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Empire of Silence

By: Christopher Ruocchio
Narrated by: Samuel Roukin
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Publisher's summary

Hadrian Marlowe, a man revered as a hero and despised as a murderer, chronicles his tale in the galaxy-spanning debut of the Sun Eater series, merging the best of space opera and epic fantasy.

It was not his war. On the wrong planet, at the right time, for the best reasons, Hadrian Marlowe started down a path that could only end in fire.

The galaxy remembers him as a hero: the man who burned every last alien Cielcin from the sky. They remember him as a monster: the devil who destroyed a sun, casually annihilating four billion human lives - even the emperor himself - against Imperial orders.

But Hadrian was not a hero. He was not a monster. He was not even a soldier. Fleeing his father and a future as a torturer, Hadrian finds himself stranded on a strange, backwater world.

Forced to fight as a gladiator and into the intrigues of a foreign planetary court, he will find himself fighting a war he did not start, for an empire he does not love, against an enemy he will never understand.

©2018 Christopher Ruocchio (P)2018 Recorded Books
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What listeners say about Empire of Silence

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From Slow Start to Can't Stop

Are you a fan of Sanderson's Worlds of Radiance or Rothfuss Kingkiller Chronicles? Because if you are, Empire of Silence will probably be right up your ally. But it's not just The Name of the Wind in space, though it does share a number of themes with that book. Chris Ruocchio does an excellent job slowly bringing his universe to life through tantalizing snippets of world-building and foreshadowing. I'm extremely excited for the next book to come out, though it seems we'll have to wait until mid 2019 for that to come.

Word of warning, though. Others have mentioned it, but the book is slow to start, and a bit confusing. You get dropped right into a world of unfamiliar terms without any helpful guidance on what they mean. Ruocchio excels at giving context, but he doesn't spoon feed you. Give the book at least a couple hours to come into its own and you'll be glad you did.

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9 people found this helpful

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great book. looking forward to the next.

not quite as good as NOTW but comparable. Can't wait for book two. hopefully I don't have to wait years for it.

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2 people found this helpful

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Read it

Absolutely great, among the best science fiction audible has to offer. Definitely worth your time.

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2 people found this helpful

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An exceptionally well written and performed audiobook.

I will say that if you’re looking for a fast paced space adventure then this is not going to scratch that itch for you. However, this is a meticulously well-crafted sci-fi story about a young man making decisions and dealing with the consequences.

The pace isn’t fast but there is a richness to the MC’s development and the situations he finds himself in that are much more stirring and memorable than your typical Sci-Fi, ship on the run, against all odds, blast-em up audiobook.

If you like good stories and don’t need sex, black and white morality, and explosions to keep you entertained then this will be worth your credits.

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Looking forward to the next installment

Really enjoyed this story. The pacing is a bit slow, especially in the middle of the book. It could be improved by covering ground a bit more quickly. The protagonist gets stuck in one place for a while, and I really wanted to explore more planets and meet more characters from the various factions introduced throughout the book. This should occur as the series progresses however. I really enjoyed the universe the story is set in, and the social/political/cultural dynamics and historical intrigue. This book seems to be more of an introduction/backstory, and I’m looking forward to the next installment.

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Masterpiece, Author of the Generation

Honestly the best book I've ever read or likely ever will read. The author deserves so much more attention than he gets.

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A good story, covering a long plot time period

The story covers a long time period for the protagonist, as he goes through many different chapters of his life. Thematically, this story has many familiar plots. A combination of Gladiator, Halo(ish) and 1984.

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Some may say slow…

But I loved it. Of course, many echos of Dune, but I won’t let that detract from a solid story and great writing. Give it a listen! May not be as action packed as what you’re Loki g for, but if you want a good read through the lense of a character study, pick it up. Well done!

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Excellent Sci-Fantasy with Superb Narration

It has been a long time since I found a book that makes me want to dive so wholeheartedly into its world as "Empire of Silence." The worldbuilding is immaculate and fascinating for a hobby historian, the characters are all richly decorated and all have unique personalities, and the tech is described succinctly and efficiently enough to paint the reader a picture of the world.

Normally I don't enjoy books where the internal politics of the various characters and factions is a focal point, but this Ruocchio has set the narration up in such a way that those politics are filtered through a personal lens that makes it easy to understand. Hadrian is the interpretation for the game of chess that is being played around him.

What really pulled me into the book was the writing style. Most scifi that I read is written in a blunt or Spartan way with the emphasis on long descriptions of technology and action, which I enjoy. However, "Empire of Silence" is written like a fantasy novel, with dramatic turns of phrases and highly visual metaphors that linger for a moment. The book is like reading an old oil painting and that makes it thoroughly enjoyable.

The Roukin did splendidly narrating this book, really bringing out the humanness of the story. The first-person narration, coupled with Roukin's emotive voice and inflections, make it feel like a story that is being personally recounted by the main character. Outstanding.

I am looking forward to contuing this series!

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Frank Herbert’s Dune without the esoterica

I’ve never read any of Julius Caesar’s memoirs but I feel like this was inspired by them. This book is very reminiscent of the original Dune books, not the trash prequels, but doesn’t have any of the religious or philosophical wanderings. It feels like self aggrandizement propaganda and it’s wonderful. The story makes it clear that the protagonist and narrator do some type of genocide so he tells his story in a way that makes him feel human and pitiable. It’s like the true author of this book took on a character like a method actor and then started writing a story. I absolutely loved it. It can be a little long winded at times but I really enjoyed the over dramatic way the narrator views his love and circumstances. Could have used a little editing though.

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