Dragonfly Falling [Paperback]

 

 

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The second book in the 'Shadow of the Apt' series by Adrian Tchaikovsky.

This novel continues where book one left off; we continue to follow several characters on a sequential basis as they try to stem the tide of conquest by the Wasp Empire. A faction that has continually displayed covert yet aggressive intentions towards the rest of the continent (The Lowlands).

This book is quite exceptional...let me explain. I've read many trilogies/series in which the second book has some minor improvements compared to the first; better because the author has had some time to more clearly defined his ideas for both his story and characters. And often the quality of writing and story telling have improve slightly as well.

However, what impressed me most about this second effort is the degree of improvement found in this book compared to the first; improvement mainly in the quality of the prose that is used. The writing is more concise and written in such a way as to add to the suspense and intrigue of the situations that the main characters find themselves in. The narrative in this work just flowed better; if the story telling in book one was good, then it could easily be described as great for this second effort.

Also, as I mentioned before, the tale is told on a sequential basis, following about a half dozen or so characters in turn. As I approached the end of this book, I began to realize another unusual quality of this book. That being, that none, not one, of these tales was dull, boring or just plain 'fill'; all were intense, exciting and riveting. Few novels I've read with this 'sequential' format have ever accomplished this feat so well, as most have one or two segments that drag or hold little interest. Not so with this book!

Of course the above effect was enhanced by the fact that every section seemed to end in a 'cliffhanger' of sorts. This made me sorry to leave this chapter and eager to return to this particular thread. Honestly, few books that I've read recently (with the exception maybe of Joe Abercrombie's first two books in 'The First Law' trilogy) have had me so eager to keep reading or trying to find time to get back to a book; the book was simply that good.

Even the concerns I had regarding the written description of some of the one on one fights scenes in book one (see my review of 'Empire in Black and Gold' Sept 19/09), were no longer an issue in this second book.

Other positive features were
1.) a very good map
2.) a brief list of names, places and organizations (with brief descriptions) at the beginning of the book, that really helps to identify the characters etc. within.

Conclusion:
An exceptionally second book in the series, that not only has it all the ingredients for high fantasy and adventure, but also was presented in such a way that will make you want to read on and on. And for any book, who could ask for more. Easily 5 Stars...more if I could.

Ray Nicholson

Khaldun's Disclaimer: Reviews will mainly concentrate on novels that I enjoyed, and in writing them I will attempt to be succinct and to avoid all manner of spoilery comments. A grading guide follows my reviews. Also, please note that while I have read widely in the genre, my tastes are quite distinct and thus readers should absorb my wisdom with, at the very least, a few pinches of salt. Cheers.
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Dragonfly Falling by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Characterization: 8/10
The cast of characters is much the same as the first book, although with a few notable additions. Many of them are put in difficult circumstances which helps build empathy for them, but they don't feel quite as 'real' as GRRM's characters (although most characters don't). If you liked the characters from the first book, it's unlikely your opinion will change here.

Plotting and Pacing: 8/10
This one moves along at a nice, quick pace with only a few exceptions. There were times when reading this book where I felt the novel slipping a little off track, but not many. It seems that people are fairly divided on this front in other reviews, so you'll just have to try it yourself and see what you think. However, since I do think the plotting is moderately more complex and well-done here, I've increased the score slightly.

Setting: 9/10
Is the setting still cool? Absolutely. There are a few new kinden introduced(still a brilliant concept), which I can't complain about. The interesting blend of medieval and steampunk-ish technology is still there. But does the second book really add much in the way of worldbuilding? Not really. Frankly, I only want to be giving 9s in books with absolutely incredibly, immersive settings, and this doesn't quite feel that way just yet. I expect a lot more in future volumes if the setting score is going to remain this high.

Style and Themes: Style 1/5 and Themes 2/5
The themes remain basically the same as the first book. If you want to see how various powerful and not-so-powerful people act when thrown into the fire, this is what you get. I'm not losing sleep at night thinking about the implications regarding human nature this book raises, but it's fine. Style-wise the novel is plagued with some of the same issues as the first (POV changes within a single scene are the most notable example). The novel itself is a fun read, but glaring problems simply shouldn't be there in the second volume of such a good series.

Total: 28/40
An slight improvement over the first in the series, although still plagued by the same stylistic issues. A fun setting and some careful plotting more than make up for these issues, however, so enjoy!

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Grading: Note that '5' is an average grade for each category, unexciting but still decent. Therefore, any novel that scores above twenty is above average and thus better than most of the other stuff floating around in bookshelves (at least in my opinion).

Rating Scale
01-09: Nigh unreadable
10-19: Get it from the library
20-24: A modest endorsement
25-29: Well-rounded and enjoyable
30-34: Highly recommended
35-40: A must-read!

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