Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Hero archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Synopsis
The Arthur C. Clarke award-winning author of Children of Time brings us an extraordinary space opera about humanity on the brink of extinction, and how one man's discovery will save or destroy us all. The war is over. Its heroes forgotten. Until one chance discovery . . . Idris has neither aged nor slept since they remade him in the war. And one of humanity's heroes now scrapes by on a freelance salvage vessel, to avoid the attention of greater powers. After earth was destroyed, mankind created a fighting elite to save their species, enhanced humans such as Idris. In the silence of space they could communicate, mind-to-mind, with the enemy. Then their alien aggressors, the Architects, simply disappeared—and Idris and his kind became obsolete. Now, fifty years later, Idris and his crew have discovered something strange abandoned in space. It's clearly the work of the Architects—but are they returning? And if so, why? Hunted by gangsters, cults and governments, Idris and his crew race across the galaxy hunting for answers. For they now possess something of incalculable value, that many would kill to obtain.
Tags
Is Shards of Earth appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 16 and up.
This adult space opera features intense war-related violence, genetic modification of humans, and themes of extinction and trauma. The protagonists hunt across the galaxy while being pursued by dangerous factions.
What to know going in
This book has strong violence, no sexual content, and moderate language. Content notes include genocide, war, and violence (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Readers who love sweeping space adventures with diverse crews, alien mysteries, and high-stakes quests will be riveted by this galaxy-spanning chase.