Ashes of Man

The Sun Eater #5

by Christopher Ruocchio, Samuel Roukin (Narrator)

The fifth novel of the galaxy-spanning Sun Eater series merges the best of space opera and epic fantasy, as Hadrian Marlowe continues down a path that can only end in fire.

The galaxy is burning.

With the Cielcin united under one banner, the Sollan Empire stands alone after the betrayal of the Commonwealth. The Prophet-King of the Cielcin has sent its armies to burn the worlds of men, and worse, there are rumors … whispers that Hadrian Marlowe is dead, killed in the fighting.

But it is not so. Hadrian survived with the help of the witch, Valka, and together they escaped the net of the enemy having learned a terrible truth: the gods that the Cielcin worship are real and will not rest until the universe is dark and cold.

What is more, the Emperor himself is in danger. The Prophet-King has learned to track his movements as he travels along the borders of Imperial space. Now the Cielcin legions are closing in, their swords poised to strike off the head of all mankind.

Length: 22 hrs and 34 mins.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Audiobook, Space Opera, Science Fiction Fantasy, Adult

23 pages, Audible Audio

First published December 13, 2022

About the author

Christopher 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.’

Reviews

[Petrik · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is a copy of the transcript of my video review on Ashes of Man

ARC provided by the publisher—DAW Books—in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 stars

“Ashes lay in drifts about the ruined splendor of the sanctum, mounded against the altar and about the feet of my divine ancestor, triumphant beneath the oculus far above. I wore no helmet then, and heard with my naked ears the roar of engines approaching. I felt the dead wind in my hair, and smelled the foul burning of the ashes of man.”

I am caught up with the main books in the series now, and with the completion of Ashes of Man, I am increasingly confident in crowning The Sun Eater as the best sci-fi series I’ve ever read.

“The ugliness of the world does not fade, nor are fear and grief made less by time, nor is any suffering forgotten. We are only made stronger by its blows.”

Past.
The past is written; simple words with terrifying effects. And our lives are filled with so many beginnings and so many endings. As you hear me speak these words, they are already part of your past. They are all irreversible, just like all the good and bad things in our past. Hadrian understands this truth through the cruelest roads in Kingdoms of Death, and you would be mistaken if you think he will get a rest in Ashes of Man, the fifth novel in The Sun Eater series. Ashes of Man is also the second half of Kingdoms of Death, originally intended to be one book long, but now it is the fourth book in the series. Obviously, I don’t have the power of the Quiet, and I wouldn’t know how that one big book without the division would turn out. But as it stands, I am actually glad Kingdoms of Death and Ashes of Man are two separate books. Even though the stories between the two books seamlessly continue from one to another without huge time jumps like usual, Kingdoms of Death ends in a fitting and satisfying place. Ashes of Man begins with the exploration of the various effects the cataclysmic events in Kingdoms of Death have caused to Hadrian and the Sollan Empire. And if there is one thing we can be 100% sure about our lives, the stream of time leaves no one unscarred.

“Time does not turn back, and not even the gods of night our pale enemy worshiped could grant my dearest wish.”

Do understand that my review for Ashes of Man will be shorter than my usual Sun Eater reviews to avoid spoilers. This is the fifth book of the series now. I have mentioned the greatness of Ruocchio’s storytelling and writing in my previous reviews, and even though I know I will submit to repeat my praise, I would like to focus this spoiler-free review on the highlights of the novel and the three key characters in it that made Ashes of Man receive another incredibly positive rating from me. Other than Hadrian and the characters that appeared in the cover art of The Sun Eater post Ashes of Man, this means that other than Hadrian Marlowe, Valka Onderra, Lorian Aristedes, and a few new characters’ names like Sir Hector Silva and Prince Kaim, to avoid spoilers, the other character names will barely be mentioned in this review. I will begin with Hadrian Marlowe... The Sun Eater himself.

“We have need of heroes, however broken, however terrible, however insufficient they may be. And we have need of more than one hero, for heroes do break, you know.”

Hadrian is old. He is 384 years old now in Ashes of Man, and thanks to him being a palatine and the constant usage of fugue, it has been almost a thousand years since he was born. And he is no longer as strong as he was in Howling Dark and Demon in White. The overwhelming events in Kingdoms of Death have changed and weakened him. I might have mentioned this before, but Hadrian Marlowe is one of my favorite characters in speculative fiction. If not before, then it is now. His passion, fear, rage, and grief felt so palpable to me. As I said before, I do not always agree with Hadrian’s actions. But through contexts, background, and well-written motivations, I understood his actions. His oath and responsibilities hung like a circle of chains around his neck on his journey. He cannot escape it, no matter how hard he tries. And the tragedy inflicted by the ugliness of the world never ceases to stop for him. One of the things I appreciate most, even if it resulted in a slower and more contemplative pacing, about Ashes of Man is how the sense of guilt, sorrow, and regret over the harrowing years in Kingdoms of Death is reflected over and over again. The memories are permanently stamped in Hadrian. This is super important to me. Something as traumatic as the ones in Kingdoms of Death should never be easily forgotten by the character. It would not feel realistic. The horrors of the Cielcin were too insane to dismiss. I loved reading about Hadrian’s character development and attempt to recover himself physically and mentally. He would have failed at abating his sadness without the love and loyalty of his remaining friends and Valka Onderra, one of the central figures in The Sun Eater series.

“I had loved Colchis when first I came to it, and loved parts of it still. But one cannot step into the same river twice, nor onto the same world. All things are always in motion. That is why it is the highest good and cause of civilization to preserve—to conserve—what is good. It is for that reason we plant new seeds, that if we might not preserve the trees, we might preserve the forest. If Earth is truly lost—as I believe—and not returning, then it is good that we plant her children across the stars.”

Every cover art in The Sun Eater series (on top of being some of the best cover art in the science fiction genre) consistently has a reason why the chosen character earns the spotlight in the cover art. There are many good and valid reasons why Valka Onderra is the character on the front cover of Ashes of Man. The relationship and journey between Hadrian Marlowe and Valka have always been evident in each book in The Sun Eater series, and it is even more so in Ashes of Man. And it is hard not to like Valka. Centuries of adventures and companionship through thick and thin have passed since their encounter in Empire of Silence. Even though the story is dramatically narrated from the sole perspective of Hadrian, Valka is essentially the second main character of The Sun Eater. And with that in mind, it’s not only Hadrian who has gone through substantial character development but Valka as well. She still retains her personality, but she, too, has learned a lot about the world, the Sollan Empire, the Anaryoch, and Cielcin. In return, she, too, has developed into a better person. Without giving any spoilers, I highly enjoyed reading her story and the relationship between her and Hadrian. Ashes of Man is, in a way, her book.

