Shroud is a claustrophobic xeno-sci-fi survival story, with additional themes of alien intelligence and inter-species communication (themes fans of Adrian Tchaikovsky surely love). It’s a strong entry into the genre that features a wildly imaginative setting inimical to human life.


The opening setup to this novel is a little like the movie Alien – the protagonists work for an interstellar corporation that is more interested in profits than preserving the lives of their crew. As they plan to mine a new system for all the resources they can get, an anomaly is found – a moon that is practically screaming on all radio frequencies, and with no clear reason why. A crew of specially skilled operators are decanted from cryosleep to investigate – and they find strange alien life.

The tension between the crew and their company overseers is clear from the start – the company is keen to cut corners and get instant results, while the crew mostly just want to do a good job and discover the secrets of Shroud (the name they give the moon). When the drones give them very little to go on, a manned expedition starts to take form, and a freak accident sends three of the crew down to the surface in the pods.

I enjoyed how hostile the alien planet was to humans – they are pretty much strapped to cushioned couches that their bodies sink into due to the high gravity. Any exposure of oxygen to the atmosphere of the planet causes an instant explosive reaction. There’s a real claustrophobia to their situation that becomes all the worse when they discover that not only is there life on the planet, but that it is teeming with it, and that it may just be smarter than expected.

There’s something great about the way Tchaikovsky writes stories involving communication between two vastly different species, and this is perhaps the most pronounced it has been in any of his stories. The humans are limited by the pods that encompass them, and are so far away from anyone that could help them. The aliens communicate so differently that deciphering a language is not even an option. And there’s always a goal in mind for the humans, that of survival, something that they can barely hope for without help from beings they can barely understand.

The last quarter of the book takes a drastic turn, but to do so would spoil things, so I’ll just say that I enjoyed where Tchaikovsky took the ending. On the whole I loved Shroud, a very dark and atmospheric but thoughtful book.

Rating: 9/10

If the personality hire were forcibly stuck on an alien planet! A fun read, although the main character’s perspective dragged in technical details but the alien perspective was very interesting and novel. Slightly frustrated by the clinical feel to the whole book and lack of clear resolution, although the intermissions were retrospectively a great touch.

All things creep and crawly
All pincers great and small
Monsters out to eat you
Tchaikovsky made them all

No one does alien quite like Tchaikovsky. And Shroud is about as inhospitably alien as you can get. Add to that his incisive social commentary and deadpan humour (if many-legged giant insectoids screaming in an incomprehensible electromagnetic language is your idea of humour), then with ‘Shroud’ you have a highly enjoyable romp through the most alien of landscapes.

A cracking read!

Adrian Tchaikovsky’s books are always rich in world-building, and Shards of Earth is no exception. One of the things I both loved and found frustrating in Children of Time was the level of detail he put into constructing the planet and its ecosystem. Shroud follows the same pattern, immersing the reader in the strange, alien life of its mysterious world. Like Children of Time, the book starts slowly, introducing the crew, their dynamics, and their first encounters with Shroud. Humanity is expanding across the galaxy, but it’s the corporations leading the charge. Employees are judged by their "wage-worth," and those deemed unnecessary to the mission are put back into stasis. I can’t say I was a fan of this setup.

The story picks up once the action shifts to Shroud itself. Tchaikovsky excels at making complex science accessible, and I particularly enjoyed the alien perspectives—it’s always fascinating to see the world through a truly non-human lens. There’s plenty of horror and action to keep the tension high while unraveling the mysteries of Shroud. However, some of the human POVs didn’t fully resonate with me. Juna stood out, and I enjoyed following her journey, but others were harder to connect with.

The alien life in Shroud is completely unlike humanity, and seeing how these two worlds collide was one of the book’s greatest strengths. We’re so used to encountering life that mirrors our own in some way, but here, Tchaikovsky leans into the truly bizarre. As always, his world-building is phenomenal, and if you enjoy hard sci-fi, this book is well worth your time.

I liked Shroud, though, much like Children of Time, it takes a while to find its stride. If I hadn’t expected this from Tchaikovsky, I might have been tempted to put it down early on—but it’s absolutely worth persevering. I would have liked a little more resolution at the end, but I can’t say much without spoilers. Just read the book!

This is my first book of Adrian’s and it definitely won’t be the last! I loved that it was not only sci fi but horror too, it kept me on my toes and turning the page late into the night. I’m a new sci fi reader and it was very accessible and easy to understand. The world building and the characters were great. It was dense at times but loved every minute of it.

This book got off to a slow start for me, and there were points where I wasn't sure I was going to finish it. But, I'm so glad I pushed through as this book only got better and better.

