4.5 Stars - Original, insightful and twisty

(Mild spoilers ahead)

Ogres is another novella by Adrian Tchaikowsky who seems to be able to produce books at an awe-inspiring rate. The last of his novellas I read was "One day all this will be yours" and this one is very different but with the same dry wit and insightful writing I have come to expect from him.

Our story follows Torquell, the local "prince" in a world that sounds like it comes straight out of a quaint fairytale. He lives a peaceful life and the only trouble he has is the one he gets himself into, roaming the woods and living the life. But then we hear about the "Masters" or "Ogres" as people call them. They look like humans but are much larger and visit their villages to take what is theirs: taxes, resources, girls - it sounds like a classic medieval setup of a feudal system with the according power dynamics, no? But then we find out that the Ogres actually drive cars, have modern weapons and are the only ones who are able to digest meat or even touch dead animals.

Torquell, who has a bit of a short temper, gets into trouble again, but this time with the Master's son. He has to flee his very small world and only then we learn bit by bit just what it is that is going on with the world. And we realize that this is not a Fantasy novella after all but rather some sort of dystopian Sci-Fi.

The pacing here is absolutely brilliant. Since the story is told from Torquell's perspective we start out just as igonrant as he is and follow him along his journey to understanding a world so vastly different from what he considered normal that it is absolutely mind-blowing. We watch him grow more mature and responsible with this knowledge, which felt very true to me.
This journey is also the perfect backdrop to ask some very pertinent questions about the current state of our society and the pickle we have gotten ourselves into, the nature of power and the future of mankind. Who will pay the price for the mistakes that those in power have made?

There was one thing that annoyed me though - time and again it is being implied that humans need animal protein to be strong and virile, and pure vegetarianism is being connected to weakness on a physical but also personality level. Really?! I was rather disappointed that Tchaikowsky would go with a "real men/women need meat" narrative.

But other than that this was a smart and entertaining read that should appeal to just about everyone who enjoys speculative fiction.

4.5
Another masterpiece by Adrian Tchaikovsky. This is the second novella I've read by him and I was once again blown away by how much he can pack into a short novel! This was not what I was expecting at all. The blend of fantasy and sci-fi was immaculate. The same theme as Elder Race occurs in this one with a different setting... the thin line between the truth you were taught and "the truth". It touches on social, economical and environmental issues and genetic manipulation. So much happens in this little book with so many twists that keeps you gripped all the way!
Knocked half a star off for the second person narration. It was hard to get into at first but well worth the effort.
Thank you Rebellion/Solaris and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Part Pierre Boulle, part revolutionary dystopian tale, Adrian Tchaikovsky's new entry in his Terrible World's trio of short fiction tells the tale of Torquell.

Torquell is a rogueish teen who lives in a pastoral village which is governed by the tyrannical Sir Peter Grimes and his equally cruel son, Gerald.

It soon becomes apparent that things are not as they seem. We learn that the world that is ruled by the 1% (not much difference there I hear you say) except that in this world the ruling class are bone crunching, carnivorous Ogres and the underclass are vegetarian serfs whose only function is to be the play things of their masters.

Torquell's destiny is irrevocably altered when he strikes the Lord's son after he is teased and taunted by the vicious Gerald. The repercussions from his actions lead to a tragic conclusion which results in Torquell becoming a hunted fugitive, and a social oddity.

He is subsequently procured by the socially precocious Lady Isadora, who indoctrinates him into her staff retinue. Whilst there, he is guided by Lady Isadora to begin his education of the world around him and the reasons behind the social structure that has emerged, and question its legitimacy as she similarly questions as she fights the male dominated world of the Ogres.

Now whilst the reader may be expecting a cozy fantasy, especially as it has well known Tolkienesque creatures in the title, Ogres is in fact a biting social commentary. It raises questions about class and social behaviour, the use of atomated weaponry in war, and also what makes a figurehead.

The narrative itself is written in the second person which brings a kind of mythic detachment to the story, whilst also engaging the reader to experience the events that Torquell has throughout the story. Some readers may find this style of writing off putting, but due to Adrian Tchaikovsky's storytelling skill, it does actually become quite beguiling. In some ways it can be quite clinical as you never actually empathise with the characters. However, determining the labyrinthine puzzles at the heart of the plot strangely moved the story along as both the reader and the main character fathom the events that have lead to the current structures of the world Torquell inhabits.

Ogres is a twisty conundrum of a book that is at once strangely immersive, yet leaves you feeling clinically detached and is Tchaikovsky at his experimental best!

Ogres rule the world. They are bigger and better than you humans, and God even designed them to rule over you.

