Eyes of the Void by Adrian Tchaikovsky

 In this second book of The Final Architecture trilogy (Shards of Earth), Tchaikovsky picks up right where Shards of Earth left off. Both books have interesting characters and compelling storylines.

The Architects have returned after eighty years, following an uneasy, peaceful reprieve for the planets that house the humans and aliens who inhabit them. An Architect is attacking Arc Pallator, a Hegemonic world that contains a vast collection of Originators artifacts. The crew of the Vulture God is on the planet when the attack begins, and Idris is kidnapped once again. This time, his kidnappers want him to use his Intermediary skills to unlock the mystery of unspace and help find the origins of the Architects.

Tchaikovsky does an excellent job of world-building and creating alien cultures. In this fast-paced novel, he advances the main storyline of the series — finding ways to defeat the Architects — and moves into a more cerebral context, exploring the creation of unspace. There is still plenty of action, however, to satisfy even the most ardent space opera lovers. This is a wonderful series, and I'll be sad when it wraps up. 

4.5/5 stars.

For more information: 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky

 

This is the first book in The Final Architecture series, and it's a winner. With an intriguing plot, excellent world-building, and imaginative characters, it kept me reading late into the night.

Idris, as a much sought-after Intermediary navigator, and Solace, a warrior of the Parthenon sisterhood, have survived the Architect war. Now, years later, they encounter one another again when Solace joins the ship Idris pilots in hopes of enticing him to join her and the Parthenon. But Idris, Solace, and the Vulture God's crew, who have found a missing ship that shows evidence of an Architect attack, are suddenly on the run from gangsters and others who may benefit from the return of the Architects. The Architects, moon-sized entities that attack populated planets and reshape them into desolate works of art, have been missing since Idris and other Intermediaries deterred them to end the war. If they are back, it signals the beginning of a new war. 

This is a well-crafted space opera. The story is easy to follow, and the characters and alien species are distinctive. The suspense is riveting, and the action scenes are not overly drawn out. This is the first Adrian Tchaikovsky book I've read, and I can't wait to explore more of his books. 

5/5 stars.

For more information: 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Detour by Jeff Rake and Rob Hart

This science fiction book reads like a thriller with its breakneck pacing and twists. I do enjoy both genres, but the format made it clear that the long-term plan is to turn Detour into a streaming series; one of the authors alluded to this in his acknowledgements. I think the writing and character development suffered as a result.

John Ward, the world's richest man and presidential candidate, is partnering with NASA to orbit a spaceship around Saturn's moon, Titan. The goal is to gather information for future colonization. To this end, Ward has assembled an unlikely crew comprising three astronauts, a physicist, a police detective, and a graffiti artist — all of whom have ties to Ward. The story then moves quickly through the details about training the crew, the technology behind the spaceship, and the first year in space. 

The crew is just circling Titan on the way home when a navigation anomaly and two explosions occur. Although unexplained, neither causes harm to the crew nor the ship. Back on Earth, the crew is isolated and told not to communicate with each other, which they, of course, immediately figure out a way to do. Trading stories, they find that each of their lives is not how they left it — relationships have changed, and things are generally different. With Ward and unseen forces trying to control them, the crew bands together to uncover the truth about their circumstances.

I found the plot interesting, but the delivery stilted. The time shifts were not seamless, and not enough detail was given about the many stages needed to complete the mission. I liked most of the characters, and each brought a unique perspective to the storyline. Overall, I liked the book. Had it not read like an episodic television series, I would have liked it better. 

3.5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Worlds, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is January 13, 2026.

For more information: 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes

This is the first book by this author I've read, and although it's a slow starter, it turned out to be a good science fiction story about planet exploration and the perils it involves.

Ophelia Bray is a psychotherapist assigned to a Reclamation and Exploration Team to map and explore a planet whose salvageable rights have just been acquired. Her goal is to detect the early warning signs of Eckhart-Reiser syndrome (ERS), a condition that, if it is not caught early, can cause psychotic breaks, violence, and insanity. Along with her own emotional baggage, the team she joins has just suffered the traumatic loss of a crewmember and resents Ophelia's inclusion on this mission. She must overcome her own demons and try to win over the crew if she will be of help.

Once on the planet, crewmembers begin displaying unusual behavioral systems that may or may not be associated with ERS. It's up to Ophelia to figure out what is happening before she, too, is affected.

The book's first third is a slog as Ophelia seems to psychoanalyze every situation and individual, including herself. However, the pace picks up once the action starts on the planet, and this turns into an exciting action-adventure read. It is an atmospheric story with a touch of horror thrown in to keep things interesting. Overall, I enjoyed this book.

 4/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Tor Nightfire, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is April 9, 2024.

For more information:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble