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Empire of Silence  By  cover art

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

What listeners say about Empire of Silence

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Story
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Look forward to book 2!

Look forward to book 2!

However, I found that the narrator’s performance was hindered by the high ‘s’ sounds.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Empire of Silence kicked my ass. And I want more.

I've not enjoyed a good space opera since A Memory Called Empire (yes, that includes the Locked Tomb books!), but Holy Mother Earth, Empire of Silence renewed my faith in them. While grand and sweeping and as fleshed out as the best space operas, it focuses just as much on the mundane-of the people and places who fall between the cracks-and not only on the lofty and gilded. We know who and what Hadrian is going right into the story, but the need to know how he became the Sun Eater drives you on, and you feel his triumphs and upsets as viscerally as he does, and Samuel Roukin does a singular job portraying the weight the narrating Hadrian has to carry as he recounts his story. I am fully invested in this series now, and will tackle book 2 with the same fervor as I did with its predecessor. Watch your back, Dune. The Sun Eater is coming for you.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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great book and great narrator

I loved it. I enjoyed the setting of space Opera and Roman world's combined.

I enjoyed the narrator, who did a great job.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great beginnings

Loved the political scheming and intrigue that tumble around Hadrian through the story. Good visualizations and an engrossing tale yet to be told.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great writing and performance

If you need a “quick” story with lots of action this is probably not the book for you. But if you enjoy character development and excellent intrigue and writing it is fantastic. I’m a huge fantasy/sci fi fan and recommend this highly. The narrator was excellent.

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Great book and great performance

This book is my favorite one so far this year. The performance only enhances the experience.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Far Too Much Introspection, but Great Overall

This book follows the undermining the Empire within plot line in a Sci-Fi Genre. Like Gladiator or Sparticus except that the character starts Noble and then falls to despair and gladiator to raise back up. It has similarities that we've all seen. Only the main character is a philosopher with perpetual choice paralysis in crucial moments over ideas that he is good person.

Rated it highly. Was a great plot with great characters. Really didn't like the never-ending introspective thought; came off as super Pompous. Although I liked it, will never listen to it again. It's a one time journey on this for me.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Well written and interesting characters

Very well read with complex characters. Dialog is natural and flows well. Give it a try!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
  • B
  • 08-30-22

couldn't finish :(

this book is a slow burn... I feel like the payoff for the setup won't occur for 2 more books and although I like the world, the philosophy, and the action... it just stays too heavy on court intrigue and understated emotions. I will probably come back to another Chris Ruocchio book in the future, but in the last half of the book i just wanted him off that planet and I kept asking myself, will he get this ship and take his friends away? he might I don't know.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Empire of Science

I enjoyed the plot. Hadrian is dramatic and tough. The supporting characters are interesting.

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