehemently protecting his freedom。Overall ThoughtsShards of Earth is an exceptional science fiction novel by Adrian Tchaikovsky。 The story of the Architects and the race to ward them off is an exciting page turning adventure through space。 The characters， both human and alien， are brilliant and complex。 This novel was like peeling an onion。 I felt there were so many layers to it。 The space opera itself， the character interaction， and the issues of genetic engineering。 It explores themes of perfection and autonomy for those who have been genetically altered。 The Architects were truly terrifying and brutal。 The story takes many twists and turns I never could have predicted。 Mr。 Tchaikovsky’s pacing and prose is excellent， and the battle scenes that take place in space and the crews’ readiness on the ships are heart pounding action。 Shards of Earth is a book that I highly recommend。 My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy an eBook in exchange for an honest review。See my website for the review: https://bookandnatureprofessor。com/20。。。 。。。more
Umar Faruque
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Loved the concept of the book。 It's typical Tchaikovsky。 Brilliant， gripping and a complete page turner。 I love the concept of beings that are so superior that for them other sapient beings in the galaxy don't even register as living organisms。 This book is more about destruction and struggle and how humanity constantly strives to overcome such desperate times through innovation that manages to save us as a species。 This book is also a study in human nature on a macro level and it is quite spot Loved the concept of the book。 It's typical Tchaikovsky。 Brilliant， gripping and a complete page turner。 I love the concept of beings that are so superior that for them other sapient beings in the galaxy don't even register as living organisms。 This book is more about destruction and struggle and how humanity constantly strives to overcome such desperate times through innovation that manages to save us as a species。 This book is also a study in human nature on a macro level and it is quite spot on。 Eagerly waiting for the next book。 。。。more
Whimsy Dearest
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In the distant future， the whole universe is faced with a threat called the Architects--mysterious beings aptly named because they like to rearrange planets into aesthetically pleasing shapes 。。。 to the detriment of all life on it。 In order to combat them， humanity engineers superhumans known as Intermediaries who are able to telepathically communicate with them at the risk of their own insanity。When an Architect approaches Berlenhof—the heart of humanity’s colonies—an Intermediary named Idris s In the distant future， the whole universe is faced with a threat called the Architects--mysterious beings aptly named because they like to rearrange planets into aesthetically pleasing shapes 。。。 to the detriment of all life on it。 In order to combat them， humanity engineers superhumans known as Intermediaries who are able to telepathically communicate with them at the risk of their own insanity。When an Architect approaches Berlenhof—the heart of humanity’s colonies—an Intermediary named Idris somehow manages to destroy it。 The war is over。 Decades pass without an Architect sighting， but when one is rumored to have reappeared， Idris becomes a prized pawn as opposing factions seek to use him。Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky paints a richly imaginative and sweepingly ambitious space opera with splash of cosmic horror。 There’s a plethora of unique alien races and warring factions， so there are a lot of pieces on the board here。 This makes for a denser read， but thankfully， there’s a glossary and timeline in the back to help。However， the element of cosmic horror and the mystery behind the ancient alien civilizations are what I found to be the most intriguing aspects of the story。 I know I’m biased， but I love the idea of a nearly unfathomable-godlike entity that can alter space and induces insanity with anyone who touches its mind。 I’m also really curious to find out more about the Originators—an enigmatic race that even Architects fear and who remind me of the Engineers from Prometheus in the best possible way。 All and all， Shards of Earth may not the easiest read， but it’s an incredibly creative and awe-inspiring work of hard science fiction。 Thank you， NetGalley and Orbit Books， for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
The SciFi Book Guy
