The Final Architecture

Paul Weimer wrote that Shards of Earth explores the concept of diaspora and refugees. After the destruction of Earth, the humans in the book become part of an "unwilling diaspora". Weimer writes that this concept has been explored in different ways by other science fiction works, including Anvil of Stars by Greg Bear, the Queendom of Sol series by Wil McCarthy, and both versions of Battlestar Galactica. Weimer writes that exploring these concepts encourages readers to think about the treatment of modern-day refugees who are fleeing from "war, disease, famine, [and] economic privation."[1]

Shards of Earth is narrated from several different perspectives, most notably those of Idris and Solace.[2]

According to reviewer Russell Letson, Shards of Earth contains three MacGuffins: the salvaged ship indicating the return of the Architects, a container of potent alien artifacts, and Idris himself. The novel is divided into five parts, one for each of the planetary systems visited.[3] He also wrote that the series as a whole "belongs to what might be called a meta-genre". Letson compares the horror of unspace to motifs found in the works of H.P. Lovecraft and Algernon Blackwood, among others. He also compared the series to The Expanse by James S.A. Corey, noting that both works contained "space operatics, down-and-dirty noir and intrigue elements, band-of-comrades adventure, gothic spookiness, alien weirdness, special-effects-go-boom sequences, and mysteries that could well remain mysterious when all is finally wrapped up."[4]

In a review for Strange Horizons, Stephen Case wrote that Tchaikovsky organized Shards of Earth into "layers" of worldbuilding. In the first layer, Tchaikovsky develops the individual characters, primarily the crew members of the Vulture God. Each character serves as a "window into the broader universe". In the second layer, Tchaikovsky explores conflict between human factions. For example, conflict between Hugh and the Parthenon is examined through the characters of Idris and Solace. In the third and final layer, the novel explores "the ineffable... and utterly ungraspable" scale of the Architects.[5]

Publishers Weekly gave Shards of Earth a starred review, calling it "dazzlingly suspenseful" and "space opera at its best".[6] In a review for Grimdark Magazine, Carrie Chi Lough praised the novel's nuanced characterization of the Intermediaries and the Partheni, and called the novel "the paragon of epic space operas".[2] In a review for Locus, Russell Letson praised Shards of Earth as an example of "recombinant sci-fi" because it combines several large ideas into a "busy, complicated, surprising [concoction]." Letson praised the story's grand scope as well as its use of common tropes in novel ways.[3] A review in New Scientist praised the psychological exploration of "unspace", but felt that the story was sometimes "hard to follow" due to the number of alien species, planets, and characters.[7] Shards of Earth also won the 2021 British Science Fiction Award for Best Novel.[8]

Publishers Weekly wrote a positive review for Eyes of the Void, stating that the author's "intelligent worldbuilding captures the essence of classic space opera". The review also called the plot "humorous, sometimes convoluted, but always memorable".[9] In an article for Grimdark Magazine, Carrie Chi Lough praised Tchaikovsky's ability to give authenticity to the "truly outlandish aliens", while noting that the second book "did read as more of a setup piece for the third book in the series".[10]