Hatchards

(Hardback)

by Zoe Rogers

What a brilliant surprise this was, I'm so glad it's getting a UK release! Spiderlight is a book that was originally written in 2016 and, presumably because of this, the UK release has had relatively little fanfare outside of NetGalley and The Broken Binding special edition (which I absolutely need to get my hands on) which upsets me because every fantasy reader needs to read this book so I can talk about it more! Spiderlight has a relatively simple premise: a group of adventurers seek to defeat the 'Dark Lord' and his reign of terror by following a prophecy. But this is given a brilliant Tchaikovsky twist. In order to complete the prophecy, the adventurers must use the 'spider's path' and for that they need a spider! In comes Nth, a giant spider given (more or less) human shape by a powerful wizard. But Nth never wanted to be a part of this quest, is a creature of Dark in a group fighting for Light and struggles to reconcile with his new humanity. The cast of characters (as other reviewers have said) initially seems very much like your typical DnD party: there's the noble paladin, the mischeivous rogue, the eccentric wizard, the tough ranger and the brutish fighter. I was intially a bit doubtful that I'd end up caring for any of these characters as they seemed so stereotypical, but the character work was just so good. Everyone (with perhaps the exception of the fighter Harathes, but he was fun to hate!) was multifaceted and layered and genuinely human and likeable. Dion the paladin could easily have become the boring stereotypical noble warrior, and she was noble but in a really human and flawed way that I just loved so much, and it was the same with all of the other characters. Adrian Tchaikovsky is also a master of nonhuman POVs and Nth was just such an interesting character. I just wanted to reach in and give him a hug throughout the story, his unique dynamic with each other character was brilliant. The plot, as I said above, was quite simple but really worked because of the hidden depth and clever twists interwoven within it. The writing was fast paced and sharp, but with lovely moments of beauty and introspection. I also really liked the humour throughout. Humour is a difficult thing to balance in a story like this because it runs the risk of coming off as insincere and ruining the rest of the story, but that balance was struck really well in Spiderlight and I had so much fun without the emotional parts of the story being compromised. A particular scene where Dion and a priest argue over interpretations of theology had me grinning so much! Spiderlight also serves as a deconstruction of the 'noble adventuring party goes and fights evil monsters who are evil just because they were born that way' and I really enjoyed that, I wish we got more of it in fantasy! The way the Dark Lord and his minions were handled was really clever, and I really appreciated how nuanced the handling of the 'Light' and 'Dark' was. Everything was shades of grey and at no point did Tchaikovsky talk down to his audience- moral questions were often left unsanswered and for the reader to mull over which honestly needs to happen more. I want to be prompted to think, not told what to think. Part of me wanted a little more exploration of the treatment of nonhumans or those considered 'of the Dark' by the party (it felt like the group didn't quite face the consequences of their wanton murder) but I'm still really satisfied with the book as a whole and can't reccommend it enough! Adrian Tchaikovsky is fast becoming one of my favourite authors, how he puts out so much of such great quality is beyond me. I can't wait to try more of his work! Go and pick up Spiderlight when it comes out in September (or pick it up now if you're in the US) if you're a fan of fun yet introspective and unique epic fantasy. Even arachnophobes will find something to love!

This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.

(Hardback)

