Those who have followed my reading escapades know that I am a little lukewarm on Adrian Tchaikovsky. As a writer, he's a master. It's just that sometimes even though his Sci-Fi is masterful, and very well put together, I just, kind of don't love it.
So, I can not really explain why I decided I needed to read Preaching to Choir, but... if you take a gander at the stunning cover, you might understand.
This Cover was done by the amazing Gemma Sheldrake (also known as petitecreme), Without this cover, I likely would have avoided it.
So glad I spent the time to delve into this novella. It was so very different when compared to Shroud, or Alien Clay. I LOVED it. and psst- there are some amazing illustrations/photos in the novella as well.
Coming in at a cool 176 pages this is a perfect read for "Summerween" It gives off the most delicious creepy gothic vibes, and I had a great time reading this.
Without any Spoilers- Readers meet an international couple, Elena And Ross. Ross is British and well heeled, Elena's had to work hard to get where she is- which is attending a prestigious American med school. Elena and Ross are headed to his old family estate for some sort of once in a lifetime family gathering. As they approach the house, things get creepy- but Elena's sure she's just imagining things. She breathes a sigh of relief when the doors swing open- only to get the most unwelcoming welcome ever. Elena, being tough, decides to stick around, until it becomes apparent she's Hotel California'd herself and well... can she leave? Should she leave? Reader's will want to pick up this slim volume to find out.
Readers can expect signature Tchaikovsky Macabre moments, as well as incisive commentary on power, influence and money as well as the lengths people will go to obtain said things.
This reader wants more of this from Adrian Tchaikovsky. Thanks to Solaris, a division of Simon and Schuster for the advanced reading copy.
STATS
First Published August 11, 2026
Pages: 176
Available as an Audio Book : Unsure
Trigger Warnings: violence, murder, death, monsters, racism, classism, creepy house vibes.
(this is not a full list, read responsibly)
I have only read the Children of time books. Do you think I would like this? I liked Children of Time.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read those, but I know they are very popular. Maybe? If you are into creepy gothic mansions and even creepier gothic style families? I really liked it.
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