“The centuries, it seemed, had worn her down at last, and at the last she had found in the bottom of her soul a wish and want she’d never known was there.”

Of course, as I said, Valka is not the only one responsible for keeping Hadrian sane. In his journey, Hadrian has earned the loyalty of his band The Red Company, and in Ashes of Man, Lorian Aristedes exhibited a powerful unwavering display of loyalty to him. Lorian the Misborn. Lorian the good commander. Lorian has always been one of my favorite characters in The Sun Eater since his first appearance in Demon in White. And Ashes of Man has practically turned him into my second favorite character in the series, just slightly below Hadrian Marlowe. Who knows? This ranking could change after I read The Dregs of Empire soon. Hadrian will have a tough competition as the champion of my heart in the series. Not only against Lorian but other characters, too. This is an intricate galaxy-spanning space opera series. We have ventured into multiple planets with their own distinct culture and settings, and it is not a surprise this magnificent and ambitious series is filled with many memorable characters. The crew of the Red Company, Bassander Lin, Olorin Milta, the Emperor, even the newly introduced Sir Hector Silva, who reminded Hadrian and me of young Hadrian himself, and more. The list goes on. But Lorian Aristedes is definitely in the runner-up spot for now. I love reading characters like him. He is a character reminiscent of Tyrion Lannister from A Song of Ice and Fire and Sand dan Glokta from The First Law series. And as Lorian laid his emotions bare to Hadrian here and vice versa, I can’t even begin to explain how much I grew to care about him. If you have read this book, when Lorian said, “My lord, I never left it,” it was an emotional damage to me, in a good way. I am not only excited to read Disquiet Gods, the sixth book in the series, but also The Dregs of Empire, a companion novel that will focus on Lorian Aristedes.

“But could I fault him in his thinking? Had I not thought much the same of myself, a hundred hundred times? Do we not all think this way sometimes—whatever our condition—and in a sense is it not true? Evil occurs because we are insufficient to challenge it. Too weak to stop it at the gates, too blind to see it bubbling within. Were we all angels in our virtue and heroes in our capacity, we might hold all chaos at bay, might stop even the unkindling of the stars. Yet we are but men. Even me.”

It goes without saying there are other characters that became a positive factor in this review, such as Prince Kaim, but this is a spoiler-free review. I want readers who stumbled upon this review to be able to experience Ashes of Man to the fullest without me giving up key events. I can, however, say that in Ashes of Man, we finally learn more about the Jaddians. I don’t know about you, but since Olorin Milta’s display of prowess and skill as a Maeskolos in Empire of Silence, I have always been eager to learn more about the Jaddians. I finally got what I wanted here. Maybe more in the next book. The Jaddians are now involved in Hadrian’s story. There’s no book in The Sun Eater series that felt wasted. Readers are supplied with something new that increases our immersion in the world or universe that Ruocchio crafted. I won’t trace back the details of what we have reaped from all the books in the series, but if in Kingdoms of Death we learned the most about the Cielcin, we get to read more about the Sollan Empire, Jaddians, Mericanii, Monumentals, Watchers, the Firstborn, and Vaiartu in Ashes of Man. Chapter 17, in particular, was a chapter of heavy lore that I must visit again someday. Ruocchio made sure everything matters in this battle of darkness and light. And every step, every decision, and every action led Hadrian to the life-changing Battle of Perfugium.

“My dead outnumbered my living—as becomes true for each of us in time. The dead become ever closer companions as we grow old ourselves and nearer eternity. And afterlife or no, they live on in us. Perhaps that is why it seems we have ghosts. Because we carry them in ourselves.”

As repetitive as this sounds, Ruocchio’s prose continues to impress me. Hadrian’s narration is simply one of the most distinct and compelling storytelling I’ve read in speculative fiction. There were some subtle insertions of Hadrian’s current thoughts and feelings in the present time frame—the one who wrote the tale of Hadrian in the chronicle we are reading—toward his own past; it was utterly brilliant and poignant. It is true Ashes of Man is not a novel as relentlessly grim and devastating as Kingdoms of Death, but if you approached Ashes of Man thinking it won’t leave you emotionally scarred, you would be making a mistake.

“AMONG THE EXTRASOLARIANS, THEY say, there are men who take memories, who siphon them away in crystal phials and stopper them like djinni. But I could not seek their services, not and remain myself. I said once that a man is the sum of memories, and it is so. Thus, to discard those memories—however terrible—is to discard a part of ourselves.”

The narrative in Ashes of Man takes time to build toward the climactic concluding sequence. There was a short chapter in the book titled The Call; this is the calm before the storm moment. The calmness before Perfugium. The tranquility before the chaos seeds of foreshadowing planted in Howling Dark bloomed into fruition. The peace before I read a violent chapter I haven’t ever witnessed in any other storytelling medium. And yet, that chapter somehow managed to deliver one of the most beautiful moments in the series in harmony. It’s impeccable. Darkness and light. Despair and hope. Hatred and love. Cielcin and humanity. They constantly vie for dominance in the narrative of Ashes of Man. This is why it is so challenging to encapsulate everything that occurred in a single book of The Sun Eater series into one review. We need a term for Ruocchio’s final chapters or sequence. If Sanderson has Sanderlance and John Gwynne has Gwynnado (I name this myself), maybe we should apply “volcano” to Ruocchio: The Ruocchano. Expect heart-hammering and satisfying final chapters in each installment, and you will get it. Ruocchio has constructed them with finesse.

“Silent was my fury. A silence beyond words. Nothing endures, nor lasts forever. Not stone, not empires, not life itself. Even the stars will one day burn down—as I have seen and know perhaps better than any other man. Even the darkness that comes after all will one day pass away to new light. This record, too, and this warm scribe—my hand—perhaps, will fade. The stones here on Colchis shall fall into the sea, and the sea dissolve to foam. The stars shall burn the worlds to ash, and cool themselves to cinders. All things fade. Fall. Shatter. I raised a bleeding hand.”

