Book Review: Shards of Earth

The science-fiction novel Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky is the first part of a series called The Final Architecture, which was nominated in 2024 at the Hugo Awards. Note that I haven’t read the second and third volumes yet, so this review takes into consideration only the first novel. I have also tried to keep this as spoiler-free as possible, so as not to ruin anyone’s enjoyment, should they want to start reading the book themselves. I’ve also written a much shorter, much more stylized version of this review on Goodreads, for those who are interested: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55437088-shards-of-earth 

Shards of Earth takes place in a future where Earth and various of its colonies have been destroyed by a mysterious, incredibly advanced civilization known as the Architects. What makes these Architects unique is that no one can discern any clear motive for their wanton destruction of various planets. Since they change and alter the planets they destroy, people theorize that it is something to do with their inflexible sense of aesthetics. Already, the premise offers an intriguing idea that instantly made me want to read more.

The Architects were driven back over seventy years before the beginning of the novel by a group of enhanced humans known as Intermediaries (Ints for short). Their purpose was to connect with the mind of the Architects and discover what they want. This connection made the Architects retreat immediately, as if they only realized just then the worlds they were remodeling had life on them. This brings about another interesting, original take. We are used to speculating about alien civilizations destroying the Earth for colonization purposes or to enslave humankind or simply because they are pure evil. But what if those civilizations aren’t even aware they are dealing with sentient life? And what if they were horrified when they discovered their mistake?

The novel follows Idris Telemmier, one of the original Intermediaries whose enhancements have altered him, making it incapable for him to age or sleep. Idris is a member of a diverse salvage crew, who stumble upon a discovery that could mean the Architects might be coming back. This puts them in the crossfire of various political and criminal factions, placing their lives in danger.

There is no shortage of action scenes in this novel. There are space battles, fight scenes, chases, and enough suspense to keep you up all night. However, I should be mentioned that there are also long periods of worldbuilding, background information, and character development. I have read many reviews stating the book was too long and that some of the worldbuilding and information should have been cut off. I strongly disagree. I believe that the balance between action scenes and descriptions and insights into the minds of the characters offers something for everyone and makes the novel a complex work that isn’t “just another space opera.”

The set up of the various alien races – and also the various types of humans – makes this a fun read for whoever wants diversity in their science fiction. Despite the many strange things you will encounter – a species of crab-like creatures, a collective intelligence called the Hive, a planet of genetically-engineered women warriors – it’s the humanity of these characters that makes them interesting. They might be aliens or enhanced humans, yet their motivations and reactions are understandable and real. They make jokes, they panic, they form connections. There is life in them, and this is something that I always appreciate in a book.

And speaking of characters, I think Idris might make my top ten favorites list. He is flawed, of course, but he is interesting, and, more importantly, he is trying his best. Idris is one of those characters that sits between the enthusiastic, all-good heroic figure and the anti-hero. He isn’t, either, but he is a mender more than he is a wrecker. Or, at least, he wants to be.

Another thing that I found fun in this book is the means of space travel used. I will not go into too much detail since I do not want to spoil it for potential readers. I’ll say only that it reminded me a bit of Babylon 5, but it also brought something fresh and original and quite thought provoking. There are also some very tense, atmospheric descriptions related to this. I felt shivers down my spine as I was reading them (and I always chanced upon those scenes at night, so that made for pleasant dreams!).

The ending brought with it an unexpected twist, one that came with new problems and gave birth to new questions. A new adventure awaits our heroes, and the readers are left looking forward to the sequel. Or, at least, I am.

My final thoughts are that I really hope someone turns this book into a mini series at some point. It would most certainly be something I would enjoy watching. For those of you who love classic science fiction but are also looking for a modern edge, for those who want both tension and history, who long for dark moments but also for a bit of humor now and then, who adore political intrigues as much as they adore snippets of human connections – Shards of Earth is definitely for you. Give it a try. You won’t regret it.