Though it may seem rudimentary, my enjoyment of any media can be measured by how fast I choose to consume it. How needlessly I abandon my plannings or free times to be singularly focused on a particular piece. I strain to say that I am just as, if not busier than the average person of my age, so when I choose to offer sacrifices to fit in an activity, it is only a term of endearment. That being said, Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky fell into my possession on a Sunday, and before the sun rose on the next Sunday after I had already completed it. Not such a hulking novella but a shade over 550 pages that tore through my psyche at a breakneck pace. 

This space opera follows humanity, and its associated alien species, through a tale of mystery, intrigue, and the tribulations of war. An unyielding force in the Architects terrorized space, and unspace until the development of the Intermediary program which provided humanity a saving grace. After 50 years of peace Idris Telemmeir, one of the few remaining “Ints” of the first generation, joins the rag tag crew of The Vulture God to complete deep space salvage missions. But when a warrior angel from the Parthenon, an old friend, comes knocking with a seemingly untenable offer, Idris must choose between his power and his freedom.  

I don’t know what exactly it is about Tchaikovsky’s prose that makes it so enthralling, but I could not put this book down save from direct intervention from my fiancé. He weaves a story here that encompasses human, and alien politics, rogue gangsters, war veterans, the unbearable weight of loss, and unlikely alliances. He obviously put a ton of work into building this world, as he clearly demonstrates the boundaries of characters, and factions. He makes space travel seem as terrifying as we would expect, how even in a futuristic society there are still things that we as humans have no chance of understanding.    

Every character is fully fleshed out, and while there are some common fantasy tropes among them, they feel as if they exist. Their motivations align with their experiences, and they co-exist because they are required to. I thought for sure, after reading the short summary on the back cover, that Solace would be my favorite character. A warrior angel developed to be the sword of humanity, a spartan of the future. Yet as I made my way through the story, I found myself drawn to Idris. Not quite the rip-roaring hero you’d expect in a space opera, but a man saddled with the weight of unimaginable, and uncontrollable power. Yet the power pales in comparison to his own grief as a survivor and the deep void he can navigate that encompasses unspace.  

I feel that if I continue to write I will give away more than I already have, and I would not chance to rob you of the full experience of Shards of Earth. I cannot wait to find a copy of the sequel aptly named Eyes of the Void. If you understand anything from this review, it is such…This book shares a pedestal with Hyperion by Dan Simmons which is the highest honor I can bestow on any science fiction novel in existence.