Future.
Despite the carving of oppressive darkness into the skin and bone of Hadrian’s past, the potential of greater light in the future is still colossal. If Empire of Silence up to Demon in White is to illustrate the rise and glories of Hadrian Marlowe and the Red Company, Kingdoms of Death and Ashes of Man exists to show the blackest days and grievous chapters of Hadrian’s life. The parchments of The Sun Eater are marked with melancholic and ashes of man. And similar to Hadrian, sometimes the worst wounds we suffered left no visible scar. There’s so much darkness to defeat. But I believe the bright light we cannot see remains to be grasped. Ashes of Man is another excellent novel in The Sun Eater series. As an installment, I did not love this as much as the previous books. But it is still an amazing 4.5 out of 5 stars novel. The series overall so far is just staggeringly tremendous. If you’re reading this review right now, I will assume you have heard me praise the available five books in the series so far in lengthy consideration. However, my praises won’t capture the full grandeur of the series. You have to read and experience reading them yourself. For me, right now, we know where Hadrian’s story ends. There are still details of his chronicle to consume. I am saddened to have caught up with the published books in the main series, but I am also brimming with delight at the thought of reading Disquiet Gods. Before that, The Dregs of Empire awaits me. I shall go on to Disquiet Gods after I read The Dregs of Empire, and this time, I will not be alone. But together with my fellow Red Company readers.

“I told you once that the universe has no center, and thus every point is its center, and it is so. If I have strained you, reader, by my repeated insistence that every action matters, that every moment of every life is the moment, the axis about which all things turn, understand that I say these things because they are true. Every step, every turn, every refusal to step. Everything matters. The cosmos is not cold or indifferent because we are not indifferent, and we are a part of that cosmos, of that grand order which has dropped from the hand of He who created it. Every decision creates its ripples, every moment burns its mark on time, every action leads us ever nearer to that last day, that final last battle and the answer to that last question: Darkness? Or light?”

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[Matt's Fantasy Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Watch my video review by clicking here.

I feel like a broken record, but each of these books are better than the last. Simply perfection.

[Smitty1423 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished this book a few weeks ago and have been stunned since I finished it. Took me awhile to write this because honestly I was in disbelief of what happened(no spoilers) but in even more disbelief of how amazing the last few chapters of this story was.

We know how the story ends I just don’t know how much more pain I can endure lol

5/5

[Jake Bishop · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm glad I got the ARC for this, because I didn't want to wait.

This is book number 5 for The Sun Eater, I will keep things spoiler free, it might sound like something is a spoiler if you haven't started the series, but it is probably something you learn in the first chapter of book 1

Ashes of Man is another fantastic book in The Sun Eater. The protagonist of this series has a life expectancy of several centuries, and by the time we get to this book he is old. And as books only exist if there is conflict, he has been through a lot of crap.


This book does such a fantastic job at having a protagonist who is burnt out. We see it in subtle ways, but Ruocchio has written someone who basically is not in the headspace to be the protagonist of a sci fi novel. Unfortunately for him, he doesn't have a choice. So he has to almost mentally force himself to keep trying to do insane things, but the years, and the losses have worn him down. The well of Hadrian Marlowe is spent.

One thing I would like to address is that this novel was split in 2. This is originally the second half of what was going to be a giant book 4. I know generally what he added, I only learned after I had read most of the book, and I think this book being split was a silver lining of the paper shortage. This book has to deal with the aftermath of Kingdoms of Death. A lot of what got added was breathing room, that I feel originally would not have been in the book because if it was one book, that would make it too long. But I think a lot of the more high octane, crazy stuff could have been exhausting. The split gave me room to breath. It let the book focus on mental recovery, and also some of the political maneuvering. Then when we got to the cool/intense battles it felt like it was earned.

It also helps, that the stuff that got added was really good. I have said before, that I consider the supporting cast of Sun Eater to be a relative weakness. Hadrian is one of my favorite fictional characters, and that is getting more and more true as Ruocchio continues to actually pull of writing a 800 year old recounting his life in a way that actually feels like the narrator is 800, and current Hadrian is whatever his current age is.

However, in this book I believe Ruocchio has leveled up at writing his supportive cast. For the first couple I would say I liked the supporting characters, and they didn't get in the way of the really brilliant characters playing more important roles. However, in this book I also found myself finding substance in a huge amount of the supporting cast.

I would also like to shoutout something about how the frame device is used. In some moments, aspects of the writing will be slightly stylistically different. I think a lot of the time the writing style slightly changes based on what emotional state writer Hadrian was in when writing what we are currently reading. I think you can especially see this in 2 ways. How mentally close we are to Hadrian's emotions, and how much commentary we are getting from current Hadrian. This is a tiny detail, but I think it is super super cool. I might be imagining things, I have not really seen Ruocchio say he does this. But I think he does, and the attention to detail is really really impressive.

Also all the stuff I previously liked in previous books, was still really really really good. I don't feel like repeating it, you can go look at any of those reviews.


Ok, so why isn't it my favorite. Well, one reason is a kinda spoilery reason I can't get into, and the other is not to do with the execution of the book. I thought the idea's, and settings, and really locations for stuff in Kingdoms of Death, Demon In White, and Howling Dark were slightly more cool.

So despite very very impressive writing of a really old protagonist, and what I believe is a technical improvement in writing the supporting cast, this slightly loses out to Demon in White because DiW has the rule of cool factor.

9/10

[Jonah Evarts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saying this is one of the lesser Suneater books is like saying a billion dollars is worse than a trillion dollars. Just incredible.

Christopher Ruocchio, you are my mortal enemy. The pain these past 2 books have inflicted on me has turned you into the evilest of authors. You are a genius and I hope that you never stop writing.

Holy SHIT I LOVE THIS SERIES.

[Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

2025 re-read update: This is still a 5 star book for me, as all Sun Eater books have been, but I think it's really the only one I liked just a tad less on reread. I really felt the split this time as it takes a very long time to ramp up the plot. The back half was still excellent as was the writing.

Thank you to DAW Books and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start off by saying that The Sun Eater us currently my favorite science fiction series of all time and book 3, Demon In White, is my favorite science fiction book of all time. That is to say even though my love for these books is baked in there is still a lot for subsequent volumes to live up to in terms of quality. Does Ashes of Man live up to that? 1000 percent yes!

I didn't really know what to expect from this book after the experience of Kingdoms of Death. While it's an fantastic 5 star read it is both very hard on its protagonist and hard on the reader emotionally. With a title like "Ashes of Man" I was honestly expecting more of the same. And while the emotional damage is still very much a part of this book I think it is also safe to say there is some catharis as well. I think a lot of that comes at the start of the book and the brilliant way Ruocchio decided to structure these due to the split of books 4 and 5. The opening chapters are the breath we needed after the intensity of Kingdoms of Death and serves as a small soft reset before things ramp up again.

