Book Review: Children of Time by AdrianTchaikovsky

Children of Time is a futuristic sci-fi epic that takes place in outer space.  Doctor Kern creates a terraform world, but wants monkeys to inherit it.  She thinks she is giving them a boost in evolution with some kind off DNA/microchip/enhancer.  Spiders and ants get the booster instead, creating their own world.  The spiders and ants have trouble getting along.  After an insect war, the spiders win, but do not destroy their enemy.  Instead, they choose to use them for progress.  Doctor Kern is partially dead and alone.  Her mind is uploaded into a computer.  The spiders pray to her and call her 'god.'
The second part of the story is about the last group of humans who escape earth before it destructs.  They live in a massive space ship and coast the galaxy, trying to find a new place to inhabit.  They find Kern's planet, but she and the ants scare them a way for a few centuries.  Eventually, the ship starts to break down and they need to land.  A war between humans and insects takes place, both longing for survival.

My Review:  Without spoiling this award winning novel's ending, the author sets up a constant theme-humans destroy and conquer.  You can figure the rest out or read the book.  The beginning of the story was slow.  I have to admit there were times when I almost thought of moving on and reading something else.  But I stuck with it.  
The second half of the story is where all of the action happens.  I especially love the story line about the cult that develops upon the space ship.  At first, I found the spider story kind of boring, but it heats up.  The author really does an outstanding job in explaining the characteristics of the insects and how they became enlightened, or as he says, are given "Understandings."  I read that the author studied zoology.  Maybe that had something to do with the detailed descriptions and information.  
Overall, I really like this book.  It's too long, at least one hundred and fifty pages or more, but the story is a great one and the characters are unforgettable.  A true treat to all sci-fi lovers looking for something original!  
4.5/5 Stars