Howling Dark: L'ululato dell'oscurità

The Sun Eater #2

by Christopher Ruocchio, Annarita Guarnieri (Translator)

Hadrian Marlowe si è perso.

Per mezzo secolo ha cercato tra i Soli più lontani il pianeta perduto di Vorgossos, sperando di scoprire un modo per contattare gli alieni Cielcin. Per anni ha inseguito false piste tra i barbari Normanni come capitano di una banda di mercenari, anche se resta determinato a fare la pace e a porre fine a quasi quattrocento anni di guerra.
Alla ricerca disperata di risposte, deve avventurarsi oltre il confine sicuro dell’Impero Solano, in mezzo agli Extrasolari che abitano tra le stelle. Lì dovrà affrontare non solo gli alieni a cui è venuto a offrire la pace, ma anche creature che un tempo erano umane, traditori e un incontro che lo porterà a confrontarsi con il più antico nemico dell’umanità.
Se riuscirà nel suo intento, inaugurerà una pace mai vista prima. Dovesse fallire, la galassia brucerà.

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

972 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 16, 2019

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 Howling Dark.

Philosophical, bizarre, sprawling, and epic. Howling Dark outshined the already stunning Empire of Silence.

“The poets say that one’s fears grow less with trial, that we become men without fear if tried enough. I have not found it to be so. Rather, on each occasion we are tested, we become stronger than our fears. It is all we can do. Must do. Lest we perish for our failings.”

Loss.
I’m at a loss witnessing how proficient Christopher Ruocchio is in the art of storytelling. When I posted my review of Empire of Silence three weeks ago, many viewers of mine mentioned they’re confident I would love Howling Dark and the third book in the series, Demon in White, even more. Both Howling Dark and Demon in White are often deemed as the best volumes of the series. I was both excited and slightly unsure whether that would come to fruition. I loved Empire of Silence very much, and it instantly became an immediacy for me to read Howling Dark to find out whether it would surpass it. Also, before you ask me, I have read the short novel in-between first, The Lesser Devil, which, by the way, is an action-packed short novel that made me even more impatient to read Howling Dark because I miss reading Hadrian’s slow-burn narration. And a week after I finished reading The Lesser Devil, I read Howling Dark. Here we are. So... was it indeed a superior book compared to Empire of Silence? Unbelievably, I will have to concur. All of you were right about this. Again. And before this year is over, one of my goals is to read Demon in White. But before that, here is my review of Howling Dark.

“No, no. I only mean that you can be too free. That’s chaos. You have to have a goal to aim at and to orient yourself to. Imore says the properly lived life is one which draws the best path between that goal—who you could become—and who you are today, but that this is accomplished by sacrificing certain freedoms. By making choices.”

Howling Dark is the second novel in The Sun Eater series by Christopher Ruocchio, and it continues the chronicle of Hadrian Marlowe. But do not expect the story to begin directly after the ending of Empire of Silence. Hadrian is lost. For half a century, Hadrian has searched the farther suns for the lost planet of Vorgossos, hoping to find a way to contact the elusive alien Cielcin. He has not succeeded, and for years has wandered among the barbarian Normans as captain of a band of mercenaries: The Red Company. Determined to make peace and bring an end to nearly four hundred years of war, Hadrian must venture beyond the security of the Sollan Empire and among the Extrasolarians who dwell between the stars. If he succeeds, he will usher in a peace unlike any in recorded history. If he fails...the galaxy will burn.

“True lessons require not only knowing, but that the student practices his knowledge again and again. Thus knowledge becomes us, and we become more than the animal and the machine. That is why the best teachers are students always, and the best students are never fully educated. I had forgotten Gibson’s lesson for a moment, but stood a little straighter, shouldering as a pack my grief, my regret and self-loathing.”

Yes, the story in Howling Dark begins decades after the conclusion of Empire of Silence. With time jumps as relatively big as this, it can understandably take a while to get used to the reintroduction of Hadrian and his friends (both new and old) in a brand-new setting and storyline. Initially, there were a few moments in the first 100 pages where it felt like I missed reading a book, especially regarding Hadrian's relationship with a new character named Jinan. But rest assured, if you feel the same way I did, this is intentional. Maybe Ruocchio plans to fill the interval someday with a novella or two, but you have not missed reading a book. Ruocchio gradually fills in the details efficiently so readers can understand the key events within the time gap. And it did not take long for me to feel immersed in Ruocchio's exquisite writing again. Even though it has only been three weeks since I reviewed Empire of Silence, it felt good to be back with Hadrian, Valka, Bassander Lin, Switch, Pallino, and the world again.

“Were I still the boy I’d been, I would have said she owed me for my mercy. But mercy that expects repayment is no mercy at all, nor is a friendship truly a friendship that stands on debt and gratitude.”

Picture: Hadrian & Valka
Ruocchio has built upon every groundwork established in Empire of Silence. We’re only two out of seven books into the series, but I can confidently say The Sun Eater series is already packed with characters that get under your skin. None of the characters ever felt like they behaved out of their personality, and the beautiful, wholesome, heartbreaking, and pulse-pounding scenes between Hadrian and the integral characters were palpable. In the first book, we see Hadrian’s moment of encounter with a few pivotal side characters like Valka, Switch, and Bassander Lin. The relationship between Hadrian and Valka was one of my favorite things about Empire of Silence, and I am pleased to say this trend perseveres in this book. I just loved reading about the slow-building chemistry they have with one another. But if I were asked which relationship development tugged at my heartstrings most in Howling Dark, my pick goes to Hadrian’s friendship with Switch. Their interaction and development made me emotional, simple as that. If you have read Howling Dark, you have the luxury of foresight to know what I'm talking about.

“Sad is like a big ocean, and you can’t breathe deep down. You can float on it, you can swim a little, but be careful. Grief is drowning. Grief is deep water.”

And then, there’s the rivalry with the Phoenix, Bassander Lin. A man who obeys every order and law, even against his own emotion. Bassander Lin was a character that did not have many spotlights in Empire of Silence, but the teasers Ruocchio included there ensured I should pay attention to this character, and in Howling Dark, it has paid off. And I have no doubt this notion will run through the rest of the series. Hadrian’s clash of morality and ideals with Bassander Lin is one of the finest aspects of the novel, and I loved everything about it. Additionally, there’s also the dispute against the Cielcin and the introduction of a new character I will not name—he’s the character on the front cover of Howling Dark illustrated by Kieran Yanner—that heightened the complexity and conflict of the series.

“A man is the sum of his memories—and more—he is the sum of all those others he has met, and what he learned from them. And that is an encouraging thought, for that knowledge and those memories survive and are part of us through every storm, and every little death.”

In a way, it can be argued that Ruocchio employed a similar storytelling and progression structure from Empire of Silence in Howling Dark. The first quarter of Empire of Silence was about introducing Hadrian and his family, and Hadrian eventually arrived at Borosevo. Most of the plotline in Empire of Silence took place in Borosevo. At the end of Empire of Silence, a negotiation or interrogation scene relying on the power of language and translation transpired. These are, more or less, the same in Howling Dark. However, you would be sorely mistaken to think the similar story structure or progression entails duplicate content of its predecessor. Howling Dark is a different form of threatening beast.

“Deep truths there may be, but none is deeper than this: Those lost to us do not return, nor the years turn back. Rather it is that we carry a piece of those lost to us within ourselves, or on our backs. Thus ghosts are real, and we never escape them.”

It is so bizarre at times, terrifying, ruthless, and undeniably more epic. Ruocchio vividly painted the oppressive darkness of space and space travel with his writing. Space travel and space opera are often depicted as glorious, but immersed in these great stories, I cannot shake the chilling fear of being lost in the infinite obsidian outside our dominion when I imagine space travel. This is one of many examples in Howling Dark regarding how Ruocchio wrote space opera series incredibly well in Howling Dark. Even the passage of time caused by the usage of fugue is not a trivial matter. And we haven't even accounted for the incomprehensible extraterrestrial creatures, like the Cielcin in this series, and the harrowing evil of both man and Cielcin into the equation.

“Evil is older than we, other than we—or is greater than, extending back and forward across all of conscious Time. Reader, there are other devils than Man. And by our evolved reason we may be sure of understanding human devils only.”

Following up on the lore and world-building teased in Empire of Silence, I absolutely enjoyed the expansion of the grandiose scope in Howling Dark. If you have read Empire of Silence, this should not come as a surprise. This is expected, and Ruocchio delivered. The world-building in Howling Dark is extraordinary and intricately designed. Without going into spoiler-territory, we learn more about the Golden Age of Earth, the Mericanii, daimons, androids, robots, and cyborgs of the series. These and the inclusion of the horror elements exponentially escalate the large-scale setting of The Sun Eater series while also making sure Howling Dark is a different book to Empire of Silence. As I said, Howling Dark contains many bizarre scenes. If you think you would succeed at predicting everything going on in Howling Dark, then I applaud your confidence.

“We believe our fear destroyed by new bravery. It is not. Fear is never destroyed. It is only made smaller by the courage we find after. It is always there.”

Journey before destination. The devil is in the details. We might have known that Hadrian would become The Sun Eater at the end of the series, but the flow and all the intricacies of Hadrian achieving his many titles remain unpredictable to me. And Howling Dark is another proof of why I am resilient in voicing my opinion that prophecies or visions are not detrimental to the storytelling quality in science fiction and fantasy. Same with every trope, it all depends on execution. How the author operates the tropes in their story matters the most. And in my opinion, the usage of visions in Howling Dark was total brilliance. The plot is unpredictable. The tone of the series is darker. The ugliness of the world does not fade. The mystery of The Quiet thickens with certainty. Hadrian will have to rely on his companions, hand-in-hand, to fight against the overpowering darkness and death. And I am excited to read further into the series.

“It is said that Death herself was present at the first summoning of that nuclear fire, and that she had smiled in her lipless way and pronounced that she was mighty then, mighty enough to destroy worlds and not only nations. The magi who had summoned her quailed, and wrung their hands, and wept for the evil they had done, but did it all the same—for ever are magi so consumed by the question of whether a thing can be done that they ignore the matter of whether or not it should until it is too late, being the sort who sells his soul for knowledge, forgetting it is the soul which craves that knowledge in the first place and makes life worth living.”

From cover to cover, Howling Dark hooked and impressed me. Each page, each paragraph, and each chapter only gets better and better. And let me tell you this: the page-turning slow-burn narrative in Howling Dark has an unquestionably explosive payoff. This is a magnificent example of a large-scale space opera series done right. If you read Empire of Silence and expect battle-filled concluding chapters, you will get what you seek in Howling Dark. The last 100 pages of this novel were utterly breathtaking and intense. I did not expect the series to reach this level of intensified carnage and high-stakes dialogues, not this soon, and I am grateful for it.

“The greater part of war, I think, is such forgotten acts of heroism. You sing your songs of Hadrian Halfmortal, of the Phoenix of Perfugium, of other heroes, but I tell you we are nothing, nothing next to those ordinary men who lay down their lives—who are not ordinary at all.”

I read the 100 pages long climax sequences of Howling Dark in one sitting. It was impossible to put down. The instrumental negotiations and unrelenting chaos imbued with twists and turns were superbly engaging. The glowing shard of ice of the highmatter swords acted as a command of control in the stained red and black encapsulated domain. Will the swordsman or the poet triumph as the orators in the inevitable traversal of madness brimming with harsh decisions, treasons, horror, cruelty, and violence? Read and find out for yourself. But as all hell breaks loose in the Demonic’s dreadnought, we readers will witness the details of the birth of one of Hadrian’s many titles. And as if seeing clearly through the eyes of the characters in The Sun Eater, I do not think I will ever forget this iconic scene penned in Howling Dark.

“The answer was within. Within the structure of literature, of art and meaning that we humans had raised about ourselves like an ark, a curtain wall to block out the waters of chaos and the world. That is why we pray, why we build great temples and write great books: to ask great questions and to live—not by the answers, for such questions are unanswerable—but by the noble process of seeking those answers, that we might stand tall and struggle on.”

Love.
“To love is in part the attempt to become a creature worthy of love.” Amidst the darkness, war, brutality, and violence, I believe Howling Dark is, at its core, a story about love, loyalty, friendship, duty, choices, hope, and seeking peace. Light cannot exist without darkness, and vice versa, after all. To wrap this review up, Howling Dark is simply one of the best sci-fi novels written and published. I loved everything about it immensely. I already adored Empire of Silence, and somehow, Ruocchio managed to turn Howling Dark into a greater volume. My addiction to The Sun Eater has grown stronger. And although I am only two books into the series, The Sun Eater has become one of my favorite ongoing series. And the ending of Howling Dark was tremendously satisfying. Hadrian's journey toward Gododin, toward light and fire, is one step closer. My list of books to read is not getting shorter, but I don't feel burdened in making the chronicle of Hadrian Marlowe one of my paramount series to read. Ruocchio is two-for-two now. I will read Demon in White soon and find out whether Ruocchio will achieve a hattrick of favorite books on my list with the first three novels of The Sun Eater series.

“ We are not always the authors of our own stories. Some of us never are. I think that is what we struggle for: the command of our own lives. We struggle against our families, against the state, against nature, against our own weakness. All that we might choose for ourselves, if only for a moment.”

You can order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping)

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

Somehow better than the first book, which makes this one the best sci-fi book I have ever read.
Truly incredible in every imaginable way, and a must read for fantasy and sci-fi fans alike.

Watch my video review by clicking here.

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Reread 2022

Hello and Goodbye! 🤣😂

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[Jonah Evarts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal. This exceeded every single expectation I had for it. All at once it’s epic, philosophical, horror-filled, badass, and beautiful. This is an odyssey.

I liked Empire of Silence. It was, in my opinion, a really solid start to the Suneater series.

Howling Dark is not only one of my favorite sci-fi books I’ve ever read, it’s one of my favorites across all genres. The sweeping narration and profound imagery throughout this book is breathtaking. It’s filled with SO many memorable scenes and character moments.

I find Hadrian to be incredibly fascinating as a protagonist. I admire him, but I also hate him at times. I understand why he is the way he is, but I can’t help feeling frustrated by his actions and abhorred by some of his decisions. And yet. I root for him. I want to know what he will do next. He may be melodramatic and arrogant, but he has equally as many admirable traits that makes you like him as a reader. It’s an amazing way to present a series, through the eyes of such an imperfect person.

This was just astounding and far beyond what I expected from this series. I could probably make this review three times longer if I wanted to, but for now, I’ll just say that I am confident in this series becoming one of my all time favorites.

Holy shit, folks. This one rocks

[Justine · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

The first 1/3 or so is a slog. There are so many references to events that apparently happened after the first book, Empire of Silence, and before the start of this one. Half the time I had no idea what was going on and felt like there must have been a book I missed (there wasn't).

The second 1/3 was in a word, boring. There is just no other way to describe it. The characters are stuck in a place called Vorgossos for what feels like Forever (and yes, the word must be capitalized). Pages and chapters of existential angst, inner musing, and meaningless idle conversation.

In the last 1/3 the characters finally leave Vorgossos! At this point in the book I definitely felt some fleeting excitement. This is where basically all the action in the book takes place, but honestly, it wasn't enough to rescue the book as a whole.

Overall, not as good as the first book, and reading it felt the way the final few kilometres of a marathon must for the poor person struggling to finish and who wonders, "Why did I ever start this, and when will it end?"

2.5 stars as is, but could possibly have been a full 3 stars had it been cut by 50%. In this case 832 pages is about 400 pages too many.

A man is the sum of his memories - and more - he is the sum of all those others he has met, and what he has learned from them. And that is an encouraging thought, for that knowledge and those memories survive and are part of us through every storm, and every little death.

[Alex Nieves · Rating 5 out of 5]

What to even say about this book, holy shit. Hands down the best science fiction book that I've read this year and if I hadn't already read Royal Assassin it would also be the best fantasy book I've read this year. Empire of Silence was already an incredible start to this wonderful series and Howling Dark was better in every conceivable way. I have nothing but praise for this book and series so far and from what I hear, Demon in White is EVEN better.

Everything from the characters, to the twists, the pacing, the prose, just...everything. This is the exact type of book for me and it was fucking great. Go read Sun Eater, immediately.

[Read By Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a believer. Ruocchio is the man.

"True lessons require not only knowing, but that the student practices his knowledge again and again. Thus knowledge becomes us, and we become more than the animal and the machine. That is why the best teachers are students always, and the best students are never fully educated."

I'm going to tell you up front - this is my new favorite sci-fi novel!

I really enjoyed Empire of Silence, the first book in the Sun Eater series. Ruocchio's prose was fantastic, the character of Hadrian was dynamic and complex, and the world was interesting. Not to mention the hook- Hadrian would one day blow up a sun and kill billions 👀😱 EoS followed Hadrian's early formative years, and because of that, and it being a debut, it had rocky pacing. It felt like a series of things happening instead of a cohesive narrative.

But Howling Dark is a wild ride! For the first half, I admit, I didn't see what the hype was. The book was good! It was better than EoS. But it wasn't blowing me away. But around the halfway mark, the novel gets to a particular location and after it gets there, this book is just crazy detail after explosive reveal after insane event until the jaw-dropping, end of my seat conclusion of the book. I read about 40% of this book in an evening, just glued to my audiobook and my physical book whenever possible. There are so many plot details I can't mention, but one thing I really love about this series is how thought out the worldbuilding is, and how thought provoking the prose is. Ruocchio makes you consider humanity, religion, philosophy, culture, and war with nearly every chapter. What would you do, in Hadrian's shoes? It's hard to know.

Hadrian is one of my favorite characters to read about. Ruocchio's prose and storytelling is second to none. This is the space opera, sci-fantasy epic that we needed. I have already finished the short story collection and will be moving onto Demon in White as soon as possible!

Ruocchio writes like a machine, so if you are hesitant to jump into an unfinished series, it seems like it will be completed in the near future, so I would not hesitant!

10/10

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Howling Dark, the second book in Ruocchio's Sun Eater Science Fiction series, is a lengthy epic fantasy novel set in outer space that will take some time to read, but is well worth the epic effort. It postulates a future where mankind has spread among the stars, mainly locked into a feudal empire with titles and an imperial emperor whose line stretches back millenium to Earth.

But the universe is big and there are others out there and mankind has now met a foe worthy of respect, a foe which swallows planets like nothing and has no understanding of the terms of peace, parley, or ambassadors - a race warlike and which towers over mere mortals. Hadrian and a band of mercenaries are seeking a way to find a secret planet - so secret no one knows where it is - and perhaps an emissary like no other who can deal with the alien race - the Cielcin . You know, someone who can make an introduction that could perhaps lead to a peace treaty.

But, this secret planet is like no other and is like perhaps all of Dante's circles of hell and is ruled by an undying man who rumour has it has lived for 15,000 years and possesses terrible secrets. It is an amazing plot which only unfolds slowly. It is unnecessary to begin with book one in the series, although perhaps that would be helpful.

This book has a universe like that in Dune, filled with all manner of aliens and a multitude of planets spread out so far from Earth that it is barely remembered in legend. There is swordplay aplenty and amazing battles. There is a chess game and a game within a game that will result in surprises for the reader. There is an endless battle between humanity and artificial intelligence and questions about what it means to be human after 15,000 years of life, what it means to be human when clones can be manufactured that seem so human. How much can you alter and replace and still be a person rather than a machine. There is also a mysticism that elevates the story.

Prepare to be astonished by the way things develop. A lengthy read to be sure, but one that is epic in its reach.

[Jake Bishop · Rating 5 out of 5]

reread update: I do think on reread aside from being jarring the start of this novel is just pretty clearly less good than the rest of it, and it is more back hakf heavy than I remember, but oh boy, that back half.....
i thought it had a chance of catching KoD and maybe even DG and DiW on reread, but no.


The most Common criticism I see of Empire of Silence is that it is derivative of other books.
I don't agree, but I understand where people are coming from. Howling Dark is not only not particularly derivative, Howling Dark is one of the most unique reading experiences I have ever had.


Obviously I cannot go into details, but the story of this book is unlike anything I have read, Vorgossos is an insanely unique setting, the way conflicts develop is not like anything I have read.

If you are not sure whether you should read this, and the main reason was originality in Empire of Silence, then I cannot say this enough. READ IT.

Anyway, Ruocchio is still a damm amazing writer, and he truly wrote the shit out of this book. Fantastic characters, including a minor antagonist that he managed to make me despise and respect. Descriptions and atmosphere that makes you feel the emptiness of space, a crazy ending, and some truly wild and out of this world content.


The closest thing I have for a criticisms of this book is just that it took a bit to get into what I consider the real plot of this book, and the emphasis on one side character from book 1 after the time skip came a little out of left field.

9.1/10

[Drusilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the not too distant future, my head will explode while reading this series... Hmmm, or is it just the headache I have from reading too much at once? No, it must be this story.
My goodness, what a ride. For a long time, the story just trickles along. It's not boring, just relatively steady. The plot is good and interesting, but there are a hell of a lot of pages.
And then, almost imperceptibly, the story becomes more intense, deeper, and more complex.
I don't want to say too much about the content, except that you need a really strong stomach for it. There are many very brutal things here, not just the fighting and the war. It's the nature of the “aliens” that is simply cruel, and Hadrian, who is forced to do something he has always resisted. And his question of whether he is a good man takes on increasingly heart-wrenching forms.
I love this story more and more, even though Hadrian drives me crazy from time to time. Honestly, how often can you lose your sword!!!!!
Well, on to the next battle, or maybe I'd rather squeeze in something a little lighter.

I do not dismiss facts. But that two and two are four requires first that a mind has conceptualized two as two and four as four, and understands addition. Of this, there is no guarantee. The laws of nature do not bend, but—like the image that appears as a rabbit to one man and a duck to another—might be differently construed by one species than it is by another. Our logic, our reason, and most especially our morality—grounded as it is in the Uncreated Gods of old—have little in common with those creatures evolved on other worlds than Earth. 👀👀👀

“A door is many things,” Tanaran replied, speaking with the gravity of a proverb, “and once opened, many things may enter.” 🫣🫣🫣

“Flesh is the cheapest resource in the human universe, Lord Marlowe. It spends more easily than gold.” 🥺🥺🥺

“Do you know what the problem with a leash is?” I mused, propping my chin on one hand. “You’re left holding the other end of it.” 👀👀👀

“Who are you?”
“Only a man!” I said, not wishing to lord my birthright and name over him. It did not matter then. Nor there. “A man who bleeds red as you, and one who will not die this day!” ♥️♥️♥️

[Esmay Rosalyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did I just binge this absolute chunker of a book in a little over two days? Why yes, yes I did, and I have zero regrets. I mean, I am just gonna say it, Howling Dark is what Dune wishes it was.

Now, as soon as I finished Empire of Silence, everyone started telling me how much better the series would get with each instalment, which had me both nervous and excited. And honestly, for the first half of Howling Dark, I did not totally see it. Yes, Ruocchio's stunning prose in combination with Hadrian's emotionally engaging narration (with all its melodrama and deep philosophising) had me hooked from the start, but I found the big timeskip a bit jarring and I felt disconnected from most of the side characters accompanying Hadrian on his fool's mission.