Ogres is a standalone novella from Adrian Tchaikovsky following Torquell, a rebellious son of a local headman. His father reports to the landlord and Master, an ogre. We follow Torquell as he struggles to find his position in this world after raising a hand against his betters.

The first thing I noticed in picking up ogres was the use of second person. It is written as though we are Torquell and our life story is being told to us. This is a very underused style in speculative fiction and it gave Ogres a highly distinctive feel and tone. As always Tchaikovsky has brilliant if somewhat efficient prose, and I think he made use of the second person perspective very well. It felt very visceral to me, and immersed me deeply considering the small word count.

Overall, the plot, themes, worldbuilding, enticing tone and prose made this an absolute hit. I couldn't have found a better way to spend a few hours in an evening. This is definitely the best novella I have read from Tchaikovsky so far, easily outstripping Ironclads and Firewalkers.

Would highly recommend. 5 stars.

A little longer than novella length, a very well-constructed and paced book with twists and 'reveals' throughout as the story unfolds. A (slightly) rebellious prince of the land begins having problems with the landlords and rulers, in a world where ogres rule and take tribute from regional farmed settlements. I had suspicions from the start that all was not what it seemed, and (no spoilers!) that is the case as the nature of the world is gradually revealed. Highly recommended!

Book of the month for me for February 2022--5 Stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This novella is told in 2nd person and I was very unsure how I was going to react to this. This decision to do this was brilliant. It made me connect so much with the story and the emotions. It felt like I was living this story.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing for the eARC of this incredible title!!**

4.5 stars!

This book was an absolute rollercoaster!! I have always heard great thinks about Tchaikovsky and recently read my first novella from him so I was super excited to be approved for this ARC.

The book follows Torquell, a human that lives in a village controlled by ogres….. like every other village in the world. Ogres are superior to man in every way and control everything that there is to control.

What starts out as a fairy-tale sounding land, quickly tumbles a little too close to reality for comfort. There were some insane twists that I did not see coming, and it’s the first time in a while that I yelled out loud at an ending to a book….

My only gripe about this book, and the reason for the loss of half a star, is that it is written in first person. I just couldn’t get into a good rhythm while reading it, and even though it was only 150 pages and I was hooked on the story, it felt like an effort.

I will definitely be recommending this to anyone that will listen for some time. Ogres is for you if you like science fiction, alternate histories, rebellious main characters, and thrillers.

Ogres are bigger than humans. They are stronger. Ogres rule the world, and humans stay in their place. But life in the village is good, provided they meet their landlord’s demands. Good, that is, until Torquell strikes his Ogre landlord’s son. Fleeing his home, Torquell unwittingly sets off on a journey to uncover the dark secrets at the heart of the Ogres rule and maybe change the world.
Part dystopian future, part sci-fi, Ogres is a masterclass in storytelling. Using the second-person narrative, we follow the misadventures of Torquell as he moves from idyllic village life to high-tech city life. Put like that, it seems like an extreme genre swing, yet as the story unfolds, each progression forward in narrative and technology makes sense. At no point was I overawed or confused by the leaps. This is Tchaikovsky at his best; the genre rules fit his story and not the other way around.
Ogres explores the theme of the Haves vs the Have Nots, a topic continually in our news. The Ogres have everything; land, education, science, meat, and humans are separated into land workers, factory workers, and even soldiers so the ogres can play at war. Kept downtrodden and in fear of their masters, the humans never rise up, although they are more numerous. All fight has been removed from them.
Tchaikovsky makes a case for education as a great leveller. Torquell bumbles from mistake to mistake until he is taken in by Ogress, Isadora, a scientist who collects humans with a keen mind. Under the supervision of Minith, Isadora’s human servant, Torquell learns to read and study human history from before the arrival of the Ogres in the land. I won’t go into too much detail because that would ruin the experience for you, but Torquell’s discoveries push him to rise up against the Ogres hoping for a better future.
Normally, I am not a fan of second-person present tense as a narrative style, but it works here, especially when you understand who is talking. That revelation made me go back over certain sections to see where the mysterious speaker gave details of Torquell’s life versus guessing his thoughts and feelings, where dialogue is used and where it isn’t. Ogres is so cleverly written that the clues are there all along. But, like a magician, Tchaikovsky encourages us to see what he wants rather than what is right in front of us.
At a time in our lives when the wealthy act as if they are above the law, and we’re bombarded with warnings about eating less meat to reduce global warming, Ogres acts as a warning against being told what to do and submitting our bodies to the extremes of science without question.

I really loved the blurb.and thought this book would be in.yo start off the pace was really slow. But it picked up and got to I couldn't stop reading till the end. Well written and unique. Will try look for other books from the author

Adrian Tchaikovsky does it again! Powerful, deep questions delivered in a bite-sized story.

Tchaikovsky's Ogres is the story of Torquell, our protagonist and headman's son, in a feudal economic world ruled by ogres. This is the natural order where humans are servents and ogres are the masters of the world, property, and the people themselves. Nobody dares defy an ogre. But when Torquil raises his hand against an ogre, all hell breaks loose. The story follows Torquill's journey in the world of ogres and the reality behind it. Anything more would spoil the fun.

It was an interesting book to read. The second person narration was off-putting in the first 2-3 chapters but it grows on you. Everything happens not to Torquell but to 'You' . We start to learn about the world layer by layer, about the power imbalance, and the place of humans in a society of ogres.

Like his other books, Tchaikovsky's contempt for humanity's grand plans for saving the species forever is on full display here. <spoiler> Ogres's is not a world of fantasy or alien invasion. This is a world where some elite thought to manage the 'human crisis'. It is the world of gene editing, selected elites, population crisis, and more importantly twisted human nature </spoiler>. His sociopolitical commentary is brutal and on-point. Concise story-telling at its finest.

Recommended read!

Thanks Solaris/Rebellion Books and Net Galley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Let me save you time - get this book and make sure you have some time because it is unputdownable.

From the king of quick hitting stories comes "Ogres." I have read a number of Mr. Tchaikovsky's novellas and while they are all very good - I think this one is his best.

Told from a second person's point of view this story starts out at over 100 mph (or 160.934 kph) and just does not let up. Great snark and nasty politics - just good stuff.

Ogres is a dark allegory for what faces us in a modern world of climate change and late stage capitalism.

Told from a second person perspective (which I love), the subject being a village headman's son, Torquell. Torquell is a bit restless for a villager, much less subdued than others, associates with outlaws and whatnot. Village life is simple and seemingly content, except for the periodic visits from the Ogres who sweep through demanding a large portion of the village goods and produce, being wined & dined, all for being bigger and stronger than the villagers, as well having magic. Because Torquell doesn't seem to accept submission being his lot in life, one day his attempt to stand up for himself completely changes things forever.

This is an incredibly challenging read, it's bleak and gruesome. At the simplest level this is a thinly veiled slavery narrative. The Ogres of course don’t know themselves as Ogres, but Masters and landlords, viewing the villagers as something less, to be exploited and used. Many elements align with real world history, ranging from the way religion is deeply entangled with oppression to medical experimentation. There are elements of being elevated from Torquell's life in the village, but in a way that compels him to do terrible things for the will of the Masters, still viewed as subhuman. Beyond the historical connections, there are also thoughts of the future, what could gene editing mean for mankind in the coming age.

Tchaikovsky here, as often, does a good job of obscuring worldbuilding in a way that initially appears one way, then slowly reveals it is entirely different from those preconceptions. However, I thought for the most part it was a bit obvious the direction it was going. The real impact of this was with the more grounded ways it engaged the topic, the human past and future regarding slavery and workers rights, more so than that speculative about the technological futures. I would say this frames a quite scathing view of capitalism, <spoiler>with the masters quite literally eating their own kind who they've exploited</spoiler>, and looks at the power of resistance. I think this would be a great book club/buddy read, fairly short with a lot of thought provoking elements to discuss.

I don't even like second-person narratives, its why I have put off reading The Fifth Season for a few years, but of course Adrian Tchaikovsky somehow makes it work. I think this book took about a dozen left turns so that in the middle and near the end I had no clue how the story was going to wrap up.

Ogres was so good that I read it in one sitting but I could read more stories that are set hundreds of years in our future if a sequel is ever released. I think this author has become a favorite of mine because all of Adrian Tchaikovsky works are so creative and any author that can make me appreciate second person perspective is truly one of the greats.

Adrian Tchaikovsky has yet to disappoint after his amazing latest novella, Ogres. Narrated in the second person, it discusses various ideas and themes well balanced with its initially straightforward plot and characters that then unexpectedly diverges into something fascinating. How he can think up these concepts and stories and still put out well-written books at a consistently rapid rate is beyond me.

The set-up is fairly familiar, reminiscent of a classical fantasy beginning. Torquell is the son of the village head, a rebellious teenager with roguish charm, tentative friends with the outcasts in the forest led by Robin. When the region’s Ogre overseer Peter arrives with his son to collect taxes, an incident with Torquell kicks off what seems to be his hero’s journey. Partway through, however, the story takes some interesting turns and really delves into what it wants to explore. It touches on many themes, prominent among them being slavery and servitude, the perils of excessive ambition and greed, the many facets of institution and rebellion, and at its core, what drives people to be who they are. Given the book’s short length, it mused on each for the appropriate amount of time and wove them together wonderfully as the story progressed. It is very well paced; enough time is spent with each plot beat such that they don’t overstay their welcome while also giving each aspect its proper time to breathe: before the inciting event, the flight from Theo, Lady Isadora’s service, and the rebellion.

