The 9th installment in the Shadows of the Apt series continues the momentum of the previous books. While it didn't pack the same punch as DRAGONFLY FALLING and THE SCARAB PATH (my two favourite books in the series) it did have a number of shock and awe moments that I didn't see coming, despite being a long-time series reader.

Tchaikovsky thrusts the plentiful cast into all out war spanning multiple fronts with varied forms of conflict. There's magic, traditional warefare (both on land and in the skies) and face to face combat. There are casualties, and for readers of THE AIR WAR (book #8), some of those 'second generation' Collegium characters may not be around as long as first thought.

Che and Seda, the beetle and the wasp Empress find themselves in the forests of Etheryon and Nethyon in search of a powerful magic seemingly guarded/owned by the mysterious Argastos, a War Master of sorts who holds a supernatural- grip on their respective quests. Accompanied by their faithful band of warriors, both are faced with bloodshed, heartache and a doom far greater than any wasp-Lowland conflict could result in.

While Stenwold continues to fight valiantly against the might of the wasp empire as they march towards Collegium, Sarn (Ant city state), and Princep Salma. Aided by the force of the Spiderlands, General Tynan and his Second Army are ruthless in their mission to expand upon the empires influence and boundary. However, the alliance with Mycella and her spiders is far from strong with deception a possibility throughout proceedings.

As usual there is a lot going on in these books which at times made it hard to take in all the crucial events/character exchanges. However, I found that by reading large chunks at a time, the story read seamlessly and I was able to retain much more than reading in small bursts.

WAR MASTER'S GATE sets the scene for the next installment perfectly (THE SEAL OF THE WORM). Without giving anything away, the series looks set to head in a completely different direction - given the ramifications of WAR MASTER'S GATE, I'm interested to see how Tchaikovsky brings his wounded and segregated characters back to the battlefield.

A great and epic read - as usual. Shadows of the Apt is my all time favourite fantasy series.

This review also appears on my blog: http://justaguywhos2read.blogspot...fantasy own read_2013 ...more21 s Algernon (Darth Anyan)1,610 1,034


Nine books done, only one to go in this fantastic epic adventure. The last installment is already written and sent to the publishers, so I have no worries about waiting years for the author to deliver the goods (George R R Martin and J V Jones come to mind). I also have no worries about Adrian Tchaikovsky running out of ideas or out of steam. The weakest volume so far has actually been the very first one, the one that introduced the concept of insect kinden and the whole Apt / Inapt (technology vs. magic) duality. Since then the writing skills, the characterization and the whole worldbuilding have improved exponentially. What I admire most of all in the series is the way the author makes me care about each major an minor character and the skill in holding all the different threads together in a clear and logical exposition. I have witnessed many an ambitious multi-volume epic fantasy losing itself in non-essential details and filler, but so far the Shadows of the Apt has been both page turners and intricately woven tapestries where every incident, every minor player contributes to the final image.

Enough with the generalities. At the end of book eight ( The Air War ) the Wasp Empire is stopped from conquering the Lowlands after a devastating battle before the gates and in the sky over Collegium. With most of their air force destroyed, two major Wasp army groups are forced to retreat and reconsider their strategy. I've made this comparison before, but as a reminder think of the two sides as the Greeks city states (Lowlands, Beetles and Ant kinden mostly, with the Mantids as a sort of Spartans and Collegium as Athens) fighting against the overwhelming Persian hordes (Wasp kinden and their slaves and conscripted troops). The one major variation being in the fact that both sides experience an accelerated industrial revolution, passing in a couple of decades through several centuries worth of military weapon development: from swords, bows and arrows, to machine guns, tanks, fighter and bomber planes, heavy artillery, submersibles and so on. Anyway, none of the sides emerged unscathed from the Air War, and book nine picks up with the issue of supremacy still unresolved. two boxers in a championship match, Collegium and the Wasps have had a one minute reprise to draw their breath, and now they are back at each other's throat, with refreshed savagery.

The Air War was a bit too focused on the technological and tactical aspect of the war for me, and slightly too depressing in seeing my favorite side having less and less prospects of coming up on top (I root for Collegium in general, but the author does a great job at painting a realistic picture of the adversaries as humans and not cardboard villains). In the language of the kinden world, book eight was all about the Apt. Book nine remedies this by bringing back the Inapt part of the world back into play, with a vengeance. Empress Seda of the Wasp Empire is already the most powerful magician in the world, but she wants more: in an ancient forest of the Mantis kinden hides a powerful magic force that could make her invincible. The only one who could stop her is Cheerwell Maker, herself heir to mystical powers received from the Gods of the long passed Inapt dominance of the world. Seda and Che must pass into the realm of the Guardian of the site, an entity named Argastos, a name that has been erased even from long histories of the Moth kinden, and for good reason: some secrets are too dangerous for the light of day. I will not spoil the true nature of Argastos for you, suffice to say he is essential for the developments in the last book of the series, a force to reccon with even in the face of the tremendous technological progresses of the Apt kinden when it comes to wholesale killing. Argastos is the stuff despots and war criminals are made of: He saw himself as a hero. So do many others, who do the most appalling things. By believing yourself a hero, all your actions become heroic, no matter what they are. . He is so self-centered and self-serving, his ressurection might well be more appaling than a victory of the Wasps in the war.

In parallel with the quest for control of the magic resources of Argastos, the conventional war returns to the gates of Collegium, pitting War Master Stenwold Maker against the leader of the Wasp Eight Army, General Tynan. No quarter is given, and many of the faces we have become accustomed to in previous volumes may not make it to the final battle. The spectacular big canvas confrontations are well balanced with human (kinden) interest stories. I have selected only one quote on this conflict, the finest moment in the career of Stenwold, where he denounces the whole military mindset horor:

We do not respect our enemies; We despair of them. Your struggle, your fierce will to prevail in spite of all, we do not admire this. We see only a terrible, senseless waste of life - both ours and yours. We are murdered potential, young men and women who might have become anything becoming only corpses through one's woman's dream of conquering a city she has not even seen. Because we will not be owned or dictated to. Because we will not be slaves and bare our backs to the lash. And all because your Empress cannot bear there to be some empty name on a map somewhere that is not hers. She must be insane.

The conflict and the motivations are a lot more complex that I tried to resume them here, and the plot progression will constantly veer off in unpredictable directions. I have no idea how the final book will resolve the situation we are left with at the end of this volume, and this is a big bonus for me. I to think the old adage that "it's always darkest before the dawn" will come true for my favorite characters, but nothing is guaranteed in this battle to the death. I am usually turned off by the old "end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it" escalation in fantasy books, but it kind of works as the grandiose finale for a truly epic series.201417 s Metodi Markov1,489 363

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P.S. ??? ????? ?? ??????, ??????? ???????? ????? ?? ?????? ????????????? ??, ?? ? ????? ????! :)2020 adventure brexit ...more17 s Eric179 64

4.5 Stars

Fantastic penultimate entry in the Shadows of the Apt series, full of action and drama, that sets up what promises to be a thrilling finale.

The Wasp army marching on Collegium has been pushed back but itÂ’s a matter of time until they threaten the city again. Another Wasp army threatens CollegiumÂ’s allies in Sarn as the black and gold banners push to finally take the Lowlands. Meanwhile, Che and Seda slowly draw closer to what seems to be an inevitable confrontation in the forest home of the Mantis kinden as they search for an ancient Moth power.

The narrative focus was primarily split between Collegium and the Mantis forest, switching between large scale battle between armies and a more intimate confrontation in the forest. As always, the story was told from numerous perspective on both sides. Just about all of the characters from previous books made an appearance.

The action was phenomenal. Tchaikovsky is one of the best at writing large scale battles. The fighting was creative and varied, from aerial battles to armies meeting to individual battles in the streets and in the woods. There are times the pace of the series has been slow, but that time pays off as it helped create a genuine emotional investment. And no one is safe as Tchaikovsky isnÂ’t afraid to kill of characters. The story is brutal at times, showing the harsh reality of war and adding complexity to the conflict by showing that neither side is wholly virtuous or wholly evil. Even Seda, the cause of so much death, is portrayed in such a way that itÂ’s hard to hate her.

