Thanks everyone!

I have never had so many people asking me to read and review a series as much as it is for The Sun Eater series. Great to hear that you enjoyed it, Jimmy. I'm in the middle of trying to acquire the books right now, and I look forward to reading this series either this year or the latest next year! :)

I loved the literary aspect of this book. Really feels like “literary fiction”. I think the book snobs would enjoy this one.

Some of the best stuff in this book is the cheeky nods to other IPs (star wars, dune, back to the future etc). Loved it. Also the fact it won an award from the Hellfest metal festival makes it even better!

Anytime someone reads/reviewed the Sun Eater series I automatically subscribe! This series is so underrated and deserves so much attention! Fav series all time 😭

Hearing you talk about Hadrian's reflections on humanity makes this sound really interesting. I love that kind of commentary. Looking forward to your future reviews.

Nice 👌 I just recently picked this up. Keep hearing good things

This is an excellent book and I’m glad to see more people talking about this series. The second book is even better.

The way Jimmy reviews this book makes me want to call my favorite bookstore. I'm just controlling my impulse.

Just read EoS and loved hearing your review! I pretty much felt exactly the same, and your discussion of the how Hadrian is continually exploring human morality and our place in the universe really helped me consolidate my thinking on the themes.

You have made this shoot to the top of my tbr! Brilliant video Jimmy, I get so hyped to read listening to you talk about books haha. I haven’t really read any sci-fi and was thinking about dipping my toes in with Red Rising and Dune, which I will still read, but I think I’m definitely doing to read Sun Eater first now. Thank you!

I’m 150 pages from the end of book one. This is the first scify book I have ever read and I am enjoying it. I have had trouble with all names and stuff but I am getting it. Lol. I 0:30 ordered book 2 so I guess I’m invested! I can’t wait to watch all these book tube reviews but am being careful with spoilers. Thanks for the spoiler free review Jimmy.

great review, having so much fun with this book right now. year of the sun eater is in full swing

Fantastic review! I’m glad you enjoyed it! 😀 his wrinting is defintely excellent!

I am going to be reading this in April! I am so excited for this series and I hope I really mesh with it. Great review Jimmy, as always

Oh sweet, one of my favorites! The comparisons to Dune are conscious allusions on Ruocchio's part, and if you've read Book of the New Sun, and Hyperion, you'd find even more references to them in EoS. He wanted to make his influences apparent. I had some problems at the start with these references but once I understood what he was doing with them i grew to love the books. It gets way better in books 2 and three. And I can't wait for book 4.

Great review. I'm almost finished with it and I am loving it. The example you gave is exactly one that made me stop and think as well. Interesting topic. I do plan on continuing.

So pumped to hear you liked this…aiming to start book 1 in the next few weeks

I picked this up based on the cover alone a few years ago, it gave me hard Destiny vibes, and the info from the inside cover pulled me in and made me wanna see this guys journey to earn the title Sun Eater. However, I never got around to it! Just found your review last night, and started it this morning. Loving it so far!

Thanks Jimmy for introducing me to The Sun Eater series and to Christopher Ruocchio. I haven't started the series yet, but after you mentioned it in your 2022 need to read video, I went to his KZfaq channel, along with watching an interview video on another BookTube site. He seems like a really interesting and thoughtful guy. With that exposure, along with your summation, it sounds like it will be right up my alley. I love the exploration of philosophical ideas and examinations of our humanity. The fact that he is a student of history is another big plus for me. Really looking forward to this series. I would love to see you do an interview with the man.

Awesome review! Def will look into this series!

Great review without spoiling anything, each book has gorgeous Cover.

Hi 👋 this book getting more reviews on KZfaq... I will definitely check it out, thank you for review. Happy reading to u! 😊📓🎥

Yesss so glad to hear you enjoyed it! I loved Empire of Silence and I agree that it feels like fantasy in space. I think Ruocchio introduces even more ambitious sci-fi concepts in Howling Dark and Demon in White so I'm excited to see your reactions! Side note: I tagged you in my 25 Questions Book Tag video if you happen to be interested in doing that tag : )

Excellent review Jimmy. Going to buy a copy as soon as possible

Lol Perfect timing! I just finished reading this today lol I had no intention of finishing this book this month but like, I started reading a few chapters a day and man the writing was just sooooo smooth lmao I ended up reading it so much faster than I expected to like wtf Ruocchio's prose is clean af XD Man I loved this book! I still need to finish Farseer Trilogy though (yeah, Empire of Silence derailed my Hobb reading lol) so I'm going to wait to read Howling Dark until next month lol

You’ve definitely convinced me on it. I’ll be giving it a try soon!