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So yeah， I started this one after playing a ton of spikeball with the boys down by the lake。 I won most of the games， no big deal or anything。 I did crush a pack of mango white claws and reading after that was a bad idea， bros。 You need all your mental faculties operating at full tilt for this one。 I was trying to wrap my brain around this elaborate universe and my mind pretty much imploded。 I had the thousand-mile stare and drool dripping off my lips。 Normally， I operate pretty decently half cu So yeah， I started this one after playing a ton of spikeball with the boys down by the lake。 I won most of the games， no big deal or anything。 I did crush a pack of mango white claws and reading after that was a bad idea， bros。 You need all your mental faculties operating at full tilt for this one。 I was trying to wrap my brain around this elaborate universe and my mind pretty much imploded。 I had the thousand-mile stare and drool dripping off my lips。 Normally， I operate pretty decently half cut， so I’m going to blame this one on the sun。 So my pro tip is， no booze， no sun， just hunker down in a quiet hole because you’re not getting spoon fed an easy story here。 This universe is slammed into your face right from the get go。Anyways， humankind is scattered across the stars after this race called the Architects come out of the blue and turn Earth into a shotgunned beer can。 These Architects are moon-sized beings that pop up and turn inhabited worlds into works of art。 They are completely unstoppable and unaware of human presence。 It’s like gnats versus an elephant， or you versus me in spikeball， no chance in hell bro。But yeah， a couple decades into this one-sided war， these dudes called Intermediaries are bio-engineered。 Their brains have been modified and they can insert themselves into the Architects minds。 At the battle of Berlenhof， everyone is getting their asses kicked until these Ints jump into the mind of the Architect。 It opens up their weakness and they’re able to destroy the it。 The first victory ever and in the decades that follow， the Architects never show back up。 Humankind gets back to what they do best， in-fighting and politicking。 Really cool guys。And that’s where this story picks up。 This group of genetically modified clone warrior chicks called the Parthenon was once humankind’s warrior creed。 Now they’re in a big rift with the Human Council and the two groups are drifting apart。 Solace was at Berlenhof and she helped save the Int named Idris who was the one who killed the architect。 She’s now tasked with finding Idris and getting him to join the Parthenon。 When she connects with Idris they track down a ship that looks like it’s been wrecked by the Architects。 Are these bad bros back？ We all fucked！The story really dials up to eleven after this。 Solace and Idris and the crew of the Vulture God （a surly captain， a crab accountant， a lawyer who’s handy with a dueling knife， a hive cyborg， and a disformed drone pilot） are caught up right in the middle of it all。 They travel in Unspace and via the Throughways to different worlds and end up in trouble at each place。 Each time they piss off a new group that ends up trying to hunt them down。 On the run from Colonial spies， alien cultists， alien gangsters， human nativists， invincible symbiotic thugs， Parthenon warrior babes， and all the while the threat of the Architects looms in the Unspace。 They’re trying to save the universe and shit just got real。So the first 20% or so is a bit of a grind as you have to piece together the entire universe。 It was pretty damn dense as there’s a lot of characters， aliens， worlds， space travel concepts， politics， religions， and fucking so much more。 It’s awesome， but it’s a lot。 I did find that some of the groups and characters got involved and then disappeared completely。 I was a little down about that but I’m guessing they’ll have a much bigger role in the books to follow。 What made up for that was the action scenes。 They were edge of your fucking seat intense！ Big， big fan， dudes。 So prepare yourself， take your time， and piece this puzzle together because it’s one wild ass space opera！Anyways， that’s about all I got。 Adios amigos！Oh wait， check out my rad site for more content like this: The SciFi Book Guy 。。。more
Emmalita
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Earth’s crust and mantle have been peeled back by the Architects and shaped into a beautiful flower。 A beautiful， uninhabitable flower。Maybe this is a reflection of my age， but I kept thinking about how clean spaceships were in science fiction when I started reading。 The governments were huge global or galactic entities demonstrating how humans had unified， and often how they had integrated into a system of many alien species。 There was an orderliness to science fiction worlds， even if the prota Earth’s crust and mantle have been peeled back by the Architects and shaped into a beautiful flower。 A beautiful， uninhabitable flower。Maybe this is a reflection of my age， but I kept thinking about how clean spaceships were in science fiction when I started reading。 The governments were huge global or galactic entities demonstrating how humans had unified， and often how they had integrated into a system of many alien species。 There was an orderliness to science fiction worlds， even if the protagonists were rogues or the ruling government was evil。 I also remember that when the protagonists got their hands on a MacGuffin someone would say， “we need to get this into the right hands！” and there were right hands for it to go to。 We don’t live in that world anymore。 There are no objectively right hands， just better or worse hands， depending on where you stand。In Shards of Earth， humans， with a lot of help from alien species， were slowly colonizing other worlds。 The Architect showed up and sculpted Earth as they had many other inhabited worlds， forcing people to flee in anyway they were able。 Millions died unable to get off the planet or in spaceships not designed to carry so many people safely。 Humans and aliens banded together to fight a desperate war for survival， and won。 Or survived， because the Architect disappeared。 Decades later， humanity is even more fragmented with a growing Nativist movement that narrowly defines human and rewrites history， as such movements do。 Shards of Earth follows Solace， Idris， and the crew of the Vulture God， a salvage ship for hire。 Rounding out the cast is Havaer Mundy， a spy。Idris and Solace are survivors of the last battles against the Architects， heroes of the war。 Idris Telemmier is a human whose brain was modified to fight Architects。 He is one of the last of his class and has lived for decades， unsleeping， not aging， desperately trying to stay free of the various factions that see him as a commodity （yay， capitalism）。 He travels with his own knife wielding lawyer。 Myrmidon Executor Solace is a human who was grown in a vat with other women exactly like her – a Partheni soldier， a clone。 Solace has been put into long sleeps， waking a different points。 She can see how the fractures between groups of humans has widened。“We were the shield and sword of the Colonies，” the Partheni went on。 “And then， when the war was over， you started asking why we had to keep on being different to you。”Space hasn’t been kind to a lot of humans。 Malnutrition and lack of gravity have had long term impacts on bodies。 Travel through unspace is a constant mental trauma for Idris， but he can survive the trauma and the others cannot。 The tension between the wealthy and the rest of humanity lies underneath everything。 Tchaikovsky stops short of glorifying the make do mindset of the Colonials， or the genetic perfection of the Partheni。 Instead they are all good， bad， and fully human。Shards of Earth very nicely sets up a universe on the brink of going from not great to worse。 I loved the complicated characters and their conflicting loyalties。 I don’t know exactly where Tchaikovsky is going with the series， but I’m looking forward to finding out。 A lot of conflicts have been set up and it will be interesting to see which ones are in the foreground in the next book。 It has a banger of an ending and I can't wait to see what happens next。 CWs: deaths of characters， violence， torture， physical and mental trauma。I received this as an advance reader copy from NetGalley and Tor in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Bookgrrl
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I’ve heard of this author before （Children of Time is highly regarded）， but have never read him。 Well， color me impressed！ This book is very well written。 Now I do need to admit something。。。I was confused for a fair amount of the book。 I’ve never read space opera sci-fi before， and this is much more complex than I’m used to。 There are quite a few different alien races and worlds named and described， and complicating the matter is that some of these are referred to with multiple names for the sam I’ve heard of this author before （Children of Time is highly regarded）， but have never read him。 Well， color me impressed！ This book is very well written。 Now I do need to admit something。。。I was confused for a fair amount of the book。 I’ve never read space opera sci-fi before， and this is much more complex than I’m used to。 There are quite a few different alien races and worlds named and described， and complicating the matter is that some of these are referred to with multiple names for the same entity。 Also the concept of the Architects and unspace is confusing & a bit unclear。 So it’s a compliment to the writer that I still really enjoyed the book even though I was a bit lost。 I just forced my brain to roll with it and it’s a well told story。 I love the ragtag crew， and the concept of found family is taken farther in this book， as the captain actually refers to crewmembers as “my daughter“。 But can’t these poor bastards get a day off once in a while？！？ There’s always someone chasing them trying to steal their ship or kidnap them or kill them or all of the above。The biggest critique I’ve seen of this book is that there’s quite a bit of info dumping in the first quarter of the book。 As someone who reads more fantasy than sci-fi I’m used to having an info dump， and frankly I find it very helpful for world building purposes。 So don’t let the beginning of the book scare you off！Thank you to NetGalley & Orbit Books for this advanced reader copy。 All opinions expressed in this review are my own。 。。。more
Stephen
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Finished strongly but overall disappointing
Andrew
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Now is a great time to be alive if you're a fan of well written character driven space opera。 Now is a great time to be alive if you're a fan of well written character driven space opera。 。。。more
Gregg Buford
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I have read many of Adrian Tchaikovsky's books and enjoyed most of them。 This is another to add to that list。 Despite not being to really be fully engaged with this one it was still a good read。 I don't my think attention was focused as it needed to be when reading this one but that is something that may be needed to get the most enjoyment out of this book。 So many characters and alien races we encounter and it became a bit of a challenge to keep everything straight。 Mysterious aliens that destr I have read many of Adrian Tchaikovsky's books and enjoyed most of them。 This is another to add to that list。 Despite not being to really be fully engaged with this one it was still a good read。 I don't my think attention was focused as it needed to be when reading this one but that is something that may be needed to get the most enjoyment out of this book。 So many characters and alien races we encounter and it became a bit of a challenge to keep everything straight。 Mysterious aliens that destroy planets for no apparent reason and can't be talked to are the danger to the worlds that have life on them。 I feel like I have seen this before but can't remember when and where。 The aliens are truly alien and don't appear to be that many humanoid type aliens so far。 There is also your usual xenophobic human groups， your adventurous space groups and the big central government。 The spacers provide most of the most interesting of characters at this point。 This is action filled and seems to go from dangerous situation to another at times。 I didn't really dislike any of the characters either but then there were characters that meant to be disliked for sure。 This is probably just the beginning of another grand space epic and should be a journey many will want to go on。 A very solid book to start another series with great potential for greatness。 Much thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read a good book。 。。。more
John Folk-Williams
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Adrian Tchaikovsky has an immense imagination， and the scope of Shards of Earth gives it vast space。 Literally vast since the novel and its strange crew of salvagers moves from one planetary system to another through the terrifying bent space-time depths known as unspace in what seem to be moments。 But those moments are pure hell for the pilot Idris， one of a surgically altered group of humans with mysterious mental abilities。 Those abilities enabled the Intermediaries or Ints， as they’re called Adrian Tchaikovsky has an immense imagination， and the scope of Shards of Earth gives it vast space。 Literally vast since the novel and its strange crew of salvagers moves from one planetary system to another through the terrifying bent space-time depths known as unspace in what seem to be moments。 But those moments are pure hell for the pilot Idris， one of a surgically altered group of humans with mysterious mental abilities。 Those abilities enabled the Intermediaries or Ints， as they’re called， to divert the worst destructive power the universe has ever known。 That is the unknowable race referred to as the Architects。Their moon-size ships appear suddenly over planets which are then turned inside out， destroying all inhabitants。 The distinctive peeled-apart remains in complex designs inspired the name， but nothing else is known about them。 Idris found that he and others like him， if they were lucky enough to survive their re-engineering， had a unique ability to perceive the mysterious patterns that drew the Architects to certain planets and even to enter their minds。 Somehow that ability caused these enemies to vanish， perhaps because they simply recognized humans as having abilities resembling their own。 No one is sure。Decades after their disappearance， Idris is part of a salvage crew on the Vulture God with a wonderfully eclectic mix of different species and often abrasive yet witty personalities who have formed their own style of family。 When searching for a lost ship to salvage， they make a terrible discovery。 The ship Oumaru bears all the marks of destruction by the Architects。How can the crew deal with this carved-up graveyard ship without setting off alarms around the universe that the Architects have returned？ It’s not long before the Vulture God and its crew are pursued by an assortment of powerful and interestingly villainous members of multiple species， all determined to seize a mysterious set of objects aboard the destroyed vessel。。。。