Dragonfly Falling (Shadows of the Apt, #2)

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Dragonfly Falling (Shadows of the Apt #2)

by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Goodreads Author)

3.89 of 5 stars 3.89 · rating details · 1,379 ratings · 58 reviews

Two young companions, Totho and Salma, arrive at Tark to spy on the menacing Wasp army, but are there mistakenly apprehended as enemy agents. By the time they are freed, the city is already under siege. Over in the imperial capital the young emperor, Alvdan, is becoming captivated by a remarkable slave, the vampiric Uctebri, who claims he knows of magic that can grant eter...more

Paperback, 673 pages

Published February 6th 2009 by Tor Books (first published 2009)

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May 19, 2013 sologdin rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: speculative

Nutshell: survivor of genocide uses general belligerence involving all prior protagonists as cover to retrieve numinous object.

The number and variety of perspectives increases beyond the point of easy management in this volume. Narrative twists and turns like a twisty turny thing as the plot assimilates added perspectives and kills off plenty of folks.

Volume opens with what is a standard ruling class perspective, the emperor of the wasp empire; this type of narration is fast becoming my bete noi...more Nutshell: survivor of genocide uses general belligerence involving all prior protagonists as cover to retrieve numinous object.

The number and variety of perspectives increases beyond the point of easy management in this volume. Narrative twists and turns like a twisty turny thing as the plot assimilates added perspectives and kills off plenty of folks.

Volume opens with what is a standard ruling class perspective, the emperor of the wasp empire; this type of narration is fast becoming my bete noire. The emperor has the gall to opine that his slaves were his "jailers" (13), which is likely intended to mark him out as deplorable and naive. Why bother presenting the perspective of an adherent of master race doctrine slaver? To present the perspective is to invoke sympathy for it, even though the intention is certainly opposite. I'm going to start adopting a standard of authorial intention similar to the definition found in the criminal law: the result of an act is intentional if the person actually intended the result, or if the result is substantially certain to follow upon an act knowingly done. No need to take any one author, such as here, to task too harshly, as it is a genre-wide shorthand, allowing for the centralization of plot in an easily producible and readily consumable package--needless to say, life outside of heroic fiction doesn't work that way (how many among ye have access to the President of the United States?). More likely that those who avoid the internal presentation of ruling class characters and yet still manage to advance a coherent narrative should be admired.

Anyway, lotsa fighting, much adrenaline. Good setting development. Nifty commentary on the amoral antisociality of engineers through the development of Totho. Mantid culture increasingly appears in form and function as samurai order, existing as atavism into the industrial age, a beautiful anachronism--tragedy in the making, ergo.

Ominous hints through moth dreams of "cities drowned in blood that arose in fountainheads from the depths of the earth, and in those wounds there crawling things like maggots, long twining many-legged things that should never have been allowed back into the light" (282), explained later as how the moths "had raised armies against the Centipede-kinden who had erupted from the earth" (428). So: first volume reveals that beetles &c. had revolution against moths, whom we now now had displaced the centipedes. Nice. I suspect that the centipedes will come back and kill everyone, then, and the mantids and moths won't be so anachronistic then.

Fun, quick, with concepts generally left for Scott Bakker. My edition features a slick cover of an armored woman slaughtering a bunch of people. Context of picture indicates it's Felise, genuinely the most sympathetic character of the bunch.

Recommended for those lit up to the countenance of war, persons at the beginning of the end of a world, and creditors who can't be ignored.(less)

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Feb 13, 2013 D.w. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, fiction

This is a Fantasy series that is worth reading.

But...

It has its problems. First, in book two, I can see that the author has several other books for something that should be a trilogy.

Second, and by far the biggest problem I have encountered, is that there are too many central characters whose heads we are continuously getting in. Thus to tell what happen in a day, we have to see it from 7 or 8 viewpoints spread across an entire continent. Keeping this down to three on the side of good, would hav...more

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Feb 05, 2013 R.A. Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have a bookmark still lodged in this page, many months after reading this for the first time. This takes me to a fight scene which sticks in the mind as a classic. It starts on P228 on my edition, for reference. It seems to have sprang more or less from nowhere at the time, but as you go on, the more you realise how life-changing this turns out to be for Tisamon, hard-as-nails even for a Mantis-Kinden. When you talk about someone meeting their match, this is it, right here, in more senses than...more

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Apr 19, 2012 Beaulah Pragg rated it 4 of 5 stars

With his series, Shadows of the Apt, Adrian Tchaikovsky has created a vast, detailed world, peopled with a wide variety of races that each have their own, unique looks and skills. Inside this place, there is a war coming... a war that will change the face of the 'lowlands' forever.

