3.5

You can never know. That is the problem with ignorance. You can never truly know the extent of what you are ignorant about.

...sigh. Okay, I've honestly been avoiding writing my Goodreads reviews for a while because of this book.

I really wanted to love this. And I did very much enjoy it. I just didn't love it. Honestly, I kind of wish Tchaikovsky had focused almost solely on the spider storyline. That half of the book was so furiously compelling I could hardly stop listening. By far, this storyline of the book was the most inventive sci-fi I think I've ever read. It was enthralling to see evolution in action and the flaws and triumphs of an early society. I absolutely adored cheering on and against the spiders as they navigated our own species pitfalls. Where I think the human storyline was successful was in its intersections with the spiders. I enjoyed the woman overlord (I forget her name and am writing this a while in the future) and when the humans made contact with the spiders. I didn't hate the ending desperation of the wayward humans, but I feel like that story has been told better. The cult stuff fell flat for me and just felt tired. I'm unsure whether I want to continue this series or not because I'm dying to know what happens to my spider friends, but I'm not sure I can endure boring human drivel for hundreds of more pages.