However, comma... then we arrived at a particular location around the midway point of the book, and I was like: "okay, everyone was right, NOW we are talking!!". This book is full of amazing OH SHIT moments, most of which don't even happen during action scenes but just during dangerous confrontations between two characters/beings with diametrically opposed values and beliefs and clashing motivations and goals, and I live for that tension.

The complexity of the conflict and the depth of the cultural/historical worldbuilding just sets this series apart from so many other space operas, and I love seeing Hadrian having to deal with the heavy consequences and repercussions of his actions (or should I say mistakes?) as he tries to navigate all the complicated situations he keeps finding himself in.

Also, Ruocchio just very casually pulled off one of my most hated tropes at the end of this book, and I was totally here for it. So bold, so ballsy, just masterful. We're playing an epic, deadly game of cosmic chess here, and I am beyond ready to see how it's all going to play out in the rest of the Sun Eater series. Consider me part of the hype train, choo choo!!

[Nemos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Howling Dark, the second entry in the Sun Eater epic science fantasy series, is a step up from its predecessor in almost every way, and has been almost unanimously praised by everyone I know who's read it. So the fact that it left me with somewhat mixed feelings is probably a sign that I should give up on this series. In this review I want to talk about what did and didn't work for me to try and figure out exactly why I feel the way I feel.

Before you proceed, I will try to avoid spoilers in this review but it's impossible for me to say what I want to say without spoiling anything whatsoever, so if you haven't read the book then proceed with caution.

Prose

That's right, I'm one of those people. Prose matters to me. That doesn't mean I can't enjoy a book without top-tier prose, but it's something I usually pay attention to and it does affect my experience. I specifically want to talk about the prose in Howling Dark because it's something I've seen repeatedly praised in reviews for this series, so I went in with pretty high expectations. Although this book was certainly written with great care taken for word choice and sentence structure, there were a couple of things that didn't work for me in the writing style.

Firstly, Sun Eater is framed as being the memoir of Hadrian Marlowe, our main character, so why do I feel like there's a tonal mismatch between the dialogue and the prose? The prose is written in an elevated style reminiscent of the epic fantasy genre, for example look at this sentence:

"How I'd seen it I cannot say, so remote was it, as an insect atop a distant hill."

However the dialogue is all in plain American English - no one is talking like they're in Lord of the Rings. Immediately before this book I read another first person book, Project Hail Mary. Although not one of the best-written books I've ever read it's a useful counterexample for this situation because the tone of the prose absolutely does match the tone of the main character's dialogue - he writes pretty much exactly the way he speaks. The tonal dissonance in Howling Dark ended up making the "elevated" style feel more like an affectation than someting Hadrian would write sincerely.

Secondly, I found the book to be terribly overwritten. I saw one review that compared Ruocchio's prose to Ursula Le Guin and I couldn't disagree more - say one thing for Le Guin she knows the value of brevity! I don't think I've read a single Le Guin book that reached the 400 page mark, meanwhile Howling Dark weighs in at around 750 pages. Does Howling Dark justify this length? In my opinion no, this story could easily have been told in 500 pages.

The scenes I felt this in the most were dialogue and action scenes - there would be constant pauses and interruptions where Hadrian would spend a paragraph describing a character's posture, or something he was reminded of. I frequently found myself having to go back and reread the previous line of dialogue because by the time one character got round to answering the other I'd forgotten what they were even talking about! This was even more frustrating in action scenes where I would just want to find out what happens next but first I'd need to read a paragraph of melodramatic descriptions of the exact emotion Hadrian was feeling during that milisecond of the battle.

Finally, by the end I had grown weary of Ruocchio's way of structuring paragraphs. It felt like he wanted to emphasise how profound a thought or moment was, so he had this habit of following up a long paragraph with a short, single-sentence paragraph, usually only 2-5 words long. As a writing technique there's nothing wrong with this, so long as it's not overused... Near the end of the book I encountered 5 such paragraphs within the span of a single page. If you try to make everything you say dramatic and profound then it ends up losing its impact somewhat.

Theme

Howling Dark is a book with a lot of meaty thematic content to chew on, including whether it's okay to sacrifice a smaller number of people to save a greater number (the ol' trolley problem), the ethics of cloning and genetic modification, as well as other types of body-modification (the Ship of Theseus thought experiment applied to the human body), freedom vs duty and much more. This was great! I'm a very theme-driven reader and this was the area I think the book delivered on best.

These themes have of course been tackled many times in other sci-fi books, some of which I've read, but it's always nice to read a fresh take on them. Unfortunately the part that detracted from this element of the book was that all of the thematic discussion is filtered through Hadrian's perspective - he's the one giving his opinions on these issues, and to be frank I found him and his opinions quite obnoxious. This could have been a nice opportunity for thoughtful discussion if he'd been surrounded by characters offering an alternative point of view, but more often than not this wasn't the case - either Hadrian would give his take and we'd leave it at that, or another character would offer a token disagreement but wouldn't dig any deeper into the issue.

There was also the fact that the narrative itself, outside of Hadrian's perspective, offered a fairly one-sided view on some of these issues. We spend the lion's share of the story in close contact with Extrasolarians, a people who engage in heavy body-modification, behaviour that is strictly forbidden within Hadrian's society and which he has been raised to consider repulsive. From the outset Hadrian describes these people as evil and nefarious, and I kept waiting for the narrative to challenge that preconception... and I ended up waiting the entire damn book because not only is this never challenged (outside of a token "hey, you know I also have implants?" from Valka) it's repeatedly validated as every major Extrasolarian character Hadrian meets is an evil piece of shit.

I'm self-aware enough to know that I'm showing my biases here - I'm perfectly happy for an author (coughIain Bankscough) to present a one-sided world view provided it's one I agree with! Is that hypocritical? Perhaps. I'm not opposed to reading stories told from a conservative point of view, but if you're going to offer an opposing opinion I at least want it to be in opposition to something I actually agree with, not some cartoon villain version of the other side. But since we're talking about Hadrian's point of view that brings me neatly on to...

Character

Perhaps the most important issue in regards to its impact on my enjoyment of the story. If I'm gonna spend thousands of pages reading a series I want to be spending time with characters I enjoy reading about and that's where this book was a real miss for me. The fact is, this is Hadrian's story, his memoir. His is the only POV we're gonna get outside of the supplementary novellas, so you have to really be on board with being in his head. And I'm just not.

Ruocchio's elevator pitch for this series is "What if Anakin Skywalker becoming Darth Vader was the right thing to do?" - an intriguing pitch to be sure! The issue is, knowing that this is supposed to be a villain arc culminating in a genocide, I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be rooting for Hadrian or not. I certainly didn't feel like rooting for him in this book!

His motivation of wanting to make peace with the Cielcin is a noble one that's easy to get behind, but I found myself questioning at many points during the book "Is Hadrian really the best person for this job?" I would consider empathy and compassion to be crucial qualities for any ambassador for peace, and I found Hadrian distinctly lacking in these qualities given his extreme prejudice against the Extrasolarians - if you can't even relate to humans who have a different philosophy from you then how do you expect to bridge the gap between humanity and an alien species? It takes much more than simply bridging the language gap - you need to develop a deep cultural understanding if you want to make any kind of lasting agreement with them.

Of course, Hadrian being the wrong person for this job could be the entire point of the story, but if that was meant to be the case it didn't exactly come across that way. It's difficult to talk about this without spoilers but suffice to say that Hadrian's lack of empathy and compassion isn't reflected on by the older Hadrian who's telling the story, nor is it mentioned by any other characters. As such it felt to me less like a deliberate choice on the part of the author and more like we're actually supposed to agree with his prejudices.

Having a less-than-likeable main character could be acceptable if, as in the Farseer books by Robin Hobb, he was backed up by a well-fleshed-out cast of side characters. Unfortunately I didn't find that to be the case either. That's not to say that the side characters are bad or anything, they're just quite average. Bassander Lin is fun to hate, Valka is somewhat likeable but since she's the character that most represents the "sane" point of view (being from outside the Empire) I found myself wishing she'd challenge Hadrian more often. Switch, Ghen, Pallino and the rest of the gang were all fine but none will enter my "best characters of all time" list.

