Reviews

This thing, this snapbow, is not progress. It is just another way of killing someone and, even if it is an inch more efficient, then that does not make it progress. Progress is made by the improvement of people, not the improvement of machines.

“Blood of the Mantis” is the third instalment of the Shadows of the Apt series. There’s not much I want to say about this book, other than it was quite a shift from the previous book. ‘Dragonfly Falling’ was packed with action (I really love sieges okay) but ‘Blood of Mantis’ focuses more on infiltration. That’s why individually I would give it five stars but compared to the previous two books, it falls more on three stars, so it falls in between. Also my review will not that good since I’m on vacation right now and just wanted this review to be out.

The main plot follows Achaeos, Tisamon, Tynisa and Thalric as they hunt down the shadow box. We are introduced to several new characters, most of which I can’t remember their names. Of the four, I don’t really care about Tisamon and Tynisa so I was more invested in Achaeos and Thalric. Achaeos’ character arc seemed to come to a halt as he’s obsessed with the box and all the visions he’s receiving and with how the book ended, it’s not looking good for him. Thalric on the other hand is struggling. He’s angry that his people have turned against him and him watching others serve his beloved Empire feels him with an ache. Of the new characters introduced, I want to learn more about Sef and her underwater city.

The side plots included Che and Nero going to a Spider city state to warn them of the Wasp Empire. I need Che to stop being kidnapped. All she’s doing at this point is being rescued and recruiting people to help Stenwold. Of the new characters introduced in her chapters, I find Cesta, the assassin bug, the most interesting

Stenwold is struggling to get the Lowlands to unite. They all want the plans to the snapbow but Stenwold knows that if they defeat the Wasp empire, they would start turning the machines against each other. It’s an ethical dilemma he has to think through and even though he disappointed me in the last book, his speech!

Progress is made by the improvement of people, not the improvement of machines.

Yes Stenwold! Give those Captain America speeches!

We don’t see much of Totho in this book which sucked because he became my favourite character but this one scene: You bastards have kept me down all my life, he had thought. Now see how you like it. Good for you Totho, good for you.

I don’t even know what Salma is doing at this point.

While I did enjoy it, one thing I was really looking forward to but was not explored was Stenwold’s reaction to what happened in the previous book with one of his students. Like why wasn’t it discussed?! I’d argue that it’s something very major that needs to be talked about but all we got was one throw away line!! HOW ARE YOU NOT AFFECTED STENWOLD!

Anyway, that disappointed me but the chapter where the bees started rebelling was the best part of this book. I’m really pumped up for ‘Salute the Dark’ because the Bees have rebelled…… and I believe Drephos has made a bioweapon. That mad scientist is surprisingly endearing. All he wants to do is make weapons of mass destruction.

We are the dispossessed, your Majesty, and we fight

titusfortner's review

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3.0

A little slower than the previous book; focused on fleshing out the fascinating world and interesting characters.

brents's review against another edition

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4.0

Cloak and Dagger Fantasy

Another excellent entry into the Shadows of The Apt series which has become the most pleasant surprise of my 2023 reading year. I will say though I felt Blood of The Mantis was a but different than the first two volumes.

Whereas the first two books in the series are about direct conflict with the Wasp Empire with sieges and big battles being the main set pieces, this book shows a different side of conflict. To me what this series really is at heart is a big geo-political thriller in a fantasy setting. It makes sense that if we got the big battles we might also get the cloak and dagger espionage part of it as well. We really get that here as characters split off into different groups and try to have an effect on the war behind the scenes. It works because everything in these books is interesting and Tchaikovsky never stops introducing us to new kinden, new elements of thus world and new mysteries. That being said it feels much more like moving pieces into place for the next book than a complete satisfying arc like we got in the first two.

I did really like all the political games and manipulations here and seeing the spider politics and wondering what they are up to. And oh yeah we get more about magic here as well. And finally we get some really interesting new povs and and significant character development even for characters that don't have much page time like Totho.

Even though I may have enjoyed this entry slightly less than the first two it really wasn't by much. And honestly I kind of loved the different feel of this book. This series is becoming an all-timer for me and I can't wait for the next one.