Nyr is a scientific anthropologist sent to this planet to study the enviroment with his team centuries ago. Nyr is anything but a sorcerer although the surrounding kingdoms believe that he is. This represents the fantasy side of the story. Tales have been told for centuries of the sorcerer who has defeated evil long ago and Lynesse will call upon Elder Nyr to do it again. When a demon is terrorizing the land and infecting the people at large, Lynesse takes it upon herself to ask the elder sorcerer for aid. Lynesse is the fourth daughter of the queen and is always looked down upon as the runt of the family. The genius part about this novel is we have two POV’s to read and each one represents the genre’s of sci-fi and fantasy. Throw in the plot and character interactions you get an instant classic that transends the fantasy and sci-fi genres!Īt less than two hundred pages, I was able to devour Elder Race in no time at all. Based on creativity and world building alone this will be a top read for any reader. I have never read a story quite like this one and it just kept my mind racing even after I put the book down. (Nov.Inspired by the late Gene Wolfe, Adrain Tchaikovsky has crafted a novel that will be sure to take your breath away. This proves yet again why Tchaikovsky is a master of the genre mash-up. Tchaikovsky takes beloved tropes to exciting new places, carried by memorable characters and clever prose.

Abandoned and unsure, Nyr knows the choice he makes now-to help or not-will define the rest of his life, and decide the fate of Lynesse’s world. He broke protocol to help Astresse defeat the demon, really a leftover piece of Earth-built equipment run amok, and wonders if that transgression is why he’s been cut off from Earth for over 300 years. In truth, however, Nyr is not a mage but an anthropologist, the last of a team from Earth sent to study the colony that became Lynesse’s homeworld. When a demon ravages the countryside, Lynesse is determined to emulate her great-grandmother Astresse, who teamed up with the mysterious, ageless sorcerer Elder Nyr to destroy a monster. Though Lynesse is the mere Fourth Daughter of the Royal Line of Lannesite, she knows she’s capable of more than being the family hoyden. Clarke Award winner Tchaikovsky ( Children of Time) wows with this inventive and empathetic story of courage, science, and magic.

Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky