Elder Race

By Adrian Tchaikovsky,

Book cover of Elder Race

Book description

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…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked Elder Race as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Arthur C. Clarke said that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Well, take that idea and turn it into a novel. I could not stop reading.

The "wizard" in this low-tech world is a stranded anthropologist from an advanced race of humans who settled on this planet thousands of years before. When the local princess calls upon him to destroy a monster, they build a friendship that changes them both.

I so loved this setup and the way Tchaikovsky unfolded it. It's one of my favorite science fiction reads in a while.

I love Adrian Tchaikovski’s work—it feels real. He brings a tremendous level of research to many of his novels, married with a wicked creativity, and it makes his novels unique. Elder Race is a wizard story that made me laugh out loud as I finished it. Is this book science fiction or fantasy? Both, really, and he puts both together in a very nice way. If you want to try a quick read that marries science and magic in a novel, smile-inducing way, read Elder Race.

Unreachable Skies

By Karen McCreedy,

Book cover of Unreachable Skies

Karen McCreedy Author Of Unreachable Skies

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Science-fiction reader Film-goer Reader Traveller History nut

Karen's 3 favorite reads in 2024

What is my book about?

This book (and its sequels) are about overcoming the odds; about learning to improve the skills and abilities you have, rather than dwelling on what you can't do. Conflict, plague, and scheming politicians are all featured along the way–but none of the characters are human!

Unreachable Skies

By Karen McCreedy,

What is this book about?

When a plague kills half the Drax population, and leaves the hatchlings of the survivors with a terrible deformity – no wings – suspicion and prejudice follow. Continuously harassed by raids from their traditional enemies, the Koth, the Drax are looking for someone, or something, to blame.

Zarda, an apprentice Fate-seer, is new to her role and unsure of her own abilities; but the death of her teacher sees her summoned by the Drax Prime, Kalis, when his heir, Dru, emerges from his shell without wings.

A vision that Dru will one day defeat the Koth is enough to keep…


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