Review: Echoes of the Fall by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Geography

In this world, there are three main regions: the crown of the world, home to the Wolf, Tiger, Bear and the eerie; the plains, where Hyena, Horse and Plains-dog roam; and the riverlands, where lies the empire of the Crocadile, the priests of the Serpent, and the (Comodo) Dragon.

This land is without seas separating them, but there is a large sea to the east, across which the 'Plague people' reside.

The animals discussed in the series are almost entirely from Eurasia or Africa. Particularly Crocadile, is interesting as all true-crocodiles - Crocodylidae - are regionally specific to Sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka, Austrialia, and Southeast Asia. In the Americas, there are only wild Alligators - Alligatoridae - including the American Alligator and Caimans.

The empire of Crocadile appears to mirror that of Ancient Egypt, with the vast majority of its citizens living on the floodplains of a major river. Furthermore, the deity-like visage the people of the empire hold the ruler is equivocable to that of the ancient Pharaohs.

The followers of the Gods have the ability to change form between human and the animal of their God. They do this while carrying with them the clothes they wear and objects they carry to imbue the 'stepped' animal with the strengths from those objects, i.e. a bronze dagger can become bronze teeth.

Interestingly the common weapons of the warriors of the Crocodile used either spears (common throughout bronze age human society) or the macuahuitl, a club set with obsidian. Macuahuitl is a weapon from Mesoamerica, being commonly used throughout the Aztecs and the Mayans. In the story, macuahuitl made with jade is specifically mentioned.

Metaphors with History

One clear inspiration, hinted from the given-names (i.e. Quiet-When-Loud) and the invasion of of the 'Pale people', is the native American peoples before the colonial invasion by Europeans.

Technology of the 'real peoples' are entirely bronze age, apart from the people of the Wolf, who have access to iron, but do not share their craft. The invading force have access to rifles (or muskets/repeaters, the bore of the guns aren't described). This is similar to the much of the early colonial occupation.

There are a few reasons why this is not a direct metaphor to the true history. The major one being that the invaders often use airships - which were not used during the colonisation of the Americas - and large domesticated insects.

Common weapons of the warriors of the Crocodile used were spears (common throughout bronze age human society) and macuahuitl, a club set with obsidian. Macuahuitl is a weapon from Mesoamerica, being commonly used throughout the Aztecs and the Mayans. In the story, macuahuitl made with jade is specifically mentioned. Jade being famously common in South Americia (Guatemala), but also found in Canada, Russia, China, Myanmar, Australia, and New Zealand.

Furthermore, the 'Pale people' often fly, the method of which is not entirely explained in the series. These are likely some form of jetpacks as they mostly take short flights, almost leaps, and are described as "not graceful".

Tangentially, the 'Pale shadow' are a group of people who share ancensters with the invaders, but have since split off, and attempted integration with the other people. This could be imagined, in reality, to be the viking decendants of Erik the Red, having traversed the Labrador sea from Greenland to Newfoundland. Issues with this comparison is that the landed vikings would have come from the frozen north, the crown of the world, whereas in the series they reside in the Serpent's fallen kingdom (after first causing its ruin), far in the south.

Conclusion

To conclude, I don't believe that the Echoes of the Fall trilogy is a direct metaphor for the colonisation of the Americas, but I am grateful for the interesting view Tchaikovsky portrays, of the invasion and occupation of a technologically advanced people. The mentality of the plague people can be seen accross many invading peoples, from the crusades to the modern conflicts of today.

Tchaikovsky also describes realistic relationships and dynamics between the peoples of this world - which thematically fit with the faunal deities - that can be seen in real historical ethnically segregated states. Particularly of note are the dynamics between people of the Wolf and the subjugated people of the Boar, and Tiger.

The reader must be cautioned, when applying the rules from this world to reality, because the people of Tchaikovsky's world could be considered flat and one dimensional due to their only slight variance from the cultural norm of their people. This norm is, however broken on numerous occasions, most saliently by the main character, Manye, being initially of two peoples, unable to choose as neither fit well. Later in the series Manye represents many peoples through long ancenstry instead of direct inheritance, but still feels a disconnect between herself and any of her ancestral gods.