Book Review | Shards of Earth

In the distant future, the whole universe is faced with a threat called the Architects--mysterious beings aptly named because they like to rearrange planets into aesthetically pleasing shapes ... to the detriment of all life on it. In order to combat them, humanity engineers superhumans known as Intermediaries who are able to telepathically communicate with them at the risk of their own insanity.

When an Architect approaches Berlenhof—the heart of humanity’s colonies—an Intermediary named Idris somehow manages to destroy it. The war is over. Decades pass without an Architect sighting, but when one is rumored to have reappeared, Idris becomes a prized pawn as opposing factions seek to use him.

Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky paints a richly imaginative and sweepingly ambitious space opera with splash of cosmic horror. There’s a plethora of unique alien races and warring factions, so there are a lot of pieces on the board here. This makes for a denser read, but thankfully, there’s a glossary and timeline in the back to help.

However, the element of cosmic horror and the mystery behind the ancient alien civilizations are what I found to be the most intriguing aspects of the story. I know I’m biased, but I love the idea of a nearly unfathomable-godlike entity that can alter space and induces insanity with anyone who touches its mind. I’m also really curious to find out more about the Originators—an enigmatic race that even Architects fear and who remind me of the Engineers from Prometheus in the best possible way.

All and all, Shards of Earth may not the easiest read, but it’s an incredibly creative and awe-inspiring work of hard science fiction.

Thank you, NetGalley and Orbit Books, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Details:

Publication Date : August 3, 2021

Publisher : Orbit

ISBN : 9780316705851

Pages : 560

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