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The Sun Eater #3
Demon in White
The third novel of the galaxy-spanning Sun Eater series merges the best of space opera and epic fantasy, as Hadrian Marlowe continues down a path that can only end in fire.
Hadrian has been serving the Empire in military engagements against the Cielcin, the vicious alien civilization bent on humanity's destruction. After Hadrian and his Red Company achieve a great victory, a cult-like fervor builds around him. However, pressures within the Imperial government scared of his rise to prominence result in an assassination attempt, luckily thwarted.
With the Empire too dangerous to stay, Hadrian and his crew leave for a massive library on a distant world. There, he finds the next key to unlocking the secrets of the Quiet: a set of coordinates for their origin planet, unnamed and now lifeless. Hadrian's true purpose in serving in the military was to aid his search of a rumored connection between the first Emperor and the Quiet, the ancient, seemingly long-dead race linked to so many of Hadrian's extraordinary experiences.
Will this mysterious lost planet have the answers?
Hadrian has been serving the Empire in military engagements against the Cielcin, the vicious alien civilization bent on humanity's destruction. After Hadrian and his Red Company achieve a great victory, a cult-like fervor builds around him. However, pressures within the Imperial government scared of his rise to prominence result in an assassination attempt, luckily thwarted.
With the Empire too dangerous to stay, Hadrian and his crew leave for a massive library on a distant world. There, he finds the next key to unlocking the secrets of the Quiet: a set of coordinates for their origin planet, unnamed and now lifeless. Hadrian's true purpose in serving in the military was to aid his search of a rumored connection between the first Emperor and the Quiet, the ancient, seemingly long-dead race linked to so many of Hadrian's extraordinary experiences.
Will this mysterious lost planet have the answers?
784 pages, Paperback
First published July 28, 2020
1931 people are currently reading
21794 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Ruocchio
50 books4,803 followersChristopher Ruocchio is the author of The Sun Eater, a space opera fantasy series, as well as the Assistant Editor at Baen Books, where he has co-edited four anthologies. He is a graduate of North Carolina State University, where he studied English Rhetoric and the Classics. Christopher has been writing since he was eight and sold his first novel, Empire of Silence, at twenty-two. To date, his books have been published in five languages.
Christopher lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with his wife, Jenna. He may be found on both Facebook and Twitter with the handle ‘TheRuocchio.’
Christopher lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with his wife, Jenna. He may be found on both Facebook and Twitter with the handle ‘TheRuocchio.’
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,931 reviews
December 14, 2023
This review is a copy of the transcript of my video review on Demon in White.
An absolute masterpiece. Demon in White is a genuinely epic space opera fantasy at its paramount shape.
Brilliance.
After the rising brilliance of Empire of Silence and Howling Dark, it should be impossible for Ruocchio to ensure this, but Demon in White successfully surpassed the previous two books in the series in overall quality. This is honestly my favorite installment in the series so far. It may even become my favorite in the entire series, but that remains to be seen. I have read many books in the past seven years since I began reviewing books on Goodreads. And when I read a book, it is often easy for me to choose one or two favorite sequences out of it. That’s normal. But sometimes, my instinct can tell me loudly that I am in the presence of something special. There are various determining factors to this, and one of the marks of reading something extraordinary is when I am left incapable of deciding which part of the book is my utmost favorite. Demon in White, the third and the biggest book in The Sun Eater series so far by Christopher Ruocchio, has achieved this rare phenomenon with finesse. Despite its close-to-300,000 word count long size, the book earned its every page count. And in return, I am at a loss again on how I should review this sci-fi masterpiece. But I will try my best to do it justice. It is no wonder so many readers—all of you—told me I would love the heck out Demon in White, and once again, all of you were spot-on with your recommendation. With the first three main novels in The Sun Eater being included in my list of favorite books, Ruocchio scored a hattrick, and he has become one of my auto-buy authors.
For almost a hundred years since the events of Howling Dark, Hadrian Marlowe and his comrades engage in war against the Cielcin, a vicious alien race bent on humanity’s destruction. And there is a rumor of a new emerging king amongst the Cielcin. This one is not like the others. It does not raid border world territories, preferring precise, strategic attacks on the human Empire. To make matters worse, a cult of personality has formed around Hadrian, spurred on by his legends we readers witnessed in Howling Dark. Men call him Halfmortal. Hadrian’s rise to prominence proves dangerous to himself and his company. And caught in the middle, Hadrian must contend with enemies before him—and behind. Above it all, there is the mystery of the Quiet. To learn more about the Quiet has always been Hadrian's goal, but the key to Colchis, the only place in the universe where Hadrian might find the answers he seeks about the Quiet, lies in the hands of the Emperor of the Sollan Empire himself…
I did read Queen Amid Ashes novella and Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 1 first before reading Demon in White, and I recommend you to do the same if you have read the series up to Howling Dark. Even though they are not required reading. I do not consider most of the stories in Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 1, the first collection of short stories in The Sun Eater, as necessary to be read before reading Demon in White. But with such a huge time jump between books, it is worth reading at least Queen Amid Ashes novella and The Demons of Arae short story in the collection to see a few-among-many missions Hadrian and his company undertook in the time-jump between books. On its own, The Demons of Arae is an alright short story. It felt like a missing chapter of Hadrian's chronicle in The Sun Eater series. But I am glad I have read it. Reading The Demons of Arae first gave a quick and deeper context into the new form of the Cielcin. And readers can reap the benefit immediately in the first part of Demon in White.
As much as I loved Empire of Silence and Howling Dark cover to cover, I did mention there were small sections in those books where extra patience was slightly required. In Empire of Silence, it was the beginning of Hadrian’s time in Borosevo. In Howling Dark, it was the first 100 pages where Ruocchio brings the reader up to speed on what has happened to Hadrian in the two decades time gap between books. Demon in White did not encounter any of these issues. For me, every page was thoroughly compelling. And this is a pleasant surprise because Demon in White actually begins with one of the biggest time jumps I have ever read in a sequel of the same series. Almost 100 years. And yet, it led to the strongest and most exciting beginning quarter in the series so far.
How could it not be? Demon in White starts with Hadrian’s first arrival in Gododdin. Yes, Gododdin. The location of the galaxy-changing event The Sun Eater will commit in the future Hadrian constantly noted since the first pages of Empire of Silence. The endgame of The Sun Eater series. Additionally, two new characters, Lorian Aristedes (his surname is most likely a homage to Paul Atreides from Dune) and Udax (from the newly introduced race named Irchtani), have earned my emotional investment quickly and gradually more with each page turned. Lorian Aristedes, specifically, reminded me a lot of Sand dan Glokta and Tyrion Lannister. Some of my most well-written characters of all time. And then, 150 pages into Demon in White, readers are plunged into a 70-page-long intense and exhilarating action sequence against Iubalu, one of the Cielcin's vayadan, titled Battle of the Beast. From this confrontation, I knew crystal clear Demon in White would receive at least a 4.5 out of 5 stars rating from me.
I was wrong about this.
It is difficult to comprehend how Ruocchio supplied the narrative in this book with such efficiency and effectiveness. With each book read in The Sun Eater series, I repeatedly feel more impressed by Ruocchio’s ascending talent as a storyteller and writer. His versatility in the art of storytelling is simply astounding. Compared to the previous two books in the series, and this is saying a lot, Demon in White successfully included even more pivotal events. There were no “Parts” allocation in Demon in White, but the unmarked five parts of the book felt like reading an entire amazing duology or trilogy packed into one tome. Ruocchio’s aptitude for navigating multiple geographies of storytelling continues to inspire me. For the first time ever in the series, the narrative in The Sun Eater is embedded with high-stakes murder mystery and thrilling political conflicts as well. The incredibly breathtaking duel scene in Demon in White was, in my opinion, one of the most cinematic and vivid duel scenes I have ever read. And it was at this glorious stage I felt confident Demon in White would become a 5 out of 5 stars read for me.
Again, I was wrong about this.
I kept raving about Hadrian Marlowe and his feats. He is a lightning rod for catastrophe, and his unstoppable legendary deeds have turned him into one of my favorite characters of all time in speculative fiction. But it would be a grave mistake to assume Demon in White is exclusively about Hadrian and the detailed record of his chronicles. Since Empire of Silence, we have been graced by the presence of many memorable supporting characters. The Marlowe family, Tor Gibson, Valka Onderra, Bassander Lin, Pallino, Switch, Corvo, Lorian Aristedes, Udax, and many more that I refrain from mentioning to avoid spoilers. And Hadrian’s character development, actions, and influence on all of these characters and vice versa is an irreplaceable strength of The Sun Eater series.
And Demon is White is not only about the war, betrayals, violence, and devastating conflicts. It is not all doom and gloom. If that were the solitary content, Demon in White would not become the masterpiece I perceive it to be. It is precisely due to the well-placed contrast and balanced variety in the tale that Demon in White transformed into an immensely tremendous book. The sense of camaraderie, hope in the ugliness of the world, and the repose and calm moments felt emotional, unforgettable, and bittersweet. The camaraderie and how time not only heal but also ruin depicted in Demon in White is the finest in the series so far. A reunion with an important character, the echoes of laughter and happiness, all tugged at my heartstrings. As my journey to read more and more science fiction and fantasy books resumes, feelings of sadness and longing ignited through a narrative are comparatively more infrequent now. And this is why I am more appreciative of a book or series that can conjure this kind of emotion in me.
The same notion is applicable to plotting predictability as well. Do not get me wrong here. More than unpredictability, execution matters more to me. This is why the same tropes and a similar brand of story can be retold countlessly to incite great effects in readers. It all depends on the way it is written. But still, to encounter and consume a series that allows me to constantly feel completely immersed while failing to guess where the story will go is a fortune. The Sun Eater series, especially Howling Dark and Demon in White, accomplished this. Each book in the series never felt like fillers or overwritten. Each volume brought something new in all aspects, and they never cease to expand the scope of the galaxy-spanning world-building further and further.
I wish for more epic science fantasy series as magnificent and intricate as the galaxy Ruocchio crafted in The Sun Eater. The extremely rich world-building and stunning revelations in Demon in White were poured into the texts organically by building after the hints and groundwork established in Empire of Silence and Howling Dark. We are talking about history that spans more than ten thousand years. We are greeted with deeper insights into the God Emperor, his descendants, the Aventine dynasty, the Golden Age, the Mericanii, the Cielcin, and the mystery of the Quite extensively in Demon in White. It was mindblowing. Ruocchio's usage of visions and dimensions was nothing short of outstanding. Just when I thought I knew where the storyline was going, what I constantly received was outside and superior to what I expected. I felt like a dormant anvil hammered with wonders made of adamant bones. It is serendipitous to open each book in The Sun Eater thinking something relatively predictable would occur, and then I realize I am merely an empty book about to have my expectations rewritten with a golden quill. What I envisioned could not match the results, and I am undoubtedly delighted with it.
This review is long enough and yet incomplete unless I recant my brief statement regarding Ruocchio’s action sequences in The Lesser Devil. In my review of The Lesser Devil, I mentioned that Ruocchio’s prose might be more suitable for philosophical, lyrical, melodrama, and melancholic narration. And these are indeed still prominent and superbly written in Demon in White. Ruocchio's philosophical and thought-provoking thematic narrative is terrific, and they encompassed most of The Sun Eater series, after all. However, the climax sequence of Howling Dark, the Battle of the Beast, the deathly political intrigues, the cinematic duel, and the bloody damn epic Battle of Berenike I witnessed in Demon in White have demonstrated with total certainty that Ruocchio is a fantastic battle sequence writer as well.
Hadrian has come a long way since his coming-of-age tale in Empire of Silence. He is far from perfect, but I felt proud seeing Hadrian in a commanding position leading a massive army against even larger battalions of obsidian death and pale colossus. As we speak, I still can’t fathom the pandemonium I read in the ending sequence of Demon in White. The fantastical element is eloquently infused into the space opera genre, and the scale of the 150-page climax sequence was ridiculously epic in scope. The tension building and the horror can be felt, the torrent of fire can be seen, the hellish scream of the victims can be heard, and the impact of the meteoric detonation is so terrifying. Hadrian and humanity’s titanic clash for supremacy and dominion versus Syriani Dorayaica—the Scourge of Earth—and Bahudde—one of its Vayadan—was a feast for my mind-visualization. Will the Devil of Meidua or the Prince of Princes triumph as the conqueror? The answer to that question, I believe, is one you should read and find out for yourself.
Iconic.
Concluding Demon in White in such a badass composition brimming with multiple iconic scenes has cemented The Sun Eater as a victorious science fantasy series every fan of the genre should read. I have said what I needed to say. And believe me, my words cannot capture the maximum imagery of friendship, wisdom, torment, love, and majesty depicted in Demon in White. There are endings, reader. And even though we have the gift of foresight, I failed to predict my rating for Demon in White. 4.5 stars is a score too low. 5 out of 5 stars is insufficient. Demon in White merits a 6 out of 5-star rating, and I would give it that if I could. Ruocchio deserves a crown for broadening the horizon of possibility in the genre. And I am not even finished with the series yet. The top-tiered best kind of fantasy and sci-fi books can leave you with many permanently seared crucial scenes and sequences. Scenes to be discussed, analyzed, and remembered for many years. Some widely praised legendary series like The Lord of the Rings, A Song of Ice and Fire, Dune, The Stormlight Archive, and more are bursting with these kinds of segments. A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin is a great example. This book has emulated this type of marvel expertly. Demon in White by Christopher Ruocchio is an exceptional sci-fi masterpiece to be eternally reread and retold. To wrap this review up, I will conclude by announcing Demon in White is easily one of the top three best sci-fi books I’ve ever read. It is one of the pinnacles, and if you want to assume this is the best sci-fi book I read this year, my answer to that is this:
You’re not wrong.
You can order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Aliysa, Ambrosius, Andrew, Andrew W, Annabeth, Arliss, Barbara, Biskit, Brad, Cade, Chris, Christopher, Ciprian, Cullen, Dan, David, Donuts, Dylan, Edward, Elaine, Elias, Ellen, Francesca, Frank, Garrick, Gary, Gregory, Hamad, Helen, Jenn, Jesse, Joie, Jonathan, Jordan, Kristina, Lara, Lourdes, Luis, Melinda, Michael, Michael, Mike, Miracle, Mordie, Nicholas, Norbert, Radiah, RCT, Redmischief, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawn, Sirbu, Stephanie, Tiffany, Tori, Tracy, Trish, TS, Wendy, Wick, Woodman, Xero, Yuri, Zoe.
An absolute masterpiece. Demon in White is a genuinely epic space opera fantasy at its paramount shape.
“Silence… The great empire of silence: higher than all stars, deeper than the kingdom of death! It alone is great; all else is small.”
Brilliance.
After the rising brilliance of Empire of Silence and Howling Dark, it should be impossible for Ruocchio to ensure this, but Demon in White successfully surpassed the previous two books in the series in overall quality. This is honestly my favorite installment in the series so far. It may even become my favorite in the entire series, but that remains to be seen. I have read many books in the past seven years since I began reviewing books on Goodreads. And when I read a book, it is often easy for me to choose one or two favorite sequences out of it. That’s normal. But sometimes, my instinct can tell me loudly that I am in the presence of something special. There are various determining factors to this, and one of the marks of reading something extraordinary is when I am left incapable of deciding which part of the book is my utmost favorite. Demon in White, the third and the biggest book in The Sun Eater series so far by Christopher Ruocchio, has achieved this rare phenomenon with finesse. Despite its close-to-300,000 word count long size, the book earned its every page count. And in return, I am at a loss again on how I should review this sci-fi masterpiece. But I will try my best to do it justice. It is no wonder so many readers—all of you—told me I would love the heck out Demon in White, and once again, all of you were spot-on with your recommendation. With the first three main novels in The Sun Eater being included in my list of favorite books, Ruocchio scored a hattrick, and he has become one of my auto-buy authors.
“Sic semper tyrannis… You cannot lead as a tyrant. The people under you will not let you. To lead is a kind of service, a duty you owe to those who follow. Noblesse oblige. I need you to understand this because—to skip to number three—you are not a squire. You are a prince of the Aventine House and a high lord of the Imperium. If I teach you nothing else, it is that you should treat the people under you like family, and that if you’re very, very lucky they may do the same. It is the obligation of those of us born to power or who earn it to wield that power with virtue, because power is no virtue unto itself.
For almost a hundred years since the events of Howling Dark, Hadrian Marlowe and his comrades engage in war against the Cielcin, a vicious alien race bent on humanity’s destruction. And there is a rumor of a new emerging king amongst the Cielcin. This one is not like the others. It does not raid border world territories, preferring precise, strategic attacks on the human Empire. To make matters worse, a cult of personality has formed around Hadrian, spurred on by his legends we readers witnessed in Howling Dark. Men call him Halfmortal. Hadrian’s rise to prominence proves dangerous to himself and his company. And caught in the middle, Hadrian must contend with enemies before him—and behind. Above it all, there is the mystery of the Quiet. To learn more about the Quiet has always been Hadrian's goal, but the key to Colchis, the only place in the universe where Hadrian might find the answers he seeks about the Quiet, lies in the hands of the Emperor of the Sollan Empire himself…
“And if you burn long enough and bright as I have done, you come back to that simple truth of childhood: the world of the scientists, of engineers and mathematicians, does not exist. We live in stories, in the demon-haunted world of myth. We are heroes and dragons. Evil and divine.”
I did read Queen Amid Ashes novella and Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 1 first before reading Demon in White, and I recommend you to do the same if you have read the series up to Howling Dark. Even though they are not required reading. I do not consider most of the stories in Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 1, the first collection of short stories in The Sun Eater, as necessary to be read before reading Demon in White. But with such a huge time jump between books, it is worth reading at least Queen Amid Ashes novella and The Demons of Arae short story in the collection to see a few-among-many missions Hadrian and his company undertook in the time-jump between books. On its own, The Demons of Arae is an alright short story. It felt like a missing chapter of Hadrian's chronicle in The Sun Eater series. But I am glad I have read it. Reading The Demons of Arae first gave a quick and deeper context into the new form of the Cielcin. And readers can reap the benefit immediately in the first part of Demon in White.
“As a child, we believe the world enchanted because age has not killed the magic we are born with. As we grow, the simple spells of new sights and far-off places no longer work on us, and we grow cynical and cold.”
As much as I loved Empire of Silence and Howling Dark cover to cover, I did mention there were small sections in those books where extra patience was slightly required. In Empire of Silence, it was the beginning of Hadrian’s time in Borosevo. In Howling Dark, it was the first 100 pages where Ruocchio brings the reader up to speed on what has happened to Hadrian in the two decades time gap between books. Demon in White did not encounter any of these issues. For me, every page was thoroughly compelling. And this is a pleasant surprise because Demon in White actually begins with one of the biggest time jumps I have ever read in a sequel of the same series. Almost 100 years. And yet, it led to the strongest and most exciting beginning quarter in the series so far.
“There are two sorts of people in the world… Those who accept reality as it is, and those who force reality to be what they will.”
How could it not be? Demon in White starts with Hadrian’s first arrival in Gododdin. Yes, Gododdin. The location of the galaxy-changing event The Sun Eater will commit in the future Hadrian constantly noted since the first pages of Empire of Silence. The endgame of The Sun Eater series. Additionally, two new characters, Lorian Aristedes (his surname is most likely a homage to Paul Atreides from Dune) and Udax (from the newly introduced race named Irchtani), have earned my emotional investment quickly and gradually more with each page turned. Lorian Aristedes, specifically, reminded me a lot of Sand dan Glokta and Tyrion Lannister. Some of my most well-written characters of all time. And then, 150 pages into Demon in White, readers are plunged into a 70-page-long intense and exhilarating action sequence against Iubalu, one of the Cielcin's vayadan, titled Battle of the Beast. From this confrontation, I knew crystal clear Demon in White would receive at least a 4.5 out of 5 stars rating from me.
I was wrong about this.
It is difficult to comprehend how Ruocchio supplied the narrative in this book with such efficiency and effectiveness. With each book read in The Sun Eater series, I repeatedly feel more impressed by Ruocchio’s ascending talent as a storyteller and writer. His versatility in the art of storytelling is simply astounding. Compared to the previous two books in the series, and this is saying a lot, Demon in White successfully included even more pivotal events. There were no “Parts” allocation in Demon in White, but the unmarked five parts of the book felt like reading an entire amazing duology or trilogy packed into one tome. Ruocchio’s aptitude for navigating multiple geographies of storytelling continues to inspire me. For the first time ever in the series, the narrative in The Sun Eater is embedded with high-stakes murder mystery and thrilling political conflicts as well. The incredibly breathtaking duel scene in Demon in White was, in my opinion, one of the most cinematic and vivid duel scenes I have ever read. And it was at this glorious stage I felt confident Demon in White would become a 5 out of 5 stars read for me.
Again, I was wrong about this.
“Intus, homunculus, plebeian, patrician, palatine. Doesn’t matter. Our ancestors became palatine because they did great things. They smashed the Mericanii and saved mankind. But we are not them, and must do our own great things, eh? The others deserve their chance, as well. They did not ask to be born as they are, and so you and I will not punish them for it. To be a good knight, a good leader, a good man for that matter, you must judge a person by his or her actions. By their character.
I kept raving about Hadrian Marlowe and his feats. He is a lightning rod for catastrophe, and his unstoppable legendary deeds have turned him into one of my favorite characters of all time in speculative fiction. But it would be a grave mistake to assume Demon in White is exclusively about Hadrian and the detailed record of his chronicles. Since Empire of Silence, we have been graced by the presence of many memorable supporting characters. The Marlowe family, Tor Gibson, Valka Onderra, Bassander Lin, Pallino, Switch, Corvo, Lorian Aristedes, Udax, and many more that I refrain from mentioning to avoid spoilers. And Hadrian’s character development, actions, and influence on all of these characters and vice versa is an irreplaceable strength of The Sun Eater series.
