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4.24 AVERAGE
4.24 AVERAGE
Star Rating: 5 stars
Note: This is the 3rd and final installment in The Final Architecture series so this will not be an in-depth review.
As I have stated in multiple reviews, I am a major theme/concept reader so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that Adrian Tchaikovsky is one of my favorite authors as that is what he does best. The book of his that I was most recently able to get to was his newest release (He’s an auto library request for me. I don’t buy books for my own collection that I haven’t read because I have limited space.), Lords of Uncreation, the 3rd and final book in The Final Architecture series. This book wraps the story of Idris and his friends as they struggle to save their universe from the Architects, a planet-sized physics-bending alien race.
The first thing I want to discuss about this book is the world-building. Tchaikovsky draws on ideas to structure this world that, although, they are science fiction, draw very heavily on the theoretical physics field. This makes his universe seem a lot more plausible and believable, which isn’t the most important thing to me, but it is something that helps my immersion and enjoyment. Also, the way he crafted his “big baddies” was brilliant as it was unique but still made perfect sense for the storyline and the setting of the book. None of these things surprised me, though, as I have read multiple Tchaikovsky books at this point, and he has a habit of taking conventional science fiction elements and troupes and giving them a new spin or lens, and this is one of the reasons why I love him so much.
Another thing about this book that I loved was his ability to create a multi-layered conflict. It would have been so much easier for him to just go with his straight story and leave out all the embellishments, but the extra layers added depth and complexity and allowed him to explore his concepts even more drastically. Another thing that added to this was his use of allusions because as previously mentioned Tchaikovsky uses a lot of theoretical physics in this series, and that can be daunting for some people so his use of allusions to things that may be more familiar to his readers: Lovecraft, Biblical, various world mythos, deep space = deep ocean, was a bold and genius move, proving his master class.
Finally, I want to deliver a personal reason why this book worked so well for me. I found myself relating to two of the main characters, Solace and Idris, in a very personal way. There was a point in this book where Solace had a moment of realization that the world was not as straightforward as she thought. I really related to that because, as I have said before in multiple reviews, I had my own moment. I was raised in a very conservative Southern Baptist home and town where there wasn’t much diversity or dissenting voices, at least, not any that I was exposed to. When I went away to college, I had a moment like Solace in my World Literature class where I realized the way I was raised and the beliefs that I grew up may not be right, and it deeply affected me so I really related to and commiserated with Solace when she had her moment. My connection to Idris, however, goes far deeper. Idris is a very anxious person and because of this anxiety, he is very isolated and easily overwhelmed. As someone who struggles with not only severe anxiety but also ADHD and autism, I really related to Idris and I was both saddened and thrilled with how his story arc ended.
All in all, I thought this was an amazing finale to this trilogy, and I continue to love Tchaikovsky’s work. I will be reading more books of his in the future. 5 stars and a series I will be purchasing for my own shelves!!!!!!!
Note: This is the 3rd and final installment in The Final Architecture series so this will not be an in-depth review.
As I have stated in multiple reviews, I am a major theme/concept reader so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that Adrian Tchaikovsky is one of my favorite authors as that is what he does best. The book of his that I was most recently able to get to was his newest release (He’s an auto library request for me. I don’t buy books for my own collection that I haven’t read because I have limited space.), Lords of Uncreation, the 3rd and final book in The Final Architecture series. This book wraps the story of Idris and his friends as they struggle to save their universe from the Architects, a planet-sized physics-bending alien race.
The first thing I want to discuss about this book is the world-building. Tchaikovsky draws on ideas to structure this world that, although, they are science fiction, draw very heavily on the theoretical physics field. This makes his universe seem a lot more plausible and believable, which isn’t the most important thing to me, but it is something that helps my immersion and enjoyment. Also, the way he crafted his “big baddies” was brilliant as it was unique but still made perfect sense for the storyline and the setting of the book. None of these things surprised me, though, as I have read multiple Tchaikovsky books at this point, and he has a habit of taking conventional science fiction elements and troupes and giving them a new spin or lens, and this is one of the reasons why I love him so much.
Another thing about this book that I loved was his ability to create a multi-layered conflict. It would have been so much easier for him to just go with his straight story and leave out all the embellishments, but the extra layers added depth and complexity and allowed him to explore his concepts even more drastically. Another thing that added to this was his use of allusions because as previously mentioned Tchaikovsky uses a lot of theoretical physics in this series, and that can be daunting for some people so his use of allusions to things that may be more familiar to his readers: Lovecraft, Biblical, various world mythos, deep space = deep ocean, was a bold and genius move, proving his master class.
Finally, I want to deliver a personal reason why this book worked so well for me. I found myself relating to two of the main characters, Solace and Idris, in a very personal way. There was a point in this book where Solace had a moment of realization that the world was not as straightforward as she thought. I really related to that because, as I have said before in multiple reviews, I had my own moment. I was raised in a very conservative Southern Baptist home and town where there wasn’t much diversity or dissenting voices, at least, not any that I was exposed to. When I went away to college, I had a moment like Solace in my World Literature class where I realized the way I was raised and the beliefs that I grew up may not be right, and it deeply affected me so I really related to and commiserated with Solace when she had her moment. My connection to Idris, however, goes far deeper. Idris is a very anxious person and because of this anxiety, he is very isolated and easily overwhelmed. As someone who struggles with not only severe anxiety but also ADHD and autism, I really related to Idris and I was both saddened and thrilled with how his story arc ended.
All in all, I thought this was an amazing finale to this trilogy, and I continue to love Tchaikovsky’s work. I will be reading more books of his in the future. 5 stars and a series I will be purchasing for my own shelves!!!!!!!
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
mysterious
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
Sophie Aldred is a top-tier narrator, can't recommend listening enough. Also difficult to stick the landing on a series that covers so much ground, and I think Tchaikovsky did a fantastic job.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Adrian Tchaikovsky completely delivers a sweeping space opera with this finale to his Final Architecture trilogy.
He's gifted at writing flawed and broken characters who persevere, humans from different cultures that influence their actions, and aliens who really don't think like humans but still act in ways that are consistent and believable.
He's gifted at writing flawed and broken characters who persevere, humans from different cultures that influence their actions, and aliens who really don't think like humans but still act in ways that are consistent and believable.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-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