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writerstears's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
mwplante's review against another edition
3.0
Empire in Black and Gold presents a strong start to an inventive epic fantasy series. I look forward to the remaining 9 volumes.
Obviously the first thing to comment on the is the kinden and apt/inapt systems that make up the social and fantastical bones of the world Tchaikovsky has created. While all the characters (so far) are human, humanity is divided into "kinden", each of which has attributes and special abilities derived from a totem insect species -- Mantids are deadly fast warriors, Ants are fractious warriors with mind-sharing abilities, Wasps can fly and "sting" with energy blasts from their palms, etc. Some of these kinden are "apt" and able to use steampunk-level technology, while other "inapt" kinden have talents along more magical lines but cannot figure out how to operate a crossbow if their lives depend upon it. Pretty imaginative stuff, huh?
As one can imagine, these divisions lead to a hyper-racialized worldview in the kinden societies, where half-breeds are outcast and many races have fascistic, separatist, or even isolationist tendencies. I hope Tchaikovsky will indulge in more in-depth social commentary in future volumes, as so far the hyper-racialized environment he created has, in my view, been rhetorically underused. The main action of the novel revolves around the (tall, blond) Wasps and their fascistic empire, which threatens the relatively more cosmopolitan, multi-kinden Lowlands (the Good Guys). I am encouraged by the fact that the Lowlands themselves are portrayed as pretty racist/fractious, presenting opportunities for growth and change in the "Good Guys" and the societies they represent. Greater cross-kinden/state unity is advocated by several of the multi-kinden main characters as the only possible hope for resistance the Wasps. On a more micro-level, one main character is a half-breed in love with a pure-bred woman, indicating that Tchaikovsky is adept at bringing social comment into the interactions between the main cast, rather than leaving it to the "clash of civilizations". Along other lines, I see a critique of capitalism possibly emerging as well -- inapt characters from more egalitarian or feudal societies have made some derisive comments regarding the capitalist, industrialized societies the apt races have created for themselves, and the greed and arrogance generated by the present, rapacious mode of production in the Lowlands is shown to be a large stumbling block for the greater unity required to combat the Wasp invasion -- indeed, the Wasp Empire is the Lowlands foundaries' best clients! I will be watching with interest to see if Tchaikovsky takes full advantage of the rich groundwork he has laid for social commentary.
I cannot get too worked up regarding the lack of deep social commentary so far, as Tchaikovsky has accomplished a lot of world-building, character development, and plot advancement in a scant 414 pages. George RR Martin he is not -- unlike some other epic-inclined fantasy writers, Tchaikovsky keeps his scenes short and focused, with plenty of action. His style was almost disorienting at first -- as used to wordy fantasy novels as I have become in recent years -- but after a short while I came to appreciate the economy of form that Tchaikovsky employs. This is not to say his work is dumbed-down relative to other authors -- on the contrary, I learned a new word: "cupidity", (it doesn't mean what you think it means).
All in all, Empire in Black and Gold is a brisk, fresh and action-packed read, (a rare combination in epic fantasy), which has left me excited for more of Tchaikovsky's unique insect-people and their intrigues. I only wish the volumes were easier to find stateside, but I guess my American kin(den) are still catching on to this British series.
Obviously the first thing to comment on the is the kinden and apt/inapt systems that make up the social and fantastical bones of the world Tchaikovsky has created. While all the characters (so far) are human, humanity is divided into "kinden", each of which has attributes and special abilities derived from a totem insect species -- Mantids are deadly fast warriors, Ants are fractious warriors with mind-sharing abilities, Wasps can fly and "sting" with energy blasts from their palms, etc. Some of these kinden are "apt" and able to use steampunk-level technology, while other "inapt" kinden have talents along more magical lines but cannot figure out how to operate a crossbow if their lives depend upon it. Pretty imaginative stuff, huh?
As one can imagine, these divisions lead to a hyper-racialized worldview in the kinden societies, where half-breeds are outcast and many races have fascistic, separatist, or even isolationist tendencies. I hope Tchaikovsky will indulge in more in-depth social commentary in future volumes, as so far the hyper-racialized environment he created has, in my view, been rhetorically underused. The main action of the novel revolves around the (tall, blond) Wasps and their fascistic empire, which threatens the relatively more cosmopolitan, multi-kinden Lowlands (the Good Guys). I am encouraged by the fact that the Lowlands themselves are portrayed as pretty racist/fractious, presenting opportunities for growth and change in the "Good Guys" and the societies they represent. Greater cross-kinden/state unity is advocated by several of the multi-kinden main characters as the only possible hope for resistance the Wasps. On a more micro-level, one main character is a half-breed in love with a pure-bred woman, indicating that Tchaikovsky is adept at bringing social comment into the interactions between the main cast, rather than leaving it to the "clash of civilizations". Along other lines, I see a critique of capitalism possibly emerging as well -- inapt characters from more egalitarian or feudal societies have made some derisive comments regarding the capitalist, industrialized societies the apt races have created for themselves, and the greed and arrogance generated by the present, rapacious mode of production in the Lowlands is shown to be a large stumbling block for the greater unity required to combat the Wasp invasion -- indeed, the Wasp Empire is the Lowlands foundaries' best clients! I will be watching with interest to see if Tchaikovsky takes full advantage of the rich groundwork he has laid for social commentary.
I cannot get too worked up regarding the lack of deep social commentary so far, as Tchaikovsky has accomplished a lot of world-building, character development, and plot advancement in a scant 414 pages. George RR Martin he is not -- unlike some other epic-inclined fantasy writers, Tchaikovsky keeps his scenes short and focused, with plenty of action. His style was almost disorienting at first -- as used to wordy fantasy novels as I have become in recent years -- but after a short while I came to appreciate the economy of form that Tchaikovsky employs. This is not to say his work is dumbed-down relative to other authors -- on the contrary, I learned a new word: "cupidity", (it doesn't mean what you think it means).
All in all, Empire in Black and Gold is a brisk, fresh and action-packed read, (a rare combination in epic fantasy), which has left me excited for more of Tchaikovsky's unique insect-people and their intrigues. I only wish the volumes were easier to find stateside, but I guess my American kin(den) are still catching on to this British series.
enbypirate's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
lisade's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I picked it up to have something to read for five minutes before falling asleep one night and ended up losing sleep over the next couple nights reading it. Definitely reading the next book in the series.
karinlib's review against another edition
4.0
I continue to enjoy Adrian Tchaikovsky's books, whether they are Science Fiction or Fantasy. I must admit though, I enjoyed this more than I expected to.
jesslynh's review against another edition
4.0
Espionage, Magic, War, Politics, Gangsters & Bugs!.Dont let the horrible synopsis fool you. Awesome Epic Fantasy
awoodalla's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
pureferret's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
andre93na's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-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? It's complicated
3.75
rymdkejsaren's review against another edition
3.0
When I picked this up, I had no idea that it was the start of a ten-tome series. But I wanted to read some fantasy by Tchaikovsky as I've really enjoyed his SF. I do feel that the other books I've read by him were better constructed, but that makes sense as they were all written at least a decade after this one. The world of the Lowlands is different from your standard fantasy, which I like as I'm dead tired of elves and dwarves and wizards. But sometimes I found I had to stretch my imagination a bit further than I would have had wanted (though I can't exactly say why, so it may be a matter of personal taste) to believe in the setting.
At the beginning, I think Tchaikovsky failed a bit at maintaining the balance between exposition and believability -- which is always a tough task in a fantastical world -- mostly by failing to give me a good image of what the different "kins" looked like. I imagined them a lot less human-looking initially, and had to adjust.
But overall this is well-realised epic fantasy. I will pick up a few of the sequels when I can, though it will take a lot to make me stick the full ten books -- but I expect this is the series with which Tchaikovsky developed his art into what it is today, so likely they will get better along the way, dropping some of the more tropey parts of the storytelling.
At the beginning, I think Tchaikovsky failed a bit at maintaining the balance between exposition and believability -- which is always a tough task in a fantastical world -- mostly by failing to give me a good image of what the different "kins" looked like. I imagined them a lot less human-looking initially, and had to adjust.
But overall this is well-realised epic fantasy. I will pick up a few of the sequels when I can, though it will take a lot to make me stick the full ten books -- but I expect this is the series with which Tchaikovsky developed his art into what it is today, so likely they will get better along the way, dropping some of the more tropey parts of the storytelling.