The multiple levels of this complex story come together quite well and work toward an exciting climax， but for me the center of the story is the human one centered around Idris and the choices he must make。。。。The forays into the minds of Architects during the war exacted a terrible price on Idris’ mind and body。 Several of the other Intermediaries died under the withering stress， but he survived。 Yet his role as a pilot through unspace also tears into him each time he finds himself alone in that in-between world where the rest of reality falls away。 Solace renews her bond with Idris as one of the few who can literally hold him together during his excruciating experiences。 She is caught between her role as an agent assigned the task of drawing him into the Partheni fold and her human sympathy and affection for him as she guides him through his torment。Shards of Earth is a rich and wonderful book， the start of a series that promises to be a landmark of space adventure。 Besides the excitement of its many battles， of wits as well as spaceships， it describes， as few other books have， the human toll of altered minds and lives spent in war and travel among star systems。Read the full review at SciFi Mind 。。。more
Simms
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Quality space opera in the tradition of Iain M。 Banks （with a healthy dose of Mass Effect， right down to the inscrutable world-killing giant spaceships）。 Tchaikovsky lands you in the midst of a dizzying amount of detail in terms of alien species， human factions， and cast of characters to keep track of， but he does a good enough job of characterizing all of them that it doesn't take that long to get your feet under you （it helps that he， uh， cuts down the character list pretty quickly， if you fol Quality space opera in the tradition of Iain M。 Banks （with a healthy dose of Mass Effect， right down to the inscrutable world-killing giant spaceships）。 Tchaikovsky lands you in the midst of a dizzying amount of detail in terms of alien species， human factions， and cast of characters to keep track of， but he does a good enough job of characterizing all of them that it doesn't take that long to get your feet under you （it helps that he， uh， cuts down the character list pretty quickly， if you follow my meaning）。 Sometimes the scale of things isn't entirely clear: for instance， if one of the aforementioned world-killing spaceships appears in the solar neighborhood of a particular planet， it's muddled just how urgent the threat is。 It feels like they come out of "unspace" practically on top of planets， and yet people apparently have a surprisingly long time to futz around coordinating evacuations and military responses， so the threat level in ensuing action scenes is uneven。 It also has a bit of "first book syndrome" where it doesn't quite resolve anything in favor of setting up a multi-book plot arc。 But it did leave me happily anticipating the rest of the arc rather than frustrated at the loose ends。 I will have to move Tchaikovsky's other books， especially his other space operas， up my to-read list a bit。Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for an ARC。 。。。more
Mary
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I don't typically read a lot of space opera， but I'd heard such good things about Tchaikovsky's Children of Time that I wanted to give this one a shot。 It was a solid three stars for me up until about the last third， at which point it abruptly kicked up into four stars。The depth of the worldbuilding throughout is incredible: the space culture， the history， the wide variety of alien species， the ships， the planets and settlements， the alternate dimension of unspace， and especially the destroyer-g I don't typically read a lot of space opera， but I'd heard such good things about Tchaikovsky's Children of Time that I wanted to give this one a shot。 It was a solid three stars for me up until about the last third， at which point it abruptly kicked up into four stars。The depth of the worldbuilding throughout is incredible: the space culture， the history， the wide variety of alien species， the ships， the planets and settlements， the alternate dimension of unspace， and especially the destroyer-gods called Architects and the haunting presence that permeates the void。 But even as I was being awed by this， I found the characters hard to latch onto for much of the novel。 There were also a surprising number of hand-to-hand action scenes that felt somehow tonally off from the rest of the book。 The book doesn't feel like a thriller， for the most part – it feels like a political intrigue – and so these scenes bogged me down， personally。 EXCEPT for one amazing action scene toward the end， which takes place not between individuals but between spaceships and planets。 THAT was awesome。So， the latter third of the book really picked up for me。 Additionally， by then I had gotten to know the characters better and was able to love and sympathize with them， particularly the mind-hacker Idris。 The novel jumps around so much in the beginning， and something about the prose is so distant， that it just took me a long time to warm up to them。 But all of the characters are great – knife-dueling attorney Kris; genetically engineered supersoldier Solace; smack-talking disabled-yet-not technician Olli; snooty academic metal hive-mind Trine; and the rest。So， overall: I would recommend this novel！ And if you're ordinarily a fan of space opera， I would definitely recommend it。 If you don't typically read a lot of space opera， just be prepared for a long ramp-up。I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Arindam
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As The Expanse comes to a close， there was a void for a new groundbreaking space opera。 Shards of Earth more than fill this space。 Incessantly complex， methodically penned prose， memorable characters and a gritty atmosphere put me into a cerebral overdrive。 Since Children of Time， Tchaikovsky remains my favorite modern sci-fi author。 Top class
Ralph Blackburn
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The Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky（The Final Architecture: Book One）- Earth is destroyed by an unstoppable alien force， the Architects， which， as suddenly as it appeared， disappears。 Surviving humans， desperately clinging to their cindered community， begin rebuilding with the help of other shattered galactic refugees。 Fifty years pass and this new alliance grows increasingly stronger。 Then signs of the eminent return of the Architects is at hand， and everyone gathers for the fight of thei The Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky（The Final Architecture: Book One）- Earth is destroyed by an unstoppable alien force， the Architects， which， as suddenly as it appeared， disappears。 Surviving humans， desperately clinging to their cindered community， begin rebuilding with the help of other shattered galactic refugees。 Fifty years pass and this new alliance grows increasingly stronger。 Then signs of the eminent return of the Architects is at hand， and everyone gathers for the fight of their lives。Tchaikovsky effortlessly builds a coherent future with all the sharpness and color of a master painter。 There is so much going on that explosive details greedily attach themselves to a fast moving story full of darkness and wonder。 This begins a new series that is sure to find a welcome home in the annals of Space Opera for years to come。 。。。more
Brittany Sauls
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Shards of Earth is a Sci-fi space opera set 50 years after a war that destroyed Earth and created a human diaspora。 The enemies of that war the Architects， who destroy planets by reshaping them into intricate art structures， have reappeared and the few veterans of the war are needed again。 This book features a lot of interesting sci-fi concepts and very diverse cast of characters。 Tchaikovsky's Sci-fi is always a hit with me and this is no exception。 Broad and ambitious， and I can't wait to see Shards of Earth is a Sci-fi space opera set 50 years after a war that destroyed Earth and created a human diaspora。 The enemies of that war the Architects， who destroy planets by reshaping them into intricate art structures， have reappeared and the few veterans of the war are needed again。 This book features a lot of interesting sci-fi concepts and very diverse cast of characters。 Tchaikovsky's Sci-fi is always a hit with me and this is no exception。 Broad and ambitious， and I can't wait to see where it goes next。 。。。more
Black Pepperz
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Five-star ratings are like the cheap Geiger counters used in the Tchernobyl facility。 They max out around 1000 Milisieverts and for anything above you won't get an accurate reading。So it comes that very good books get of course 5 stars and books which are still very good， but I haven't quite enjoyed as much will get 5 stars too。 Because they are still so much better than books I will find in the category of 4 stars。Take "Children of Time" as an example。 This book is so good， so complex and so we Five-star ratings are like the cheap Geiger counters used in the Tchernobyl facility。 They max out around 1000 Milisieverts and for anything above you won't get an accurate reading。So it comes that very good books get of course 5 stars and books which are still very good， but I haven't quite enjoyed as much will get 5 stars too。 Because they are still so much better than books I will find in the category of 4 stars。Take "Children of Time" as an example。 This book is so good， so complex and so well written， that it should get into its own container， let's say 10 stars。 But of course， there are only 5 categories， and that's the end of it。 So where do I put Shards of Earth？ It is well written， very imaginative， has excellent character and world-building， the Unspace is a cool concept （and very practical for the writer）， but still 。。。 in Part Five， just a few chapters of the book left I am losing interest。 I am trying to remember what brought the main characters here and it feels like an Odysee of unrelated episodes。 I feel as tired from running away as the main characters。 It's just 3，5 hours left and one day I will have to force myself through it， just to get a sense of completion。Maybe that day in the future I will correct my rating to 5 stars。 。。。more
