Author: Adrian Tchaikovsky
Pages: 611
Summary: The city states of the Lowlands have lived in peace and prosperity for decades: bastions of civilization and sophistication, protected by treaties, trade and a belief in the reasonable nature of their neighbours.
But meanwhile, in far-off corners, a warlike Empire has been deouring city after city with its highly trained armies, its machines, its killing Art ... And now its hunger for conquest and bloodshed has become insatiable.
Only the ageing Senwold Maker, spymaster, artificer and statesman, can see that the long days of peace are over. It falls upon his shoulders to open the eyes of his people, before a black-and-gold tide sweeps down over the Lowlands and burns away everything in its path. But first he must stop himself from becoming the Empire's latest victim.
My thoughts:
I couldn't finish this one. I really wanted to like it - and I do in some parts - but it just doesn't make "Click" for me and I'm bored while reading and reading it is not fun. :/
I really love the world - humans with insect like traits, on the brink of industrialization with dirigibles and planes and swordfights and everything.
I really like some of the characters - Totho, Salma and Che. I'm a bit "Hmmm" about the others but there is no one I really don't like.
The story is interesting too.
And therefore I don't get why I can't get through this book. :/ Maybe I just picked it up at the wrong time. Maybe I'll try some day again.
