Children of Ruin

Another case of interstellar evolutionary uplift, but this time with octopuses. Given their unusual neurology (where each tentacle is somewhat independent of the central nervous system), this makes for a lot of fun chaotic genius. And there's actual alien life which is a bit too hungry for assimilation. The spiders and humans get a look in as well as they attempt to come to peaceable terms. Excellent nerdy scifi.

I also really enjoyed volume 2. However, I should point out to others that, unlike the first volume, it contains a horror element. But I enjoyed the ride and the new alliances. Oh, and unlike in the last book, I was more attached to the human characters.

The epilogue is somewhat strange but optimistic. That's why I read sci-fi!

Tchaikovsky's Children Of Series focuses on the lifeforms left behind by mankind's self-destruction. The sentient spiders from Children of Time are back, and are exploring a solar system caught in a civil war. One of science fiction's strengths is being able to imagine other beings, and Tchaikovsky's depictions of their life and thoughts are excellent here as well.

What a great book. In my last update, I mentioned not being surprised about where the story was at that point, but almost immediately after writing that the story took a wild turn that I didn't see coming at all. The last half of the book took so many twists and turns, making for some very exciting reading. The past couple of days I had a hard time using my free time for anything other than reading this book, it was that captivating.

Children of Ruin builds off its predecessor, Children of Time, and takes the saga to new heights. I can't wait to dive into the final book of the series, Children of Memory, and see how it all wraps up.