Reviews

This is easily becoming one of the best series I have ever read.

In my reviews of Empire in Black and Gold and Dragonfly Falling, I wrote of how hesitant I was beginning the Shadows of the Apt series. Insects are something that had never really made a presence in fantasy. They’re (mostly) disgusting creatures and the thought of reading a series where the oprhan boy has been replaced by all of these bug-like people was a complete turn-off for me. Like I said, I gave it a shot. I couldn’t be happier that I did, especially after Blood of the Mantis. The series is quickly becoming one of the best I have ever read, sitting right next to the Malazan series. What makes me have even more drive to read Apt rather than Malazan is the fact that the latter books are tomes. They’re huge. Tchaikovsky keeps his books at a more feasible length for the most part.

By now, if you’ve read the series at all or my reviews, you know the deal with the different kinden and how they’re all humans with insectoid traits – as well as their Apt and Inapt abilities. The plot from Dragonfly Falling continues, with Achaeos, Tisamon, Tynisa, Thalric, and Gaved tracking the deadly Shadow Box to a remote town in the Wasp Empire called Jerez. Jerez is home to another fantastically unique race, the Skater-kinden. The kinden, like the bugs themselves, have very long limbs and can literally skate across the water. The town is full of these kinden as well as other shady thugs and mercenaries looking to do business in the black market. Nero and Che have traveled all the way to Solarno, a city on the Exalsee that remains free from the grip of the Empire. Solarno distinctly reminded me of Renaissance Italy, with many different factions vying for control over the council that rules the city as well as the way they address eachother, Bella for a woman and Sieur for a man. Stenwold travels to Sarn for the conference he hopes will cement the alliance of the various peoples opposed to the Wasps and Uctebri has his own sinister plans involving the royal family in the capital of the Empire.

Read the rest here: http://abitterdraft.com/2013/08/blood-of-the-mantis-by-adrian-tchaikovsky.html

books_with_benghis_kahn's review against another edition

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4.0

I really enjoyed this 3rd entry into the Shadows of the Apt, even if it wasn't as gripping for me as the previous book (which reached highs few books have touched for me ever). Maybe that's for the best, so we could get a different style book that explores some interesting new corners of the world. I continued to be thrilled with the new kinden and abilities we learn about here, and Tchaikovsky's immense creativity is on full display. I think this one slightly suffers from a middle book syndrome in being centered around a couple side quests that don't pay off in this book, and this one was clearly the weakest out of the first 4-book arc. Still a great read on the whole!

zivan's review against another edition

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adventurous reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

This is an intermediate book in the series, with some extra world building but the plot doesn't move along much.

iainbertram's review against another edition

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3.0

Solid fantasy with extremely good world building. Understands that continent spanning conflict does not depend on the actions of a few or a chosen one. Likes spiders....

wertraut's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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