And when things do ramp up it is best to hold on because the book simply does not stop from there until the conclusion. I said earlier that my favorite book in the series is Demon In White because I feel like that book has some of everything I love in this series. The reason Ashes of Man is a close second is because I got a lot of those same vibes from it. Emotional heart wrenching moments? Yes. Court politics with maybe the best written monarch character in sci fi or fantasy? Yes. Space battles and adventure? Yes. Amazing lore and worldbuilding? Yes. Terrifying aliens? Yes. And of course beautiful prose that made me want to wear out the highlight feature on my Kindle? Earth and Emperor yes! In fact it felt like Ruocchio's writing and prose may be at its highest level here which is a bold statement.

With this book coming out in just a couple of weeks it is time for anyone who reads fantasy and sci fi to stop sleeping on this series and read it now! Even if you haven't started book 1 trust me and go ahead and buy Ashes of Man on release. It's an absolute lock that you will want to read all of the books, and get those gorgeous hardcovers with that amazing art while you can. Join us in the Sollan Empire and read the best sci fi series going today.

[Alex Nieves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruocchio has done it once again, what a book. Ranking this book would probably land it somewhere between Demon in White and Howling Dark, I'm not sure yet but it was great. As it was technically the second half of whatever book 4 was originally going to be it was a bit slower paced to start but was a wild ride from about 60% until the end. Where Kingdoms of Death focused much more directly on the Cielcin, Ashes of Man has a strong focus on humanity and the human conflict at the heart of the series.

We've gotten some answers by this point but there's still many questions that remain but as we're told each and every book...

"If what I have suffered, if what I have done disturbs you, Reader, I do not blame you. If you would read no further, I understand. You have the luxury of foresight. You know where this ends. I shall go on alone."

Sidenote: The additional dedication to the Dramatis Personae is appreciated. So much time and effort to flesh out the world that most authors wouldn't do. My hats off to ya.

[Scot Glasgow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Astra Publishing House / DAW and Netgalley for providing a free review copy of Ashes of Man, Book 5 in Christopher Ruocchio’s Sun Eater Space Opera series in exchange for a fair review. I will endeavor to keep this as spoiler-free as possible.

As Sun Eater is one of my all-time favorite series, the possibility of me being objective and unbiased here is essentially zero percent. As with every other entry thus far, I am rating this 5 out of 5 Stanley Nods (stars.)

I’m quite certain that the split between Kingdoms of Death (book 4) and Ashes of Man caused additional stress to the author, but I am of the opinion that it produced 2 books that were better than 1 would have been, and will ultimately make the series even better. With this split, there has been additional page time to flesh out secondary characters within Hadrian’s orbit – friends, enemies, frenemies, etc.

Speaking of Hadrian (vague spoiler for Kingdoms of Death,) he is in a very dark place to begin this novel after the events of book 4. Seeing him process his trauma throughout the book while ultimately experiencing even more traumatic events serves to show us his humanity. With each entry in this excellent series, I feel I know the man and his principles more thoroughly, which is a testament to Ruocchio’s excellent character work.

We begin the story on Colchis very shortly after the events of Kingdoms of Death. One of my favorite parts of the book is the time spent in the Imperial Library learning about the true nature of the Scholiast Order in his desire to learn more about Tor Gibson’s life.

We are introduced to a new character that I am dying to learn more about in the final entry of the series, or potentially in standalone and short fiction set in this world. Here is his introduction:

Doubtless you find this meeting strange. I did not. I did not then know the name of Sir Hector Oliva, Champion of the Battle of Taranis, captain of the Siren, commander of the last defense of Nessus, Hero of the Empire. The only man besides myself to stand in single combat against the Dark Lord of Dharan-Tun and live to tell the tale. No one did.

Oliva shines brightly whenever onscreen, and I simply couldn’t get enough of his character. Please give me more Oliva, Ruocchio, especially after everyone you’ve taken away from me over the course of this series.
Here are some of my thoughts about characters we already knew from earlier entries that are further fleshed out:

Valka: In many ways, this is Valka’s book, up to and including the beautiful painting of her on the cover by the incomparable Kieran Yanner. Her love and unwavering support for Hadrian throughout this book helps him to rebuild his shattered body, mind and emotional state to be able to charge back into battle with the Cielcin force. I have absolutely adored this Tavrosi “witch” from her first introduction in Empire of Silence, and she is by far my favorite non-Hadrian character in the story.

Lorian Aristedes: Lorian continues to be one of my most cherished characters in the Sun Eater universe. The tactical officer is frequently the smartest person on the page, and his devotion to Hadrian and humanity equally serves to endear him to me (and I’m assuming other Sun Eater fans everywhere.)

His Imperial Radiance, the Emperor William the Twenty-Third of the House Avent; Firstborn Son of the Earth; Guardian of the Solar System; King of Avalon; Lord Sovereign of the Kingdom of Windsor-in-Exile; Prince Imperator of the Arms of Orion; Prince Imperator of the Arms of Orion, of Sagittarius, of Perseus, and Centaurus; Magnarch of Orion; Conqueror of Norma; Grand Strategos of the Legions of the Sun; Supreme Lord of the Cities of Forum; North Star of the Constellations of the Blood Palatine; Defender of the Children of Men; and Servant of the Servants of Earth: Are you impressed that I did this from memory? Kidding, of course. I’m a sucker for grand and never-ending titles – have been since reading Game of the Thrones for the first time twenty years ago. In any case, Caesar is an amazing character, and is fleshed out brilliantly in this book. Learning more about Hadrian’s complicated relationship with his radiant majesty is one of the strongest parts of this book imo.

If you haven’t already done so, read this series, preferably immediately.

I will leave you with 3 Hadrian Marlowe quotes that show Ruocchio’s mastery of prose and give a sense of what you are in for with this story:

The ugliness of the world does not fade, nor are fear and grief made less by time, nor is any suffering forgotten. We are only made stronger by its blows.
I had been so eager. Once. Sure that stiff necks and religious dogma were the only obstacles to peace. Greed. Pride. Envy. With such eager surety I had ridden out to find Vorgossos, to change the world, the Empire, the galaxy.

We have need of heroes, however broken, however terrible, however insufficient they may be. And we have need of more than one hero, for heroes do break, you know?

[Benghis Kahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread update:
This one is such an odd duck among all the books in the series, but I love it still. I'm glad Ruocchio had to split up bks 4-5 into two expanded stories, since that gave Hadrian and us the reader plenty of time to breathe and reset in the beginning chunk of Ashes of Man. These quiet scenes are the highlight of the book for me, and the action-y middle and climactic sequences didn't quite blow me away (admittedly the Ganelon scenes had almost entirely escaped my memory from a couple years ago, so little a mark did they leave).

The ending of the climax and tense falling action were still so impactful and make for one of my favorite endings to a Sun Eater novel. On its own it may be towards the bottom of my series rankings, but it's exactly the story we need at this point in the saga to further us along in the plot and character arcs in a compelling way.

