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Spiderlight
The Church of Armes of the Light has battled the forces of Darkness for as long as anyone can remember. The great prophecy has foretold that a band of misfits, led by a high priestess will defeat the Dark Lord Darvezian, armed with their wits, the blessing of the Light and an artifact stolen from the merciless Spider Queen.
Their journey will be long, hard and fraught with danger. Allies will become enemies; enemies will become allies. And the Dark Lord will be waiting, always waiting…
Spiderlight is an exhilarating fantasy quest from Adrian Tchaikovsky, the author of Guns at Dawn and the Shadows of the Apt series.
Their journey will be long, hard and fraught with danger. Allies will become enemies; enemies will become allies. And the Dark Lord will be waiting, always waiting…
Spiderlight is an exhilarating fantasy quest from Adrian Tchaikovsky, the author of Guns at Dawn and the Shadows of the Apt series.
298 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 2, 2016
About the author
Adrian Tchaikovsky
178 books14.3k followersADRIAN TCHAIKOVSKY was born in Lincolnshire and studied zoology and psychology at Reading, before practising law in Leeds. He is a keen live role-player and occasional amateur actor and is trained in stage-fighting. His literary influences include Gene Wolfe, Mervyn Peake, China Miéville, Mary Gently, Steven Erikson, Naomi Novak, Scott Lynch and Alan Campbell.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 549 reviews
October 20, 2024
Adrian Tchaikovsky is just SO GOOD.
Because damn, it went dark pretty quickly. Not fantasy-dark but human-dark. The petty awfulness that comes from “Us vs. Them” divide, that smug self-righteousness and superiority from belonging to the “right side”, the intolerance and despising of the “other”, the desire to elevate yourself by subjugating someone in your power. And even those who themselves experience the pain of prejudice by others can turn around and take it out on someone who’s in turn weaker and with even less power - that classic “kicking the puppy” example.
There’s quite a danger in someone feeling that they are on the “right” side, because with that comes the easy justification of superiority and the right to subjugate and exterminate those in the “wrong”.
Tchaikovsky shines at making you empathize with non-humans. Here he returns to spiders, but before you start feeling that deja-vu of Children of Time he introduces a different flavor of otherness and a whole other degree of relatability. And the result is all the feelings that you cannot escape - empathy and anger and heartbreak intertwining and weighing on you throughout the story and making it actually hurt. There was a particular scene in the book close to the end where I had to stop and take a few deep breaths just to help *me* get through the sheer impact of what was on page without wanting to punch the wall.
Do not dismiss this story after a few pages as just playing with familiar fantasy tropes, as I almost did, because their eventual deconstruction here is done in a way that can really resonate if you let it. There are dark depths here, and a ray of hope which really feels unsettlingly ambiguous once you think about it. By now I really learned to trust Mr. T to get everything right.
And also it’s a damn good story.
2024: The audiobook narrated by Adrian Tchaikovsky himself cemented the 5 stars. There is nothing that man can’t do, and yet again he also proved himself a superb audiobook narrator. And the book is just as wonderful the second time around.
5 stars.
————
__________
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.
——————
Also posted on my blog.
“You set up a system of ‘us’ and ‘them’ and you wonder why it didn’t make people nice?”This book tricked me, but in a very good way. You see, after the first few pages of Spiderlight I expected Dungeons and Dragons. After all, we have a questing party in the search of the Dark Lord that already came equipped with a mage, a cleric, a thief, a fighter and an archer, with the language that at first screams “sword and sorcery”. I was expecting a clever and probably sarcastic deconstruction of fantasy tropes, but what I got was something else, something deeper and darker and quietly angrier as the lighthearted(-ish) humor is slowly replaced with scary seriousness, and smiles and giggles slowly disappear.
Because damn, it went dark pretty quickly. Not fantasy-dark but human-dark. The petty awfulness that comes from “Us vs. Them” divide, that smug self-righteousness and superiority from belonging to the “right side”, the intolerance and despising of the “other”, the desire to elevate yourself by subjugating someone in your power. And even those who themselves experience the pain of prejudice by others can turn around and take it out on someone who’s in turn weaker and with even less power - that classic “kicking the puppy” example.
“It was just one more ready and convenient way to find them sufficiently alien as to be below her consideration.”
There’s quite a danger in someone feeling that they are on the “right” side, because with that comes the easy justification of superiority and the right to subjugate and exterminate those in the “wrong”.
“It was her task that had resulted in Nth being subjugated like this, he knew, and he was entirely certain that, when he had done what she needed him to do, she would have him destroyed. Despite the relative balance of power between them, she seemed to view him as some threat that must be wiped out the moment expedience allowed her to do so.”
Tchaikovsky shines at making you empathize with non-humans. Here he returns to spiders, but before you start feeling that deja-vu of Children of Time he introduces a different flavor of otherness and a whole other degree of relatability. And the result is all the feelings that you cannot escape - empathy and anger and heartbreak intertwining and weighing on you throughout the story and making it actually hurt. There was a particular scene in the book close to the end where I had to stop and take a few deep breaths just to help *me* get through the sheer impact of what was on page without wanting to punch the wall.
“That they had made him into this form, and were now sufficiently chagrined over it that they wished to hide him introduced him to another new word. ‘Hypocrite’.”
Do not dismiss this story after a few pages as just playing with familiar fantasy tropes, as I almost did, because their eventual deconstruction here is done in a way that can really resonate if you let it. There are dark depths here, and a ray of hope which really feels unsettlingly ambiguous once you think about it. By now I really learned to trust Mr. T to get everything right.
And also it’s a damn good story.
2024: The audiobook narrated by Adrian Tchaikovsky himself cemented the 5 stars. There is nothing that man can’t do, and yet again he also proved himself a superb audiobook narrator. And the book is just as wonderful the second time around.
5 stars.
“It had been that moment in Ening’s Garth, in the tavern there, when she had been drunk and angry, and it had spoken for itself. She had looked into that scrambled visage, those eyes, those teeth, and found that, in her mind, it had made the curious transition from abomination to simple monster.”
————
__________
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.
——————
Also posted on my blog.
October 21, 2021
This was bananas.
To be clear, the 'bananas' part is the fact that I ended up in a completely different emotional place than I expected after reading the first three chapters. Not in the 'weird fiction' kind of way, but in the feels. I'm not going to say much without spoiling it, so I'll put the whole review under spoilers and subspoilers.
Many thanks to Stephen and Nataliya for their buddy read! I realize that a lot of my excited rating had to do with our great discussion, so I tempered down a little bit. Not sure this would meet the re-read category for me.
To be clear, the 'bananas' part is the fact that I ended up in a completely different emotional place than I expected after reading the first three chapters. Not in the 'weird fiction' kind of way, but in the feels. I'm not going to say much without spoiling it, so I'll put the whole review under spoilers and subspoilers.
Many thanks to Stephen and Nataliya for their buddy read! I realize that a lot of my excited rating had to do with our great discussion, so I tempered down a little bit. Not sure this would meet the re-read category for me.
April 14, 2019
Oh, Adrian Tchaikovsky, ¿dónde habías estado toda mi vida?
Siento verdadera envidia por el zapatero de este hombre, porque debe de ganar una fortuna arreglándole las botas con las que no ha dejado de patear a los tropos de la fantasía clásica una y otra vez en este libro. Spiderlight es un libro increíblemente sencillo en su planteamiento y muy fácil de leer, pero que oculta un profundo análisis sobre la propia naturaleza humana entremezclada con constantes burlas a los tropos que estableció Tolkien hace ya casi cien años: la dualidad del bien y el mal, la épica lucha de los héroes de la Luz contra el terrible mal del Señor Oscuro, la profunda hipocresía de los protagonistas y el absurdo de las profecías. Una sátira muy calculada entremezclada con un discurso amargo y en ocasiones esperanzado sobre cómo somos los seres humanos, los prejuicios y sobre todo sobre la posibilidad de dejarlos atrás.
Una pequeña joya que recomiendo a todo el mundo.
P. D: Aunque la edición está llena de erratas, la traducción es magnífica, así que las gallinas que entran por las que van saliendo, supongo xD
Siento verdadera envidia por el zapatero de este hombre, porque debe de ganar una fortuna arreglándole las botas con las que no ha dejado de patear a los tropos de la fantasía clásica una y otra vez en este libro. Spiderlight es un libro increíblemente sencillo en su planteamiento y muy fácil de leer, pero que oculta un profundo análisis sobre la propia naturaleza humana entremezclada con constantes burlas a los tropos que estableció Tolkien hace ya casi cien años: la dualidad del bien y el mal, la épica lucha de los héroes de la Luz contra el terrible mal del Señor Oscuro, la profunda hipocresía de los protagonistas y el absurdo de las profecías. Una sátira muy calculada entremezclada con un discurso amargo y en ocasiones esperanzado sobre cómo somos los seres humanos, los prejuicios y sobre todo sobre la posibilidad de dejarlos atrás.
Una pequeña joya que recomiendo a todo el mundo.
P. D: Aunque la edición está llena de erratas, la traducción es magnífica, así que las gallinas que entran por las que van saliendo, supongo xD
December 21, 2016
It starts like a classic quest, with a party determined to kill the Dark Lord, but becomes decidedly unusual when the questers turn a giant spider into a human because they need a guide into the Dark Lord's territory. The spider-human, Nth, gets a crash course in what it means to be human, and everyone else a crash course on quests and Dark Lords and why they shouldn't be trusted.
It's by turns laugh-out humorous and heartbreaking--the chapters from Nth's point of view, in particular, convey what it means to be completely alone and unique, and I really like the way Tchaikovsky gives each member of the party a relatable personality without turning them into clichés. And the ending, while not unexpected, was touching and struck just the right note. A very satisfying (and quickly devoured) read.
It's by turns laugh-out humorous and heartbreaking--the chapters from Nth's point of view, in particular, convey what it means to be completely alone and unique, and I really like the way Tchaikovsky gives each member of the party a relatable personality without turning them into clichés. And the ending, while not unexpected, was touching and struck just the right note. A very satisfying (and quickly devoured) read.
June 5, 2022
Novela de fantasía épica que le da coces a todos los clichés del género.
Narrado con gran eficacia, con más hondura de lo que parece a simple vista y con gran sentido del humor.
Los personajes son geniales, roles con patas que sorprenden y con los que es fácil empatizar.
Narrado con gran eficacia, con más hondura de lo que parece a simple vista y con gran sentido del humor.
Los personajes son geniales, roles con patas que sorprenden y con los que es fácil empatizar.
October 28, 2021
This hit the spot! The plot is simple enough. A band of Dungeons & Dragons/LOTR inspired heroes (cleric, sorcerer, archer, warrior and thief) set out on a holy quest to destroy an evil wizard. Yet it quickly becomes apparent the focus is as much on the dynamics of the group, their deeply held (and naive) beliefs and their many foibles as it is on the quest itself. In some ways the story becomes more of a subtle deconstruction, if not mockery, of some classic and overdone epic fantasy tropes.
As their quest begins there's a clear sense among the heroes of good and evil, Light and Dark, and an inherent smug righteousness. Yet with each step the picture becomes more murky as they are forced to employ some less than holy means to achieve their ends, challenging their unshakable moral certainty. How far they are willing to sully themselves and how accepting they are of these hard truths becomes a constant source of friction both among themselves and with others they meet on their journey. The writing is often humorous, but also heartbreaking in turns as the costs and consequences of their actions begin to weigh, manifesting most directly in the torments of a creature they transform and coerce into aiding them.
As one would expect from Tchaikovsky there is an epic twist, as well as some off-the-wall, skin crawling surprises along the way that only he could have dreamed up. These combined with a brisk pace, heartfelt tension and witty dialogue throughout make for a thoroughly amusing read that packs a punch.
As their quest begins there's a clear sense among the heroes of good and evil, Light and Dark, and an inherent smug righteousness. Yet with each step the picture becomes more murky as they are forced to employ some less than holy means to achieve their ends, challenging their unshakable moral certainty. How far they are willing to sully themselves and how accepting they are of these hard truths becomes a constant source of friction both among themselves and with others they meet on their journey. The writing is often humorous, but also heartbreaking in turns as the costs and consequences of their actions begin to weigh, manifesting most directly in the torments of a creature they transform and coerce into aiding them.
As one would expect from Tchaikovsky there is an epic twist, as well as some off-the-wall, skin crawling surprises along the way that only he could have dreamed up. These combined with a brisk pace, heartfelt tension and witty dialogue throughout make for a thoroughly amusing read that packs a punch.
August 3, 2017
A Dark lord, a world of Light under threat by the Dark, an adventuring party and a prophecy that says the path to victory is via the spider's path.
The adventuring party gains the help of a giant spider and transform him into something more humanoid so that he can pass through human lands. There's Dion, a cleric of the Light who is questioning her faith and the methods she is using, Penthos, a powerful wizard whose connection to the rest of humanity is narrow at best, Cyrene, an archer who struggles with the way people treat her as a female warrior, Harathes, a knight of Dion's church and a consummate asshole and Lief, a thief. Penthos transforms the giant spider into a humanoid version of itself that the group calls Enth. He is under their control, but he fairly quickly makes it clear that he's not just a creature of the Dark.
There's a lot going on here and some of it doesn't quite work well together. The concept of Light and Dark and how that relates to good and evil is a large part of the point of the book. There's some pretty strong prejudices in play and these are questioned throughout, particularly in the characters of Dion and Enth. The book is fairly light and with some really quite funny references, but some of the elements are quite heavy. For instance, Cyrene is being sexually harassed by Harathes throughout, and some of the reason for that is Harathes trying to fit her into a traditional gender role to match his prejudice. But Cyrene starts out as the most prejudiced of the party towards Enth, even more so than Harathes.
Enth is an interesting character. He's subject to mind control by the other members of the party, so his agency is limited. That means that his viewpoint is unfortunately underrepresented overall, but when he does have agency it's all the more profound for it. It would have been nice to have more from his point-of-view, but that would have made the story be told from the perspective of a spectator for much of it. A minor related criticism is the gratuitous head-hopping in this book, particularly mid-scene. It can be a little jarring.
Overall, a good entertaining read that tackles some cool issues with the fantasy genre and with a really interesting non-human protagonist. There are some minor issues with tone and wanting more, but it comes out in favor of the book in the end.
The adventuring party gains the help of a giant spider and transform him into something more humanoid so that he can pass through human lands. There's Dion, a cleric of the Light who is questioning her faith and the methods she is using, Penthos, a powerful wizard whose connection to the rest of humanity is narrow at best, Cyrene, an archer who struggles with the way people treat her as a female warrior, Harathes, a knight of Dion's church and a consummate asshole and Lief, a thief. Penthos transforms the giant spider into a humanoid version of itself that the group calls Enth. He is under their control, but he fairly quickly makes it clear that he's not just a creature of the Dark.
There's a lot going on here and some of it doesn't quite work well together. The concept of Light and Dark and how that relates to good and evil is a large part of the point of the book. There's some pretty strong prejudices in play and these are questioned throughout, particularly in the characters of Dion and Enth. The book is fairly light and with some really quite funny references, but some of the elements are quite heavy. For instance, Cyrene is being sexually harassed by Harathes throughout, and some of the reason for that is Harathes trying to fit her into a traditional gender role to match his prejudice. But Cyrene starts out as the most prejudiced of the party towards Enth, even more so than Harathes.
Enth is an interesting character. He's subject to mind control by the other members of the party, so his agency is limited. That means that his viewpoint is unfortunately underrepresented overall, but when he does have agency it's all the more profound for it. It would have been nice to have more from his point-of-view, but that would have made the story be told from the perspective of a spectator for much of it. A minor related criticism is the gratuitous head-hopping in this book, particularly mid-scene. It can be a little jarring.
Overall, a good entertaining read that tackles some cool issues with the fantasy genre and with a really interesting non-human protagonist. There are some minor issues with tone and wanting more, but it comes out in favor of the book in the end.
December 18, 2022
Actual rating: 3.499999999 stars.
This started out as funny as fish take on the quest/prophecy/dark lord tropes with a pretty scrumptious cast of characters (including a thief with High Security Harem potential, a surprisingly cool bug, and a most delicious fire-mage) but then turned into a weirdly serious, dark tale with a focus on soul-searching, morality, and personal ethics. Not that this is a bad thing, it's just not what I was expecting after such a humorous beginning.
And that is all.
This started out as funny as fish take on the quest/prophecy/dark lord tropes with a pretty scrumptious cast of characters (including a thief with High Security Harem potential, a surprisingly cool bug, and a most delicious fire-mage) but then turned into a weirdly serious, dark tale with a focus on soul-searching, morality, and personal ethics. Not that this is a bad thing, it's just not what I was expecting after such a humorous beginning.
And that is all.
December 31, 2019
After reading quite a few of this author's books I had decided that I preferred his sci fi to his fantasy writings. Then I read this book and changed my mind.
Spiderlight begins in an ordinary fashion with all the tropes - a quest, dark versus light, a world full of magic and weird creatures. Even the main characters are what you would expect, including a slightly crazy, fire loving magician, a self righteous man of god and a cheeky, loveable thief. There is a lot of humour in events and dialogue.
The story takes a turn when a spider is co opted into their group and changed to fit requirements. Enth (that is the spelling in my kindle version although I see many reviews spelling it Nth) is an original in all ways and watching his struggle shows how hard it is for anyone with a difference to fit in. The author continues to write a marvellously entertaining story but there are several underlying messages if the reader wants to think more deeply.
I enjoyed this one enormously and plan on continuing my own quest of reading more of this talented author's books.
Spiderlight begins in an ordinary fashion with all the tropes - a quest, dark versus light, a world full of magic and weird creatures. Even the main characters are what you would expect, including a slightly crazy, fire loving magician, a self righteous man of god and a cheeky, loveable thief. There is a lot of humour in events and dialogue.
The story takes a turn when a spider is co opted into their group and changed to fit requirements. Enth (that is the spelling in my kindle version although I see many reviews spelling it Nth) is an original in all ways and watching his struggle shows how hard it is for anyone with a difference to fit in. The author continues to write a marvellously entertaining story but there are several underlying messages if the reader wants to think more deeply.
I enjoyed this one enormously and plan on continuing my own quest of reading more of this talented author's books.
October 27, 2021
Spiderlight is a fantasy quest that starts out with a strong Dungeons & Dragons/Lord of the Rings type of feel ... except, more spiders. GIANT spiders. Shelob-type spiders.
Battling the Mordor-type nest of spiders are a group of adventurers, led by a priestess of light. They're looking to force the spiders to give them two things that will help them in their quest to defeat the otherwise unbeatable Dark Lord: a fang of the spider queen and help in finding a Secret Spider Path to the Dark Lord's castle in the heart of his dark realm. Getting the fang is relatively easy. Help to find the path ... well, that turns out to require that one of the spider gang, Nth, go with them. The group's magician kinda/sorta turns Nth into a humanoid being, you know, for communication purposes, and also probably so they don't have to worry about hauling a giant spider around the country with them.
It all feels familiar at first, although (hello: Adrian Tchaikovsky) rather better written than your run of the mill fantasy quest story. But since this is Tchaikovsky (and based on some GR friends' reviews) I was pretty certain that the author had something up his sleeve. I kept expecting the narrative to jump to a bunch of role-playing humans.
And there was a surprise. Just, not what I expected.
Interesting story with great and very flawed characters.
Battling the Mordor-type nest of spiders are a group of adventurers, led by a priestess of light. They're looking to force the spiders to give them two things that will help them in their quest to defeat the otherwise unbeatable Dark Lord: a fang of the spider queen and help in finding a Secret Spider Path to the Dark Lord's castle in the heart of his dark realm. Getting the fang is relatively easy. Help to find the path ... well, that turns out to require that one of the spider gang, Nth, go with them. The group's magician kinda/sorta turns Nth into a humanoid being, you know, for communication purposes, and also probably so they don't have to worry about hauling a giant spider around the country with them.
It all feels familiar at first, although (hello: Adrian Tchaikovsky) rather better written than your run of the mill fantasy quest story. But since this is Tchaikovsky (and based on some GR friends' reviews) I was pretty certain that the author had something up his sleeve. I kept expecting the narrative to jump to a bunch of role-playing humans.
And there was a surprise. Just, not what I expected.
Interesting story with great and very flawed characters.
December 13, 2019
Brilliant conversion of Sword and Sorcery tropes
Is there anything that Tchaikovsky can't write? It is his first Fantasy book I've read. I'm a big fan of his SF but tiptoed around his Fantasy, cause I don't like Sword and Sorcery that much. Well … I was positively and overwhelmingly surprised.
In the first part of the book I giggled myself through the pages as I followed the fellowship of crazy misfits on their journey to bring the Light to conquer the Dark: A priestess who starts wavering in her faith, a mage who wants to set everything on fire, secretly loves the priestess, but doesn't get the basics of social interaction, a knight of the church who is so full of himself that there is no room for common sense, an archer who is frustrated that nobody sees her as a buddy only as sex object, a little thief whose heart is in the right place (and who seems to have the most sense of the bunch) and a spider who is transmogrified into … well … something else.
This unlikely group is the hope of the righteous and stumbles more than strides towards the final battle against evil. Tchaikovsky writes the group members and their interactions with a lot of intelligent sillyness, loveable wit and glimpses of emotional depth. Within a few pages he creates lively, unforgettable characters.
And then, somewhere along the way, while I was grinning and giggling, the tone changes. Slightly at first, then with more impact. The giggling started to get intermingled with goosebumps and (I admit it) some misty eye moments. Effortlessly he turns from silly to profound, in a light-handed way. I can only remember Sir Terry Pratchett as another author who did this to me so far.
I was sure the book would run into a wonderful, lighthearted 4 stars comfort read, but in the last part it checked all the boxes for a 5 star read for me.
The emphasis is on the behaviour towards each other, on the question of who and what is worthy and what isn't. What is the benchmark against which one measures good or evil? I was truly impressed in which manner Tchaikovsky tackled those topics in his book. Never too preachy, always with the escape route for the reader to just read a fun story.
On the outside it feels like one of those Lord-of-the-Rings emulation stories, on the inside it is so much more.
This one goes onto my small pile of books that I will re-read again and again.
Is there anything that Tchaikovsky can't write? It is his first Fantasy book I've read. I'm a big fan of his SF but tiptoed around his Fantasy, cause I don't like Sword and Sorcery that much. Well … I was positively and overwhelmingly surprised.
In the first part of the book I giggled myself through the pages as I followed the fellowship of crazy misfits on their journey to bring the Light to conquer the Dark: A priestess who starts wavering in her faith, a mage who wants to set everything on fire, secretly loves the priestess, but doesn't get the basics of social interaction, a knight of the church who is so full of himself that there is no room for common sense, an archer who is frustrated that nobody sees her as a buddy only as sex object, a little thief whose heart is in the right place (and who seems to have the most sense of the bunch) and a spider who is transmogrified into … well … something else.
This unlikely group is the hope of the righteous and stumbles more than strides towards the final battle against evil. Tchaikovsky writes the group members and their interactions with a lot of intelligent sillyness, loveable wit and glimpses of emotional depth. Within a few pages he creates lively, unforgettable characters.
And then, somewhere along the way, while I was grinning and giggling, the tone changes. Slightly at first, then with more impact. The giggling started to get intermingled with goosebumps and (I admit it) some misty eye moments. Effortlessly he turns from silly to profound, in a light-handed way. I can only remember Sir Terry Pratchett as another author who did this to me so far.
I was sure the book would run into a wonderful, lighthearted 4 stars comfort read, but in the last part it checked all the boxes for a 5 star read for me.
The emphasis is on the behaviour towards each other, on the question of who and what is worthy and what isn't. What is the benchmark against which one measures good or evil? I was truly impressed in which manner Tchaikovsky tackled those topics in his book. Never too preachy, always with the escape route for the reader to just read a fun story.
On the outside it feels like one of those Lord-of-the-Rings emulation stories, on the inside it is so much more.
This one goes onto my small pile of books that I will re-read again and again.
December 26, 2019
Because of Gabi's revew... even though it is the kind of fantasy I'm not into. ... Done. Oh gosh she was right.
Brilliant, yes. Original. Thought-provoking. Fun. Sly. Meta. All the praise.
So, 4.5 stars rounded up. Maybe I can't recommend it to *everyone* but I certainly can to anyone who reads Horror, or SF, or Fantasy, or Fairy Tales. Anyone interested in Aliens, Good vs. Evil, Questing Misfits, Feminism, Existentialism, Religion, World-Building, or the remaking of Tropes & Conventions & Lore. Also, anyone who loved Children of Time.
Surely the author couldn't have written anything else to match these two titles? But I will try his others....
Brilliant, yes. Original. Thought-provoking. Fun. Sly. Meta. All the praise.
So, 4.5 stars rounded up. Maybe I can't recommend it to *everyone* but I certainly can to anyone who reads Horror, or SF, or Fantasy, or Fairy Tales. Anyone interested in Aliens, Good vs. Evil, Questing Misfits, Feminism, Existentialism, Religion, World-Building, or the remaking of Tropes & Conventions & Lore. Also, anyone who loved Children of Time.
Surely the author couldn't have written anything else to match these two titles? But I will try his others....
January 29, 2020
I’ve got a special place in my heart for all things D&D. All I needed was one look at this book’s cover and blurb to convince me to buy Spiderlight, to be honest. I’m that easily swayed!
On the surface, this is the exact story I was expecting, the one that I’ve read a million times by now. It’s very clear that Tchaikovsky generously borrowed some of the bigger D&D tropes to set up what is an immensely traditional fantasy world. Here, he uses the sub-genre’s concept of alignment. There are creatures of the dark that are born “evil” and there are creatures of the light that are born “good” and the two are always at war. So yeah, the typical and stock D&D setting. The plot driving the narrative is also very familiar. There’s a band of ragtag heroes (our main characters) adventuring across the land to kill a great evil lord who has been causing a lot of trouble in their world. It’s that same story we’ve heard over and over and over again. But really, a story doesn’t have to be original to be brilliant. It’s in the way the familiar is retold that can make something special. And oh boy, was Spiderlight special!
Frankly, the simplicity of Spiderlight really DOESN’T MATTER because Adrian Tchaikovsky is an author that has clearly read a great deal of fantasy and has noticed so many of its problems. He’s noticed the whitewashed characters, the lack of well-written women, the one-dimensional moralities, the same tired motivations of the villains, to name a few. Yes, he uses the typical fantasy formula/template, but in his execution, he sufficiently takes it apart bit by bit. That’s what makes Spiderlight so different and so great. It is epic fantasy deconstructed!
What impressed me the most were the characters. The dialogue between them was sharp and laugh-out-loud funny, but it’s their marvelous inner moments of existential revelations that really wowed me. In Spiderlight, I found a shocking amount of depth hidden beneath what I initially believed to be another standard issue cast of fantasy heroes. But throughout only 300 pages, the author somehow gave himself space to expose the more hidden parts of them in a way that did not feel forced but made me genuinely care for them. And not only did he do this, but he used an incredibly diverse tone of voice for each of them and made them feel real. I was the most compelled by Nth, a main character who is also a spider! His extremely alien POV accomplished SO MUCH. Through him, the author got to explore the more subtle truths about power and the destructive nature of humanity alongside some compelling introspection on what it means to be human, or to even just have emotions and how it can sometimes completely warp reason. It was fascinating and I was shocked when I realized how much I sympathized with him.
Not only was Nth a spider but he’s also a slave being dragged along with the rest of the band and it was interesting to see someone forced to live in complete servitude to people who were completely unlike him and who were blinded to his true self and could never understand him. He was seen and treated as a monster and labeled as “evil” because he’s of the “dark” but we in his head knew the truth. But we also got to see him through the others’ eyes and understand why they saw him that way. I mean, he IS a giant spider for crying out loud and I wouldn’t like him either, to be honest! But really, Tchaikovsky packed more into 300 pages than a lot of authors do in an entire series and it’s stunning.
I only came for classic D&D storytelling and while this book could have easily been something totally predictable and forgettable, it was instead spun into something fresh while still giving me enough of the genre’s greatest hits to make me happy and satisfied. If you’ve read Nicholas Eames’ Kings of the Wyld, this book might remind you of that.
About a month ago, I didn’t know this author even existed and I think it’s a real shame that he doesn’t get more recognition and hype. I’m no arachnophobe, but any author that can make my sympathize with a freaking SPIDER of all things must be immensely talented. He’s now got my full attention and I can’t wait to try his other books. I hear several of them also have spiders and I can’t believe it but I’m very excited about that.
4 – 4.5 stars
Would highly recommend.
On the surface, this is the exact story I was expecting, the one that I’ve read a million times by now. It’s very clear that Tchaikovsky generously borrowed some of the bigger D&D tropes to set up what is an immensely traditional fantasy world. Here, he uses the sub-genre’s concept of alignment. There are creatures of the dark that are born “evil” and there are creatures of the light that are born “good” and the two are always at war. So yeah, the typical and stock D&D setting. The plot driving the narrative is also very familiar. There’s a band of ragtag heroes (our main characters) adventuring across the land to kill a great evil lord who has been causing a lot of trouble in their world. It’s that same story we’ve heard over and over and over again. But really, a story doesn’t have to be original to be brilliant. It’s in the way the familiar is retold that can make something special. And oh boy, was Spiderlight special!
Frankly, the simplicity of Spiderlight really DOESN’T MATTER because Adrian Tchaikovsky is an author that has clearly read a great deal of fantasy and has noticed so many of its problems. He’s noticed the whitewashed characters, the lack of well-written women, the one-dimensional moralities, the same tired motivations of the villains, to name a few. Yes, he uses the typical fantasy formula/template, but in his execution, he sufficiently takes it apart bit by bit. That’s what makes Spiderlight so different and so great. It is epic fantasy deconstructed!
What impressed me the most were the characters. The dialogue between them was sharp and laugh-out-loud funny, but it’s their marvelous inner moments of existential revelations that really wowed me. In Spiderlight, I found a shocking amount of depth hidden beneath what I initially believed to be another standard issue cast of fantasy heroes. But throughout only 300 pages, the author somehow gave himself space to expose the more hidden parts of them in a way that did not feel forced but made me genuinely care for them. And not only did he do this, but he used an incredibly diverse tone of voice for each of them and made them feel real. I was the most compelled by Nth, a main character who is also a spider! His extremely alien POV accomplished SO MUCH. Through him, the author got to explore the more subtle truths about power and the destructive nature of humanity alongside some compelling introspection on what it means to be human, or to even just have emotions and how it can sometimes completely warp reason. It was fascinating and I was shocked when I realized how much I sympathized with him.
Not only was Nth a spider but he’s also a slave being dragged along with the rest of the band and it was interesting to see someone forced to live in complete servitude to people who were completely unlike him and who were blinded to his true self and could never understand him. He was seen and treated as a monster and labeled as “evil” because he’s of the “dark” but we in his head knew the truth. But we also got to see him through the others’ eyes and understand why they saw him that way. I mean, he IS a giant spider for crying out loud and I wouldn’t like him either, to be honest! But really, Tchaikovsky packed more into 300 pages than a lot of authors do in an entire series and it’s stunning.
I only came for classic D&D storytelling and while this book could have easily been something totally predictable and forgettable, it was instead spun into something fresh while still giving me enough of the genre’s greatest hits to make me happy and satisfied. If you’ve read Nicholas Eames’ Kings of the Wyld, this book might remind you of that.
About a month ago, I didn’t know this author even existed and I think it’s a real shame that he doesn’t get more recognition and hype. I’m no arachnophobe, but any author that can make my sympathize with a freaking SPIDER of all things must be immensely talented. He’s now got my full attention and I can’t wait to try his other books. I hear several of them also have spiders and I can’t believe it but I’m very excited about that.
4 – 4.5 stars
Would highly recommend.
September 24, 2016
Spiderlight is a very entertaining novel that utilizes all the calcified tropes of the epic fantasy genre - warriors of the Light are on a quest to stop the forces of Darkness! - to weave a clever little meta-fable about identity and free will. The plot finds Dion - "The Chosen One" - and her by the book band of adventurers (thief, warrior, mage, etc.) taking a Spider called Nth hostage to force him to guide them to the fortress of "The Dark One". Despite being the "heroes" of the story, their treatment of Nth is despicable, and calls in to question the sense of entitlement and privilege inherent in their old-fashioned concept of virtuousness.
I always enjoy Tchaikovsky's wicked sense of humor, and his instincts for character detail and story pacing are exemplary. I think his most enchanting virtue, though, is the sort of clear-eyed wisdom that he castes over the proceedings; a rather quaint approach in this cynical age. Tchaikovsky has a knack for empathizing with a variety of perspectives while maintaining a guiding set of moral and ethical principles.
I always enjoy Tchaikovsky's wicked sense of humor, and his instincts for character detail and story pacing are exemplary. I think his most enchanting virtue, though, is the sort of clear-eyed wisdom that he castes over the proceedings; a rather quaint approach in this cynical age. Tchaikovsky has a knack for empathizing with a variety of perspectives while maintaining a guiding set of moral and ethical principles.
August 10, 2016
4.5 stars
Spiderlight is sublime sword & sorcery with great characters, some serious moral and ethical questions and splendid humour. It kept me guessing and surprised me on more than one occasion, while maintaining a superb pace and still keeping up the laughs.
The story is based on the age old fantasy staple of a quest (what else are Dark Lords for but to be defeated as per the prophecy?) and a rag-tag team that needs to fulfill it. This is where the real magic is. The team. Oh, how they bicker and love and fight and lust and stand together. Enter the quest takers! A Wizard, a priestess, a thief, a knight, a warrior women & a spider. Or a spider-man. Or um…. fine, see for yourself. Or just buy it. You can’t go wrong with this one.
DION MADE A SOUND. It was not quite a word, or anything fit to come from the throat of a priestess of Armes. The two warriors, Harathes and Cyrene, followed suit. Lief was the only one able to articulate their collective reaction.
“What the fucking arses is that?”
Penthos frowned, still very much in his pose as Ringmaster of the Marvelous. “What do you think it is? I have transmogrified the invertebrate arachnid into the semblance of a man.”
“What man looks like that?” Harathes demanded. “It’s hideous.”
“More so than its native form? I think no—” Penthos started grandly, but Cyrene cut him off.
“It is. Gods help us, but it is. Halfway is worse, Penthos.” Her voice shook.
Dion coughed, still fighting down the shock and revulsion. “Penthos,” she said quietly, diplomatically, “this is the extent of what you can achieve?”
It—he, she supposed, for there was enough evidence to give it a gender—squatted atop the hill, and Cyrene was right that it was the near-miss, that so-closeness that turned the stomach with its almost-familiarity. The skin was grayish in the moonlight, like a Ghantishman’s, and the body seemed close to human, hirsute about the chest and groin, long-limbed but not unnaturally so. He would be tall, when he stood, Dion guessed. There was a lithe strength in that frame, no wasted flesh but not skinny, either. His hands were long-fingered—and definitely a little too long, there. They had no nails, but that was hardly the issue.
The face: the problem was the face, which now stared out at them, and would stare right back into their nightmares later, no doubt. It was not the shape, because Penthos had wrought well there—the basic clay of that visage was well molded, and might have been handsome if all the rest of it had followed something more exactingly human. The marring of that regular perfection was part of what made it so horrible. There was a mouth there, and the teeth it bared were sharp and predatory, with canines like little daggers, elongated enough that Dion could only suppose the creature’s lower jaw had slots to scabbard them. There was a nose, small and sharp. There were eyes, but the eyes . . . There were too many of them, to start with. Two little buttons on his brow glinted back the Light of Armes, and she thought she saw another two pinpoint orbs a little ahead of his ears. She might have taken them for spots or marks or even tattoos, had it not been for those two main orbs that dominated the creature’s blank regard.
They were huge, and they were absolutely round, and featureless—no iris, no white, just great wells of darkness goggling out from that slack visage.
It was hunched, all elbows and knees, looking at—at them, at the world? There was no way to know quite where that all-consuming attention was focused. Now a shudder passed through it, a ripple of muscles that seemed weirdly boneless. Its lips moved over those jagged teeth.
It screamed, throwing its head high and giving off a dreadful, keening wail, and that, at least, sounded almost human. A human in unimaginable torment, but whatever was behind that sound had a visceral connection to them all that spiders lacked. Except it went on and on, until Dion wondered where the breath could be coming from, to power such an unbroken sound of pain and terror and self-loathing.
“What’s wrong with it?” she demanded of Penthos, who was looking entirely unruffled.
“My dear, give it a moment to acquaint itself with its new, ah,surroundings,” the magus suggested. “The wretched monster has undergone a journey that none of you can imagine.”
“Then send the thing back and we’ll dispatch it and find some other way,” Harathes snapped.
Penthos glowered. “Is this it? The thanks I receive for such an unprecedented work of magic? Where would your vaunted quest be without me? Would you even have survived the wood of the spiders without my fire? And a hundred other tribulations upon the road—?”
“Some of which only happened because of you!” Cyrene pointed out hotly.
“I, Penthos!” The magician stabbed a finger at the heavens, and the crack of thunder that followed was too well timed to be coincidental. “I, one of the great masters of the Power Elemental, have reworked the fabric of the world to your bidding, and you presume to complain?”
“We cannot take that anywhere!” Harathes yelled at him. “The spider we could have stuck in a crate, in a cage. That thing looks like a demon. What sort of a—!”
“Harathes!” Dion silenced him with a gesture. “Penthos, listen to me, can your magic, your Power Elemental, not bring the thing that one step closer to human?”
The wizard’s furious expression sagged. “You too?” he asked her. “When I have done this vast act of magic for you, only at your behest?”
“We all know you have done this at least in part because it amused you to make the attempt,” Dion told him firmly. “So tell me, can you . . . refine this magic you have made?”
Penthos spluttered. “It is done. It is irreversible. I, Penthos, set my seal on this. Just . . . buy it a hat or something.”
Spiderlight is sublime sword & sorcery with great characters, some serious moral and ethical questions and splendid humour. It kept me guessing and surprised me on more than one occasion, while maintaining a superb pace and still keeping up the laughs.
The story is based on the age old fantasy staple of a quest (what else are Dark Lords for but to be defeated as per the prophecy?) and a rag-tag team that needs to fulfill it. This is where the real magic is. The team. Oh, how they bicker and love and fight and lust and stand together. Enter the quest takers! A Wizard, a priestess, a thief, a knight, a warrior women & a spider. Or a spider-man. Or um…. fine, see for yourself. Or just buy it. You can’t go wrong with this one.
DION MADE A SOUND. It was not quite a word, or anything fit to come from the throat of a priestess of Armes. The two warriors, Harathes and Cyrene, followed suit. Lief was the only one able to articulate their collective reaction.
“What the fucking arses is that?”
Penthos frowned, still very much in his pose as Ringmaster of the Marvelous. “What do you think it is? I have transmogrified the invertebrate arachnid into the semblance of a man.”
“What man looks like that?” Harathes demanded. “It’s hideous.”
“More so than its native form? I think no—” Penthos started grandly, but Cyrene cut him off.
“It is. Gods help us, but it is. Halfway is worse, Penthos.” Her voice shook.
Dion coughed, still fighting down the shock and revulsion. “Penthos,” she said quietly, diplomatically, “this is the extent of what you can achieve?”
It—he, she supposed, for there was enough evidence to give it a gender—squatted atop the hill, and Cyrene was right that it was the near-miss, that so-closeness that turned the stomach with its almost-familiarity. The skin was grayish in the moonlight, like a Ghantishman’s, and the body seemed close to human, hirsute about the chest and groin, long-limbed but not unnaturally so. He would be tall, when he stood, Dion guessed. There was a lithe strength in that frame, no wasted flesh but not skinny, either. His hands were long-fingered—and definitely a little too long, there. They had no nails, but that was hardly the issue.
The face: the problem was the face, which now stared out at them, and would stare right back into their nightmares later, no doubt. It was not the shape, because Penthos had wrought well there—the basic clay of that visage was well molded, and might have been handsome if all the rest of it had followed something more exactingly human. The marring of that regular perfection was part of what made it so horrible. There was a mouth there, and the teeth it bared were sharp and predatory, with canines like little daggers, elongated enough that Dion could only suppose the creature’s lower jaw had slots to scabbard them. There was a nose, small and sharp. There were eyes, but the eyes . . . There were too many of them, to start with. Two little buttons on his brow glinted back the Light of Armes, and she thought she saw another two pinpoint orbs a little ahead of his ears. She might have taken them for spots or marks or even tattoos, had it not been for those two main orbs that dominated the creature’s blank regard.
