Adrian Tchaikovsky Book order (chronological)

An utterly gripping story of alien encounter and survival from Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of the Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning Children of Time.They looked into the darkness and the darkness looked back . . .New planets are fair game to asset strippers and interplanetary opportunists – and a commercial mission to a distant star system discovers a moon that is pitch black, but alive with radio activity. Its high-gravity, high-pressure, zero-oxygen environment is anathema to human life, but ripe for exploitation. They named it Shroud.Under no circumstances should a human end up on Shroud’s inhospitable surface. Except a catastrophic accident sees Juna Ceelander and Mai Ste Etienne doing just that. Forced to stage an emergency landing, in a small, barely adequate vehicle, they are unable to contact their ship and are running out of time. What follows is a gruelling journey across land, sea and air. During this time, Juna and Mai begin to understand Shroud’s dominant species. It also begins to understand them . . .If they escape Shroud, they’ll face a crew only interested in profiteering from this extraordinary world. They’ll somehow have to explain the impossible and translate the incredible. That is, if they make it back at all.

Idris Telemmier, hrdina a vyvrhel, mediátor, který dokázal zastavit Architekta. Nalezl způsob, jak ukončit válku s Architekty jednou pro vždy. Dožije se toho lidstvo? Nesmiřitelní, neznámí, nepřátelští mimozemšťané z jiné dimenze jsou zpět a rozsévají hrůzu. Idris odhalil tajemství, které by mohlo zvrátit osud, největší slabinu Architektů. Jeho objev je nejsilnější zbraní, jakou lidé disponují. Avšak galaktické velmoci sledují své vlastní zájmy a záměry, než aby se v jednom šiku postavili společnému nepříteli. Lidské i nelidské frakce bojují o kontrolu nad Idrisovým objevem, zatímco galaxie se zmítá ve vzájemně ničivé a sebedestruktivní válce. Další velkou překážkou v útoku proti hrozbě z vesmíru je sám Idris. Je si vědom, že Architekti jsou navzdory své obrovské moci pouhým nástrojem vyšší inteligence. Skutečná hrozba, jejich vládci, bloudí hluboko v neprostoru, kde čas běží jinak a realita není taková, jaká se zdá. Vládci nestvůrnosti si právě začínají uvědomovat drzou existenci lidstva a podnikají kroky k tomu, aby tuto ohavnou mrzutost navždy sprovodili ze světa

Set in Alkhalend, the capital of Usmai, this tale unfolds in a world shaped by the legacy of the Moeribandi Empire's necromantic power. As the Palleseen advance with their mission to impose Perfection and Correctness, the story explores the tension between tradition and transformation in a realm on the brink of conflict. The intricate political landscape and the looming threat of a relentless force create a gripping backdrop for the characters navigating this turbulent era.

Set against a backdrop of enchanting realms, this tale weaves together elements of mischief and magic, exploring the complexities of love and the turmoil of war. Characters navigate their intertwined fates, facing challenges that test their loyalties and desires. As they confront dark forces and personal dilemmas, themes of sacrifice and resilience emerge, making it a captivating journey through a world where the extraordinary collides with the everyday. The narrative promises to engage readers with its blend of adventure and emotional depth.

Alien Clay is a thrilling far-future adventure by acclaimed Hugo and Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author Adrian Tchaikovsky.They travelled into the unknown and left themselves behind . . . On the distant world of Kiln lie the ruins of an alien civilization. It's the greatest discovery in humanity's spacefaring history - yet who were its builders and where did they go?Professor Arton Daghdev had always wanted to study alien life up close. Then his wishes become a reality in the worst way. His political activism sees him exiled from Earth to Kiln's extrasolar labour camp. There, he's condemned to work under an alien sky until he dies.Kiln boasts a ravenous, chaotic ecosystem like nothing seen on Earth. The monstrous alien life interacts in surprising, sometimes shocking ways with the human body, so Arton will risk death on a daily basis. However, the camp's oppressive regime might just kill him first. If Arton can somehow escape both fates, the world of Kiln holds a wondrous, terrible secret. It will redefine life and intelligence as he knows it, and might just set him free . . .'A warning for a future we don't want . . . Highly recommended' - Tade Thompson'Unputdownable. Adrian Tchaikovsky is fast becoming the voice of his generation in British SF' - Stephen Baxter'One of our finest writers of SF right now . . . an excellent story told with Adrian's trademark skill and flair' - James Oswald

