Adrian Tchaikovsky - Salute the Dark (Shadows of the Apt, Book 4)

Praise for the Shadows of the Apt

Empire in Black and Gold

Occasionally a fantasy author comes up with a way to break the mould of traditional genre tropes: M. John Harrisons Viriconium and China Mivilles Perdido Street Station are two examples that immediately spring to mind. Tchaikovsky, on this evidence, looks like a new addition to that select hall of fame... This looks like a series with legs: six of them

DeathRay

The insectile-humans premise is inventive, shaping the world in all sorts of ways

SFX

Empires most singular distinction in the genre is its employment of a totally different selection of fantastical insect/human hybrids... This allows the author to achieve the unusual feat of creating a new universe populated by unique characters

SciFiNow

Adrian Tchaikovsky makes a good and enjoyable mix between a medieval looking world and the presence of technology... I really enjoyed the novel and with certainty I will read the next novels of the series

Dark Wolfs Fantasy Reviews blog

Dragonfly Falling

Full of colourful drama and non-stop action involving mass warfare and personal combat, Dragonfly Falling brilliantly continues the Shadows of the Apt epic fantasy series that began in Adrian Tchaikovskys remarkable debut novel, Empire in Black and Gold

Fantasy Book Critic

A novel brimming with imagination and execution... The Shadows of the Apt series is quite distinct, mainly due to the insect-kinden and Tchaikovskys fertile imagination. His writing is accessible, if dense, while the sheer amount of extra content he has published on the web with regards to his series adds nuanced flavour to the proceedings

SciFiNow

With all the groundwork laid so well in book one, book two leaps straight into the action and rarely lets-up for the entire of its almost 700 page length, and while the scale of book one was big, the story has now become nothing less than epic... Reminiscent of much thats gone before from the likes of Gemmel, Erikson, Sanderson and Cook but with its own unique and clever touch, this is another terrific outing from Mr Tchaikovsky and a worthy sequel in this epic saga

Sci-Fi-London

Adrian Tchaikovsky was born in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, before heading off to Reading to study psychology and zoology. For reasons unclear even to himself he subsequently ended up in law and has worked as a legal executive in both Reading and Leeds, where he now lives. Married, he is a keen live role-player and occasional amateur actor, has trained in stage-fighting, and keeps no exotic or dangerous pets of any kind, possibly excepting his son.

Catch up with Adrian at www.shadowsoftheapt.com for further information about both himself and the insect-kinden, together with bonus material including short stories and artwork.

Salute the Dark is the fourth novel in the Shadows of the Apt series. Have you read Empire in Black and Gold, Dragonfly Falling and Blood of the Mantis?

ALSO BY ADRIAN TCHAIKOVSKY

Shadows of the Apt

Empire in Black and Gold

Dragonfly Falling

Blood of the Mantis

First published 2010 by Tor

This electronic edition published 2010 by Tor
an imprint of Pan Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
Pan Macmillan, 20 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RR
Basingstoke and Oxford
Associated companies throughout the world
www.panmacmillan.com

ISBN 978-0-330-52127-7 in Adobe Reader format
ISBN 978-0-330-52126-0 in Adobe Digital Editions format
ISBN 978-0-330-52128-4 in Mobipocket format

Copyright Adrian Czajkowski 2010

The right of Adrian Czajkowski to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Visit www.panmacmillan.com to read more about all our books and to buy them. You will also find features, author interviews and news of any author events, and you can sign up for e-newsletters so that youre always first to hear about our new releases.

To my parents, who are wondering how they lost out on book 3 to a dead Frenchman

I cannot thank enough: Simon, my agent, for his constant inspiration and encouragement; Peter Lavery, the master-draftsman of editors; Julie, Chloe and everyone else at Tor UK for their continuing support; Annie, my wife, for her help, and Alex, my son, for not playing up too much when deadlines were looming.

Beyond this: thanks to Hellfire and Horrors (Oxford), Storm Wolves (Reading), Wayne, Shane and Martin and everyone else who has been there to support me.

People

Stenwold Maker Beetle-kinden spymaster and statesman

Cheerwell Che Maker his niece

Tisamon Mantis-kinden Weaponsmaster

Tynisa his halfbreed daughter, Stenwolds ward

Achaeos Moth-kinden magician, Ches lover

Atryssa Tynisas mother and Tisamons former lover, deceased

Thalric renegade Wasp-kinden, former Rekef major

Nero Fly-kinden artist, old friend of Stenwold

Felise Mienn Dragonfly-kinden duellist

Taki Solarnese Fly-kinden aviatrix

Lineo Thadspar Beetle-kinden Speaker for the Collegium Assembly

Balkus renegade Sarnesh Ant-kinden, Stenwolds agent

Sperra Fly-kinden, Stenwolds agent

Destrachis Spider-kinden doctor, companion of Felise Mienn

Parops Tarkesh Ant-kinden, leader of the free Tarkesh

Jons Allanbridge Beetle-kinden aviator

Plius foreign Ant-kinden in Sarn, Stenwolds agent

Prince Minor Salme Salma Dien Dragonfly nobleman, leader of the Landsarmy

Prized of Dragons Butterfly-kinden, Salmas lover

Phalmes Mynan Soldier Beetle-kinden, former brigand, Salmas lieutenant

Teornis of the Aldanrael Spider-kinden Aristos and

Lord-Martial Odyssa Teornis chief agent in Solarno

Cesta Assassin Bug-kinden killer in Solarno

Scobraan Soldier Beetle-kinden aviator in Solarno

Laetrimae Mantis-kinden ghost from the Shadow Box

Xaraea Moth-kinden intelligencer in Tharn

Tegrec Wasp-kinden major and magician, governor of occupied Tharn

Raeka Wasp-kinden, Tegrecs body-slave

Kymene Mynan Soldier Beetle-kinden, leader of the Mynan resistance