Description: "[E]pic science fiction at its most genuinely epic." --James S.A. Corey, New York Times-bestselling author of The Expanse novels
"This wow book is a must for fans of Pierce Brown and Patrick Rothfuss." --Library Journal (starred) Hadrian Marlowe, a man revered as a hero and despised as a murderer, chronicles his tale in the galaxy-spanning debut of the Sun Eater series, merging the best of space opera and epic fantasy.It was not his war. The galaxy remembers him as a hero: the man who burned every last alien Cielcin from the sky. They remember him as a monster: the devil who destroyed a sun, casually annihilating four billion human lives--even the Emperor himself--against Imperial orders. But Hadrian was not a hero. He was not a monster. He was not even a soldier. On the wrong planet, at the right time, for the best reasons, Hadrian Marlowe starts down a path that can only end in fire. He flees his father and a future as a torturer only to be left stranded on a strange, backwater world. Forced to fight as a gladiator and navigate the intrigues of a foreign planetary court, Hadrian must fight a war he did not start, for an Empire he does not love, against an enemy he will never understand.
Review Quotes: Praise for Empire of Silence
"Empire of Silence is epic science fiction at its most genuinely epic. Ruocchio has made something fascinating here, and I can't wait to see what he does next." --James S.A. Corey, New York Times-bestselling author of The Expanse novels "Christopher Ruocchio's Empire of Silence is epic-scale space opera in the tradition of Iain M. Banks and Frank Herbert's Dune, without being a clone of either of them. His is a welcome new voice in science fiction." --Eric Flint, author of the bestselling 1632 series "Empire of Silence has the sweep and political complexity of Dune (though no sandworms). It builds to a blazing climax, followed by a satisfying conclusion. I recommend the book." --David Drake, bestselling author of the RCN Series "Empire of Silence is a rich tapestry of future history and worldbuilding, a galactic-sized story of a hero, a tyrant, but portrayed as a man." --Kevin J. Anderson, New York Times-bestselling author of The Dark Between the Stars "Empire of Silence packs in action and erudition in equal measure. This is a gripping first installment in a space opera that delivers both high-adrenaline thrills and hard-earned wisdom about the human spirit." --D.J. Butler, author of Witchy Eye "A richly imagined epic, briskly and vividly told." --R.M. Meluch, author of the Tour of the Merrimack series "A craftsman of rare ability, Christopher Ruocchio lures you into a future filled with danger, action, irony, vaulting prose, and a few, precious dollops of hope." --David Brin, author of Earth and The Postman "Space opera fans will savor the rich details of Ruocchio's far-future debut, which sets the scene for a complicated series.... Readers who like a slow-building story with a strong character focus will find everything they're looking for in this series opener." --Publishers Weekly "Although stretched across a vast array of planets, the story line is often more focused on the intimate than on the expanse, giving it a wonderful emotional punch. This wow book is a must for fans of Pierce Brown and Patrick Rothfuss." --Library Journal (starred review)