Reviews

Praise for the series:

"Tchaikovsky succeeds at creating a compelling, absorbing and unique plot populated with characters worth investing time in. Interestingly, the humans in this series could be considered the monsters in any other series, and the insect/human hybrid characters are believable and fascinating. A promising debut by a verbose and lyrical writer. Four stars: Compelling—Page-turner."
—RT Book Reviews

"Tchaikovsky's first novel exhibits a vibrancy and creative spirit that commands attention. Set in a world where human tribes are identified with totem insects—e.g., messenger Fly-kinden, military-minded Ant-kinden—the story moves quickly between intensely personal interactions and scenes of large-scale battle... This original and well-told series opener belongs in most fantasy collections and deserves exposure to a wide audience."
—Library Journal

"... one of the most accomplished heroic fantasy debuts since Scott Lynch's Locke Lamora. At various times during my reading, I was reminded of Lynch, of
China Miéville, of K. J. Parker, and even, underneath it all, holding the novel
together and providing its irresistible narrative impulse, Tolkien. Tchaikovsky is not the equal of any of these writers, not yet, but he is smart and talented,
and he's got imagination to burn."
—Realms of Fantasy

"Adrian Tchaikovsky makes a good and enjoyable mix between a medieval looking world and the presence of technology"
—Starburst

"Full of colourful drama and non-stop action involving mass warfare
and personal combat."
—Fantasy Book Critic

"Empire in Black and Gold is a very strong debut. It is a fast-paced and action-driven novel that nonetheless leaves plenty of room for character-development. Its primary strength is, however, the highly imaginative world that Tchaikovsky's has created.... A remarkably strong fantasy debut and I for one am eagerly anticipating the sequels Dragonfly Falling and Blood of the Mantis."
—Book Spot Central

"Empire in Black and Gold has enough going for it to make it one of the most enjoyable books that I've read so far this year. I want more and there's
nothing I can do but sit it out and wait..."
—Graeme's Fantasy Book Review (nine and a quarter out of ten)

"The world Tchaikovsky has created, and the characters he has peopled it with, are engaging and brilliantly realized...[His] writing and world-building are superb, and his narrative wraps itself around your imagination like a comforting blanket, and it is oh-so-easy to lose yourself to the story. This is a brilliant fantasy creation, and with many more novels already published and on the horizon, I imagine Tchaikovsky's work will be delighting fans for many years to come...Highly recommended." —Civilian Reader blog