Original review:
Yet another spectacular entry in the Sun Eater Saga! I was as gripped by the slow early sections as I was during the heart-stopping pulse-pounding action scenes. I do not think Ruocchio could bore me if he tried, and I didn't want this ride to end. There continue to be extremely bold and unpredictable narrative choices that keep me on my toes, and I can't get enough of spending time with these supremely interesting and deep characters.

The present-day frame-narrative Hadrian doesn't address the reader too often, but when he does it's tremendously impactful, and the frame narrative works fantastically for me. Also kudos to Samuel Roukin, who provides the perfect voice for Hadrian with an utter understanding of the character at every turn. I either listened to this one or read immersively since if I'm reading it on my own I'm imagining it all in Roukin's voice anyway.

Bravo to Roucchio and Roukin, and I await the final two installments with bated breath!

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ashes of Man is the fifth volume in Ruocchio’s Sun Eater series, a science fiction fantasy spanning the cosmos and featuring one half-mortal Hadrian Marlowe. It would certainly benefit a careful reader to first read the previous volumes, lengthy and epic though each of them be. Although much of the first quarter of the book sets up the action that dominates the remainder of the book, all of the setup is based on the previous books, the characters and relationships established earlier, and a storyline continuing from the previous epic. That said, Ashes of Man is a fully-absorbing tale, grand in its scope and its depth.

Hadrian, having suffered seven years of torture and imprisonment from the Cielcin, and in particular, their leader, the prophet, Syriani Dorayaica. The Cielcin (and if you are still living and breathing, odds are you’ve never encountered them) are a race of giant man-eating cockroaches who know only domination, do not understand peace or treaty, and race across the universe in planet-sized spaceships. They see themselves as gifted by ancient races and long to demolish everything.

Allied with them are breakaway worlds who think that they will be left in peace, not understanding that they are only setting themselves up to be eaten last as they harvest their cities to feed the Cielcin’s voracious appetites.

Hadrian is but a shell of his former self, broken physically and mentally and not sure he wants to serve the Imperium of the Sollan Empire. He is at once the only hope humanity has and feared as someone different who perhaps cannot be killed. The struggle he always seems to face is his loyalty to the Caesar, who has seldom returned that loyalty, and service to his own self. While he struggles with palace intrigue, the universe is closing in and Armageddon is coming with the Cielcin.

As with the other novels in this series, what the reader gets is a rich adventure epic in scale.

A copy of the book was provided by the publisher for reviewing purposes.

[Read By Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fifth installment of Sun Eater is everything you could want after Kingdoms of Death. It's probably the two books I feel benefit the most from being split (that I've read). Ashes of Man was able to deliver breathing space and emotional beats and a bit more of a ramp up to the next thing after all the crazy events of Kingdoms of Death.

I think I liked the climax of Kingdoms of Death more, but the falling action in this book is some of the stuff I've liked the most in the entire series. This book is harrowing and emotional, but still has epic space battles and pew-pews and laser swords. The characters in this series continue to grow and interest me in new ways, and Hadrian is so old now and been through so much that he feels like a new character from where we started, but in a believable, earned way. I also think this book has Ruocchio's best prose to date; it is extremely well written.

9/10

[Kevin Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

96/100
first read january 2023. reread september 2023.

even better on the second read. this book really cements Hadrian as a character for me, and catapults him to being one of my favorite characters ever. this book is a great combination of Howling Dark and Demon in White, giving us both the horror aspects of HD and courtly stuff of DiW. it also just hits on so many themes i love (i can't say which cuz spoilers but if you know me you can guess). anyone who gives this book anything less than five stars is WRONG. yes, im lookin at you jimmy. it's just as good as HD and DiW.

this is one of my favorite series ever and i am eagerly awaiting Disquiet Gods.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Time runs down, and leaves no man unscarred ….. “ 🥺😢😫

2nd reading via Audiobook

“Grief is deepwater …. To be human is greater still.”

I must say grief is indeed the true mind killer …. To overcome it, one of life’s greatest accomplishments.

How much more must our hero Hadrian overcome in this insanely well crafted journey! I can’t wait to read on!

Onwards and upwards!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Tomás Canas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

“The ugliness of the world does not fade, nor are fear and grief made less by time, nor is any suffering forgotten. We are only made stronger by its blows.”

Ashes of Man was the most cathartic instalment in the series so far. What do I mean by that? Well, it served as an exploration of grief and lost after the events of Kingdoms of Death. The beginning of the book gave the readers a much-needed breather after what transpired in the past 540 pages of the story. Hadrian dealing with loss and forcing himself always to move on in face of adversity.

“That´s just the thing.” I said. “It used to be the fugue I dreaded. Now, it´s the waking.”

Hadrian Marlowe is, at this point, a shell of what he used to be. He has been through almost as much pain as the likes of Guts from Berserk, FitzChivlary Farseer from the Realm of the Elderlings and many other characters that have suffered immense pain. He doesn’t want to keep going, he needs to. Hadrian lacks the enthusiasm he had, the hopefulness yet naivety he lost through the course of the series is painful to witness as he slowly has become a very stoic character. He doesn’t, however, lose his emotions deep inside and that is showed by how he interacts with the side characters.

One element I always loved about this saga is how other characters see Hadrian as a myth, a legend. And in this book, some find that legends, as often happens, might not be what they expected.

“We humans have lived so long in history, I think, we´ve forgotten that myth is the older, deeper tradition. Perhaps some part of us finds it uncomfortable when those two spheres overlap.”

Speaking of side characters, this was easily the best or second-best book for them, It´s either Ashes of Man or Demon in White. I can´t delved deeper into this this topic due to spoiler reasons though. You will read it for your own, when the book comes out, and form your own opinions.

After the first half being a much-needed slow burn, we have an explosive second half full of action, reveals, satisfying and painful moments. There was a stretch of 2-3 chapters near the end that had me teary eyed and crying at some points, you will know what I am talking about when you get there…

If I had to criticize this book in some way, I would say that the ending wasn’t as well written as the past 3 books and that I wished, even though I did cry, that the moment in question would have happened in a different way or had a bigger focus.

The Sun Eater Saga by Cristopher Ruocchio has been one of the best Sci Fi sagas I’ve had the privilege to read and talk about to my friends and Ashes of Man was no exception to the rule. Can´t wait to see the conclusion to the saga in book 6.

“Though the stars be dark and the way be lost,
though out toil be long: don’t count the cost.
Though the foe´s ahead and no friend´s behind,
my brothers! My brothers! Now hold the line!
There are those at home who need us now…
Who need us now…
Who need us now…
There are those at home who need us now,
so up. My lads, and Fight!”

