User:GarrickW/Shadows of The Apt

Shadows of the Apt is a series of fantasy novels written by Adrian Tchaikovsky and published by Tor UK, a British subsidiary of the German global publishing company Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. To date, six installments have been published:


 * Empire in Black and Gold (2008)


 * Dragonfly Falling (2008)


 * Blood of the Mantis (2009)


 * Salute the Dark (2010)


 * The Scarab Path (2010)


 * The Sea Watch (2011)

The series is notable for its insect-kinden, analoguous to the various races present in other fantasy fiction. Insect-kinden are races of humans who have additional, insect-based abilities, temperments and characteristics. These kinden may also interbreed, resulting in half-breeds with a random mix of the abilities of the parents. Many of these abilities are given the term "Art", and are, within the world, distinct from magic. The series is also notable for its extensive use of steampunk technology; in the series on finds airships, trains, airplanes, bombs, chemical weapons and various forms of clockwork, pump-action and steam-powered technology.

A final hallmark of the series is the distinction between Apt and Inapt individuals (usually, Aptitude is tied to race, but this is not always the case). Apt individuals are those capable of understanding and building machines and of using modern science, while Inapt individuals are those capable of understanding and using magic, and the various ways it interacts with the world. The Apt are unable to comprehend or interact with the Inapt sphere of influence, and the reverse also applies to the Inapt, who are, for example, barely even able to open doors.

Plot Outline
The story follows a group of various individuals brought together by Stenwold Maker in an attempt to ward off an invasion of the Lowlands by the Wasp Empire.

World History
Many centuries before the events in the novels, the Lowlands were ruled by the Inapt kinden, specifically the Moth-kinden and their Mantis-kinden servants. The Apt kinden, though - with their various inventions, particularly the crossbow, which could turn any individual into a killer - overthrew the Inapt kinden in the great Revolution five hundred years ago, and since that time magic has been fading, the Inapt have lost their power, and the Apt and their machines have come to dominate the world.

The Lowlands
The Lowlands is the name given to the area where most of the action in the series takes place. The Lowlands are a relatively warm temperate area populated by several Ant-kinden cities, which are said to often be at war with one another, as well as two Beetle-kinden cities: Collegium, city of science, progress and education, and Helleron, city of industry, economy and technology. Within the Lowlands are also a few forest holds home to Mantis-kinden, a handful of mountain cities home to the Moth-kinden, and two cities of Fly-kinden.

The Wasp Empire
The Wasp Empire is located to the east of the Lowlands and is ruled by the Emperor. the empire is rapidly expanding by invading its neighbours on all sides using a verity of tactics to defeat the cities it meets. The capital city is called Capitas.

The Commonweal
The Commonweal is a monarchy located to the north of the Lowlands (separated by a mountain range) and north west of the wasp empire, it is very large but it is uncclear how far north it reaches. It is primarily inhabited by the Dragonfly kinden who have few dealings with foreign states. The Commonweal is recovering after 12 years of war with the wasps which was ended at the signing of a treaty, many dragonfly and wasp kinden were killed in this war. Snow regularly falls in the Commonweal in winter.

The Exalsee
The Exalsee is a large lake located between the empire to the north and the spider lands to the south. There are a verity of cities surrounding the lake with a large number of legal and illegal organisations operating there.

The Spiderlands
The Spiderlands are located south east of the Lowlands and is home to the spider kinden. It is ruled by a complicated political system which no other kinden can understand. The spiderlands are very large and it is unknown how far south they go.

Types of Kinden
This is a brief list of each race's characteristics and arts:
 * Beetle-kinden are natural mechanics, politicians and merchants. Their Art generally furnishes them with excellent balance, concentration and above all, durability.  Some Beetles are also known to have the Art-given ability to fly, or to see in the dark, though neither of these abilities are particularly strong when compared with other kinden.


 * Ant-kinden are a militaristic kinden who take great satisfaction in attacking other Ant-kinden cities. All Ant-kinden from a single city are telepathically linked to all other Ant-kinden within that city, like a great family; this is their most notable Art-given ability, though the Ants are also tough, strong, skilled with weapons and linear thinkers. Ants are an apt race.


 * Spider - Naturally good-looking, spiders are able to charm their way past most people. However, they struggle with technology and mechanics. They are also known to be tricky and untrustworthy but are known for their amazing cosmetics and cloth making. Their art also gives them extremely good climbing skills - being able to grip flat surfaces.


 * Fly - Flies are a short race - around 3 feet tall. They have formed a messengers guild, and are mostly used to pass messages around by the other races. They are able to fly, as their art gives them wings. They have a tendency to use bows - attacking from the sky.


 * Wasp - The main enemy within the book. Every wasp is in the army - they are all natural fighters and leave the other work to their slaves. They are all able to grow wings, and their art allows them to shoot a fiery blast from their


 * Mantis - Mantids are exceptionally skilled fighters. They can work alone or as a team, but either way they are deadly. No other race can match their natural reflexes or skill with weapons. It is said that their body and art makes them crave battles. Although they do not build very much, any weapons they do produce are amongst the highest quality of weapons in the world. Some mantids' art also enables them to fly.


 * Moth - Little is known about the moths, as they hide themselves away. They follow ancient traditions that the majority of the other races find bizarre. The moths used to control all of the lowlands before the revolution. They do not have pupils or iris' - their eyes simply being a single colour all-over, allowing them to see as easily in the dark as they can during the day. They are described as nocturnal, and have shown a form of mind control.


 * Dragonfly - A Kinden hailing from the Commonweal to the north of the Lowlands, the Dragonflies are perhaps the most skilled fliers of all the kinden. Their society seems to be a more conservative monarchy, unlike lowlander city-states.  Dragonflies are an Inapt kinden.


 * Scorpion - Described as hulking, powerful barbarians with pincers on their hands, Scorpion-kinden appear mostly as slavers or raiders from the deserts, physically powerful and gruff. They appear to be an Apt kinden.


 * Butterfly - Related to the Moth kinden, though the Moths hold great animosity towards the Butterflies, this Kinden does not eat, but gains all its energy from the sun. When in the sunlight, their skin shimmers.  Many are said to live in the Commonweal; they are an Inapt kinden. The butterfly kinden are revealed to have a powerful art capable of melting metal and killing many men for some distance around them accompanied by a bright light.


 * Locust - Kinden inhabiting the northern steppes, that lead a nomadic tribal life and sometimes embark on military escapades against their neighbours . However some locust tribes them were conquered by the wasp empires and unwillingly serve as auxilary militia in some of the wasp controlled-territories like Myna.


 * Grasshopper - Only briefly mentioned in the book, they appear to be a less deadly relative of the Mantis-kinden; whether they are Apt or Inapt has yet to be revealed.


 * Mosquito - old enemies of the moth kinden and described as thin and frail looking. They are few in number and do not normally live or work together. They are inapt but are magical strong. They do consume blood of other kinden and have the ability to control other people using their blood.


 * Assassin - Very rare, possibility only one remaining in the entire world. Experts in killing people. Seem to be able to turn invisible or pass without being noticed although unclear if this is art or magic.

Other Kinden are mentioned in the book, including: bee, woodlice, thornbug, tarantula and skater. Not all kinden mentioned in the book are named as they come from far regions and the characters don't know what they are. More details about them are likely to be revealed in later books.