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zillaalpha 's review for:
Empire of Silence
by Christopher Ruocchio
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a great introduction into this series. Don't be fooled by my rating, I'm trying that thing where you be more honest and realistic, without feeling like I need to gladhand a 5* review to everything I finish, because I would give this a 5* before. It has its problems, for sure. The passing is great most of the time, but I found some periods a bit clunky.
The world is fascinating, and so much of it feels like an homage to the ancestors of the sci-fi and fantasy genre. And this may be in part because Samuel Roukin narrated this and Elric, but I definitely had some Elric vibes. Some of the social commentary made me feel like I was in a different area of space in the Dune universe.
Some of the characters felt a little flat, but I think that can also be chalked up to it being the first book in a series. I'll be honest, I thought I'd hate Hadrian. I love a sad/moody/broody lead, but there is always a fine line to walk there between a good character and an annoying character. I feel like Hadrian was, similar to the likes of Paul and Elric, intentionally toeing the line. And I ended up enjoying his character more (but not much more) in the second half of the book. There are still some moral confusions I have, but we'll see how things play out.
I feel like this series is going to continue to keep me hooked, by what I've seen and heard from others. And I want to give the other books room to shine, so a 3.75* for the first of the Sun Eater Series.
The world is fascinating, and so much of it feels like an homage to the ancestors of the sci-fi and fantasy genre. And this may be in part because Samuel Roukin narrated this and Elric, but I definitely had some Elric vibes. Some of the social commentary made me feel like I was in a different area of space in the Dune universe.
Some of the characters felt a little flat, but I think that can also be chalked up to it being the first book in a series. I'll be honest, I thought I'd hate Hadrian. I love a sad/moody/broody lead, but there is always a fine line to walk there between a good character and an annoying character. I feel like Hadrian was, similar to the likes of Paul and Elric, intentionally toeing the line. And I ended up enjoying his character more (but not much more) in the second half of the book. There are still some moral confusions I have, but we'll see how things play out.
I feel like this series is going to continue to keep me hooked, by what I've seen and heard from others. And I want to give the other books room to shine, so a 3.75* for the first of the Sun Eater Series.