I looked into his other series when I discovered him and was hesitant to get invested in Children of Time because the reviews I read were mixed and many said it was (paraphrasing here) good but something of a slog.
What do you love about it, and—if you’ve read them—how does it compare to TFA series?
I like TFA a lot, but it is very character driven. CoT is a collectivist story, the non-human-centric story reads like David Attenborough is narrating it. I like that part a lot.
The human/character driven parts of the story feel a bit tacked-on and not actually critical to the themes and messages of the story.
I think it is worth a read, and the sequels are more character driven than CoT.
As is the second book. Which kind of adds a horror slant.
The third book is more ambitious and conceptual and in parts, slightly harder going. Still highly rewarding.
Best hardish SF series I’ve read in recent years.
I'd advise other people-- if you don't like the first book, don't bother with the rest. It isn't one of those series that is a slog for the first but gets great. You'll like it or you won't.