“How rare and precious are such moments measured against the length and horror of life! Such moments as make the rest of it worth enduring.”
And Demon is White is not only about the war, betrayals, violence, and devastating conflicts. It is not all doom and gloom. If that were the solitary content, Demon in White would not become the masterpiece I perceive it to be. It is precisely due to the well-placed contrast and balanced variety in the tale that Demon in White transformed into an immensely tremendous book. The sense of camaraderie, hope in the ugliness of the world, and the repose and calm moments felt emotional, unforgettable, and bittersweet. The camaraderie and how time not only heal but also ruin depicted in Demon in White is the finest in the series so far. A reunion with an important character, the echoes of laughter and happiness, all tugged at my heartstrings. As my journey to read more and more science fiction and fantasy books resumes, feelings of sadness and longing ignited through a narrative are comparatively more infrequent now. And this is why I am more appreciative of a book or series that can conjure this kind of emotion in me.
The same notion is applicable to plotting predictability as well. Do not get me wrong here. More than unpredictability, execution matters more to me. This is why the same tropes and a similar brand of story can be retold countlessly to incite great effects in readers. It all depends on the way it is written. But still, to encounter and consume a series that allows me to constantly feel completely immersed while failing to guess where the story will go is a fortune. The Sun Eater series, especially Howling Dark and Demon in White, accomplished this. Each book in the series never felt like fillers or overwritten. Each volume brought something new in all aspects, and they never cease to expand the scope of the galaxy-spanning world-building further and further.
I wish for more epic science fantasy series as magnificent and intricate as the galaxy Ruocchio crafted in The Sun Eater. The extremely rich world-building and stunning revelations in Demon in White were poured into the texts organically by building after the hints and groundwork established in Empire of Silence and Howling Dark. We are talking about history that spans more than ten thousand years. We are greeted with deeper insights into the God Emperor, his descendants, the Aventine dynasty, the Golden Age, the Mericanii, the Cielcin, and the mystery of the Quite extensively in Demon in White. It was mindblowing. Ruocchio's usage of visions and dimensions was nothing short of outstanding. Just when I thought I knew where the storyline was going, what I constantly received was outside and superior to what I expected. I felt like a dormant anvil hammered with wonders made of adamant bones. It is serendipitous to open each book in The Sun Eater thinking something relatively predictable would occur, and then I realize I am merely an empty book about to have my expectations rewritten with a golden quill. What I envisioned could not match the results, and I am undoubtedly delighted with it.
This review is long enough and yet incomplete unless I recant my brief statement regarding Ruocchio’s action sequences in The Lesser Devil. In my review of The Lesser Devil, I mentioned that Ruocchio’s prose might be more suitable for philosophical, lyrical, melodrama, and melancholic narration. And these are indeed still prominent and superbly written in Demon in White. Ruocchio's philosophical and thought-provoking thematic narrative is terrific, and they encompassed most of The Sun Eater series, after all. However, the climax sequence of Howling Dark, the Battle of the Beast, the deathly political intrigues, the cinematic duel, and the bloody damn epic Battle of Berenike I witnessed in Demon in White have demonstrated with total certainty that Ruocchio is a fantastic battle sequence writer as well.
“Every place is the center of the universe. Everything matters. Every one of our actions, every decision, every sacrifice. Nothing is without meaning, because nothing is without consequence.”
Hadrian has come a long way since his coming-of-age tale in Empire of Silence. He is far from perfect, but I felt proud seeing Hadrian in a commanding position leading a massive army against even larger battalions of obsidian death and pale colossus. As we speak, I still can’t fathom the pandemonium I read in the ending sequence of Demon in White. The fantastical element is eloquently infused into the space opera genre, and the scale of the 150-page climax sequence was ridiculously epic in scope. The tension building and the horror can be felt, the torrent of fire can be seen, the hellish scream of the victims can be heard, and the impact of the meteoric detonation is so terrifying. Hadrian and humanity’s titanic clash for supremacy and dominion versus Syriani Dorayaica—the Scourge of Earth—and Bahudde—one of its Vayadan—was a feast for my mind-visualization. Will the Devil of Meidua or the Prince of Princes triumph as the conqueror? The answer to that question, I believe, is one you should read and find out for yourself.
“You don’t know me at all… I told you what I was after. I told you my dream: understanding, and a peaceful galaxy to seek it in. And to save everyone on this planet if I can. I do not want the Empire. I did not want any of this. We do not get to choose our circumstances or our trials. We can only choose how to respond to them.”
Iconic.
Concluding Demon in White in such a badass composition brimming with multiple iconic scenes has cemented The Sun Eater as a victorious science fantasy series every fan of the genre should read. I have said what I needed to say. And believe me, my words cannot capture the maximum imagery of friendship, wisdom, torment, love, and majesty depicted in Demon in White. There are endings, reader. And even though we have the gift of foresight, I failed to predict my rating for Demon in White. 4.5 stars is a score too low. 5 out of 5 stars is insufficient. Demon in White merits a 6 out of 5-star rating, and I would give it that if I could. Ruocchio deserves a crown for broadening the horizon of possibility in the genre. And I am not even finished with the series yet. The top-tiered best kind of fantasy and sci-fi books can leave you with many permanently seared crucial scenes and sequences. Scenes to be discussed, analyzed, and remembered for many years. Some widely praised legendary series like The Lord of the Rings, A Song of Ice and Fire, Dune, The Stormlight Archive, and more are bursting with these kinds of segments. A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin is a great example. This book has emulated this type of marvel expertly. Demon in White by Christopher Ruocchio is an exceptional sci-fi masterpiece to be eternally reread and retold. To wrap this review up, I will conclude by announcing Demon in White is easily one of the top three best sci-fi books I’ve ever read. It is one of the pinnacles, and if you want to assume this is the best sci-fi book I read this year, my answer to that is this:
You’re not wrong.
You can order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
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October 5, 2023
Watch my video review by clicking here.
Legitimately the best science fiction book I have ever read in my life. Truly spectacular in every way.
Legitimately the best science fiction book I have ever read in my life. Truly spectacular in every way.
July 11, 2024
Best Sci-fi book of all time
August 10, 2021
Christopher Ruocchio continues to impress the hell out of me with this fantastic series. This is seriously climbing the ranks of my favorite series I have ever read. The combination of the epic scale, the mystery, the warfare and everything else these books have going for them is just incredible. The series has compelling characters, great emotional moments and incredibly impactful scenes that just pull emotion directly out of you.
The way that these books are written is simply beautiful and Ruochhio has only gotten better throughout the series with his writing. The politics of the world played a major role in this book specifically, and go figure, it was so well done.
Everything that Hadrian has been through up to this point in the story has truly changed him as a character and we are seeing just how impactful he is in this war with the Cielcin. There are a lot of moving parts behind the scenes that we don't quite understand still and I cannot wait to learn more.
I'm now caught up on the 3 books that are out and my wait begins for book 4. Kingdoms of Death cannot come soon enough.
The way that these books are written is simply beautiful and Ruochhio has only gotten better throughout the series with his writing. The politics of the world played a major role in this book specifically, and go figure, it was so well done.
Everything that Hadrian has been through up to this point in the story has truly changed him as a character and we are seeing just how impactful he is in this war with the Cielcin. There are a lot of moving parts behind the scenes that we don't quite understand still and I cannot wait to learn more.
I'm now caught up on the 3 books that are out and my wait begins for book 4. Kingdoms of Death cannot come soon enough.
June 18, 2024
This is the greatest sci-fi book I’ve read in my entire life.
HOW DO I EVEN WRITE A REVIEW.
THIS IS A MASTERPIECE.
HOLY. SHIT.
KANSNDJEIWBSBXKSJABA
HOW DO I EVEN WRITE A REVIEW.
THIS IS A MASTERPIECE.
HOLY. SHIT.
KANSNDJEIWBSBXKSJABA
August 27, 2021
Demon is White is my favourite of the three Sun Eater books, a fantastic sequel to Howling Dark with an engaging story that expands the world and lore, populated by excellent and memorable characters. It picks up quite a while after the end of Howling Dark and I felt the time skip was much better handled this time around. I didn’t find it jarring as the book reintroduced the characters and the changed circumstances seamlessly. The writing is gorgeous as ever, all the descriptions are vivid and the various locations: Annica, the Library, the Imperial Forum, all have a distinct feel to them that make them stand out.
There is a lot of fascinating lore in this book, learning about the history of humanity over millennia and how the Empire is what it is today, all the information that has been lost or that has survived. It also has a lot of interesting political manoeuvring, with Hadrian having to wade through high society, the noble palatines and the Emperor’s retinue. There are more questions but also more answers about the mysteries introduced in previous books, regarding the alien civilizations and the Cielcin. The explanations involved some of the most mind-bending stuff imaginable, with the ethereal quality of the writing adding to the experience. It wholeheartedly embraces the sci-fantasy label and it allows for some fantastic worldbuilding elements that are typically beyond the realm of hard science.
This book also had some great character development, even the side characters like Alexander felt real and fleshed out. Over the course of the story, it’s evident how Hadrian is gaining a cult-like status among his people and the soldiers, how legends are created and events are conflated, leading to important people being worried about his power. Hadrian’s changes are noticeable but subtly done to a point where the progression feels natural and earned. Clear differences can be seen between Hadrian at the beginning of the first book and the end of this book but the journey feels natural and there are no sudden, awkward character changes. The small philosophical interjections by Hadrian reflecting on his choices while writing his memoirs in the future were excellent and added to his character while also ominously hinting at things to come.
Unlike the overly meandering pace of the first book, this book has fantastic pacing. It never gets boring or overstays its welcome, moving along at a steady pace while always progressing the plot and characters further. The action scenes were very well-written, tense and chaotic. Both duels and large scale battles were engrossing and the swift pacing in these parts did not let up, adding to the tension with both depressing and fist-pumping moments. The stakes in this book have been realistically and exponentially increased, so there is never a moment where I felt the characters were safe or powerful enough to easily take down threats, especially with the new information that is provided about major players in this war. There are mini-climaxes at regular intervals, meaning a lot of important stuff happened regularly and kept the plot moving. On the whole, an amazing third entry that I have pretty much no issues with, and I’ll be eagerly awaiting the fourth book’s release.
"Though young wood does not burn for the moisture in it, as a lonely cinder may catch in old, dry wood and spark a great burning fire, so do such small things kindle the hearts of those with eyes and time to see."
There is a lot of fascinating lore in this book, learning about the history of humanity over millennia and how the Empire is what it is today, all the information that has been lost or that has survived. It also has a lot of interesting political manoeuvring, with Hadrian having to wade through high society, the noble palatines and the Emperor’s retinue. There are more questions but also more answers about the mysteries introduced in previous books, regarding the alien civilizations and the Cielcin. The explanations involved some of the most mind-bending stuff imaginable, with the ethereal quality of the writing adding to the experience. It wholeheartedly embraces the sci-fantasy label and it allows for some fantastic worldbuilding elements that are typically beyond the realm of hard science.
This book also had some great character development, even the side characters like Alexander felt real and fleshed out. Over the course of the story, it’s evident how Hadrian is gaining a cult-like status among his people and the soldiers, how legends are created and events are conflated, leading to important people being worried about his power. Hadrian’s changes are noticeable but subtly done to a point where the progression feels natural and earned. Clear differences can be seen between Hadrian at the beginning of the first book and the end of this book but the journey feels natural and there are no sudden, awkward character changes. The small philosophical interjections by Hadrian reflecting on his choices while writing his memoirs in the future were excellent and added to his character while also ominously hinting at things to come.
"Every place is the centre of the universe. Everything matters. Every one of our actions, every decision, every sacrifice. Nothing is without meaning, because nothing is without consequence.
Unlike the overly meandering pace of the first book, this book has fantastic pacing. It never gets boring or overstays its welcome, moving along at a steady pace while always progressing the plot and characters further. The action scenes were very well-written, tense and chaotic. Both duels and large scale battles were engrossing and the swift pacing in these parts did not let up, adding to the tension with both depressing and fist-pumping moments. The stakes in this book have been realistically and exponentially increased, so there is never a moment where I felt the characters were safe or powerful enough to easily take down threats, especially with the new information that is provided about major players in this war. There are mini-climaxes at regular intervals, meaning a lot of important stuff happened regularly and kept the plot moving. On the whole, an amazing third entry that I have pretty much no issues with, and I’ll be eagerly awaiting the fourth book’s release.
September 11, 2024
Czytałem to ponad rok i było warto.
Rebis powinno się zamknąć to więzienia za to, jak potraktowali te książki. To absolutnie jedna z najlepszych serii, jakie czytałem (a jeszcze tyle przede mną) i spokojnie moja ulubiona space-fantasy opera.
Mistrzostwo.
Recenzja: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQGXP...
Rebis powinno się zamknąć to więzienia za to, jak potraktowali te książki. To absolutnie jedna z najlepszych serii, jakie czytałem (a jeszcze tyle przede mną) i spokojnie moja ulubiona space-fantasy opera.
Mistrzostwo.
Recenzja: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQGXP...
October 24, 2025
Reread done: pretty pretty pretty pretty damn good.
Demon in White was incredible.
I think we often think of books on a spectrum, with one side being thought provoking, and theme driven, with the other being page turning adventure.
Demon in White is one of the books that prove those aren't mutually exclusive.
Obviously can't talk about specifics, but this book covers a ton of ground, war, battle, and chaos, politics, and scheming, interpersonal conflicts, and and even research, revelations, and lore. It manages to be amazing in the personal, quiet scenes, and the epic scenes.
all of it was done fantastically.
Hadrian as a character really stepped it up in my opinion. The years begin to weight on him, and we as the reader feel that weight. He would probably now be among my favorite protagonists in the genre.
We get introduced to some new characters, and some vastly exceeded my expectations.
Ruocchio can still write like very few people, and his prose is even better here. It is so grand, intense, and immersive. This is the type of book that almost made me miss my bus stop a couple times because I was too immersed in the book. He manages to make his writing beautiful, without sacrificing clarity, as all my favorite prose writers do. His prose is not obtuse, I don't need to read descriptions of settings or actions multiple times to understand there meaning.
Demon in White is among my favorite books of all time. If I was going to find some room for improvement it would be in some of the side characters. There might be a couple people Hadrian met in book 1, or between book 1 and book 2, whose actions and history have blended together. The book still has fantastic side characters as a whole, and funnily enough there are a whole new group of side characters who all look similar, and I felt they were more distinctive.
Overall, the review is that you should read Sun Eater, and if you quit because you thought it was a NotW rip off after the first third of EoS, then I implore you to give it another chance, it is soooo good.
9.4/10
Demon in White was incredible.
I think we often think of books on a spectrum, with one side being thought provoking, and theme driven, with the other being page turning adventure.
Demon in White is one of the books that prove those aren't mutually exclusive.
Obviously can't talk about specifics, but this book covers a ton of ground, war, battle, and chaos, politics, and scheming, interpersonal conflicts, and and even research, revelations, and lore. It manages to be amazing in the personal, quiet scenes, and the epic scenes.
all of it was done fantastically.
Hadrian as a character really stepped it up in my opinion. The years begin to weight on him, and we as the reader feel that weight. He would probably now be among my favorite protagonists in the genre.
We get introduced to some new characters, and some vastly exceeded my expectations.
Ruocchio can still write like very few people, and his prose is even better here. It is so grand, intense, and immersive. This is the type of book that almost made me miss my bus stop a couple times because I was too immersed in the book. He manages to make his writing beautiful, without sacrificing clarity, as all my favorite prose writers do. His prose is not obtuse, I don't need to read descriptions of settings or actions multiple times to understand there meaning.
Demon in White is among my favorite books of all time. If I was going to find some room for improvement it would be in some of the side characters. There might be a couple people Hadrian met in book 1, or between book 1 and book 2, whose actions and history have blended together. The book still has fantastic side characters as a whole, and funnily enough there are a whole new group of side characters who all look similar, and I felt they were more distinctive.
Overall, the review is that you should read Sun Eater, and if you quit because you thought it was a NotW rip off after the first third of EoS, then I implore you to give it another chance, it is soooo good.
9.4/10
October 18, 2025
Becoming one of my favorite all time sci fi series.
This is the third book in the Sun Eater series and it's now that I know that this will probably be one of my favorite science fiction series of all time. The prior books are good, no doubt, but this book really solidified the series for me. What makes this series so good is the author gets a few things to work really well together: the first person POV and arc of Hadrian Marlowe, the incredible intergalactic world and its politics, sleep stasis making the story span a century thus far and the arcane and mysterious overarching conflict of the Quiet that compels the plot forward. Oh and alien battles in space? That worked too.
SPOILIES BELOW:
First is Hadrian Marlowe. This character works. He’s a tad annoying and idealistic, especially in the first two books. In those books he’s a rebellious young man who hates his father and the empire and tries to trailblaze his own path toward making peace with the Cielin. He is constantly driven by idealism as taught to him by the scholiast, and who he considers his father, Gibson. I think the early Hadiran can grate on readers because the book is told in first person POV. The character can come off naive and melodramatic which one may misinterpret as a reflection of the person writing the book. This is not the case. Hadrian already has a pretty remarkable arc into this third book as someone who has come to terms with his idealism and now knows that he must fight the Cielin or humanity will be eradicated. Also the self awareness and references to Hadrian’s own melodrama and idealism is nice sympathy to the reader, meaning **wink wink “I know what I’m doing with this character so just wait and see.” I love who Hadrian has become in this third book and also really enjoy the romance with Valka, another very compelling character.
The politics in this book were so compelling. Hadrian is now a famed knight of the emperor because he undeaded himself somehow in the battle with the Cielin where his head was cut off but then magically replaced. Both Hadrian and his close friends don’t really know how this happened. This plot point drives the overarching story while Hadrian works out a lot of battles against the Cielin at the behest of the emperor while also investigating what he knows of the Quiet with his companion Valka. The journey in this book takes them to Gododddin in the beginning of the story where they investigate the disappearance of an imperial envoy only to discover that Cielin, now allied with the Extrasolarians, ambush them. Hadrian subdues the Cielin leadership there and returns from the task to the emperor. He was meant to fail and die in obscurity but now he has even more fame and with it, unwanted political power.
He is seen as a threat by the empress as well as others of the imperial council. At the same time he is engaged to the emperor’s daughter but then contrived into a duel with someone who has been directed to assassinate him with a high matter blade in a duel in front of the entire empire. His adamantine bone hand, given to him by the Quiet, prevents his assassination and then his fame is catapulted from there. He then is granted the right to go to the old vaults on Colchis where he is reunited with Gibson and where we learn a ton about the history of humanity of the last 20,000 years and how it dovetails with the end of the American empire on Earth. The “Mericanii” is a corruption of “Americans”. This reveal was so amazing.
He and Valka uncover that the Quiet have ruins on another planet to where they sail. Hadrian is taken to the past, or the future, of the Quiet where he learns that the Quiet and the Watchers are enemies at opposing ends of time. Dark and light, fighting through the empire and the Cielin. Hadrian is clearly some sort of prophet or unwitting warrior of the Quiet, who wishes to completely destroy the Cielin through him. That brings us to the last sequence of the book with another showdown with the Cielin with one of their planet-ships. A huge battle happens (which dragged on too long) and Hadrian surrenders himself to the Prince of the Cielin. He is executed with a laser but then undeads himself again and buys time for another imperial fleet to make the Cielin flee. It was epic and awesome and the pages flew by. This is like an 800 page book and I didn’t even notice.
The timeline of this series works really well. Hadrian is now about one hundred years old. This is because he goes into sleep stasis and he also has the palatine genes of longevity. This brings a really unique dynamic to the story wherein it takes decades for major plot points to be worked out but the author gets it to work. The narrative does an excellent job of reminding you of all the important things that have happened since book one in the long and sprawling story so you know what matters. Even though this is a lengthy series with chonky books, I feel like I don’t have to put in any work to really know what’s going on. That is a huge strength in the story telling where many epic authors fail (I’m looking at you Steven Erikson and Robert Jordan).
One last cherry on the top that makes this series works so well is the foreshadowing by the narrator who is Hadrian. He drops little tidbits about how Prince Alexander will want his head later or about how he will one day destroy the star of Goddodin. These pearls bring a lot of needed cohesion to the sprawling story so that you don’t get lost and know there is a big pay off. It also prevents Hadrian’s now numerous resurrections from being a form of Dues Ex Machina. We know there is an overarching conflict with these time beings and we know things don’t turn out so well for Hadrian from the foreshadowing.
Anyways, this series is clearly an absolute winner and I can’t wait to keep reading on.
This is the third book in the Sun Eater series and it's now that I know that this will probably be one of my favorite science fiction series of all time. The prior books are good, no doubt, but this book really solidified the series for me. What makes this series so good is the author gets a few things to work really well together: the first person POV and arc of Hadrian Marlowe, the incredible intergalactic world and its politics, sleep stasis making the story span a century thus far and the arcane and mysterious overarching conflict of the Quiet that compels the plot forward. Oh and alien battles in space? That worked too.
SPOILIES BELOW:
First is Hadrian Marlowe. This character works. He’s a tad annoying and idealistic, especially in the first two books. In those books he’s a rebellious young man who hates his father and the empire and tries to trailblaze his own path toward making peace with the Cielin. He is constantly driven by idealism as taught to him by the scholiast, and who he considers his father, Gibson. I think the early Hadiran can grate on readers because the book is told in first person POV. The character can come off naive and melodramatic which one may misinterpret as a reflection of the person writing the book. This is not the case. Hadrian already has a pretty remarkable arc into this third book as someone who has come to terms with his idealism and now knows that he must fight the Cielin or humanity will be eradicated. Also the self awareness and references to Hadrian’s own melodrama and idealism is nice sympathy to the reader, meaning **wink wink “I know what I’m doing with this character so just wait and see.” I love who Hadrian has become in this third book and also really enjoy the romance with Valka, another very compelling character.
