Empire In Black and Gold
is the first book in the Shadows Of The Apt series by Adrian
Tchaikovsky is a medieval fantasy in a steampunk world. Instead of your typical
elves, dwarfs, ogres, and such, this world is built on the idea of multiple
human races having the characteristics of insects. There are the villains in
this book the Wasps who can fly and emit energy blasts from their hands. There
are the Spiders who are known for manipulating people and being able to
disappear quickly. The Ants can communicate telepathically as a hive mind. Those
are three but there are many more races.
The Wasp Empire is expanding across the Lowlands or
a group of city states. These city states house various races and a common belief
that the occasional event caused by the Wasp Empire is isolated and no cause for
alarm as they are in far off areas when they happen. Except for Stenwold Maker who is an old spymaster, scholar, and
statesman. He sees things differently as he remains haunted twenty years later
by what he saw as The Wasp Empire sacked a city he tried to save. He sees a
pattern in the attacks and is sure that everyone is in great peril. It is up to
he and his students twenty years later to attempt to unify the Lowlands and
stop The Wasp Empire from taking over the Lowlands. They might succeed if the
Wasp Empire and their spies don’t kill him and his students first.
Featuring multiple character perspectives and a
unique world full of deep and interesting characters, this is a good book that
is different than many typical fantasy novels. In addition to Stenwold Maker,
each student has a very different personality, their own personal motivation, and
their own set of skills to offer in the coming fight against The Wasp Empire.
This book features plenty of intrigue, violence, and
political maneuvering. This is a good book that is different than many typical
fantasy novels. If the idea of an old spymaster and his college students
trying to save their people, this might be the book for you. It is a really
good book.
The second book in the series, Dragonfly
Falling, is here in my massive TBR pile. Fortunately, the library does
not want it back…. yet.
Empire In Black
And Gold: Shadows of the Apt Book 1
Adrian
Tchaikovsky
PYR (Imprint of
Prometheus Books)
2010
ISBN# 978-1-61614-192-9
Paperback
(available in audio and eBook formats)
420 Pages
My reading copy came from the Downtown Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.
Scott A. Alexander
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