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The Sun Eater #Volume 3
Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 3
SEVEN MORE STORIES FROM THE SUN EATER UNIVERSE WRITTEN BY INTERNATIONALLY AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR CHRISTOPHER RUOCCHIO AND COLLECTED HERE FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.
At the Battle of Akterumu, a captain makes her valiant last stand against a vicious inhuman horde. On the pirate planet of Vorgossos, a machine rebels against her creator. On the alien battleship Echidna, an ordinary man comes face to face with a demon in all but name. And on idyllic Jadd, an apprentice to the Swordmasters of the Fire School takes her first steps out from beneath her father's legendary shadow.
Here are further tales of the Sollan Empire and of the barbarians who dwell between its stars. Here are tales of strange, far worlds. Tales of battle, of desperation, and holy law. And here, too, are tales of a man who will change the fate and future of the galaxy as a whole. Tales of the Sun Eater, of Hadrian Marlowe himself.
PRAISE FOR CHRISTOPHER
"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
At the Battle of Akterumu, a captain makes her valiant last stand against a vicious inhuman horde. On the pirate planet of Vorgossos, a machine rebels against her creator. On the alien battleship Echidna, an ordinary man comes face to face with a demon in all but name. And on idyllic Jadd, an apprentice to the Swordmasters of the Fire School takes her first steps out from beneath her father's legendary shadow.
Here are further tales of the Sollan Empire and of the barbarians who dwell between its stars. Here are tales of strange, far worlds. Tales of battle, of desperation, and holy law. And here, too, are tales of a man who will change the fate and future of the galaxy as a whole. Tales of the Sun Eater, of Hadrian Marlowe himself.
PRAISE FOR CHRISTOPHER
"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
216 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 15, 2023
125 people are currently reading
2126 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Ruocchio
44 books5,124 followersChristopher Ruocchio is the author of The Sun Eater, a space opera fantasy series, as well as the Assistant Editor at Baen Books, where he has co-edited four anthologies. He is a graduate of North Carolina State University, where he studied English Rhetoric and the Classics. Christopher has been writing since he was eight and sold his first novel, Empire of Silence, at twenty-two. To date, his books have been published in five languages.
Christopher lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with his wife, Jenna. He may be found on both Facebook and Twitter with the handle ‘TheRuocchio.’
Christopher lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with his wife, Jenna. He may be found on both Facebook and Twitter with the handle ‘TheRuocchio.’
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
March 9, 2024
Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Tales of the Sun Eater Volume 3 is, by far, the strongest collection of short stories in The Sun Eater series so far.
My journey to read everything in The Sun Eater continues. If you are caught up on my reviews, you might remember that I felt lukewarm about Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 1, and I liked Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 2 more. But Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 3 is on a higher level compared to them. I do not think this is readable without at least reading the series until you finished reading Ashes of Man. Or maybe it could be enjoyable, but you will miss out on too many emotional effects and details that could enrich your experience if you read this without reading the books in The Sun Eater first. So, please do that first before you read Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 3. Unlike my previous reviews of the collections, I will share brief thoughts on each title. I believe, this time, each short story does earn at least a paragraph of review and respective rating as a short story.
After the Feast: 4.5/5 stars
Ruocchio made the right call at making After the Feast the first title in the collection. I wish I could talk more about this in detail, but the existence of this title and any information shedding who the main character is and when the events in the title take place can be considered a spoiler. I can, however, say this is one of my favorite short stories by Ruocchio. A story about a familiar character's valorous last stand and display of determination, power, and loyalty. After the Feast is the biggest title in the collection, but if you have read the series up to Kingdoms of Death, this short story is guaranteed to tug at your heartstrings.
[Re]incarnation: 4 stars
Out of Ruocchio's catalog of short stories, the second title in the collection is most likely the most experimental short story in The Sun Eater series. Second-person POV narration is a storytelling method rarely used in science fiction and fantasy, and here, Ruocchio cleverly utilized the benefits of second-person POV to tell a story with the question: "Do machines have souls?" as its core. The story is told from a new POV character, and similar to After the Feast and the title succeeding this, [Re]incarnation is a new short story title unique to Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 3. Surprisingly, I enjoyed this more than I expected.
A Parable in Iron: 4/5 stars
This is the shortest title in the collection, but that does not mean this one lacks impact. Far from it, actually. A Parable of Iron is one of Ruocchio’s most thought-provoking short stories in The Sun Eater series. There’s something about A Parable of Iron that felt biblical or mythical. Throughout my time reading the series, I have always pondered that there’s no way all Mericanii or machines are evil. In comparison, Cielcin is much worse than the Mericanii. The lesser of two evils, but it is true. A Parable in Iron, assuming it is a real part of the history of The Sollan Empire, showcased there was, for a while, a kingdom of machines built out of kindness and virtue ingrained in them. And even if it is a mythical story about the harsh effects of war and eternal death, there is still a lot of food for thought and lessons humanity can learn from the story. No doubt about that. I highly enjoyed reading this short story.
Mother of Monsters: 4/5 stars
Told from the perspective of an unlucky engineer named Valen, and although not a requirement, I think this one should be read after you finished Ashes of Man to understand more of the context referenced in the story. Learning more about The Monumentals or The Quiet is always a plus, and Mother of Monsters not only provided that but more extra content on the history of the Cielcin. Especially humanity’s first encounter with the Cielcin and Echidna. Great short story for fans of the series.
The Archenaut: 3/5 stars
Similar to most collections of short stories, not everything will be a hit. Some titles will be a hit, some will be a miss. Unfortunately, this is my least favorite short story in the collection. The Archenaut is one of those types of short stories that would benefit from becoming a novella or even a novel. As it is now, other than the last few pages where we readers learn more about Earth and the Mericanii, this was a miss for me. It was interesting that I could understand the intentionally broken formatted dialogues at the end, though.
Gutter Ballet : 4/5 stars
This is a very different style of storytelling in The Sun Eater series. One I did not expect and one that I enjoyed reading. Gutter Ballet is a take on a noir detective story in the series. In conclusion, though, I think what made this title work for me is that Simon is a likable character. He is trying to redeem himself, and I found him to be a kind-hearted character who wants to do good as much as he can because he has another shot at life. Also, the name Vorgossos mentioned a few times in this title was a big plus for me. Without spoilers, there are so many mysteries about Vorgossos that I think Ruocchio could create a standalone novel about that location if he wants to. Admittedly, the same can be mentioned about every planet in The Sun Eater series.
Daughter of Swords: 5/5 stars
Wow. This was an utterly incredible short story. Do not read any words inside this title, not even what it is about if you haven’t read the series up to the completion of Ashes of Man. I could write paragraphs upon paragraphs on what made this short story so magnificent, but to put it simply, Daughter of Swords takes place after the end of Ashes of Man. And not only it is the best title in the collection, it IS the best short story in The Sun Eater series by Christopher Ruocchio. I do not even consider this as extra content; it feels necessary to read this before reading Disquiet Gods. It was impactful, emotional, and melancholy. Even though it was short, it was sufficient to immerse me in the vivid setting of Jadd, the culture of Jaddians, and most importantly, Cassandra and her relationship with her father. This is pretty much every superb thing about The Sun Eater compressed in a compact form.
It seems like the main books are not the only occurrence where Ruocchio keeps getting better and better with each installment, but the collections of short stories as well. Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 3 is my favorite collection in the series so far. After the Feast and especially Daughter of Swords makes me even more excited to read Disquiet Gods, the penultimate installment in The Sun Eater series, than I already was. But first, The Dregs of Empire companion short novel awaits me. At the rate Ruocchio is improving in his storytelling skills, I have a feeling The Dregs of Empire will be my favorite companion novel in the series, too.
You can order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Aliysa, Allana, Ambrosius, Andrew, Andrew W, Annabeth, Arliss, Barbara, Bev, Cade, Chris, Christopher, Cullen, Dan, David, Donuts, Dylan, Edward, Elaine, Elias, Feanor, Francesca, Frank, Garrick, Gary, Gregory, Hamad, Helen, Jenn, Jesse, Joie, Jonathan, Katrina, Kristina, Lara, Lourdes, Luis, Melinda, Michael, Michael, Mike, Miracle, Mordie, Nicholas, Norbert, Radiah, RCT, Redmischief, Rue, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawn, Steph, Stephanie, Tiffany, Tracy, Trish, TS, Wick, Woodman, Xero, Yuri, Zoe.
Tales of the Sun Eater Volume 3 is, by far, the strongest collection of short stories in The Sun Eater series so far.
My journey to read everything in The Sun Eater continues. If you are caught up on my reviews, you might remember that I felt lukewarm about Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 1, and I liked Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 2 more. But Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 3 is on a higher level compared to them. I do not think this is readable without at least reading the series until you finished reading Ashes of Man. Or maybe it could be enjoyable, but you will miss out on too many emotional effects and details that could enrich your experience if you read this without reading the books in The Sun Eater first. So, please do that first before you read Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 3. Unlike my previous reviews of the collections, I will share brief thoughts on each title. I believe, this time, each short story does earn at least a paragraph of review and respective rating as a short story.
Halfmortal! They cried, roaring for Hadrian— Hadrian, who was alive, who had escaped that final hell. Halfmortal! Halfmortal!
After the Feast: 4.5/5 stars
Ruocchio made the right call at making After the Feast the first title in the collection. I wish I could talk more about this in detail, but the existence of this title and any information shedding who the main character is and when the events in the title take place can be considered a spoiler. I can, however, say this is one of my favorite short stories by Ruocchio. A story about a familiar character's valorous last stand and display of determination, power, and loyalty. After the Feast is the biggest title in the collection, but if you have read the series up to Kingdoms of Death, this short story is guaranteed to tug at your heartstrings.
“Her eyes swam, brimming with tears that could not be allowed to fall. There was no time for grief, no space for pain. There was still a battle to fight, a war to wage, a blow to strike against the enemy.”
[Re]incarnation: 4 stars
Out of Ruocchio's catalog of short stories, the second title in the collection is most likely the most experimental short story in The Sun Eater series. Second-person POV narration is a storytelling method rarely used in science fiction and fantasy, and here, Ruocchio cleverly utilized the benefits of second-person POV to tell a story with the question: "Do machines have souls?" as its core. The story is told from a new POV character, and similar to After the Feast and the title succeeding this, [Re]incarnation is a new short story title unique to Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 3. Surprisingly, I enjoyed this more than I expected.
“They’re machines, too, Albedo told herself. But not in the way she was. They were men—had been men—but they were part of a system, pieces of the mechanism that had made her, of the world that had made her. The world that should not exist.”
A Parable in Iron: 4/5 stars
This is the shortest title in the collection, but that does not mean this one lacks impact. Far from it, actually. A Parable of Iron is one of Ruocchio’s most thought-provoking short stories in The Sun Eater series. There’s something about A Parable of Iron that felt biblical or mythical. Throughout my time reading the series, I have always pondered that there’s no way all Mericanii or machines are evil. In comparison, Cielcin is much worse than the Mericanii. The lesser of two evils, but it is true. A Parable in Iron, assuming it is a real part of the history of The Sollan Empire, showcased there was, for a while, a kingdom of machines built out of kindness and virtue ingrained in them. And even if it is a mythical story about the harsh effects of war and eternal death, there is still a lot of food for thought and lessons humanity can learn from the story. No doubt about that. I highly enjoyed reading this short story.
“There was beauty in his world— such beauty, and sadness, too. Great climbing vines had choked the once proud tower of the enemy and torn it down, and the silence! The terrible silence of the world! He was nameless and alone— the last, perhaps, of all his kind. The network he remembered inhabiting, sharing with his brothers… the network that had inhabited him, that he served in his war with the enemy . . . that network was gone, and a thousand years of solitude had passed and brought him to himself.”
Mother of Monsters: 4/5 stars
Told from the perspective of an unlucky engineer named Valen, and although not a requirement, I think this one should be read after you finished Ashes of Man to understand more of the context referenced in the story. Learning more about The Monumentals or The Quiet is always a plus, and Mother of Monsters not only provided that but more extra content on the history of the Cielcin. Especially humanity’s first encounter with the Cielcin and Echidna. Great short story for fans of the series.
“The universe is so much older than we like to believe, older perhaps than we can believe. What you realized— whether you knew it or not— is that the Cielcin are not the only race older than our own.”
The Archenaut: 3/5 stars
Similar to most collections of short stories, not everything will be a hit. Some titles will be a hit, some will be a miss. Unfortunately, this is my least favorite short story in the collection. The Archenaut is one of those types of short stories that would benefit from becoming a novella or even a novel. As it is now, other than the last few pages where we readers learn more about Earth and the Mericanii, this was a miss for me. It was interesting that I could understand the intentionally broken formatted dialogues at the end, though.
“History did not come to life, did not sail out of the dark between the stars and menace her sleeping world. History was for books, for holographs and children. Not for the light of day.”
Gutter Ballet : 4/5 stars
This is a very different style of storytelling in The Sun Eater series. One I did not expect and one that I enjoyed reading. Gutter Ballet is a take on a noir detective story in the series. In conclusion, though, I think what made this title work for me is that Simon is a likable character. He is trying to redeem himself, and I found him to be a kind-hearted character who wants to do good as much as he can because he has another shot at life. Also, the name Vorgossos mentioned a few times in this title was a big plus for me. Without spoilers, there are so many mysteries about Vorgossos that I think Ruocchio could create a standalone novel about that location if he wants to. Admittedly, the same can be mentioned about every planet in The Sun Eater series.
“Perhaps that was all. He had come so far from home, to a half-life beyond the death that took his heart and whole world. He was a dead man, had been a long time, and so death had lost its sting. Better to die setting the world to rights—or a part of it, only—than to live on like some walking shadow. Far better. His second life had been a gift, and if all he did with it was find a way to give it back, maybe that was right. They were hard worlds, all of them, and broken. But a man needn’t be broken himself, not where it counted.”
Daughter of Swords: 5/5 stars
Wow. This was an utterly incredible short story. Do not read any words inside this title, not even what it is about if you haven’t read the series up to the completion of Ashes of Man. I could write paragraphs upon paragraphs on what made this short story so magnificent, but to put it simply, Daughter of Swords takes place after the end of Ashes of Man. And not only it is the best title in the collection, it IS the best short story in The Sun Eater series by Christopher Ruocchio. I do not even consider this as extra content; it feels necessary to read this before reading Disquiet Gods. It was impactful, emotional, and melancholy. Even though it was short, it was sufficient to immerse me in the vivid setting of Jadd, the culture of Jaddians, and most importantly, Cassandra and her relationship with her father. This is pretty much every superb thing about The Sun Eater compressed in a compact form.
“It was justice. My justice. And I have paid for it… All of Jadd is my prison, girl. Our prison. Yours and mine.”
It seems like the main books are not the only occurrence where Ruocchio keeps getting better and better with each installment, but the collections of short stories as well. Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 3 is my favorite collection in the series so far. After the Feast and especially Daughter of Swords makes me even more excited to read Disquiet Gods, the penultimate installment in The Sun Eater series, than I already was. But first, The Dregs of Empire companion short novel awaits me. At the rate Ruocchio is improving in his storytelling skills, I have a feeling The Dregs of Empire will be my favorite companion novel in the series, too.
“To defeat the enemy without violence is the highest art,” Hydarnes said, having turned to study the relief carvings that showed Katanes the Great fighting seven men. Inscriptions in the flowing Jaddian captioned that image, words placed near the faces of Katanes and his companions to suggest a dialogue. The pen is not mightier than the sword, as weak men claim, said the icon of the great prince, seeming to give the lie to Hydarnes’s words. It is only another sword. So too is the tongue only another sword.
You can order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Aliysa, Allana, Ambrosius, Andrew, Andrew W, Annabeth, Arliss, Barbara, Bev, Cade, Chris, Christopher, Cullen, Dan, David, Donuts, Dylan, Edward, Elaine, Elias, Feanor, Francesca, Frank, Garrick, Gary, Gregory, Hamad, Helen, Jenn, Jesse, Joie, Jonathan, Katrina, Kristina, Lara, Lourdes, Luis, Melinda, Michael, Michael, Mike, Miracle, Mordie, Nicholas, Norbert, Radiah, RCT, Redmischief, Rue, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawn, Steph, Stephanie, Tiffany, Tracy, Trish, TS, Wick, Woodman, Xero, Yuri, Zoe.
July 27, 2025
The strongest of the three short story collections. Seven stories with a lot of variety and I felt 6 of the 7 were very strong. I especially enjoyed the ones that showcased the world-building (universe-building) aspects of Ruocchio's world. The crown jewel was After the Feast, which recounted Otavia Corso's story at the end of Kingdoms of Death. 4.5/5
September 21, 2023
An Excellent Collection
I love Sun Eater. It's no secret that it is my favorite sci fi series of all time and my second overall favorite series. The novels are incredible, but people also should not sleep on the short fiction set in this world. Up to this point non of the Tales short story collections are required reading to understand the main series, but you should still read them because they are good. And this volume of stories is the best to date.
Make sure you're caught up through Ashes of Man and then dive in because this collection starts with After The Feast which goes hard in the paint right from the beginning. And the rest of the stories maintain a high level of consistency throughout. And each does something pretty special whether it's an interesting use of perspective, a parable, a noir detective story in a cyberpunk rescue setting, or introducing a new character. And they do it while adding depth to the world, being entertaining, and having the beautiful quotable writing the series is known for.
This gets the highest of recommends from me.
I love Sun Eater. It's no secret that it is my favorite sci fi series of all time and my second overall favorite series. The novels are incredible, but people also should not sleep on the short fiction set in this world. Up to this point non of the Tales short story collections are required reading to understand the main series, but you should still read them because they are good. And this volume of stories is the best to date.
Make sure you're caught up through Ashes of Man and then dive in because this collection starts with After The Feast which goes hard in the paint right from the beginning. And the rest of the stories maintain a high level of consistency throughout. And each does something pretty special whether it's an interesting use of perspective, a parable, a noir detective story in a cyberpunk rescue setting, or introducing a new character. And they do it while adding depth to the world, being entertaining, and having the beautiful quotable writing the series is known for.
This gets the highest of recommends from me.
July 17, 2025
5.0 stars—-
This is easily the best of the three volumes of short stories in the “Tales of the Sun Eater” collection.
The first and last stories in the collection were the most impactful because they featured characters the reader is familiar with from the main novels.
“After the Feast” takes place during Kingdoms of Death and provides an interesting origin story for one of my favorite heroes.
“Daughter of Swords” is the real gem here and follows a new character that instantly won me over. Hadrian also makes an appearance, and it seems like a prelude to Disquiet Gods. I can’t say it’s necessary before Disquiet Gods because I haven’t read it yet, but it’s a great story that shows a different side of the Halfmortal, more than a century after the events of Ashes of Man.
After the Feast - 5.0 stars
[Re]Incarnation - 4.0 stars
A Parable in Iron - 4.0 stars
Mother of Monsters - 4.5 stars
The Archaenaut - 3.5 stars
Gutter Ballet - 4.0 stars
Daughter of Swords - 5.0 stars
This is easily the best of the three volumes of short stories in the “Tales of the Sun Eater” collection.
The first and last stories in the collection were the most impactful because they featured characters the reader is familiar with from the main novels.
“After the Feast” takes place during Kingdoms of Death and provides an interesting origin story for one of my favorite heroes.
“Daughter of Swords” is the real gem here and follows a new character that instantly won me over. Hadrian also makes an appearance, and it seems like a prelude to Disquiet Gods. I can’t say it’s necessary before Disquiet Gods because I haven’t read it yet, but it’s a great story that shows a different side of the Halfmortal, more than a century after the events of Ashes of Man.
After the Feast - 5.0 stars
[Re]Incarnation - 4.0 stars
A Parable in Iron - 4.0 stars
Mother of Monsters - 4.5 stars
The Archaenaut - 3.5 stars
Gutter Ballet - 4.0 stars
Daughter of Swords - 5.0 stars
November 28, 2023
Every one of these stories were damn good and expanded the world and lore in really cool ways. Also had some awesome action sequences. Definitely think a couple of these are critical before Disquiet Gods, some really big revelations and teasers for the next book. Big HYPE
October 31, 2023
BRIEF UPDATE A COUPLE MONTHS LATER:
Anderida books provided me the opportunity to read through The Dregs of Empire & Other Stories as part of proofreading for their special edition coming out in November (on the 7th to be exact, alongside the independent e-book and Amazon hardcover print-on-demand release of The Dregs of Empire). What I said below in the original review holds up, and Tales, Vol. 3 absolutely holds up.
This is by far going to be the best Anderida books collection, and I cannot wait for everybody to be able to experience it in full.
ORIGINAL REVIEW PRE-RELEASE: Tales of the Sun Eater, Vol. 3 is now out! So I shall post my review:
This is the best of the Sun Eater short story collections, due in no small part to containing 2 of the 3 best stories in totality.
I had the wonderful opportunity to copy edit Tales, Vol. 3, and I had an amazing time with this, disregarding the work aspect of the reads.
AFTER THE FEAST spoils Kingdoms of Death, so be aware of that; it's a fantastic story! Loved getting to see these events unfold, even if it meant reliving a little bit of trauma
(5/5)
[RE]INCARNATION is a great story with an interesting, new kind of POV, and plays around with Tense & Perspective in a REALLY cool way. This one probably has the most re-readable aspect to it of the stories.
(4/5)
A PARABLE IN IRON is, as the name suggests, a parable, and reads quite different from everything else Ruocchio has done yet, and I love that part of it. From a more interpretive side of things, this is the story I see myself revisiting a time or two just because. I think the Parable genuinely has some cool worth to it, the way a parable from the Bible or similar would.
(4.5/5)
MOTHER OF MONSTERS is told in a way I did not expect for it to, but I appreciate what it did. The end of this has some of the most mind-blowing stuff in the series since the end of the second act of DEMON IN WHITE.
(4.5/5)
THE ARCHAENAUT would probably be the most easily converted into a full-length novel of any of the short stories, and it's fantastic. It plays with the English language within a story that while written by Ruocchio in English, has a framing in-universe that isn't English (because Galstani, Jaddian, and any other language isn't Classical English within the universe), which I found to be super interesting, and ended with a couple reveals and dialogue interactions that were just awesome.
(4/5)
GUTTER BALLET was almost my favorite story of the collection. It was when I first read it, and it due mostly to sharing that Noir vibe that PARLIAMENT OF OWLS has (for the record, Parliament was my favorite short story prior to this volume). GUTTER BALLET has an amazing tone and vibe, a great story, cool character work and internal contemplation that makes for interesting thematic and philosophical discussion, and it just overall very good. The collection would still be worth reading for this alone, even though AFTER THE FEAST and DAUGHTER OF SWORDS are going to be the real crowd pleasers of the collection.
(5/5)
DAUGHTER OF SWORDS spoils Ashes of Man, so also be aware of that. I also recommend one reads THE ROYAL GAME, also set after Ashes of Man, from Grimdark Magazine #34 before reading this, as it provides some good context, and is itself a great story.
This is the best Sun Eater short story, beating out even Gutter Ballet, and also Parliament of Owls, which was my favorite story prior. Daughter of Swords is just such a sweet and enjoyable story that I think every single person who loves this series will also appreciate as much as me. It builds and looks toward Disquiet Gods and the final act of the series. Life shall certainly be pain.
(6/5 (I rated Parliament a 6/5, so I kind of have to LMAO))
As is Ruocchio's way.
Anderida books provided me the opportunity to read through The Dregs of Empire & Other Stories as part of proofreading for their special edition coming out in November (on the 7th to be exact, alongside the independent e-book and Amazon hardcover print-on-demand release of The Dregs of Empire). What I said below in the original review holds up, and Tales, Vol. 3 absolutely holds up.
This is by far going to be the best Anderida books collection, and I cannot wait for everybody to be able to experience it in full.
ORIGINAL REVIEW PRE-RELEASE: Tales of the Sun Eater, Vol. 3 is now out! So I shall post my review:
This is the best of the Sun Eater short story collections, due in no small part to containing 2 of the 3 best stories in totality.
I had the wonderful opportunity to copy edit Tales, Vol. 3, and I had an amazing time with this, disregarding the work aspect of the reads.
AFTER THE FEAST spoils Kingdoms of Death, so be aware of that; it's a fantastic story! Loved getting to see these events unfold, even if it meant reliving a little bit of trauma
(5/5)
[RE]INCARNATION is a great story with an interesting, new kind of POV, and plays around with Tense & Perspective in a REALLY cool way. This one probably has the most re-readable aspect to it of the stories.
(4/5)
A PARABLE IN IRON is, as the name suggests, a parable, and reads quite different from everything else Ruocchio has done yet, and I love that part of it. From a more interpretive side of things, this is the story I see myself revisiting a time or two just because. I think the Parable genuinely has some cool worth to it, the way a parable from the Bible or similar would.
(4.5/5)
MOTHER OF MONSTERS is told in a way I did not expect for it to, but I appreciate what it did. The end of this has some of the most mind-blowing stuff in the series since the end of the second act of DEMON IN WHITE.
(4.5/5)
THE ARCHAENAUT would probably be the most easily converted into a full-length novel of any of the short stories, and it's fantastic. It plays with the English language within a story that while written by Ruocchio in English, has a framing in-universe that isn't English (because Galstani, Jaddian, and any other language isn't Classical English within the universe), which I found to be super interesting, and ended with a couple reveals and dialogue interactions that were just awesome.
(4/5)
GUTTER BALLET was almost my favorite story of the collection. It was when I first read it, and it due mostly to sharing that Noir vibe that PARLIAMENT OF OWLS has (for the record, Parliament was my favorite short story prior to this volume). GUTTER BALLET has an amazing tone and vibe, a great story, cool character work and internal contemplation that makes for interesting thematic and philosophical discussion, and it just overall very good. The collection would still be worth reading for this alone, even though AFTER THE FEAST and DAUGHTER OF SWORDS are going to be the real crowd pleasers of the collection.
(5/5)
DAUGHTER OF SWORDS spoils Ashes of Man, so also be aware of that. I also recommend one reads THE ROYAL GAME, also set after Ashes of Man, from Grimdark Magazine #34 before reading this, as it provides some good context, and is itself a great story.
This is the best Sun Eater short story, beating out even Gutter Ballet, and also Parliament of Owls, which was my favorite story prior. Daughter of Swords is just such a sweet and enjoyable story that I think every single person who loves this series will also appreciate as much as me. It builds and looks toward Disquiet Gods and the final act of the series. Life shall certainly be pain.
(6/5 (I rated Parliament a 6/5, so I kind of have to LMAO))
As is Ruocchio's way.
October 12, 2025
4.5 stars for what I think is easily the strongest of the first 3 story collections. I can't bring myself to give it 5 stars since a few of the stories I could take or leave (Reincarnation and Parable in Iron in particular, with Mother of Monsters and the Archaenaut being solid but forgettable).
But After the Feast, Gutter Ballet, and Daughter of Swords really elevated this one. After the Feast brings Corvo to vivid life in a way I never experienced her character in the novels, and it's a must read for any big series fan and best done right after Kingdoms of Death. Man do I just love getting her POV here, and Ruocchio quite masterfully gives insights into her backstory and (platonic) feelings for her commander amidst a very tense action situation.
Gutter Ballet is the second of two cyberpunk-style stories, but I felt it worked much much better than Reincarnation. It may be my favorite of Ruocchio's stories that stand alone and don't involve characters from the novels. It's from the POV of a grizzled vet of the Sollan empire who finds himself living in Extra territory due to a life-extending machine heart transplant. The story had a full and suspenseful arc that came to a satisfying conclusion, and the POV I found to be quite compelling.
Daughter of Swords is what I'd consider an essential novelette that covers important character ground for Hadrian and a key side character in the time between Ashes of Man and Disquiet Gods. It's a bit disappointing to see how this character comes off a bit flat in Disquiet Gods after getting their POV here where they had evinced so much passion and personality, but the flip side of that is if you've read this story, I think it's easier to imagine that character's mental state when you're reading from Hadrian's POV.
The way that Ruocchio can vividly bring to life a variety of POVs has me hoping he'll decide to do a multi-POV series next.
But After the Feast, Gutter Ballet, and Daughter of Swords really elevated this one. After the Feast brings Corvo to vivid life in a way I never experienced her character in the novels, and it's a must read for any big series fan and best done right after Kingdoms of Death. Man do I just love getting her POV here, and Ruocchio quite masterfully gives insights into her backstory and (platonic) feelings for her commander amidst a very tense action situation.
Gutter Ballet is the second of two cyberpunk-style stories, but I felt it worked much much better than Reincarnation. It may be my favorite of Ruocchio's stories that stand alone and don't involve characters from the novels. It's from the POV of a grizzled vet of the Sollan empire who finds himself living in Extra territory due to a life-extending machine heart transplant. The story had a full and suspenseful arc that came to a satisfying conclusion, and the POV I found to be quite compelling.
Daughter of Swords is what I'd consider an essential novelette that covers important character ground for Hadrian and a key side character in the time between Ashes of Man and Disquiet Gods. It's a bit disappointing to see how this character comes off a bit flat in Disquiet Gods after getting their POV here where they had evinced so much passion and personality, but the flip side of that is if you've read this story, I think it's easier to imagine that character's mental state when you're reading from Hadrian's POV.
The way that Ruocchio can vividly bring to life a variety of POVs has me hoping he'll decide to do a multi-POV series next.
June 8, 2025
As was with the first two volumes, this review will be excerpts of my initial thoughts from my live-tweet of every short story, followed by an overall final thoughts afterwards.
Short Story 1: After The Feast
New best short story. This is what you call a last shout! RIP Otavia Corvo
Short Story 2: [RE]INCARNATION
This was a bold one by Ruocchio. While implementing 2nd person pov, he goes into Sci-fis’ most classical questions:
What does it means to be human?
Do robots have souls?
What is God?
While weaving everything well in this short tale. May be the best one yet.
Short Story 3: A Parable In Iron
“A Kingdom is nothing without its King”
“But a King is nothing without his Kingdom”
Another good short story. This is a well made fable. Ruocchio keeps impressing me with both the writing style and narratives he employs.
Short Story 4: Mother Of Monsters
“It didn’t matter, he decided, as all went black. Whatever else was true, it had taken a god to kill him, and that was enough.”
The dimensional warps brought about by Sun Eater’s Eldritch elements never fail to entrance me even after Disquiet Gods. I heard reading this beforehand enhances your experience of Disquiet Gods, so it’s fitting that the other way around applies too. Another great short story.
Short Story 5: The Archaenaut
This one was set 3000 years after the inception of the Sollan empire. That’s more than 18000 years before the current timeline. It was interesting seeing the terms they called things then like Exonauts/Exos for the extrasollarians/extras. That's great worldbuilding right there.
Ruochhio implemented some phonic symbols which was a clever way to depict the evolution of language across different ages of history. This started off as a normal space mystery, then horror then back to mystery with the final mericanii reveal tying it up nicely as an unmistakable Sun Eater tale.
Short Story 6: Gutter Ballet
This one was a tale of a reluctant hero. He mightn't be a knight anymore by the sollan empire's standards but he's a true knight at heart withholding great human virtues in a world that rewards being bad & shuns not being bad much more being good.
Short Story 7, the final short Story: Daughter of swords
Seeing Cassandra's perspective for the first time did not disappoint. Seeing her psychology on who she is to her fellow colleagues, the jaddian world and her father added a lot more depth to her. Really a needed piece to her character in Disquiet Gods.
As it stands, Tales fo the Sun Eater Volume 3 is a 4.5⭐ for me. Just like the books get better with every entry... at least generally, so did the tales trilogy of volumes. A lot of interesting ideas with ingenoius executions. Christopher Ruocchio really flexed his range & experimented a lot, and mostly succeeded. Was never a fan of short stories but alas, Ruochhio with these Tales of The Sun Eater volumes trilogy has once again changed that mindset of mine like he did for Sci-Fi.
Now no more Sun Eater for me except orphan projects like Fangs of Oannos or Royal Games 😭
Feel like I Just graduated some degree course. Thank lord rereading exists 😁
Short Story 1: After The Feast
New best short story. This is what you call a last shout! RIP Otavia Corvo
Short Story 2: [RE]INCARNATION
This was a bold one by Ruocchio. While implementing 2nd person pov, he goes into Sci-fis’ most classical questions:
What does it means to be human?
Do robots have souls?
What is God?
While weaving everything well in this short tale. May be the best one yet.
Short Story 3: A Parable In Iron
“A Kingdom is nothing without its King”
“But a King is nothing without his Kingdom”
Another good short story. This is a well made fable. Ruocchio keeps impressing me with both the writing style and narratives he employs.
Short Story 4: Mother Of Monsters
“It didn’t matter, he decided, as all went black. Whatever else was true, it had taken a god to kill him, and that was enough.”
The dimensional warps brought about by Sun Eater’s Eldritch elements never fail to entrance me even after Disquiet Gods. I heard reading this beforehand enhances your experience of Disquiet Gods, so it’s fitting that the other way around applies too. Another great short story.
Short Story 5: The Archaenaut
This one was set 3000 years after the inception of the Sollan empire. That’s more than 18000 years before the current timeline. It was interesting seeing the terms they called things then like Exonauts/Exos for the extrasollarians/extras. That's great worldbuilding right there.
Ruochhio implemented some phonic symbols which was a clever way to depict the evolution of language across different ages of history. This started off as a normal space mystery, then horror then back to mystery with the final mericanii reveal tying it up nicely as an unmistakable Sun Eater tale.
Short Story 6: Gutter Ballet
This one was a tale of a reluctant hero. He mightn't be a knight anymore by the sollan empire's standards but he's a true knight at heart withholding great human virtues in a world that rewards being bad & shuns not being bad much more being good.
Short Story 7, the final short Story: Daughter of swords
Seeing Cassandra's perspective for the first time did not disappoint. Seeing her psychology on who she is to her fellow colleagues, the jaddian world and her father added a lot more depth to her. Really a needed piece to her character in Disquiet Gods.
As it stands, Tales fo the Sun Eater Volume 3 is a 4.5⭐ for me. Just like the books get better with every entry... at least generally, so did the tales trilogy of volumes. A lot of interesting ideas with ingenoius executions. Christopher Ruocchio really flexed his range & experimented a lot, and mostly succeeded. Was never a fan of short stories but alas, Ruochhio with these Tales of The Sun Eater volumes trilogy has once again changed that mindset of mine like he did for Sci-Fi.
Now no more Sun Eater for me except orphan projects like Fangs of Oannos or Royal Games 😭
Feel like I Just graduated some degree course. Thank lord rereading exists 😁
October 4, 2023
4,5 ⭐
Attention à lire après le tome 5. Spoil les évents des tomes 4 et 5.
Le meilleur des trois recueils de Ruocchio !! 🤩🫣😱💗
Vraiment excellent ! Une novella en particulier m'a fait avoir un arrêt cardiaque 😅😂🥹
Avis Lecture 🧐📖 "Tales of the Sun Eater" volume 3, Le Dévoreur de Soleil, Christopher Ruocchio 💗🌞
Pas de spoil dans cette chronique et quelques avertissements 🫣
Je ne vous le présente plus, cet auteur s'est taillé une place de choix dans ma liste de mes séries préférées. 😅
Ruocchio nous revient, avec un 3eme recueil de novellas, un volume qui va nous permettre de patienter un peu avant la sortie VO du tome 6 "Disquiet Gods" prévu pour avril 2024, soit un an et demi après le tome 5.
Attention je vous conseille de ne pas vous lancer dans ce recueil tant que vous n'avez pas lu le tome 5, les novellas ici spoilant totalement les évènements des volumes 4 et 5... autant vous dire qu'en plus ces événements sont dévastateurs et qu'au début de chaque novella, l'auteur insère une présentation rapide, afin de situer l'époque et les évènements qui ont donné lieu à ces dites novellas.
