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Army of the Sun: Book One
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Expected 15 Nov 26For centuries, the peoples of the Archipelagos have bound their scattered islands together through the power of oohnica, a force regarded as natural as wind, tide, or gravity, yet harnessed only by aghitas—groups of four individuals trained to think, act, and feel as one. Around this strange discipline, universities have risen, realms have prospered, and an uneasy peace has endured long enough for war to become a subject of history lessons.
Jiro arrives at the University of Eine pursuing his dream of joining an aghita, mastering oohnica, and becoming a navigator like his ancestors. But the group that chooses him is anything but ordinary: led by a brilliant student with more ambition than patience, it includes strangers, rivals, and someone whose innate talent for oohnica should not exist.
At first, their troubles seem like the ordinary struggles of any young aghita learning to work as one. But soon the signs are impossible to dismiss: oohnica is changing, or perhaps revealing that it was never what the scholars believed it to be. As Jiro’s dream and the old peace both come under threat, he and his companions must leave the safety of the university walls and follow the mystery across the sea.
What they discover could remake their understanding of the world and of one another—and expose the powerful factions already moving to reshape the future of the Archipelagos.
Army of the Sun: Book One is the opening volume of a completed science-fantasy duology by Ukrainian author Alya Marchenko.
Jiro arrives at the University of Eine pursuing his dream of joining an aghita, mastering oohnica, and becoming a navigator like his ancestors. But the group that chooses him is anything but ordinary: led by a brilliant student with more ambition than patience, it includes strangers, rivals, and someone whose innate talent for oohnica should not exist.
At first, their troubles seem like the ordinary struggles of any young aghita learning to work as one. But soon the signs are impossible to dismiss: oohnica is changing, or perhaps revealing that it was never what the scholars believed it to be. As Jiro’s dream and the old peace both come under threat, he and his companions must leave the safety of the university walls and follow the mystery across the sea.
What they discover could remake their understanding of the world and of one another—and expose the powerful factions already moving to reshape the future of the Archipelagos.
Army of the Sun: Book One is the opening volume of a completed science-fantasy duology by Ukrainian author Alya Marchenko.
446 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication November 15, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 22, 2026
The Archipelagos contain four archipelagos, estimated by scholars to be about a quarter of the world, enclosed by the Gale Ring which allows nothing to pass through. Each season has a Gale Month that produces extreme weather throughout The Archipelagos. It is hypothesized that millennia ago the Calamity wiped out civilization and nearly all life. For centuries the Dark Ages reigned, though in the fullness of time civilization remerged from the darkness. As governing powers of The Archipelago began to stabilize they sought to rediscover their world. On the Distant Isles, the Oonanghan practiced oohnica, a form of collective meditation with mystical properties. Over the centuries that followed it was developed as a science and became more widespread. This led to the Great Break between those who could become oohnie and those who could not. Centuries again passed, bringing events to the current day. Oohnica has become integral to the infrastructure and daily life of their societies. The two branches studied at universities are anghi, the theoretical aspect that deals with information, and uglu, the practical aspect which allows for the physical creation of objects.
Jiro is a student at Eine University, and his dream is to be in an aghita, a four person group of oohnie, of navigators. He wants to travel across The Archipelagos, perhaps even find a way beyond, and to discover all that yet remains unknown. This is the personal account of his daily life. It begins as a mundane tale, then events conspire for it to be otherwise. The circumstances are conducive for focusing on romance, but at least for this book, it doesn't.
There's an initial learning curve with the Japanese and fictional words, though it didn't take long for me to be comfortable, and a glossary has been provided. The four part narrative structure of this duology, known as kishotenketsu, has the first book present the questions and the second provides the answers. Another typical trait is that conflict has far less prominence.