The switching of perspective between light and dark was brilliant, and slowly revealed more and more about how complex Shroud is, and how interconnected the world is.

The final lines of this book are so strong, and was such a strong ending to a really compelling novel. Juna is a hero, no matter what remedial works might suggest.

A brilliant first-contact sci-fi!
Suspenseful and exciting moody sci-fi ,while being an exploration of humanity through the characters.
Loved this book, I’d read anything by Adrian Tchaikovsky and this one is great!

This is my first book of Adrian Tchaikovsky and I enjoyed reading it.

Shroud is a moon of a gas giant planet - Prospector413b. The Garveneer mission goes to it. They pitch many drones to Shroud and of several only one returns – significantly damaged. It becomes clear that Shroud houses some form of life and a video from the drone which returns confirms that. A set of pods crash into Shroud and it is a fight for survival for the crew. The narration comes to us from Ceelander J who is stuck with Ste Etienne on Shroud, and also the Shrouded (the creatures on Shroud). The two stranded people are initially in contact with Bartokh, who is in another crashed pod. They also try communicating with the creatures/Shrouded through electromagnetic rays. The Shrouded are a species who thrive as a hive – trying to make sense themselves of the strangers who have showed up.

This is a very imaginative story and the background painted of the kind of place Shroud is very good & detailed. In its own way, the story brings out our limited knowledge of planets & satellites besides our own. It also paints a very plausible picture of how form & intelligence might exist in the universe – in a way very different from what we are used to and assume might be the norm. We get the perspective of Shrouded – and that compliments the story well. I would have liked better character development and the narration in some of the middle sections is quite flat. I liked the path the story takes in the last sections and the end is great!

Thanks to Netgalley, Pan Macmillan | Tor and the author for a free electronic review copy.

This book got off to a slow start for me, and there were points where I wasn't sure I was going to finish it. But, I'm so glad I pushed through as this book only got better and better.

The relationship between Mai and Juna was a really bright point in this novel, and I especially enjoyed Mai's halting attempts at praising Juna for her overall uselessness!

The switching of perspective between light and dark was brilliant, and slowly revealed more and more about how complex Shroud is, and how interconnected the world is.

The final lines of this book are so strong, and was such a strong ending to a really compelling novel. Juna is a hero, no matter what remedial works might suggest.

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and honestly review an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

I’m glad I was already in a sci-fi mindset before diving into this beast of a book! Shroud is much heavier than my usual sci-fi reads, drawing you in with its blend of mystery and dense scientific detail. Once the story reaches Shroud, the eerie planet comes to life with vivid, unsettling descriptions of its alien plants and creatures—both incredibly imaginative and downright terrifying. I’m pretty sure I’ll be having nightmares tonight!

I really enjoyed the dual narrative, though I wished the human characters had a bit more depth. They felt somewhat shallow, which kept me from fully connecting with them.
That said, if you’re a fan of weighty, intricate sci-fi, this one is definitely worth the read!

This was my first Tchaikovsky but it won't be my last. I had a bit of a hard time getting into the story at first, but I quickly became absorbed by this sci-fi tale as soon as our protagonist, Juna, and her colleague end up on the mysterious planet they named Shroud. They're not prepared for what awaits them because they never planned to actually go planetside but are forced to due to an accident, and everything on the planet is so different, so Alien that they barely survive day by day. I loved the descriptions of the Shroud biosphere, of the fascinating aliens and how they work, and while we follow Juna and Mai on their journey to find safety and return to their ship for quite a while I never felt like the story dragged. There was just so much to discover and explore, and the last few chapters are just insanely exciting. Really enjoyed the writing, the pacing, the world building and the characters. The ending doesn't answer all the questions posed but it fit the narrative perfectly.
So yeah, will absolutely go dig into Adrian Tchaikovsky's backlist now.

## Ratings
Cover: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Initial Draw: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Characters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pacing: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Finish Line Feeling: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

## Review

Tchaikovsky is undoubtedly one of the premier authors when it comes to writing from the perspective of different species/cultures. The world he developed in Shroud was just as strong as Children of Time, with similar plot beats and pacing but a completely new species and new hostile environment to live through and contemplate. The way Tchaikovsky writes from the perspective of non-human characters makes you realise how anthropomorphized most sci-fi species are and is a breath of fresh air when it comes to thinking about what could be out there.

I was on the edge of my seat the entire time - not because I didn't expect the ending; but, because the pacing was completely on point, always tempting you to know what happens next at every page and every chapter.

I don't really want to go into finer plot points any more because you should definitely just experience it for yourself. Overall if you enjoyed Children of Time or Tchaikovsky's other works relating to alternate species then you will love this one. I can't wait for the sequels to explore this world and species more.

I received this book from Netgalley for a review.

I can't lie I am a massive AT fan. I have read most of what he has put out and loved it to some degree. This book is no different. On the surface it is a survival story of humans trying to get back to their ship after crash landing on a dark alien moon. What it actually was to me was a good social commentary on the dangers of big corporations and how humans as a whole never learn from the past. I liked the descriptions of the dark moon, and the trials faced by the main characters, but what I loved was the alien perspective on what was happening. It was such an interesting read to see both points of view on the same situations and how easily misinterpretations happen.
The middle section of the book did seem to get a little bogged down and slow, but overall I felt like this was a well paced story, with good characters and an amazing imagination.

Right off the bat, I’ll say that the best part of Shroud is the atmosphere. The perpetual darkness of the tidally locked moon is a formidable setting for a first contact/survival story. And the looming presence of unimaginable fauna haunts the narrative from the get-go. As the story progresses, our protagonists end up stranded on Shroud, and are forced to explore this alien satellite in an attempt to survive and escape these lightless locales. They discover creepy sceneries and inconceivable creatures, each serving as a sizable stepping stone in their punishing journey towards survival.

It was around the 20% mark where the book became un-put-down-able. I’ll talk about the first 20% in the next section, but 20% onwards, the book was an absolute masterpiece.

One brilliant aspect of this book was the alien’s POV. While the majority of the narrative follows Juna, we occasionally get the Shrouded’s POV, which highlights a completely different story. The human POV follows a typical survival drama, albeit with horror elements. On the other hand, the Shrouded’s POV follows a curious first-contact adventure. The two species can barely communicate with each other, and so they both assume the other’s intentions without ever truly getting clear confirmations. This mismatch of perceptions, coupled with their respective motivations and backgrounds makes for a rich and dual experience. This really makes you wonder how first contact—if or whenever it does happen—would transpire. Would we be curious supporters or exploitative killers?

The Shrouded really stole the show here. I can’t say a lot about them without spoiling some horrifyingly cool elements, but Tchaikovsky really does a stellar job with that POV. Its limited senses and expansive perspective of the moon setting serve to build a world and a world-view that’s as alien as can be, yet somehow feels real and relatable. On the contrary–and I assume this is by design—the human perspectives feel very clinical and dry. Corporate greed and unchecked expansionism have resulted in literal vat-grown human societies where their biology has been manipulated to allow sustained interstellar travel. The near-perpetual dependence on pharma drugs to survive in the apathetic corporate world of Opportunities seems to have rendered these people less human, emotionally speaking.

Juna, our protagonist, does display the humanity that we recognize. But for the most part, the humans remain hard to relate to. And root for, if I’m being honest. However, I admit that Juna’s role in this story becomes clearer in the latter part, with the ending completely blowing my mind! Voracious readers of SFF might see the end coming a long way, but that doesn’t make it any less amazing.

Lastly, I have to talk about the structure. The story is divided into six parts, where at the end of the first part you start getting the Shrouded’s perspective. Each part is separated by an interlude, which I will not talk about for spoiler reasons. Human POV, Shrouded POV, and Interludes… the three make up a fascinating balance of stories that make this 500-page book read like a much more epic tale. Plus, jumping between the three actually improved the pacing of the book for me.

Shroud reminded me a lot of Scavenger’s Reign, but with the treatment of a horror-fueled fever dream.

What I didn’t like:
The start was a bit of a slog if I’m being honest. The science jargon—irrespective of its accuracy—was too heavy to digest. The characters felt two-dimensional, and the narrative rushed forward at a wonky pace. I almost gave up on the book because the opening chapters were a little too dry. The whole corporate angle, while brilliant on paper, didn’t feel as engaging or thought-provoking as it could have been. Which makes me wonder, how would the book have read if all those complications were trimmed out of the narrative, making the book all about Shroud’s alien atmosphere, fauna, and survival.

Another part that didn’t work for me was the humans. Somehow, I felt more connected to the alien creature than any of the human characters. If it weren’t for the cosmic-horror-esque atmosphere, I wouldn’t have kept reading. Juna isn’t the easiest protagonist to root for. Especially when you have the Shrouded in the mix. Yet, she does her job, and keeps the narrative rolling forward.

Lastly, and this is the only spoiler bit in my review, so SPOILER WARNING:

<spoiler>I didn’t enjoy the last part of the book. After a fascinating, imaginative, and terrifying adventure, we’re sort of thrown back into the corporate bureaucracy of Garveneer. While Tchaikovsky neatly ties everything by the end, I didn’t particularly enjoy the corporate aspects of it. They didn’t feel as interesting or engaging, despite my understanding of the reason for their existence in this story. </spoiler>

Conclusion:
Shrouded is a brilliant speculative story. It is as much about what it means to be human in an inhuman world, as it is about life’s curious climb up the evolutionary ladder. It’s terrifying, it’s fascinating, and it is mind-blowing!

