Dragonfly Falling

The second book in the 'Shadow of the Apt' series by Adrian Tchaikovsky. This novel continues where book one left off; we continue to follow several characters on a sequential basis as they try to stem the tide of conquest by the Wasp Empire. A faction that has continually displayed covert yet aggressive intentions towards the rest of the continent (The Lowlands). This book is quite exceptional...let me explain. I've read many trilogies/series in which the second book has some minor improvements compared to the first; better because the author has had some time to more clearly defined his ideas for both his story and characters. And often the quality of writing and story telling have improve slightly as well. However, what impressed me most about this second effort is the degree of improvement found in this book compared to the first; improvement mainly in the quality of the prose that is used. The writing is more concise and written in such a way as to add to the suspense and intrigue of the situations that the main characters find themselves in. The narrative in this work just flowed better; if the story telling in book one was good, then it could easily be described as great for this second effort. Also, as I mentioned before, the tale is told on a sequential basis, following about a half dozen or so characters in turn. As I approached the end of this book, I began to realize another unusual quality of this book. That being, that none, not one, of these tales was dull, boring or just plain 'fill'; all were intense, exciting and riveting. Few novels I've read with this 'sequential' format have ever accomplished this feat so well, as most have one or two segments that drag or hold little interest. Not so with this book! Of course the above effect was enhanced by the fact that every section seemed to end in a 'cliffhanger' of sorts. This made me sorry to leave this chapter and eager to return to this particular thread. Honestly, few books that I've read recently (with the exception maybe of Joe Abercrombie's first two books in 'The First Law' trilogy) have had me so eager to keep reading or trying to find time to get back to a book; the book was simply that good. Even the concerns I had regarding the written description of some of the one on one fights scenes in book one (see my review of 'Empire in Black and Gold' Sept 19/09), were no longer an issue in this second book. Other positive features were 1.) a very good map 2.) a brief list of names, places and organizations (with brief descriptions) at the beginning of the book, that really helps to identify the characters etc. within. Conclusion: An exceptionally second book in the series, that not only has it all the ingredients for high fantasy and adventure, but also was presented in such a way that will make you want to read on and on. And for any book, who could ask for more. Easily 5 Stars...more if I could. Ray Nicholson

As other reviewers have mentioned, this series is premised on a completely original world building idea, in which the different races ("kinden") are based on different types of insect, with appropriate powers. I started the first book reluctantly because it sounded campy, but soon found I couldn't put it down. This second book is even better than the first one; completely immersing. What makes it tick is the author's talent for *both* plot and character. Most fantasy/sci-fi books are plot-driven, often with characters that are flat or silly. These characters have depth, they are well differentiated, they feel like real people, and I *care* what happens to them. And there is certainly enough going on as the Lowlands are plunged into war. The book does not sag, the pace is fast and even. The other great thing about these books is the way that description is handled. One would think that with a universe this different there would be endless amounts of exposition and description, and really badly handled exposition and description is an unfortunately common characteristic of sci-fi and fantasy . . . people spend a lot of time gazing at their features in mirrors, explaining things to each other for pages, etc. In these books, by contrast description is both thoughtful and deft -- I am often surprised by a sentence and think, yes, well, that is exactly what it would look like, or that is what would happen if X happened, etc. And exposition is feather light; you don't even notice it, you are just plunged into this very complex universe. Reminds me of some of the best of China Mieville's work. Can't say enough good things about it. We need more like this one!

WOW! This second novel in the Shadows Of The Apt series is truly breathtaking. I loved the first novel Empire In Black And Gold, but the brilliance of this latest work blows it away. Tchaikovsky writes with a skill that in the future could easily put him up there with the very best of writers in the Fantasy genre, his world is massive and complex filled with wondrous peoples and different societies and political systems. I really can't praise this series enough, it is definitely one of the best fantasy series around. This installment has all of our favourite characters from the previous novel and many more to sink our teeth into, I think my favourite is the Emperor of the Wasps Alvdan The Second. We get to see an insight into his life and the brutality in which he lived, we also see an insight into the Wasp political structure and the back biting of the Generals and Nobles. On the opposite side of the world the Lowlands are rocked with battles and sieges and assassinations as the Wasp armies and their allies attempt to further their Emperors dreams of domination. This is an action packed Fantasy book that any Fantasy lover will like, so if you're waiting for the New Martin or Erikson and find yourself at a loss for a good read, read this and his previous novel. You'll be in for a hell of a surprise!

I loved both books. Hard to tell which was best. Absolutly great characters. Keep it up.

Adrian Tchaikovsky continues his tale of invasion begun in "Empire of Black and Gold". In Tchaikovsky's mythical world tribes have developed abilities and attributes based upon specific insects: Wasp, Dragonfly, Mantis, Beetle, Moths and a whole host of others newly introduced in this mid-trilogy novel. While this idea could potentially come off as silly Tchaikovsky continues to handle this an entertaining (and maybe more importantly) believable way. The young Collegium students from the first novel have taken their own paths, each looking for a way to fight against the Imperialistic desires of the Wasp nation. Cities have fallen, allies are gained and lost and finally the Wasps are at the gates of Collegium. While the world that Tchaikovsky has created is vastly different then our own, it is stunningly the same. The issues of race, spiritual belief and xenophobia that seperate the Kinden (tribes of people) are the same issues that seperate us in our world. There are great lessons for our time in these books and Adrian Tchaikovsky writes crisp dialog, detailed and gruesome battle scenes and has a firm grasp of human nature and how it manifests as political fear and hatred. Highly recommend this series and anxiously await the final book scheduled for release this summer.