This book caters to my preferences, so my only complaint is that doesn't do more with what it has. There's a version of this that I could've given the highest rating. Oftentimes there's too much that drags the rating down for me to do so, though that isn't the case here. The limitation here is that there isn't anything that elevates it to greatness. This book is a solid read with an interesting world and intriguing integration of the preternatural. The central mysteries provide a sense of wonder, such as what's seen on the cover.
Army of the Sun is Marchenko's self-published debut. It was originally written in Russian, but Russia's invasion made being an Ukrainian writing and publishing in Russian nonviable. Marchenko now resides in the United States and together with his wife has translated Army of the Sun into English. To their credit I didn't feel like I was reading a translation at all.
Rating: 3.5/5
Jiro is a student at Eine University, and his dream is to be in an aghita, a four person group of oohnie, of navigators. He wants to travel across The Archipelagos, perhaps even find a way beyond, and to discover all that yet remains unknown. This is the personal account of his daily life. It begins as a mundane tale, then events conspire for it to be otherwise. The circumstances are conducive for focusing on romance, but at least for this book, it doesn't.
There's an initial learning curve with the Japanese and fictional words, though it didn't take long for me to be comfortable, and a glossary has been provided. The four part narrative structure of this duology, known as kishotenketsu, has the first book present the questions and the second provides the answers. Another typical trait is that conflict has far less prominence.
This book caters to my preferences, so my only complaint is that doesn't do more with what it has. There's a version of this that I could've given the highest rating. Oftentimes there's too much that drags the rating down for me to do so, though that isn't the case here. The limitation here is that there isn't anything that elevates it to greatness. This book is a solid read with an interesting world and intriguing integration of the preternatural. The central mysteries provide a sense of wonder, such as what's seen on the cover.
Army of the Sun is Marchenko's self-published debut. It was originally written in Russian, but Russia's invasion made being an Ukrainian writing and publishing in Russian nonviable. Marchenko now resides in the United States and together with his wife has translated Army of the Sun into English. To their credit I didn't feel like I was reading a translation at all.
Rating: 3.5/5
Review of advance copy
Interesting introduction to science fantasy characters and mystery.
This is the first of a series and part of the world-building foreshadows four acts to the story and the work of this first is to introduce us to the main characters and the rules and issues in the world. It's written by a Ukrainian and translated from the Russian of the original text for reasons related to current conflicts. The setting is very oriental in flavour with three archipelagos in tension, but peaceful detente with a Southern, mysterious one as a possible aggressor. There is a YA element as the main characters are attending a University and one of the central questions is the nature and behaviour of oohnica and its physical manifestation, uglu which can be manufactured by a group of four sensitives with different roles in the group synchronisation. The world-building is mainly done by a process reminiscent of Douglas Adam's Hitchhiker's guide in giving a definition of a relevant concept at the beginning of each chapter. There is also an extensive glossary at the end of the book.
The mystery is introduced with the motives and identity of several characters coming into question. An early clue that not everyone is honest is the true name of our main narrator differing from the one used throughout. Another central question evolved, but not concluded, is the nature of oohnica and uglu and how preceding civilisations knew about it and used it. Our sympathetic characters face several challenges, physically, emotionally and about their own identities and relationships. The crux of this story is how these main characters have changed through the course of the tale. I found it an absorbing and interesting read. The main reason for not giving the full five stars is that the story is incomplete and too many story questions remain unanswered. There were also several editing errors, but I can forgive and understand these in an author writing in their third language,and they may be corrected by the time you get your copy. I will certainly like to hear more of Agatha's Army.
I received a free advance review copy, and I am voluntarily leaving this review.
This is the first of a series and part of the world-building foreshadows four acts to the story and the work of this first is to introduce us to the main characters and the rules and issues in the world. It's written by a Ukrainian and translated from the Russian of the original text for reasons related to current conflicts. The setting is very oriental in flavour with three archipelagos in tension, but peaceful detente with a Southern, mysterious one as a possible aggressor. There is a YA element as the main characters are attending a University and one of the central questions is the nature and behaviour of oohnica and its physical manifestation, uglu which can be manufactured by a group of four sensitives with different roles in the group synchronisation. The world-building is mainly done by a process reminiscent of Douglas Adam's Hitchhiker's guide in giving a definition of a relevant concept at the beginning of each chapter. There is also an extensive glossary at the end of the book.
The mystery is introduced with the motives and identity of several characters coming into question. An early clue that not everyone is honest is the true name of our main narrator differing from the one used throughout. Another central question evolved, but not concluded, is the nature of oohnica and uglu and how preceding civilisations knew about it and used it. Our sympathetic characters face several challenges, physically, emotionally and about their own identities and relationships. The crux of this story is how these main characters have changed through the course of the tale. I found it an absorbing and interesting read. The main reason for not giving the full five stars is that the story is incomplete and too many story questions remain unanswered. There were also several editing errors, but I can forgive and understand these in an author writing in their third language,and they may be corrected by the time you get your copy. I will certainly like to hear more of Agatha's Army.
I received a free advance review copy, and I am voluntarily leaving this review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
5 stars for a great debut novel by the author.
I will write more later.
I will write more later.
Review of advance copy
It was my great pleasure to edit this duology.
The Archipelago is locked within a neverending cycle of storms. Once per year they come from every corner of the world, and anyone trying to leave the islands is never heard from again. Jiro loses his brother on one of these expeditions.
He travels to Port Eine, to the university there, to study the ways of oohnica and find an aghita of his own. But that is just the start of the adventure, and as one incredible event follows another, our hero falls into the centre of one of the greatest conspiracies to overtake the islands.
This is very like a picaresque Eastern novel, where the hero's journey is more like an immersion into a foreign culture. One can taste the tea in an island tea shop, or smell the salt sea air. Every character steps out of a pen-and-ink drawing of themselves, perfectly delineated.
You must, must read this book. It's the sort of fantasy that keeps you captive through a rainy afternoon, wrapped in a blanket by the window. I one hundred percent recommend it.
The Archipelago is locked within a neverending cycle of storms. Once per year they come from every corner of the world, and anyone trying to leave the islands is never heard from again. Jiro loses his brother on one of these expeditions.
He travels to Port Eine, to the university there, to study the ways of oohnica and find an aghita of his own. But that is just the start of the adventure, and as one incredible event follows another, our hero falls into the centre of one of the greatest conspiracies to overtake the islands.
This is very like a picaresque Eastern novel, where the hero's journey is more like an immersion into a foreign culture. One can taste the tea in an island tea shop, or smell the salt sea air. Every character steps out of a pen-and-ink drawing of themselves, perfectly delineated.
You must, must read this book. It's the sort of fantasy that keeps you captive through a rainy afternoon, wrapped in a blanket by the window. I one hundred percent recommend it.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I had the chance to help translate Army of the Sun(yay! helping with a real book!), so I may not be looking at it fully objectively. It took us years to write, polish, edit, translate....I can't imagine our lives without this book and it's heroes now. Watching Alex working on this text and helping him was incredible. Kind of like bringing another child into this world.
Alex put immense care into every tiny detail, even reaching out to specialists to make sure all the ship terms were correct, that the structures would actually work, and that all the names were completely accurate. He even made 3D models on his PC to visualize exactly how everything operated!
Because of that dedication, there is no useless filler or pointless action, and every detail of the story is there on purpose. While his style might feel a bit unfamiliar to American readers at first, if you love Ursula K. Le Guin or Ray Bradbury, you will feel right at home.
Instead of focusing on constant action, the book pours its energy into language, deep relationships, and meaningful human interaction. I think the magic system is incredibly cool. It is a communal power that you can only actually wield when you work together with other people. So this story is mostly a story about human relationships and growth.
In my opinion it is one of a kind beautiful book, and its real strength lies in how amazing the form, language and meaning are. I hope everyone will enjoy it as much as we did. Try it, it is honestly not like anything else that is being published now.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews