Title: Shards of Earth
Author: Adrian Tchaikovsky
Series: The Final Architects Trilogy #1
Release Date: 27/5/2021
I received a free eARC copy from The Write Reads and Black Crow PR ,via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
From Goodreads:
The Arthur C. Clarke award-winning author of Children of Time brings us an extraordinary new space opera about humanity on the brink of extinction, and how one man’s discovery will save or destroy us all.
The war is over. Its heroes forgotten. Until one chance discovery . . .
Idris has neither aged nor slept since they remade him in the war. And one of humanity’s heroes now scrapes by on a freelance salvage vessel, to avoid the attention of greater powers.
After earth was destroyed, mankind created a fighting elite to save their species, enhanced humans such as Idris. In the silence of space they could communicate, mind-to-mind, with the enemy. Then their alien aggressors, the Architects, simply disappeared – and Idris and his kind became obsolete.
Now, fifty years later, Idris and his crew have discovered something strange abandoned in space. It’s clearly the work of the Architects – but are they returning? And if so, why? Hunted by gangsters, cults and governments, Idris and his crew race across the galaxy hunting for answers. For they now possess something of incalculable value, that many would kill to obtain.
My First Impressions …
I am adoring this book! Currently I am 46% of the way through and oh I can’t wait to finish it. It is also the exact book I need right now. I have been replaying Mass Effect with the release of the legendary edition and this just fills that craving for all the yummy sci-fi goodness. The first time I played through the Mass effect games I wanted more and this time is no different and this book just knocks the epic space opera feels out the park! But you can also blame Mass Effect for why I haven ‘t finished this one yet. I have been perpetually torn between playing one and reading the other.
But its fair to say from what I have read already that this is heading towards a five star read for me. It definitely ticks all the “things Fiona loves in a good Sci-fi” boxes:
- Expansive universe of detailed worldbuilding that is just ready to be explored
- History you can feel in the fabric of the worldbuilding
- A varied and detailed cast of characters with backstory personality and gravity to them in the universe they inhabit.
- A rag tag crew of misfits on a cobbled together junk of a ship (I adore this trope)
- Rep that means something – we have so much rep! strong women of all types, disability rep that is more that tokenism .
- Well written and timed action scenes.
- A story that keeps you, the reader, on your toes.
- There are defiantly some serious political and other machinations going on and Tchaikovsky is very good at keeping you on tenterhooks
This is my first of Tchaikovsky books I have read and I am pretty sure I will be picking up more ASAP if this is anything to judge his writing by. I will have my full review up as soon as I can but unless the second half is drastically different I think I am going to love this book a lot!
Fi's Bibliofiles 
Welp, added one more book to my tbr! Thanks, Fiona xD
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Cant wait to see what you think!
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I had a lot of fun with this one! Hope you enjoy finish reading it and that it lives up to your expected five stars!
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Great first impressions, I can’t wait to read your full thoughts! I’m around the same place as you and loving it just as much!
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