Seal of the Worm (Shadows of the Apt, #10) in Beyond Reality

Jul 09, 2015 Jason rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2015, e-books

5 Stars

Well it is finally over. 10 books of epic fantasy. Seal of the Worm is an incredible Swan Song to one of the greatest series ever written. Adrian Tchaikovsky has truly created something special with this The Shadows of the Apt series. It will be considered a classic. In the age of massively long ongoing series and in the Shadows of the greatest such as Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time, George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones, and Steven Erikson's The Malazan Book of the Fallen; Tchaikovsky has ...more

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Jul 10, 2022 Janny added it · review of another edition

Fine finish to a stunning series - excels on every front.

Don't be put off by the cover or the bugs - this is a human story in every way, with deep complexity, heartbreak and triumph with all the feels, well drawn characters and some of the best military action (and setbacks) ever written in the genre. Misfits and scumbags, gangsters and intellectuals, snotty aristocrats, rampant greed, ambition, hubris and downright wild invention - all ten volumes kept me entertained and better: guessing.

I wil ...more

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Feb 10, 2025 Kathi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 52-book-club-2025-challenge, fantasy

10/10
It’s challenging to effectively wrap up a 10 book series, but Adrian Tchaikovsky does so in a very satisfying fashion in Seal of the Worm, book 10 in the Shadows of the Apt series. It’s not tied up with a fancy bow—there are untidy ends here and there, but that just makes it more realistic and fitting in a world as complex as this one, populated with so many kinden, both Apt and Inapt.

Strengths: Tchaikovsky does not shy away from death, both the multitudes who die in battles or other mass e ...more

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Jan 31, 2025 Natalie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: series-completed, fantasy

There were many threads and quite a few storylines developed throughout this series and Tchaikovsky does a great job of tying up all the loose ends. The conundrum of how to deal with the power hungry Empress Seda had a surprising solution and the battle against the terrible Worm was bought to a close by a surprising act of heroism. The characters are intriguing and the themes well executed.
In the final entry, Seda has escaped the underground world of the Worm (which is made up of numerous large There were many threads and quite a few storylines developed throughout this series and Tchaikovsky does a great job of tying up all the loose ends. The conundrum of how to deal with the power hungry Empress Seda had a surprising solution and the battle against the terrible Worm was bought to a close by a surprising act of heroism. The characters are intriguing and the themes well executed.
In the final entry, Seda has escaped the underground world of the Worm (which is made up of numerous large worms, the scarred ones, who act as priests, and the kinden held prisoner by the priests). Che, Tynisa, Thalric, and Esmail are trapped underground and rely on The Hermit to keep them safe. The Worm has the ability to cut off memory of Apt ability and magical power of the Inapt, though they seem like dumb beasts. We discover that Seda broke the seal keeping the worms underground and the worms are working to get above ground, trying to take control. The Scarred Ones hope to preserve their fragile power by offering others to the worms. The worms have for a long time taken the youngest kinden born and put them in pits to strip them of their individuality and make them into mindless slaves, a practice that horrifies Che and Thalric.
Above ground, the Wasps continue to exert control over Collegium and have undertaken to attack Myna again, in efforts to expand their empire. Stenwold works to fight back and comes up against Milus, an Ant leader who says he will help free the Lowlands but instead is so focused on defeating the Wasps that he refuses to help anyone outside Collegium. Also, an army of sea kinden come on to land to help fight the Wasps. The sea kinden are strong and well armoured, turning the direction of the fight.
Che, in a burst of energy, sends magician Maure to the surface, then encourages the underground slaves to rebel and head for the surface. Esmail decides he will attack the worms and turn the tide, but as he approaches one, realizes opposition is futile. Maure seeks out Totho, because she has seen him in Che's memories, and convinces him to go underground. Totho seeks Che but instead comes across Esmail. (view spoiler).
Seda, who is rarely the focus of the final book, decides she will stop the worm by gathering as many slaves as possible in the Lowlands and killing them, to use their blood to strengthen her power. She is blind to the horrors of her hunger. Many Wasps gather together a huge amount of slaves, unsure what the purpose is. Seda reaches out to Che through her mind, asking Che to support her in the sacrifice. Che sees Seda's plan and agrees to help. (view spoiler).
General Tynan, of the Wasps, recognizes the problems with Seda's power going unchecked. He argues for greater democracy. And the governments of Collegium and Myna work to restore order and democracy. Many of the key characters throughout the series are killed in the final battles and fights of the book, leaving the way for the younger characters. (view spoiler).
The series ends nicely, with resolutions to the conflicts and divisions. Tchaikovsky does a great job of presenting full characters, a complex world, and clear themes (such as power, division, and inclusion). The pacing and prose are well done too. ...more

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Oct 25, 2016 Katy rated it really liked it

A nice conclusion for the series.

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Aug 05, 2014 Cody rated it it was amazing

Wow, what to say about Seal of the Worm?

It truly deserves the 5 stars, despite the past two books being kind of bumpy, to me. There were so many loose ends that I had been wondering if Tchaikovsky could resolve them all in a natural way and I can emphatically say that he definitely did. Everything happened organically and felt like it should have been that way all along. It also followed the themes and characters themselves in that even the deaths weren't unexpected, yet they hit me with surpris ...more

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