Plot

The plot was certainly the highlight of this book! I enjoyed the twists and turns, the interesting locations we got taken to, the mysterious characters we met and the answers we got to certain mysteries (that only led to other, deeper mysteries...) - it was all good stuff! As mentioned in the prose section I did find the pacing dragging from time to time, but otherwise I had a great time with the plot. No notes.

Worldbuilding

This is a series with a very well-thought-out world. You can tell this is an aspect of storytelling Ruocchio enjoys and he does a great job of conveying the breadth and depth of the universe he's crafted. There were a couple of times where I found myself thinking about an aspect of the worldbuilding and thinking "hmmm, this doesn't quite add up" only for the book to point out that it didn't add up and there was a reason for that, so hats off to the author for anticipating my complaints there!

If I can nitpick for a moment (and as you can tell by the length of this review, I do love to nitpick) I found there to be a few too many references to ancient Earth history, be it classic literature or ancient history. This series is set tens of thousands of years in the future. How many people do you know with names that date back tens of thousands of years? I understand wanting to ground your readers in something familiar but I'd expect more references to culture, philosophy and history from the intervening millenia. If fantasy series set in entirely fictional worlds can manage this I see no reason why it can't be done in a universe set in our distant future.

Genre

This is a slightly odd category to bring up in a review but I wanted to mention it because I feel that it's relevant to my feelings on the book. Sun Eater is marketed as a science fantasy series, existing at the intersection between epic fantasy and science fiction. I feel that this is an apt description, as although it doesn't contain any overtly/explicitly magical elements it does contain many of the trappings of epic fantasy - the scope, the tone of the prose, the feudal society, even a bit of a "chosen one/prophecy" trope and the fatalistic nature of the story.

I read a lot of fantasy and I read a lot of sci-fi, safe to say that these are my two favourite genres, so this combination should have been a slam dunk for me. The thing is, when I read a fantasy book I have a different set of expectations to when I read a sci-fi book - I enjoy both genres but they're scratching different itches. Somehow Sun Eater failed to scratch either my sci-fi itch or my fantasy itch (sorry for the gross metaphor!)

I can handle weak characterisation or unlikeable characters in a sci-fi book because, for one thing they're usually shorter, and secondly they're usually more idea/theme-driven than epic fantasy. In epic fantasy I'm looking for strong characterisation and an interesting/atmospheric world so that I can get immersed and lost in the story. Sun Eater has the scope and length of an epic fantasy but the fact that I didn't like the main character and wasn't vibing with the prose made it harder to feel immersed, and the length ended up being more of a drag making me less willing to engage with the thematic discussions being had.

I haven't read much epic sci-fi or science fantasy... in fact I'm struggling to think of any series besides Sun Eater that would qualify. There's Star Wars of course, but that's a whole different medium. (EDIT: Just remembered I've read Dune 🤦) This experience is making me wonder if that combination is something I even like, or is it just bad luck that I chose this series as my first. I have Expanse and Red Rising on my to-read list so I guess I'll find out when I get to them!

Conclusion

If you read the whole of this long-ass review then... thank you. I'm fully aware of the hypocricy of criticising this book for being long-winded in a 2000+ word review! In conclusion, this book wasn't bad and I'm glad for all my friends who read it and loved it, but it sadly wasn't for me. I begrudgingly award 3.5 stars.

[Oᐯᙓᖇᕼᗩᙀᒪ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Howling Dark" se trata de una secuela fantástica y excepcional de una serie que está en camino de convertirse en una de mis favoritas de CF. Que personajes. Kharn Sagara, que temible personaje..

La escritura de Ruocchio es fluida y se lee sin esfuerzo. Las descripciones de cada aspecto del libro, la Oscuridad, los Cielcin, los planetas, las máquinas junto con la sensación etérea de las muchas visiones y secuencias de otros mundos fueron cautivadoras y le aportan al libro una gran atmósfera.

Cada lugar se sintió distinto y memorable. Las escenas de acción y batallas están muy bien descritas, nos recorre una sensación de peligro a la vez realismo en los movimientos que se ejecutan.

El ritmo es una puñetera pasada. Me enganchó como pocos logran hacerlo.

Incluso en sus no muchos momentos más lentos y reflexivos hay una tensión constante que nos impulsa a leer a la vez que la trama sigue hacia adelante.

El personaje de Hadrian continúa creciendo y cambiando, atisbas a ver en qué se convertirá el personaje..

La construcción del mundo se expande de una manera que deja perplejo dada la complejidad y lo orgánico de ello. Tiene misterios que son tan intrigantes que te dejan en un constante sentimiento de necesidad de querer seguir.

Estos misterios forman la columna vertebral de la historia. La novedad de varios elementos de ciencia ficción como inteligencias artificiales, manipulación genética, máquinas terribles y el papel que desempeñan fue muy interesantes.

Los Cielcin es lo que más disfruté, la realista y pura representación detallada de una cultura verdaderamente alienígena. Y el abismo infranqueable entre las dos especies por sus diferencias.

Es bastante perfecto. No puedo decir nada malo de esta novela.

Además de la escritura en sí, que es exquisita me cautivó tanto la trama como los temas de este libro. Mientras que "Empire of Silence" pasó mucho tiempo estableciendo a Hadrian como personaje, mostrándonos las pruebas y tribulaciones por las que pasó para estar donde está, en "Howling Dark" comienza ya ese ascenso y caída.

La verdadera historia central de todo este universo estalla sin remedio y joder como lo gocé.

Por supuesto, también hay muchísimos temas, como la naturaleza de la humanidad y lo que significa vivir y morir cuando hay seres de 14,000 años o más.

Si te gustan las aventuras épicas, sin limites de lugares que descubrir y ver en tu imaginación, un universo, las otras formas de vida aquí son de lo mejor que he leído. Tecnologías futuristas de todo tipo y uso, sucesos misteriosos pasados y presentes. Los viajes espaciales todo cubierto por una escritura espectacular. Debes echar un vistazo a esta serie, es una joya entre toda la literatura de CF. A la que le deseo un gran éxito que está por suerte teniendo.

Tiene un universo como el de "Dune", lleno de todo tipo de vidas y una multitud de planetas dispersos tan lejos de la Tierra que apenas se recuerdan o conocen.

Armas, espadas, tecnologías diversas y batallas increíbles. Un juego de ajedrez colosal, un juego dentro del juego, aporta sorpresas y diversos giros para los lectores.

Una guerra interminable entre la humanidad y la inteligencia artificial, y los Cielcin.. Pero los acecha mucho más que eso...

Ojalá traduzcan pronto esta joya de la CF y la podáis disfrutar como se merece..✍️

[Andrews WizardlyReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Howling dark is an absolute work of art! It takes everything that was good in EoS and perfects it. The prose is top tier, the pacing is phenomenal and the story is fresh and constantly engaging. I was unable to predict any twists and I was constantly kept guessing.

This is everything I wanted Red Rising to be. I wish I had read this sooner!!! There are no real critiques that I have for this story. If you give me a microphone and a soap box I will sing it’s praises to any who will listen.

Christopher Ruocchio takes the prose and cadence style of Pat Rothfuss, the character depth of Robin Hobb and the action of Pierce brown and blends it into a tale that will delight readers for years to come. 5/5

[Darmok · Rating 2 out of 5]

EDITED: The original review was unfairly critical of Ruocchio, I've cut some stuff and adjusted phrasing to make it clear that the book really just didn't work for me.

I ended my three-star Empire of Silence review on “there’s nothing I disliked in [the book] that can’t be fixed.” My problems were not fixed.

Howling Dark was, for me, an indulgent, verbose, and frustrating read, one which cast me down into a reading slump during a month when I had all the free time in the world.

While an improvement on Empire of Silence, I enjoyed it much less, no longer holding out hope that it would get better.

