Ashes of Man: Sun Eater, Book 5

Ok look. The entire serirs is outstanding. I personally dont care for the abstract biography playing out, but thats just me. A lot of the backstory is unnecessary so there is a lot of meaningless reading. However, the main storyline is Epic, unique, entertaining. I havent gotten to the Foundation tie in yet but I suspect its there

The title of this review pretty much says it all. I am amazed at how this series continues to get better with each installment. I am amazed at how much Christopher Ruocchio's writing improves with each book. I am amazed at the amount of stuff that Hadrian continuously has thrown his way and still continues ever forward, never left or right!

4/5 stars. The general pattern of the last three books continues here. Hadrian recovers from his previous battles, dealing with the new information/ailments that he has garnered along the way as he waxes philosophical about his life’s choices, then he is sent on a mission for the Emperor that results in calamity, capture, destruction, etc. Overall, this story felt lonely, having followed after Kingdoms of Death – the darkest and most profound of the books so far, and was slower-paced than the previous three. Not to give the impression that I disliked this book, but there were even more difficult moments in this story than in the last one. Hadrian’s story is one of emotional upheaval and personal self-destruction at times. He is a wonderful character, but not a very good person. His path has become increasingly darker and his response to that has been, in many instances, the emotional response of a 15-year old, in spite of his centuries of life. The scope of Hadrian’s story and his lifespan as a Palatine are, at times, overwhelming to the reader, but satisfactory in the genre of science fiction. Speaking of which, there is some science to this fiction, but it is limited and the story feels more like fantasy but on a grander and more epic scale – in space. I have had issues at times in these books with the historical context and the use of Earth’s history, at times accurate and at other times manufactured by the author to meet his needs. Ruocchio is an excellent writer and has certainly grown as a storyteller since Empire of Silence but there are still moments as I am reading when I feel he is overly pretentious. With all of that being said, this series is one of the best stories that I have ever read and I highly recommend it! Everyone should read this series, but especially those who enjoy a broad, darkly epic fantasy/sci-fi like Game of Thrones, Dune, Book of the New Sun, or Hyperion. I also listened to parts of this book on Audible and the narrator, Samuel Roukin, does a very good job with the characters, although he has a deep British accent that can be difficult at times. Nevertheless, the audiobook is also highly recommended!

If you've been following along since book 1, Empire of Silence, you know what Hadrian will result to doing. He told you as much on the first page. Closer we are inching towards that resolution. Ashes of Man is a much needed reprieve from the completely desolate and dark Kingdoms of Death, but alas, that brief respite will be short lived. The first half of this book is a direct follow up from Book 4, where we had left out hero devastated and broken. He's still recovering from his experience, having been weathered, still fearful. There are new players on the board we are introduced to, and we come back face to face with William, the emperor. We get to spend some more time really getting to understand him more than just a figurehead. The second half is an accelerator to a brick wall. The action is complex, and once again Ruocchio has really mastered his ability to keep comprehension in fast paced battle scenes where multiple events are happening simultaneously. This was present in Demon in White, and has been consistent since then. This book doesn't top Demon in White, but has the same feel. It's clear that this is not the last entry in the series, and leaving several new threads starting but unresolved is the only detriment to this book. It's my understanding this was meant to be the last entry, but was split, and that is sort of felt in the way it wraps up. All in all, the emotions run high, the new and returning cast of characters fit right in to this world, and I was left so very much eager for the next one.

Below is my review of the first book in the series after I've read first 3 books, now 5. I love the Sun Eater series, it's at 3rd in my all time chart. Or second, depending how it ends. Judging from Ashes of Man, seems I'm getting a new second most loved series in April 2024 when we get to read the Disquiet Gods. Writing this for the 3-book (Update: now 5) series as a whole - it is by far one of the best sci-fi books I've ever read, and I've been reading sf since I turned 10. Yes, it's Dune-ish (shields, Ai banned and technology controlled, sword-fight, what not). Yes, the Hadrian was stupid at 20. Yes, there is plenty of unbelievable in the book(s). But it is insanely good and for once there is no great hero that ends up on a honeymoon with his beloved. Or may be he did? That's the thing, Ruocchio doesn't spill the story for us, he creates a web and shows us where the fly hit a few times before it finally got stuck. And the prose... it's beautiful. The small and not so small references, the magnitude of the world-building, everything works well. I can only compare it to Dune and Red Rising in terms of character development, but where Paul never wanted it and Darrow simply had to burn it, Hadrian manages to stay perfectly egoistical even in his altruism, and there is plenty of it. So it is different and beg reading about it. P.S. calling it coming to age is as much of an insult as throwing the same about any one of these two other characters I mentioned. Go read the Hunger Games and their lot of -ish brownwater if you want that.

COSA MI È PIACIUTO - La serie, giunta ormai a piena maturazione, presenta un livello stilistico a dir poco eccezionale, con una prosa in grado di incantare a ogni pagina; - Per quasi l’intera durata del romanzo il lettore rimane col fiato sospeso, anche nei momenti in cui l’azione pare fermarsi, grazie a una costante sensazione di pericolo; - Alcuni nodi di una trama molto complessa cominciano a venire al pettine, donando grandi soddisfazioni; - Le riflessioni sulla vita e la morte, la perdita e la sofferenza e il lottare contro il destino sono perennemente al centro della vicenda, e donano alla lettura una forte aura malinconica; - Worldbuilding ormai consolidato ma in grado di stupire ancora una volta proprio grazie a una lore dal potenziale infinito. COSA POTREBBE PIACERE MENO (NON A ME) - Ashes of Man era stato originariamente concepito come parte integrante del romanzo che lo precede, Kingdoms of Death: per poterne apprezzare appieno la lettura, è bene saperlo e muoversi di conseguenza; - Lo stile estremamente denso e pieno potrebbe allontanare lettori alla ricerca di una prosa frizzante e pronta ad andare subito al sodo. --- Ashes of Man è l’ennesima riconferma tanto delle capacità stilistiche di un autore quanto della portata di una saga in grado di toccare altissime vette qualitative. Impossibile scindere la Sun Eater Series dal suo protagonista, Hadrian Marlowe (soprattutto in questo libro e nel precedente), ma sono romanzi che hanno molto di più: dal worldbuilding alla carica emotiva, dai conflitti intergalattici ai personaggi secondari, l’epica e il dolore e battaglie che bruciano le pagine. Difficile separare, a questo punto, gusto personale e oggettività: leggete questa serie, provateci, perché potreste lasciarci un pezzo del vostro cuore, come è successo a me.

Chris writes straight fire. I've been eagerly waiting for this one and he doesn't disappoint, the narrative is tightly woven, characterizations are on point and the moments are impactful. It's only a shame this is the penultimate book, hopefully there are many more stories to come. I honestly can't wait for the next one, onwards to Gododdin!

Gutes buch

Plus gai même si comme d’hab la fin est terrible Début d’une reviviscence là où je craignais encore du noir moins Cielsin plus de l’empire Next on the way !!!

Series just keeps getting better. Cannot stop reading