Comme souvent dans un recueil, toutes les nouvelles ne sont pas de même qualités. Ceci dit, je trouve que ce 3eme volume est de loin le meilleur 😱💗 et ce n'est pas peu dire, la série pouvant se targuer d'avoir maintenant plus d'une vingtaine de novellas dans son univers.
Si ce recueil est l'occasion de dire adieu définitivement à certains personnages 😰, une certaine novella nous offre l'occasion d'en découvrir un nouveau en particulier : Cassandra, qui d'ailleurs illustre la cover du tome 6. Et là, je vous en CONJURE ne faites pas de recherche sur ce personnage, AUCUNE, au risque de vous spoiler méchamment tout un pan de la conclusion de "Ashes of Man" 😰😭. Forcément si vous avez déjà lu le tome 5, vous serez ravi de cette novella qui est une de mes préférées, et qui se passe sur la planète Jadd... d'où les épées antimatières légèrement différentes du style que l'on connaît à la série. Nous allons y suivre l'apprentissage d'une fille, une étrangère, parmi les Maîtres de L'Épée, les puissants guerriers Jaddiens. Les questions qu'elle se pose et les réponses qu'elle attend sont au coeur de cette nouvelle qui met du baume au coeur après le ravage des tomes 4 et 5.🥹
Il me tarde maintenant de lire "Disquiet Gods", l'avant dernier de la série à sortir chez Baen Éditions🥰
Attention à lire après le tome 5. Spoil les évents des tomes 4 et 5.
Le meilleur des trois recueils de Ruocchio !! 🤩🫣😱💗
Vraiment excellent ! Une novella en particulier m'a fait avoir un arrêt cardiaque 😅😂🥹
Avis Lecture 🧐📖 "Tales of the Sun Eater" volume 3, Le Dévoreur de Soleil, Christopher Ruocchio 💗🌞
Pas de spoil dans cette chronique et quelques avertissements 🫣
Je ne vous le présente plus, cet auteur s'est taillé une place de choix dans ma liste de mes séries préférées. 😅
Ruocchio nous revient, avec un 3eme recueil de novellas, un volume qui va nous permettre de patienter un peu avant la sortie VO du tome 6 "Disquiet Gods" prévu pour avril 2024, soit un an et demi après le tome 5.
Attention je vous conseille de ne pas vous lancer dans ce recueil tant que vous n'avez pas lu le tome 5, les novellas ici spoilant totalement les évènements des volumes 4 et 5... autant vous dire qu'en plus ces événements sont dévastateurs et qu'au début de chaque novella, l'auteur insère une présentation rapide, afin de situer l'époque et les évènements qui ont donné lieu à ces dites novellas.
Comme souvent dans un recueil, toutes les nouvelles ne sont pas de même qualités. Ceci dit, je trouve que ce 3eme volume est de loin le meilleur 😱💗 et ce n'est pas peu dire, la série pouvant se targuer d'avoir maintenant plus d'une vingtaine de novellas dans son univers.
Si ce recueil est l'occasion de dire adieu définitivement à certains personnages 😰, une certaine novella nous offre l'occasion d'en découvrir un nouveau en particulier : Cassandra, qui d'ailleurs illustre la cover du tome 6. Et là, je vous en CONJURE ne faites pas de recherche sur ce personnage, AUCUNE, au risque de vous spoiler méchamment tout un pan de la conclusion de "Ashes of Man" 😰😭. Forcément si vous avez déjà lu le tome 5, vous serez ravi de cette novella qui est une de mes préférées, et qui se passe sur la planète Jadd... d'où les épées antimatières légèrement différentes du style que l'on connaît à la série. Nous allons y suivre l'apprentissage d'une fille, une étrangère, parmi les Maîtres de L'Épée, les puissants guerriers Jaddiens. Les questions qu'elle se pose et les réponses qu'elle attend sont au coeur de cette nouvelle qui met du baume au coeur après le ravage des tomes 4 et 5.🥹
Il me tarde maintenant de lire "Disquiet Gods", l'avant dernier de la série à sortir chez Baen Éditions🥰
March 25, 2024
8/10
So far with the Sun Eater Universe(and all the additional optional content) I have been fairly impressed. Christopher Rucchio has great prose and that continues onto his novellas & short stories while being leaner & straight to the point. This is a great thing in my eyes because the main novels are chunky,dense and thought provoking. Tales Vol 3 achieves this in shorter, self contained action packed bursts while also adding interesting characters & building additional lore. It feels like reading a different series at times since it's written in third person opposed to Hadrians pov which has given me a nice refresher before Disquiet God's!
Re(incarnation), A Parable of Iron,Mother Of Monsters and Story #7(which I can't recall the name of off the top of my head) are the highlights for me.
So far with the Sun Eater Universe(and all the additional optional content) I have been fairly impressed. Christopher Rucchio has great prose and that continues onto his novellas & short stories while being leaner & straight to the point. This is a great thing in my eyes because the main novels are chunky,dense and thought provoking. Tales Vol 3 achieves this in shorter, self contained action packed bursts while also adding interesting characters & building additional lore. It feels like reading a different series at times since it's written in third person opposed to Hadrians pov which has given me a nice refresher before Disquiet God's!
Re(incarnation), A Parable of Iron,Mother Of Monsters and Story #7(which I can't recall the name of off the top of my head) are the highlights for me.
August 26, 2024
Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 3 is Christopher Ruocchio’s best collection of short stories. Of the 7 stories, I love 2, really like 4, and 1 is just ok.
The first story, After the Feast, is amazing, giving us an awesome time with Captain Corvo. Love it!
Then the last story, Daughter of Swords, introduces a wonderful new character and serves as a teaser of sorts for the next main novel Disquiet Gods (which I am now compelled to start reading, immediately). Wonderful ending!
The 5 stories between continue to build the Sun Eater universe, adding wonderful variety and depth to the whole experience. I love how Ruocchio’s world-building never stops, and his short story collections help a lot with that. It’s all well thought out and truly feels lived in and real with so many unique characters, settings and stories to share. The history and lore of the galaxy 16,000 years in the future is phenomenal. Top-notch science fiction, for sure.
I would strongly recommend Sun Eater readers take a brief detour from the main books, between Ashes of Man and Disquiet Gods, to read Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 3 and the novella The Dregs of Empire. After reading them both, they feel like required reading to me, as they both shed light on developments that seem important for the next book. Definitely worth it and highly recommended!
Sun Eater
Book 1: Empire of Silence 5/5
Novella: The Lesser Devil 4.5/5
Book 2: Howling Dark 5/5
Novella: Queen Amid Ashes 4.5/5
Short Story Collection: Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 1 3/5
Book 3: Demon in White 5/5
Short Story Collection: Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 2 4/5
Book 4: Kingdoms of Death 5/5
Book 5: Ashes of Man 5/5
Novella: The Dregs of Empire: A Tale of the Sun Eater 4/5
Short Story Collection: Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 3 4/5
The first story, After the Feast, is amazing, giving us an awesome time with Captain Corvo. Love it!
Then the last story, Daughter of Swords, introduces a wonderful new character and serves as a teaser of sorts for the next main novel Disquiet Gods (which I am now compelled to start reading, immediately). Wonderful ending!
The 5 stories between continue to build the Sun Eater universe, adding wonderful variety and depth to the whole experience. I love how Ruocchio’s world-building never stops, and his short story collections help a lot with that. It’s all well thought out and truly feels lived in and real with so many unique characters, settings and stories to share. The history and lore of the galaxy 16,000 years in the future is phenomenal. Top-notch science fiction, for sure.
I would strongly recommend Sun Eater readers take a brief detour from the main books, between Ashes of Man and Disquiet Gods, to read Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 3 and the novella The Dregs of Empire. After reading them both, they feel like required reading to me, as they both shed light on developments that seem important for the next book. Definitely worth it and highly recommended!
Sun Eater
Book 1: Empire of Silence 5/5
Novella: The Lesser Devil 4.5/5
Book 2: Howling Dark 5/5
Novella: Queen Amid Ashes 4.5/5
Short Story Collection: Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 1 3/5
Book 3: Demon in White 5/5
Short Story Collection: Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 2 4/5
Book 4: Kingdoms of Death 5/5
Book 5: Ashes of Man 5/5
Novella: The Dregs of Empire: A Tale of the Sun Eater 4/5
Short Story Collection: Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 3 4/5
December 31, 2024
LE DOY 4 ESTRELLAS PORQUE ESTAS HISTORIAS CAEN EN LA CATEGORÍA DE MEMORABLES Y ÉPICAS. Y PORQUE TOCAN TEMAS Y PERSONAJES DESDE UNA ÓPTICA MUY HUMANA... YA DICHO ESO, SON QUIZAS LOS MÁS TRISTES DE TODOS LOS RELATOS CORTOS DE ESTA SAGA QUE HE LEIDO HASTA LA FECHA.
