Scarab Path: The Twistiest Psychological Thriller of the Summer

A world of intricate plots,characters you wouldn't ever have thought of in your dreams and a whole lot of fun to read

More enjoyable & gripping adventures in the Shadows of the Apt world. This book follows on from my feelings about the previous outing, that it was an ending, by which I mean that this novel feels almost like a standalone, or perhaps a pause. Whether it is or not, I will discover as I move through the series.Everything is here that makes the series such a delight: excellent three dimensional characters with believable motivations, conflicts, and quirks; plots that twist, turn, and bounce along at a good pace; a consistent and well developing culture, history, and universe.There is no filler with the author's work. Even here, in a full-on siege with multiple engagements, each piece of writing is part of a well crafted whole that develops characters, strategy, and plot.My only pause for consideration was a perceived an inconsistency between a city's population painted initially as docile that quickly develop into dedicated, passionate, skillful soldiers pitting their martial skill sets against an indomitable & cruel enemy. There is a strategic reason for this but it gave me pause for thought.Onto book 6.Fleecy Moss, author of the Folio 55 SciFi fantasy series (writing as Nia Sinjorina), End of a Girl, Undon , and 4659 now available on Amazon.

I love a long read and would quite happily have read books 1-5 as a single tome, also delighted there is just as much to come. I think I’ll leave off reviewing/commenting on how good each book is until I finish the final book.Suffice to say, I have so enjoyed what I have read so far I feel no need for a ‘break’ between books - I just want to read the next one, I am addicted!

I generally don’t write reviews but have felt moved to review each book in this series as soon as I have finished it. Again the imagination of this writer follows the lead characters into another adventure where, despite their being non human characters, the humanity of their emotions resonates within the reader. Each book tells a separate tale while remaining connected within the series. I will start book 6 immediately, as I’m so looking forward to what comes next. I couldn’t recommend this writer more.

In Salute the Dark, Adrian Tchaikovsky built to an incredible crescendo, and this was therefore always going to be a difficult book, with an inevitable ebb before events would begin to move forward. A four star review is therefore something of an accomplishment, not a criticism.The war between the Lowlands and the Wasp Empire has resulted in an uneasy peace, and our surviving characters find themselves at something of a loss. Only 3 major players feature as they are diverted to the city of Khanaphes, a mysterious city that seems to be full of Inapt Beetles...After a suspenseful buildup we are soon back in familiar territory with a prolonged siege and desperate battle against overwhelming odds, as Cheerwell Maker and Thalric deepen their complex love/hate relationship. There are some very good reveals and the eventual nature of the Masters of Khanaphes is a pleasant surprise.My major criticism is that by its very nature this is something of a side-plot. There are some major character developments but this happens over many, many pages, and therefore a star is lost. As mentioned above however, this was always going to be the case and it is handled well overall.My other minor complaint is that the confused taxonomy of the series (they are all based on insects, EXCEPT FOR THE SPIDERS) gets even worse when we learn of the Makers. The Shadows of the Apt series is becoming a pedants nightmare...Worth reading all the same - and book 6 promises more.

This series gets stronger with every installment. While this episode lacks the culmination of plots that made "salute the dark" such a thrill I'd have to say that this one contains the best stand-alone story of the series to date. Adrian takes the risky decision of only focusing on three of the main cast but it pays off in spades as their character arcs are incredibly strong. Totho and Thalric were already two of my favourite characters and Che has been elevated to joint standing with them now. Other characters are introduced too, my favourites being the heroic Amnon, first soldier of Khanaphes and Meyr, the mole-cricket.The series is well known for its locales and Khanaphes is no exception and comes across as ancient egyptian in feel. There is also a nice little mystery surrounding the city that had me guessing until the very end.For fans of action, Adrian serves up another well described siege and has a nice homage to "300" with some memorable moments of heroism. The mixture between swords and sorcery and technology once again keeps things interesting and in this case the difference between the two is central to the story's theme and conflict.All in all this installment has a bit of everything. Great characters, setting, mystery and action. What more could fans of the series ask for? I've already pre-ordered book 6 "the sea watch" as the series has gone from one I read in between other books to one where I have to know what happens next as soon as possible.