Review: THE SCENT OF TEARS by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Shadows of the Apt is one of the most creative and well crafted fictional universes I've had the pleasure of reading. The decalogy features some of the best fantasy print to every caress the page; full of interesting and dangerous landscapes brought to life by equally interesting and complex characters.

The Tales of the Apt books; short story collections set in the same universe are the cream on top of a very rich cake.

The fourth installment (and hopefully not the last) sees a bunch of authors given licence to delve into the world of the varied kinden and breathe new life into some of the lesser-knowns from the series proper while also introducing new characters to the fold. 

Some of my personal favorite characters in Totho, Uctebri, and Dephos all make some form of an appearance throughout the collection of stories which serves as nice Easter eggs for longtime fans of the series. 

Whilst I generally enjoyed all the stories, particular highlights include; OLD BLOOD and THE GOD OF PROFOUND THINGS by Adrian Tchaikovsky, THE MESSAGE by John Gwynne, THE PROMISE OF A THREAT by David Tallerman, and THE MANTIS WAY by Peter NEWMAN. 

Be it Wasp, Sea, Mole, Beetle, Bee, Mosquito or Mantis kinden - there's a story for every Shadows of the Apt fan.