DISCLAIMER: I hate-read a lot of this book, making me more unforgiving than usual. I can see why people love the series and have no ill will towards Ruocchio. Sadly, the book just didn’t work for me.

SPOILERS

I HATE Hadrian

If you don’t like Hadrian Marlow, you won’t like the book. I despise him. I found him moralizing, inconsistent, vengeful, and supremely conceited – and with few redeeming qualities.

Yes, Hadrian can be kind to his troop of devotees, but his palatine status and higher rank make his affection feel paternalistic. If Hadrian believes himself to be correct, nothing else matters to him.

When Bassander and the Empire stand in the way of seeking peace with the Pale, he betrays them – and feels little regret at his subsequent killing of innocents. Later, Hadrian decides that peace is impossible and gives up on the negotiations. After Bassander’s surprise attack, he murders a child (and key hostage) because of this belief. He does doubt himself frequently, but never enough to prevent his selfish and inconsistent actions.

Instead, (in my reading) he projects all his potential self-hatred toward Switch, Bassander, Smythe, and Hauptmann – none of whom are all that different from Hadrian himself in terms of the actions they take.

If I continue in the series (which is unlikely), I will read Hadrian more explicitly as the villain. Gaslight by the Quiet, Hadrian is a child of privilege guided only by his faith in his own ultimate rightness.

The author is clearly leading Hadrian down a carefully crafted corruption arc, but I doubt Ruocchio wanted readers to be so against him this early in the series. I appreciate him as a complex and layered character, but he’s REALLY not someone I want to read about.

Even if I did like Hadrian, I might DNF the series anyways because of how bloated I find the books to be.

The Writing Didn’t Work for Me

Howling Dark is 264,000 words; I honestly think it could have been under 180,000. So much of this series is Ruocchio using Hadrian as a vehicle through which to ponder on philosophy and muse about life -- but for whatever reason I just completely bounced off of it. And there is a TON of it.

In the Sun Eater series, form seems far more important than function. No brevity here. So much of this book was a chore to get through, with Hadrian constantly interrupting events to reminisce about his past, ponder the universe, or refer to classic literature.

I’ve been told that Ruocchio writes like this because it fits Hadrian’s character, and that The Lesser Devil is very different, which is good to know. Still, Hadrian’s admitted character flaw of being too melodramatic seems like too easy an excuse. Hadrian’s cookie-cutter “only a man” speech was especially egregious.

A Disappointing Ensemble

Hadrian has a bad case of main character syndrome. Given the Quiet’s mysterious plans for him, it makes sense that plot events bend around him sometimes, but it is disappointing how uninteresting and subservient to his arc the rest of the cast is – especially considering the book’s length.

First, the exceptions: Kharn Sagara and Bassander Lin (see, I can be positive). The Undying is undeniably cool, both in concept and execution, and I like how much of a wild card he is.

Throughout the book Lin acted as a foil for Hadrian, following his imperial orders without question and disdaining Hadrian’s disloyalty. His antagonist to apostle transition makes a ton of sense considering how devoted he is to his beliefs. He recognizes Hadrian’s miraculous revival as “a sign,” and puts aside ego and personal feeling to do what he believes must be done – a reversal that really shows how much Ruocchio thought about his character.

If only he’d done the same for everyone else. Despite Hadrian admitting that he was mostly a figurehead to the Red Company, his troops follow him without questions – even in betraying the empire. And they continue to do so after he slaughters an innocent child. Crim, Ilex, Siran, Pallino, Elara are all one-note devotees – I honestly couldn’t care less when Ghen died. Maybe their meant as a cult of personality around a charismatic leader, but overall, I found them boring.

It was also disappointing to see Switch become a plot device. His turn, though foreshadowed, felt very forced – it seems like Ruocchio only made Switch the traitor because it would hurt Hadrian the most, not because of any traits established in Empire of Silence.

Finally, Valka. Her reaction to Nobuta’s murder is wholly out-of-character. Her whole backstory is about leaving a life of violence and military hierarchy because she was ordered to kill innocents. I’m supposed to believe that she stays with Hadrian after that? Not only does she accept him, but she comforts him after the act – and then wisecracks with him in the next chapter. Her story always felt subservient to Hadrian’s, but this was too far.

Of course, maybe Valka was just battle-shocked and too focused on survival to consider the moral implications. I was SURE she would confront Hadrian about it later in the book – she’s never had trouble doing that before. Instead, she gives up what she wants and agrees to go to the Emperor with Hadrian – a situation that will put her in danger because of the Chantry’s tenets against her implants. It does not make sense to me.

Conclusion

Early on, I was enjoying the book. Exploring new environments and the Extrasolarians was super cool, and Ruocchio deserves praise for the scope of his worldbuilding. Overtime though, my broader issues with the book prevented me from enjoying any of it.

2/5

[Maddie Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

RATING BREAKDOWN
Characters: 3⭐️
Setting: 5⭐️
Plot: 4⭐️
Themes: 3⭐️
Emotional Impact: 3⭐️
Personal Enjoyment: 4⭐️
Total Rounded Average: 3.75⭐️

Howling Dark is a fun deviation from Empire of Silence. In this installment, Hadrian is tracking the Cielcin across time and space and winds up doing what he does best—pissing some people off, rebelling against authority, and following his own moral compass. Along the way, he encounters some crazy beings and does his best to walk the tightrope of diplomacy and self-preservation. In a crazy climax, I didn't see coming, everything was thwarted, turned on its head, and recalibrated. I have no clue what to expect going into Demon in White, but we are not in Kansas anymore.

I think Sun Eater is a really fun series for fans of Star Wars. The galaxy is vast. The political and structural landscape of the cosmos in this society is well-developed and the central plot is gripping. The themes are a bit more convoluted, that is to say, they aren't very clear yet. Hadrian certainly has a moral compass, maybe even a moral superiority complex, but it isn't clear that there is a best or honorable way to go about things. Hadrian mostly sticks by his people and mostly desires peace. He doesn't suffer from xenophobia which is a tenet of his character. Beyond that, I'm waiting to feel deeply invested in these characters and their mission.

I do feel like Ruocchio is a very immersive, creative, and technically excellent writer, with one of the most vivid imaginations I've come across. It's fun to live in his worlds and encounter his daydreams. I'm along for the ride on this one. I love a slow burn. Time will tell whether this becomes an all-time favorite or not.

[Alex W · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible roller coaster ride of a book. More people need to read this series!

[Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read Update: There isn't much more to add. This is an amazing book. It was even better on a re-read. There is so much well executed foreshadowing in addition to all of the incredible characters, settings, action, plot, and lore that I loved the first time. This is where the series really becomes something special. This is an all time favorite.



When I read Sun Eater book 1, Empire of Silence, last Fall I did so because I heard about the book via Mike's Book Reviews channel on You Tube. Before that I don't think I had ever even heard of it. I might have saw them on the shelves at Barnes and Noble, but they never registered with me as something I noticed let alone something I'd want to read. After reading Empire of Silence I quickly realized how much I had been missing out on a great series. Book 2, Howling Dark, only further cemented that feeling as it is now one of my absolute favorite sci fi series, and it is in fact probably the best sci fi series you are not reading.

Honestly, Howling Dark begins somewhat unusually. Even if you read this right after finishing Empire of Silence there is a good chance that you may start out a bit lost or confused. Did you miss a book, a short story, or novella that took place in between? No you didn't, but Howling Dark takes place after a somewhat significant time skip in the series. Some of that passes while characters are in "space sleep" traveling between worlds, but it's also clear some action has occurred off page and there are some new characters and relationships that the reader is unaware of but are not new to the characters. This didn't really bother me because I just assumed it was off page, and that as this story started I would get filled in on what I needed to know and that was the case. And it doesn't take long for this book's plot to start going picking up more or less where book 1 left off in terms of the mission Hadrian is on.

