Scan barcode
A review by sheilajenn
Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I tried to read Shards of Earth but found it just too long and slow. This, however, is a short, enjoyable read. It's mostly about the "prime directive" (don't interfere in less developed cultures) but partly about loneliness and emotional repression.
It's told in alternating chapters from a fantasy perspective and a science fiction perspective--the princess, and the anthropologist studying her people. To the princess, high technology is magic. I like how the style is very different between the two points of view.
It got a little Lovecraftian at the end, which I do not like at all but am willing to overlook in a good enough book.
It's told in alternating chapters from a fantasy perspective and a science fiction perspective--the princess, and the anthropologist studying her people. To the princess, high technology is magic. I like how the style is very different between the two points of view.
It got a little Lovecraftian at the end, which I do not like at all but am willing to overlook in a good enough book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror
Lovecraftian, involving standard traits like body horror, dimensional portals, and colors that drive you mad