Hi everyone! It is snowy as hell over here so I’m taking advantage of the poor weather and making a dent in my TBR pile. There are a few series I’m starting or continuing this year, so be one the lookout for those. I might do some more mini reviews this year too. Before I get into this review, I want to give a full disclosure and talk about two books I recently DNF’d: The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh and Wicked Saints by Emily Duncan. I might give Wicked Saints a second chance, but I could not bring myself to be interested in The Water Cure. That’s all I have to say about those books. I do, however, have a lot to say about Empire of Silence so let’s pivot to that.

Content Warning: Violence, Some Gore, Some Strong Language, Discussions of Sexual Assault, Intense Battle Scenes, Torture Scenes

Hadrian Marlowe is a young noble with every opportunity at his fingertips. Him following his dreams, though, hinges on impressing his father, a stern and unforgiving man. When Hadrian makes a terrible mistake, he is forced to flee from his father. This decision, however, will change his life forever. Completely on his own, Hadrian must navigate the rough streets filled with thieves and liars, the bloody life of a gladiator, and the complicated politics of the upper eschelon. All of these will ultimately lead Hadrian to a galaxy-wide war that is only just beginning.

I found myself compelled by this first entry of Ruocchio’s The Sun Eater series. The influences on this first book are obvious. It has a galatic world not too dissimilar to Star Wars, a society is a mix of European monarchies and the Roman Empire, and a complicated political system like Dune. It can be a tiny bit overwhelming but Ruocchio does a good job pacing it out the story and taking the time to build each aspect of this world. The anchor that holds all of this together is Hadrian Marlowe as the narrator and I was impressed with him as a main character. Hadrian avoids a lot of the tropes that many MMCs in sci-fi and/or fantasy tend to fall into. Hadrian isn’t a character built on machismo, nor does he brood. He is a bit entitled in the beginning, but he is self-aware. At times, he’s even pathetic and unlucky. With that being said, his actions drive the story forward in a way that doesn’t rely on coincidence or brute force. I found him to be endearing and I wanted him to succeed in some capacity by the end of the novel. That is what ultimately makes this novel work. Overall, I was impressed with Empire of Silence and I can see myself picking up the second book in the near future.