Children of Time cover art

Children of Time

Children of Time, Book 1

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Children of Time

By: Adrian Tchaikovsky
Narrated by: Mel Hudson
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About this listen

Adrian Tchaikovksy's critically acclaimed stand-alone novel Children of Time is the epic story of humanity's battle for survival on a terraformed planet.

Who will inherit this new Earth?

The last remnants of the human race left a dying Earth, desperate to find a new home among the stars. Following in the footsteps of their ancestors, they discover the greatest treasure of the past age - a world terraformed and prepared for human life.

But all is not right in this new Eden. In the long years since the planet was abandoned, the work of its architects has borne disastrous fruit. The planet is not waiting for them pristine and unoccupied. New masters have turned it from a refuge into mankind's worst nightmare.

Now two civilizations are on a collision course, both testing the boundaries of what they will do to survive. As the fate of humanity hangs in the balance, who are the true heirs of this new Earth?

©2016 Adrian Tchaikovsky (P)2017 Audible Ltd
Fantasy Fiction First Contact Science Fiction Space Exploration Space Opera Interstellar Survival Dystopian Thought-Provoking Mind-bending Solar System

Critic reviews

" Children of Time is a joy from start to finish. Entertaining, smart, surprising and unexpectedly human." (Patrick Ness)
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This is the second book by Adrian Tchaikovsky that I have reviewed (the first in audio format) and, all I can say is … I’m not sure he’s capable of writing anything that isn’t wonderful.

Children of Time focuses on the remnants of Earth, fleeing for the survival of their very species due to the disastrous aftermath of a civil war. The fleeing humans traverse (quite literally) time and space as they transport large numbers of the population in cold-storage, destined to be woken up when a new home world can be found.

Not only does Children of Time revolve around the struggles of mankind, it also focuses on the struggles of the alien species that mankind are to cross paths with. The book shows us the growth of their civilisation just as it shows us the struggles and pitfalls of mankind. It focuses on both in such a way that you can’t help but become emotionally attached to both … and I never thought I’d become emotionally attached to a race of intelligent, thinking, evolved spiders.

The novel deals with big themes such as science, religion, Artificial Intelligences and how such things impact the societies as they continue to grow. My only slight negative was that I felt the narrator’s range of voices wasn’t as wide as I would have liked. Other than that, it was a thoroughly interesting and engaging book from start to finish.

If I had to pick a favourite part, it would most certainly be the start. It really hooked me like no book has for quite a while. The author really manages to engage the reader extremely quick and kept me hooked from there on out. There is also the fact that you get to essentially watch as one civilisation is built from the ground up and another does it’s best to rebuild after being torn asunder.

Another bonus is that Children of Time is a standalone novel. In this era of huge epic fantasy series spanning twenty books, or epic space operas with has high a book count, I just find it refreshing to see there are still authors out there capable of telling a complete story in one book. I also read a rumour on the internet that this may end up being made into a film at some point in the future. Hopefully that rumour is correct!

Another stunning piece from Tchaikovsky

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This book makes you think about creation, the nature of life and the enormity of time. These are all things which Sci-fi should ask you to reflect on. I loved this book and the concepts that the author has put together into a thought provoking story.

Does what Sci-fi should do at it's best

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Imaginative and thought provoking. Loved it! Science fiction with a new take! Really could believe in characters and scenarios even when very alien.

Very clever!

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I found this book an absolute pleasure to listen to. The way the author describes the process of how a completely alien civilisation could evolve and achieve technological milestones in a way that is so different to humans is mesmerising. Sexual equality is such a familiar argument for humans, yet this book spins in in such a way that really makes you think differently. One of the best books I've read hands down.

Intriguing and profound

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I liked listening to this while running, an interesting concept without ever getting to attached the characters meant I enjoyed it in the moment.

A good switch off and let it happen story...

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