The interesting thing about this series, which I must admit put me off a little at the beginning, is the way that everyone is associated with different forms of insects - from beetles through to dragonflies, wasps, spi...more With his series, Shadows of the Apt, Adrian Tchaikovsky has created a vast, detailed world, peopled with a wide variety of races that each have their own, unique looks and skills. Inside this place, there is a war coming... a war that will change the face of the 'lowlands' forever.

The interesting thing about this series, which I must admit put me off a little at the beginning, is the way that everyone is associated with different forms of insects - from beetles through to dragonflies, wasps, spiders etc. Yet now, having finished the second book, I find it is one of my favourite things. The races are as unique as aliens in Star Wars or Star Trek, with ancient race hatreds and the scorn of cross breeds, but still capable of joining forces to face a greater enemy, if persuaded by the right people.

I liked that Tchaikovsky uses the grand, sprawling and epic battles and journeys to further the development of the main characters and none of the battle scenes feel like repeats of previous ones. The characters are solid enough to carry even someone who usually detests battle scenes (me). I also appreciate that the main characters have their flaws without being defined by them. Even those that 'turn to the dark side' as it were, still leave me hoping desperately that they will return or make the right decision in the end.

Because of the depth and scale of this book, I very strongly recommend you read Book One: Empire in Black and Gold, before tackling this one, otherwise the insect thing is very confusing and there are far too many characters to get your head around. I suspect that this series would appeal more to male fantasy readers than female (because of the focus on epic war and machines rather than developing relationships) but having said that, there are more than enough awesome female characters to keep me interested, and relationships certainly do feature here and there (often between the lines).

In conclusion, I think that Adrian Tchaikovsky has created a worthy fantasy masterpiece and I can't wait to discover how a war of such huge proportions can possibly be resolved in the final instalment.(less)

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Jan 08, 2012 Alytha rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The plot picks up shortly after the events of the first novel. Stenwold, Che, Achaeos, Tynisa and Tisamon travel back to Collegium after sucessfully preventing the Wasps from hijacking the train between Helleron and Collegium.

Sten sends Che and Achaeos off to Sarn to find help against the Wasps, as that city has been allied to Collegium. Tisamon takes Tynisa to the ancient places of the Mantids in order to introduce her to her heritage, with all the problems that entails.

Thalric, the Wasp secret...more

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Jun 18, 2011 Mark rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

"Have you any idea how many bolts we've loosed in the last few seconds? Let Malkan spend his men instead, because they are more easily replaced."

I expected more of the same from the first book of this series, and when I read Dragonfly Falling, I was very surprised, because where the first book is at most a story of duels and skirmishes and guerrilla battles in the streets, this one drops you into a war. And I don't mean that there is a whole book worth of setup and then the war is the climax. Th...more "Have you any idea how many bolts we've loosed in the last few seconds? Let Malkan spend his men instead, because they are more easily replaced."

I expected more of the same from the first book of this series, and when I read Dragonfly Falling, I was very surprised, because where the first book is at most a story of duels and skirmishes and guerrilla battles in the streets, this one drops you into a war. And I don't mean that there is a whole book worth of setup and then the war is the climax. The war rages through the whole book and there's not much pausing to catch one's breath for either the characters or the reader. It's army vs. army and there are a lot of armies and there is a lot of death.

It's rare in epic fantasy to really cut to the core of war as a dehumanizing thing, because most focuses on the valor of the heroes of the given story. Even in something like A Song of Ice and Fire, for all of its gritty realist take on fantasy, it's really only one shred of the story (Arya in books 2-3 and Brienne in book 4) where the cost of war is brought home to the reader in the way that it is here. That's because something like the Battle of the Blackwater happens only through the eyes of a handful of POV characters, but Tchaikovsky's mode of telling the story gives you a much more total experience as the Wasp Empire begins its war against the Lowlands and the Lowlands, to the surprise of all, rally to fight back. And the scale of this war is epic, and it's told in an epic way in the classic sense. There are a huge number of characters who seem to be introduced only to be killed, reminiscent of something like The Iliad in the way that the reader is there with them in their final moments. The sheer number of these drives home that tragedy of war: that the lives of those people all amounted to naught because they're grist for the mill.

The blend of the fantasy and the steampunk is fantastic here, with a lot of focus in this volume on the core of that technology being to devise new and more effective ways for different people to kill one another. It's telling how the artificers on different sides of the conflict respond to the use of their creations. A brilliant character of the Wasp Empire is introduced here to drive this home: Colonel-Auxilian Drephos, whose frequent monologues espouse the notion that people would be killing one another with sticks and stones if there were no machines, and so why not use his intelligence to streamline the process of those people (whom he repeatedly refers to as just meat) to kill one another? He is mad and he is a genius. When I read a new series I often find myself comparing characters to the standard archetypes, and how certain qualities remind me of certain characters from another work. Drephos certainly fits the mad scientist vein, but he's so unlike the way this is usually presented because we see him in his element, and not as a direct antagonist because he, himself, is not taking the field against the good guys, nor sending assassins to kidnap/kill someone's child or whatever.

Also introduced in this volume is the Emperor of the Wasps, which I think was important to do at this point because it shows the power behind the menace. He is not directly a significant character here, but clearly he will be impacting the story in subsequent volumes.

This is really a great second installment. If what's left of the series is anywhere near this level, then there's something special on our hands.(less)

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Apr 18, 2009 William rated it 5 of 5 stars

An enjoyable second volume in the "Shadows of the Apt" trilogy. The novel is fast-paced and the quality of the writing seems improved from the first novel. The world-building is still one of the most notable aspects of the book, it is very original and imaginative and despite being alien in many ways Tchaikovsky does make the world sound fairly plausible and well thought-out. The plot was compelling, and I like the way the focus is gradually moving away from the Wasp Empire invasion that initial...more

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Jan 26, 2013 Christopher rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 14, 2012 Moira rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Pád vážky je jedna z těch úžasných knih, kde není ústředním motivem žádný hloupý milostný trojúhelník, kde se nepitvají jenom vztahy, kde je děj pořádně nabitý akcí a plný zvratů a... prostě je to jedna z těch skvělých knih, nad kterými tak strašně ráda trávím čas. x)) Plus ilustrace Romana Kýbuse. Ne vždy byly přesné, přesto některé obrázky v knížce neuvěřitelně věrně zachycovaly atmosféru okamžiku a byly prostě trefné.

Pád vážky navazuje na první díl, Impérium černé a zlaté. V minulém díle jsme...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Forrest rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: cbr4

It’s been almost 10 months since I’ve touched Tchaikovsky’s Shadows of the Apt, and in the intervening time, I’ve read a lot of mediocre books. So I was pleased to come back to this surprising series that really got me thinking last time around. Tchaikovsky doesn’t disappoint, providing a worthy successor to Empire in Black and Gold and a solid second book in what promises to be an expansive series. There are still flaws to be addressed and the characterization is still depressingly weak, but th...more It’s been almost 10 months since I’ve touched Tchaikovsky’s Shadows of the Apt, and in the intervening time, I’ve read a lot of mediocre books. So I was pleased to come back to this surprising series that really got me thinking last time around. Tchaikovsky doesn’t disappoint, providing a worthy successor to Empire in Black and Gold and a solid second book in what promises to be an expansive series. There are still flaws to be addressed and the characterization is still depressingly weak, but there are improvements to be found and just enough new facets to explore that I’ll be sure to read the next entry.

Dragonfly Falling picks up mere days after the conclusion of Empire, tracking each of the PoV characters as they disengage from the fallout of their missions, successful or otherwise, and start preparations for the next phase of the great game. Of particular interest is Major Thalric, a Wasp espionage officer who was the principle antagonist of Empire and has gotten himself assigned a suicide mission. Thalric emerged as a sympathetic character in the previous book, proving himself to be guilty more of loyalty than of the genocidal xenophobia that seems to drive the rest of the Wasp-kinden. We are also introduced to the Emperor of the Wasps, Alvdan II, and the political hornet’s nest he is presiding over.

Events move quickly, starting with the siege of the Ant-kinden city of Tark, but also giving equal time to Stenwold’s impassioned efforts to create a resistance movement in Collegium, Che and Achaeos’ mission to recruit the Inapt kinden of the Lowlands to the cause, and Thalric’s operations in Collegium. There’s much more going on in Dragonfly than in Empire and it does become a little hard to keep everything straight, particularly when a second imperial army turns up and starts marching on another Ant city, Sarn.