The story follows Charles™, an advanced robo-butler who inadvertently kills his master, leading to his exile and a quest for self-discovery. This journey unfolds against the backdrop of a collapsing human society, exploring the robots left in its wake. With a blend of wit and humor, it delves into themes of identity and purpose, offering a unique perspective on the relationship between humans and technology.

Twenty years ago, Dr. Jasmine Marks went into the “Zone,” a growing band of rainforest where the heat and humidity make it impossible for warm-blooded animals to survive. There were deaths, and the programme was cut short. Now, they’re sending her back in – and there are things Marks’s corporate masters aren’t telling her.

Exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence and creativity, this collection features fictional stories by renowned science fiction authors. It delves into the implications of AI taking over artistic endeavors, presenting narratives about robot painters and AI poets. As discussions about the rise of 'general' intelligence intensify, these tales provoke thought on the future of creativity and the evolving role of technology in the arts.

Harry Bodie's grandmother wrote beloved children's books set in the delightful world of Underhill. Harry himself is a failing kids' TV presenter whose every attempt to advance his career ends in self-sabotage. But his troubles are barely starting. What if Underhill is real? And what if it isn't delightful at all?

City-by-city, kingdom-by-kingdom, the Palleseen have sworn to bring Perfection and Correctness to an imperfect world. As their legions scour the world of superstition with the bright flame of reason, so they deliver a mountain of ragged, holed and scorched flesh to the field hospital tents just behind the frontline.Which is where Yasnic, one-time priest, healer and rebel, finds himself. Reprieved from the gallows and sent to war clutching a box of orphan Gods, he has been sequestered to a particularity unorthodox medical unit.Led by 'the Butcher', an ogre of a man who's a dab hand with a bone-saw and an alchemical tincture, the unit's motley crew of conscripts, healers and orderlies are no strangers to the horrors of war. Their's is an unspeakable trade: elbow-deep in gore they have a first-hand view of the suffering caused by flesh-rending monsters, arcane magical weaponry and embittered enemy soldiers.Entrusted - for now - with saving lives deemed otherwise un-saveable, the field hospital's crew face a precarious existence. Their work with unapproved magic, necromancy, demonology and Yansic's thoroughly illicit Gods could lead to the unit being disbanded, arrested or worse.Beset by enemies within and without, the last thing anyone needs is a miracle.

They're the super rich, the princes of capitalism, living off the deaths of the swarming masses and all too happy to see the world burn. In three critically-acclaimed novellas, Tchaikovsky takes you down into the mud and dust and poverty... and sows the seed of revolution.

Lords of Uncreation is the gripping conclusion to the Final Architecture trilogy.

Exciting new Warhammer 40,000 novel from Adrian Tchaikovsky/ On the forge world of Morod, the machines never stop and the work never ends. The population toil in the mines and factoria to protect humanity from the monsters in the void, while the Adeptus Mechanicus enjoy lives of palatial comfort. Genetor Gammat Triskellian seeks to end this stagnant corruption. When he learns of a twisted congregation operating within the shadows, one which believes that the tech-priests are keeping the people from their true salvation – a long-prophesied union with angels – he sees in them an opportunity to bring down Morad’s masters and reclaim the world in the name of progress. But sometimes, the only hope for real change lies in the coming of monsters.

It's always idyllic in the village until the landlord comes to call. Because the landlord is an Ogre. And Ogres rule the world, with their size and strength and appetites. It's always been that way. It's the natural order of the world. And they only eat people sometimes...