Further discussion of plot elements would probably lead to spoilers so I'll avoid those while talking about what I loved about this book. First of all there is the writing. Typically, the writing in a book isn't something I notice very much unless it is particularly bad or particularly good. In this case I noticed it because the prose of Christopher Ruocchio is absolutely phenomenal. There are certain sentences crafted so well here I would just put the book down and stop for a moment to absorb them. I kept telling people I wish I was reading this as an ebook instead of a physical copy so I could have highlighted all of the phenomenal passages. I would put his writing on a level of the best authors of sci fi and fantasy.

Besides the writing itself I was captivated by both this book's plot and themes. Whereas, Empire of Silence spent a lot of time establishing Hadrian as a character and showing us the trials and tribulations he went through to be where and what he is, Howling Dark really starts to be the real story beyond the character origins. We are introduced to many new story elements, characters, and new mysterious happenings that it really increased my investment in the story and world. As for the themes they really start to show through in Howling Dark as well. For starters, how likely is it for peace to even be possible between two warring races from such vastly different cultures that one of them doesn't even have a word for "peace" in their language only "submission"? The answer is explored here and drives the story, and you get a sense of how we might be headed down the path where the series is destined to end. Of course there are other themes as well such as the nature of humanity, and what it means to live and die when there are beings 15,000 years old or more.

Beyond the brain breaking stuff (which I love and of which there is plenty) there is also quite a bit of good popcorn action entertainment especially in the later 1/3 of the book. We get to see up close and personal what the frenzy of combat looks like in this universe and we get some pretty heart pounding sequences to show us. This isn't a book I would read for the action, but if you like that sort of thing along with the other stuff it's definitely here to keep the pages turning at the end.

If I had one minor criticism it's that I still don't know if I'm sold on the main character of the series. I like him well enough, and I like reading what happens to and around him. However, as far as pure characterization goes I like a lot of the side characters quite a bit more. Seeing as this isn't as much of a character driven narrative I don't find this to really effect my enjoyment of the series.

In the end if you like epic adventures, aliens, futuristic technologies, mysterious happenings, space travel, and great writing you owe it to yourself to check this series out. It deserves to have more eyeballs on it. It's a hidden gem among sci fi literature.

[Joshua Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second book of The Sun Eater seems an improvement in every way from the first book. I found the story and narrative a lot tighter and definitely more focused, and thought Ruocchio's character work stronger here as well. And the writing style, which felt a bit disjunct for me at times in the first book, seemed to flow a lot better between the twin styles of his passages of more direct prose and the passages of Hadrian waxing philosophically (and of course melodramatically) about the events in his past. The last 1/3 of this book in particular was extremely compelling and the ending was great. My only real complaint is some of the action sequences seem to be a bit long and exhausting. But overall a fine installment in this series and I'm really enjoying my time here.

[Tori Tecken · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hadrian is melodramatic, and this book was a dramatic struggle on nearly every level. After my mostly positive experience with Empire of Silence (albeit with some caveats), I was really looking forward to jumping in on book two and watching Ruocchio cook with the ingredients he'd set up in the opening. The Cielcin are taking shape, we're getting the mystery and tension build up toward the larger conflict between man and alien, and the relationships between Hadrian and the rest of the cast are headed for some interesting opportunities to explore character depth.

I was fully buckled in, and opened the first pages of Howling Dark ready to go.

FULL STOP.

Instead of picking up where we left off and carrying the reader further along the investment built in the first book, Ruocchio jumps us ahead. Forty-seven years, with twelve of those years spent out of cryo for Hadrian. Nothing feels familiar, and beyond that, the relationships that were building up in the first installment are shoved so far into the background that they barely matter. The Cielcin plotline is also shoved far into the background, with the vague promise that we are "headed that way eventually."

And don't worry, nothing important happened while we were just conveniently cut out of Hadrian's first person narrative life. Only a spaceship mutiny, a war, and Hadrian becoming a soldier. No big deal. Certainly nothing of interest.

What takes precedence instead is a romantic fling with a character we have no connection to, some general posturing between spaceship commanders, and Hadrian spending nearly half the book thinking about existence, mankind's flaws and shortcomings, and his own impending villain arc.

Now don't get me wrong. I love an internal narrative. I love digging into the psyche of a character and feeling their feelings with them. But after the jarring disconnect of the first part of the book, I was left feeling like I wasn't allowed to truly connect with Hadrian. I just had to take his word for everything that happened and how I was supposed to feel about it.

Which brings me to the writing style. There are moments of beauty in this prose, absolutely - moments where Hadrian's musings and reflection revealed something profound. But what I found an overabundance of was repetition, overburdened monologues, and a general distrust for the reader. The amount of times that the writing relied on TELLING the reader how they should feel or repeating the same phrase, description, or concept, was exhausting.

For example, every time the character Switch would enter a room or be noticed, he was always referred to with the same exact phrase, "my oldest friend and lictor" or "my dearest friend and lictor." And once or twice would've been fine, I have the concept in my mind and I can associate it with Switch. However, when it happened over and over and over, I was uncomfortably aware of the fact that I wasn't expected to remember it. OR that Ruocchio needed to remind us because the actual relationship with Switch didn't show me the depth that was being referenced. And don't get me started on the number of times we were told that Hadrian is melodramatic. Did you know he should've been in a Eudoran play?

This wasn't the only occasion of repetition. The way that certain characters, concepts, or locations were described was almost word for word the same in multiple passages. The reliance on telling reinforced the lack of character development, pulling me further and further away from the investment that I'd built in Empire of Silence until I found myself lacking any desire to pick the book up.

Now I want to give a little attention and credit to the concepts, because it is clearly here that Ruocchio shines as a writer. His ability to write cultural differences, language, and history in a way that is engaging and intriguing was a highlight of the two books I've read so far. It is one thing for an author to write a race that is alien. It is a whole different skillset entirely for an author to make them feel alien. And the Cielcin are so profoundly alien that I was riveted every time they appeared on page.

We meet several new characters in this book that propel the concepts forward and explore the underpinnings of the galaxy's turmoil-filled history. They did most of the heavy lifting when it came to furthering the plot of the book, while Hadrian did his level best to keep us sitting in a room thinking thoughts that were similar to the last thoughts he thunk. There was a very intriguing and cool character introduced as an antagonist early on in the story that was a fascinating concept, but wasn't even on page long enough to really foster any true depth. His only true purpose was to give Hadrian a moment of callback later on in the story.

When the pacing picks up around 2/3 of the way through the book, I figured things were finally going to get moving. This was the part of the story that everyone told me "gets really good." And I definitely don't want to discard the action sequences and boiling-point tension that emerged. Despite my detachment from the characters, the events were interesting to read.

But the final part of this book once again dropped the ball for me. There were multiple literary character assassinations to further the plot. Actions that were taken by characters who had two whole books to build up who they were, only to be yanked into unfamiliar territory for the sake of "but this has to happen now." The grandstanding at the end especially felt postured and cliche.

At the end of the experience, when I closed the final page, I felt exhausted for all the wrong reasons. I found my personal enjoyment drained, and even the concepts that had drawn me in so strongly felt like inadequate compensation for the lack of character development, exhaustive monologuing and reflection, and jarring storytelling choices.

I may give Demon in White a chance to redeem a bit of the experience, but at this point, I'm settling in for a break after the frustration of this book.

[Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller]

Great book! Weird book. But good. RTC

[Edward Gwynne]

Clearly something is wrong with me because I didn't vibe with this at all - it felt like it was written by a completely different author. The plot recycled itself about 29 times and the characters were lacking here. I'll try it again in the future to check I've not gone mad...

[Krell75 · Rating 3 out of 5]

N.2/7 - HOWLING DARK

Devo smettere di leggere romanzi con narratori inaffidabili. Trovo frustrante la tendenza a modificare arbitrariamente le regole del mondo narrativo per giustificare colpi di scena, attribuendo poi la mancanza di logica alla soggettività del protagonista.

