Adrian Tchaikovsky’s return to SF after the excellent Final Architecture series is a distinct change of scale and pace. It’s set entirely (well, 99.9%) on one planet instead of a vast cosmic canvas, but it also lacks that series’ pace and discipline. The story meanders and is just a little bit too baggy - it feels like a novella that has burst its banks. On the plus side, the world feels convincingly alien, the xenobiology that is the main focus of the book is never less than interesting and the chief villain has some sides to his character that lift him out of stock baddy territory. It’s a decent read on its own terms, but it’s definitely mid-tier Tchaikovsky that doesn’t reach the heights of Children Of Time or the Final Architecture.

Very fun, I love hard sci-fi and this was right up my alley. The worldbuilding was great and I loved the concept of the different planets, the story was very unique and managed to keep you interested throughout the novel. I wish there had been a little less philosophical musing and more actual plot, and I wanted more science and actual details on everything regarding the world. The story very much happened inside the mind of the main character, which was fine, but I would have liked it even more if it had been a little more action-packed. Still a good read if your into your hard sci-fi novels.

I read this in 3 days. Possibly one of my favourite books by this author, as he manages to push characters to their limit in a desperate, hard labour camp on a slightly habitable mining colony. Adrian always tinkers with hard sci-fi which often soars above my head but I always continue because he is an exceptional writer & I end up firmly back on the rails of comprehension. This book has a wintry, chilled feel & subtle imprints of The Gulag Archipelgo as the plot begins to elucidate on the characters ideological flaws & how they feel about each other once they stop dancing in the halls of academia & become part of the mining colonies hierarchy. It is a vicious book & a charmed one. Bloody loved it. Five stars. Thanks to NG & the Publisher.

Just wow!! This is the first of Adrian's books I've read although I have Shards of Earth and Children of Ruin on my TBR list. I'm blown away by Alien Clay. At first I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but the story drags you in and won't let go. The world building is fantastic. The whole tale is so well written that its totally believable even though you know its sci-fi ... or is it?! There are plenty of twists and turns. Just when you've got all your ducks in a row about where the story is going, Adrian tells you to put them in a circle! Simply outstanding.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a free copy in return for an honest review.