This is the second book by Adrian Tchaikovsky I've read, and I have to say, I'm becoming addicted to his storytelling. Dogs of War was an amazing introduction, but Children of Time takes it to a completely different level.
It's been touted as "evolutionary sci-fi," and that's exactly what it delivers—though not in the way you might expect. While an unspecified number of expeditions were sent to terraform worlds for a fading humanity, one stands out—Kern's World. This is where evolution was accelerated by a crafted nanovirus, designed to prepare a "workforce" from the planet's monkeys. But the initial payload burned up on deployment. The virus, however, didn't stop, and life, as always, found a way—this time in the insect world. The ultimate evolutionary victors? A species of arachnids—Portia, the jumping spiders.
The second storyline follows what is likely the last of humanity, escaping a ruined Earth aboard the Gilgamesh in search of the promised terraformed planets. But instead of a new paradise, they find Kern's World. Before they even encounter the arachnids, they must face Dr. Kern, who is determined to protect her world by any means necessary.
As I mentioned, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this clever and well-structured sci-fi novel.
Rating: ★★★★☆ ?