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Adrian Tchaikovsky completely delivers a sweeping space opera with this finale to his Final Architecture trilogy.

He's gifted at writing flawed and broken characters who persevere, humans from different cultures that influence their actions, and aliens who really don't think like humans but still act in ways that are consistent and believable.

I really enjoyed this book. Even though it was confusing until we learned what was going on.

Having read most of Adrian Tchaikovsky's books, I'm amazed at the breadth of styles he uses and worlds he has us inhabit.

He's also gifted at writing aliens that are truly alien and characters who don't all thing the way I imagine he thinks. Here the aliens descended from Earth animals, but they do think differently from humans and Tchaikovsky does an interesting exploration of what intelligence and sentience means.

People seem to suspect that this is the last volume in this series. It feels like this might be the case. I would be entirely happy if there is another. But then, I'd also like more volumes in other series he's written and even sequels to some of his "stand-alone" novels. So, I'm good with letting him decide where to take us next.

I loved this book.

Saevus Corvus has a blend of cleverness, selfishness, and self-preservation that makes for a fun protagonist.

The bureaucratic nature of his battlefield salvage business was very entertaining.

There are clues that this book is set in the same Roman empire inspired world as Parker's Siege series and his Prosper's Demon books, but probably in a different time.

I am eager to read the next Saevus Corvus book and any others that come our way.

I think I might have enjoyed this book more than anything else I've read this year.

It was fun to read: - about a team that runs well because everyone uses their strengths to make up for each others weaknesses, - about what happens with Maric Jack after the big change for him at the end of City of Last Chances, how a wide variety of magic types can work together, - how various gods can fit into things, and - how everything all comes together for a satisfying conclusion.

I am eager for the next instalment, Days of Shattered Faith, due out in December 2024.

I felt myself getting more and more excited as I read this book.

Here are some things I particularly liked: - Pirates! (need I say more) - Fantasy that doesn't take place in medieval Europe, but instead in a part of the world and in a time that we could all benefit from learning more about - An old team gets brought together - Problems get solved with cleverness and creativity not just raw power and violence - Magic and supernatural beings that are based in different roots than I am used to - A variety of types of people that reflect the varieties that exist

According to Wikipedia, this is the first volume of a trilogy. I would be entirely happy if instead it turns into a long-running series.

I'm not surprised that this won the Nebula Award for Best Novel of 2023 and was nominated for the 2024 Hugo (Except that they're in different years).

I particularly enjoyed seeing how a Sri Lankan has imagined a world that is different from ours.

I see that Chandrasekera's second novel, Rakesfall, is out and it's not a sequel to this one, but I won't be surprised if there is a followup to The Saint of Bright Doors and I'll be eager to read it.

When Seanan McGuire started this series, I was blown away that she had the brilliant idea of addressing what happens to the children who come back to Earth after being in magical worlds. And blown away by how well she did it.

Now she is nine books in and still finding new and interesting stories for us.

Nix gave us a good taste in Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz: Three Adventures but it is really wonderful to have all of these stories now. I firmly hope we get more because there is plenty more to learn about both Fitz and Hereford and the adventures they can have are limitless.

I'm someone who loves fantasy as well as military and naval fiction set in the 1700s and early 1800s and puppets. It's like Garth Nix created these stories just for me.

Completely fun.

If you're wondering if it's as good as The 100-year-old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared and its sequel, I would say that it is.

Adrian Tchaikovsky writes such different stories and in so many genres, that you probably should not assume that just because you've loved other things he's written, you'll love this.

But if you like a fantasy world with compelling characters and a variety of magical systems that are internally consistent but different from each other and cogent observations about bureaucracy and power, you will like this.

The second book, House of Open Wounds is out. The third, Days of Shattered Faith, is on pre-order right now. It would be all right with me if there are many, many more.

This was a fast read but I think it is going to haunt me for a long time with its forecast of where we are heading with the ultra-rich, techbros and surveillance capitalism.