Shadows Of The Apt

This series wins big points for originality here. The premise itself sounds, on the surface, ridiculously unbelievable: a world where all humans have the attributes of different insects. However, the author does a very good job at realizing this unique setting fully. While you initially expect the series to be kind of silly the author skillfully makes everything believable. The author, in place of magic, gives every “race” unique powers (called insect ‘kinden’. The idea is that each human insect race gains strengths and weaknesses along the lines of that insect behavior. Beetles are good with tech, ants at warfare, and spiders at politics. It’s an interesting concept, but it really forces characters into archetypal groups rather than let them develop as individual characters with unique abilities and personalities. The series is a mix of weird and brilliant. Some may love it and others not. On the whole though, great world building and an interesting, even gripping story. There are some pretty wicked battle scenes too.