by Sarah Higbee

Just to clear up any confusion – Spiderlight is a re-release. I was thrilled be able to see this outstanding book get another chance to shine with readers, as it’s one of my favourite Tchaikovsky novels that I read waaay back in 2016. Essentially, this is Tchaikovsky’s take on the classic ensemble fantasy quest – think Lord of the Rings. The devoted priestess of the Light with her sacred and lethal artefact, Dion, is leading the expedition; there’s a lethal mage, Penthos, who is also arrogantly obnoxious; though perhaps not as obnoxiously arrogant as lantern-jawed Harathes; Cyrene, the other woman on the quest, who is also a highly skilled archer; and finally Lief, the necessary thief who breaks into places and occasionally steals necessary objects. This small group are fulfilling the prophesy that they will be able to travel into the heart of the territory of the Dark, and with an object they will obtain from the Spider Queen – be able to overthrow the Dark Lord. Obviously, things start to go wrong fairly quickly – no adventure worth the name ever goes smoothly. But Tchaikovsky ensures that this much-loved trope is given a thoroughly shaking. I don’t want to go into too much detail as this is a book you need to experience without any spoilers to get the best effect. But if you’ve read and enjoyed epic fantasy quests – then I think this is a must-read. In amongst the variety of dangers faced by our intrepid band, Tchaikovsky also takes the time to examine some of the problems encapsulated within the trope. As I mentioned in my first review – what stood out for me were the problems Cyrene faces – and the observation still holds good, so I repeat… Her bitter diatribe that she is always judged as a woman first and a warrior second is a scene that will stay with me for a long time. Tchaikovsky rips away any fond illusions fantasy fans might have that bunging a handful of attractive sword-waving young women into the middle of an adventure successfully evens up the gender power imbalance. I particularly like that Tchaikovsky doesn’t go for the easy option – which is to make her chaste victim, either. Cyrene’s annoyance is that after a fling with Harathes, he immediately jumps to the conclusion that she is now pledged to him and despite her making it very clear she no longer wants anything more to do with him – refuses to accept her decision. Another ongoing issue Tchaikovsky plays with, is the notion of Light and Darkness, versus Right and Wrong. Dion, the devout priestess, wrestles constantly with this problem – particularly after the group have encountered the Spider Queen and now have the gift she has given them to overcome the Dark Lord. Some of the most objectionable characters in the tale are of the Light, while morally ambiguous Lief is by far the most humane and sympathetic character. According to the Church of Armes, only Man is capable of being of the Light, while other races are predestined to be of the Dark, no matter how they comport themselves. This ongoing issue gets more thoroughly examined during the denouement, when the group finally confront the Dark Lord in a highly memorable scene. I took something a of risk re-reading this one. I generally won’t revisit books on the grounds that if I’ve had a lovely time with a story – I don’t want to be disappointed the second time around. For not only do I have to cope with said disappointment – I’ve also sullied the memory of the first reading experience. But I figured that Tchaikovsky wouldn’t let me down. And I was right. This was worth re-reading and proved every bit as clever, engrossing and thought- provoking as the first time. Very highly recommended. 10/10

(Hardback)

by Jason Begg

This book really blew away my expectations of a fantasy novel and its tropes. Adrian Tchaikovsky is an incredibly prolific author which I sometimes feel is evident in his standalone works that can be a bit hit or miss compared to his series which are some of my favourite of all time. Thankfully this seems to be a shining example that subverted my expectations at every turn. It has spiders in it so I should have known! The highlight of the whole novel is how it explores and plays with morality, conviction and faith and the pitfalls of letting others convince you what is right and correct without forming your own opinions. The main underlying plot is almost subservient to the characters and their development which are wonderfully explored. I guess this subservience is probably my only real criticism of the overall novel as all the key plot points are fairly rushed and not particularly fleshed out. Overall I really enjoyed my time with this novel. Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillian/Tor for the eARC

(Hardback)

by Bookseller Adam, Lichfield

There is a definite Dungeons and Dragons vibe going on in Spiderlight; it almost reminds me of a campaign where the players are trying to take the game seriously, despite the circumstances they keep ending up in. The story features a band of adventurers following a prophecy to defeat the dark lord of the land, with help from a new party member, a giant spider named Nth. It was nice to see Tchaikovsky return to writing spider main characters! The humour was really well done in Spiderlight, more so than Tchaikovsky’s previous books in my opinion. The story wasn’t particularly ‘quippy’, but more circumstantial paired with the deadpan reaction of the characters. This book toys with the tropes of the fantasy genre, and pokes fun at them whilst indulging all the same. It reminded me of Joe Abercrombie in many places - the plot bears similarities to The Devils, but the humour feels more reminiscent of the First Law trilogy. It's quite a short novel that moves at quite a pace, but doesn’t outstay its welcome at all - the action runs all the way into the final few pages, but it didn’t feel like anything was missing or left unsaid. Short and sweet, with a little character development (mainly from Nth and Dion) and the odd clever twist to keep things interesting.

(Hardback)

by Helene Walters-Steinberg

Adrian Tchaikovsky is one of my favourite Sci-Fi authors, so I was really excited to get the opportunity to read his new fantasy book as part of a book tour with the publisher. This was such an enjoyable read. Adrian Tchaikovsky has a knack for writing non-human characters in a way that makes them really come alive, in all their uniqueness. Here we follow a ragtag group assembled D&D style (a priestess, a wizard, a thief, a warrior, a knight) seeking to fulfil a prophecy to vanquish the Dark Lord. They end up in a nest of giant spiders (Tchaikovsky clearly loves spiders!) and the wizard turns one of them into a human (or humanoid in any event). Nth struggles to understand the world around him and his behaviour ends up causing those around him to reflect on their human nature and on what it means to be of the Light or of the Dark. It ends with an unexpected twist that turns the whole story on its head. A recommended read for fans of Adrian Tchaikovsky and stories told from a non-human perspective.

This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.