Another trilogy conclusion, and I was nervously excited to embark on it given that I loved the first book but wasn’t very impressed by the second. I trust Adrian Tchaikovsky though, and was willing to give the series a second chance to see whether the grand finale made up for its middle book. I will tell you upfront that it certainly did! What gripped me the most in Shards of Earth was the cast of characters and the slow but steady reveal of what the Architects are capable and that they are not the ones choosing to attack and destroy planets. I was dying to know what greater force could be behind something that is already the size of a moon, and was hoping for more answers from Eyes of the Void. The fact that any other discoveries were skirted around in that book was the main source of my frustration, but I also struggled with the way the main crew of the scavenger ship Vulture God were split up. Having now read Lords of Uncreation I can see how a lot of what was done in book two was necessary, but I still think it suffered a bit too much from middle-book syndrome.

But anyway, onwards to what I actually thought of this conclusion! After uncovering the plot of a Nativist group to save only a select few of “pure” humans from Architect attacks to build a new civilisation on arc-ships, a coalition of humans, Partheni, Essiel, and Hivers was formed to repurpose these ships for general rescue and to find a way to attack the Architects on their own turf. The only problem is that their turf happens to be Unspace, the place between things where nothing actually exists while it is there. The only hope they have is to use the only functioning bit of Originator technology ever discovered to bring a bubble of the real into Unspace and destroy their enemy.

Idris Telemmier, one of the last surviving Ints from the first war with the Architects, is a key to this endeavour, but he has his own plans. His modified brain allows him to reach out and touch the mind of an Architect, and he knows that what they do to the planets they destroy is forced upon them, that they are simply slaves to some greater master. Since no one else seems to think it worth trying to find these masters, Idris is scouring Unspace for them in secret. But though this complex research is being supported by factions of multiple species and would benefit the entire universe, there are still those who will see it all burn to regain power and control of the generation ships and research station. As frustrating as it was, it’s depressingly realistic to see politicians and oligarchs causing conflict and sacrificing the majority just for the sake of keeping their status.

The tension that came from the political side of things was an interesting contrast to the tensions within the small team trying to kill the Architects, and upped the stakes because Idris and his fellow Ints are suddenly racing not only against these destructive beings, but also fleeing those who would try to sabotage them. And it showed the ways in which life and conflict carries on even outside the bubble of those trying to save the world, which isn’t always something I see in these kinds of stories. The other thing I absolutely loved was the way Tchaikovsky kept upping the stakes, cracking open the very nature of the universe, and the ending wouldn’t leave me for days after I’d finished it. I am a big fan of existential sci-fi stories and this was done very well.

It’s hard to talk about too much else without spoiling the twists and turns of the plot, but I will say that the great universal-truth reveals that we get in Lords of Uncreation were incredibly satisfying and what I have been waiting for since reading Shards of Earth two years ago, and that I really enjoyed the development of the characters, especially Idris, Olli, and Havaer. Idris has been alive for about a century, never ageing or sleeping, and though that made being in his point of view very depressing at times, I loved seeing him in the Unspace sequences where the strength of his mind could take control and he didn’t have to deal with his physicality or his emotions. Olli, the disabled machine specialist and captain of the Vulture God, is the character that grew on me the most throughout the series, and the way her story ends up entwined with the mysterious Essiel was a really cool element that brought in extra world-building and upped the tension. And Havaer has interested me from the start, because he gives an insight into the nature of the ever-shifting politics and I enjoyed his calm presence and his heroics.

Though the story has ended with Lords of Uncreation I could see the author doing other stories within the same universe, because there is so much left to discover, and I would definitely read a spin-off about Olli and her Essiel escapades, because I want to know more about these weird clam-aliens and what they actually think of the world. But overall I enjoyed the way everything was wrapped up, and I recommend the entire Final Architecture series for anyone looking for some epic space opera.

An amazing ending to a fantastic series! I was hooked from the first pages of book 1, Shards of the Earth - the characters immediately feel like old friends, and you are pulled into the story from the start. Having read, and loved, the first two books, I hoped that this one wouldn't disappoint.

And it didn't! Everything is wrapped up with tense, emotional, non-stop action and the story comes to a satisfying conclusion. And even though it was a long book, I wish it had been longer! Highly recommend.

I’ve read the whole trilogy over the last few weeks and so am completely immersed in the universe that Tchaikovsky has created here. As a series it perhaps has less philosophical ideas than the Children of Time series, but it has immense scope and effortlessly rolls in some big questions about what it means to be a human (or indeed another species), the responsibilities for and of refugees, genetic manipulation etc.

I say effortlessly as it wraps it all up in a huge space opera of politics, fighting and travelling through the ‘unreal’. The characters are fully formed, their continued development is convincing, and the end state of each of them by the novel’s close is both narratively coherent and doesn’t feel ‘forced’ for a neat conclusion.

Brilliant end chapter of an engrossing trilogy.

Bonus points for including a “story so far” section at the start of the book - not unhelpful when there’s so much going on.

I've had the ARC of this from Netgalley for a while, but kept not getting around to it for one reason or another, and while half of that was having only just read other Tchaikovsky ARCs, because have I ever mentioned that he has a ridiculous rate of productivity, I think part of it was worry. After all, it's not that long since he released another third volume in a science fiction series where I loved the first two – but Children Of Memory was a dreary disappointment, so would the same go for Lords Of Uncreation? Well, the short answer, thank heavens, is an emphatic no, though it certainly has some of the same bleakness; as the book opens, humanity is working together against the monstrous, planet-destroying Architects, and it finally seems like they might actually be getting somewhere with fighting back. Except, of course, that humans are humans, so before long significant elements have gone from bridling to outright insurrection, because no situation is so dire that some dickheads won't see it as primarily a chance to get one over on the other guy and cement the primacy they're so certain they deserve. The similarities to our own age of bickering while the world burns being entirely non-coincidental, of course, especially when it comes to the most loathsome of the POV characters, the old money bastard holding his nose as he finds common cause with boot-boys in order to further his vision of a humanity purged of the undesirable bits. And that human focus is one of the things which sets this trilogy apart from the Children books. There, large chunks were told from the perspective of spiders, octopuses, or things more alien still. Here, every character who gets their own chapters is human – admittedly with the proviso that this is a future where that term covers an even more diverse species than now. There are aliens, ones who are fully rounded characters, but from the wry, skittering crewmate Kit through the enigmatic Ash to the awe-inspiring Aklu, we never get inside any of their heads, any more than the humans who encounter them can, and even as one of the leads, Idris, is doing his utmost to use his remarkable abilities and the ancient technology located in the previous volume to make contact with something far, far stranger. At every level, though, the difficulty of translation, of fully getting a concept across when underlying frameworks differ, remains a constant concern. To the extent that I found myself wondering, despite this being a long-standing philosophical quandary, whether a confusing conversation with a fan who'd read one of Tchaikovsky's books in translation might have been one ingredient in the genesis of this series.

And yet despite the book's structure imposing that barrier, the attempt to cross it is key. Idris sympathises with the Architects because he knows that, terrifying as they are to humanity and other species on an approximately human scale, and for all the destruction they wreak, they are being used as a tool by something else, just as people want to use him and his Intermediary powers as a tool. Meanwhile, with clear nods both to Pratchett's definition of evil and to examples of it in our own benighted era, there's a running theme of how those who have been in the habit of seeing other people as property will often retain that mindset no matter how much laws or what's acceptable to say in public have changed in the meantime. But there's also an awareness of how supposed sworn enemies can often find common ground in their very hatred of each other, to the disadvantage of anyone who just wanted to get on with their life, and of how purity tests can lock in groupthink. It's grim, chilling stuff – though unlike Children Of Memory, never merely miserable, let alone dull; more than once I'd click out of the Kindle app because I needed a break, only to go right back in because I needed to find out what happened next. By the end, I'd laughed and cried, though not quite as much as I'd done sharp intakes of breath; when the character who has seemed to know most about what's going on says "It is time to end this", and there was still more than a third of a fairly hefty book to go, my first assumption was that some fake-out or subsidiary battle was coming, but no, it's just a very big endgame, in all senses; exhausting, but not in a bad way, at least for the reader. There are twists and turns, of course there are, but it's noticeable how almost all of the big revelations here creep up on you, as on the characters, rather than being 'ta-da!' moments. Similarly, the little nods and steals from elsewhere feel earned and bedded in, whether that be the Brexit/MAGA overtones of the villains (which feel so much less crowbarred here than in Doors Of Eden) or the heartbreaking new riff on that old mainstay of SF grief, the "tears in rain" speech. It's not flawless: a friend recently read the second volume, and after his note about a tendency to repetition I did register a couple of instances here, most obviously that at least three ruddy great lethal alien things, from at least two totally different biospheres, get compared to big enthusiastic dogs (and one other creature to an incontinent dog). That's the littlest bit of grit in the machine, though; more often we get arresting images such as the robotic limbs "all spread out like a cheering crowd at a praying mantis convention", or the wry/despairing and deeply relatable line "Attempts at damage diagnostics are being hampered by damage to the damage diagnostic systems." And at the heart of it all, the people, the ill-assorted, damaged oddballs who are humanity's only hope, not least the one who is almost certainly the galaxy's best bet, despite the fact that "Outside unspace, Idris sometimes seemed to be the most useless man Havaer had ever met." Set against them, various flavours of monster high on the lethal celebration of purity, efficiency, supposed big-picture thinking which always turns out so very pinched and mean: "It was something he'd seen plenty of times in his job, the way that kind of mindset worked, spiralling inwards into itself. Until at some point, the necessity of doing bad things for a good cause became, by the inexorable ratchet of cognitive dissonance, the insistence that doing things the bad way was a virtue in itself. Because otherwise how could one justify all the bad things already done?"

With this third and final book in the Final Architecture trilogy, Adrian Tchaikovsky answers so many of the questions posed in the first two books, rising to a climatic sequence full of everything you could ever want from a Space Opera. Potential spoilers for the first two books to come

Being the third book in the trilogy, I’m not sure if I want to get into too much plot detail, considering you probably know what to expect if you’ve already read the first two. Suffice to say the book opens with Idris et al working for the Cartel, a loosely affiliated group of scientists, spooks and factions attempting to use the Eye (a modified Originator site that Idris wrenched into space in the last book) to locate and potentially destroy the Architects. Idris knows however that the Architects are only slaves to the real threat, and is determined to find their masters and convince them to stop their genocidal actions. Of course, the new status quo gets shaken up pretty quickly, and this is the source of my only complaint – I found the events of some of the first half of the book to be somewhat of a distraction from the true story, even if it did build on themes and set up some truly great developments.

A good chunk of our protagonists get some solid development in this book, and the dialogue is truly excellent. Kittering went from an amusing side character to one of my favourites, practically stealing the show whenever he gets page time with some cutting lines. I found Olli’s paranoia frustrating this time, but I love where her storyline takes her. Havaer and Kris are excellent as always, and Solace gets some decent development too. And Idris is still Idris, in all his broken glory.

The pacing as usual is top notch – Tchaikovsky doesn’t let the story settle for too long before ramping things up again, and this time the entire last third of the book just builds and builds, as the peril and stakes get higher and higher. It’s something I admire about some action heavy books, how they can create a climax that lasts so long but never gets stale. And the ending really lands, with an epilogue that brought a couple of tears to my eyes.

As I said before, all the questions that I had about the Architects, the Originators and the enemy behind the Architects are answered. I don’t think theorycrafters will necessarily be surprised by most of them, but for me the answers are never quite as important as how those answers resonate with the characters journeys, and in this case it all fits together immensely well.

Some people say journey before destination, but I love a good ending – it makes you reflect better on the series as a whole. In this case, Lords of Uncreation is a near perfect ending to the Final Architecture trilogy, let down only a little by the first half.

Rating: 9.5/10

Tchaikovsky's work is consistently excellent and this was no exception. It crowns the Final Architecture series which is one of the greatest sci-fi space operas I’ve ever read. I won’t detail the plot since this is the third book but it gave me everything I wanted from a concluding volume. Fantastic. I have such a book hangover now.

This is the third and final book in the series and in my opinion cannot be read as a standalone - the worldbuilding is complex , the characters diverse and the action all consuming

Idris , Solace and the crew of the Vulture God are once more fighting against the Architects but there is a new foe , a higher intelligence -The Originators
Idris tries to tell whoever will listen that the Architects are not the ultimate power but just the tools of the higher intelligence - but the Cartel and other Alien powers within the galaxy have only self interest at heart and are determined to use the weapon that Idris discovered to their own benefit
What follows is a satisfying conclusion to this fast paced space opera ......... but not necessarily the one you want !

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

First of all, if you haven't read the first two books go read them NOW!

This series has broken me! I have been too invested in these books. I am suffering from a book hangover. I can't stop thinking about Idris and the entire Vulture God space crew.

Mr Tchaikovsky created the perfect space saga for all readers out there. Whether you into hard core sci-fi or not, you will enjoy these books. It has the perfect blend or magnitude, space, awe, likeable characters and space action that a good space trilogy needs.

I mean the action sequences were literally out of this world! And the dialogues are amazing. You really know the characters by the end of it and you can't let them go! I love Idris and Ollie and Solace and Kris and Kit and all of them really. It felt like I was a part of their crew

Lords of Uncreation finishes the series with a beautiful, justifiable ending even if it does shatter your heart in a million pieces. This book flips expectations I had from some of the characters from the first two books. And it gave me a lot of unsuspected twists and turns. It gave me a beautiful ending that I had yearned for since book 1.

I still have so many questions, it's left me wanting for more. I want there to be a 4th book or maybe just a chapter! Please!

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this advanced copy.

Lord of Uncreation was a great finale for the Architect series. Idris and Solace journey's came to the end. Also the action scene was written perfectly.

With Lords of Uncreation, Tchaikovsky reaches the conclusion of his sprawling space opera, as Idris, Solace and the rest of the Vulture God crew are once more swept up in the fight against the Architects and an unexpected new foe. The action is unrelenting pretty much from the start, and more than makes up for the slight dip in quality of the trilogy’s middle child. A fantastic conclusion with all loose ends tied up neatly, but you’ll need to read the full trilogy for it to properly make sense.

I received an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Look, this is the third book in the series. You’re not reading this review if you’re curious to know what it’s about, you want to know if Tchaikovsky can stick the landing. And, boy, have I got good news for you.

Lords Of Uncreation triumphantly crowns one of the best space opera series of recent years. There are exciting action sequences, both cosmic and hand to hand (the set piece almost exactly halfway through the book is spectacular). The implacable, unknowable, hostile aliens from another dimension aren’t a disappointing damp squib (hello, The Expanse!). The characters we’ve come to know through the last two books all get their fair share of screen time, and their storylines mostly tie up satisfactorily. It’s a great conclusion to a great series, and some of the most fun I’ve had with SF in a good while.

This trilogy was a mixed bag for me. Didn't love book one, liked book two quite a bit and Lords of Uncreation had some really good stuff but some things I didn't like as well.

I'll give a more complete review closer to release date!