[Sean Halpin · Rating 5 out of 5]

AHHHHH MY FUCKING HEART.

Never. never. never. Never...

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is an action-packed, thought-provoking, emotional rollercoaster that should be in the conversation for one of the greatest modern day space operas.

"The cosmos is not cold or indifferent because we are not indifferent, and we are part of the cosmos, of the grand order which has dropped from the hand of he who created it. Every decision creates a ripple, every moment burns its mark on time, every action leads us ever nearer to the last day, the final last battle and the answer to that last question. Darkness or light?"

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
Series Review: https://youtu.be/kXL0N5cbLEA

[Henrique · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ashes of Man


Ashes of Man is the fifth book in The Sun Eater series and continues exactly where the previous book left off. Now, the protagonist Hadrien is trying to live a peaceful life with his lover Valka after all the tragedies they went through in book 4. I think this book was slower compared to the last two, mainly because the protagonist distances himself from the fighting and wars, so it takes a while for something to happen that forces him to return for the story to grab you. After Hadrien is back at the center of everything once again under the emperor's orders, the book starts to improve in my opinion, as things begin to accelerate, critical issues begin to be debated, and a very daring plan begins to be put into practice. This book was still chaotic at the end with several unexpected events, but it didn't come close to the trauma I experienced with the ending of book 4, Kingdoms of Death. However, one specific event in this one really affected me, and now, after that, Hadrien is more broken than ever. I have no idea what direction his life will take in the last two books. I want to see how these tragic experiences will affect him from now on. In short, Ashes of Man is a good book, but not one of the best in the series in my opinion. I still think books 3 and 4 are the best, but I'm eager to read the last two and see if this series ends as well as everyone says.

[Liam J.S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edit - coming back to edit some of these reviews after finishing book 7. A lot of this plot is totally irrelevant to the story at large, and adds unnecessarily confusing elements that overcomplicated the saga.

Some of the battles have become a touch repetitive but I still enjoy this saga overall. The prose is beautiful, and I appreciated the ending of this one. I yearn for a new adventure, though. We will see what lies in wait for our dear Hadrian between now and his inevitable conclusion.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

While some key events trespass in Ashes of Man, the 'placeholder vibe' is strong with this one. As usual, this picks up right where the last left off, in this case, with Hadrian and Valka returned to the planet with the Imperial library. They lay low for around 9 years, mourning the deaths of almost everyone in the Red Company. Hadrian's old tutor had himself put on ice and awakens with Hadrian's return. Well, time moves on and Hadrian and Valka present themselves to the authorities on the planet, get grilled over the events that led them there, and finally, get a summons to join with the Emperor on is tour of the front line planets. Once again, Hadrian enters into the mix it seems. Lots of politics and intrigue of course at the Imperial court, and then comes a new mission...

I am still enjoying the series. With all of Ruocchio's foreshadowing, we pretty much know what will happen in the end; Hadrian blows up a star (hence the series name) and kills friend and foe alike to finally end the war. These novels take the from of a memoir after all, penned by Hadrian as he awaits his execution by the new Emperor (which I assume will be Alexander). Will a little less navel gazing in this one, the melodrama is still a bit much for my taste. If you have come this far in the series, you probably will not be disappointed. Not the best of the series, but not the worst either. 3.5 stars, rounding up!

[Choko · Rating 5 out of 5]

*** 4.65 ***

I can't believe I have to wait for the next couple of books to be published now 😑😑😑...

In case you are interested in the series, this is a Dark and Moody Sci-Fi Fantasy with militaristic and political intrigues over millions of planets. It is about the battle for survival - from the intimate, personal survival of one, to the survival of the whole humanity. The look at Time is very similar - from the importance of every moment, to the passing of decades and centuries. It is small and vast at the same time.

The series is definitely not for everyone, but I think this is true of every book ever written. It's up to the reader, if it speaks to us or not. This series tends to speak to a part of me that knows the pain of loss and living with PTSD... So I love it, but I am not blind to its weaknesses. Hadrian, the MC, tends to be a bit melodramatic, tends to wallow in his pain and often self-pity, and is well aware of his tendencies, but it could get a bit too much for the reader...

There is violence, torture, death, slavery, but I believe most of it is non-gratuitous... If you like the genre, give it a try, I think it's worth it 🙂👍

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

Ashes of Man is the fifth book in the Sun Eater series and the original second half of book four, Kingdoms of Death. The previous entry, while still a great book, was probably the weakest entry in the series for me so far. It lacked a lot of the exciting moments from the previous entries and instead was a slow trudge for Hadrian Marlowe to get where he needed to be. (That’s probably about as much as I can say without going into spoilers.) All that is to say that AoM had a lot of work to do and I’m glad to say it (mostly) lived up to my expectations!

The start of this book is incredibly different from previous entries to the series. It’s a quiet, melancholy sequence in which you slowly realize all the repercussions that the end of KoD had. It’s no spoiler to say that by the end of this series Hadrian needs to be a very different character from the young, optimistic hero that he starts out as and here is where you finally start to realize how much he’s changed since the start of Empire of Silence. Hadrian’s trauma and reluctance following the events of the previous books is very much the focus of this entry and Ruocchio portrays it expertly, leaving you both frustrated and incredibly understanding at the same time. This section is incredibly slow, and it's probably the main reason this book is missing the full five stars but the character work done in it was always more engaging for me than what was in KoD.

Ashes of Man also has some of the best action set pieces of the series to date. I seriously cannot stress how much fun the later half of this book is. The final acts of Sun Eater books are always explosive and, I feel like I say this every time, but the end of AoM is my favorite one yet. It’s even a spoiler to say where the end of this book takes place but it’s a fun twist on all the normal battles with the Cielcin that have happened so far. Unlike Berenike or Elue, which, for my action tastes, dragged slightly, this one was never not compelling.

As with any book, I do have some criticisms. As this series goes on, the writing style has shifted more and more into relying on Hadrian recollecting past events to bring emotional weight to a scene and while many times it can be compelling, it also often just feels repetitive or like the author is trying to repeat exposition that you definitely already know at this point. Other series written in first-person retrospective have also had this issue with me, namely the Realm of the Elderlings. It’s almost certainly just a personal preference, and the quality of the writing is not diminished because of it, but at this point I know I prefer the earlier narration that felt more original.