They were huge, and they were absolutely round, and featureless—no iris, no white, just great wells of darkness goggling out from that slack visage.
It was hunched, all elbows and knees, looking at—at them, at the world? There was no way to know quite where that all-consuming attention was focused. Now a shudder passed through it, a ripple of muscles that seemed weirdly boneless. Its lips moved over those jagged teeth.
It screamed, throwing its head high and giving off a dreadful, keening wail, and that, at least, sounded almost human. A human in unimaginable torment, but whatever was behind that sound had a visceral connection to them all that spiders lacked. Except it went on and on, until Dion wondered where the breath could be coming from, to power such an unbroken sound of pain and terror and self-loathing.
“What’s wrong with it?” she demanded of Penthos, who was looking entirely unruffled.
“My dear, give it a moment to acquaint itself with its new, ah,surroundings,” the magus suggested. “The wretched monster has undergone a journey that none of you can imagine.”
“Then send the thing back and we’ll dispatch it and find some other way,” Harathes snapped.
Penthos glowered. “Is this it? The thanks I receive for such an unprecedented work of magic? Where would your vaunted quest be without me? Would you even have survived the wood of the spiders without my fire? And a hundred other tribulations upon the road—?”
“Some of which only happened because of you!” Cyrene pointed out hotly.
“I, Penthos!” The magician stabbed a finger at the heavens, and the crack of thunder that followed was too well timed to be coincidental. “I, one of the great masters of the Power Elemental, have reworked the fabric of the world to your bidding, and you presume to complain?”
“We cannot take that anywhere!” Harathes yelled at him. “The spider we could have stuck in a crate, in a cage. That thing looks like a demon. What sort of a—!”
“Harathes!” Dion silenced him with a gesture. “Penthos, listen to me, can your magic, your Power Elemental, not bring the thing that one step closer to human?”
The wizard’s furious expression sagged. “You too?” he asked her. “When I have done this vast act of magic for you, only at your behest?”
“We all know you have done this at least in part because it amused you to make the attempt,” Dion told him firmly. “So tell me, can you . . . refine this magic you have made?”
Penthos spluttered. “It is done. It is irreversible. I, Penthos, set my seal on this. Just . . . buy it a hat or something.”
June 4, 2022
La Iglesia de la Luz ha luchado contra las fuerzas de la Oscuridad desde el principio de los tiempos. La gran profecía predice que una banda de inadaptados, liderados por una suma sacerdotisa, derrotarán al Señor Oscuro, armados con su ingenio, la bendición de la Luz y un artefacto robado a la despiadada Reina Araña. Su viaje será largo, duro y lleno de peligros. Los aliados se convertirán en enemigos; los enemigos se convertirán en aliados. Y el Señor Oscuro estará esperando...
Luz de Araña incluye muchos de los elementos clásicos de fantasía y especialmente de Dungeons & Dragons: una banda de inadaptados excepcionales, liderados por el elegido que cumple una antigua profecía. Tenemos un mago de gran poder, un par de guardias muy capaces -incluida la guerrera obligatoria- y un ladrón para esas tareas furtivas que siempre hay que hacer. Su búsqueda para intentar derrocar al Señor Oscuro está llena de acontecimientos y es peligrosa, incluido un encuentro violento con un nido de enormes arañas. Y de repente esta fantasía clásica se tambalea hacia un lado y se convierte en algo muy diferente.
Pero Tchaikovsky una vez más toma un género principal, lo agarra por la nuca y lo sacude a fondo, como en su excelente aventura de ciencia ficción, Herederos del tiempo. Sin embargo, esto no es simplemente una parodia. La historia es demasiado fascinante, los personajes y la aventura demasiado apasionantes y atractivos como para que esto se use solo como un vehículo para la irónia. Hay algunos momentos magnificos como cuando el mago Penthos se promete a sí mismo hechizar al guerrero Harathes con otra semana de impotencia por morderlo.
Hay algunas cosas clave que hacen de Spiderlight una novela estupenda pero la más importante es Nth. Nth es una araña forzada a unirse a la comunidad por la Reina Araña para evitar que su prole se extinga. No le gustan los humanos a menos que los esté comiendo. Eso es todo. O lo sería si nuestro mago, Penthos, no lo contorsionara en la forma de un hombre. A primera vista, Nth es tu personaje estándar de pez fuera del agua; sin embargo, Spiderlight se mete con ese tropo al hacerlo lo más lamentable posible. Él no es un héroe; es un esclavo de los héroes. Odia ser humano y odia estos nuevos conceptos y emociones que ahora se ve obligado a soportar. No ayuda que todos lo odien también. Sin spoilear demasiado, Nth finalmente ve que no todos los humanos lo ven como un mutante, y a través de la lente hábilmente dibujada en su mente que proporciona Tchaikovsky, podemos ver y sentir lo que es pasar de ser un marginado a terminar siendo aceptado.
En un mundo de grandes novelas de fantasía épica a veces con un ritmo flojo y falta de concentración, Spiderlight es tan afilada como el colmillo de una araña.
Luz de Araña incluye muchos de los elementos clásicos de fantasía y especialmente de Dungeons & Dragons: una banda de inadaptados excepcionales, liderados por el elegido que cumple una antigua profecía. Tenemos un mago de gran poder, un par de guardias muy capaces -incluida la guerrera obligatoria- y un ladrón para esas tareas furtivas que siempre hay que hacer. Su búsqueda para intentar derrocar al Señor Oscuro está llena de acontecimientos y es peligrosa, incluido un encuentro violento con un nido de enormes arañas. Y de repente esta fantasía clásica se tambalea hacia un lado y se convierte en algo muy diferente.
Pero Tchaikovsky una vez más toma un género principal, lo agarra por la nuca y lo sacude a fondo, como en su excelente aventura de ciencia ficción, Herederos del tiempo. Sin embargo, esto no es simplemente una parodia. La historia es demasiado fascinante, los personajes y la aventura demasiado apasionantes y atractivos como para que esto se use solo como un vehículo para la irónia. Hay algunos momentos magnificos como cuando el mago Penthos se promete a sí mismo hechizar al guerrero Harathes con otra semana de impotencia por morderlo.
Hay algunas cosas clave que hacen de Spiderlight una novela estupenda pero la más importante es Nth. Nth es una araña forzada a unirse a la comunidad por la Reina Araña para evitar que su prole se extinga. No le gustan los humanos a menos que los esté comiendo. Eso es todo. O lo sería si nuestro mago, Penthos, no lo contorsionara en la forma de un hombre. A primera vista, Nth es tu personaje estándar de pez fuera del agua; sin embargo, Spiderlight se mete con ese tropo al hacerlo lo más lamentable posible. Él no es un héroe; es un esclavo de los héroes. Odia ser humano y odia estos nuevos conceptos y emociones que ahora se ve obligado a soportar. No ayuda que todos lo odien también. Sin spoilear demasiado, Nth finalmente ve que no todos los humanos lo ven como un mutante, y a través de la lente hábilmente dibujada en su mente que proporciona Tchaikovsky, podemos ver y sentir lo que es pasar de ser un marginado a terminar siendo aceptado.
En un mundo de grandes novelas de fantasía épica a veces con un ritmo flojo y falta de concentración, Spiderlight es tan afilada como el colmillo de una araña.
December 31, 2021
Comic take on sword and sorcery with the author's signature spider's PoV.
Loved it! Had quite a few laughs and for something so lighthearted the story was surprisingly gripping.
Also great characters - delighfully flawed and still likeable (and funny ofc)
October 20, 2021
Spiderlight follows the same high level script as Lord of Rings and every other quest to defeat the Dark Lord. Party is assembled. They travel across dangerous ground and through secret passages. Problems/conflicts arise. Eventually they reach the Dark Lords tower and confront him. What's different in Spiderlight is Tchaikovsky subverts these tropes to produce something darker and more worthy of your time.
Subversion 1: The Questing Troop. Tchaikovsky's band is not a group of likable would be heroes. Most are unlikable. There's Dion, the prissy, judgmental High Priestess of The Light; Harathe, misogynistic asshole warrior (you'll root for him to be first to die), Penthos, incredibly powerful egotist wizard who mostly wants to show off, Cyrene, Amazon archer with the most interesting story arc of the bunch, and Lief, the only traditional quest character, a thief for comic relief. Forced to join the group, Nth, transformed, inhuman, and struggling to understand who he has become - the gollum and catalyst for the story.
Subversion 2: In most fantasy, the heroes have flaws, but their struggles are largely individual and internal - the doubting priest, the warrior/sorcerer who skills have diminished, etc. Spiderlight's characters have flaws, some large, but they manifest as conflicts between the characters vs internal conflicts. Their interactions are at times shockingly dark. TRIGGER WARNING - There is a discussion of rape. The result: a team always on the edge of imploding. Violently. Often more dangerous to themselves than the Dark Lord.
Subversion 3: There is very little world building. Spiderlight is not a cross-country epic like Lord of the Rings with cultures and environs described in exquisite detail. It is presented as a series of vignettes - a scene in a forest, a scene in a town, a scene in the Dark Tower - much like a play with the world building only as painted backdrop. The focus is on the characters and how they relate to each other vs the world around them. This focus requires good dialogue and weighty subject matter to sustain a story. Tchaikovsky delivers. Really, really well, yielding much to debate and ponder.
Subversion 4: The Dark Lord is not just an evil bogeyman like Sauron et al. He is far more complex. One of the more imaginative villains I've read. The dilemma he presents at the end is terrific. A great way to end the tale.
I'll avoid giving away the story - I think it's best to enter without too much information - and say only that in the end Spiderlight is not really about defeating the Dark Lord. It's about bias, division, labels, and worthiness to be a hero. About demons internal vs external. And about how many dark deeds can Light do and still claim to be good, true, and not Dark?
Previous to reading Spiderlight, the only other Tchaikovsky I'd read was Walking to Aldebaran. I hated it. Had no interest in giving him another chance. A sale on Spiderlight and offer of a buddy read with friends changed my mind. I'm glad I did. Spiderlight is one of the most enjoyable books I've read this year, fun and full of big ideas and moral dilemmas. On my buy, borrow, skip scale: I bought it and am glad I did. If you've any interest in good fantasy, you should too.
end notes:
Buddy read with Carol and Nataliya. Thanks ladies. Their reviews here and here present different takes on the book, but we're aligned that it's a great read.
Some quibbles with Spiderlight:
1. Abrupt tonal changes. It opens like a D&D script from an episode of The Big Bang Theory, so sophmoric that I almost dropped it. It then grows increasingly serious and dark, culimnating in a mind-blowing exchange between Cyrene, Enth and Dion - the best part of the book. One of those wow moments readers live for. The ending moves from a serious battle in the caves, to too many Pratchett-like yucks in the tower assault, back to serious business when the troop faces the Dark Lord. Almost as if different authors wrote parts of the book. The tonal changes detract from the book in my opinion.
2) The Dark Lord's too modern speech. "Magic man," "You in the mail," and the silly "It's on" at the start of the Penthos, Dark Lord battle read like smirky winks to the 5th grade gaming crowd. A bit too Bro on ocassion for a Dark Lord.
3) Harathe survived.
Subversion 1: The Questing Troop. Tchaikovsky's band is not a group of likable would be heroes. Most are unlikable. There's Dion, the prissy, judgmental High Priestess of The Light; Harathe, misogynistic asshole warrior (you'll root for him to be first to die), Penthos, incredibly powerful egotist wizard who mostly wants to show off, Cyrene, Amazon archer with the most interesting story arc of the bunch, and Lief, the only traditional quest character, a thief for comic relief. Forced to join the group, Nth, transformed, inhuman, and struggling to understand who he has become - the gollum and catalyst for the story.
Subversion 2: In most fantasy, the heroes have flaws, but their struggles are largely individual and internal - the doubting priest, the warrior/sorcerer who skills have diminished, etc. Spiderlight's characters have flaws, some large, but they manifest as conflicts between the characters vs internal conflicts. Their interactions are at times shockingly dark. TRIGGER WARNING - There is a discussion of rape. The result: a team always on the edge of imploding. Violently. Often more dangerous to themselves than the Dark Lord.
Subversion 3: There is very little world building. Spiderlight is not a cross-country epic like Lord of the Rings with cultures and environs described in exquisite detail. It is presented as a series of vignettes - a scene in a forest, a scene in a town, a scene in the Dark Tower - much like a play with the world building only as painted backdrop. The focus is on the characters and how they relate to each other vs the world around them. This focus requires good dialogue and weighty subject matter to sustain a story. Tchaikovsky delivers. Really, really well, yielding much to debate and ponder.
Subversion 4: The Dark Lord is not just an evil bogeyman like Sauron et al. He is far more complex. One of the more imaginative villains I've read. The dilemma he presents at the end is terrific. A great way to end the tale.
I'll avoid giving away the story - I think it's best to enter without too much information - and say only that in the end Spiderlight is not really about defeating the Dark Lord. It's about bias, division, labels, and worthiness to be a hero. About demons internal vs external. And about how many dark deeds can Light do and still claim to be good, true, and not Dark?
Previous to reading Spiderlight, the only other Tchaikovsky I'd read was Walking to Aldebaran. I hated it. Had no interest in giving him another chance. A sale on Spiderlight and offer of a buddy read with friends changed my mind. I'm glad I did. Spiderlight is one of the most enjoyable books I've read this year, fun and full of big ideas and moral dilemmas. On my buy, borrow, skip scale: I bought it and am glad I did. If you've any interest in good fantasy, you should too.
end notes:
Buddy read with Carol and Nataliya. Thanks ladies. Their reviews here and here present different takes on the book, but we're aligned that it's a great read.
Some quibbles with Spiderlight:
1. Abrupt tonal changes. It opens like a D&D script from an episode of The Big Bang Theory, so sophmoric that I almost dropped it. It then grows increasingly serious and dark, culimnating in a mind-blowing exchange between Cyrene, Enth and Dion - the best part of the book. One of those wow moments readers live for. The ending moves from a serious battle in the caves, to too many Pratchett-like yucks in the tower assault, back to serious business when the troop faces the Dark Lord. Almost as if different authors wrote parts of the book. The tonal changes detract from the book in my opinion.
2) The Dark Lord's too modern speech. "Magic man," "You in the mail," and the silly "It's on" at the start of the Penthos, Dark Lord battle read like smirky winks to the 5th grade gaming crowd. A bit too Bro on ocassion for a Dark Lord.
3) Harathe survived.
April 7, 2022
The book blurb is misleading. It would have you believe that this is just a straight up high fantasy novel about a quest to defeat the typical evil overlord. While it certainly starts out that way, with the familiar collection of D&D characters fighting their way through a forest that is the home to the nest of a terrible spider queen, it's more than that. After that opening, we get to meet the characters and learn more about them. Rather than being the noble sort that one would get from Tolkien, we get a fractious lot prone to jealousy, self-righteousness, hypocrisy, sexism, vanity, and cruelty.
And these are the good guys!
Tchaikovsky, ever the arachnophile, serves up a spider character that is forced to join the group on its quest. I don't want to give too much away here, but the character, Enth, serves as a focal point for the group's ethical dilemmas. The way each character interacts with Enth reveals their true nature. Those with a conscience are forced to reconcile their actions and attitudes with the cause they claim to serve. Some succeed; others don't bother.
But it isn't all soul searching in the dark by candlelight. There are some lighter parts.
Usually it's the thief, Lief, that delivers the satirical jabs, but he's also the one who's the most accepting of others who fail to live up to the lofty standards established by the self-righteous.
In the final confrontation with the Dark Lord, Tchaikovsky steers clear of the expected epic fantasy showdown. Sure there's a battle, but Darvezian's monologuing is more savage than his physical attacks, skewering the characters' belief system and self-worth and shredding them to bits.
Spiderlight sets aside the everyday tropes of the epic fantasy tale and opts instead to explore themes that are rarely discussed in the genre. The characters' ethical dilemmas easily translate to the real world: Misguided faith will make people do terrible things, and assuming that everyone of a certain demographic is inherently good/evil, despite actions to the contrary, is fallacy. I found Tchaikovsky's choice to be a refreshing take on the genre.
4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars because I stopped what I was doing just so I could finish the last 10% of the book. That doesn't happen often.
And these are the good guys!
Tchaikovsky, ever the arachnophile, serves up a spider character that is forced to join the group on its quest. I don't want to give too much away here, but the character, Enth, serves as a focal point for the group's ethical dilemmas. The way each character interacts with Enth reveals their true nature. Those with a conscience are forced to reconcile their actions and attitudes with the cause they claim to serve. Some succeed; others don't bother.
But it isn't all soul searching in the dark by candlelight. There are some lighter parts.
When Dion considered the world, her chief question was, Is this of Light or Dark? Penthos's main interest was usually, Is this flammable?
-------
"Shut up, Penthos," Haranthes snapped at him, which would earn the man another week of impotence once they got back to civilization, not that he'd ever suspect who was behind his intermittent problem. Oh it's good to be a magus.
-------
"Who would live at the top of a tower? Have you seen how many fucking stairs there are?"
Usually it's the thief, Lief, that delivers the satirical jabs, but he's also the one who's the most accepting of others who fail to live up to the lofty standards established by the self-righteous.
Am I really about to rescue a monstrous servant of evil from the hands of the righteous?
Enth whimpered. It was a human sound. Lief knew it: he himself had once or twice been beaten and broken just enough to make that sound.
Fuck the righteous.
In the final confrontation with the Dark Lord, Tchaikovsky steers clear of the expected epic fantasy showdown. Sure there's a battle, but Darvezian's monologuing is more savage than his physical attacks, skewering the characters' belief system and self-worth and shredding them to bits.
"You go through life doing terrible, terrible things to each other, and to everything else, but you somehow still believe that you're right."
-------
"Let me hear the sad little sound of your hearts breaking."
-------
"My child, it doesn't matter if you do your best, if you don't get anywhere. It's just doubly pathetic that this, only this was your best."
Spiderlight sets aside the everyday tropes of the epic fantasy tale and opts instead to explore themes that are rarely discussed in the genre. The characters' ethical dilemmas easily translate to the real world: Misguided faith will make people do terrible things, and assuming that everyone of a certain demographic is inherently good/evil, despite actions to the contrary, is fallacy. I found Tchaikovsky's choice to be a refreshing take on the genre.
4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars because I stopped what I was doing just so I could finish the last 10% of the book. That doesn't happen often.
December 27, 2019
Compañía de Héroes bendecidos por la Luz contra el Mal de la Oscuridad (y las mayúsculas no son superfluas).
Bien, vale, lo de siempre, ¿verdad?.. Pues sí pero no (Qué bien que me explico!)
Para empezar el Sr. Adrian ya se ríe de casi todos sus personajes y les hace sobreactuar o utilizar un lenguaje pomposo o claramente elitista o arquetípico de “buenos” o “malos”. Continuamos con que hay claras alusiones a rechazar lo “diferente” o a intentar cosificar a la mujer como necesitada de protección y receptora necesaria de atenciones sexuales.
Ahí ya viene la parte de moralina que, sinceramente, a mí en estas lecturas me sobra bastante. Que no leo yo Fantasía con interés ejemplarizante y para que me forme como ser humano, vaya. Que cualquier día veo quemar los libros de Howard (Conan) y gracias a que el autor ya no vive, que si se descuida lo queman a él. Pero bueno, que tampoco se pasa en este aspecto, no os asustéis.
Y tras la filosofada esta sólo decir que s lee en un pis-pas, que es divertido ver como se enfrenta la banda esta de héroes entre ellos debido a sus diversas formas de ver la vida y que se disfruta bastante. ¡Y además no es un tocho!
No le doy las cinco estrellas porque la evolución de la araña Nth no hay quien se la crea. Y las relaciones con alguno de los miembros de la banda, pues menos (supongo, supongo, que para gustos los colores).
En resumen: que sí, que Adrian Tchaikovsky se hace un hueco entre mis “obligados” después de leer éste y el de “Herederos del tiempo”.
Bien, vale, lo de siempre, ¿verdad?.. Pues sí pero no (Qué bien que me explico!)
Para empezar el Sr. Adrian ya se ríe de casi todos sus personajes y les hace sobreactuar o utilizar un lenguaje pomposo o claramente elitista o arquetípico de “buenos” o “malos”. Continuamos con que hay claras alusiones a rechazar lo “diferente” o a intentar cosificar a la mujer como necesitada de protección y receptora necesaria de atenciones sexuales.
Ahí ya viene la parte de moralina que, sinceramente, a mí en estas lecturas me sobra bastante. Que no leo yo Fantasía con interés ejemplarizante y para que me forme como ser humano, vaya. Que cualquier día veo quemar los libros de Howard (Conan) y gracias a que el autor ya no vive, que si se descuida lo queman a él. Pero bueno, que tampoco se pasa en este aspecto, no os asustéis.
Y tras la filosofada esta sólo decir que s lee en un pis-pas, que es divertido ver como se enfrenta la banda esta de héroes entre ellos debido a sus diversas formas de ver la vida y que se disfruta bastante. ¡Y además no es un tocho!
No le doy las cinco estrellas porque la evolución de la araña Nth no hay quien se la crea. Y las relaciones con alguno de los miembros de la banda, pues menos (supongo, supongo, que para gustos los colores).
En resumen: que sí, que Adrian Tchaikovsky se hace un hueco entre mis “obligados” después de leer éste y el de “Herederos del tiempo”.
April 9, 2019
Sword and sorcery at its finest! Absolutely loved it!
November 9, 2024
Adrian Tchaikovsky is good at spiders. And endings. And, it seems, narrating books also.
I have been reading mostly his SF, because that is my drug of choice, but even at his publishing rate, I am running out of his SF; hence I am starting to read his fantasy. Some friends loved this; it was just coming out on audiobook narrated by the author himself, so here we are.
By the way, while he is very good at narrating, I would have preferred it in print, not because of narration flaws but because I think this type of story would have worked better for me in print. There were a lot of POV changes, which is always something that puts me off in audiobooks.
Relatively short (his range is also wide at length of stories...), a quest kind of fantasy, kind of, with a spider joining the quest. A lot here on religion and good and evil, and that theme and even the kind of humor reminded me so much of Terry Pratchett and even Douglas Adams (plus mandatory Tolkien, obviously, but that has seeped profoundly into any quest story it is practically unavoidable...). Also really good at portraying the women POVs and being the object of unwanted desire.
As usual, I do not know how to rate this, it's very good and I can't actually point anything I think is a flaw, but at the same time, it did not hit me with the full power of a full fledged 5 star book. I need to think a bit more, but as always, my ratings are erratic and often just a matter of "feel.".
I have been reading mostly his SF, because that is my drug of choice, but even at his publishing rate, I am running out of his SF; hence I am starting to read his fantasy. Some friends loved this; it was just coming out on audiobook narrated by the author himself, so here we are.
By the way, while he is very good at narrating, I would have preferred it in print, not because of narration flaws but because I think this type of story would have worked better for me in print. There were a lot of POV changes, which is always something that puts me off in audiobooks.
Relatively short (his range is also wide at length of stories...), a quest kind of fantasy, kind of, with a spider joining the quest. A lot here on religion and good and evil, and that theme and even the kind of humor reminded me so much of Terry Pratchett and even Douglas Adams (plus mandatory Tolkien, obviously, but that has seeped profoundly into any quest story it is practically unavoidable...). Also really good at portraying the women POVs and being the object of unwanted desire.
As usual, I do not know how to rate this, it's very good and I can't actually point anything I think is a flaw, but at the same time, it did not hit me with the full power of a full fledged 5 star book. I need to think a bit more, but as always, my ratings are erratic and often just a matter of "feel.".
June 30, 2022
3.5/5 "Fuck the righteous."
Fulana, la sacerdotisa, Mengano el mago, un fortachón, una arquera y un ladrón avanzan por un bosque con otro puñao de tópicos en su camino para derrocar a un mago malvado de toda la vida.
Bueno, pues ahí está. Échale un puñao de arañas, homenajes al género, hachazos a los tópicos del mismo, otro camión cisterna de arañas (que no falten), una cucharada sopera de chascarrillos y déjalo fermentar.
Tchaikovsky, lo del final de la segunda parte no me lo esperaba. El final sí, pero es entretenido igualmente, ligero y un poco diferente a lo habitual.
Lo recomendaré a todas mis conocidas con aracnofobia. Click, click.
Fulana, la sacerdotisa, Mengano el mago, un fortachón, una arquera y un ladrón avanzan por un bosque con otro puñao de tópicos en su camino para derrocar a un mago malvado de toda la vida.
Bueno, pues ahí está. Échale un puñao de arañas, homenajes al género, hachazos a los tópicos del mismo, otro camión cisterna de arañas (que no falten), una cucharada sopera de chascarrillos y déjalo fermentar.
Tchaikovsky, lo del final de la segunda parte no me lo esperaba. El final sí, pero es entretenido igualmente, ligero y un poco diferente a lo habitual.
Lo recomendaré a todas mis conocidas con aracnofobia. Click, click.
February 21, 2019
3.5/5
Tal vez sea porque lo he leído en inglés y me haya perdido algo, aunque en principio no creo, pero lo cierto es que mentiría sino dijera que me ha decepcionado un poco esta historia. Esperaba algo tremendo y me he encontrado con una historia de fantasía bastante típica y sin mucha miga, en la que solo el final me ha parecido interesante.
Con respecto a los personajes, pues bastante estereotipados y sin mucho que destacar. La trama, pues lo dicho, le salva el final. La ambientación no esta mal, pero tampoco aporta nada nuevo o sorprendente.
En definitiva, un buen libro de fantasía, pero muy lejos de la excelencia.
Tal vez sea porque lo he leído en inglés y me haya perdido algo, aunque en principio no creo, pero lo cierto es que mentiría sino dijera que me ha decepcionado un poco esta historia. Esperaba algo tremendo y me he encontrado con una historia de fantasía bastante típica y sin mucha miga, en la que solo el final me ha parecido interesante.
Con respecto a los personajes, pues bastante estereotipados y sin mucho que destacar. La trama, pues lo dicho, le salva el final. La ambientación no esta mal, pero tampoco aporta nada nuevo o sorprendente.
En definitiva, un buen libro de fantasía, pero muy lejos de la excelencia.
May 17, 2019
Me lo he pasado en grande con este libro, si bien es cierto que el resultado final queda deslucido por haber diversas erratas que a estas alturas jode bastante encontrar.
De todos modos, me gustaría creer que en una segunda edición, y pasando una corrección el resultado mejorará exponencialmente.
Dejando de lado esto, que no quería que quedase sin comentarse, es un libro estupendo y hay puntos que me ha hecho reír de verdad. Como contrapunto, el personaje del guerrero (Harathes? Lo digo de memoria) es un puto insoportable que me aporta a la trama las ganas de atizarle con una silla en la cara cada vez que abre la boca. Reseña completa: https://cafedetinta.com/2019/05/17/sp...
De todos modos, me gustaría creer que en una segunda edición, y pasando una corrección el resultado mejorará exponencialmente.
Dejando de lado esto, que no quería que quedase sin comentarse, es un libro estupendo y hay puntos que me ha hecho reír de verdad. Como contrapunto, el personaje del guerrero (Harathes? Lo digo de memoria) es un puto insoportable que me aporta a la trama las ganas de atizarle con una silla en la cara cada vez que abre la boca. Reseña completa: https://cafedetinta.com/2019/05/17/sp...
May 23, 2019
3,25 / 5
Spiderlight, de Adrian Tchaikovsky, es una revisión del tropo de la fantasía clásica para parodiarlo y homenajearlo a la vez. Un grupo de héroes liderados por la poderosa sacerdotisa de Armes está destinado a cumplir la profecía: derrotar al poderoso Señor Oscuro Darvezian. Para ello, solo deben conseguir el diente de la gran madre Araña y seguir el sendero de la araña hasta la guarida del mal. Sin embargo, no todo resulta tan sencillo cuando un inesperado miembro se suma a la cuadrilla, rompiendo el equilibrio del equipo. Superar su incorporación será mucho más complicado para cada uno de ellos que lograr pasar con éxito cada una de las pruebas que les espera hasta el Señor Oscuro.
Con un tono ligero y de ritmo episódico, ya que originalmente la novela se publicó por entregas en una revista, Spiderlight es una aventura de pura espada y brujería con sabor rolero que se cuestiona sobre lo que significa ser humano, así como el código ético sobre el que regimos nuestras decisiones. La introspección en cada personaje a la que acudimos con el pasar de las páginas hace más real que nunca la frase hecha de las apariencias engañan. El estereotipo de cada personaje va cayendo cual ficha de dominó. La dualidad entre el Bien y el Mal se tiñe de color gris. Pero no es un gris penumbroso y nada halagüeño. Aquí no hay tanta sangre y vísceras, miseria o guerra por doquier. Spiderlight juega con el drama ligero, la acción y la pura parodia para divertir al lector de fantasía, más que otra cosa.
El prolífico autor británico nos lleva por una travesía conocida, pero desde una nueva perspectiva. Las ideas y tropos preconcebidos son coloreados con humor y se van destrozando sin pudor poco a poco. A espadazo limpio, como quien dice. Tchaikovsky explora los lugares comunes de la alta fantasía, las fórmulas usadas una y otra vez por cientos de autores, para jugar con las expectativas del lector de género. Con múltiples referencias y guiños a los mismos, pero sin dirigirse a nadie en concreto, cada arquetipo es examinado y deconstruido para tratar de sorprendernos. Un divertido juego con múltiples puntos de vista que tira por los suelos las típicas historias del Bien contra el Mal, aunque de primeras no lo parezca.
Reseña en el blog: https://boywithletters.blogspot.com/2...
Spiderlight, de Adrian Tchaikovsky, es una revisión del tropo de la fantasía clásica para parodiarlo y homenajearlo a la vez. Un grupo de héroes liderados por la poderosa sacerdotisa de Armes está destinado a cumplir la profecía: derrotar al poderoso Señor Oscuro Darvezian. Para ello, solo deben conseguir el diente de la gran madre Araña y seguir el sendero de la araña hasta la guarida del mal. Sin embargo, no todo resulta tan sencillo cuando un inesperado miembro se suma a la cuadrilla, rompiendo el equilibrio del equipo. Superar su incorporación será mucho más complicado para cada uno de ellos que lograr pasar con éxito cada una de las pruebas que les espera hasta el Señor Oscuro.
Con un tono ligero y de ritmo episódico, ya que originalmente la novela se publicó por entregas en una revista, Spiderlight es una aventura de pura espada y brujería con sabor rolero que se cuestiona sobre lo que significa ser humano, así como el código ético sobre el que regimos nuestras decisiones. La introspección en cada personaje a la que acudimos con el pasar de las páginas hace más real que nunca la frase hecha de las apariencias engañan. El estereotipo de cada personaje va cayendo cual ficha de dominó. La dualidad entre el Bien y el Mal se tiñe de color gris. Pero no es un gris penumbroso y nada halagüeño. Aquí no hay tanta sangre y vísceras, miseria o guerra por doquier. Spiderlight juega con el drama ligero, la acción y la pura parodia para divertir al lector de fantasía, más que otra cosa.
El prolífico autor británico nos lleva por una travesía conocida, pero desde una nueva perspectiva. Las ideas y tropos preconcebidos son coloreados con humor y se van destrozando sin pudor poco a poco. A espadazo limpio, como quien dice. Tchaikovsky explora los lugares comunes de la alta fantasía, las fórmulas usadas una y otra vez por cientos de autores, para jugar con las expectativas del lector de género. Con múltiples referencias y guiños a los mismos, pero sin dirigirse a nadie en concreto, cada arquetipo es examinado y deconstruido para tratar de sorprendernos. Un divertido juego con múltiples puntos de vista que tira por los suelos las típicas historias del Bien contra el Mal, aunque de primeras no lo parezca.
Reseña en el blog: https://boywithletters.blogspot.com/2...
August 7, 2016
4 Stars
Spiderlight by Adrian Tchaikovsky is a fun, classic sword and sorcery romp that seems geared towards the young adult crowd. Disclaimer: I am a huge fan of Tchaikovsky and will surely read everything that he ever writes. He gives us an action packed tale of the typical quest to vanquish the dark Lord.
Why should you read this? If you are already a fan of Adrian Tchaikovsky then this is a no-brainer easy read that you should pick up just to experience the lighter side. I am sure as an author he shares the same roots as we the reader, so I actually liked his foray into the YA world of fantasy that pays tribute to the legends. This is also a summer read as it can be read in a day or two. Pleasantly, you will be surprised by the imagination and the twists that occur.
The problems that people are expressing about this book have to do with the structure, the story, and of the characters as well. It is not a shocker that they have all been done before. You know what? Who cares? Tchaikovsky has written a classic fantasy that children as well as adults can enjoy. I really enjoyed it.
The humor is juvenile and the dialogue can be clunky at times, but underneath it all is the outstanding writing of one of the industries greatest. Spiderlight is a cool, super fast paced fantasy filled with magic, swords, and of course spiders...
Spiderlight by Adrian Tchaikovsky is a fun, classic sword and sorcery romp that seems geared towards the young adult crowd. Disclaimer: I am a huge fan of Tchaikovsky and will surely read everything that he ever writes. He gives us an action packed tale of the typical quest to vanquish the dark Lord.
Why should you read this? If you are already a fan of Adrian Tchaikovsky then this is a no-brainer easy read that you should pick up just to experience the lighter side. I am sure as an author he shares the same roots as we the reader, so I actually liked his foray into the YA world of fantasy that pays tribute to the legends. This is also a summer read as it can be read in a day or two. Pleasantly, you will be surprised by the imagination and the twists that occur.
The problems that people are expressing about this book have to do with the structure, the story, and of the characters as well. It is not a shocker that they have all been done before. You know what? Who cares? Tchaikovsky has written a classic fantasy that children as well as adults can enjoy. I really enjoyed it.
The humor is juvenile and the dialogue can be clunky at times, but underneath it all is the outstanding writing of one of the industries greatest. Spiderlight is a cool, super fast paced fantasy filled with magic, swords, and of course spiders...
December 19, 2022
Another Adrian Tchaikovsky spider story!
MacHalo Buddy Read
Well...hmmm. Not my favorite Tchaikovsky. It was really good at the end. I just don't know what happened to the first whopping 60% of the book. Very dull. So bad I had to pick up another book. It did have very good story morals, Tchaikovsky style! No one can hit the heart of humanity by way of bugs like Tchaikovsky can!
MacHalo Buddy Read
Well...hmmm. Not my favorite Tchaikovsky. It was really good at the end. I just don't know what happened to the first whopping 60% of the book. Very dull. So bad I had to pick up another book. It did have very good story morals, Tchaikovsky style! No one can hit the heart of humanity by way of bugs like Tchaikovsky can!
August 18, 2021
"Vosotros, los héroes, vosotros sí creéis. Vais por la vida haciéndoos cosas terribles unos a otros y a todo lo demás, pero de alguna manera os arregláis para creer que tenéis razón".
Me resistía un poquito a leer esta novela. "Herederos del tiempo" fue una de mis mejores lecturas del año pasado, pero algo me decía que no iba a disfrutar igual de "Spiderlight". Son historias completamente diferentes.
En esta, tenemos al típico grupo de héroes que inician una aventura para enfrentarse al Señor de la Oscuridad. Para conseguirlo, se apoyan en una profecía que les lleva a convertir a un ser de la Oscuridad (una araña) en uno de ellos. Un nuevo compañero, Enth, que les ayudará a conseguir sus objetivos. Al principio, todos ven a Enth como un monstruo al que usar única y exclusivamente para derrotar al Líder de la Oscuridad. Sin embargo, a medida que avanza la historia, las relaciones entre los distintos miembros del grupo van cambiando, y se van dando cuenta de que Enth, a pesar de ser un ser de Oscuridad, merece un trato diferente al que le venían dando hasta ahora... Lo cual nos lleva poco a poco a la conclusión de esta historia, y, para mi, a lo más interesante de la misma: desmontar el cliché de la fantasía clásica que enfrenta a la luz contra la oscuridad. A lo puro, bueno y divino contra lo corrupto y malvado.
En esta historia los héroes no son perfectos ni mucho menos. Cometen múltiples atrocidades en nombre de la Luz, de lo que se supone que es correcto, y justifican sus actos en ello sin pararse a pensar si obran de manera correcta. Deshumanizan al diferente, matan y destruyen todo a su paso, y nunca se plantean si están equivocados.
Ni los héroes son perfectos, ni los villanos tan malvados, porque todos tenemos "luz y oscuridad" dentro, y nosotros elegimos qué parte queremos potenciar. Y así, Tchaikovsky nos plantea esta interesante reflexión sobre la complejidad del ser humano y como en la fantasía a veces se ha reducido a algo tan simple como "el bien contra el mal". Algo que concluye con un final que me ha parecido una maravilla.
Y sin embargo, a pesar de todo esto... Las reflexiones son interesantes, pero la forma en la que se llega a ellas es, de nuevo, una historia de aventuras. Ya sabéis lo que me suele ocurrir con las historias de aventuras... Durante la primera mitad de la novela desconectaba todo el rato, me costaba concentrarme y me planteé incluso abandonarlo, porque no lo estaba disfrutando. Es cierto que disfruté la segunda mitad muchísimo más, cuando ya se empiezan a tratar más en profundidad los temas que envuelven a la historia... Pero no voy a mentir: para ser un libro tan corto me costó bastante terminarlo.
Es una buena novela, de verdad que sí. Pero ya estoy asimilando que este tipo de historias no son para mi. Porque aunque me guste el mensaje, no disfruto del todo con su ejecución y me cuesta mucho engancharme. La recomiendo, por supuesto, pero tampoco ha sido una lectura extraordinaria para mi.
Me resistía un poquito a leer esta novela. "Herederos del tiempo" fue una de mis mejores lecturas del año pasado, pero algo me decía que no iba a disfrutar igual de "Spiderlight". Son historias completamente diferentes.
En esta, tenemos al típico grupo de héroes que inician una aventura para enfrentarse al Señor de la Oscuridad. Para conseguirlo, se apoyan en una profecía que les lleva a convertir a un ser de la Oscuridad (una araña) en uno de ellos. Un nuevo compañero, Enth, que les ayudará a conseguir sus objetivos. Al principio, todos ven a Enth como un monstruo al que usar única y exclusivamente para derrotar al Líder de la Oscuridad. Sin embargo, a medida que avanza la historia, las relaciones entre los distintos miembros del grupo van cambiando, y se van dando cuenta de que Enth, a pesar de ser un ser de Oscuridad, merece un trato diferente al que le venían dando hasta ahora... Lo cual nos lleva poco a poco a la conclusión de esta historia, y, para mi, a lo más interesante de la misma: desmontar el cliché de la fantasía clásica que enfrenta a la luz contra la oscuridad. A lo puro, bueno y divino contra lo corrupto y malvado.
En esta historia los héroes no son perfectos ni mucho menos. Cometen múltiples atrocidades en nombre de la Luz, de lo que se supone que es correcto, y justifican sus actos en ello sin pararse a pensar si obran de manera correcta. Deshumanizan al diferente, matan y destruyen todo a su paso, y nunca se plantean si están equivocados.
Ni los héroes son perfectos, ni los villanos tan malvados, porque todos tenemos "luz y oscuridad" dentro, y nosotros elegimos qué parte queremos potenciar. Y así, Tchaikovsky nos plantea esta interesante reflexión sobre la complejidad del ser humano y como en la fantasía a veces se ha reducido a algo tan simple como "el bien contra el mal". Algo que concluye con un final que me ha parecido una maravilla.
Y sin embargo, a pesar de todo esto... Las reflexiones son interesantes, pero la forma en la que se llega a ellas es, de nuevo, una historia de aventuras. Ya sabéis lo que me suele ocurrir con las historias de aventuras... Durante la primera mitad de la novela desconectaba todo el rato, me costaba concentrarme y me planteé incluso abandonarlo, porque no lo estaba disfrutando. Es cierto que disfruté la segunda mitad muchísimo más, cuando ya se empiezan a tratar más en profundidad los temas que envuelven a la historia... Pero no voy a mentir: para ser un libro tan corto me costó bastante terminarlo.
Es una buena novela, de verdad que sí. Pero ya estoy asimilando que este tipo de historias no son para mi. Porque aunque me guste el mensaje, no disfruto del todo con su ejecución y me cuesta mucho engancharme. La recomiendo, por supuesto, pero tampoco ha sido una lectura extraordinaria para mi.
August 20, 2024
Un libro bastante sin mas, en ocasiones aburrido, puede que sea mi problema pero no se me ha costado incluso acabarlo siendo tan corto
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