Shadows of the Apt: Difference between revisions

'''''Shadows of the Apt''''' is a fantasy series by Adrian Tchaikovsky (real name: Adrian Czajkowski). The basic plot is fairly familiar- a [[Ignored Expert|single visionary]] must persuade his people of the imminent threat from a [[The Empire|rapacious, conquering empire]]- the main twist is the idea of the insect-kinden; all humans inherit powers based on the idealised abilities of a particular arthropod.

 

The website also contain loads of short stories and [[All There in the Manual|histories]] based in the same world.

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* [[Above Good and Evil]]

* [[A God Am I]]: {{spoiler|All of the slug-kinden of Khanaphes. They actually have the [[Brick Joke|stones]] to back up their claims though.}}

* [[Arbitrary Skepticism]]: Che knows that people can gain powers through meditation, among them telepathic hive minds, ultraviolet vision, wings, and the ability to shoot energy from your hands. She initially refuses point blank to believe in magic.

** Actually nearly all Apt characters fall into this category, not just Che.

** In addition, it is stated on the blog of the author that everyone has basically outgrown the silly superstitions of religion. The inapt believe in spirits but only the ones that can be commanded, not worshiped.

* [[And Then What?]]?: What Thalric says to {{spoiler|his would-be assassin}} in ''Dragonfly Falling''.

* [[Badass]]: The Mantis-kinden, and Tisamon in particular. Thalric does himself justice as well; while he doesn't have the combat prowess of the Mantis-kinden, he gives a good account of himself in fights and happliy roams about behind enemy lines without too much difficulty.

* [[Badass Army]]: An army of one thousand Mantis-kinden from Felyal doesn't quite live up to their boasts- they said they'd be able to kill the whole of the 20,000-strong Imperial Fourth Army. {{spoiler|They only got three quarters of them before the rest fled.}}

* [[Barehanded Blade Block]]: Used rather well in ''Empire in Black and Gold''. Colonel Ulther attempts it (and gets his arm cut open for his troubles) when fighting {{spoiler|Thalric}}, a few pages before Tisamon's duel with {{spoiler|Tynisa}}, in which he pulls off the same trick, thereby reinforcing his badassitude.

* [[Black Magic]]: While magic is not inherently bad, it is said that there are couple truly bad magic. {{spoiler|The darakyon ritual and the blood magic Mosquito Kinden utilizes in general}}

* [[Blood Knight]]: Tisamon is one in Helleron where he fights continuously, still wounded over the long past hurt and taking it out the only way he can.

** In salute the dark {{spoiler|It's Tiasmon again, anguished over his "betrayal" of Atryssa willingly lets himself be captured by the Wasps as a gladiator slave to get a chance to kill the Emperor as a form of redemption}}

** Due to their influence {{spoiler|Empress Seda seems to be doing pretty much the same. Except that it seems to have a uncontrollable hunger vibe compared to the Uctebri's controlled hunger}}

* [[Brainwashed and Crazy]]: At the end of ''Blood of the Mantis'', {{spoiler|Tynisa}} is forced via magic to attack {{spoiler|Achaeos}}.

* [[Cartwright Curse]]: Both Stenwold Maker and his niece Che believe themselves to be bad luck for others.

* [[Drowning My Sorrows]]

* [[Dying Declaration of Love]]

** A very close approximation: the Inapt are graceful, (usually) tall and some use magic, while the Apt are generally bulkier and use technology.

*** This is partially averted in later books where it is shown that many Skater Kinden are becoming Apt whereas they had all been Inapt a few generations before.

* [[The Empire]]: The Wasp Empire.

* [[Evil Cannot Comprehend Good]]

* [[Evil Sorcerer]]

* [[Fantastic Racism]]: All kinden have their stereotypes about each other, but 'half breeds' tend to suffer far worse.

* [[Fantasy Counterpart Culture]]: Elements of it, but certainly not to the extent often seen. Nevertheless, it's interesting to look at the Dragonfly-kinden, with their [[Katanas Are Just Better|unusual long-handled swords]], their "golden skin" and their surnames before their personal names. Did I mention that the Dragonnfly was used in Japan as a symbol of the Samurai?