My other criticism is similar to one that I had for the Lothrians in book four. Many aspects of Ruocchio’s world-building are incredibly compelling but in the area of the futuristic cultures that inhabit his galaxy I still think he has a ways to grow. You get to know the Jaddians a lot more in this book and while they were still fun to read about, aspects of their culture felt stereotyped to me. There were, unlike the Lothrians, more efforts to try and adapt the classical civilization that the Jaddians are based on to a modern story; but those efforts often felt shoehorned in.

That’s about as much as I can say that’s spoiler-free. Most of my praise (and a few other really small criticisms) for this book are completely full of spoilers! Spoilers that I won’t entrust to Goodread’s weird spoiler tags when the book is still four months away from release.

But, all in all, even though Ashes of Man doesn't quite touch Demon in White or Howling Dark (only because those books are insane), it is definitely a return to form for the series. If you are already a fan of the Sun Eater series, this entry does nothing but deliver, both on the tone that the beginning of the series hints at and all the explosive action that previous entries are known for. I’m so happy that I got an ARC for it, even if it means a longer wait for book six. The Sun Eater continues to be one of the most interesting stories being told in SFF fiction at the moment.

[Lena (Sufficiently Advanced Lena) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really my man Hadrian cannot catch a break in this series

[The Reformed Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10

Doctor: Show me where the book hurt you...
Me: (points to my heart)

......man.......I actually finished this up a few days ago, but I have needed a little time to collect my thoughts. Let me say this: THIS IS MY FAVORITE BOOK OF THE SERIES SO FAR AND IS, SO FAR, BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR ME.

I can't remember the last time that I stayed up way too late to finish a book because I couldn't put it down without knowing what happened. This book boldly wears that crown.
I am going to keep this short (to avoid spoilers), but this book has everything that I loved about the others, but then a truly sentimental element that the others had, but not at this scale. I have often said that I am a "moments reader" which is a big reason why I love this series.
The first 4 books each have that BIG, EPIC MOMENT. Demon In White has a few......but they don't come close to the emotional impact that this installment has. I think that it is definitely the case that since I have gotten older, I have become more sentimental, and the stories I lobe and cherish are less of the explosive battles (which I still love), but consist more of those touching moments in a book that speak to the reader in a very personal way.
That's what this book is.

Also, the heavy Christian themes in this book are unmistakable. There is literal Scripture being read in this book, and not hyperbolically, but in the true and appropriate sense. I don't want to say much more than that, but if this story continues on the same trajectory, this could easily become my favorite series of all time.
I'm going to take a little break for a few weeks before starting Disquiet Gods because it is my hope that I can finish book 6 and go right into Shadows Upon Time on release day.

Seriously....read this series.

[R. A. Strich · Rating 5 out of 5]

After 'Kingdoms of Death' focused on the Cielcin, 'Ashes of Man' now follows up with the humans.
Having these two parties seperated not only by structure but also by literal book now could have been really smooth, if it was intended this way.

You might have already heard - from Ruocchio, from the debate around the books or my review for the predecessor - that after already having finished ~2/3 of what was planned to be 'Kingdoms of Death', he was told by the publisher to split them up into two.
That way, the already written portion, minus the main climax of 'Ashes of Man', was taken for the first half and became 'Kingdoms of Death' - arguably the darkest and lowest point in Hadrians journey.
Maybe you have already read that in my opinion, 'Kingdoms of Death' only suffers very little from that seperation; it merely is tainted by not delivering what it could have been, were the main essence of 'Ashes of Man' still attached and therefore the big third act.

This entry though clearly shows the signs of partly being an afterthought.
None of the content in 'Ashes of Man' is in any way unnecessary or bad. It's still Christopher Ruocchio writing 'Sun Eater' in the end. The structure just feels less thought out then some other novels in the series and the pacing does show the unusual approach he had to take here.
When we talk about structure though, I have to say that with "less thought out", I literally mean "less" - because that's probably the main aspect readers will notice with this book. "Less" in the sense of having less ground covered, less setpieces and individual story-arcs.

In some ways, this even makes this one of the most streamlined and most easy-to-read entries in the series. There is but one major event occurring here, that everything is leading toward. One big set-piece with one major shift in the story at it's end.
And Hadrian gets to that point after the first part of the novel mostly being a slow-ish (for Sun-Eater that is) recovering and dealing with the horrific consequences of 'Kingdoms of Death'.

I have to say, that all of that has a place at this point in the story, and that I can honestly not really imagine it differently - while still yearning for what could have been.
The beginning of this book serves as a needed breather and lets us reconnect with Hadrian after what happened and lets us really dive into his damaged psyche and go through the entire healing process with him.
Only to then be struck by what this ends on.

And holy shit, I think that the last act of 'Ashes of Men' is in the debate for best finale of any of these books yet. 'Howling Dark' might be in the debate, on a reread probably 'Demon in White' as well (whose climax I originally didn't think among the best of that GOATed book).
But I think that both emotionally as well as from the pure writing of it all... This was second to none so far. I was at least 200% engaged and held my breath more than once.
What 'Ashes of Men' ends on, would maybe made 'Kingdoms of Death' too much for a lot of readers, but I can only imagine. The direction, Ruocchio takes with his series is just a badass move.
And all of this after what has only been 6 books...
Seriously, other series go on longer and don't cover nearly this much ground and years (Life is long...); discover these many worlds, cultures, ideas or ideologies. And all while not being overwhealming in any way.
It's all so thought out, so smoothly and lyrically tied together by the journey of Hadrian Marlowe, the Sun Eater.

And what a journey it has been, what a tale. Hadrian has gone through an evolution and arc that at this point has few rivals. And when he has told his tale through to the end, it will most likely stand among the very top, SciFi-Fantasy has to offer.
I can't recommend getting into it enough, because this will be the year of the Sun Eater, and you don't want to miss this.

Writing anything more would most likely be spoilers, so I'll stop here. No one should be spoiled this story, experience it yourself and *witness* (as Malazan's Karsa Orlong would say lol)

One thing I'd like to end this with is my current ranking of the series.
However, I don't think Sun-Eater is a series, that can be ranked. The books are just too different from each other and each a masterpiece in different disciplines. I literally couldn't decide anything else than that 'Demon in White' is the best of them for me - as is for many others.
And I' so hyped for what is to come...

[Lino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks Astra /DAW books and Netgalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another masterpiece delivered by Mr. Ruocchio. Like the previous ones, this book had everything I was expecting from it and more. Outstanding action sequences, disturbingly horror scenes that could put many books of the genre to shame, emotional and shocking moments that made me teary-eyed and amazing side characters, each written masterfully. It's impressive thinking that this book and Kingdoms of Death were supposed to be one, what a ride that would've been, but I'm glad that we ended up with two amazing and unique books.

This is already easily one of my favorites series ever and can't wait for what Ruocchio might bring on the final book.

[Wick Welker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Monsters don’t have doubts

With the fifth book done, I know this will be one of my favorite Sci Fi series I’ve ever read. I’m so invested in Hadrian Marlow and his incredible role in this intergalactic space opera. Each book is different from the next and the author does an impeccable job with continuity of character and plot across lots of words and books. These are pretty big books but I don’t even notice, the words just fly by and suddenly the book is over.

SPOILIES and plot summary below:

This installment finds us on Cholis with Hadrian and Valka where they’ve been in hiding ever since Hadrian’s torture with the Cielin. They’ve spent some years here where Gibson dies and Hadrian learns that the Scholiast was some sort of disgraced aristocrat which upends a lot of his world view. As it always does, the Imperium finds them. They tell all about everything that happened and Hadrian has a secret audience with the Emperor who informs him

The Emperor is a symbol, Kill him and you kill the man. But capture him? Humiliate him—and more—let all know he is humiliated? You kill the symbol.

Hadiran is commanded to a secret ops mission to infiltrate a planet where the Cielin and the Extrasolarians are doing sneaky secret stuff. They discover a virus that has the potential to infect the entire empire with something like the ancient Mericanii (the AI that almost killed humanity back on Earth). There, they succeed in killing some of the old MINOs wierdos and they head back to rendezvous at some planet.

There are no gods. No truth. There is only politics.

Only Hadrian is awoken early from stasis where he learns the Emperor was ambushed on a planet and he is trapped in an underground bunker as the Cielin try to capture him. So off Hadrian, Valka, the Prince of Jadd (who is a badass with a Highmatter blade), crash land on the besieged planet, retrieve the Emperor and plan an escape. The Emperor witnesses Hadrian’s ability to change reality using some multiverse thing that the Quiet have given him. And then they escape only—

Valka dies.

Every step, every turn, every refusal to step. Everything matters. The cosmos is not cold or indifferent because we are not indifferent, and we are a part of that cosmos, of that grand order which has dropped from the hand of He who created it.

The death of Valka was such a shock to me and it utterly destroyed Hadrian. He becomes angry and apathetic at the end. One of the most shocking moments in the entire series happens when Hadrian strikes the Emperor:

The boy from Emesh stepped forward—the proud knight stepping with him—and struck the Emperor full across the face.

His self destruction is complete and he is thrown in a brig but only to be broken out by the Jaddian Prince and to leave me wondering where the story is going from here. Amazing plot.

[Liene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this much more than Kingdoms of Death!
While still not perfect and still not quite as good as the first three, when reading this I found myself thinking "oh yeah, we're back, that's more like it" - and that's a great feeling.
I do take issue with some of the ways the world building is done in this one as pertains to messaging about values, morals, the human condition, etc. but not so much that it ruins it for me. I think there are some things that I do fundamentally disagree with the author about, but that being said, I think this book does a good job of making a case for views that I don't necessarily agree with, without shoving them down your throat. Reasonable minds can differ and, as this book series is written as though it is the memoir of the protagonist, while I know that the author himself likely shares the views espoused by his character, I find I'm able to read the book as a fictional memoir that includes the imperfect views of the character who is supposedly sharing his story.
I continue to be impressed with the world-building as pertains to the scope, structure, technology, alien life, etc. and remain intrigued by the mystery that has been at the center of this whole series. The clues we get in this installment are very enticing and I very much look forward to getting answers soon.

[Esmay Rosalyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never before have I been so glad that a book was split in two, because I don't think my heart could have survived the number of emotional gutpunches in Kingdoms of Death and Ashes of Man all in one. I mean, this book is just depression incarnate, and I think I actually love it for that?

After Kingdoms of Death quickly became my favourite instalment in the series, I was more excited than ever to dive into Ashes of Man, and I am happy to report that it did not disappoint. I really enjoyed how this book didn't have the usual big timeskip (that I have struggled so much with) and just picks up right where we left off, which really helped me feel so much more invested and grounded from the very first page.

There's not much I can say about this book without spoilers, but what I can say is that I continue to love how Ruocchio keeps this series so fresh and unpredictable by constantly reminding the characters (and us) that nothing is certain and no one is safe. I mean, I feel like my broken boy Hadrian and I did some great trauma bonding here that really helped me get closer to him on an emotional level, and I love that for us.

But as much as I loved Hadrian's journey here, I appreciate Ashes of Man the most for how it fully sold me on the wider side cast, with Valka being the absolute standout (just look at my queen slayinggg on this cover!). She was one of my faves from the moment I met her, and I would honestly be willing to risk Hadrian's wrath by asking her to be my lover, sorry not sorry. Also, if you had told me after reading book 1 that I would be so sold on the romance in this series, I would probably not have believed you. But for the love of all that is holy, is this just the most amazing power couple... my heart is smiling and crying all that the same time.

Now, I still struggled a bit with Hadrian's tendency to describe every setting in such vivid detail (because I just can't visualise and it all becomes one big word vomit for me), and I also got a bit exhausted by the many high octane action sequences in this instalment. I think Ruocchio's writing shines the most in the (tense) character interactions, profound philosophising, and awe-inspiring world building revelations, which we didn't get as much of here compared to previous instalments.

Still, I am now at the point where I am so deeply invested in this series that I will happily keep turning the pages no matter what is happening, so I had a great time watching this tragic trainwreck unfold. There was one particular (very small) chapter just after the midway point that really felt like a dreadful 'calm before the storm' moment, and from there on out my heart was just in my throat and I could not stop reading.

And even though I kinda expected some blows that were coming in Ashes of Man, I still got chills and choked up when they actually happened. Ruocchio is doing something very special with this series, and I am nervously excited to dive into Disquiet Gods asap. Whatever is coming, I am ready for the chaos.

[iSamwise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be a 4.5 rather than five…but there’s so many good bits here that I have a hard time giving any less than five.
This is definitely the book that suffered most from being split. Not a bad book by any stretch and there are huge bits that are masterful and memorable, but it’s not one of my favorite Sun Eater books.
However this is a very politics war and emperor heavy book and the emperor is one of my favorite characters in the series so that was a huge plus!!!
I know these are initial reaction thoughts and not a review, but I do plan on reading Disquiet Gods before the year is over. I find these books to get heavier over time so I may need a bit of breathing room. I adore this series and all, but I may need to take five.
Damn that ending. Really Christopher? We had to go there?? Really sir??? To be honest parts of this book really well complimented the feast of pain that was “Kingdoms of Death”. An excellent book and a great edition to the series, even if it’s not my personal favorite.