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A review by mwplante
Empire in Black and Gold by Adrian Tchaikovsky
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.