Reviews

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

bombasticcrib's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

4.25

mahiccup's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I've never read anything like this! Sci fi that tackles huge concepts about evolution and what makes a human, through space spiders. Didn't expect to love reading about the spiders as much as I did but the timeline, skipping generations, worked so perfectly (tho now I feel a bit weird seeing a spider or an ant out in the wild...) Holsten and Lain were also fun characters and though the human side of the story got a little repetitive it felt quite realistic.

I was hoping it wouldn't get too nihilistic humans-are-evil and it was a little bit, but the ending turned it around for me. Loved the ideas of the new humans just recreating the mistakes of their ancestors, the spiders evolving tech based on their skills, Kern's influence throughout the whole thing from chapter 1. Such a crazy book!!

"It was life, and only now did Holsten realize that he had never really seen Earth life, as it had been intended. The home he remembered was just a dying, browning stub, but this ... Gently, almost imperceptibly, Holsten felt something breaking up inside him."

anyoneandnobody's review against another edition

adventurous challenging informative reflective 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

4.0

adoras's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

kalinbullman's review against another edition

medium-paced

4.5

hannah8ball's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

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

4.0

afterthestorms's review against another edition

slow-paced

2.0

I wouldn't say it's a bad book in and of itself but absoloutely not my cup of tea

notesurfer's review

emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Children of Time is an epic exploration of sentience and human nature. The prose is exceptional - communicative with moments of real beauty. The characters are instantly comprehensible and interesting. The book covers the excitement and danger of technology and manages to warn while still keeping an upbeat tone. The premise is unique and exquisitely delivered. Basically this is peak science fiction.

jojo_bizarre's review

challenging informative mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.25

sageyleaf's review against another edition

adventurous funny informative fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Sentient spiders and uploaded human consciousness in a story that spans 10,000+ years. I’m in.