Empire in Black and Gold (Shadows of the Apt, #1) in Building a SciFi/Fantasy Library

Sep 01, 2021 Carrie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, steampunk, bugs, under-rated

Damnnnn

That was something I didn't know I needed. ...more

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Sep 26, 2008 Kati rated it did not like it

Shelves: dropped, in-english, fantasy, 2008

I'm sorry but I just had to drop Tchaikovsky's book. The premise was rather interesting - in this fantasy land, people had insect-like abilities and were divided into various "kinden" (Beetle-kinden, Wasp-kinden) and then, the Empire of the Wasps started annihilating its neighbors...

So yeah, interesting but! And there's a big BUT! The setting. Imagine old Greek democracy with city-states set in British-like Lowlands/Highlands and somewhere at the beginning of the 19th century with Jules-Verne-li ...more

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Jul 03, 2010 Jeffrey rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, science-fiction, read-in-2010

The idea of this novel, human beings who are descended or who take talents from insects is a great conceit borne of a superior imagination. Like the Wasps who are the enemy in this technological fantasy sf mix, the author gives it wings and we fly along pulled inexorably skyward. The Mantis are great warriors, the spider kindin schemers, the Beetle Kindin makers and the Butterfly kindin are dancers, but all are endowed with their heritage, and their ancestor art.

The story is a good one too. Ste The idea of this novel, human beings who are descended or who take talents from insects is a great conceit borne of a superior imagination. Like the Wasps who are the enemy in this technological fantasy sf mix, the author gives it wings and we fly along pulled inexorably skyward. The Mantis are great warriors, the spider kindin schemers, the Beetle Kindin makers and the Butterfly kindin are dancers, but all are endowed with their heritage, and their ancestor art.

The story is a good one too. Stenwold Maker, a Beetle, last fought the Wasp Empire 17 years before when it took the city of Myna. Now he lives at the Collegium, a city founded by the Lowland peoples of all races but mostly run by Beetles, who are artisans and artificers, makers of technology and builders, who cast off their oppressors the Moth Kindin years before in a revolution by using their minds and thoughts to build weapons.

Sten has railed to the other Makers that the Wasp Empire is poised to sweep into the Lowlands where the Collegium is located and enslave his people, but is not listened to. The Wasps are all soldiers who kill and enslave any who stand in their path using their military might and their stinger -- which is a like a laser beam from their body.

The Wasps however have sent "ambassadors" to meet with the Beetle lords in their city of Collegium and Sten scenting a threat and fending off an attack by Wasp agents, has sent his ward a spider kin Tanisa, a dragonfly lord Salma, his niece Che and and a half breed maker apprentice Totho to another city in the Lowlands to join Sten's agents in place. Salma, Che, Tanisa and Totho make a daring escape in a dirigible but are attacked on the way and while two escape, two are captured by Thralic a conflicted Wasp agent who works for a secret society that runs the Wasp Empire - the Rekefs, who takes the two captured ones northward to Myna.

Meanwhile Sten joins up with the other two and old comrades from his youth and journeys north to Myna to free the captives.

Later Sten must try to thwart Thralic's daring plan to end the war in one quick audacious blow.

There are fighting and perils for all and Tchaikovsky never misses a beat in this militaristic fantasy/sf mix that is sure to intrigue fans. There are two other novels out there already, and I am sure I will read them also by the end of the year.

...more

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