Teaser

Idris and the crew of the Vulture God find themselves on the precipice of human extinction. Idris is convinced that the solution lies in Unspace, but the loose coalition of alien races standing against the Architects have different ideas about how to survive . . .

Review

Adrian Tchaikovsky is not only one of the best writers currently working in the field of science fiction, he’s also one of the busiest. For those who enjoy his work, keeping on top of his publications can feel like a full-time job. I’ve been a fan since I first discovered his epic fantasy Shadows of the Apt series, and his swing into science fiction has led to brilliant books like Children of Time and Cage of Souls. Yet into each great house a little dissension must fall. Any author this prolific is bound to have books that don’t land for everyone. For me, Tchaikovsky’s weaker works are The Doors of Eden and the fantasy novel City of Last Chances. And then there’s the Final Architecture trilogy, which reaches a conclusion with Lords of Uncreation. Taken as a whole, the trilogy is certainly not one of his lesser series, yet at the same time I find it doesn’t excite me the way his other novels do.

This trilogy has been the closest Tchaikovsky has come to straight space opera. It’s got a scrappy little crew, feuding polities, and an existential threat in the form of aliens who are beyond humanity in just about every sense. There’s a dash of handwaved physics and a proper flair for the dramatic. This is a series of larger than life characters and near-constant action. Proper Star Wars-y stuff. At the same time, I can’t help but feel that I’ve seen this before. That’s the problem when your literary diet is mostly space opera. The familiarity is hardly the book’s fault, but when an author is as innovative as Tchaikovsky, familiarity isn’t what I’m here for.

Tchaikovsky’s vibrant imagination is best showcased in the alien species. There are spaceborne locusts making an alliance with humanity. An offshoot of humanity consisting only of women who pioneer genetic engineering. Crab-like beings who use their shells as advertising space. Giant clams who see themselves as the divine rulers of the galaxy. Swarms of nanites working together to create whole beings. A being who appears to be a sentient plot. There’s a whole bunch of aliens, is what I’m saying. Over the course of the trilogy, we get details on just about all of them. Obviously, a full novel dedicated to each could have done more heavy-lifting, but at no point do these wondrous sights feel like wallpaper. They’re an integral part of the setting, and the strongest part of every novel.

All things considered, even though it lacks the sheer sense of wonder of some of his other works, Lords of Uncreation is a fitting capstone to the trilogy. It’s a thrilling space opera that rarely puts a foot wrong.

Book Stats

• The Final Architecture (#3)
• Published by Tor
• First published in 2023
• Space Opera
• 588 pages