The politics in this book were so compelling. Hadrian is now a famed knight of the emperor because he undeaded himself somehow in the battle with the Cielin where his head was cut off but then magically replaced. Both Hadrian and his close friends don’t really know how this happened. This plot point drives the overarching story while Hadrian works out a lot of battles against the Cielin at the behest of the emperor while also investigating what he knows of the Quiet with his companion Valka. The journey in this book takes them to Gododddin in the beginning of the story where they investigate the disappearance of an imperial envoy only to discover that Cielin, now allied with the Extrasolarians, ambush them. Hadrian subdues the Cielin leadership there and returns from the task to the emperor. He was meant to fail and die in obscurity but now he has even more fame and with it, unwanted political power.
He is seen as a threat by the empress as well as others of the imperial council. At the same time he is engaged to the emperor’s daughter but then contrived into a duel with someone who has been directed to assassinate him with a high matter blade in a duel in front of the entire empire. His adamantine bone hand, given to him by the Quiet, prevents his assassination and then his fame is catapulted from there. He then is granted the right to go to the old vaults on Colchis where he is reunited with Gibson and where we learn a ton about the history of humanity of the last 20,000 years and how it dovetails with the end of the American empire on Earth. The “Mericanii” is a corruption of “Americans”. This reveal was so amazing.
He and Valka uncover that the Quiet have ruins on another planet to where they sail. Hadrian is taken to the past, or the future, of the Quiet where he learns that the Quiet and the Watchers are enemies at opposing ends of time. Dark and light, fighting through the empire and the Cielin. Hadrian is clearly some sort of prophet or unwitting warrior of the Quiet, who wishes to completely destroy the Cielin through him. That brings us to the last sequence of the book with another showdown with the Cielin with one of their planet-ships. A huge battle happens (which dragged on too long) and Hadrian surrenders himself to the Prince of the Cielin. He is executed with a laser but then undeads himself again and buys time for another imperial fleet to make the Cielin flee. It was epic and awesome and the pages flew by. This is like an 800 page book and I didn’t even notice.
The timeline of this series works really well. Hadrian is now about one hundred years old. This is because he goes into sleep stasis and he also has the palatine genes of longevity. This brings a really unique dynamic to the story wherein it takes decades for major plot points to be worked out but the author gets it to work. The narrative does an excellent job of reminding you of all the important things that have happened since book one in the long and sprawling story so you know what matters. Even though this is a lengthy series with chonky books, I feel like I don’t have to put in any work to really know what’s going on. That is a huge strength in the story telling where many epic authors fail (I’m looking at you Steven Erikson and Robert Jordan).
One last cherry on the top that makes this series works so well is the foreshadowing by the narrator who is Hadrian. He drops little tidbits about how Prince Alexander will want his head later or about how he will one day destroy the star of Goddodin. These pearls bring a lot of needed cohesion to the sprawling story so that you don’t get lost and know there is a big pay off. It also prevents Hadrian’s now numerous resurrections from being a form of Dues Ex Machina. We know there is an overarching conflict with these time beings and we know things don’t turn out so well for Hadrian from the foreshadowing.
Anyways, this series is clearly an absolute winner and I can’t wait to keep reading on.
December 23, 2024
RATING BREAKDOWN
Characters: 3⭐️
Setting: 5⭐️
Plot: 5⭐️
Themes: 4⭐️
Emotional Impact: 5⭐️
Personal Enjoyment: 5⭐️
Total Rounded Average: 4.5⭐️
This is the best installment in Sun Eater yet. The series is so solid, but it has lacked strong pacing and character investment for me so far. I'm waiting for that emotional payoff. Demon in White serves up excellent action, alien tech, political maneuvering, emotional character moments, and brilliantly clever sci-fi elements that play with time in a brain-tickling way! I may have even shed a tear or two. The climax is dramatic and epic, and the more universal/spiritual implications are starting to feel real. These are the stakes I need! Hadrian is a fascinating character, and this war and its players have me hooked and intrigued. Overall, I'm excited for the series to make me cry. To make me care and lose sleep. I'm ready. Kingdoms of Death, here we come.
Characters: 3⭐️
Setting: 5⭐️
Plot: 5⭐️
Themes: 4⭐️
Emotional Impact: 5⭐️
Personal Enjoyment: 5⭐️
Total Rounded Average: 4.5⭐️
This is the best installment in Sun Eater yet. The series is so solid, but it has lacked strong pacing and character investment for me so far. I'm waiting for that emotional payoff. Demon in White serves up excellent action, alien tech, political maneuvering, emotional character moments, and brilliantly clever sci-fi elements that play with time in a brain-tickling way! I may have even shed a tear or two. The climax is dramatic and epic, and the more universal/spiritual implications are starting to feel real. These are the stakes I need! Hadrian is a fascinating character, and this war and its players have me hooked and intrigued. Overall, I'm excited for the series to make me cry. To make me care and lose sleep. I'm ready. Kingdoms of Death, here we come.
February 27, 2022
Absolutely flawless!!! A new favorite author and series. At this point I’m convinced this author can do no wrong.
January 31, 2025
This review will be for the whole of Sun Eater, not just Demon in White. While I can understand the appeal of Sun Eater, it just doesn’t click with me, which is surprising because I thought for sure that I would absolutely love this. I think overall Ruocchio is a talented writer with a lot of potential and what he’s doing with this series is impressive, but this one really just comes down to a matter of personal taste on a lot of things, and unfortunately this wasn’t to mine. Let me just get into the things that did not work for me.
First of all: the writing style. A lot of people really love his writing style and they find his prose beautiful and eloquent and thought-provoking. Personally, I was not drawn to the writing style at all. I thought it was a little pretentious, melodramatic, and long-winded and honestly, it was a little cringey at times. It was the type of flowery writing that sounded nice at first, but it grew tiresome pretty quickly, and it felt bloated and unnecessary. So even without all the other issues I had, that’s just gonna be hard to overcome.
This way this story is told is by using the frame story narrative, which I normally love. Frame stories have the current narrator telling their story and recalling the events of the past, like Empire of the Vampire and The Name of the Wind. I love the way the frame story is done in those book, but I did not like the way it was done in Sun Eater. There was no clear delineation between the narrator (Hadrian) telling the story and the actual story of the past, whereas with Empire of the Vampire and The Name of the Wind, there is an interlude or some sort of section that is clearly defined as the narrator telling the story to someone else. When it goes back to actually tell the story, that narrator takes a step back and you’re able to get lost in it. But Sun Eater is not like that. Hadrian never takes a step back to let the story unfold on its own.He is always there and he is constantly interrupting himself and he just never let me forget that he was telling me the story. Every time he interjected with something it broke my immersion and made me a little frustrated because it brought things to a pause and it really hindered the flow of the story. And it doesn’t help that when he interrupts himself, it’s always with some sort of philosophical ramblings or existential musings, all done in a flowery purple-prose style that I don’t like. It was…a lot. Too much. So while usually a frame story is one of my favorite narrative devices, it just didn’t work here for me.
Another issue I had is the time scale of this series. I totally understand why it’s necessary and I know a lot of people like how it takes place over the course of hundreds of years. But I am not a fan of time jumps in general, so this series having huge time jumps of sometimes hundreds of years wasn’t great for me. Every time it did a time jump I felt less connected to the story, and especially the characters.
Hadrian’s main crew was actually put together off-screen during a time jump between Empire of Silence and Howling Dark, so I felt no connection to the characters whatsoever. Hadrian basically says “this is my crew” and you have to just accept it with zero knowledge of who these people are, what they’re like, how they met Hadrian, etc. Why should I care about them? They’re just names on a page to me. I found them to be flat and emotionless and I just felt absolutely nothing for them. I didn’t even care iff they lived or died. You could’ve just stopped talking about a couple of them and I never would’ve known to ask where they were because I would’ve already forgotten they existed. I think the writing is so focused on Hadrian that it fails to flesh out anyone else. Not to keep bringing up Empire of the Vampire, but even though it’s Gabriel telling his story, I still felt very connected to the secondary characters and felt invested in their own stories.That’s not the case here. I really need characters that I care about, and I need characters where it will emotionally destroy me if something bad happens to them. So when there are characters that I care absolutely nothing for, I’m just not gonna care about the story.
Next: pacing. The pacing of this series is just not good, and I think even fans of the books will agree that there are some problems in this regard. It is so incredibly slow and so much of it is a slog to get through. Once you finally get to a point where you think things are going to start happening, there would be a little bit of action and then it would go right back to that slow, drawn out pace. And even when there was action, if often stopped right in the middle so Hadrian could go off and philosophize about something or make a reference to classic English literature, and you would have long paragraphs of that flowery prose that just went on and on.
Hand in hand with pacing is the plot. I didn’t feel like there was a clear plot or overarching goal, at least in the first two and a half books.Each book had a totally different feel, and the only thing that really connected them was Hadrian. The story just felt so meandering and directionless. Between the pacing and the plot, I felt like it desperately needed another round with an editor. The books are way too long for the amount of story that actually gets told.
Perhaps my biggest issue is the fact that this series is super repetitive. The same thing was said or repeated multiple times and it almost felt like you were going around in circles after a certain point. How many times is Hadrian going to remind me that he threw away his ring on Emesh, or that Valka is tavrosi, or that scholiasts do have feelings, contrary to popular belief. The repetition was also evident in the way information was given to the reader. We would be given information on one page and then several pages later, the exact same information was given in almost the exact same phrasing, sometimes verbatim, and it just came across as a mistake to me. It felt like he forgot that he had already given that information, so he gave it again. It was either a mistake or he didn’t trust the reader to pick up on it the first time, and neither option is particularly good. This happened so many times, and it just didn’t flow well. Every time it happened, it took me out of the story and it reminded me that there was an author writing this. What ultimately made me DNF Demon in White is when the repetition happened one too many times and finally I said nope, that’s it. I gave it 2 1/2 books and that is more than enough to know that I’m not gonna enjoy the rest of the series. So when you combine this constant repetition with the slow pacing and meandering plot, and it’s all done in a prose style I don’t like,it just makes a perfect storm to create a series I dislike as a matter of personal taste.
Also, Hadrian often spoiled the story for the reader with the way he was telling it. I know some people like that but I don’t. I think it removed any tension and suspense there might have been. He would say something about character and what they end up doing in the future and it was like…okay,, well, I guess that happens. I guess we’ll keep reading and see how? I don’t know, I just don’t like having almost everything spoiled for me by the narrator himself.
I’ve seen this recommended as a series for people who love Red Rising and to be honest they have nothing in common except that they are sci-fi series with a male main character. I didn’t recognize any of the things I love about Red Rising to be found in Sun Eater. They aren’t comparable to me at all.
Anyway, that just about wraps it up. I wanted so badly to love this series and I really tried. I thought for sure that I would and I just don’t. And that’s fine. Not every series works for everybody. So if you’re like me and all you’ve been seeing is rave reviews, consider me a dissenting voice. If Sun Eater doesn’t click for you, you’re not alone.
