THE GREAT TCHAIKOVSKY RE-READ: DRAGONFLY FALLING

In August, we publish THE AIR WAR, book eight in Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Shadows of the Apt series. Robert Grant, Literary Editor at SCI-FI-LONDON and a fan of the series, is giving you a recap of each book in the series. This week it’s book two, DRAGONFLY FALLING…

DRAGONFLY FALLING picks up with the Wasp army preparing to lay siege to the Ant city of Tark. Stenwold returns to Collegium to rally the city council and his spies travel across the Lowlands to persuade the many Kinden peoples to put aside prejudice and join forces against the Wasp onslaught. Meanwhile the Wasp Emperor prepares to give his younger sister to the mysterious Mosquito-kinden, Uctebri, in return for immortality.

Leaping straight into the action, the plot continues to evolve, giving deeper insight into the cultures, the politics and power-plays that drive the insect-kinden.  As the fighting begins it is visceral and immediate, drawing the reader in with troops that can fly, the silence of the Soldier Ants with their hive-mind and the new flying machines, submersibles and powerful artillery of the Beetle-kinden artificers. But the aftermath reveals the full chaos and horror of war, and no character – not even your favourites – are immortal.

DRAGONFLY FALLING is another terrific outing from Adrian Tchaikovsky, and without doubt a worthy sequel in this epic saga. Clearly this story will not be wrapped up in one more book, thus I anticipate book three BLOOD OF THE MANTIS with baited breath.

Read the recap of EMPIRE IN BLACK AND GOLD, book one in the series
Catch up with Adrian on his blog, ShadowsOfTheApt.com
For more news and reviews from Robert Grant, go to the SCI-FI-LONDON website