A thrilling far-future space adventure, and the second instalment in the epic Final Architecture Trilogy, from this Arthur C. Clarke award-winning author of Children of Time, Adrian Tchaikovsky. What waits in the shadows as we fight our greatest foe? After one great battle, the Architects disappeared. Yet humanity's fragile peace is brief. For, forty years later, the galaxy's greatest alien enemy has returned. This time, the artefacts that preserved entire worlds from destruction are ineffective. And no planet is safe. The Human Colony worlds are in turmoil as they face extinction. Some believe alliances with other species can save them. Others insist humanity must fight alone. But no one has the firepower or technology to ensure victory, as the Architects loom ever closer. Idris spent decades running from the last war's horrors. Yet as an Intermediary, altered to navigate deep space, he's one of humanity's only weapons. He's therefore forced back into action. With a handful of allies, Idris must find something - anything - to stop the Architects' pitiless advance. But to do so, he must return to the nightmare of unspace, where his mind was broken and remade. What he discovers there will change everything.

From the acclaimed, award-winning author of Children of Time comes an unparalleled narrative of alien contact and human discovery in this follow-up to Children of Ruin.

Ilmar is a city under occupation and on the verge of revolution. A city about to go to war not only aginst its oppressors, but also against itself. Ideological zealots collide with criminal fraternities, an infernal industrial revolution with an ancient curse and, when the moon is full, a portal to strange and distant shores.

Válka skončila. Její hrdinové jsou zapomenuti. Až do jednoho náhodného objevu... Po zničení Země lidstvo vytvořilo bojovou elitu, aby zachránilo svůj druh. Zdokonalené lidské bytosti s implantovanými vylepšeními. Jedním z nich je Idris. Idris nezestárl, ani neusnul od chvíle, kdy ho ve válce přetvořili. V tichu vesmíru dokázali komunikovat s nepřítelem. Pak jejich mimozemští agresoři, Architekti, jednoduše zmizeli – a Idris a jeho druh se stali zastaralými. Jeden z hrdinů lidstva se nyní protlouká na nezávislé záchranné lodi, aby se vyhnul pozornosti větších mocností. Nyní, o padesát let později, Idris a jeho posádka objevili něco podivného, co je opuštěné ve vesmíru. Je to zjevně dílo Architektů – ale vracejí se? A pokud ano, proč? Idris a jeho posádka, pronásledováni gangstery, kulty a vládami, se řítí napříč galaxií a hledají odpovědi. Nyní totiž vlastní něco, co má nevyčíslitelnou hodnotu, a pro co by mnozí zabíjeli.

In a world where adversaries may hold the key to survival, the narrative explores complex relationships and unexpected alliances. Characters grapple with their past conflicts, leading to growth and transformation as they confront challenges together. The story delves into themes of trust, redemption, and the intricacies of human (and non-human) connections in a richly built universe. Tchaikovsky weaves a tale that questions the nature of enmity and the potential for collaboration in dire circumstances.

In Adrian Tchaikovsky's Elder Race, a junior anthropologist on a distant planet must help the locals he has sworn to study to save a planet from an unbeatable foe. Lynesse is the lowly Fourth Daughter of the queen, and always getting in the way. But a demon is terrorizing the land, and now she’s an adult (albeit barely) and although she still gets in the way, she understands that the only way to save her people is to invoke the pact between her family and the Elder sorcerer who has inhabited the local tower for as long as her people have lived here (though none in living memory has approached it). But Elder Nyr isn’t a sorcerer, and he is forbidden to help, for his knowledge of science tells him the threat cannot possibly be a demon...

In a sequel to Dogs of War, Honey the genetically engineered bear takes a ride in Jimmy the Martian's head and starts a revolution on the Red Planet.

The epic fantasy series of war and empire by Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author Adrian Tchaikovsky continues. As the forces of Collegium and the Empire clash, Empress Seda seeks an ancient power that could turn the tide of war.

Pseudo-historian Doctor Hendry is missing. His employers want answers. Paranormal investigators Michael and Walter join the search party to Hendry's remote Scottish cliff-top home, accompanied by two unscrupulous mercenaries and a deeply sceptical history professor. Among the doctor's research they find more than they bargained for or can even comprehend

A thrilling far-future space adventure from this Arthur C. Clarke award- winning author. If you loved Children of Time, this will be the perfect next read.

Firewalkers Are Brave. Firewalkers Are Resourceful. Firewalkers Are Expendable. The Earth is burning. Nothing can survive at the Anchor; not without water and power. But the ultra-rich, waiting for their ride off the dying Earth? They can buy water. And thanks to their investment, the sun can provide power. But someone has to repair the solar panels when they fail, down in the deserts below. Kids like Mao, and Lupé, and Hotep; kids with brains and guts but no hope. The Firewalkers.

Four new tales of Doctors Catt and FisherScholars, shopkeepers, collectors... aficionados. Four new stories of two relic hunters who can't resist a lead, even when it takes them into terrible danger.

They thought we were safe. They were wrong. Four years ago, two girls went looking for monsters on Bodmin Moor. Only one came back. Lee thought she'd lost Mal, but now she's miraculously returned. But what happened that day on the moors? And where has she been all this time? Mal's reappearance hasn't gone unnoticed by MI5 officers either, and Lee isn't the only one with questions. Julian Sabreur is investigating an attack on top physicist Kay Amal Khan. This leads Julian to clash with agents of an unknown power - and they may or may not be human. His only clue is grainy footage, showing a woman who supposedly died on Bodmin Moor. Dr Khan's research was theoretical; then she found cracks between our world and parallel Earths. Now these cracks are widening, revealing extraordinary creatures. And as the doors crash open, anything could come through.

Exploring the enchanting realm of alien cultures, this book delves into the fairy tales and folk stories from distant planets, paralleling the rich traditions found on Earth. It showcases the unique legends and magical narratives crafted by alien chroniclers, revealing how these stories reflect their own mysticism and truths. By comparing these narratives to our own, the book invites readers to discover a universe filled with diverse and captivating tales that transcend the boundaries of our world.

A new novella from award-winning author Adrian TchaikovskyWelcome to Fountains Parish--a cesspit of trade and crime, where ambition curls up to die and desperation grows on its cobbled streets like mold on week-old bread. Coppelia is a street thief, a trickster, a low-level con artist. But she has something other thieves don't... tiny puppet-like companions: some made of wood, some of metal. They don't entirely trust her, and she doesn't entirely understand them, but their partnership mostly works.After a surprising discovery shakes their world to the core, Coppelia and her friends must re-examine everything they thought they knew about their world, while attempting to save their city from a seemingly impossible new threat.Making friends has never been so important.

Humanity clings to life on a dying Earth. Stefan Advani - rebel, outlaw, prisoner, survivor - bears witness to the desperate struggle for existence between life old and new. The sun is bloated, diseased, dying perhaps. Beneath its baneful light, Shadrapar, last of all cities, harbours fewer than 100,000 human souls. Built on the ruins of countless civilisations, Shadrapar is a museum, a midden, an asylum, a prison on a world that is ever more alien to humanity. Bearing witness to the desperate struggle for existence between life old and new is Stefan Advani: rebel, outlaw, prisoner, survivor. This is his testament, an account of the journey that took him into the blazing desolation of the western deserts; that transported him east down the river and imprisoned him in the verdant hell of the jungle's darkest heart; that led him deep into the labyrinths and caverns of the underworld. He will meet with monsters, madman, mutants. The question is, which one of them will inherit this Earth?

Chilling story of a lost astronaut on an alien artefact, struggling to find his way home even as the world around him transforms his body and mind

Scioni neznají meze Scioni neumírají Scioni nemizí Seržant Ted Regan má problém. Syn mocného korporátního rodu, Scion, se ztratil někde na frontě. Měla ho ochránit jeho zbroj – smrtonosný bitevní pancíř, v němž každý Scion snadno ovládne celé bojiště –, ale něco se zřejmě katastroficky zvrtlo. Regan a jeho četa jsou naopak demoralizovaní a špatně vybavení, ale přesto právě oni musí vyrazit za nepřátelské linie, ztraceného Sciona najít a zjistit, jak mohl jeho pancíř selhat. Vyvinul snad někdo zbraň schopnou ničit dosud nedotknutelné příslušníky ocelové šlechty? A jak by mohli obyčejní vojáci, kteří si nemohou dovolit supermoderní ochranné systémy bohatých, na bojišti zítřka vůbec přežít?

Thousands of years ago, Earth's terraforming program took to the stars. On the world they called Nod, scientists discovered alien life - but it was their mission to overwrite it with the memory of Earth. Then humanity's great empire fell, and the program's decisions were lost to time

Exploring the richly crafted universe of the Apt, this anthology features contributions from acclaimed fantasy writers, each delving into unique facets of the world established by Adrian Tchaikovsky. The collection is framed by two original stories from Tchaikovsky, showcasing a blend of creativity and imagination. Readers will encounter diverse narratives that highlight the complexities of the Apt and its inhabitants, crafted by award-winning authors who bring their distinct voices to this collaborative venture.

Bestselling British master of science fiction Adrian Tchaikovsky brings readers a new, mind-expanding science fantasia in The Expert System's Brother After an unfortunate accident, Handry is forced to wander a world he doesn’t understand, searching for meaning. He soon discovers that the life he thought he knew is far stranger than he could even possibly imagine. Can an unlikely saviour provide the answers to the questions he barely comprehends?

The Kinslayer may be gone, but he cast a long shadow she may never truly escape

The conclusion to Adrian Tchaikovsky's award-winning trilogy, Echoes of the Fall. Maniye and her allies ready themselves for battle, as the legendary Plague People return to wreak vengeance on the world.

This anthology showcases nineteen dark and magical stories that spotlight formidable and cunning antagonists in fantasy literature. Readers will find themselves rooting for these villains as they engage in ruthless actions for their own purposes. Each tale invites a deeper exploration of morality, suggesting that evil is often a matter of perspective, and challenges the traditional hero narrative by placing these complex characters at the forefront.

'This is superior stuff, tackling big themes - gods, messiahs, artificial intelligence, alienness - with brio' Financial Times .

A classically brilliant fantasy writer, a pusher of boundaries, a great storyteller Paul Cornell

Set against a backdrop of enchantment and conflict, the story weaves together themes of mischief and romance as characters navigate the complexities of love amid a war-torn landscape. With elements of magic enhancing the narrative, the protagonists face challenges that test their bonds and reveal their true selves. The intertwining of personal struggles and larger conflicts creates a rich tapestry of adventure and emotional depth, inviting readers into a world where every choice can alter destinies.

Maniye's father is the Wolf clan's chieftain, but she's an outcast. Her mother was queen of the Tiger and these tribes have been enemies for generations. Maniye also hides a deadly secret. All can shift into their clan's animal form, but Maniye can take on tiger and wolf shapes. She refuses to disown half her soul, so escapes, rescuing a prisoner of the Wolf clan in the process. The killer Broken Axe is set on their trail, to drag them back for retribution. Maniye's father plots to rule the north, and controlling his daughter is crucial to his schemes. However, other tribes also prepare for strife. Strangers from the far south appear too, seeking allies in their own conflict. It's a season for omens as priests foresee danger, and a darkness falling across the land. Some say a great war is coming, overshadowing even Wolf ambitions. A time of testing and broken laws is near, but what spark will set the world ablaze?

The last remnants of the human race left a dying Earth, desperate to find a new home. Following their ancestors' star maps, they discovered the greatest treasure of a past age--a world terraformed and prepared for human life. But all is not right in this new Eden. The planet is not waiting for them, pristine and unoccupied. New masters have turned it from a refuge into mankind's worst nightmare. Now two civilizations are on a collision course and must fight to survive. As the fate of humanity hangs in the balance, who are the true heirs of this new Earth?

A fantastic standalone novel from the Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author Adrian Tchaikovsky. When Lascanne falls under the shadow of its warring neighbour, Denland, Emily Marshwic is conscripted to fight for the cause. But do her doubts prove another way to victory?

AN ANCIENT ENEMY STIRS ONCE MORE The Empire stands victorious over its enemies at last. With her chief rival cast into the abyss, Empress Seda now faces the truth of what she has cost the world in order to win the war. The Seal has been shattered, and the Worm stirs towards the light for the first time in a thousand years. Already it is striking at the surface, voraciously consuming everything its questing tendrils touch. Faced with destruction, Seda knows that only the most extreme of solutions can lock the Worm back in the dark once again. But if she will go to such appalling lengths to save the world from the Worm, then who will save the world from her?

When the world ended... The Cull swept the world in the early years of the twenty-first century, killing billions and ending civilisation. Only a fortunate few, blessed with the right blood type, were spared. In the chaos of the Afterblight, scientists, priests—even armed robbers—may become leaders, or heroes. In Malcolm Cross’s Orbital Decay, the team in the International Space Station watch helplessly as the world is all but wiped out. Exiled from Earth by his blood-type, astronaut Alvin Burrows must solve the mystery of the “Pandora” experiment, even as someone on the station takes to murdering the crew one by one... In C. B. Harvey’s Dead Kelly, fugitive and convict “Dead” Kelly McGuire returns from hiding out in the Bush to the lawless city of Melbourne. McGuire has three jobs to do: to be revenged on his old gangmates, to confront some uncomfortable truths about his past, and—ultimately—to discover his own terrible destiny... In Adrian Tchaikovsky’s The Bloody Deluge, Katy Lewkowitz and her friend and old tutor Dr. Emil Weber, fleeing the depredations of the so-called New Teutonic Order, take refuge among the strangely anachronistic survivors at the monastery of Jasna Góra in Western Poland. A battle of faith ensues, that could decide the future of humankind...

Die Schwarmkriege die große britische Fantasy-Erfolgsserie Die Wespen kommen! In einer Welt, in der die Menschen mit den magischen Kräften der Insekten ausgestattet sind, müssen die freien Völker gegen eine Invasion des mächtigen Imperiums der Wespen kämpfen. Fast scheint der Kampf verloren, doch die wenigen Tapferen um den Käfer-Spion Stenwold geben nicht auf – und auch in den Reihen der Wespen gärt der Widerstand …

A shadow is falling over Collegium.Despite the tenuous peace, Stenwold Maker knows that the Empire will return for his city. Even as he tries to prepare for the resurgence of the black and gold, a hidden threat is steadily working against his people. Ships that sail from Collegium's harbour are being attacked, sunk by pirates. Some just go missing...Lulled by the spread of lies and false promises, Stenwold's allies are falling away from him. He faces betrayal on every side, and the Empire is just waiting for the first sign of weakness to strike. But the Empire is not the only power that has its eyes on Collegium. And even the Wasp-kinden may not be powerful enough to stave off the forces massing in the darkness and turning hungry eyes towards Stenwold's city.

"Tynisa is running, but she cannot escape the demons of her own mind. Amidst the fragmenting provinces of the Dragonfly Commonweal her past will at last catch up with her. Her father's ghost is hunting her down. At the same time, the Wasp Empress, Seda, is on the move, her eyes on the city of Khanaphes, the fallen jewel of the ancient world. Whilst her soldiers seek only conquest, she sees herself as the heir to all the old powers of history, and has her eyes on a far greater prize."--Provided by publisher.

In Adrian Tchaikovskys Fantasy-Epos bedrohen geflügelte Wespenkrieger die Reiche, während nur ein Baumeister der Käfer die Gefahr erkennt. Die verschiedenen Völker verfügen über die magischen Fähigkeiten von Insekten und müssen sich der unersättlichen Bedrohung stellen.

The war with the Wasp Empire has ended in a bitter stalemate, and Collegium has nothing to show for it but wounded veterans. Cheerwell Maker finds herself crippled in ways no doctor can mend, haunted by ghosts of the past that she cannot appease and seeking meaning in a city that no longer feels like home.The Empress Seda is regaining control over those imperial cities that refused to bow the knee to her, but she draws her power from something more sinister than mere armies and war machines. Only her consort, the former spymaster Thalric, knows the truth, and now the assassins are coming and he finds his life and his loyalties under threat once again.Out beyond the desert of the Nem the ancient city of Khanaphes awaits them both, with a terrible secret entombed beneath its stones.

The vampiric sorcerer Uctebri has at last got his hands on the Shadow Box and can finally begin his dark ritual - a ritual that the Wasp-kinden Emperor believes will grant him immortality. But Uctebri has his own plans both for the Emperor and the Empire.The massed Wasp armies are on the march, and the spymaster Stenwold must see which of his allies will stand now that the war has finally arrived. This time the Empire will not stop until a black and gold flag waves over Stenwold's own home city of Collegium.Tisamon the Weaponsmaster is faced with a terrible choice: a path that could lead him to abandon his friends and his daughter and to face degradation and loss. Yet it might bring him before the Wasp Emperor with a blade in his hand. But is he being driven by Mantis-kinden honour, or manipulated by something more sinister?

Der Auftakt zu einem einzigartigen Epos voller Fantasie und Spannung von Adrian Tchaikovsky. In dieser fantastischen Welt haben Menschen die magischen Fähigkeiten von Insektenvölkern: Ameisen lesen Gedanken, Käfermenschen sind Tüftler und Wespenkrieger sind geflügelt und zerstörerisch. Ein unvergleichliches Abenteuer!

Two young companions, Totho and Salma, arrive at Tark to spy on the menacing Wasp army, but are there mistakenly apprehended as enemy agents. By the time they are freed, the city is already under siege. Over in the imperial capital the young emperor, Alvdan, is becoming captivated by a remarkable slave, the vampiric Uctebri, who claims he knows of magic that can grant eternal life. In Collegium, meanwhile, Stenwold is still trying to persuade the city magnates to take seriously the Wasp Empire's imminent threat to their survival. In a colourful drama involving mass warfare and personal combat, a small group of heroes must stand up against what seems like an unstoppable force. 

Driven by the ghosts of the Darakyon, Achaeos has tracked the stolen Shadow Box to the marsh-town of Jerez, but he has only days before the magical box is lost to him forever. Meanwhile, the forces of the Empire are mustering over winter for their great offensive, gathering their soldiers and perfecting their new weapons. Stenwold and his followers have only a short time to gather what allies they can before the Wasp armies march again, conquering everything in their path. If they cannot throw back the Wasps this spring then the imperial black-and-gold flag will fly over every city in the Lowlands before the year’s end. In Jerez begins a fierce struggle over the Shadow Box, as lake creatures, secret police and renegade magicians compete to take possession. If it falls into the hands of the Wasp Emperor, however, then no amount of fighting will suffice to save the world from his relentless ambition.

All is in turmoil as the world moves towards war. In Solarno, the spies watch each other and ready their knives, while Myna sees the troops muster at its border and emotions run high as it vows never to be enslaved again. In Collegium, the students argue politics, too late to turn the tide. In the heart of the Empire, new pilots have completed their secretive training, generals are being recalled to service and armies are ready to march. Their Empress, the heir to two worlds, intends to claim her birthright. And nothing -- either within the Empire or beyond it -- will stand in her way. A conflict is coming, the like of which the insect-kinden have never seen.

The city states of the Lowlands have lived in peace for decades, bastions of civilization, prosperity and sophistication, protected by treaties, trade and a belief in the reasonable nature of their neighbours. But meanwhile, in far-off corners, the Wasp Empire has been devouring city after city with its highly trained armies, its machines, its killing Art...And now its hunger for conquest and war has become insatiable. Only the ageing Stenwold 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 becoming the Empire's latest victim.

Expertly arranged Vocal Score by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky from the Kalmus Edition series. This Opera Score is from the Romantic era.