Ogres

Part Pierre Boulle, part revolutionary dystopian tale, Adrian Tchaikovsky's new entry in his Terrible World's trio of short fiction tells the tale of Torquell.


Torquell is a rogueish teen who lives in a pastoral village which is governed by the tyrannical Sir Peter Grimes and his equally cruel son, Gerald.

It soon becomes apparent that things are not as they seem. We learn that the world that is ruled by the 1% (not much difference there I hear you say) except that in this world the ruling class are bone crunching, carnivorous Ogres and the underclass are vegetarian serfs whose only function is to be the play things of their masters.

Torquell's destiny is irrevocably altered when he strikes the Lord's son after he is teased and taunted by the vicious Gerald. The repercussions from his actions lead to a tragic conclusion which results in Torquell becoming a hunted fugitive, and a social oddity.

He is subsequently procured by the socially precocious Lady Isadora, who indoctrinates him into her staff retinue. Whilst there, he is guided by Lady Isadora to begin his education of the world around him and the reasons behind the social structure that has emerged, and question its legitimacy as she similarly questions as she fights the male dominated world of the Ogres.

Now whilst the reader may be expecting a cosy fantasy, especially as it has well known Tolkienesque creatures in the title, Ogres is in fact a biting social commentary. It raises questions about class and social behaviour, the use of automated weaponry in war, and also what makes a figurehead.

The narrative itself is written in the second person which brings a kind of mythic detachment to the story, whilst also engaging the reader to experience the events that Torquell has throughout the story. Some readers may find this style of writing off putting, but due to Adrian Tchaikovsky's storytelling skill, it does actually become quite beguiling. In some ways it can be quite clinical as you never actually empathise with the characters. However, determining the labyrinthine puzzles at the heart of the plot strangely moved the story along as both the reader and the main character fathom the events that have lead to the current structures of the world Torquell inhabits.

Ogres is a twisty conundrum of a book that is at once strangely immersive, yet leaves you feeling clinically detached and is Tchaikovsky at his experimental best!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

A story of man vs ogres, told in the 2nd person. I didn't think I was going to enjoy this one, however that quickly changed.

The narrator is very likeable and tells the story of a lovable rogue, who daringly faces off the bigger, meaner and scarier ogres. The prose is fantastic, making every paragraph enjoyable. The way the story is told, it makes you want to keep turning and reading what is next.
I swallowed this up in one day...I usually take a week for each book but this is completely un-put-downable!

Character and plot progress nicely. You learn about the differences in not only build but in way of life.
You are following the rise of the main character, who gradually unveils the truth about his ogre masters, leaving you turning and turning each page, learning along with the MC.

The ending took me by surprise. I won't shed anymore on what exactly and why but it gave me a lot to think about.

5/5 - first 5 star rating of the year and thank you NetGalley & Adrian Tchaikovsky for this fun ride.

Adrian Tchaikovsky takes on a dark satire in Ogres.

“Ogres are bigger than you.
Ogres are stronger than you.
Ogres rule the world.”

Adrian Tchaikovsky, the uber-talented, multi-genre author, has brought us a new novella that delves deeply into a science fiction dystopia where humans are bifurcated between the “haves” and “have nots.” The “haves” are those that exist modification free. They are societies workers, cooks, maids, and craftsmen. They serve the “haves,” who are the lords and ladies of all by blood and economic level and they only eat the “have nots...” occasionally.

“But when you're property, it doesn't matter if your owner treats you well or badly. The ownership is all. We don't split hairs about who is a better slave master. And you would have been the best owner of all, and that still isn't enough reason to keep you alive once you've decided that owning people is fine, just so long as it's you that owns them.”

Torquell is the protagonist of Ogres, and while he is tall and over 6', he is undoubtedly not an ogre. “But when the headman's son, Torquell, dares lift his hand against the landlord's son, he sets himself on a path to learn the terrible truth about the Ogres and the dark sciences that ensured their rule.” I wish I could say more, but this is a concise and tight book. It would ruin the conflict, surprise, and resolution. But let's just say that Ogres is such a surprising book. Tchaikovsky writes about the power inblalances such a system would cause and the slow realization Torquell has as everything he knows comes crumbling down. It is superbly written. I have never read a Tchaikovsky story that missed the mark. Stories that are long-form, serial, novella, or short story, he nails it, and this is no exception.

I loved this story, and I finished it in a single sitting once I picked it up.