Great review, can't wait to read this!

Exciting stuff! Just got this on Audible!

I'm so excited for this, I already read the first chapter to see if I wanna buy it and dang what an epic first chapter! But I will wait and read it in March with Shelfspace 😊

Perfect timing, just finished this one last week!

Started this a few nights ago after seeing a few reviews of this….yours being one of them…and as you have got me into some great books had to give this a go…getting near the end and have already got book 2 and 3 on standby …man the prose…..just flows!……reminded me of dandelion dynasty for some reason……love your reviews….and this was an excellent one…..cheers.

Great review. I just finished book 1. I agree that this is defiantly a sci fi series for fantasy readers. (I've noticed that most of the people naming this books as sci fi favourites predominantly read fantasy). In my mind, it's pretty much just fantasy set in a spacefaring future. I did enjoy it, but I think the Chronicling narrative didn't work as well for me because I never worried for the main character. I've heard the later books get stronger so I'm definitely open to continuing on

Just started this the other day Jimmy and oh boy it’s fantastic! Just can’t wait to read more.

Starting this series tonight! After reading the first page and a half I can’t wait!!

This is at the top of my sff tbr! I'm planning to finish the first three before Kingdoms of Death comes out in March (If I end up liking it ofc...)

hmm, You have heard early reviews of book 4, I wonder whose reviews those were. I am so happy to see you enjoying this. This review sparks joy

Great review! I really loved Empire of Silence. I am a little over half-way through book 2, Howling Dark. Book 4 will be coming out in March of this year!

This is one i plan on reading this year and these books have some amazing cover art

I've only read book one, but I really liked it - not 10/10, but certainly good enough for me to be excited about the future. I felt that the story jumped around quite a bit (especially the first half), so it was hard for me to get a firm grasp on any characters - even Hadrian himself. It almost felt like a series of short stories rather than a cohesive novel. Makes sense, as it's Hadrian telling his story, but it wasn't always something I enjoyed. That said, I LOVED the world (universe?), and I LOVED Ruocchio's writing style. Just beautiful prose, and an absolutely fascinating world - I was always super excited to see what we would discover or learn next. This is definitely a series I will continue, and one I am telling all my friends about!

I just read this book and it flowed so well. I can’t wait for book two.

Hi Jimmy. I just ordered this one, hoping to read it in the second half of 2023.

Getting me more hyped about the series. Thinking of reading this in April or May.

It was awesome. Good thing I've the next two on the kindle ready to go. Still not convinced its Science-Fantasy, though I've heard the next two will prove me wrong.

Alright, alright! You got me when you said that it reads as fantasy but it’s sci-fi! Good way to start reading more of the genre!!

I just finished this book. I loved it. I'm starting the lesser devil in a couple of days.

yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas just read whatever me and Alex are reading and you won't go wrong 😛👍 I'd agree his prose is very artful, similar to Abercrombie in the way it's just a mastery of word choice and arrangement not necessarily purply poetry "a rich experience" yes 👌

one of the best reads i had this year and it gets better with each book.

I'm starting on Wednesday, very glad you liked it.

I’m just starting to read book one, so far it is really impressing me.

Can’t wait to get to this series

The Sun Eater gets better with each instalment, in my opinion. Glad you reviewed it, Jimmy.

One of my most hyped series to get to. Mostly because of the covers

Managed to find a UK hardcover, definitely my next read!

I just started it. Like it so far.

This is my next read after finishing Dune!

perfect timing since i finished this literally yesterday 😂😂

I absolutely enjoyed empire of silence I really nervous to continue with the series I was really surprised how much I enjoyed the book 💖💝

I struggled a bit at first with how many things reminded me of Dune - but got over that quickly enough. I am really enjoying it. First time I have been getting through a book this fast since the start of the pandemic, which I feel has fried my attention span.

The book is thiccccccc-er than I realized. Looking forward to checking this out, I'm mid-Dune and realizing I actually am super into Sci-Fantasy o.o

I wasnt a huge fan of this one but Ruocchio gets better with each installment and is really hitting his stride by the 3rd book. So you have that to look forward to.

All the references I caught in «Empire of Silence»: The Planet/Space Nation of Jadd: The Jaddite Faith from several Guy Gavriel Kay novels (GGK’s mix of Christian Trappings and the Sun Cults from Antiquity: Unsurprising given Ruocchio have stated himself as a fan of GGK, with signed books by him) & Jeddah, an Ancient Port City in Modern Day Saudi Arabia Birth Vats for the Nobility: The Alphas from «Brave New World» by Aldous Huxley Hadrian’s home planet of Delos: Greek Island, Holy Site for the worship of Apollo and Artemis and the Athenian-led Delian League which fought Sparta in the Peloponnesian War of the 5th Century BC + The Name of the Mega-Corporation running the parks in «Westworld» Hadrian’s brother Crispin: The St. Crispin’s Day Speech from «Henry V» The Alien Antagonists, the Cielcin: Ciel (French: «Sky») + sin (Mr. Ruocchio might be Catholic, alright! 😄) Lothrian: Have some similar language structure as the Free City of Lorath from GRRM’s «ASOIAF» + Lotharingia/Lorraine in Modern Day France Hadrian’s family name Marlowe and their Devil Symbol: Christopher Marlowe wrote «Doctor Faustus», about the eponymous scholar who make a pact with the devil Mephistopheles (+ a reversed color scheme of the Manchester United Devil Logo, given the Marlowes’ English Ancestry?) The Mother of Hadrian’s Family Name, Kephalos: Cephalus, whom Socrates have a dialogue with in Plato’s «Republic». Cephalus give as a definition of justice «to give each what is owed to them», which Socrates refutes by saying that returning a borrowed knife to someone who has turned mad and might therefore hurt themselves, is not just…(cue philosophizing on justice and madness!😅) Carcassoni: The Southern French City of Carcassonne, famous Cathar Stronghold during the 13th Century Albigensian Crusade (+The City of Carcosa from the Lovecraft Mythos) Eusebia: Feminine variant of Eusebius (Eusebius of Caesarea, who is credited for converting Roman Emperor Constantine the Great to Christianity) EOS: Now «Xenobite» is literally just Greek for something to akin to «Foreign Lifeform», but I can not help but think that it have also become future slang for «scary alien», born from a fusion of the Cenobites from the «Hellraiser» Franchise & the Xenomorphs from the «Alien» Franchise! 😆 The Colosseum of Meidua, the Dome of Bright Carvings, reference the Bright Carvers from «Gormenghast» & Bright Weavings (GGK’s webpage), and the unfair Gladiatorial Batte Reenactments are similar to both historical examples as well as the ones in «Gladiator». The hoodlum on a motorcycle (using petrol!) attacking Hadrian with a lead pipe is straight out of the anime/manga «Akira»! 😄 Montante: Another name for a Zweihander sword Vilicus: Latin for «supervisor» House Orin: Orin is the name of the Main Character in the 80s animated Sci-Fantasy Movie «Starchasers», a character in David Foster Wallace’s «Infinite Jest», and Aquaman’s treacherous half-brother, and their conflict with Hadrian’s Father is not unlike the destruction of House Reyne by Tywin Lannister from George RR Martins «A Somg of Ice & Fire» (made famous by the song «The Rains of Castamere»). The Isle of Karch: Karch is a Nation in GGK’s «Jad-verse» Royse Field: Rolls-Royce? The Star of Gododdin, comes from «Y Gododdin», a Medieval Welsh Poem about the Heroes of the «Old North» Brythonic Kingdom of Gododdin, lost to the Anglo Saxon Conquest of England Lictors: The Public Bodyguard of Roman Elected Officals Logothetes: Greek «Bureaucrat» The Festival of Boedromion: Ancient Athenian Summer Festival in honor of Apollo aiding Athens in wars Anagnost, novices in the Chantry: «Anagnosis» is Greek for «Re-knowledge», so something akin to «re-educated» The Space Opera Poster of «Tiada, Princess of Thrax»: Verdi’s «Aida», the Thracian Slave Rebellion Leader Spartacus and Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter of Mars/«Princess of Mars» The Spaceship Eurynasir: Eury is Greek «wide», and nasir is Arabic for «(male) helper» Saltus reminded me of the Epsilions of «Brave New World» mixed with some «Blade Runner» and Hadrian’s revulsion towards the «Natural Born» Gilliam is akin to the revulsion most in the «World Stats» has against John the Savage in «Brave New World» The Planet of Emesh: The Sumerian God of vegetation and summer, but also Emesa (an Ancient Syrian City famous for it’s Sun God venerated by Emperor Aurelian and the Priest-King family which married into the Roman Severian Imperial Dynasty, producing infamous Emperors such as Elagabalus and Caracalla), the Emishi of Japan («Barbarians»/native population displaced by/assimilated into the Japanese: Prince Ashitaka in the animated Fatasy Movie «Princess Mononoke» is one!) and Emese (Mythical Scythian Ancestral Mother of the Hungarian Royal Line) Planet with Two moons, similar to many of GGK’s worlds! Lucas Skye: Luke Skywalker! 😄 Umandh: h-uman(i)d? U(n)man? Sulis: Celtic Diety worshiped at the Roman Thermic Baths at Bath, England The Cousland Drakes PMC: Cousland is a Noble Family in the Fantasy Video Game «Dragon Age»! 😄 The Arch-Builders of Ozymandias: The Famous Poem «Ozymandias» by Percy Shelly, «Look at my works, ye mighty, and despair!»😄 The Continent of Anshar: A Primordial Mesopotamian God, «The Whole Sky», King of the Gods before replaced by his son Marduk Aldia Di Otranto, the High Prince of Jadd: «The Castle of Otranto» by Horace Walpole, the first Gothic Novel! Alcaz du Badr: Arabic for «The Alcazar («Castle») of the Full Moon» Sign of the Sun Disk: GGK’s «Jad-verse»! 😄 Danu: Scythian for «river» (found in the name of several European Rivers, such as the Danube and Don Rivers), Reconstructed Indo-European Water Goddess from the Hindu Primeval Water Goddess and the Reconstructed Mother Goddess of the Tuatha De Danann of Irish Myth Pallino: Italian for «Bullet»/«Little Ball» Luin: The Luin of Celtchar, a legendary spear/lance in Irish Myth, «Blue» in Tolkien’s Sindarin (as in the Blue Wizards, «Ithryn Luin») Mandyas: Greek «Mantle», kape used by Orthodox Monastics and Crusader Knights Olorin: Gandalf’s Quenya Name! 😄 Sepulchre: A Cavern Tomb, as in the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem

Excited to get to this book this week! Would you say that this book is similar to Red Rising Jimmy?

About halfway through Howling Dark and still enjoying this story thoroughly. I feel it may actually be stronger than EoS. It’s close!

I found the first 50 or so pages quite derivative of Dune, however, at 100 pages in, I think it's finding its own story, kind of how wheel of time started off as a tolkien clone but became something wonderful on its own.

The audiobook is superb!

I'm going to start it soon! If I wasn't committed to so many buddy reads I would have done it sooner. But also I have the mass market paperback and it just feels weird reading an 800 page mmp. Where did you find that hardcover?

It just gets better

S3ems awesome 😊

I'm also a sucker for a first person chronicle. Will have to give this one a try soon! Curious, if anyone knows the answer, is the upcoming fifth book the last in the series?

Ohhh boy you just wait until book 2 it’s gonna blow your mind!!

Do I read Empire of Silence or Hyperion next? Seem to be the two shot space operas after Dune.

I will say if you enjoy this series I highly recommend the Deathstalker saga by Simon R Green.

Have you read 'The Name of the Wind' yet? I'm buying Empire of Silence just based on that comparison alone.

Great video! Quick Question - how did you locate your hardcover of Empire of Silence? I have been looking everywhere and can’t find one for less than $150! I’m in Canada, if that changes anything.

Sold.

Where can I get the protector cover you have on it?

I love Fantasy, and have been wanting to try SciFI, but have struggled to find a good SciFi series. If I was bored with Dune, do you think I would like Sun Eater? I also heard that it was similar to Kingkiller Chronicles (which I liked, but it felt a little aimless, like the author doesn't actually know where he's going with it).

Do you know if book 5 is supposed to be the last one? If so I may have to start it sooner than I thought.

Here from philip Chase video

I think the man is ridiculously young. Like 1996 young. Such a talented guy!

I keep looking at my bookshelf for a next book and Empire of Silence keeps calling to me.

I loved how he discribed the teeth of the aliens, like broken glass.Hint of horror right there. Also, high matter swords.... I need one.

%^*# Yes!!!!

I’m on book two and it definitely leans more into the weird and strange sci stuff. Love it

Sounds like a good read, but I can’t find it anywhere besides in mass market paperback. I can’t believe a book published in 2018 is already not available in hardback. Too bad.

I feel like I’m the only person who didn’t like this book, which is a real shame cuz I was so excited for it

The real comparison is The Book of the New Sun.

Where on earth did you find that hardback?

Good luck with the name of the wind because I hated it the book was a slog I really wished that I had dnf it 😖🤪😱

:D

Sounds like a character driven story 😷

dont waste your time with name of the wind dude tells his life story at a dinner table. frolicks playing music in forest way to long. magic school, boring.....i did not like it at all but you may

Have you read house of Suns by Aleister Reynolds? Its literature kino. Love the One Piece reviews btw