I loved the second-person narration, it lent itself well to the story direction and the eventual twists at the end. It allowed for pithy meta-commentary on the nature of heroes and tales and relevant events in general, which definitely added to the experience and injected the novella with a distinct narrative personality. The characters were solid. They served their purposes well with what they represented and were decently faceted enough to not feel sparse. Lady Isadora, for example, being an Ogre in a very interesting social position, between her seeming sympathies and her actual institutional entrenchment in the society that privileges her. The worldbuilding was excellent as well, one of the more fascinating aspects as we got deeper into the story. While not of excessive depth, the world was sketched in a way to make it feel real, having enough detail and later revelations that provided an initial sense of mysterious familiarity and made everything seem sensical. Tchaikovsky does this wonderful thing of seamlessly blending science fiction and fantasy to create his worlds and explore concepts, something that was much more the focus in his other novella, Elder Race.

The ending was unexpected, but fitting and fantastic. Revelations about the constructed society and the narrative twists at the end really nailed the themes and their nuances and wrapped up the story itself quite memorably. It also added context to the necessity of the second-person perspective, which I was a fan of. I would say that Ogres was a consistently engaging and fun read that ranks among my favourite novellas alongside Elder Race, The Emperor’s Soul, and The Wilful Princess and the Piebald Prince, though I’ve not read very many as of yet.

This is a cautionary tale about what could be. About what we as a species may be in for. And about standing up for yourself against oppression.

I don't want to say much more as that would really start to spoil the short read of what it reveals throughout its tale. But if you like stories of subordinates standing up to their masters this book is something you should be excited for.

Ogres is a short sharp novella from the prolific Tchaikovsky, and I have come to think of his short books like appetisers, spaces where he can work an idea that doesn't lend itself to one of his doorsteps or multipart fictions. Usually there's a concept or a setting he has knocking around that he gives a run around too - the time travel romance or an aspect of climate change. Ogres is a little odd on that front therefore, and it isn't so much a bold new idea (though he plays with the expectations of some of his ideas), rather it feels like a sketch of a much bigger piece of work that he realised he didn't want to go into too much detail on, or perhaps more likely, he knew he couldn't hang his ending on. The longer a story is, the less likely it is that you will get a twist at the end - its the nature of characterisation and reader investment. This hasn't got much of a twist, but it has got one which latterly explains why I thought the main character felt surprisingly flimsy for Tchaikovsky.

We start in a word where ordinary people are the serfs of the Ogres, the land-owning class who - like Ogres are bigger, stronger and as despotic as a landlord class usually is. Our hero, Torquell is the son of the local overseer, the human who collects the taxes for the property, and the surrounding villages. A little bit of an arrogant knob he strikes out against the landlords son, even more of an arrogant knob, and has to escape.As the story unfolds we discover why people are shocked that a human could even hurt an Ogre, and Torquell goes on a journey of discovery and then revolution. And its not as if there aren't some interesting ideas thrown in here, and the final shape (and cynicism) of revolution is very much a part with the political underpinnings of his other books. But it all rushes by so fast, as if Tchaikovsky knows you've read this type of thing before, or you can fill in the blanks because actually he doesn't really want to spend that much time in Torquell's head because it might tip the wink of the ending but also, he's a bit of a knob.

I enjoyed Ogres in the one sitting I read it in, whilst being pretty sure it is more of an exercise than anything. It reminded me a little of Animal Farm, or even some Plato, where via some quite generic storytelling he can tease out a few philosophical ideas which sit in the left wing libertarian zone (there is a central consent conversation here that feels analogous if very different to vaccine arguments). And the biggest surprise to me was that there was never really an explanation for the title, or indeed the top hat on the cover, except perhaps as a minor misdirect in the early chapters to make you think of a Victoriana, or proto-steampunk setting. Minot Tchaikovsky, but fun.

Año nuevo, mismo objetivo que los últimos: intentar mantenerme al día con todo lo que Adrian Tchaikovsky va publicando durante el año. Este año comienza casi como los últimos cuatro, con una novela corta que se publica en estas fechas en la editorial Rebellion de Reino Unido. Si no me equivoco, esta es la quinta de una serie de obras de una duración mas contenida donde el autor británico revisa algunos de los tópicos de la ciencia ficción para darles una vuelta de tuerca a veces bélica, otras cómica, pero con gran originalidad en la mayoría de las ocasiones.

