Sun Eater Read Along #1: Empire of Silence
As you may have read before, I plan on participating in several book clubs this year, including this one hosted by Andrew Watson of the YouTube channel @the_fools_tale. The club – aptly named “Order of Fools” – consists primarily of discussion forums on his Discord, with the goal of reading a voted book together each month. Previously, each book was selected individually each month, but this year the book club will also be hosting a bi-monthly series readalong. Although my participation in the remaining months will depend on which book is selected – for example, whether it is still unread in my bookcase – I was immediately enthusiastic to read the selected series:
The Sun Eater by Christopher Ruocchio.
January was the time to start the first book and although I was a bit delayed in starting and finishing this part, participation in the discussions was still possible, since they will remain open all year and there are always enough enthusiasts in the Discord who like to discuss their favourite books.
Although I read this book slower than I expected, this should not be taken as a negative point against the book. The story has many interesting elements and I find the direction in which it goes very intriguing.
Christopher Ruocchio – Empire of Silence (The Sun Eater #1) ★★★★
Genre: Science Fiction
It was not his war.
On the wrong planet, at the right time, for the best reasons, Hadrian Marlowe started down a path that could only end in fire. The galaxy remembers him as a the man who burned every last alien Cielcin from the sky. They remember him as a 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.
Fleeing his father and a future as a torturer, Hadrian finds himself stranded on a strange, backwater world. Forced to fight as a gladiator and into the intrigues of a foreign planetary court, he will find himself fight a war he did not start, for an Empire he does not love, against an enemy he will never understand.
“My memory is to the world as a drawing is to the photograph. Imperfect. More perfect. We remember what we must, what we choose to, because it is more beautiful and real than the truth.”
Christopher Ruocchio’s Empire of Silence is a sprawling space opera epic that blends the grandeur of classic sci-fi with an introspective narrative. Told from the point of view of Hadrian Marlowe, who is looking back on his life, the story is steeped in foreshadowing, often spoiling events to come. This narrative choice makes it clear from the outset that Hadrian’s account is, by nature, subjective and colored by his own judgment. Furthermore, the book is set up as a translation of that autobiography, translated by someone who knows Hadrian’s life story and has an opinion about him. Furthermore, Hadrian himself, in writing his account, assumes that the reader already knows him and has formed an opinion about him. This makes for an interesting and sometimes disorienting reading experience.
“The fool believes the iniquities of the world are the fault of other men. The truly wise try to change themselves, which is the more difficult and less grand task.”
The writing style, especially in the beginning, is rather dense and verbose. As a non-native English speaker, I often found myself humbled by the sheer breadth of vocabulary on display. Many times, I assumed I was encountering newly coined sci-fi terminology, only to discover that these were actual English words I had simply never come across before. Yet, despite this sometimes elitist choice of language, the prose flowed exceptionally well. While I occasionally wished the author had used simpler words, it never truly detracted from my enjoyment. In fact, it felt fitting, given Hadrian’s aristocratic and pretentious personality.
“ It is a fact of space travel that we get left behind. Time’s arrow flies in one direction.”
From the start, the story managed to draw me in, even if parts were slow and occasionally dull. Hadrian’s journey, set against the backdrop of a vast, historical-feeling universe – where corporal punishment and gladiators are once again commonplace – is already unnerving. But when that sense of being lost is amplified by the boundless void of space, where one can even get lost in time, it becomes downright terrifying.
“Blood is not the foundation of civilization—ours or any other’s—but it suffuses its mortar at every level, drips from its walls.”
The worldbuilding is a highlight of the book, painting a picture of humanity’s simultaneous evolution and decline.
One of the most fascinating aspects for me, was the concept of the lost Earth itself being deified, with religious fanaticism dictating much of society. The way faith is manipulated to justify cruelty and control is horrifying but unfortunately not unthinkable. It makes for an unsettling but compelling reading experience, especially in light of the discoveries later in the book.
One challenge I faced as a non-visual reader was picturing the alien species. The Umandh, for example, are described as tree-like, with three legs and numerous tentacles. Yet, as soon as their hive mind and song were mentioned, I couldn’t shake the image of the Ood from Doctor Who.
“There are moments, instants that divide. Time fractures about them so that there is a time after . . . and so that all that was before is a kind of dream.”
Reading this book was a strange, discordant experience. While immersed in it, I found myself fully engaged, content to drift along with the slow burn of Hadrian’s story. The prose compelled me to keep turning pages, even when nothing particularly eventful was happening. However, once I set the book down, I rarely felt a strong urge to pick it back up—until I did, cursing myself a little for leaving it untouched for so long. This slow, meandering pace felt purposeful. There are many passages where little or nothing happens and which at first seem superfluous, but in retrospect I see their value in outlining Hadrian’s thinking and motivations. This book is not a plot-driven novel in the first place, but is primarily about getting to know and understand our main character.
However, about halfway through the book, this conflicted feeling was completely dispelled by an unexpected twist in the story. From that point on, the pace picked up considerably, and the exciting developments kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. These revelations and direction make me wildly excited to continue reading the series.
“Eternity is in silence. It is in the quiet of the world, in the darkness and solitude of the heart.”
Ultimately, Empire of Silence serves as a solid springboard for the series, introducing intriguing mysteries, establishing compelling characters, and hinting at larger conflicts to come. While there were passages that felt overly complex and certain sections felt sluggish, the book’s strengths—its world-building, thematic depth, and gradual revelations—more than make up for it. I’m excited to see where Hadrian’s journey takes him next.
