The Air War

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What to expect

An empress demands her birthright . . .


The Air War is the eighth book in the critically acclaimed epic fantasy series Shadows of the Apt by Adrian Tchaikovsky.

All is in turmoil as the world moves towards war. In Solarno, spies eye one another and ready their knives – while the people of Myna watch troops gather at its borders. Emotions run high as old fears reawaken. And in Collegium students argue politics, too late to turn the tide.

At the heart of the Empire, new pilots complete their secretive training, generals are recalled to service and armies are readied to march. Their Empress, heir to two worlds, intends to claim her birthright. For nothing – either within the Empire or beyond it – will stand in her way.

The Air War is followed by the ninth book in the Shadows of the Apt series, War Master’s Gate.

The entire series is narrated by Ben Allen (Alien Clay). Listeners love the series in audio:

‘Fantastic narration that really got you to imagine this amazing world’

‘You get consumed into the world and its characters’

‘The characters are distinct with masterful accents’

‘The narration and sound design is jaw-dropping’

‘Ben Allen's narration was frankly phenomenal all the way through’

Critics Review

Brimming with imagination
SciFiNow
The Shadows of the Apt series is simply one of the best epic fantasy series out there
LEC Book Reviews
Super world-building, great characters and extreme inventiveness
Fantasy Book Critic
Epic fantasy at its best. Gripping, original and multi-layered storytelling from a writer bursting with lots of fascinating ideas
Walker of Worlds
Full of sparking, speculative innovation
Stephen Baxter, author of the Xeelee Sequence, on The Doors of Eden
Breathtaking scope and vision. Adrian Tchaikovsky is one of our finest writers
Gareth L. Powell, author of Embers of War, on Children of Ruin
A joy from start to finish. Entertaining, smart, surprising and unexpectedly human
Patrick Ness, author of The Knife of Never Letting Go, on Children of Time

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