Mrls
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i would compare this book with a fancy restaurant with an attention on details。。。 but the hors d'oeuvre takes forever before main course （around 50%）。。 all is nice and unusual。。。 but it lacks salt and pepper in the end。。 worth a 3，5 stars。。。 i would compare this book with a fancy restaurant with an attention on details。。。 but the hors d'oeuvre takes forever before main course （around 50%）。。 all is nice and unusual。。。 but it lacks salt and pepper in the end。。 worth a 3，5 stars。。。 。。。more
Evan Ladouceur
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Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit books for an advance copy in exchange for a fair review。What a fantastic book。 Highly inventive， dealing with grand themes （aliens who reshape worlds i including Earth - into intricate sculptures bereft of life）， inscrutable and well-imagined alien races， and high stakes scheming fueled by bigotry and populism。 Peopled with likable characters with real emotions。 Conveyed in clear readable prose and great dialogue。 I think Tchaikovsky is a master at dialogue; he bril Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit books for an advance copy in exchange for a fair review。What a fantastic book。 Highly inventive， dealing with grand themes （aliens who reshape worlds i including Earth - into intricate sculptures bereft of life）， inscrutable and well-imagined alien races， and high stakes scheming fueled by bigotry and populism。 Peopled with likable characters with real emotions。 Conveyed in clear readable prose and great dialogue。 I think Tchaikovsky is a master at dialogue; he brilliantly captures emotion and can leave the reader saddened or utterly amused with a turn of phrase。While at its heart a familiar space opera quest story， there are enough mysteries and fascinating encounters to keep this from ever getting stale。 It ends begging a sequel， which I will hasten to read。 。。。more
Sarah
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Loved it。 Such an interesting exploration into what it could be like if there were certain people with altered minds that enable instant travel through space， or unspace。 Of course if humans can do this， somewhere out there will be aliens that can do this too， and some of them will be incomprehensibly threatening。 Earth is destroyed， humans are spread out in ships and colonies on other planets， and there's a definite possibility that the aliens responsible will be returning。 There's a whole civi Loved it。 Such an interesting exploration into what it could be like if there were certain people with altered minds that enable instant travel through space， or unspace。 Of course if humans can do this， somewhere out there will be aliens that can do this too， and some of them will be incomprehensibly threatening。 Earth is destroyed， humans are spread out in ships and colonies on other planets， and there's a definite possibility that the aliens responsible will be returning。 There's a whole civilization of cloned women warriors waiting for this to happen， but they lack the mind-altered people who can navigate unspace and communicate in some manner with these aliens。 After setting up this epic scene， we dive way in to follow one of the cloned warriors as she tries to recruit a navigator。 She joins their small salvage ship with great Firefly vibes， and many adventures ensue。 They have their ship stolen， recover it， encounter other aliens， visit some fascinating planets， and eventually come head to head with the returning ultimate adversary。 There's a satisfying conclusion， but also a promise of more to come。 The story is very engaging and enjoyable， I highly recommend！ 。。。more
Danielle
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Such a great start to a series， can’t wait to see where we go next。This isn’t a beginner space opera， with a load of species， planets and concepts introduced， but it’s written in such a readable style。 I loved the characters and all the way everyone interacted， which is the most important part for me in a space opera。Loved it
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Shards of Earth
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Shards of Earth&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Shards of Earth&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0