First of all: the writing style. A lot of people really love his writing style and they find his prose beautiful and eloquent and thought-provoking. Personally, I was not drawn to the writing style at all. I thought it was a little pretentious, melodramatic, and long-winded and honestly, it was a little cringey at times. It was the type of flowery writing that sounded nice at first, but it grew tiresome pretty quickly, and it felt bloated and unnecessary. So even without all the other issues I had, that’s just gonna be hard to overcome.
This way this story is told is by using the frame story narrative, which I normally love. Frame stories have the current narrator telling their story and recalling the events of the past, like Empire of the Vampire and The Name of the Wind. I love the way the frame story is done in those book, but I did not like the way it was done in Sun Eater. There was no clear delineation between the narrator (Hadrian) telling the story and the actual story of the past, whereas with Empire of the Vampire and The Name of the Wind, there is an interlude or some sort of section that is clearly defined as the narrator telling the story to someone else. When it goes back to actually tell the story, that narrator takes a step back and you’re able to get lost in it. But Sun Eater is not like that. Hadrian never takes a step back to let the story unfold on its own.He is always there and he is constantly interrupting himself and he just never let me forget that he was telling me the story. Every time he interjected with something it broke my immersion and made me a little frustrated because it brought things to a pause and it really hindered the flow of the story. And it doesn’t help that when he interrupts himself, it’s always with some sort of philosophical ramblings or existential musings, all done in a flowery purple-prose style that I don’t like. It was…a lot. Too much. So while usually a frame story is one of my favorite narrative devices, it just didn’t work here for me.
Another issue I had is the time scale of this series. I totally understand why it’s necessary and I know a lot of people like how it takes place over the course of hundreds of years. But I am not a fan of time jumps in general, so this series having huge time jumps of sometimes hundreds of years wasn’t great for me. Every time it did a time jump I felt less connected to the story, and especially the characters.
Hadrian’s main crew was actually put together off-screen during a time jump between Empire of Silence and Howling Dark, so I felt no connection to the characters whatsoever. Hadrian basically says “this is my crew” and you have to just accept it with zero knowledge of who these people are, what they’re like, how they met Hadrian, etc. Why should I care about them? They’re just names on a page to me. I found them to be flat and emotionless and I just felt absolutely nothing for them. I didn’t even care iff they lived or died. You could’ve just stopped talking about a couple of them and I never would’ve known to ask where they were because I would’ve already forgotten they existed. I think the writing is so focused on Hadrian that it fails to flesh out anyone else. Not to keep bringing up Empire of the Vampire, but even though it’s Gabriel telling his story, I still felt very connected to the secondary characters and felt invested in their own stories.That’s not the case here. I really need characters that I care about, and I need characters where it will emotionally destroy me if something bad happens to them. So when there are characters that I care absolutely nothing for, I’m just not gonna care about the story.
Next: pacing. The pacing of this series is just not good, and I think even fans of the books will agree that there are some problems in this regard. It is so incredibly slow and so much of it is a slog to get through. Once you finally get to a point where you think things are going to start happening, there would be a little bit of action and then it would go right back to that slow, drawn out pace. And even when there was action, if often stopped right in the middle so Hadrian could go off and philosophize about something or make a reference to classic English literature, and you would have long paragraphs of that flowery prose that just went on and on.
Hand in hand with pacing is the plot. I didn’t feel like there was a clear plot or overarching goal, at least in the first two and a half books.Each book had a totally different feel, and the only thing that really connected them was Hadrian. The story just felt so meandering and directionless. Between the pacing and the plot, I felt like it desperately needed another round with an editor. The books are way too long for the amount of story that actually gets told.
Perhaps my biggest issue is the fact that this series is super repetitive. The same thing was said or repeated multiple times and it almost felt like you were going around in circles after a certain point. How many times is Hadrian going to remind me that he threw away his ring on Emesh, or that Valka is tavrosi, or that scholiasts do have feelings, contrary to popular belief. The repetition was also evident in the way information was given to the reader. We would be given information on one page and then several pages later, the exact same information was given in almost the exact same phrasing, sometimes verbatim, and it just came across as a mistake to me. It felt like he forgot that he had already given that information, so he gave it again. It was either a mistake or he didn’t trust the reader to pick up on it the first time, and neither option is particularly good. This happened so many times, and it just didn’t flow well. Every time it happened, it took me out of the story and it reminded me that there was an author writing this. What ultimately made me DNF Demon in White is when the repetition happened one too many times and finally I said nope, that’s it. I gave it 2 1/2 books and that is more than enough to know that I’m not gonna enjoy the rest of the series. So when you combine this constant repetition with the slow pacing and meandering plot, and it’s all done in a prose style I don’t like,it just makes a perfect storm to create a series I dislike as a matter of personal taste.
Also, Hadrian often spoiled the story for the reader with the way he was telling it. I know some people like that but I don’t. I think it removed any tension and suspense there might have been. He would say something about character and what they end up doing in the future and it was like…okay,, well, I guess that happens. I guess we’ll keep reading and see how? I don’t know, I just don’t like having almost everything spoiled for me by the narrator himself.
I’ve seen this recommended as a series for people who love Red Rising and to be honest they have nothing in common except that they are sci-fi series with a male main character. I didn’t recognize any of the things I love about Red Rising to be found in Sun Eater. They aren’t comparable to me at all.
Anyway, that just about wraps it up. I wanted so badly to love this series and I really tried. I thought for sure that I would and I just don’t. And that’s fine. Not every series works for everybody. So if you’re like me and all you’ve been seeing is rave reviews, consider me a dissenting voice. If Sun Eater doesn’t click for you, you’re not alone.
September 18, 2025
5.0 stars—-
Again, all the stars and a new favorite.
I have so many thoughts that are hard to put into words. I find this series hard to review because I can’t write a review that gives its prose justice. I feel like it’d be easier to just write, “this book amazing, you must read!” (“Why waste time use lot word when few word do trick?”)
Demon in White is in my top 3 books of all time, and The Sun Eater series has cemented itself around the same place in my favorite series list.
Demon in White took everything awesome from Empire of Silence & Howling Dark and improved it, and while book 3 is my favorite yet, the coolest moment for me is still in book 2 when we meet a certain old man.
The overall plot was much more focused, and interesting in my opinion, and less jumpy? The pacing was top tier throughout, including only a handful of chapters that wouldn’t shine individually, but are important to the story for character development or plot progression.
There were more badass moments, more mysteries explained, more confrontations with the Cielcin.
I love all the names or monikers in this series, it’s dramatic but fun, much like Hadrian. The Halfmortal is great and the legend is growing.
Demon in White is a fantastic, galaxy-spanning epic that has top tier writing and world-building, paired with mystery, action, machine-men, and horrifying man-eating aliens. I feel like this series was written for me and I’m gonna try to pace myself and enjoy it slowly enough so that I can fully enjoy it.
Onto Tales of the Sun Eater Vol. 2..
Again, all the stars and a new favorite.
I have so many thoughts that are hard to put into words. I find this series hard to review because I can’t write a review that gives its prose justice. I feel like it’d be easier to just write, “this book amazing, you must read!” (“Why waste time use lot word when few word do trick?”)
Demon in White is in my top 3 books of all time, and The Sun Eater series has cemented itself around the same place in my favorite series list.
Demon in White took everything awesome from Empire of Silence & Howling Dark and improved it, and while book 3 is my favorite yet, the coolest moment for me is still in book 2 when we meet a certain old man.
The overall plot was much more focused, and interesting in my opinion, and less jumpy? The pacing was top tier throughout, including only a handful of chapters that wouldn’t shine individually, but are important to the story for character development or plot progression.
There were more badass moments, more mysteries explained, more confrontations with the Cielcin.
I love all the names or monikers in this series, it’s dramatic but fun, much like Hadrian. The Halfmortal is great and the legend is growing.
Demon in White is a fantastic, galaxy-spanning epic that has top tier writing and world-building, paired with mystery, action, machine-men, and horrifying man-eating aliens. I feel like this series was written for me and I’m gonna try to pace myself and enjoy it slowly enough so that I can fully enjoy it.
Onto Tales of the Sun Eater Vol. 2..
March 8, 2025
Although I think I actually liked Howling Dark more, I feel Ruocchio is getting better with each installment of this series. Despite its length, I found the narrative was actually pretty tight-the exception being the action sequences. I most enjoyed the middle third of this book with its political intrigue, some scenes with a character that returns to Hadrian's life, and its fantastical revelations of what is really going on with Hadrian and this universe-spanning conflict. I continue to struggle with Ruocchio's action sequences, however, as I find them a bit interminable and impossible to picture in my mind. But overall, a great installment in this series. 4.5/5
May 15, 2022
Considering how I felt about Howling Dark, my expectations for Demon in White were accordingly moderated. As it turns out, I quite enjoyed Demon in White.
It seems that Ruocchio has finally found his stride. He's more experienced, so the writing has a polish that was lacking in Empire of Silence. He also seems to have figured out the pacing issues that plagued the overly bloated and often self-absorbed Howling Dark. What's left? A steadily paced and detailed story that nicely moves the overall epic forward.
Marlowe is becoming more mature and likeable. I love his loyalty and devotion to Valka, and to his longtime friends and fellow officers. I liked the development with the Quiet and the foundation provided to explain the true nature of Marlowe's gift for self-preservation.
Honestly when I started this I was sort of dreading it a little, but it turned out to be the best book of the series so far.
It seems that Ruocchio has finally found his stride. He's more experienced, so the writing has a polish that was lacking in Empire of Silence. He also seems to have figured out the pacing issues that plagued the overly bloated and often self-absorbed Howling Dark. What's left? A steadily paced and detailed story that nicely moves the overall epic forward.
Marlowe is becoming more mature and likeable. I love his loyalty and devotion to Valka, and to his longtime friends and fellow officers. I liked the development with the Quiet and the foundation provided to explain the true nature of Marlowe's gift for self-preservation.
Honestly when I started this I was sort of dreading it a little, but it turned out to be the best book of the series so far.
August 9, 2025
Demon in white is a MASTERPIECE.
I’ve never read such immersive world building at such a mind-blowing epic scale in science fiction across time and expansive worlds with such intricate detail. I understand why Demon in white is on everyone’s all-time favorite books; There are 5 story arcs with epic peaks crammed into one---it begins with a James Cameron “Aliens” action/horror quest, then a Game of Thrones political intrigue culminating in one of the best gladiator single combat duels, followed by a Lovecraftian horror where the curtain is peeled back, then 40 days of otherworldly thriller that culminates in a 100 page Stormlight archives epic battle sequence. HALF MORTAL! HALF MORTAL!
The prose is so elevated and poetic. What blew my mind the most was role TIME played throughout the story. Because Hadrian collaborates with an all-powerful species who live time in reverse coupled with Hadrian telling the story retrospectively, you can see how the game pieces are being moved across the board to set up events. All the while, Hadrian is his melodramatic, introspective self, grappling with being a good man and a good leader while inevitably becoming a legend:
You know where this ends.
I shall go on alone.
I’ve never read such immersive world building at such a mind-blowing epic scale in science fiction across time and expansive worlds with such intricate detail. I understand why Demon in white is on everyone’s all-time favorite books; There are 5 story arcs with epic peaks crammed into one---it begins with a James Cameron “Aliens” action/horror quest, then a Game of Thrones political intrigue culminating in one of the best gladiator single combat duels, followed by a Lovecraftian horror where the curtain is peeled back, then 40 days of otherworldly thriller that culminates in a 100 page Stormlight archives epic battle sequence. HALF MORTAL! HALF MORTAL!
The prose is so elevated and poetic. What blew my mind the most was role TIME played throughout the story. Because Hadrian collaborates with an all-powerful species who live time in reverse coupled with Hadrian telling the story retrospectively, you can see how the game pieces are being moved across the board to set up events. All the while, Hadrian is his melodramatic, introspective self, grappling with being a good man and a good leader while inevitably becoming a legend:
You know where this ends.
I shall go on alone.
August 27, 2024
Just beyond phenomenal. Hadrian Fucking Marlowe.
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
Just as amazing on audiobook! 🤩
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
Just as amazing on audiobook! 🤩
July 27, 2025
2025 reread: Outstanding. Even better on reread. A lot of things to catch here that you notice after reading books 4,5, and 6.
This was probably the best book I've read so far in 2021. It's hard to talk about why without spoilers since it is the 3rd book in a series (The Sun Eater btw), but I'll try.
When I read Empire of Silence, book 1 in the series, last year I thought it was good with excellent prose, but it was clearly a debut novel. Some things about it like the pacing and character interactions dragged it down a bit, and it was clearly a book 1 in a series where our characters are fairly young and it takes a while to set things up and put them in motion. You start to get some really good payoff for those things in Howling Dark, book 2, where the series goes to another level and takes some unexpected turns. However, in book 3, Demon in White, you really see the series come into its own and it finally becomes the epic space opera you cannot get enough of. This is a big book at over 700 hard back pages, but the pacing and reveals are so good I never had a problem hitting over 100 pages a day. Often I just couldn't put it down, and when I did put it down I was thinking about what I had read.
This book was on fire from page 1. The pacing is excellent with some sections running a break-neck pace while others giving us some room to breathe and characters time to reflect. The characters and relationships are at the best they have been in the series. And finally there are just some elements that when a book has them it's going to be an automatic 5 stars for me. This book pretty much has them all. Along with all of those story-telling elements I love the climax of this book is one of the best I've read. The last 10-15 chapters compare favorably to the best "Sanderlanche" Sanderson has ever written. It left me breathless and wanting more. Thankfully I have some short stories I can read to tide me over until 2022 and the release of Kingdoms of Death.
With the conclusion of Demon in White this now makes the list of my all time favorite series. I sincerely hope more people discover and read it.
This was probably the best book I've read so far in 2021. It's hard to talk about why without spoilers since it is the 3rd book in a series (The Sun Eater btw), but I'll try.
When I read Empire of Silence, book 1 in the series, last year I thought it was good with excellent prose, but it was clearly a debut novel. Some things about it like the pacing and character interactions dragged it down a bit, and it was clearly a book 1 in a series where our characters are fairly young and it takes a while to set things up and put them in motion. You start to get some really good payoff for those things in Howling Dark, book 2, where the series goes to another level and takes some unexpected turns. However, in book 3, Demon in White, you really see the series come into its own and it finally becomes the epic space opera you cannot get enough of. This is a big book at over 700 hard back pages, but the pacing and reveals are so good I never had a problem hitting over 100 pages a day. Often I just couldn't put it down, and when I did put it down I was thinking about what I had read.
This book was on fire from page 1. The pacing is excellent with some sections running a break-neck pace while others giving us some room to breathe and characters time to reflect. The characters and relationships are at the best they have been in the series. And finally there are just some elements that when a book has them it's going to be an automatic 5 stars for me. This book pretty much has them all. Along with all of those story-telling elements I love the climax of this book is one of the best I've read. The last 10-15 chapters compare favorably to the best "Sanderlanche" Sanderson has ever written. It left me breathless and wanting more. Thankfully I have some short stories I can read to tide me over until 2022 and the release of Kingdoms of Death.
With the conclusion of Demon in White this now makes the list of my all time favorite series. I sincerely hope more people discover and read it.
March 19, 2022
Even better the 2nd time. My favorite sci fi book of all time. It has everything.
January 19, 2025
The best Sun Eater book by far so far in this awesome series!
It has both the biggest and best battles with the alien Cielcin and tons of other action. We get to visit several different worlds and ships. Worldbuilding is off the charts, literally. I also liked the subplot of the detective kind of work by our main characters and what they find out about the mysterious godlike "Quiet". If you enjoyed books one and two, pick this one up now as it's damn near perfect. I did half physical and half audiobook and the narrator was incredible. Highly recommended!
It has both the biggest and best battles with the alien Cielcin and tons of other action. We get to visit several different worlds and ships. Worldbuilding is off the charts, literally. I also liked the subplot of the detective kind of work by our main characters and what they find out about the mysterious godlike "Quiet". If you enjoyed books one and two, pick this one up now as it's damn near perfect. I did half physical and half audiobook and the narrator was incredible. Highly recommended!
August 30, 2020
Absolutely Epic Science Fiction
The Demon in White approaches 800 pages, but it's so good, the reader finishes it wanting the next thousand page tome in this series - now. The third novel in this science fiction series begins with palace intrigue so deadly and dangerous that even Hadrian the Half-Mortal thinks he might just be safer in the heat of battle.
Much of the story has Hadrian and Valka and the rest of Red Company digging through ruins or ensconced in study in an ancient library. Nevertheless, for those looking for breathtaking ferocious battle, it's all here, nastier, dirtier, bloodier, and more terrifying. On the way, the legend of Hadrian grows as the royals fear he is on his way to becoming so powerful that even the throne will fall to him.
Balanced against fierce battles against mankind's greatest enemies - the kind that views humans as cattle to be slaughtered for dinner -- are mystical questions about fate and coincidence and free will and what forces are out there beyond history. Whose tool is Hadrian and who does he serve? And whose tools are the enemies? The fate of the universe just may hang in balance.
This is a tremendous spacefaring series that gets better and better with each volume.
The Demon in White approaches 800 pages, but it's so good, the reader finishes it wanting the next thousand page tome in this series - now. The third novel in this science fiction series begins with palace intrigue so deadly and dangerous that even Hadrian the Half-Mortal thinks he might just be safer in the heat of battle.
Much of the story has Hadrian and Valka and the rest of Red Company digging through ruins or ensconced in study in an ancient library. Nevertheless, for those looking for breathtaking ferocious battle, it's all here, nastier, dirtier, bloodier, and more terrifying. On the way, the legend of Hadrian grows as the royals fear he is on his way to becoming so powerful that even the throne will fall to him.
Balanced against fierce battles against mankind's greatest enemies - the kind that views humans as cattle to be slaughtered for dinner -- are mystical questions about fate and coincidence and free will and what forces are out there beyond history. Whose tool is Hadrian and who does he serve? And whose tools are the enemies? The fate of the universe just may hang in balance.
This is a tremendous spacefaring series that gets better and better with each volume.
March 28, 2024
3.5 Stars
Series Review: https://youtu.be/kXL0N5cbLEA
This was a stronger entry in this epic sci fantasy world. I really appreciate the world building which is so rich with inspirations pull from ancient Rome. I found this volume stronger than the last, yet I still found myself underwhelmed by storytelling. The narrative choices continue to keep the reader at a distance so I missed the emotional aspect that normally immerses me in the story. Regardless, I still intend to continue on to see where this story goes.
Series Review: https://youtu.be/kXL0N5cbLEA
This was a stronger entry in this epic sci fantasy world. I really appreciate the world building which is so rich with inspirations pull from ancient Rome. I found this volume stronger than the last, yet I still found myself underwhelmed by storytelling. The narrative choices continue to keep the reader at a distance so I missed the emotional aspect that normally immerses me in the story. Regardless, I still intend to continue on to see where this story goes.
March 3, 2025
Good God, what a book! Holy Mother Earth, what a series! I can’t wait to read the next book. I already can’t wait to reread this series one day.
Christopher Ruocchio continues to deliver an extraordinary sci-fantasy epic with this third Sun Eater book, Demon in White. This man can write. He is a prodigy. He has quickly landed on my short list of favorite authors.
Accolades are also due to audiobook narrator, Samuel Roukin. I’ve been obsessively listening to this series thus far and Roukin’s narration is exceptional, pairing perfectly with Ruocchio’s writing style.
This whole experience blew me away. A quintessential blend of science fiction and fantasy akin to Dune and Star Wars. Such a magnificent mix of so many inspirations from the genre. Incredible in every way. In my opinion, Sun Eater is setting a new standard in terms of striking a balance between heady, futuristic, sci-fi and wildly entertaining action-packed blockbuster-level space opera.
This series needs to be the next big thing. Christopher Nolan, if you’re out there, please read this and put it on the big screen!
Demon in White is my favorite of the series so far. This entry gave me everything I look for in a novel: an intriguing plot, wonderful world-building, awesome action, fun fantasy/sci-fi elements, great pacing, beautiful prose, engaging thought-provoking topics and themes, and, last but not least, deep, expertly written, well-realized characters.
Hadrian is becoming one of my favorite characters of all time. Watching his evolution, the growing legend of the Half Mortal, culminating in becoming the Sun Eater, as it unfolds with each entry in the series is spectacular. The relationships between Hadrian and the rest of the cast are fantastic, especially Valka. Pallino is a favorite character too offering a welcomed dose of humor.
I am struggling to imagine who would dislike these books. If you like fantasy or science fiction, you will almost certainly like or at least greatly respect this series. If you prefer other genres, you’ll still find a lot to like here. Of course, reviewing books is completely subjective, but, stepping back and putting my hat of objectivity on for a second, Sun Eater clearly has mainstream appeal. If Star Wars and Game of Thrones can invade pop culture and our zeitgeist, then this can too. When Sun Eater inevitably explodes in popularity I am going to be thrilled with my popcorn ready and armed with my constant, annoying reminders to everyone I know that I read the books first.
I just can’t give a higher recommendation for Sun Eater, and so far Demon in White is the best of the series. Go read this!
Sun Eater
Book 1: Empire of Silence 5/5
Novella: The Lesser Devil 4.5/5
Book 2: Howling Dark 5/5
Novella: Queen Amid Ashes 4.5/5
Short Story Collection: Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 1 3/5
Book 3: Demon in White 5/5
Christopher Ruocchio continues to deliver an extraordinary sci-fantasy epic with this third Sun Eater book, Demon in White. This man can write. He is a prodigy. He has quickly landed on my short list of favorite authors.
Accolades are also due to audiobook narrator, Samuel Roukin. I’ve been obsessively listening to this series thus far and Roukin’s narration is exceptional, pairing perfectly with Ruocchio’s writing style.
This whole experience blew me away. A quintessential blend of science fiction and fantasy akin to Dune and Star Wars. Such a magnificent mix of so many inspirations from the genre. Incredible in every way. In my opinion, Sun Eater is setting a new standard in terms of striking a balance between heady, futuristic, sci-fi and wildly entertaining action-packed blockbuster-level space opera.
This series needs to be the next big thing. Christopher Nolan, if you’re out there, please read this and put it on the big screen!
Demon in White is my favorite of the series so far. This entry gave me everything I look for in a novel: an intriguing plot, wonderful world-building, awesome action, fun fantasy/sci-fi elements, great pacing, beautiful prose, engaging thought-provoking topics and themes, and, last but not least, deep, expertly written, well-realized characters.
Hadrian is becoming one of my favorite characters of all time. Watching his evolution, the growing legend of the Half Mortal, culminating in becoming the Sun Eater, as it unfolds with each entry in the series is spectacular. The relationships between Hadrian and the rest of the cast are fantastic, especially Valka. Pallino is a favorite character too offering a welcomed dose of humor.
I am struggling to imagine who would dislike these books. If you like fantasy or science fiction, you will almost certainly like or at least greatly respect this series. If you prefer other genres, you’ll still find a lot to like here. Of course, reviewing books is completely subjective, but, stepping back and putting my hat of objectivity on for a second, Sun Eater clearly has mainstream appeal. If Star Wars and Game of Thrones can invade pop culture and our zeitgeist, then this can too. When Sun Eater inevitably explodes in popularity I am going to be thrilled with my popcorn ready and armed with my constant, annoying reminders to everyone I know that I read the books first.
I just can’t give a higher recommendation for Sun Eater, and so far Demon in White is the best of the series. Go read this!
Sun Eater
Book 1: Empire of Silence 5/5
Novella: The Lesser Devil 4.5/5
Book 2: Howling Dark 5/5
Novella: Queen Amid Ashes 4.5/5
Short Story Collection: Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 1 3/5
Book 3: Demon in White 5/5
March 23, 2025
March 2025 re-read:
Even better on re-read, appreciate the politics way more and so much foreshadowing and lore that's easier to appreciate knowing where things are going. Still like Howling Dark more but this book still slaps.
January 2022 review:
The last book set an incredibly high bar, this one is overall a fantastic entry and Ruocchio packs enough in a single book to warrant trilogies in other series. There's a huge amount of variety and even if certain parts don't click with you it changes things up pretty frequently.
I do prefer Howling Dark to this one, but that's most likely going to be one of if not my favorite book of the year.
Some things that didn't quite land for me were some of the political machinations and times where first person narrative was detrimental to the story being told. Also this does feel like a bit of a middle book where it's connecting the ground shaking changes from Howling Dark and setting up Kingdoms of Death so certain parts can feel reminiscent of what's been done prior in the series.
However, the ambition remains huge here and the scale really gets turned up a notch and there's some crazy stuff that happens that connects to all the books before really well.
The universe that's being built here is so cool and there's a lot that can still be done. I'm anxiously awaiting for the next entry.
Even better on re-read, appreciate the politics way more and so much foreshadowing and lore that's easier to appreciate knowing where things are going. Still like Howling Dark more but this book still slaps.
January 2022 review:
The last book set an incredibly high bar, this one is overall a fantastic entry and Ruocchio packs enough in a single book to warrant trilogies in other series. There's a huge amount of variety and even if certain parts don't click with you it changes things up pretty frequently.
I do prefer Howling Dark to this one, but that's most likely going to be one of if not my favorite book of the year.
Some things that didn't quite land for me were some of the political machinations and times where first person narrative was detrimental to the story being told. Also this does feel like a bit of a middle book where it's connecting the ground shaking changes from Howling Dark and setting up Kingdoms of Death so certain parts can feel reminiscent of what's been done prior in the series.
However, the ambition remains huge here and the scale really gets turned up a notch and there's some crazy stuff that happens that connects to all the books before really well.
The universe that's being built here is so cool and there's a lot that can still be done. I'm anxiously awaiting for the next entry.
August 17, 2025
Reread update: Still a masterpiece for me, even if I wasn't quite as in love with the first 2 sections this second time around with the book, but man did the second half deliver for me yet again in a big big way. The Colchis section is one of my favorite chunks of any series, and the trippy high concept part that followed all culminating in a colossal action sequence are just everything I love about Sun Eater all mashed up.
Original Review:
This big chunker of a book was a masterpiece. It had a bunch of different sections--some action heavy, some more quiet--and all of them were riveting in their own ways. With so many of the scenes having such crazily high stakes, my favorite chapters might have been ones where people were chatting in a library and taking a vacation on a tropical island. Ruocchio invests these quiet scenes with such emotional weight that they tugged on my own heartstrings and got me to care deeply for the characters.
There were some classic hard-sci fi and sci-fantasy moments in this one that approached mind-blowing territory, and for spoilers' sake I won't go into the details -- but they were awesome.
This is one of the most ambitious sci-fi/fantasy books I've ever read alongside probably Death's End and the Stormlight books. Bravo!
Original Review:
This big chunker of a book was a masterpiece. It had a bunch of different sections--some action heavy, some more quiet--and all of them were riveting in their own ways. With so many of the scenes having such crazily high stakes, my favorite chapters might have been ones where people were chatting in a library and taking a vacation on a tropical island. Ruocchio invests these quiet scenes with such emotional weight that they tugged on my own heartstrings and got me to care deeply for the characters.
There were some classic hard-sci fi and sci-fantasy moments in this one that approached mind-blowing territory, and for spoilers' sake I won't go into the details -- but they were awesome.
This is one of the most ambitious sci-fi/fantasy books I've ever read alongside probably Death's End and the Stormlight books. Bravo!
September 23, 2023
Best. Sci-fi. Ever. Written.
July 22, 2025
Demon in White
5⭐+❤️
Demon in White is the third book in Christopher Ruccio's The Sun Eater series. After the first two books, which were a bit slower in introducing you to this complex universe, this book's pace is much more enjoyable, and you'll develop an even deeper appreciation for reading this universe. For me, it's the easiest writing of the first three books. In this book, we continue following the protagonist Hadrien Marlowe as his future self continues to narrate the events that led him to the moment he finds himself in. He narrates his story, and regarding his version of events, we see that time has passed between the end of the second book and this one, with him trying to understand everything that happened to him at the end of Howling Dark. He then decides to go to the emperor to ask permission to go on a personal quest for answers. This is basically the premise of the book, and then things evolve to a new level. For me, it's easy to say that this was the most epic book to date. I thought the author perfectly balanced the action, mysteries, story revelations, character dialogue, and even a romance that's in this book was very well done, preparing the reader for the epic ending that was approaching. And what can I say about the final stretch of this book, which was an avalanche of emotions? Seriously, this book has 87 chapters, and the last 17 were breathtaking. I had no idea what to expect, but I confess that my expectations were exceeded. After hearing several content creators talk about how epic the ending was, I can only say that they were absolutely right. The ending of this book is jaw-dropping. The action is completely immersive and makes you freak out at times, bringing a totally epic and unforgettable ending. Demon in White is established as one of the best fantasy and science fiction books I've ever read, and my expectations for the fourth book, Kingdoms of Death, are sky-high now, and I hope it delivers at least this kind of ending because the epic ending bar has now been raised to a whole new level, and I hope it continues that way. Demon in White has become my favorite book of the year so far, and I couldn't be happier that I decided to continue this series.
5⭐+❤️
Demon in White is the third book in Christopher Ruccio's The Sun Eater series. After the first two books, which were a bit slower in introducing you to this complex universe, this book's pace is much more enjoyable, and you'll develop an even deeper appreciation for reading this universe. For me, it's the easiest writing of the first three books. In this book, we continue following the protagonist Hadrien Marlowe as his future self continues to narrate the events that led him to the moment he finds himself in. He narrates his story, and regarding his version of events, we see that time has passed between the end of the second book and this one, with him trying to understand everything that happened to him at the end of Howling Dark. He then decides to go to the emperor to ask permission to go on a personal quest for answers. This is basically the premise of the book, and then things evolve to a new level. For me, it's easy to say that this was the most epic book to date. I thought the author perfectly balanced the action, mysteries, story revelations, character dialogue, and even a romance that's in this book was very well done, preparing the reader for the epic ending that was approaching. And what can I say about the final stretch of this book, which was an avalanche of emotions? Seriously, this book has 87 chapters, and the last 17 were breathtaking. I had no idea what to expect, but I confess that my expectations were exceeded. After hearing several content creators talk about how epic the ending was, I can only say that they were absolutely right. The ending of this book is jaw-dropping. The action is completely immersive and makes you freak out at times, bringing a totally epic and unforgettable ending. Demon in White is established as one of the best fantasy and science fiction books I've ever read, and my expectations for the fourth book, Kingdoms of Death, are sky-high now, and I hope it delivers at least this kind of ending because the epic ending bar has now been raised to a whole new level, and I hope it continues that way. Demon in White has become my favorite book of the year so far, and I couldn't be happier that I decided to continue this series.
August 29, 2024
What Ruocchio is able to do in this book is genuinely beyond impressive.
This one book contains a multitude of different stories.
1. A naval space battle
2. An almost murder-mystery style assassination plot
3. Political backstabbing
4. A sweet reprieve
5. Dystopian robot encounters
6. An encounter with, dare I say, Eldritch/Lovecraftian horrors
7. A 150+ page battle that never felt like it was overstaying it's welcome.
Ruocchio allows his beautiful world to explode in both beauty and horror. I don't think I have ever read a book this long this fast. What felt tedious always felt deliberate and earned in the back half. And his prose is unREAL. This is a new favorite series, and author for me.
This one book contains a multitude of different stories.
1. A naval space battle
2. An almost murder-mystery style assassination plot
3. Political backstabbing
4. A sweet reprieve
5. Dystopian robot encounters
6. An encounter with, dare I say, Eldritch/Lovecraftian horrors
7. A 150+ page battle that never felt like it was overstaying it's welcome.
Ruocchio allows his beautiful world to explode in both beauty and horror. I don't think I have ever read a book this long this fast. What felt tedious always felt deliberate and earned in the back half. And his prose is unREAL. This is a new favorite series, and author for me.
August 12, 2025
Best one yet
July 22, 2024
Thanks to Netgalley for giving me access to this ARC.
OMFG this book. If you have follow me for a while you know I LOVE the Sun Eater series, but all of them have like a diferent tone, and omg, this one. IT EVEN HAS LIKE SPACE HORROR??. I literally don't want to say anything because it's a third book on a series, but really if you have never tried this series. DO IT. I want the future of science fiction x fantasy to look like this. Hadrian is just such an incredible character, his growth is unbelievable.
In conclusión, I just need more Christopher Roucchio.
Video review will be added later.
OMFG this book. If you have follow me for a while you know I LOVE the Sun Eater series, but all of them have like a diferent tone, and omg, this one. IT EVEN HAS LIKE SPACE HORROR??. I literally don't want to say anything because it's a third book on a series, but really if you have never tried this series. DO IT. I want the future of science fiction x fantasy to look like this. Hadrian is just such an incredible character, his growth is unbelievable.
In conclusión, I just need more Christopher Roucchio.
Video review will be added later.
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