Shards of Earth

De: Adrian Tchaikovsky

Narrado por: Sophie Aldred

The Arthur C. Clarke award-winning author of Children of Time brings us an extraordinary space opera about humanity on the brink of extinction, and how one man's discovery will save or destroy us all.

The war is over. Its heroes forgotten. Until one chance discovery....

Idris has neither aged nor slept since they remade him in the war. And one of humanity's heroes now scrapes by on a freelance salvage vessel, to avoid the attention of greater powers.

After Earth was destroyed, mankind created a fighting elite to save their species, enhanced humans such as Idris. In the silence of space they could communicate, mind-to-mind, with the enemy. Then their alien aggressors, the Architects, simply disappeared - and Idris and his kind became obsolete.

Now, 50 years later, Idris and his crew have discovered something strange abandoned in space. It's clearly the work of the Architects - but are they returning? And if so, why? Hunted by gangsters, cults and governments, Idris and his crew race across the galaxy hunting for answers. For they now possess something of incalculable value, that many would kill to obtain.

©2021 Adrian Tchaikovsky (P)2021 Orbit

Always a solid narration

Good storyline but you have to invest the time and attention. Science is great and psychology is raw and disinterested.

Troupes but only the good ones

I had no idea what to expect but I was surprised. A fun adventure book with good characters and excellent development. The Sci fi troupes got really heavy at times for a seasoned Sci fi enthusiast but it didn't take much away from the book. do recommend 👌

Please add a glossary of people and places, please!

A wonderful book, great story, very talented narrator.

The beginning was a bit dry, but I’ve come to expect that in space operas. I just wish someone would have told me that info, so I could get to it sooner! I’m a space opera junkie.

And just like every other space opera, there are too many names, too many aliases, too many long names that sound like each other. I couldn’t get past the first pages of Tolstoy for the same reason.

Please, I’m begging you, please get us a glossary!

Good story; good narrator

Very Firefly-esque, but without being derivative. Characters are great. Only knock is that the writing is occasionally repetitive, with the same facts/incidents being retold multiple times (each time as if they were new revelations), but I enjoyed the book very much. Just wasn't quite as tight as Children of Time.

Great start to a series.

Took a while for me to get into it but once it gets rolling I really enjoyed it.

A fun read

Thoroughly enjoyed this fun space opera. Interesting world building and band of anti-heroes! Looking forward to the next one.

Good read

Well read with good and engaging story. I liked the character development and while the ending was a little . . . meh, overall I enjoyed it.

Great stuff.

Love Tchaikovsky. His writing has only improved over time. (not to say that it's ever been anything short of great.) Story and performance are both incredible; genuinely fantastic space opera that feels both refreshing and scratches that itch of quality scifi for me.

Only gripe is the 'genetically cultivated perfect race of white women' is pretty tone-deaf and and let's you draw some troubling comparisons. But I'm gonna give them the benefit of the doubt and say that it is just tone-deafness. But they also make it clear that they don't want anyone like them, etc. So I guess it's fine?

They chose the perfect narrator as well. Overall I was very thrilled from page one to the end and couldn't put it down. If you are craving a very original but similarly familiar space opera, make this your next pick.

Great!

Compelling story, if not a little preachy/corny at times, but endearing at the same time. Loved it.

Complex story environment

Complex story environment has you totally lost for the first few chapters until you start figuring out what’s going on. British accent and colloquialisms contribute to the difficulty following the story. After several chapters of intent listening, you finally start comprehending what’s going on in an interesting, but drawn out story.