War Master’s Gate by Adrian Tchaikovsky Shadows of the Apt #9

We have come to the penultimate book in the series and boy does it set the stage for the epic conclusion. With stakes at there all time high, one wrong step could lead to disaster. After the devastating carnage brought on Collegium during the Air War, Stenwold will have to empty out his bag of tricks to repel the next assault from the Empire. Meanwhile, Seda and Cheerwell are both searching the mantid forest for a long lost magic that could tear the world apart. This will be a spoiler free review but I will be discussing spoilers from the previous volumes in the series.

Cheerwell, Thalric, and Tynisa have returned from their adventures to the forest of the Mantids. The ant-kinden have informed them that Empress Seda and her army have entered the forest as well looking for the magic of Argastos. Argastos was a Moth-kinden from Lore and a key figure in the war against the worm but his magic has remained behind in the forest. He haunts the dreams of Seda and Che due to their inapt power in hopes that he will be freed once again. Meanwhile, Stenwold Maker and his allies are doing everything they can to build a resistance to the Wasp invasion. A new weapon is about to be unleashed on Collegium and betrayals will shake the foundation of the free cities. All the stops will be pulled but the broken bodies and hearts will forever remain.

War Master’s Gate is the story of two wars being fought on different plains. Stenwold fight the war of the apt with machines and Argastos fights the war of the inapt in the Mantid forest. The sins of the pasts are doomed to repeat themselves if power falls into the wrong hands and this book teeters on that very sharp edge. There will be fights, blood, ancient magic, and shocking moments you will not see coming. However the real shining start in this novel is the history and lore told through the character interactions. The horrifying deeds of the past have created the world our characters live in today but what are the sacrifices done to get here? Whole armies and civilizations were destroyed and are long forgotten except for the few who have lived on. All will come screaming to the climax and leave you speechless at the cliffhanger ending.

This exactly the type of story you would want in a Epic Fantasy series before the grand finale. The tensions and fear will be at there all time high and the characters will feel the torment. If you have made it this far with me, you know that Adrian will not leave you hanging for long. Come see how this epic series will end!

Cheers!