Tutto l' universo narrativo di The Sun Eater si regge sui viaggi spaziali e Ruocchio mi cambia le regole, da lui stesso imposte, a suo piacimento.
Cerco maggiore coerenza strutturale.

Comunque per tutti gli altri che desiderano info sul romanzo posso dire che l' avventura di science fantasy (non è fantascienza), riprende e il nostro Hadrian Marlowe, come un futuro Odisseo, intraprende il viaggio per il sistema nascosto di Vorgossos in cerca di un contatto con gli alieni carnivori per mediare la pace.

La scrittura di Ruocchio è appassionata e poetica, ricca di introspezione, ma appesantita da descrizioni infinite e continue ripetizioni. Si tratta di un buon romanzo d'avventura ma nonostante l'abbondanza di scenari e situazioni, tutto sembra già visto: è un amalgama di idee attinte a piene mani da Dune, Matrix, Il Libro del Nuovo Sole, Il Nome del Vento, Hyperion, Star Wars, Warhammer 40k, Blade Runner 2049 e la Fondazione di Asimov. È un’opera talmente derivativa che, proprio come per il primo volume, ho faticato ad arrivare alla fine.

-----------

I need to stop reading novels with unreliable narrators. I find the tendency to arbitrarily alter the rules of the narrative world to justify plot twists frustrating, then attributing the lack of logic to the protagonist's subjectivity.

The entire narrative universe of The Sun Eater hinges on space travel, and Ruocchio changes the rules, which he himself imposed, to suit his own taste.
I'm looking for greater structural coherence.

Anyway, for anyone else who wants more information about the novel, I can say that the science fantasy adventure (not science fiction) resumes, and our Hadrian Marlowe, like a future Odysseus, embarks on a journey to the hidden star system of Vorgossos in search of contact with the carnivorous aliens to broker peace.

Ruocchio's writing is passionate and poetic, rich in introspection, but weighed down by endless descriptions and constant repetition. It's a good adventure novel, but despite the abundance of settings and situations, everything feels familiar: it's a mix of ideas drawn liberally from Dune, the Matrix, The Book of the New Sun, The Name of the Wind, Hyperion, Star Wars, Warhammer 40k, Blade Runner 2049, and Asimov's Foundation. It's such a derivative work that, just like the first volume, I struggled to get to the end.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. Even better than book one. This is a new favorite series for sure.

[Liam J.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 - It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. It took me a bit to get into this one but man, once it got going it was intense. I am more curious than ever about the Quiet, the Cielcin, and where Hadrian will end up. There is a part of me that hates our dear protagonist, and yet I root for him. I think that is what makes this story so interesting. Though it has its flaws, it makes me think—about nature of cruelty, about what it means to live, and about what our eventual place will be in this vast, unknowable universe.

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

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

This is a book I had to reread appreciate.

[Pranav Prabhu · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We believe our civilization the product of our struggles when in truth we are its products. We are its children, raised behind walls."

Howling Dark is a fantastic sequel to Empire of Silence, and this series is on its way to becoming one of my favourites if the subsequent entries are as good as this one was. I had been informed that this book was a large improvement over the previous one but I didn't realize how much better it was in almost every aspect until I read it.

Ruocchio's writing is smooth and reads effortlessly. The descriptions of the Dark, the alien Cielcin, the planets, the machines along with the ethereal feeling of the many visions and otherworldly sequences were captivating and lent to the book being very atmospheric. Every location felt distinct and memorable. The action and battle scenes were also very well-written and had a sense of danger and urgency. The pacing is excellent, being much improved from the meandering pace of the first book. Even in its slower and reflective moments, there is a constant tension that drives the book forward.

"The ugliness of the world does not fade, and fear and grief are not made less by time. We are only made stronger. We can only float together on their tides, as otters do, hand in hand.”

Hadrian's character continues to grow and change, there are times where glimpses are seen of the Hadrian he will eventually become. The side characters such as Pallino, Valka, Lin, and others have distinct voices and personalities; the few new characters that are introduced are also quite interesting and have an imposing presence on-page. They play off each other very well and the different relationships Hadrian forms with each of them play a major role in the story.

The worldbuilding is organically expanded and has some intriguing mysteries that form the backbone of the story, besides the main plot involving the lost planet and the Cielcin. The incorporation of various sci-fi elements like Artificial Intelligences, genetic manipulation, terrible machines into this universe's lore and the part they play was very interesting to read; I am partial to stories that involve mysterious civilizations and ancient history that the characters slowly have to uncover and piece together and this book had a lot of that.

"Our swords shall play the orators for us."

The Cielcin was another aspect that I enjoyed — the portrayal of a truly alien culture, showing the impassable gulf between the two species due to their fundamental differences in wiring and how even their language differs in subtext and meaning was exceptionally well-done. It was fascinating to read about the communication barrier causing an irrevocable chasm between them. They are so other to humanity that ascribing human ways of thinking and logic to them is nigh impossible.

The only somewhat major gripe I had was in the first 15-20% of the book. Due to there being a time skip between the end of the first book and the start of this one, it felt like I missed a whole chapter in the story. I don't usually have an issue with time skips but it felt jarring in this case specifically because some of the initial chapters relied on emotional beats involving a few new side characters and those did not land for me. It took me a while to get invested but once that initial speedbump was crossed, the rest of the book was enthralling. Overall, a great sequel in every aspect and I can't wait to get to the third one, especially given how this book ended.

[Isabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m sensing that this series is going to be a slow climb through a lot of space politics and world building (galaxy building?)… and I’m loving it 🙂‍↕️🫶🏻

The characterization of every single member of the cast was excellent. I love that no one is perfect, including Hadrian. He made some dumb mistakes, but he’s so charismatic I think he can talk his way out of anything 😂 The ending had me SCRAMBLING to find my phone to yell at someone about it. Pretty sure I could’ve woken the dead with that gasp.
👁️👄👁️

”Who must stand when those whose duty is standing are gone? Those who can.”

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

So wow, don’t I feel like a complete idiot! After giving Empire of Silence - Book 1 of this series - a less than stellar review and calling it dreadfully boring …… Book 2 Howling Dark rocks my world and vaults the series up to my new obsession!

Sci-Fi fans, this book has it all and wastes no time in grabbing your attention.

I was critical of Empire of Silence for lacking compelling characters (at least for me) aside from the main protagonist Hadrian Marlowe. Ladies and Gentlemen, I bring you The Painted Man, Bassander Lin, Ginon, The Undying, Brethern and Prince Aeta of the Cielcin just to name a few! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

There was an amazing section in this book that gave me total The Dark Tower Book 3 - The Waste Lands vibes. It reminded me of the City of Lud, Gasher, The Tick-Tock Man and Blaine the Mono. Creepy, mysterious and haunting. Again just phenomenal characters throughout this section of Howling Dark.

The prose, the plot, the action, the beginning middle and that mind blowing end 🤯…. all five stars baby! Christopher Ruocchio deserves all of the hype that many are giving him and I probably need to march my ass back to my bookshelf for a reread Empire of Silence as I am sure it was worthy of at least 4 stars!

I am looking forward to Book 3 and seeing where this thing goes next so onwards and upwards!

⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Bree · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 👽 Howling Dark is a definite improvement from Empire of Silence. Ruocchio’s prose continues to blow my mind and I can quickly see him becoming one of my favorite authors. There are so many great lines in here that I could not highlight fast enough. I’m not sure yet if Sun Eater will dethrone Red Rising as my favorite sci-fi series but we will see. 👀

This world is fucking huge and a bit confusing, and sometimes Hadrian’s philosophical tangents distract me from what’s happening and make me more confused, lol. He is still a fascinating character to me and his vulnerability in this sequel really allowed me to connect to him more. I also completely adore Valka and find myself enjoying the story a lot more when she is present.

I have complete faith that I will eventually get a 5 star from this series as I constantly hear that it continues to get better. 🤞🏻