Shards of earth

In this first installment of a new trilogy, award-winning sf author Tchaikovsky (Children of Ruin, 2019) introduces not just a new cast of characters, but an entirely new universe. Set in the far future, after the destruction of Earth, it tells the story of Idris, a surgically enhanced starship navigator, and Solace, a member of a genetically-modified caste of warrior women, who come together to unlock the secrets of a mysterious artifact--perhaps something left behind by the aliens who destroyed Earth--that others would kill to possess. Like Alastair Reynolds, Tchaikovsky writes space opera on a grand scale, creating a massive, complex, vividly realized future environment (the book comes with a timeline of future history, a glossary of key terms, and lists of key characters, planets, alien species, and vessels). The danger of making the story too complicated and the future setting too elaborate is quite real, but the author isn't exactly a rookie, here, and he guides the reader through this endlessly intriguing universe with a rock-steady sure hand. Fans of space opera should leave the book in breathless anticipation of the second installment in the trilogy.

Tchaikovsky (Children of Time) launches his Final Architecture series with a dazzlingly suspenseful space opera. A colossal, sentient entity known as an Architect rips Earth apart into a flower shape. As the remnants of humanity flee to colonize other planets, Idris Telemmier is genetically manipulated into an Intermediary supersoldier, capable of reaching his mind out to the Architects. His encounter with the Architects causes them to realize humans are sentient, after which they abruptly vanish. Nearly a century later, Idris, who has not slept or aged since, joins the tight-knit crew of salvage ship Vulture God, craving anonymity among their ranks. After the crew comes across a derelict ship torn into a familiar flower shape, signaling the possibility that the Architects have returned, the discovery creates political opportunity for various factions: the alien Essiel, who protect the worlds under their control; Earth's Council of Human Interests; the alien-hating human Nativists; and the women warriors known as the Parthenon. Now Partheni Solace joins Idris's crew to search the colonized worlds for hints to the Architects' motives. But Solace's true mission is to convince Idris to share the Intermediary technology with the Parthenon. Tchaikovsky's intricately constructed world is vast yet sturdy enough to cradle inventive science, unique aliens, and complex political machinations. With a mix of lively fight scenes, friendly banter, and high-stakes intrigue, this is space opera at its best. Agent: Simon Kavanagh, Mic Cheetham Agency. (Aug.)