Empire in Black and Gold

January 11, 2010
Longtime epic fantasy readers will find many familiar elements in this intriguing debut. There’s the peaceful, vulnerable land, in this case the Lowlands, threatened by the Mongol-like Wasp Empire. The lone man who sees the danger is unwilling Lowlands spymaster Stenwald Maker. A charmingly diverse group of agents and allies draws from most of the strictly delineated insect-themed clans (which rather resemble the character classes of role-playing games) and runs the gamut from naïve student to embittered mercenary. Patriotic but conflicted Wasp Thalric puts a sympathetic face on evil. Tchaikovsky exercises considerable talent in assembling these well-worn pieces into a new puzzle, developing an interesting story and world with humor and skillful prose. Readers may be pleasantly surprised to find themselves looking forward to future installments.

February 15, 2010
The Wasp Empire of winged armies now wages a campaign of conquest and destruction along the borders of the Lowlands. Occupying themselves with competitive games and trade, the Lowlands city-states refuse to hear the words of artificer and spymaster Stenwold Maker, who senses the danger posed by the Wasp Empire. Tchaikovsky's first novel exhibits a vibrancy and creative spirit that commands attention. Set in a world where human tribes are identified with totem insectse.g., messenger Fly-kinden, military-minded Ant-kindenthe story moves quickly between intensely personal interactions and scenes of large-scale battle. VERDICT This original and well-told series opener belongs in most fantasy collections and deserves exposure to a wide audience.

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