Category: reviews

From Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author Adrian Tchaikovsky comes a far-future epic that confirms his place as a modern master of science fiction, in which a political prisoner must unlock the secrets of a strange and dangerous planet.

The planet of Kiln is where the tyrannical Mandate keeps its prison colony, and for inmates, the journey there is always a one-way trip. One such prisoner is Professor Arton Daghdev, xeno-ecologist and political dissident. Soon after arrival, he discovers that Kiln has a secret. Humanity is not the first intelligent life to set foot there.

In the midst of a ravenous, chaotic ecosystem are the ruins of a civilization, but who were the vanished builders and where did they go? If he can survive both the harsh rule of the camp commandant and the alien horrors of the world around him, then Arton has a chance at making a discovery that might just transform not only Kiln, but distant Earth as well.

Adrian Tchaikovsky was born in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, and headed off to university in Reading to study psychology and zoology. For reasons unclear even to himself, he subsequently ended up in law. Adrian has since worked as a legal executive in both Reading and Leeds and now writes full time. He also lives in Leeds, with his wife and son. Adrian is a keen live role-player and occasional amateur actor. He has also trained in stage-fighting and keeps no exotic or dangerous pets of any kind—possibly excepting his son.

My thoughts: sent to an off world prison camp on a planet 30 years from Earth, Professor Arton Daghdev and his fellow prisoners work in the dangerous wildness of Kiln – a planet with similar atmospheric conditions to Earth but with very different lifeforms.

The prisoners are assisting in an attempt to understand the science, but as Kiln doesn’t fit into the Mandate’s orthodoxy, and the “builders” of Kiln don’t resemble humans in any way, shape or form.

After their flyer is destroyed and they are attacked by one of the creatures of Kiln, Arton and his team must make the dangerous trek back to the camp. But during the long walk they begin to understand the truth of Kiln and its life.

At first I struggled to get into this book, but once I began to understand what was going on in the camp and what Arton and the others were up against in the form of the commandant and his war on Kiln’s wildlife, and how its many organisms worked together, I really began to get into the story. Especially after the Excursions team find themselves fighting for survival on the planet’s surface.

I found it an interesting warning against orthodoxy, political oppression and believing that everything must be as it is here on Earth, rather than accepting that some things are beyond our understanding if we don’t open our minds.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own

They’re called the Lost Ships … but sometimes they come back.

And when they do the crews are missing, while the ships have been strangely altered, rumoured to be full of horrors.
Opal Imbiana has been seeking something her whole life. It’s a secret so precious she’s willing to risk her life recovering it from a recently discovered Lost Ship, in a lonely nebula far from colonised space.
She’s just one woman, entering an alien and lethal environment. But with the aid of an amazing AI companion and experimental armoured suit, Opal might just stand a chance.

This blast of a book kickstarted the much-loved Lost Solace series, about an unlikely friendship between two women who keep hope alive in the darkest of times.

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Karl Drinkwater is an author with a silly name and a thousand-mile stare. He writes dystopian space opera, dark suspense and diverse social fiction. If you want compelling stories and characters worth
caring about, then you’re in the right place. Welcome!

Karl lives in Scotland and owns two kilts. He has degrees in librarianship, literature and classics, but also studied astronomy and philosophy. Dolly the cat helps him finish books by sleeping on his lap so
he can’t leave the desk. When he isn’t writing he loves music, nature, games and vegan cake.
Go to karldrinkwater.uk to view all his books grouped by genre.
As well as crafting his own fictional worlds, Karl has supported other writers for years with his creative writing workshops, editorial services, articles on writing and publishing, and mentoring of
new authors. He’s also judged writing competitions such as the international Bram Stoker Awards, which act as a snapshot of quality contemporary fiction.

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Enter your email at karldrinkwater.substack.com to be notified about his new books. Fans mean a lot to him, and replies to the newsletter go straight to his inbox, where every email is read. There is also an option for paid subscribers to support his work: in exchange you receive additional posts and
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My thoughts: I am a big fan of this series and if you’ve been following me for a while now, you’ll know I’ve written about the whole series as well as reviewed several of the books. Karl is also very approachable and friendly, so do follow him online and subscribe to his Substack if you’re interested.

Lost Solace is the first book and introduces us to our protagonist Opal and her mission. She’s hunting for the mysterious Lost Ships, following rumours and every lead she can. She’s stolen the ship she’s in for that reason and the AI she names Clarissa is helping her to hunt down the ships. It’s a dangerous quest but she’s determined, somewhere out there is her little sister.

This book got me hooked and every sequel builds on Opal’s story and her quest, as well as the back story of the Lost Ships and the organisation hunting Opal.

It’s an absolutely cracking Sci-fi adventure, quest, detective series and you should definitely dive in. There’s also some lovely art work to enjoy too (see below).

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.