* [[Fantasy Gun Control]]: Subverted with crossbows being the "weapon of the revolution" that put theApt in charge and the Inapt on their long journey down the pecking order, and then again when {{spoiler|Totho invents the "snapbow" for the Empire, which is basically a gun that shoots further and harder than crossbows ever could, and makes even the awesome Mantis-kinden obsolete}}.

* [[Fridge Brilliance]]: Most of the things that the Spider Kinden Lord-Martial Teornis <s> says to the wasps </s> says to any foreigner can be interpereted in many different ways that make sense in different context later on. Pay attention to what he says to the Wasps about greeting them with closed fists: is he acknowledging their cultural differences and using their signal of peace to dislpay it, or is he underhandedly insulting them and declaring war?

* [[Good Is Old-Fashioned]]

* [[Healing Hands]]

* [[I Gave My Word]]

* [[Ignored Expert]]: Stenwold, at the beginning of the series

* [[It Was a Gift]].

* [[Lampshade Hanging]]: Uctebri has a sense of the dramatic, it seems.

* [[La Résistance]]: The Mynan resistance, which [[The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized|isn't particularly nice.]]

* [[The Last of His Kind]]: Cesta believes that he is the last of the Assassin Bugs

*** Actually it seems more like some arts are more common in different kinden but not exclusive. All ant kinden have the mindlink, but many Bee kninden also have the link among their own kind and so do a few rare wasps. Wasps have a sting, bees and ants have a very similar acidic attack (I think).

*** And there is also {{spoiler|Scyla and presumably other magicians who can use magic to not only change their appearance, but also their own kinden and art!}}

* [[Love Makes You Evil]]: {{spoiler|Totho}}

* [[Made a Slave]]

** {{spoiler|Totho eventually turns into this.}}

* [[Magic A Is Magic A]]: Art is Art, and is inherited and instantly recognisable ''as'' Art; technology is only usable and creatable by the Apt, and Aptitude is nearly always decided by kinden; magic is only usable by the Inapt, and relies on doubt and fear.

** Particularly prominent in ''The Scarab Path'', with the attitude of the city of Khanaphes to progress.

* [[Master Swordsman]]: The Mantis [[Planet of Hats|Hat]] in general, the Weaponsmasters in particular, though many prefer the Claw.

* [[May-December Romance]]

* [[More Hero Than Thou]]

* [[The Mourning After]]

* [[Neutral No Longer]]: {{spoiler|The Moth-kinden and the Helleren militia}} at the end of ''Empire in Black and Gold''.

* [[Not a Game]]

** ''The Sea Watch'' has to take the cake though. Despite some foreshadowing from previous books and online material, hints from [[Word of God]], and even the front cover of the book itself; nothing prepared this troper for {{spoiler|the reveal that the "Sea-kinden" aren't just insect kinden that live underwater but are kinden of entirely non-insect related origins, and that these kinden are divided into families of unrelated kinden. Considering that the histories of the insect kinden are still a mystery to the reader its a pretty big shock to be suddenly introduced to Octopus- and Jellfish-kinden. It also raises even more questions about how much Scyla (and her teachers) truely knew about the different types of Kinden.}}

* [[Our Dwarves Are All the Same]]: Beetle-kinden.

* [[Our Elves Are Better]]: Spider-kinden and Moth-kinden.

* [[Outgrown Such Silly Superstitions]]: The Apt in general, Che in particular. This being a fantasy book, they are wrong.

** Actually a double-case; the Apt have outgrown the silly superstitions of magic, and ''everyone'''s outgrown the silly superstition that gods exist.

* [[Think Nothing of It]]

* [[The Unfavourite]]: What Che sees herself as.

* [[Unlucky Childhood Friend]]: Totho. A ''very'' interesting treatment of it, as it's Che's merely fraternal affection for him that leads to Totho {{spoiler|working for the Wasps.}}

* [[Unwilling Suspension]]

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Fantasy Literature]]