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A review by thisnursereads
Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell
3.0
⭐️3.25
“If he couldn't cope with you, then he couldn't have coped with anything [...]. Nobody could want more than who you are.”
Winter's Orbit reads like YA book and calls itself science fiction/romance but does a mediocre job at fully capturing either genre. Harsher words have been spoken but where this book redeems itself is in the quiet moments between two people that work to find understanding, respect and connection despite their differences and traumas.
An inter-planetarian treaty among the Iskat Empire is up for renewal and all planets (and their diplomats) must appear favorable and peaceful in order for the treaty to pass. When the Thean Count Jainan is widowed after his husband, Prince Taam, dies in a spaceship accident, he is matched with the imperial Prince Kiem and arranged to marry. Jainan is stoic, loyal to a fault, and all logics. Kiem is exuberant, wears his heart on his sleeve and could make friends with a rock. Under any other circumstances, these two would not be together yet here they are. Soon after their marriage, information emerges that Taam's death may not have been an accident and Jainan is a key suspect. Kiem and Jainan are forced to unravel a murder and unearth political secrets in order to save Jainan and the empire.
A+ for effort but C- in execution for proper world building and a grounded science fiction presence. The beginning has so many names and planets thrown out that it is overwhelming and lacks a sense of consistency or guidance. Eventually, I stopped caring about all the names and focused on the progression of the story. With a lot more explanation and detail, this world could be something grand but even the primary settings were weakly detailed.
Now to the characters, I am a sucker for heartfelt, loving characters and although their development fell a bit flat overall, I still loved most of Kiem and Jainan's interactions. As is often with two drastically different characters, there were MANY miscommunications. The entire book was a slow burn of Prince Kiem and Jainan assuming the wrong thing about the other and causing layers of confusion and frustration. It was a bit annoying but added entertainment and helped progress the story. What I feel mixed about is the IPV history between
This book is not life-changing, but it has really sweet moments and is an easy read. If you want to barely tip your toes in sci-fi and get a sprinkle of romance, be my guest with this book.
“If he couldn't cope with you, then he couldn't have coped with anything [...]. Nobody could want more than who you are.”
Winter's Orbit reads like YA book and calls itself science fiction/romance but does a mediocre job at fully capturing either genre. Harsher words have been spoken but where this book redeems itself is in the quiet moments between two people that work to find understanding, respect and connection despite their differences and traumas.
An inter-planetarian treaty among the Iskat Empire is up for renewal and all planets (and their diplomats) must appear favorable and peaceful in order for the treaty to pass. When the Thean Count Jainan is widowed after his husband, Prince Taam, dies in a spaceship accident, he is matched with the imperial Prince Kiem and arranged to marry. Jainan is stoic, loyal to a fault, and all logics. Kiem is exuberant, wears his heart on his sleeve and could make friends with a rock. Under any other circumstances, these two would not be together yet here they are. Soon after their marriage, information emerges that Taam's death may not have been an accident and Jainan is a key suspect. Kiem and Jainan are forced to unravel a murder and unearth political secrets in order to save Jainan and the empire.
A+ for effort but C- in execution for proper world building and a grounded science fiction presence. The beginning has so many names and planets thrown out that it is overwhelming and lacks a sense of consistency or guidance. Eventually, I stopped caring about all the names and focused on the progression of the story. With a lot more explanation and detail, this world could be something grand but even the primary settings were weakly detailed.
Now to the characters, I am a sucker for heartfelt, loving characters and although their development fell a bit flat overall, I still loved most of Kiem and Jainan's interactions. As is often with two drastically different characters, there were MANY miscommunications. The entire book was a slow burn of Prince Kiem and Jainan assuming the wrong thing about the other and causing layers of confusion and frustration. It was a bit annoying but added entertainment and helped progress the story. What I feel mixed about is the IPV history between
Spoiler
Jainan and his previous husband Taam. It was pretty obvious early on that Jainan had experienced trauma in that relationship which is an important story to tell but his healing journey seemed too linear for me.Kiem's response to the situation repeatedly warmed my heart and we all need more people in our life to remind us how worthy of love and happiness we are.This book is not life-changing, but it has really sweet moments and is an easy read. If you want to barely tip your toes in sci-fi and get a sprinkle of romance, be my guest with this book.