Tchaikovsky is a gifted storyteller and I canÂ’t wait to read the conclusion of what is a truly epic series. adrian-tchaikovsky fantasy15 s Jason1,179 264

5 Stars

The War Master's Gate book #9 in the Shadows of the Apt series does what all second to last novels should do. First, it is truly a pinnacle book in the series for both the story lines and the characters as well as for the craft by the amazing author. This is a remarkable series made so by a remarkable writer. Not only does Tchaikovsky keep things fresh from book to book, he also keeps the story lines under control and weaves them together masterfully.

With nine books down, The War Master's Gate is a standout in the series. Books #5 The Scarab Path, and Book #7 Heirs of the Blade are tied for my favorites. This one and #4 Salute the Dark are my next favorites. This book has two very different story lines. One story centers on Collegium as the Wasp army comes together again and advances on it threatening Stenwold Maker and his home. This is the story line that covers the Apt, the technologically driven. The other story centers on Che versus the Empress in a race for finding the mystery that is Argastos and the power behind it. They are both Inapt and powerful each of the sisters now are steeped in magic.

The plot is very fast paced and there is plenty of action to keep the pages turning. In the one story line there are many battles filled with crossbows, bombs, and vehicles. Of course there are also many aerial fights as the technologically driven use aircrafts to make war. On the other side of the world you have the two sisters coming into their own and both utilize magic to expand their power. Many of the action scenes here are dark and twisted and Che and Seda plot the downfall of each other.

As I have said before two characters stand out the most to me. First is Cheerwell Maker for all of the obvious reasons as well as for the fact that her relationship with Thalric brings the heart and the hope to this war. No character has grown and changed more than her. The other character that is my second favorite is Tynisa. Once again she is a pivotal character and single minded in her motivations as she shows why she is a weaponsmaster. Both women are powerful and brave and easily carry much of the weight of this amazing story. I love how far both have come and enjoy them each for their differences. I cannot wait for more.

My only real gripe is that because I am so into both of the leading ladies that I previously mentioned (Che and Tynisa), having their story lines take place together made me have a tough time keeping interested in Stenwold's war at Collegium. I found myself quickly reading through those battles just to get back to these two story lines. The Apt battles were fantastic but the dark fantasy story line was simply far more interesting.

The cliffhanger ending can easily be forgiven as the series draws to a close. The War Master's Gate is a fabulous fantasy read made all the better that it takes place as book 9 in this awesome series. The Shadows of the Apt must be read by all fantasy lovers and probably all science fiction readers as well. It is phenomenal....

Must read!e-books read-201513 s Liviu2,347 657

just great stuff with a riveting but quite dark and brutal on occasion, last 2/3; 9th book of the series and the continual rolling of characters (this is probably the most brutal single installment since Salute the Dark) and expansion (here it is both Apt/technology and Inapt/magic) keeps it as engrossing as the first, while the author's prose has become impeccably smooth

the one drawback - a partly cliffhanger ending that begs for volume 10 asap

will have more details and a full review soon but first a complete reread

Finished the reread and what can i say except that the novel is even more mind blowing on the second leisurely read when i could appreciate all the little touches rather than frantically turn the pages to see where it all goes; here is the full review to be completed in a few days and published on FBC too (all links mentioned in the text will be found there).

INTRODUCTION: "War Master's Gate" is the ninth book out of ten of the ambitious Shadows of the Apt series. Despite being the middle book of the final trilogy of the series and ending on a cliffhanger in one of the main threads and at clear TBC points in others, the novel manages to surprise and be fresh as well as offer a superb reading experience making it the present leader in my top sff of the year.


The book contains the main novel War Master's Gate which ends with a few epilogue pages noting where the important characters in the "war" part of the book are at the moment - as mentioned the "magic" part of the book ends on a cliffhanger - and the usual glossary of characters, places etc for its first 660 pages, but as an added bonus it also has a 50 page story, "Heart of the Green", that adds depth to the main new character of the "magic" part, the War Master of the title - and yes despite having Stenwold Maker, the Collegium War Master on the cover and he plays an important role for sure, the title mainly refers to this other new personage.


As noted in the previous of the series linked above the structure of the series is as follows:

- a tetralogy with a clear main focus and where the several story-lines that start in Empire in Black and Gold, develop in Dragonfly Falling and Blood of The Mantis, only to converge at the climax of Salute the Dark. These four books follow a large cast of characters which of course renews itself as the storyline moves on and they are all fast paced yarns in the usual epic vein with battles, intrigue and the fate of the known world at stake. They are best seen as volumes 1-4 of one single huge novel.

- three relatively self contained novels, The Scarab Path, The Sea Watch and Heirs of the Blade, which follow only a few story-lines each from the larger tapestry so only some of the main characters of the series appear, though again new characters and settings are introduced.

The Sea Watch was a bit too sfnal for the general tone of the series, while being the one novel so far whose main storyline still remains tangential in the larger scheme of things, though lots of things happen, quite a few main characters die and the main strategic realignment of the series occurs.

On the other hand, The Scarab Path and Heirs of the Blade hit it out the park and provided the two of the best three novels of the series to date and some of the best fantasy around, each in a package that was remarkably self-contained considering their place as "bridge novels" as well as 5th and 7th novels in a 10 book series.

- a trilogy with a dual focus, one that has been clear for a while and formed the larger part of The Air War and one that revealed itself in The War Master's Gate and will surely be the focus of the last series volume, The Seal of the Worm as per the ending here.


ANALYSIS: How can one keep a 9th volume of a series that has been running pretty much chronologically and covering a span of only a few years, fresh, new and quite interesting? After all there is all this past weight of all the 8 earlier volumes, while what came before imposes a lot of the constraints of the upcoming flow of the events considering the structure of a huge tapestry woven by the author.

War Master's Gate manages this remarkable feat by the continual rolling of main characters as now General Tynan of the Wasp 2nd Army advancing inexorably (again) on the Collegium, the mixed "Antspider" Straessa of the Coldstone Company, the Wasp pilot Captain Bergild, Eujen Leadswell, the former student peace agitator, now leader of the Student Company raised to fight the last resort street-to-street battles if the unthinkable happens and the 2nd Army breaks into the City, and Milus, the Sarnesh "tactician" aka commander of the army who finally maybe the one Ant Kinden innovative enough to defeat the Empire, all relatively new or in some cases formerly with little page time, take main stage in addition to the regular surviving main cast. And of course this is only a slice of the vast ensemble who includes many more interesting characters who have their importance and page time.

Then there is again expansion of the universe - Apt/technology and Inapt/magic, as well as traveling to the deep past and the dark times of the ultimate war of the Inapt times against the all devouring "Worm" Kinden and their slaves, war that in the usual fantasy tradition took place 1000 years ago and is quite relevant today...

As mentioned in the introduction War Master's Gate runs on two parallel tracks:

The Apt/Technology/Modern action which is almost all war and follows mainly the 2nd Wasp Army against the Collegium and to a lesser extent the 8th Army against Sarn and its allies. This thread is on a very large canvas, dark and brutal on occasion and ends at very clear to be continued points.

The Inapt/Magic/Past influencing and threatening Life as everyone knows it as the once defeated but not destroyed Evil may rise again etc. This thread is more personal and has some stuff that veers a little closely to the usual cliches, but it benefits hugely from the main characters who are imho the most fascinating of the universe - the triangle Che, Seda, Thalric - though in an ironical take on genre cliche, here the roles invert and the two women (Che and Seda - the "lover" and the "wife" as after all Thalric is still the Imperial Consort as I do not think the Apt universe has Empresses divorcing their consorts alive - have agency as they are quite powerful magicians while the man is the object as he is just an ordinary Apt mortal) , Tynissa, Ostrec/Esmail, the War Master of the title at least in his past glimpses and quite a few others I leave you to discover. This thread ends on quite the cliffhanger after one ending moment that verged on "over the top" but came out quite well and reminded me of the similar in spirit ending of book 7.

While not really needing to be said, the author's prose has become impeccably smooth and polished and the novel is a page turner that I couldn't put down and rushed through to see where all goes, while later rereading it at leisure to appreciate all the finer points I missed.

Overall War Master's Gate is another triumph for Adrian Tchaikovsky which installed itself at the top of my sff reads for the year at least for now, while it also became one of my three major favorites volumes alongside "The Scarab Path" and "Heirs of the Blade" especially that here the Apt/Inapt threads finally start combining in an awesome whole.

Sadly, after a journey started 5 years ago in 2008, The Shadows of the Apt will be ending soon with volume ten, The Seal of the Worm delivered and scheduled for publication in 2014 and I hope it will manage that very hard feat of concluding an awesome series in a powerful way.
2013_release_read genre-fantasy read_2013 ...more12 s aria749 111

‘We have fallen, we will rise again.’

“War Master’s Gate” is the ninth instalment, second of the third and final arc, it being the penultimate book of the Shadows of the Apt series.

The fight for the Lowlands has begun and while the Alliance strives to keep up with the EmpireÂ’s new technology, Empress Seda is delving into ancient powers. I donÂ’t have much to say. This book hurt. Friendships were tested and broken. Compromises on morality were made and that ending! Eujen Leadswell is coming for StenwoldÂ’s crown but he is yet to beat StenwoldÂ’s speeches. Also, Argastos!! But the best part was the ending.

Across the Lowlands and the Empire and beyond, cracks had begun to show.

Tiny fissures, hairline fractures in stone, the unexpected gap that those students had crossed to escape the doomed College. But they were deep. Look down into that sliver of abyss, and there might be distant lights, movement.

Sometimes the cracks were more than that, chasms rupturing wide into caves, the earth abruptly hollow . . . and then things came out.

They took the living and the dead. They left no bodies. They cared nothing for Empire or Lowlands, Apt or Inapt.

They had been away a long time, but they had not forgotten.

adult-sff military-fiction political-intrigue ...more10 s Patremagne254 85

What an ending. Incredibly high stakes throughout, and the last lines are downright chilling.10 s Phil1,985 204

Tchaikovsky gives us a rather somber installment in the 9th book of the Shadows of the Apt series. The last volume left us with the Wasps being hounded from Collegium after a surprise weapon destroyed their air force in one go. Another Wasp army is heading for Sarn, an ant ally city of Collegium, and meanwhile, the Empress Seda and Che, each with a few companions, head into the Mantid forest in search of _something_.

If the last volume left us feeling hopeful about the lowlands, this one does just the opposite. I do not want to give much away due to spoilers, but it seems the Wasps have a few tricks up their sleeves for Collegium after all. Che and Seda are seeking out an ancient Moth-Kinden site, both learning as they go that it is a tomb for a great Moth leader who fought/lead the Inapt races in the great war against the 'Worm'. While the days of lore (or the Bad Old Days, depending on perspective) features several of the Inapt races struggling and warring among themselves, they put aside their differences to unite to defeat the Worm, and it nearly ending the world.

Mr T gave us some hints on the Worm a few volumes back, but it seems it will now be front and center, given the title of the next volume. As readers, we only have hints about the worm (or worm kinden?), namely that they wanted to subjugate the entire world in their image, and that goes beyond enslaving everyone. The great war that ensued left several of the Inapt 'players' down for the count, basically ceding the lowlands to the Moth-Kinden and their mantid enforcers. As the days of magic wore down, Apt kinden began their revolt, eventually tossing off their former masters.

Che is an intriguing character to be sure, and off all the ones in this saga, she has probably been the most featured and developed. She started off a somewhat naive school girl, a ward of Stenwold Maker along with the spider halfbreed Tynisa. The first wasp war served as a rude awakening for Che, however, as she was taken prisoner more than once, briefly enslaved, and put through basically the gauntlet. Always outspoken with a strong moral code, she served as the 'good angel' of reason more than once. After her mindlink with her Moth lover when horribly array, she lost her Apt, but seemed to gain some magical powers almost as a substitute. She also discovered that she has some sort of magical link to Seda, the Wasp Empress, making them sisters in a way. Volume 7 featured Che trying to make sense of her mental changes while also trying to save Tynisa up in the Commonweal. Now, older and perhaps wiser, she seeks to deprive Seda of the power in the Mantid forest.

Not many new characters in this installment, but the raft of them introduced in The Air War receive a fair amount of attention, especially the students at Collegium. T rotates the POVs repeatedly here, switching from Che and Seda (and back and forth between them) to Collegium to Sarn. Definitely polished, this one is a bit of a heart breaker to be sure. 4 solid stars. fantasy steampunk9 s Solseit402 96

The challenge will simply be not start the last book immediately. This book just hit all the right notes for me, and I just love the Inapt elements of this story (and I have for a few books now). I cannot wait to see how this series will end!9 s JannyAuthor 89 books1,552 Read

A solid build up to what promises to be a spectacular finale in a strikingly original setting. I have been delightfully surprised by the unpredictability of the plotting in this series, and a broad range of well rounded characters who are molded by their experiences and change - some for better and some for worse.own8 s William338 17

I’ve enjoyed the previous 8 books in the “Shadows of the Apt” series, but it has been a bit of an uneven series and some books have worked better than others. For example, the previous book “The Air War” seemed to spend too much time on the aerial battles and not enough time on characterisation. Fortunately, “War Master’s Gate” manages a better balance between the different elements.

The book is split between two main plotlines. The first is the EmpireÂ’s latest attempt to conquer Collegium with Stenwold Maker leading the cityÂ’s defence while the second focuses on his niece CheÂ’s attempts to thwart an expedition into the heart of the Mantis forests by the Wasp Empress Seda to try to gain the power of an ancient magician. Previous books have sometimes had problems when splitting the plotlines with one being more interesting than the other, but I think both plotlines work well in this book. One of the main themes in the series is the contrast between the two ways of looking at the world, the practical technology-driven approach favoured by the Apt people, and the Inapt worldview where magic and mysticism play a central role. The two plotlines show two different ways of waging war, the latest technology being used to besiege and defend Collegium while for the first time we see how Inapt magicians would wage war. The balance between the two could have been tricky, but the book manages to both clearly describe the technology and tactics of the Collegium plotline and also portray a more otherworldly setting as Che and Seda make their way towards ArgatosÂ’ tomb. The Inapt world works on a different sort of logic, but it does still manage to make a strange sort of sense and although the steampunk elements of the world-building have been inventive throughout the series, the more fantastical elements are becoming increasingly interesting.

I think this is probably the first time in the series since the fourth book “Salute the Dark” where all the main characters in the series play a significant role in the same book and the series is clearly building towards its climax in the next book. Che probably gets the best plotline in the book and she has developed a lot as a character through the last few books with this book seeing her come to terms with her newfound abilities. The rivalry and conflict between Che and Seda does offer some of the book’s highlights, with Seda also getting some good characterisation – while she is one of the series’ main villains there are still glimpses of the more sympathetic character she was in the earliest books in the series. The Collegium plotline has another rivalry between Stenwold and General Tynan in command of their two armies, Stenwold is as reliable as ever in the series although it’s fortunate that the book doesn’t focus too much on him since he can be a bit too predictable to be entirely compelling as a character. Tynan is also an interesting character due to being intensely devoted to his duty to win the war while also being regretful about some of the things he has to do to win it. There are also plenty of good supporting characters with the ‘second generation’ of Collegium students being at the focus of some of the best scenes in the Collegium plotline. One of the few irritating bits of characterisation is Laszlo’s brainless infatuation with someone he knows is an enemy spy.

Throughout the series Tchaikovsky hasnÂ’t shied away from tragedy or from killing off characters and that continues here with probably the two biggest events in the entire series unfolding. The stakes are certainly high and with only one book to go none of the characters feel entirely safe, which does increase the tension. The book ends on a huge cliffhanger with the entire world seemingly in peril, while it doesnÂ’t work as a standalone it is a perfect set-up for the tenth and final book in the series although I am a bit worried that there does seem to be a lot of plot to cover in that last book. Despite the more epic parts of the story there are also some powerful scenes on a smaller scale as various characters and peoples try to survive in a world at war, with the Mantis-kindenÂ’s increasingly desperate attempts to find a place in a world that has left them behind being particularly tragic.

Overall, IÂ’d say this is a contender for being the best books in the series, itÂ’s a very entertaining read and I canÂ’t find anything more than minor flaws in it. 7 s Brent482 64

This was a really good book that set up a lot of interesting things to explore in the series finale. I still don't think this series has hit the highs for me that books 1,2, and 6 have in any of the other volumes, but this one would have been close had it not been for some sections that felt unnecessarily long. This book did not need to be over 650 pages. There was one section in particular that felt the characters were just wandering around looking for something for pages and pages and pages. When they got there it was great but the getting there didn't build tension or anticipation. It just slowed down the plot. That being said pretty much after that point a lot of interesting stuff started happening and the back half of the book was excellent. Also, I found the title of this one was a nice little play on words with letting the reader determine which warmaster and which gate it is talking about. There were also some nice impactful moments here as the series really pushes toward the endgame.epic-fantasy shadows-of-the-apt7 s1 comment Gabi723 143

Holy hell, what a ride!

This book was a bit more complicated to follow, because there are quite a few settings and a lot of characters to keep track of. But the pace and the sheer amount of nerve wrecking-ness had me speeding through this volume. The war from the previous book is still going on and the dying of cared-for characters started. There were a lot of 'no you don't - damn, yes you did' moments in here that had my heart racing. The quick succession of hope and dispair, the showing of loyalty and utter betrayal and the fact that each character on both sides has deeper layers had the effect that there wasn't a single page in here that dragged in the slightest.

No question I immediately have to go on with the last book of the series. I hope it keeps the promise set by the first 9 volumes. The end always is the most important measure.
5 s Jennifer260 9

I'm a fangirl of this series and it is hard to rate it subjectively.
I love the notion of insect kinden and the well drawn characters that exhibit growth as the series progresses. Thalric and Cheerwell have long been my favorites but I thought Eujen and General Tynan had excellent character development in this book.
The whole Apt vs Inapt (Che & Seda) storyline was fascinating and we finally see things hinted 5 (?) books ago finally come to a fruition.
The author does a really good job at portraying the physical and psychological toll (& horror) of war on individuals and societies. He asks the question, how far does one go to obey orders and how hard will you fight for freedom/ideals?
The author is not afraid to kill off characters, and several more bite the dust.
The drawbacks I found was the Wasp Empire vs Collegium storyline. I just found the action scenes tedious at times as this the third time this happened over the course of the series. And the cliffhanger ending. I hate cliffhangers and I have to wait a whole year to find out what happens!

fantasy6 s Marilyn582 45

3.5
I needed some time to think on this. But again I found the first half of the book was setting up events to happen in the second half. IÂ’m just not crazy about too much worldbuilding without actions to move the story forward.
Although here there was more tension between the meeting of Che and Seda. I did enjoy the slow burn buildup to their confrontation and what then occurred.
Argastos, the ancient hero Mantis of the Dark Forest, was a great character. Is he a good or evil force? It would be exciting and nerve wracking if he would be in the last book. I loved all our time spent in this menacing forest.
We do lose some characters who were with us for much of the story sadly. But itÂ’s war, and not everyone will survive. Who will be left standing at the end of this series?fantasy science-fiction6 s Tanner Sturgeon81 8

The last act slapped. The culmination of so much setup5 s Emiliya Bozhilova1,548 280

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4,5 ??????

***
?? ??????:

“Blow things up. Questions? No? Get going”

“Just words, but words have power.”

“Never underestimate how much some people want to be led.”
ebook epic fantasy5 s Minna57 9

War Master's Gate is the penultimate installment in the Shadows of the Apt series. While I felt that the first 2-3 books in the series seemed a little YA-oriented to me (mostly because of the naive and hapless demeanor of the characters), the subsequent books have matured in both tone and scope. Each book has expanded the world, added characters (while we've also lost some favourites along the way), added new kinden, the dialogue has improved, and overall the quality has grown markedly.

By this ninth book, the story has become noticeably dark and grim, the consequences of the main conflict have been heartbreaking and we are left wondering how things can end well for our protagonists against this evil machine that is the Wasp Empire. 

I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to see how Tchaikovsky manages to tie up all loose ends. audiobooks fantasy fiction ...more6 s Anitha137 35

4.5 Stars

Soo good.4 s Trent364 47

I had such high hopes for this one after how amazing the last book was, but unfortunately, one (big) storyline held it back for me.