Último volumen de los "Cuentos Cortos" de este universo de ciencia ficción. Lo diré de manera clara y directa. Todos estos relatos son buenos, sin excepción alguna, pero son también inequívocamente tristes y melancólicos para alguien que haya venido siguiendo esta saga y a sus personajes.
El universo de "Sun Eater" (Devorador de Soles) es innegablemente fascinante, pero no es para nada
pacifico. En ese sentido se parece a la saga de "Dune", que nos muestra un futuro lleno de detalles absorbentes y alucinantes, pero que al mismo tiempo es violento, cruel y despiadado. En muchos sentidos, esta combinación crea historias de ciencia ficción en formas sumamente artísticas y crudas al mismo tiempo. No muchos autores pueden lograr un equilibrio adecuado con esta fusión, pero aquellos que lo hacen nos regalan sagas que usualmente quedan para siempre en nuestra memoria. Y estoy feliz de decir que Christopher Ruocchio se luce sobremanera en esta categoría.
El primer relato de este libro nos cuenta los últimos momentos de uno de los personajes femeninos más queridos de la saga, Otavia Corvo. Capitana de la nave imperial Tamerlane, Octavia es el ejemplo viviente de una guerrera leal, honorable y absolutamente letal. Ella es una de las mejores amigas del protagonista, Hadrian Marlow, y la hemos conocido desde el segundo libro de la saga. Los sucesos del libro 5 dejaron en duda cual fue el destino de esta increíble mujer. Pero este relato retoma la historia justo donde la dejo dicho libro, y nos muestra la "última resistencia" de esta guerrera, en solitario, contra las hordas de los salvajes extraterrestres Cielcin. Solo diré que su final es digno de admiración (como cabria esperar para semejante personaje), pero también descorazonador. Aprendemos mucho de Octavia en sus últimos momentos, secretos que nunca se contaron sobre su pasado y sus sentimientos. Y la atmosfera de muerte inminente que se acentúa con cada reglón es tremendamente avasalladora. Al final, este relato me hizo lanzar un suspiro de nostalgia que no pude reprimir. Aunque si algo he aprendido al leer esta saga es que a veces los personajes pueden volver de la muerte, el precio por hacerlo es terrible. Solo puedo esperar que nada más le suceda a la capitana Corvo... déjenla descansar en paz.
Otro relato nos cuenta la triste historia de Albedo, una especie de robot o homúnculo cibernético que no sabe quien es y cual es su propósito. Este cuento nos muestra un claro ejemplo de los terribles males que puede acarrear la tecnología si se usa con fines profanos. ¿Albedo es un robot? o ¿Era acaso una persona antes? ¿Es un ciborg quizás? o una imitación bizarra de una persona hace ya largos años fallecida. ¿Es Albedo un intento desesperado de traer a un muerto a la vida usando la tecnología de una forma vil y oscura? Al final, este relato te deja con muchas preguntas y sentimientos encontrados. Pero en el universo de "Sun Eater" no es la primera vez que vemos criaturas como la pobre Albedo... ni sospecho será la última.
Mother Of Monsters (Madre de Monstruos), es uno de los dos relatos que tienen más relevancia para la saga principal de libros. La historia nos cuenta sobre la primera vez que la humanidad conquistó una nave Cielcin, muchos años antes del inicio de la saga del protagonista (Hadrian Marlow) en el primer libro. En este cuento vemos en operación por primera vez a HAPSIS, un departamento secreto del "Imperio Solan" que busca la verdad sobre los Cielcin y los misteriosos y oscuros "Dioses" a los que sirven. La existencia de HAPSIS es información super secreta que pocos en la galaxia conocen, y su misterioso (y difunto) líder Lord Cassian Powers, solo ha sido mencionado en una ocasión por el emperador. En este cuento conocemos la breve interacción de Powers con cierto individuo al que solo se llama: M. Valen. Concerniente a ciertas tumbas y templo encontradas en la primera fortaleza Cielcin capturada; nombre código "Echidna". La historia de cómo M. Valen entró en ese misterioso templo, y lo que encontró allí, es al mismo tiempo asombrosa y escalofriante. Los que han leído la saga ya tienen una idea de lo que los misteriosos dioses de los Cielcin son (y de lo que son capaces). Y en este relato vemos un pequeño adelanto de lo que puede suceder al entrar en contacto con ellos... o con una parte de ellos. Este cuento sirve sin duda como antesala para lo que se viene más adelante, y nos da una idea de los poderes contra los que la humanidad esta en guerra. El toque lovecraftiano de esta historia es innegable... por eso me encantó.
The Archaenaut (El Arconauta) es un viaje al pasado. A la época en la que las maquinas pensantes (IA) se hicieron uno con la humanidad y luego intentaron subyugarnos. En esta saga, se conoce a esos tiempos como "La Guerra contra el Dominio Mericanii". Al final ganamos, pero solo quedaron alrededor de cien mil humanos vivos para reconstruir nuestra especie. Fueron tiempos oscuros que forjaron la creencia actual del "Imperio Solan" de que la tecnología debe ser regulada y nunca explotada al extremo. Esa creencia llevó a la creación del "Sagrado Chatry", mezcla de iglesia e inquisición que vigila el adecuado uso de la tecnología en todo el Imperio. Pues en este relato nos topamos con una "reliquia" de esos tiempos. Un encuentro entre el pasado oscuro de la nuestra especia y una tripulación de desafortunados astronautas de una provincia alejada del Imperio. Si algo hay que reconocer de este cuento, es el hecho de que finalmente nos confirma que significa realmente la palabra: Mericanii... o de donde viene. La habíamos escuchado nombrar tantas veces a lo largo de los libros que muchos ya lo sospechábamos... pero es bueno saberlo.
Otro relato pequeño nos muestra a una especie de "Robin Hood" en este universo. Un personaje que opera como detective privado en una de las estaciones Extrasolarianas que se encuentran alejadas de la autoridad del Imperio. Lugares oscuros y casi sin ley en donde la vida vale poco o nada. Es un relato de como este hombre trata de ayudar a una pobre chica a encontrar al asesino de su hermana. Pero nada es como parece ser en este caso, y la verdad de lo sucedido es terrible en todo el sentido de la palabra. Un cuento que te deja descorazonado, pero con una gota (solo una) de esperanza... porque el destino de los involucrados queda completamente a especulación del lector.
Finalmente, el último cuento, y el segundo más relevante para la historia en general, es Daughter Of Swords (Hija de las Espadas). Y es aquí donde finalmente, después de años, conocemos a la hija de nuestro protagonista, Lord Hadrian Marlow.
Cassandra Marlowe ya es una adolescente cuando nos es presentada. Una estudiosa de la espada que vive como refugiada con su padre en "Los Principados Jaddian" (la otra superpotencia aparte del "Imperio Sollan" en la saga). El relato es una crónica de como Cassandra vive y entrena en una sociedad que la considera un fenómeno por ser diferente a ellos. Aunque "Los Principados Jaddian" y el "Imperio Sollan" son descendientes de la humanidad, sus creencias son diferentes... y también su etnicidad. Los Jaddian son de piel broncesina, mientras que los nobles imperiales (llamados "Palatine") tienen piel enteramente blanca. Por esto, Cassandra es vista como una extraña, y la mayoría de sus compañeros de la academia la tratan de apabullar y humillar en todo momento. Pero ella es hija de Hadrian Marlow y de Valka Onderra. Y como tal nunca se dejaría amedrentar ni humillar por nadie. Este relato es un introducción para este fascinante personaje, del que sin duda veremos más en el sexto libro. Una mujer fuerte y dispuesta a reclamar su lugar en este universo tan vasto.
Muchos años han pasado desde los trágicos eventos del 5to libro de la saga, pero aquí vemos que tanto Hadrian como su hija se están preparando lo mejor que pueden para algún día regresar al "Imperio Sollan", y para la guerra inevitable contra los Cielcin. Ambos han sufrido, pero se han levantado. Y personalmente me muero por verlos pelear lado a lado en el futuro.
Así acabo los cuentos del "Sun Eater". Ya solo me queda por leer una novela spinoff de la saga y entro de pleno al 6to libro. Después de eso solo queda esperar a que salga el séptimo y último de la saga, que dicen se viene en el 2025 (espero sea verdad).
Este título nunca me ha decepcionado. Lo he dicho antes y lo diré otra vez: Es de lo mejor que he leído en mi vida. Y me alegro de cada segundo que he invertido en su lectura.
Es largo, algo complicado, y (por ahora) solo se encuentra en ingles. Pero es sencillamente fantástico.
100% recomendado... todos los cuentos y libros de la saga... 100% recomendados...
Último volumen de los "Cuentos Cortos" de este universo de ciencia ficción. Lo diré de manera clara y directa. Todos estos relatos son buenos, sin excepción alguna, pero son también inequívocamente tristes y melancólicos para alguien que haya venido siguiendo esta saga y a sus personajes.
El universo de "Sun Eater" (Devorador de Soles) es innegablemente fascinante, pero no es para nada
pacifico. En ese sentido se parece a la saga de "Dune", que nos muestra un futuro lleno de detalles absorbentes y alucinantes, pero que al mismo tiempo es violento, cruel y despiadado. En muchos sentidos, esta combinación crea historias de ciencia ficción en formas sumamente artísticas y crudas al mismo tiempo. No muchos autores pueden lograr un equilibrio adecuado con esta fusión, pero aquellos que lo hacen nos regalan sagas que usualmente quedan para siempre en nuestra memoria. Y estoy feliz de decir que Christopher Ruocchio se luce sobremanera en esta categoría.
El primer relato de este libro nos cuenta los últimos momentos de uno de los personajes femeninos más queridos de la saga, Otavia Corvo. Capitana de la nave imperial Tamerlane, Octavia es el ejemplo viviente de una guerrera leal, honorable y absolutamente letal. Ella es una de las mejores amigas del protagonista, Hadrian Marlow, y la hemos conocido desde el segundo libro de la saga. Los sucesos del libro 5 dejaron en duda cual fue el destino de esta increíble mujer. Pero este relato retoma la historia justo donde la dejo dicho libro, y nos muestra la "última resistencia" de esta guerrera, en solitario, contra las hordas de los salvajes extraterrestres Cielcin. Solo diré que su final es digno de admiración (como cabria esperar para semejante personaje), pero también descorazonador. Aprendemos mucho de Octavia en sus últimos momentos, secretos que nunca se contaron sobre su pasado y sus sentimientos. Y la atmosfera de muerte inminente que se acentúa con cada reglón es tremendamente avasalladora. Al final, este relato me hizo lanzar un suspiro de nostalgia que no pude reprimir. Aunque si algo he aprendido al leer esta saga es que a veces los personajes pueden volver de la muerte, el precio por hacerlo es terrible. Solo puedo esperar que nada más le suceda a la capitana Corvo... déjenla descansar en paz.
Otro relato nos cuenta la triste historia de Albedo, una especie de robot o homúnculo cibernético que no sabe quien es y cual es su propósito. Este cuento nos muestra un claro ejemplo de los terribles males que puede acarrear la tecnología si se usa con fines profanos. ¿Albedo es un robot? o ¿Era acaso una persona antes? ¿Es un ciborg quizás? o una imitación bizarra de una persona hace ya largos años fallecida. ¿Es Albedo un intento desesperado de traer a un muerto a la vida usando la tecnología de una forma vil y oscura? Al final, este relato te deja con muchas preguntas y sentimientos encontrados. Pero en el universo de "Sun Eater" no es la primera vez que vemos criaturas como la pobre Albedo... ni sospecho será la última.
Mother Of Monsters (Madre de Monstruos), es uno de los dos relatos que tienen más relevancia para la saga principal de libros. La historia nos cuenta sobre la primera vez que la humanidad conquistó una nave Cielcin, muchos años antes del inicio de la saga del protagonista (Hadrian Marlow) en el primer libro. En este cuento vemos en operación por primera vez a HAPSIS, un departamento secreto del "Imperio Solan" que busca la verdad sobre los Cielcin y los misteriosos y oscuros "Dioses" a los que sirven. La existencia de HAPSIS es información super secreta que pocos en la galaxia conocen, y su misterioso (y difunto) líder Lord Cassian Powers, solo ha sido mencionado en una ocasión por el emperador. En este cuento conocemos la breve interacción de Powers con cierto individuo al que solo se llama: M. Valen. Concerniente a ciertas tumbas y templo encontradas en la primera fortaleza Cielcin capturada; nombre código "Echidna". La historia de cómo M. Valen entró en ese misterioso templo, y lo que encontró allí, es al mismo tiempo asombrosa y escalofriante. Los que han leído la saga ya tienen una idea de lo que los misteriosos dioses de los Cielcin son (y de lo que son capaces). Y en este relato vemos un pequeño adelanto de lo que puede suceder al entrar en contacto con ellos... o con una parte de ellos. Este cuento sirve sin duda como antesala para lo que se viene más adelante, y nos da una idea de los poderes contra los que la humanidad esta en guerra. El toque lovecraftiano de esta historia es innegable... por eso me encantó.
The Archaenaut (El Arconauta) es un viaje al pasado. A la época en la que las maquinas pensantes (IA) se hicieron uno con la humanidad y luego intentaron subyugarnos. En esta saga, se conoce a esos tiempos como "La Guerra contra el Dominio Mericanii". Al final ganamos, pero solo quedaron alrededor de cien mil humanos vivos para reconstruir nuestra especie. Fueron tiempos oscuros que forjaron la creencia actual del "Imperio Solan" de que la tecnología debe ser regulada y nunca explotada al extremo. Esa creencia llevó a la creación del "Sagrado Chatry", mezcla de iglesia e inquisición que vigila el adecuado uso de la tecnología en todo el Imperio. Pues en este relato nos topamos con una "reliquia" de esos tiempos. Un encuentro entre el pasado oscuro de la nuestra especia y una tripulación de desafortunados astronautas de una provincia alejada del Imperio. Si algo hay que reconocer de este cuento, es el hecho de que finalmente nos confirma que significa realmente la palabra: Mericanii... o de donde viene. La habíamos escuchado nombrar tantas veces a lo largo de los libros que muchos ya lo sospechábamos... pero es bueno saberlo.
Otro relato pequeño nos muestra a una especie de "Robin Hood" en este universo. Un personaje que opera como detective privado en una de las estaciones Extrasolarianas que se encuentran alejadas de la autoridad del Imperio. Lugares oscuros y casi sin ley en donde la vida vale poco o nada. Es un relato de como este hombre trata de ayudar a una pobre chica a encontrar al asesino de su hermana. Pero nada es como parece ser en este caso, y la verdad de lo sucedido es terrible en todo el sentido de la palabra. Un cuento que te deja descorazonado, pero con una gota (solo una) de esperanza... porque el destino de los involucrados queda completamente a especulación del lector.
Finalmente, el último cuento, y el segundo más relevante para la historia en general, es Daughter Of Swords (Hija de las Espadas). Y es aquí donde finalmente, después de años, conocemos a la hija de nuestro protagonista, Lord Hadrian Marlow.
Cassandra Marlowe ya es una adolescente cuando nos es presentada. Una estudiosa de la espada que vive como refugiada con su padre en "Los Principados Jaddian" (la otra superpotencia aparte del "Imperio Sollan" en la saga). El relato es una crónica de como Cassandra vive y entrena en una sociedad que la considera un fenómeno por ser diferente a ellos. Aunque "Los Principados Jaddian" y el "Imperio Sollan" son descendientes de la humanidad, sus creencias son diferentes... y también su etnicidad. Los Jaddian son de piel broncesina, mientras que los nobles imperiales (llamados "Palatine") tienen piel enteramente blanca. Por esto, Cassandra es vista como una extraña, y la mayoría de sus compañeros de la academia la tratan de apabullar y humillar en todo momento. Pero ella es hija de Hadrian Marlow y de Valka Onderra. Y como tal nunca se dejaría amedrentar ni humillar por nadie. Este relato es un introducción para este fascinante personaje, del que sin duda veremos más en el sexto libro. Una mujer fuerte y dispuesta a reclamar su lugar en este universo tan vasto.
Muchos años han pasado desde los trágicos eventos del 5to libro de la saga, pero aquí vemos que tanto Hadrian como su hija se están preparando lo mejor que pueden para algún día regresar al "Imperio Sollan", y para la guerra inevitable contra los Cielcin. Ambos han sufrido, pero se han levantado. Y personalmente me muero por verlos pelear lado a lado en el futuro.
Así acabo los cuentos del "Sun Eater". Ya solo me queda por leer una novela spinoff de la saga y entro de pleno al 6to libro. Después de eso solo queda esperar a que salga el séptimo y último de la saga, que dicen se viene en el 2025 (espero sea verdad).
Este título nunca me ha decepcionado. Lo he dicho antes y lo diré otra vez: Es de lo mejor que he leído en mi vida. Y me alegro de cada segundo que he invertido en su lectura.
Es largo, algo complicado, y (por ahora) solo se encuentra en ingles. Pero es sencillamente fantástico.
100% recomendado... todos los cuentos y libros de la saga... 100% recomendados...
January 8, 2024
More fantastic Tales from the Sun Eater universe!
I had been patiently waiting for my slipcased Dregs of Empire and Other Stories but simply had to follow my ongoing tradition of having some Christopher Ruocchio as my first review of the year.
This was even better than the previous two short story collections and now I'm fully hyped to read Dregs followed by the highly anticipated Disquiet Gods. So pleased that this author is starting to get some much deserved recognition at last and that more people are discovering this amazing series.
I had been patiently waiting for my slipcased Dregs of Empire and Other Stories but simply had to follow my ongoing tradition of having some Christopher Ruocchio as my first review of the year.
This was even better than the previous two short story collections and now I'm fully hyped to read Dregs followed by the highly anticipated Disquiet Gods. So pleased that this author is starting to get some much deserved recognition at last and that more people are discovering this amazing series.
March 28, 2025
3/28/25: 5 stars. God-tier companion short story collection. Ruocchio has mastered this form.
August 30, 2024
Senza dubbio la miglior raccolta di racconti della Sun Eater Series, specialmente per quelle storie mai pubblicate su rivista che possono quindi beneficiare della crescita stilistica dell'autore.
Ruocchio mette sul piatto storie molto diverse ma ugualmente interessanti, riuscendo a convincere anche senza il suo protagonista principale.
Libro da leggere SOLO E SOLTANTO dopo la conclusione di Ashes of Man (quinto romanzo) pena pesantissimi spoiler.
After the Feast ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
[Re]incarnation ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A Parable in Iron ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mother of Monsters ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Archenaut ⭐⭐⭐
Gutter Ballet ⭐⭐⭐
Daughter of Swords ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ruocchio mette sul piatto storie molto diverse ma ugualmente interessanti, riuscendo a convincere anche senza il suo protagonista principale.
Libro da leggere SOLO E SOLTANTO dopo la conclusione di Ashes of Man (quinto romanzo) pena pesantissimi spoiler.
After the Feast ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
[Re]incarnation ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A Parable in Iron ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mother of Monsters ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Archenaut ⭐⭐⭐
Gutter Ballet ⭐⭐⭐
Daughter of Swords ⭐⭐⭐⭐
March 16, 2024
Tales Vol 3 is my favorite short story collection yet by Christopher Ruocchio.
My favorites from this collection is After the Feast and Daughter of Swords. Both of those were amazing. Daughter of Swords is my new favorite short story yet from Ruocchio.
Now I’m off to read the The Dregs of Empire and once I finish I will be completely caught up with the Sun Eater universe. I am super excited to be caught up especially with Disquiet Gods only a couple weeks away now.
My favorites from this collection is After the Feast and Daughter of Swords. Both of those were amazing. Daughter of Swords is my new favorite short story yet from Ruocchio.
Now I’m off to read the The Dregs of Empire and once I finish I will be completely caught up with the Sun Eater universe. I am super excited to be caught up especially with Disquiet Gods only a couple weeks away now.
August 8, 2025
7.75/10
After the Feast and Daughter of Swords were great. The rest of the short stories were good, but not anything I’m looking to revisit anytime soon. Excited to be back into the mainline series next
After the Feast and Daughter of Swords were great. The rest of the short stories were good, but not anything I’m looking to revisit anytime soon. Excited to be back into the mainline series next
December 5, 2024
This was easily the best of the Tales of the Sun Eater Volumes.
Each story actually fleshed out the worldbuilding for the series and teased some really interesting developments for future books.
The last story in particular got me hyped for Disquiet Gods. 8/10
Each story actually fleshed out the worldbuilding for the series and teased some really interesting developments for future books.
The last story in particular got me hyped for Disquiet Gods. 8/10
October 6, 2023
Glad to be back in this world. I'm patiently awaiting the Disquiet Gods and this collection of short stories is much appreciated in the meantime.
All stories are great, but my favourite is Daughter of Swords.
All stories are great, but my favourite is Daughter of Swords.
March 10, 2024
Tales vol 3
Great extra lore, stretching from the earliest parts of the empire to the end of the current timeline.
The first and last two stories are especially gripping, from female POV's. Corvo's was a great action piece, while Gutter Ballet was noir detective style. The last one featured our dearest Halfmortal and was a great way to get a sense of Jadd.
Starting Dregs now, in anticipation of Disquiet Gods.
Great extra lore, stretching from the earliest parts of the empire to the end of the current timeline.
The first and last two stories are especially gripping, from female POV's. Corvo's was a great action piece, while Gutter Ballet was noir detective style. The last one featured our dearest Halfmortal and was a great way to get a sense of Jadd.
Starting Dregs now, in anticipation of Disquiet Gods.
November 3, 2025
The best Tales yet, and most impactful
September 26, 2024
The last short in this one has made me impatient, for the first time, for my library hold on the next book.
All of these short stories were lovely.
All of these short stories were lovely.
April 9, 2024
4.5 stars. Some of the stories were action for action sake. Others were so good that they should be a prologue of a larger story. All had the intensity and imagination that I've come to expect from Ruocchio.
November 18, 2025
Glad I reread this because I think this one is so far and away the best collection of stories of the four Tales volumes.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Read time: 3.25 Hrs
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Read time: 3.25 Hrs
March 26, 2024
3.75 stars
Now we are TALKING. This was overall quite good. I always struggle a bit with short stories, so this rating is quite good for me lol. This volume had the strongest short stories so far for me, absolutely loved the last one, I will get to that in a min.
Was good to see how Otavia Corvo is a badass until the end.
The "Mother of Monsters" was so so good, hoping for more answers on the next volume!
My second favourite story, "The Archaenaut" was also great, you kinda know what is going on, but the imensity of what happens here is just mind blowing.
Now, the "Daughter of Swords". MAN, this is what I WANTED ALL THIS TIME. Before this volume was released, the cover for Disquiet Gods was revealed, and lo and behold, we had It was hinted in the previous book how much Had desired this and to see it become real just hurts me.
Cassandra was great and a badass already, at a tender age of 15 years. Had at this point is around what, 600 years, which is insane. Loved and cried over this story, especially how
I feel like Disquiet Gods will have a lot of emotion and I'm here for it.
Now we are TALKING. This was overall quite good. I always struggle a bit with short stories, so this rating is quite good for me lol. This volume had the strongest short stories so far for me, absolutely loved the last one, I will get to that in a min.
Was good to see how Otavia Corvo is a badass until the end.
The "Mother of Monsters" was so so good, hoping for more answers on the next volume!
My second favourite story, "The Archaenaut" was also great, you kinda know what is going on, but the imensity of what happens here is just mind blowing.
Now, the "Daughter of Swords". MAN, this is what I WANTED ALL THIS TIME. Before this volume was released, the cover for Disquiet Gods was revealed, and lo and behold, we had It was hinted in the previous book how much Had desired this and to see it become real just hurts me.
Cassandra was great and a badass already, at a tender age of 15 years. Had at this point is around what, 600 years, which is insane. Loved and cried over this story, especially how
I feel like Disquiet Gods will have a lot of emotion and I'm here for it.
December 2, 2025
Easily the best of the Tales of the Sun Eater collections. Every story was significant to the core series in some way, small or large.
It starts out strong with a perspective from Octavia Corvo. As far as I see it, she's a beast that deserved more screen time.
The fourth story, Mother of Monsters, felt the most illuminating in my opinion.
The final story, Daughter of Swords, was probably my least favorite because I don't find Cassandra to be an interesting character. Or maybe "The Parable" because it feels too experimental. Sun Eater as a series has a distinct narrative voice, so changing that even for a short story seems like a mistake.
It starts out strong with a perspective from Octavia Corvo. As far as I see it, she's a beast that deserved more screen time.
The fourth story, Mother of Monsters, felt the most illuminating in my opinion.
The final story, Daughter of Swords, was probably my least favorite because I don't find Cassandra to be an interesting character. Or maybe "The Parable" because it feels too experimental. Sun Eater as a series has a distinct narrative voice, so changing that even for a short story seems like a mistake.
April 28, 2025
8.2/10
- The best Tales of the Sun Eater
- Even though I loved Corvo her story took too long to develop
- VERY NICE to see what HAPSIS is about and the consequences of touching a Watcher
-I LOVED Simons story, the way his imperial view came into clash with the extrasolarians way of life
- the CHERRY on top of the cake here: CASSANDRA story HOLY FUCK, I already knew her existence because of Fangs of Oannos but seeing her pov was amazing, mainly because we see Hadrian through her eyes and the way Jaddians think of themselves as genetically superior and her having to deal with that
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- The best Tales of the Sun Eater
- Even though I loved Corvo her story took too long to develop
- VERY NICE to see what HAPSIS is about and the consequences of touching a Watcher
-I LOVED Simons story, the way his imperial view came into clash with the extrasolarians way of life
- the CHERRY on top of the cake here: CASSANDRA story HOLY FUCK, I already knew her existence because of Fangs of Oannos but seeing her pov was amazing, mainly because we see Hadrian through her eyes and the way Jaddians think of themselves as genetically superior and her having to deal with that
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This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2025
Some interesting stories in this one.
I enjoyed the Corvo and Cassandra stories quite a bit but the other stories whilst good just didn’t grab me as much as these two, which is likely just due to the emotional investment for these characters.
Some nice stories about machines. We see their inner monologue and struggles with their own morality and that age old question of what if machines started to think for themselves
I enjoyed the Corvo and Cassandra stories quite a bit but the other stories whilst good just didn’t grab me as much as these two, which is likely just due to the emotional investment for these characters.
Some nice stories about machines. We see their inner monologue and struggles with their own morality and that age old question of what if machines started to think for themselves
September 8, 2025
Thoroughly enjoyed this volume! Every story apart from one was at least a 4 out of 5.
The Archaenaut was my ultimate favourite, the lore, the tension and the really unfortunate language barrier was written so well.
Excited at the introduction of Cassandra, looking forward to Disquiet Gods.
The Archaenaut was my ultimate favourite, the lore, the tension and the really unfortunate language barrier was written so well.
Excited at the introduction of Cassandra, looking forward to Disquiet Gods.
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