Shards of EarthShards of Earth
What it's about
Decades ago, enormous alien beings called Architects began destroying planets, including Earth, until humans created enhanced 'Intermediaries' who could talk to them and stop them. Idris, one of the last Intermediaries, now works as a salvager in space, until he discovers a sign that the Architects may be coming back.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Goodreads Choice finalist. It's big, exciting space opera.
You'll love it if you liked
A Memory Called Empire
Leviathan Wakes
Project Hail MaryGood to know
It's the first of a trilogy.
By the numbers
- Readers68 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller29 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
On our reserve shelf: it's well reviewed, but isn't currently a prize winner, a lifetime bestseller or a book everyone's talking about, so we don't rank it. We check again every month, and it can still turn up in your 50 once you've read most of our ranked books.
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking, Dark, Adventurous
More by Adrian Tchaikovsky
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Alien Clay
Service ModelIf you like this, read next
The Tainted Cup
Atmosphere
A Drop of Corruption
The Will of the Many
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Cloud Cuckoo LandExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Shards of Earth worth reading?
It was a Goodreads Choice finalist. Its Must-Read Score is 67.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Shards of Earth about?
Decades ago, enormous alien beings called Architects began destroying planets, including Earth, until humans created enhanced 'Intermediaries' who could talk to them and stop them. Idris, one of the last Intermediaries, now works as a salvager in space, until he discovers a sign that the Architects may be coming back.
How long does it take to read Shards of Earth?
About 15 hours (592 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Shards of Earth?
If you liked it, try A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine, Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey or Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir.