Title: The Doors of Eden.
Writer(s): Adrian Tchaikovsky.
Publisher: Orbit.
Format: Paperback.
Release Date: September 22nd, 2020 (First Published August 20th, 2020).
Pages: 640.
Genre(s): Science-Fiction.
ISBN13: 9780316705806.
My Overall Rating:
The world’s ecosystems contain some of the most spellbinding wonders of the world. It is sometimes difficult to not see the beauty of each organism’s interaction with another or even their exquisite and singular biological structure assuring them life over death. Suffice to imagine other possibilities in terms of evolution for one to contemplate alternate and parallel universes where everything is possible. While the fragility of humankind counterbalanced by the complexity of human nature and our creative spirit makes us excellent predators, it is not hard to imagine us as preys amidst abnormal creatures. Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning writer Adrian Tchaikovsky, known for his Children of Time duology and his Shadows of the Apt series, presents us with a captivating tale where he envisions parallel universes with acute believability alongside weirdly enthralling creatures.
What is The Doors of Eden about? Four years ago, young and ambitious cryptozoologists Lee and Mal went on a quest to demystify the Birdman creature on Bodmin Moor. A chance encounter, however, only allowed one of them to escape unscathed but forever scarred, oblivious as to what occurred to her girlfriend. Today, a mysterious call shocks Lee to the core as she hears the voice of Mal on the other side of the phone. But what could possibly explain her disappearance and her baffling reappearance? Meanwhile, theoretical mathematician and physicist Kay Amal Khan finds herself victim of a terrifying hate crime that brings Detective Julian Sabreur to investigate unusual clues hinting at mysterious circumstances and unknown powers at play. As Lee is dragged into an unparalleled adventure across time and space, she also discovers that the fate of the world is at stake if the cracks between them aren’t stopped from widening and paving the way for unknown creatures to traverse.
“You ever get the feeling there are cracks in the world?”
— Adrian Tchaikovsky
With a compulsively addictive writing style tinged with bold humour, writer Adrian Tchaikovsky writes one of the most compelling and accessible stand-alone hard science-fiction stories yet. His extensive research on paleontology and biology transcends the narrative and allows him to build a truly compelling world where parallel universes is not a plausibility anymore but a mind-boggling reality. Throughout this adventure, he also doesn’t solely wallow in high concepts but dictates a remarkably immersive thriller hinged on the mystery of a theory that could elucidate one of the greatest mysteries of the world, a theory that concerns multiple Earths. Interspersed with interlude chapters presenting readers with excerpts from a book titled Other Edens: Speculative Evolution and Intelligence by a professor Ruth Emerson—hypnotizing readers into believing the impossible—he also fully commits to creating terrifyingly enchanting creatures that make for some of the most interesting surprises hidden between the lines of this narrative.
Convincingly integrating diverse characters and simultaneously exploring multiple points of views, writer Adrian Tchaikovsky also brilliantly introduces readers to a fascinating cast that all shine in their own way amidst the looming danger that disturbs the once-peaceful lives of these characters. While there is significantly less focus on each individual as the overarching plot and the myriad of events take center stage, there is enough personality and character flowing through the actions of these individuals to understand their respective motives. Withal, it is the beautifully-detailed creatures and the exploration of evolution and multiple Earths that remain this novel’s forte. Upon picking up this novel, allow writer Adrian Tchaikovsky to illustrate some of the most imagination-defying creatures in a way that no one could stop their curiosity from getting the better of them.
The Doors of Eden is a testament of human imagination and adventure with a breath-taking adventure filled with parallel universes and strangely-charming creatures.
Thank you to Orbit Books for sending me a copy for review!
Roars and Echoes 
Speaking of coincidences ..I’m currently watching a Korean drama that also deals with parallel universes…go figure right? 🤔😂
This sounds amazing though! I’ve always been fascinated by this subject anyway. The tale crafted here though…it sounds so cool! I think these writers should start paying you though, because your reviews are so good, that they pretty much sell the book! That’s for sure! Well done Lashaan, and you can be sure this one is added to my list!😊
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You know that’s a sign! Parallel universes are indeed so fascinating. Imagine a world for each decision you DIDN’T make. The countless possible lives you COULD’VE had. Fun stuff! 😛 Hahahah thank you so much for your kind words, my friend! I appreciate it a lot, Michel! 😀
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Great review. I’ve just finished this one and loved it. Anything with parallel universes and I’m in.