Como referencia, la ultima novela corta de esta serie (todas ellas historias independientes) fue One day all this will be yours, publicada en catalán por Chronos como Un dia tot això serà teu pero aun inédita en castellano. Editoriales, por favor, echad un ojo a esta divertidísima visión de los viajes en el tiempo. Una maravilla a la que no pude evitar darle cinco estrellas como cinco soles.

Estamos hablando de ciencia ficción, pero esta novela se llama Ogres (Ogros, en castellano). ¿Qué está pasando aquí? Lo que esta pasando es que Tchaikovsky sigue en su intención de mezclar dos géneros tan unidos y, a veces, indistinguibles, como son la fantasía y la ciencia ficción. Ya lo hizo con su reciente Elder Race, publicada a finales de 2021, donde una trama aparentemente fantástica termina derivando en una historia de ciencia ficción de la que no puedo dar mas detalles para no romper la magia de la lectura. Lo cual me lleva a la pregunta de ¿volveremos a ver a Tchaikovsky escribiendo una novela de fantasía como la de los inicios de su carrera próximamente?

Ogres nos cuenta la historia de Torquell, el hijo de la persona que lideró un tiempo atrás el pueblo en el que viven. Sir Peter Grimes es el dueño de este terreno y aparece cada cierto tiempo a cobrarse una especie de diezmo. Grimes es un ogro de gran tamaño que se acompaña de, entre otros, su hijo aprendiz de terrateniente. A pesar de la docilidad de Torquell, una de estas visitas termina en una pelea entre él y Gerald, el hijo de Grimes. Las consecuencias de esta pelea hacen que Torquell tenga que abandonar el asentamiento para siempre.

Como venía avisando en la reseña, esta no es la novela que esperabas al comenzar la lectura. Si bien la sinopsis que os resumido con mis propias palabras parece proponer una historia de fantasía o incluso un camino del héroe clásico, a mitad de lectura cambia totalmente de tercio. La ciencia ficción y, en especial, lo distópico, entra en juego para darle un punto de vista muy distinto a lo que habíamos leído hasta ese momento. Incluso temas como el cambio climático, que ya apareció en una de las novelas cortas de esta colección anteriormente (Firewalkers) vuelve a aparecer con un giro inesperado que hacen de Ogres una lectura cuanto menos sugerente.

Otro punto característico de esta novela es que la novela se cuenta en segunda persona. Algo que siempre resulta un riesgo y su ejecución no siempre un éxito. En este sentido, la lectura de Ogres no se ve especialmente condicionada por este factor hasta que al final todo cobra cierto sentido. No recuerdo haber leído ninguna obra de Tchaikovsky escrita en segunda persona hasta ahora, pero en cualquier caso el resultado es notable.

Ogres es, nuevamente, una nueva vuelta de tuerca a algunos de los temas mas conocidos de la ciencia ficción. Si bien en anteriores novelas del autor solo con la sinopsis podías intuir cuál era el que iba a retorcer, en este caso la sorpresa llega mediada la lectura. En apenas doscientas páginas, Tchaikovsky propone un relato en segunda persona donde casi nada de lo que creías estar leyendo era lo que estaba pasando en realidad.

Another enthralling novella from this author that is full of surprises and a look at humanity that is quite uncomfortable. Not quite dystopian, nor sci for or even fantasy but a story that bridges many genres to bring a tale that had me desperately turning the pages seeking answers.
I thoroughly got behind the protagonist who struggled to go from much indulged farm boy to something much bigger, a hero ! Yes this young man did indeed grow as a character and his journey actually resonates with world I view today which is quite a scary thought !
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

Ogres by Adrian Tchaikovsky, a well thought out book that makes you think you know whats going on but leaves you knowing that you really didnt know.

If I'd known beforehand that this story have been wrote using the second-person narration, I may have hesitated before reading it, even liking the author as I do like Adrian Tchaikovsky's books.
All my precedent experiences have been hopeless: this narrative technique is, in my point of view, nearly impossible to manage without making the reader voyeuristic, inconfortable, assaulted - and consequently isn't likely to make for a good read.
In the end, I'm really happy that I wasn't prejudiced, being in the dark, as I loved this short story, in which I manage to immerse easily, effortlessly.
Here, the narrative technique induce the reader to wonder about what could have happened between the beginning of the story and the end. And if one big mystery is quite easy to guess, and enjoyably so, the final twist managed to surprise me.
A very entertaining story which deals with quite a lot of important actual topics!