Things are getting really bad for our heroes. The unstoppable Wasps finally take Collegium. All looks lost, and the Worm.....well, the Worm is free.

And that was my issue. Not with the Worm - that was terrifying and interesting. But with the way the Worm was freed. Almost everything involving Che and Seda was so tedious. Che is the least interesting character in a series FULL of HUNDREDS of amazing characters.

And yet she seems to have been set up to be the main character when all is said and done, and that's really unfortunate.

Everything else was great. The series is amazing and I can't wait for the final book. I just wish Che wasn't the protagonist. shadows-of-the-apt4 s Katy2,010 192

This one seemed to drag along for me. Don't know if that is because I have now read so many of them or what. Again we are back to the Collegium & the Empire battling between themselves. We are left with quite a cliff hanger as we prepare for the last installment of the series with the next book. 4 s Kaushal101 26

Unputdownable! I've long been a fan of the Shadows of the Apt series, and War Master's Gate, the ninth book in this amazing series, only makes me it even more. The plot, the writing, the twists and turns, the characters - everything is spellbinding. On one hand, the war for the lowlands, with Collegium, Sarn and all the rest coming together to fight the wasp armies, is glorious in all its gory glory. And on the other hand, the struggle of Cheerwell and Empress Seda to control an ancient power in the Mantis forest of Nethyon. Both amazingly well written, and kudos to Adrian Tchaikovsky for the way the series is shaping up. The cliffhanger ending is really good too, though I hated the cliffhanger part of it. Nevertheless, the book totally deserved its five star rating. A must read. Can't wait for the next and final installment of the series.favorites3 s Madeleine79 2

This was probably the most complex entry in the series so far, and I really appreciate Tchaikovsky's ability to hold all the characters, conflicts and plot threads together in a clear, consistent and entertaining manner. The most captivating element for me is the mystical conflict: the rising of the old Inapt magic that began in the wonderful Scarab Path, and has come to a rather terrifying head as Che struggles with Seda, still on her quest to unearth an ancient and terrible power. There's a lot of darkness and violence here across the board, as I suppose should be expected in the penultimate volume of an epic story about a world war, and by the end we're left in a real "always darkest before the dawn" situation. I have no idea how this is all going to wrap up, but I look forward to the grand finale!3 s Lana2,418 50

this series gets more gripping as we go along and i cannot wait for the next in the series but i think i am reading faster than they are being written, so hurry up adrian please!!! am sure the next one is going to be just as good!!3 s Alytha279 59

I really d this one, much more than the previous volume. Un that one, it doesn't contain endless play-by-play accounts of aerial battles, but mostly focusses on the people involved.

I admit I never grew to the "second generation" of young Collegium characters as much as the first set, but this book does quite a lot to get into their heads.

I also that the couple of Imperial soldiers whose point of view we get are well-developped human beings, not snickering villains.

The other plotline, revolving around Che and Seda's confrontation in the Mantis forest manages really well to create a mysterious, and very creepy atmosphere. It's great how the description of the Inapt people has evolved from them being mysteriously stunned by a common doorlock. They've more than come into their own now, and are worth to be taken seriously.

The ending is probably, in terms of emotional impact, the "worst" one since volume 4.
Can't wait for the next volume, it promises to end things with quite a bang...2 s Tamara263 77 Read

Thoroughly enjoyed this one, after the slightly mechanical, no pun intended, eighths book. The cast of characters is enormous, but they each get enough careful attention to create distinct personalities and motivations, and Tchaikovsky has a knack of taking those characterizations and crafting arresting, dramatic, brutal moments out of them. The series probably most interesting aspect, the questions of magic and technology, also comes full circle and i'm dying to know how it's going to play out in the next book now. It's also astonishing how far all the characters have come, in a way that even series with much higher pretensions of scope usually fail to achieve. In short, read this, fantasy fans.author-male aux-barricades fantasy ...more2 s Neil Henning30

I absolutely love this series of books. Many moments of this book made me shiver with dread for the characters I've come to love and how their fates will play out.2 s Charl van Niekerk136 3

SO good! The pressure does not let up, and with just one book to go, it's going to be chaotic!2 s Madhurabharatula Pranav Rohit Kasinath312 20

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