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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book. This book. I have been so excited to write this review, so uhhh it’s gonna be very long because I have nobody else to talk to about this book. Consider this my endorsement to add it to your TBR if you like Fantasy and Sci Fi books. This is the perfect example of right book at the right time. I have been craving something like this, and it checked every single box I needed. Prepare for me to gush about everything I love about this book (I know nobody prob gonna read all this but like and subscribe if you do. Yes I’m talking to all like 4 of you who actually use this app).
Starting off strong, from the very first page my reaction was “Holy Prose.” A lot of the authors I’ve read aren’t the most flowery when it comes to their prose and tend to write in a more modern style, and the ones that do have nice prose tend to write in an older style. This guy? Christopher Ruocchio has probably some of the best modern prose I’ve seen from an author. Like I said, from the very first page I was fully locked in, and the way that this book will go on philosophical tangents or descriptions of people or places was always incredibly beautifully written and yet it never lost my attention. At no point was I ever “bored” with this book…which leads to my next point.
The pacing of this book was genuinely phenomenal. I feel as if I just read 5 different books within this one story, and I mean that in the best way. So much happens in this book, and yet despite there being so much going on the author never feels like he has to sacrifice a slower moment. In fact, I would say this book consists of mostly slower moments, which really allows you to connect to the story and the characters even if they may only be around for a couple of chapters. The character arcs that Hadrian goes on in this book feel so connected and interwoven despite them being so drastically different from one another. It really feels like time is passing, and never once like we are just padding for time. In fact some of my most locked in moments in this book were the more slow paced political intrigues or small character conversations. You get so much out of this book, and it’s not even really THAT long, with the version I read only having about 575 pages.
Next up? The setting. I love me some Sci Fi. I love me some fantasy. This book? Best of both worlds. The setting is sci fi, we have space and aliens and technology and all that cool stuff. I love the way the technology and sci fi elements all feel like a continuation of our culture now, and not just a total abandonment for future’s sake. There’s entertainment media (holographs instead of TV), there’s iPad kids (main characters brother playing on his gaming tablet at the dinner table), the characters have a slightly similar but also different fashion style (they wear sports clothes and spandex to work out in), etc. This book also fixes one of my biggest pet peeves in sci fi: Biome Planets. You know how in so many sci fi books you go to a “snow planet” or a “jungle planet?” Meanwhile Earth is a planet that has all kinds of biomes? Yeah this book doesn’t do that. A planet can be biodiverse and have different cities with different climates that change with the seasons! Hallelujah. And then you have the day to day life style? Fantasy. There’s sword fights, politics between higher classes, arranged marriages, philosophy, gladiators! It’s such an interesting and unique blend of both genres that it really just hits the spot for anyone who is a fan of both genres.
And finally my absolute favorite part of this book. Hadrian Marlowe, The Sun Eater Himself. What a fantastically written protagonist. I love that this book is written in a framed perspective, with Hadrian immediately telling us where his story ends and going back through the events of his life that led up to it. He’s such a human character. And I mean that in the best way, because he is so fleshed out as a character that even the narration further develops who he is. He’s not a one trick pony, like other characters who are good at one thing and they use that skill for everything they do in the book. No no, Hadrian has hobbies. He’s excellent at languages, a skilled fighter from his childhood training, but also? He just likes to sketch. He will get stressed out and decide to sketch in his little notebook to calm himself. And he loves to be melodramatic, so much so that he even admits it in his narration. People will call him out on it and he will just shrug and say “what’s wrong with melodrama.” And he is also deeply empathetic. Even though he does some not great things, having the framed narrative really helps you to understand him because he will write his experience with the guilt and sadness of hindsight. He will reflect on things he wished he did differently, the ways he goes back and thinks of different scenarios that could’ve been. And then my favorite part about Hadrian’s character: BUDDY IS A DOWN BAD ROMANTIC. Another one of my least favorite tropes in fiction is “1 true love,” where characters in a story fall in love once and that’s who they end up with forever. Hadrian? It’s so nice seeing a character have an actual crush. And not like a “this is the main love interest” kind of obvious set up, but just a simple crush. We start the story off and he’s got a childhood crush that he keeps thinking about. Then later in his life he falls in love with someone in a true time of need and trauma. But then all of that pales in comparison to when he meets the true love interest of this book. It’s so clear that he loves her just in the way that he writes about her in his reflections of his life story. He will go on for pages talking about his inner monologue of overthinking interactions with her, and it’s written in a way where it feels like he truly comes alive and lights up in those moments. And the best part? It’s a well paced slow burn. He is captivated by her from the start but she is also a genuine stranger who doesn’t know him, and so we spend chapter after chapter watching these two go from acquaintances to friends to confidants. And there never feels like there is a rush to make them in love and have a relationship. From her first introduction we know that they will end up together because he downright tells us in the narration. So we get to watch as their bond naturally grows throughout the story and are left to watch it grow more as the series goes on. Hadrian is just such a well written character that I just resonate with so much and find him very endearing.
Overall: is this book a little derivative? Sure. Definitely see similarities from things like Name of the Wind or Dune, but ultimately I think that it does such a good job of these things that it’s ok to be a little derivative. It is still wholly original in the story that it is telling and the characters who are telling it. I can’t believe people say this is the weakest of the series because I absolutely loved this book and can see it being one of those stories I hold a special place in my heart for in the future. Absolutely the easiest 5/5 stars I could give.
Starting off strong, from the very first page my reaction was “Holy Prose.” A lot of the authors I’ve read aren’t the most flowery when it comes to their prose and tend to write in a more modern style, and the ones that do have nice prose tend to write in an older style. This guy? Christopher Ruocchio has probably some of the best modern prose I’ve seen from an author. Like I said, from the very first page I was fully locked in, and the way that this book will go on philosophical tangents or descriptions of people or places was always incredibly beautifully written and yet it never lost my attention. At no point was I ever “bored” with this book…which leads to my next point.
The pacing of this book was genuinely phenomenal. I feel as if I just read 5 different books within this one story, and I mean that in the best way. So much happens in this book, and yet despite there being so much going on the author never feels like he has to sacrifice a slower moment. In fact, I would say this book consists of mostly slower moments, which really allows you to connect to the story and the characters even if they may only be around for a couple of chapters. The character arcs that Hadrian goes on in this book feel so connected and interwoven despite them being so drastically different from one another. It really feels like time is passing, and never once like we are just padding for time. In fact some of my most locked in moments in this book were the more slow paced political intrigues or small character conversations. You get so much out of this book, and it’s not even really THAT long, with the version I read only having about 575 pages.
Next up? The setting. I love me some Sci Fi. I love me some fantasy. This book? Best of both worlds. The setting is sci fi, we have space and aliens and technology and all that cool stuff. I love the way the technology and sci fi elements all feel like a continuation of our culture now, and not just a total abandonment for future’s sake. There’s entertainment media (holographs instead of TV), there’s iPad kids (main characters brother playing on his gaming tablet at the dinner table), the characters have a slightly similar but also different fashion style (they wear sports clothes and spandex to work out in), etc. This book also fixes one of my biggest pet peeves in sci fi: Biome Planets. You know how in so many sci fi books you go to a “snow planet” or a “jungle planet?” Meanwhile Earth is a planet that has all kinds of biomes? Yeah this book doesn’t do that. A planet can be biodiverse and have different cities with different climates that change with the seasons! Hallelujah. And then you have the day to day life style? Fantasy. There’s sword fights, politics between higher classes, arranged marriages, philosophy, gladiators! It’s such an interesting and unique blend of both genres that it really just hits the spot for anyone who is a fan of both genres.
And finally my absolute favorite part of this book. Hadrian Marlowe, The Sun Eater Himself. What a fantastically written protagonist. I love that this book is written in a framed perspective, with Hadrian immediately telling us where his story ends and going back through the events of his life that led up to it. He’s such a human character. And I mean that in the best way, because he is so fleshed out as a character that even the narration further develops who he is. He’s not a one trick pony, like other characters who are good at one thing and they use that skill for everything they do in the book. No no, Hadrian has hobbies. He’s excellent at languages, a skilled fighter from his childhood training, but also? He just likes to sketch. He will get stressed out and decide to sketch in his little notebook to calm himself. And he loves to be melodramatic, so much so that he even admits it in his narration. People will call him out on it and he will just shrug and say “what’s wrong with melodrama.” And he is also deeply empathetic. Even though he does some not great things, having the framed narrative really helps you to understand him because he will write his experience with the guilt and sadness of hindsight. He will reflect on things he wished he did differently, the ways he goes back and thinks of different scenarios that could’ve been. And then my favorite part about Hadrian’s character: BUDDY IS A DOWN BAD ROMANTIC. Another one of my least favorite tropes in fiction is “1 true love,” where characters in a story fall in love once and that’s who they end up with forever. Hadrian? It’s so nice seeing a character have an actual crush. And not like a “this is the main love interest” kind of obvious set up, but just a simple crush. We start the story off and he’s got a childhood crush that he keeps thinking about. Then later in his life he falls in love with someone in a true time of need and trauma. But then all of that pales in comparison to when he meets the true love interest of this book. It’s so clear that he loves her just in the way that he writes about her in his reflections of his life story. He will go on for pages talking about his inner monologue of overthinking interactions with her, and it’s written in a way where it feels like he truly comes alive and lights up in those moments. And the best part? It’s a well paced slow burn. He is captivated by her from the start but she is also a genuine stranger who doesn’t know him, and so we spend chapter after chapter watching these two go from acquaintances to friends to confidants. And there never feels like there is a rush to make them in love and have a relationship. From her first introduction we know that they will end up together because he downright tells us in the narration. So we get to watch as their bond naturally grows throughout the story and are left to watch it grow more as the series goes on. Hadrian is just such a well written character that I just resonate with so much and find him very endearing.
Overall: is this book a little derivative? Sure. Definitely see similarities from things like Name of the Wind or Dune, but ultimately I think that it does such a good job of these things that it’s ok to be a little derivative. It is still wholly original in the story that it is telling and the characters who are telling it. I can’t believe people say this is the weakest of the series because I absolutely loved this book and can see it being one of those stories I hold a special place in my heart for in the future. Absolutely the easiest 5/5 stars I could give.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I wanted to like this book, but I found the characters quite unlikeable, specifically Hadrian. I’m sure in the later books, there is supposed to be some sort of character development, but I found almost every decision he made frustrating to read. The world building was quite epic though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Murder
Moderate: Slavery, War
Minor: Cannibalism
4.25/5.00
"Once the lords of men ask thought as your father does, counting all resources as fuel for progress. It destroyed them and cost the Earth her life. In you father, this callousness is excusable only because there are other worlds he might move on to when this over is spent"
"That's not an excuse".
"And there's the difference between you".
Empire of Silence is excellent debut. As far as book 1 of a series goes, it did everything it needed to do. Most notably, Christopher Ruocchio's world building spins a visually delightful tale that takes anthropic principles very seriously. While this book is clearly sci-fantasy, it weaves in a good amount of ideas in physics, evolution and existential philosophy.
Ruocchio's mix of single POV and retrospective autobiographical telling is a masterclass in character development for Hadrian Marlowe. Had is a likable character. Hadrian is a questionable character. Lord Marlowe is a despicable character. Hadrian has so many layers and he feels like a real person with conflicting attributes, questionable decisions and real issues sprinkled with moments of morality. I am fully invested in this character arc.
I marveled at the unhappy odds that had ensured that of all my father's pilot officers, she had been chosen to fly the shuttle. It was almost enough to make believe that there was a God and that he hated me.
The man who hopes for the future delays it's arrival, and the man who dreads it summons it to his door.
There are no prophecies, only probabilities. No Fate, only chance. The present time is not when we are, but what we do.
I loved how Ruocchio stood apart from his predecessors by cutting through sci-fi tropes. Here is an excellent example:
"Because fighting doesn't solve anything."
"Who told you that? I demanded, genuinely nonplussed. "If you fight to solve a problem and win, that problem's solved, Valka. I didn't know what I was saying, but if I had it might have saved me a lot of pain when the war came or when I came to the war.
Ruocchio is eagerly embracing his inspirations from Dune and Star Wars. Many of the sci-fi tropes are present. Most notably, The Name of the Wind influence in stroytelling is very clear. I am waiting to see if Ruocchio can make his galaxy more distinct and truly original, but for book 1 it looks pretty good. The use of European style feuding families in a monarchy smells a bit stale and could use more flavor.
The weakest aspect of this book is the plot. The crux of the story happens in the first 100 and last 50 pages while the middle is mostly world building and character development. But as a setup book 1, I think it is totally excusable. It also feels like the theme of this book is a little meandering. It started well in one direction but seemed to pivot a couple of times. I think the authors is attempting to make multiple thematic arguments, but none of these arguments are fully made in this book. On to book 2 later this year!