I loved pretty much the whole package, really. Loving the space battles and the variety of settings and characters and it was good to find out more about some of the aliens. This is quite a different series to the Children of Time series, although there are quite a few similarities too. I think overall my favourite books by the author are Children of Time and Children of Ruin, however it's hard to make a direct comparison because you get different things from each series, and I absolutely love this series as well. Editing this review as I feel like I was over-analyzing a couple of surprising decisions that didn't really harm the story. Very enjoyable read.

Eyes of the void

Firstly, I thoroughly enjoyed this book - I've read a few A Tchaikovsky now, they are all brilliantly quirky, full of suspense and some are totally original. If you like science fiction with fabulous world building and hard science with a soul, then you'll love his books.

This series is basically a crew caper, in the mould of Ian M Banks or Alastair Reynolds - great stuff, ranged across numerous worlds, involving numerous species, from a terrific imagination. I love the whole notion that effective, realistic travel across the vastness of space is accomplished via an unconscious unspace akin to dreaming (including the possible terrors lying in wait there). Psychoanalysts would have a field day. Tchaikovsky writes great, tense fight/battle scenes that are detailed, exciting and leave you feeling you were in the middle of the action and involved.

I feel that Tchaikovsky gets a good deal of his inspiration for space species from sea life and the Magnificent Essiel, space faring 'sea clams', are one of the most colourful and exotic species to take to space. The Tothiat could be some of the hardest opponents to square up to in any skirmish. The others in the Vulture God crew are characters you'll recognise from every other caper tale you've ever read. ...and that is why the four stars.

The book/series gets four stars because of the form of the tale and the suspicion that Tchaikovsky can produce this type of tale with ease and is capable of stories with more originality and depth. POSSIBLE SPOILER You sense that the crew are going to survive by some quirk: a turned enemy, an existential danger that works in their favour, or a previously set up escape clause. It is all brilliant and suspenseful, though you are always waiting for the other shoe to drop, and you sort of know how the story will pan out.

Having said that and been that picky, I will be reading the next volume just to see the story pan out.

The plot thickens with plenty of action and intrigue.

The characters set up in part one develop and again find themselves working together and apart in a wide ranging story.

Very enjoyable.

The second book is as good as the first. The writing is pacy, the science superb, and the characters complex and hugely engaging. Cant wait for book 3. Bravo

Rating 4.25 🌟, read and listened to on Audible.

I'm a fan of Adrian Tchaikovsky's writing generally, his mind is full of so many wonderful takes on Sci-fi and Fantasy the world's he paints are somewhat more interesting than the overall story and characters themselves.

However, in this series I find the balance of his concepts - like Unspace and the gravity based tech alongside insect and aquatic inspired alien life - balance nicely with the characters and people in the wider world.

Solace & Idris lead the main cast but there's more perspectives involved in this book such as Ollie, Kris and Heauver who all have their own fleshed out personality to help make the wild plot attach to a real-feeling set of people.

There's plenty of dark humour and some fun choices of words mixed in here too, I would say at times there could be less narration and more conversation but that is his style in general.

The whole idea of finding out more on the Architects and the Unspace realm (think Hyperspace and the creatures in Star Wars or the idea of organic space in Star Trek Discovery) and what is within that which seemingly wants to reshape our space is very intriguing.

It's not like the mentioned main series though, doing anything in this hurts, causes trauma and is incredibly hard to understand on the characters, particularly Idris. It's got the wonder but it comes with a heavy dose of side effects. Not to mention the politics and fall out between factions and races you have rumbling at all times.

I'm very much enjoying this series and while the over narration did drag a little at times in this book, they have set up the final book with everything it needs to be incredibly dramatic in it's conclusion. I can't wait to get to it soon.

For listeners, once again I really enjoyed Sophie Aldred's clear reading and variety of voices for all the characters and races.

Fabulous. Can't put it down !

Really struggling to finish this one. I’ve read space opera before and it can be hard work if there’s insufficient plot, or what plot there is gets lost under a welter of detail and endless apparently pointless action sequences and overly complex character interactions. This really is like a soap that just has to keep churning out episodes, but doesn’t have any need to arrive at any (eventual) conclusion , or even give enough clues to what that conclusion might be to maintain interest. It’s well enough written at the small scale, but is just too lacking in structure. Disappointing.

ters and canon, and the conclusion of the adventure so brought into being, book two can often feel forced, lightweight, an annoyance, and often just something of a filler that gets in the way of what would have been a pretty good duology, if the publisher hadn’t insisted on sales.

Thankfully, Eyes of the Void has been a pleasure to read, the second book constructed and delivered with an excitement and detail that I have come to expect from the author. Not only does it continue the narrative well but it significantly deepens exposure to the underlying universe whilst introducing and developing some excellent characters, in some cases approaching the genius of Iain M Banks, as far as the Essiel are concerned. I could happily as much time in this fiction as I could the Culture, which from me is high praise indeed.

Highly Recommended.

Fleecy Moss, author (as Nia Sinjorina) of the Folio 55 series (End of Girl, Undon, 4659) & Mudborn. Available on Amazon.

Excellent. As usual.

Space opera as you want it to be. Convincing characters, good story! Waiting for the next one as this is announced as a trilogy.

Llegas por la space opera y te quedas por la trama y los personajes. Realmente conectas con ellos muy rápido.

Great continuing adventure in dealing with the Architects. The crew finds new challenges and expands their knowledge, moves much faster than the previous book. I admire the way Tchaikovsky can bring so many different stories into play across his writing and make them all different. A lot of fast writers sound the same but he really excells at creating unique characters.

A fantastic sequel, I can't wait to read the last book in the trilogy!