Lives of Bitter Rain by Adrian Tchaikovsky

I have said in the past that I used to think I didn’t like Adrian Tchaikovsky’s books. I mean, I was told that I SHOULD like them since I’m a big fan of Peter F. Hamilton’s space opera doorstoppers. But when I tried to read one of his books a few years ago I rage-quit it like 12% of the way through. 

But then when his novella Elder Race was nominated for a Hugo, I read it and enjoyed it. I also read Ogres when it was nominated, and it wasn’t half bad. I enjoyed Service Model when the publisher and NetGalley gave me an eARC in exchange for an honest review. My main complaints were too many pop culture references and some incoherent worldbuilding. His other big novel from last year, Alien Clay, really didn’t do much for me. I hated the protagonist and felt it was dreary. 

So I was cautious when I got a copy of his novella Lives of Bitter Rain from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It is part of his Tyrant Philosophers series, which I couldn’t get into when it was nominated for the Best Series Hugo award. 

Sadly, the shorter length didn’t help me get into this book. I read it but it didn’t feel like I retained much of it. The writing was good, the language was good, but the plot was not engaging. This book is clearly not for me.