Tchaikovsky has an eye for the details. His nuanced political environment of the Lowlands is evidence enough of that. Dozens of city-states vying for power and influence, reluctant to trust each other, even in the face of an overwhelming foe. That same detail shows in his writing of the battle sequences. He tends to zoom in on the fight to a single warrior or PoV character and explore the fight from that perspective. It’s fun following Salma, a brilliant swordsman around for a bit, but that focus makes it hard to experience the battle. All of the major battles are subject to this lensing, albeit to various degrees, and suffer for it. At the same time, the artful depiction of the duels and skirmishes that punctuate even the most mundane day in the Lowlands offer plenty of well written action without making you feel like you’ve got your nose pressed to the TV screen. And the technology being employed by both sides will have steampunk fans squee-ing constantly.

The detail oriented approach does serve the greater story well. By the middle of the book, each of the original five protagonists have split off and are on their own. There are, at any given time, seven subplots to follow, but, to Tchaikovsky’s credit, I never was confused about what was happening, just where it was happening. The structure of the chapters and the flow of the story is well executed, weaving cliffhangers and plot points together in a truly engrossing pattern. The only real exception to the rule is the side plot of the Wasp Emperor, which is so clearly a setup for the series meta-conflict, it almost hurts. Again, the eye for detail is not so helpful in crafting the wide scale perspective.

Tchaikovsky also seems to be unable to turn his eye to his characters, who continue to be largely uninteresting. Both Salma and Totho go through a trial by fire in the siege of Tark, but utterly fail to do any of the character growing associated with such an event. Salma ends up with the girl he’s stupidly been chasing for a book and half, despite the utter improbability of it. Totho responds by detaching from reality and enlisting with the Wasps as a weapon designer, which is really probably the closest thing we’ll see to growth in the whole series. Tchaikovsky’s attempt to make Stenwold more relatable amounts to making him have an affair with a student/assassin, which just makes the reader feel like a creepy voyeur, and Che is just a stupid as ever. Thalric is, by far, the most interesting cast member. His subtle internal rebellions and annoyance with the direction of the Empire give him the only real depth in the main cast.

Coming out of the review process, I’m noticing that this particular piece feels more hostile than I originally intended it. The things that I’m complaining about were present in the first book, but I didn’t focus in on them as much because I wasn’t as familiar with the setting and the characters. The current version of the review feels more honest than the attempted rewrite, so I’m having it both ways. The series Tchaikovsky is creating is still well worth your time. He has his flaws as an author, but the same strengths that made the first book a surprisingly positive experience are still at work in Dragonfly Falling. It’s not going to be for everyone, but I still recommend the Shadows of the Apt, in spite of my venomous tongue.(less)

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Mar 25, 2011 Benjamin Newland added it

Shelves: 2011-reads

You know what’s cool?

Bugs.

Also?

Fantasy.

So, clearly, a fantasy story with bugs would be awesome. This is the second book in the “Shadows of the Apt” series. I enjoyed the first more than well enough to partake of the second. Fortunately, the same neighbor who had the first loaned me the second.

Much of what I said about the first novel applies again, though I felt like this one was even better. The plot was more fluid, the characters better defined, and the emotion clear and poignant. Part of this...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Christopher Hernandez rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy-read

I came across the Shadow of the Apt series by accident, and I am glad I did. As an avid reader of science fiction and fantasy, I had my share of magical worlds driven by elemental forces. Shadows of the Apt introduced me to a world where humanity derives special abilities from insects. The strength of an ant? The fighting prowess of a mantis? It definitely got my attention.

Having grown familiar with the world, the war, and a series of well developed characters, I was eager to follow along in the...more

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Sep 05, 2011 Derrick rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, fantasy, favorites

whoo! This was good! The wasp empire rolls over an ant city, allows another ant city to invade Collegium [which beats them off with help of allies right the end], Totho [the halfbreed in love with Cheerwell Maker] turns traitor and joins the empire, lots of fighting, lots of cool exploring the world of humans with insect characteristics without being stodgy, dry or repetitive.

Tchaikovsky can write. Very well. The story just sucked me in and I in no way felt like I was reading 500+ pages. This i...more

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May 26, 2011 Marija S. rated it 3 of 5 stars

In the second book the plot thickens and breaks up in many strands, perhaps too many to follow with a clear overview. The writing is still awkwardly clumsy at times, but as the pace quickens in the sequel, these glitches are more easily overlooked.

What I really resent is the way the author blatantly and for no apparent reason continually forces women into traditionally male roles (e.g. tactician, warrior, artificer, elder), but then strips them of feminine characteristics. If he has done that ju...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Neil Pearson rated it 3 of 5 stars

No one can accuse this book of not being action packed. There's 2 sieges and half a dozen major battles besides several duals and skirmishes. The Wasp invasion moves into full swing with them attacking the lowlands from all sides. The world of people with characteristics/abilities of insects is still put to great use but this almost takes second place to the great use of the emerging technology and I really enjoyed how inventors/engineers are arguably more powerful than warriors. My only complai...more

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Apr 22, 2010 Justin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Dragonfly Falling is the amazing follow-up to Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Empire in Black and Gold. The story directly follows the events of book 1. The wasps have increased their hold on the lowlands, and the position of our heroes is much more precarious. The empire has begun its assault and the blood is flowing. Tchaikovsky’s battle descriptions are nothing short of epic, bloody, and gritty, with nail-biting sequences that seem to run for pages. Empire in Black and Gold introduced you to the players...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Daniel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Book the first grabbed me with its adventurous plot and a handful of character relationships that offered interesting drama. In the sequel, Tchaikovsky picks up these two threads and then adds a bunch of political machinations and warmongering. We meet some royal and military personages and we dally in map rooms and throne rooms and other places where big decisions get made by the big bad asses in the story.

All of this maneuvering: not interesting.

BAD GUYS: Let's push this army over here.

BAD EMP...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Jared Millet rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: epic-fantasy, fantasy, steampunk

I’m really enjoying this series, more than any other fantasy novels I’m currently plowing through other than, possibly, A Song of Ice and Fire. And in this volume, with all his world-building out of the way, Tchaikovsky definitely sets out for GRR Martin territory. Like Martin, he balances dozens of characters and plotlines, each with their own motivations and impact on the thrust of the novel as a whole. And also like Martin, he avoids painting anyone as completely good or completely evil (with...more I’m really enjoying this series, more than any other fantasy novels I’m currently plowing through other than, possibly, A Song of Ice and Fire. And in this volume, with all his world-building out of the way, Tchaikovsky definitely sets out for GRR Martin territory. Like Martin, he balances dozens of characters and plotlines, each with their own motivations and impact on the thrust of the novel as a whole. And also like Martin, he avoids painting anyone as completely good or completely evil (with one or two exceptions). Unlike Martin, Tchaikovsky never makes you wonder which side of the conflict you’re supposed to be rooting for, but he goes to great lengths to humanize (insectize?) the antagonists so you can at least understand the “bad guys” point of view. (As I may have commented in my review of vol.1, the use of insect metaphors for the different races and applying them to the characters’ overall psychology is fascinating and very original.)

Also, and I’m really glad for this, Tchaikovsky continues to explore the effect of warfare on the state of technology. Despite the fact that magic exists, the victories and defeats of the competing forces hinge on technological advancement as much as on tactics and individual heroism. I especially appreciate the way that Tchaikovsky handles his technology – it’s not the same as in our own world, but it follows basic rules of logic and design and avoids the overall silliness that plagues much of Steampunk.

If the book has a weakness, it’s the lack of a strong central narrative. The first part of the book drags somewhat, and it’s not until halfway through that the fog of multiple plotlines crystallizes into a strong focus on the war to save the Lowlands from the Empire. Until then, it’s just a bunch of competing personal interests with the war as a backdrop, none of which seem strong enough to carry the weight of the story themselves. Then again, I guess that’s the whole point the author was trying to make.(less)

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Nov 08, 2011 Trayana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: eng, fantasy, owned

Втората книга от мащабната поредица на Чайковски за насекомосродените раси е директно продължение на първата и не става за самостоятелно четиво, макар да притежава вътрешен завършек.

Равнините на умелите раси са подложени на атака от Империята на осите от няколко различни страни. За любителите на мащабни битки това е книгата с главно „К”. Чайковски има логично мислене и способността да описва бойни действия в големи и малки мащаби. Имаме няколко значими обсади, битки на открито поле и преди всичк...more

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Jan 18, 2011 Ryan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Dragonfly Falling (2.75/5)

I liked the first book well enough as the -kinden idea was something novel and the story line was interesting. The first book was good (although not stellar). Unfortunately, I think the writing went downhill a little bit in the second book.

The book started to get more interesting towards the end of it. I may or may not read the next one...

Most of my problems with the book stem from not particularly being interested in the characters:

- Tortho makes some pretty significan...more Dragonfly Falling (2.75/5)

I liked the first book well enough as the -kinden idea was something novel and the story line was interesting. The first book was good (although not stellar). Unfortunately, I think the writing went downhill a little bit in the second book.

The book started to get more interesting towards the end of it. I may or may not read the next one...

Most of my problems with the book stem from not particularly being interested in the characters:

- Tortho makes some pretty significant choices during the book that seem slightly unbelievable and only propped up with plausible explanations that were a bit insufficient for me (or required me to fill in a bunch of gaps with my own imagination). He also has some annoying "character traits" like constantly bemoaning that Che doesn't love him or feeling bitter about being a half-breed before that.

Well, these traits aren't necessarily bad for a character in a book, however, my problem with them is that I felt like the readers are told about those traits rather then *shown* them as part of the story's progression. E.g., we weren't really shown actions that demonstrated his love to support.

- Similarly, Stenwold bemoans losing "friends" and sending children to die, however, it feels slightly contrived as often the author simply writes something like "oh what a tragedy… persons X, Y, Z died for this…". Note - I'm exaggerating slightly here.

- A new 'bad guy' Uctebri was introduced who might be interesting later, however, there isn't much about him in this book.

- There are lots of minor characters that exist, however, most of them aren't developed enough to actually care about or even understand how they fit into the big picture (although since this is a word-building book… maybe I'm not being entirely fair here).

- Salma (the dragonfly-kinden) and Thalric (the wasp-kinden) were perhaps the most interesting characters to me.

- I was most interested in Tynisa getting her Weaponmaster pin and interacting with the Mantis-kinden, however, much of that happened "off page" which was disappointing.
(less)

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Jul 18, 2011 Elondel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, favorites

Adrian Tchaikovsky’s debut novel, Empire In Black And Gold, really took me by surprise. While it wasn’t the perfect book, everything really clicked into place for me and I was so engrossed in the story that I was able to overlook the writing that was sometimes difficult to get into. I was very much anticipating another great book with the follow-up Dragonfly Falling and did I get it?!

Whereas Empire In Black And Gold took a good while to get started, this book kicks off with a blast and actually...more Adrian Tchaikovsky’s debut novel, Empire In Black And Gold, really took me by surprise. While it wasn’t the perfect book, everything really clicked into place for me and I was so engrossed in the story that I was able to overlook the writing that was sometimes difficult to get into. I was very much anticipating another great book with the follow-up Dragonfly Falling and did I get it?!

Whereas Empire In Black And Gold took a good while to get started, this book kicks off with a blast and actually never looks back. This novel is primarily a story about war and where I’m normally not someone who likes books that are about war and only war, this story got me captivated. The reader does get a reprieve from all the violence, once in a while, but apart from those precious little moments, sieges and intrigue are all that matters.
One thing that makes me like this book, despite my small dislike of stories like this, is the world where it all takes place in. To be honest, Dragonfly Falling’s plot isn’t the most original. In fact, it is quite generic and who hasn’t read a book about a country invading another with the necessarily casualties of war? The world, however, takes it all to a whole new place. It’s the kinden that inhabit these books that made me want to read on and on and made me enjoy this piece of warfare.
Another fascinating aspect of this series and this book in particular, is that nobody gets glorified. The story gets told from different perspectives and one of those is the perspective of the leader of the aggressor. This makes that you, as a reader, come the understand the motivations of said party and see the supposed good guys through their eyes. Top this all with some heavy machinery and you’ve got yourself a very good steampunkish read and an excellent war story. However, and I do think this is important to point out, not one battle does feel the same. Even though there is quite a lot of fighting going on, I never got the feeling that I already read a particular battle but with different characters.
It’s not all about war, however. A war is fought by people and while there is a large focus on the war, the characters who are operating it all do get an equal amount of attention and are even more important. This makes that the plot isn’t solely shooting and killing, but it’s an emotionally layered venue due to the personal stories of the different characters. These characters are very well worked out and the best thing about them, is that they’re not black and white. Because of the fact that you spend about half of the book looking through the eyes of the Wasps, it’s become quite difficult to define the different characters as being purely good or purely evil and on top of that are they not without their flaws which makes them very much human. Ever since the beginning of Empire In Black And Gold, my preferences haven’t changed all that much when it comes to the main characters. I still like reading about Che and Achaeos and absolutely love Tynisa’s story, which is a little heart wrenching at times. And don’t get me started on my love for Salma and Grief In Chains. I still haven’t decided on Stenwold, though. There’s just something about him that makes me unable to connect with him.
This book sees the introduction of some new kinden and gives us a better understanding of the Ants. A lot of new characters get introduced merely to find themselves killed a good hundred pages later. War is brutal and the reader will experience as much. The most fascinating, however, is the Mosquito Uctebri. He gave me chills and I think he’s capable of being an excellent villain. Drephos as well makes for quite a mad character and will certainly provide for an interesting reading experience later on.
If I have to critique some aspect of this wonderful book, it would be the writing. As was the case with Empire In Black And Gold, it is sometimes hard to get through. That’s not to say it’s bad or anything, but because I am not a native English speaker, I find the writing particularly dense at times, though I really like the prose and the way things are being described.

Where I was absolutely thrilled after reading Empire In Black And Gold, I can only be gobsmacked by Dragonfly Falling. Like I said, this is one of those series where everything just falls into place and I do realise that this is something very personal. These books are definitely not for everyone to read, but for me, this is quickly becoming one of my favourite series ever.(less)

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Jun 14, 2011 Christina Stind rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, fantasy, fiction, series

I really liked the first volume in this series - but what I liked the most, was the newness of the insect-kinden that made this book so very interesting. But the question of course was, if these kinden would hold up so that volume 2 would be up to the standards of the first volume. And the good news are - volume 2 is even better than volume 1.
So with how volume 1 ended, I expected that this one would focus on the Wasps military advances. And it did, to some extent, but more, the focus was on so...more I really liked the first volume in this series - but what I liked the most, was the newness of the insect-kinden that made this book so very interesting. But the question of course was, if these kinden would hold up so that volume 2 would be up to the standards of the first volume. And the good news are - volume 2 is even better than volume 1.
So with how volume 1 ended, I expected that this one would focus on the Wasps military advances. And it did, to some extent, but more, the focus was on so many other things. Our band of heroes have split up so we jump around between them Some of the major points in this book is the battle for the ant city of Tark - a battle between the Wasps and the Ants, two very different kinds of kinden - and the battle between the Vekken Ants and the people of Collegium. Now, Collegium is an amazing city, with the College, the cultural and intellectual heart of the Lowlands. The Wasps know they have to take Collegium to prevent the Lowlands from putting aside old strife and uniting against them so they send Collegium's old enemies to do so. An easy job - the excellent military against the old scholars and philosophers of Collegium. These two battles are very different indeed - and both showcase the differences between the kinden.
Another part of particular interest is Tissamon taking his half spider-half mantis daughter with him to the the most sacred part of the Mantis' hold and letting her try out to become a weapon master. Mantis and spider hate each other so both face very uncertain destinies when Tissamon must face up to having betrayed his race by having a child with a spider woman and Tynisa, looking exactly as everything the Mantis hate the most.
But times are changing. Old strife and hatred have to be put aside to stop the Wasps.
This book again finds our heroes in dangerous positions - Salma and Totho are in Tark as the Wasps start attacking it and both find new paths in life, because of this. Stenwold of course, is very much involved in defending Collegium while Tissamon and Tynisa travel the before mentioned dangerous paths of the Mantis hold. Che and Achaeos suddenly find themselves on the battle line between the Sarn Ants and the Wasps - and Helleron falls to the Wasps. Even Colonel Thalric (Major Thalric of the Rekef) faces dangers he has never seen before - and new challenges and doubts.
One of my favorite things of this book was when Mosquito kinden was introduced. Naturally, the Mosquito we meet, is old and frail - but deadly and bloodthirsty.
And even though this is so-called light fantasy, he still manages to create fully fleshed characters with fears and doubts, gray areas in most of them - and he adds a bit of philosophy at times - like here: "/.../ there were the avatars of the kinden, the philosophical concepts that were the source of the Ancestor Art, but they were just ideas, aids to concentration. Nobody thought that they actually existed somewhere." (p. 439) - somebody has read Plato. And there are some truths in this book: "There is no weapon so terrible that mankind will not put it to use." (p. 286) - which especially Totho learns. And my favorite quote: "If we truly stand for what we believe is good, the betterment of others, the raising up of the weak and the lowly, then we must take a stand against those with opposing philosophies." (p. 296). And so they do ...
All in all, this is one exciting fast-paced book that picks up where book 1 left off - but does it even better. We're not at 5 stars yet, but we're closing in.
(less)

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Nov 13, 2008 Liviu rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: genre-fantasy, 2009_release_read, review_fbc, top_25_2009_novels

Superb continuation to Empire in Black in Gold. Smoother than the original and packed with action and sense of wonder.

