Heirs of the Blade (Shadows of the Apt 7)
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Product Description
Product Description
The seventh book in the Shadows of the Apt series
Book Description
She remembered how it felt to lose Salma, first to the wiles of the Butterfly-kinden girl, then to hear the news of his death, abandoned and alone in the midst of the enemy. She remembered how it felt to see her father hacked to death before her eyes. But of her murder of Achaeos, of the bite of her blade into his unsuspecting flesh, the wound that had sapped him and ruined him until he died, she remembered nothing, felt nothing. In such a vacuum, how could she possibly atone? Tynisa is running, but she cannot escape the demons of her own mind. Amidst the fragmenting provinces of the Dragonfly Commonweal her past will at last catch up with her. Her father’s ghost is hunting her down. At the same time, the Wasp Empress, Seda, is on the move, her eyes on the city of Khanaphes, the fallen jewel of the ancient world. Whilst her soldiers seek only conquest, she sees herself as the heir to all the old powers of history, and has her eyes on a far greater prize.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The latest in the Shadows of the Apt series continues to deliver as the reader is taken on a journey to the Commonweal. Fans of previous books in the series will be pleased that Che and Tynisa are at the heart of this novel, and the scale of the story's ambition is apparent in the growth of both of these characters, whilst exploring another of Tchaikovsky's created kingdoms. The pace of this adventure varies dramatically in the novel, with a slow, languid tempo at the outset raising dramatically in the central section. The Commonweal is thoroughly explored, with a wide cast of characters in the story that help to bring to life the struggle that the princedoms had in the Twelve Year War with the wasps. At first the sheer number of new introductions is a bit intimidating, and at times it can feel that the movement in the main characters arc, combined with the scale of ambition, gives a feeling that the book was in need of tighter editing to draw some of the strands closer together. However, this is a minor quibble to level at the novel, when it delivers enticing storylines and character developments in the way that Heirs of the Blade does. Similar to the previous novel, this is set outside of the wasp - rest of kinden conflict, and the absence of battles as set pieces allow strong character development in their place. There's real payoff for some of the major storylines in this instalment, and Tchaikovsky continues to delight in the vivid sketching of his players - no mean feat when placed against the exploration of a whole culture, as presented here. Subtle treatment of some larger topics are presented here too, such as the relationships between parent and child, the legacy of conflict, and how ambition and technology combine to have far reaching effects on the world.
Overall, a real gem of a read. With the large cast, and ambition of the novel, it is a more demanding read than some of the earlier stories, but whether you're an avid fan or relatively new to the series, this book offers escapism and adventure aplenty.
Overall, a real gem of a read. With the large cast, and ambition of the novel, it is a more demanding read than some of the earlier stories, but whether you're an avid fan or relatively new to the series, this book offers escapism and adventure aplenty.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
With book 7 we finally catch up with the remaining "lead" character, Tynisa, who we haven't seen since the end of "salute the dark". Her story is quite a sad one and it's an interesting journey watching her make all the wrong choices and how one person's loss can have an effect on thousands. Adrian does a great job of expanding on his world with the commonweal and it's interesting to discover it's not quite as romantic a place as the dragonfly-kinden Salme Dien had us believe.
It was also good to see Thalric and Che again. Che becomes more fascinating with each appearance although I do feel that Thalric needs to get his edge back soon as he's a little too "nice" in this adventure. The most interesting characters this time around are the various wasps. Varmen is a complicated character and his loss is tragically romantic and Gaved is a "simple" opportunist. Adrian is basically showing us that the wasp-kinden can be human too and it's the empire that gives them the bad reputation.
I was slightly disappointed with the Khanaphes and Seda subplot. I initially thought they were going to be a big part of the book but they disappear completely about a third into the plot. It's all useful set-up but it does feel a bit tacked on.
I'm not sure whether book 8 will merge all the stories together again but I'm hoping they will as I think the various stories work better together than separately. It's been an interesting experiment though (The scarab path was excellent) and it's allowed Adrian to play around with some different styles/approaches. I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment.
It was also good to see Thalric and Che again. Che becomes more fascinating with each appearance although I do feel that Thalric needs to get his edge back soon as he's a little too "nice" in this adventure. The most interesting characters this time around are the various wasps. Varmen is a complicated character and his loss is tragically romantic and Gaved is a "simple" opportunist. Adrian is basically showing us that the wasp-kinden can be human too and it's the empire that gives them the bad reputation.
I was slightly disappointed with the Khanaphes and Seda subplot. I initially thought they were going to be a big part of the book but they disappear completely about a third into the plot. It's all useful set-up but it does feel a bit tacked on.
I'm not sure whether book 8 will merge all the stories together again but I'm hoping they will as I think the various stories work better together than separately. It's been an interesting experiment though (The scarab path was excellent) and it's allowed Adrian to play around with some different styles/approaches. I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
So far I have read the previous six of Adrian Tchaikovsky's books in the series Shadows of the Apt., all have been engrossing and imaginative. I wasn't disappointed with number seven either. Great story now waiting for number eight.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Fantastic
Book 7, and still keeping it all together!
What a fantastic world to be involved with. After 7 books in the series, I still don't want a conclusion. Read more
What a fantastic world to be involved with. After 7 books in the series, I still don't want a conclusion. Read more
Published 1 month ago by bonusbloke
Goodbye Adrian
I have thoroughly enjoyed every instalment of this series, then I came to this episode. What a disappointment, Plodding storyline taking pages of unnecessary dialogue over small... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Fireball 61
GRM's View
Another excellent book in the Adrian Tchaikovsky series relating to conflict between the 'makers' (those with Aptitude or Apt) and those who are In-apt using mysterious powers to... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Gordon Muirhead
Exactly what side are we on?
As I'm sure you are already aware, this is the seventh instalment of the Shadows of the Apt series. For those of you that haven't already read the other books, you need to start... Read more
Published 2 months ago by simon211175
Simply brilliant
Another compelling read that takes you further through the epic art that Adrian has created. The characters and world are rich with a interesting twist. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Dr Bob
Well-paced, suspensive action!
After feeling mildly disappointed with the latest instalments in the series, I began reading this book with ambivalent expectations. However, I was not disappointed at all. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Vincent Kiln
A warning
Please be aware that this book is the 621 page trade paperback format, and not the smaller small text format of the rest of the series, the smaller size of book is set to be... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Xarxsis
The book is great, but was this made for the visually impaired?
I eagerly awaited this book, and upon it arriving i found that now I have to carry this in a suitcase just to take it anywhere, the book is massive and the text within the book is... Read more
Published 7 months ago by John
The magic continues
The latest in Adrian's Shadows series and one that demonstrates why for me, he's one of the top new fantasy writers of recent years with his well thought out world, cracking prose... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Gareth Wilson - Falcata Times Blog
Great promise, but ultimately underwhelmed
I have followed the Shadows of the Apt series since I discovered it last year and was awaiting this release with some impatience. Read more
Published 8 months ago by A. Mole
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