Hi all! I’m here today with my stop of the giveaway blog tour for Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky. I’m sure you’ve noticed that I don’t seem to read and review much adult sci-fi. But it’s something I’d ideally like to read more of. As soon as I saw the plot of Shards of Earth, it intrigued me. So I thought, why not give some adult sci-fi a go now?
This is a thick book, and it follows a cast of a few different characters. Eighty years ago, earth and many other planets were destroyed by an alien species known as Architects. A group of humans were altered to fight these Architects until one day, they just disappeared. Idris was one of those heroes, but now he spends his life on a salvage ship. Until one day, the ship makes a big discovery. And suddenly, gangsters and politicians alike are interested in this ship and the proof they have that the Architects are back.
If the size of this book intimidates you as it did me, let me assure you that the font is pretty large. This book has a fascinating story and great characters, so you’ll definitely be glad it’s long. But I did personally struggle with the writing a little bit. Sometimes sentences read a little oddly. And with this being in the future and there being so many alien species. It’s not a surprise that language has changed a lot. But when there’s an action scene, and I’m having to stop to think about the wording? It did wind up slowing my reading down.
The characters kept me wanting to read on. My favourite was definitely Solace; she’s a genetically designed soldier from a group of all women soldiers. She’s a good person, who though told to bring Idris back no matter what gives him the choice and opportunities. She calls her group the ‘Angels of Punching You in the Face’, and she’s queer! Her group tend to find romance with each other, but it’s also said that she had a romantic past with Idris. I enjoyed her flirting with Kris a bit too. She was such a good character, and I’m glad she was one of the narrators. I want to find out more about the Parthenon, that’s for sure. My second favourite character was Trine. I loved their love of research and the way they referred to people. They were a lot of fun, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of them.
I also really enjoyed the world-building. I’m fascinated with how Architects destroy planets. It’s hinted at why they’re doing it near the end, and wow. I want to discover more about what’s behind them. As well as that, there are mentions of Originators and their artefacts. I’m so intrigued about that. You got to see a bit of a dig, but I want the back story. I want to find out more about them, see their stories and where they went to. Why are the Architects afraid? I have an inkling of how they might be connected, but I really wanna know!
Overall, I did enjoy this book. And I’ll definitely be getting book 2. But I might have to do it in audiobook rather than physically reading it. I’m a little disappointed I never picked up Adrian Tchaikovsky’s works before this now. And I might have to go on a bit of a backlist binge!
4/5 Stars
Want to win a hardback copy of this book? As well as a Doors of Eden bundle featuring a paperback copy of the book, a branded torch keyring and a branded vinyl sticker?
Pop over to my Twitter! I’m hosting a giveaway to win all that. It’s UK only and will be running for 48 hours!
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Lace and Dagger Books 
Great review! I really want to read this one!
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