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It was fantastic, wasn’t it? I’m definitely going to have to read more of his stuff going forward now. Thank you so much for reading! 😀
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I’m so glad you enjoyed Tchaikowsky’s latest effort! (Not that I had any doubts about it…)
It takes great skill to blend so many fascinating scientific possibilities into a breakneck adventure while keeping a sustained pace, but he managed it beautifully. Great review, thanks for sharing! 🙂
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You definitely summed it up perfectly right there! It really is impressive, especially as a stand-alone novel instead of a trilogy/series! Which seems to be something that I haven’t consumed in a while! 😛 Thank you so much for reading, Maddalena! 😀
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Fab review Lashaan! Is there more story than science in this one? My husband isn’t too keen on sci-fi but loves a good story with a bit of sci-fi if that makes sense? 😜
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Thank you so much, Nicki! It actually balances both perfectly, allowing those readers who want good hard science to enjoy this a lot and then to also appeal to those looking for a fun mystery adventure! 😉
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Sounds good I’ll let my husband know!👍
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Wow this really sounds like it’s up my street Lashaan (amazing review as always btw 😉). Of course, I love parallel universes and time and space intrigues, but I was just thinking the other day that I needed to read (more) science-fiction, and this seems like the perfect novel to start with! Unless you have another recommendation? 😊
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Thank you so much, Juliette! I’m glad to hear your interest in this one! I would also recommend Blake Crouch’s books (Dark Matter, Recursion) for people looking for an excellent introduction to science-fiction too. 😀
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Thanks for the recommendation Lashaan! I hope I’ll have more time to read during this second lockdown and, possibly, start one of these novels 😊
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I’m hoping to read this in November for SciFiMonth and now I’m more excited than ever!
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I can’t wait to see what you’ll think of it, Tammy. Happy reading! 😀
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Great review! He seems a worthy successor to Arthur C Clarke.
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Well said! He indeed is. Thank you so much for reading! 😀
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I’ve only read one book by Adrian Tchaikovsky and I’m afraid that didn’t gel with me at all. Since then I’ve stayed away from this author. I am a sucker for parallel universes though, so this one intrigues me. Wonderful review, Lashaan!
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Oh no! Which one was it? 😮 I can’t tell you if it’s a writing style thing though but if you ever do end up trying this one out, I hope it works out much better for you! Thank you so much for reading! 😀
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Good question, I have been doing what I can to forget about it 😉 but I think it was called Dogs of War. The narration of the audiobook was particularly bad, which may have affected my opinion, but I wasn’t convinced by the storyline either.
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I really need to read Tchaikovsky’s books. They all sound so good!
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Tell me about it! They’re all pretty much on my TBR. Now… it’s just a matter of time. 😛
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Glad to hear you enjoyed this one. I’ve not read nearly enough Tchaikovsky yet, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed what I have read (mostly shorter length material). Can’t wait to try this one day, though I’ll likely try Children of Time first since I have a copy of that one.
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I think he’s definitely an author who belongs at the top of anyone’s science-fiction/fantasy list! I hope to try Children of Time too now for sure. He has wholly impressed me with The Doors of Eden! 😀
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Wow, this sounds so fascinating. I have the other author’s book on my TBR (Children of Time) but this sounds freaking incredible. I can’t wait to check out works by this author. I haven’t gotten to heavy sci-fi this year due to the current climate. But this review was outstanding!
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Children of Time is also on my TBR! And after reading this, I absolutely want to dive into everything he’s written as soon as possible! I hope you have an excellent time with these books when you feel like diving into them! 😀 Thank you so much for your kind words!
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A great review.
If we already know it’s about parallel universes, how does the book still manage to be interesting?
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A very appreciated comment. 😉
Just like anything else, sometimes it’s not the “what” that makes stories interesting, but the “how” or “why”! 😉
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You make this book sound so good. I’d like to give his Children of Time another chance. I think it was last year that I attempted it and DNF’d it. I’d like to try again to see why so many people like his books.
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Oh no, I’m sorry to hear about Children of Time! I actually plan on reading that sometime soon and finally find out why it was so loved too. I hope your next attempt at Tchaikovsky’s books will turn out much more positive though. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my review, Zezee! 🙂
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Thanks! I think it’s because I wasn’t in the mood for it at the time. Hope it goes well for you too.
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