Review Day: Blood of the Mantis by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Blood of the Mantis is the third book in Adrian Tchaikovsky's Shadows of the Apt series. The book offers a brisk, tightly-focused cloak-and-dagger story and avoids the excessive sprawl which colored my enjoyment of the previous book.

The story begins after the siege of Collegium. Stenwold Maker must keep his military alliances intact in the face of differing opinions about who should benefit from the schematics for the Wasp-Kinden's deadly snapbow. Che travels to a Spider-ruled border town at risk of falling to the Wasps in hopes of warning the populace and gaining new allies. Acheos, Tynisa, and Tisamon hunt for the mysterious box stolen from Collegium, fervently desired by the Wasp emperor for some strange Mosquito ritual of power.

Instead of the large-scale battles of the previous books, Book 3 focuses more on political intrigue and subtlety. We learn more about the ancient pecking order of the different Kinden groups and explore the magic of the Inapt, those Kinden without a propensity for using technology. More time is spent exploring the mindsets of the main characters, especially Thalric, which helped to deepen my connection to the characters and see them as more than plot ciphers.

There's still a bit of worldbuilding sprawl, in the form of new characters, new Kinden abilities, and an interesting side plot involving the Bee-Kinden city of Szar that will undoubtedly come back later. However, I found Book 3's sprawl to be very manageable because the main characters are often in close proximity and there are only a few "main" plot threads to juggle.

Be aware that this book feels like a "middle book" with no strong conclusion. The plot in the final chapter goes off the rails like a sabotaged Wasp convoy, and feels more like a setup for the next book, Salute the Dark.

Final Grade: B