The invasion of the Lowlands starts with the siege of Tark. The Collegium is not be suborned by Thalric and his agents, and finally listens to Stenwold so Thalric carries plan 2, sealing an alliance of the Empire with the rogue ant city of Vek which is happy to try and take revenge on the Collegium knowing that the only force that can stop them, the rival ant city of Sarn will...more

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Mar 08, 2010 Jason rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2010, e-books

This is really such a great novel, that it is hard to believe that is the second book of a series. This is an extremely fast paced, relentless, and unforgiving story that puts all our heroes in death's way. This novel is filled with plot twists and character development all the while it is a novel about war. I really have grown to love the insect kinden take on race and think that it makes for great fantasy. I will definately pick up the 3rd book now and recommend all fantasy readers to jump int...more

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May 14, 2011 Chase Collins rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really like this book. It wasn't the most original or ground breaking novel I've ever read. But I still liked it. It builds well upon the first novel of the series, taking the action and turning it way up. There was two complete sieges, as well as several large-scale battles. Adrian also improves upon the character development,one thing that was kind of missing in the first novel. Especially in the character Totho.I'm really starting to become a fan of this series and look forward to diving in...more

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Nov 22, 2009 Corey Frampton rated it 5 of 5 stars

An admirable second book in the 'Shadows of the Apt' series. The novel is fast paced with great characters. The cast expands and begins to include a wider and more vivid picture of the world at large.

I particularly enjoy the added point of view from new characters - and the addition of 'villains' such as the Emperor and Draephos.

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Jul 11, 2010 Wendy Palmer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, fiction

I've really gone off epic fantasy, and never have been a fan of the big military battle scene, so there's only so much of this style of book I can take; but even so, this has so far been a fine exemplar of the epic fantasy style with a few unusual motifs to keep it interesting.

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May 14, 2013 Κώστας Βουλαζέρης rated it 3 of 5 stars

Διαβάστε τη βιβλιοκριτική μου για τα πρώτα τρία βιβλία της σειράς Shadows of the Apt.

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Mar 18, 2010 Paul rated it 4 of 5 stars

Remakably strong second entry in the Shadows of the Apt trilogy. While the first novel focussed very much on the major characters, this one has a much more epic feel to it and one that bodes well for the next book.

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Nov 03, 2010 Allan Fisher rated it 5 of 5 stars

Excellent sequel to Empire. Tchaikovsky's writing has improved and this story is a solid effort. I will definitely read the next book.... Here with my official review....

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About Adrian Tchaikovsky

ADRIAN TCHAIKOVSKY was born in Lincolnshire and studied zoology and psychology at Reading, before practising law in Leeds. He is a keen live role-player and occasional amateur actor and is trained in stage-fighting. His literary influences include Gene Wolfe, Mervyn Peake, China Miéville, Mary Gently, Steven Erikson, Naomi Novak, Scott Lynch and Alan Campbell.

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Books by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Empire in Black and Gold (Shadows of the Apt, #1)

Blood of the Mantis (Shadows of the Apt, #3)

Salute the Dark (Shadows of the Apt, #4)

The Scarab Path (Shadows of the Apt, #5)

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Quotes from Dragonfly Falling

“I was young at Myna, that first time. When had the change come? He had retreated to here, to Collegium, to spin his awkward webs of intrigue and to lecture at the College. Then, years on, the call had come for action. He had gone to that chest in which he stored his youth and found that, like some armour long unworn, it had rusted away.

He tried to tell himself that this was not like the grumbling of any other man who finds the prime of his life behind him. I need my youth and strength now, as never before. A shame that one could no husband time until one needed it. All his thoughts rang hollow. He was past his best and that was the thorn that would not be plucked from his side. He was no different from any tradesman or scholar who, during a life of indolence, pauses partway up the stairs to think, This was not so hard, yesterday.” — 2 people liked it

“Ah, but it is an interesting thing, that these things can so seldom be proved. If I were to perform some piece of, hrmf, magic for you, here in this room, you would claim a thousand ways it could have been done. Indeed, those ways might be exceedingly unlikely, but you would cling to them rather than accept the, mmn, the chance that magic, the eternal inexplicable, might be the true agent, and if you were strong enough in yourself, unafraid, unthreatened, here in your own chambers, well perhaps there would be no magic worked at all. It is a subjective force, you see, whereas the physical laws of the artificers are objective. A gear-train will turn without faith, but magic may not. And so, when your people demand, mmn, proof, there is none, but when you have forgotten and dismissed it, then magic creeps back into the gaps where you do not look for it.” — 2 people liked it

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Dragonfly Falling (Shadows of the Apt #2)

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