TL;DR:
WHAT I LIKED: Atmosphere and exploration of the alien world, alien POV.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: Human POVs were a little dull, didn’t like the corporate aspects, some pacing issues.

This will be a review of many superlatives, as I think this is possibly Tchaikovsky’s darkest and weirdest novel yet! It’s also my favourite book of his since Children of Time.

The atmosphere in Shroud is simply phenomenal, and the sense of threat the protagonists face feels very real and ever present. You don’t often get a full picture of what their adversaries look like on the surface, as our protagonists can’t see far into the blackness themselves. It strikes me this book would make an excellent blockbuster film, if it weren’t for the fact that most of it would be in pitch black! The world created in Shroud is unfathomably weird and creepy, and yet the ecology kind of makes sense for the world he’s created. Things aren’t bizarre for the sake of it, there’s a logic to how things join together that, although completely alien, makes the story more realistic and believable.

The story of Shroud reminded me of Andy Weir books such as The Martian and Project Hail Mary for the practical survival elements in a hostile environment, but an extra dollop of danger and existential dread. The duo of Juna and Mai are forced to be resourceful with the limited materials they have aboard their vehicle, to achieve the possible and find a way home. The story presents us with a great two-way first contact scenario, as the lead characters try to make sense of the hostile world around them, whilst the hostile world tries to suss them out in return.

Shroud ticked all the boxes for what makes Science Fiction great for me - evocative and thought-provoking world building, an examination of human nature in response to new experiences and threats, and a story that didn’t go the way I first expected.

I’m grateful to the publisher for granting me an early copy.
Eerily similar to some of this author’s previous works, this is a very good story. Full of sentient and omnipresent minds, alien creatures and the depravities of mankind’s behaviour, this is a strong story which is very readable.
Echoes of previous stories aside, the overall story is dramatic and evolving, once again populated by endearing and strong characters which are the foundations of this author’s books.

This is my first read by this author, and my first hardcore sci-fi in a while.
This is skilful, erudite, imaginative writing of the first degree. The handling of the first contact theme is original and innovative, and the progress in the understanding between the two species is brilliant.
I will confess to finding the scene setting to be a little laborious, and the in depth science discussions overwhelming at times. This is not a high-octane adventure but a reflective journey. The ending tho is mind-blowingly good. I was totally immersed in the narrative by then.
I will definitely be looking for more titles by this author

I always start a Tchaikovsky book expecting to love it, and invariably become surprised when it exceeds my already high expectations.

It's classic. If you liked his Children of Time series (especially Book 2), this is right in your wheelhouse. It also has some 60s sci fi vibes a la world exploration, with a modern twist.

I loved the characters, the setting, the plot points, the ending. Never stop writing, Tchaikovsky. Please.

I have to salute Adrian Tchaikovsky’s imagination, the more I read of his greater catalogue of written works the more I am in awe of his ability to transport the reader into a realm of the fantastical.

Shroud is no exception to this as we follow the journey of two unlikely hero’s, attempting the improbable while facing the seemingly impossible odds of an alien world, filled with an entity unlike any reasonable mind could create. Yet Adrian Tchaikovsky fulfils his own brief in such an imaginable & creative way, that once you start reading it’s hard to stop.

As first contact stories go this is by far the most imaginative I have read so far, dividing the narrative and therefore the perspective of both the ‘Protagonists’ & the ‘Shrouded’ themselves. This unique framing is a refreshing take on the first contact genre, offering the reader a vision of the world of Shroud that perhaps could not have so easily been depicted otherwise.

I cannot urge you enough to pick up a copy of this book upon its release in February ‘25. You will not be disappointed, Adrian Tchaikovsky has once again proved he is a master at what he does best.

Thank you to #Tor books #PanMacmillan & to #NetGalley for allowing me the utmost privilege an honour of this eARC copy of ‘Shroud’ to read & review.

The comments & opinions above are solely my own & are reflective of my experience reading this amazing book.

I’m not typically a science fiction reader but I think Adrian Tchaikovsky might just be an exception to the rule. I loved Alien Clay and I love this. While both follow humankind meeting alien lifeforms both books are very unique. Making this reading experience just as fresh and exciting as when I read Alien Clay.

This book does an amazing job of showing what we can overcome during struggle and in situations where you are in way over your head, this book is wonderfully dark, with survival aspects and it will absolutely keep you on the edge of your seat while reading,