Kingdoms of Death Book Review

 

Book Review:

Kingdoms of Death

by Christopher Ruocchio

Release Date: March 8, 2022 

Genre: Sci-Fi

Age Range: Adult

Series: Sun Eater

Proceeded by: 

  

Demon in White

Goodreads Avg. Rating: 4.45 stars

Normally I start with my first thoughts but instead, I will say this book was devastating. It has been a while since a book made me cry (unless that was the sole purpose of the book).

Where the last book gave us a glimpse of the wider universe this gave detail to more of our own galaxy. Early on Hadrian and the Tamerlane travel into the Lothrian Commonwealth. The Lothrians control their own worlds in a socialist fashion. There have been clashes between them and the Empire before when the Lothrain tried to colonize the Perseus Arm of the galaxy but now the Emperor would like to make a united front for the Cielcin. On their captial planet Hadrian and Valka are staying at the Embassy shown the sparse niceties of Padmurak. The political climate and how it has and wishes to evolve further was jarring.

Spoilers --

The real amazing growth in world-building comes from the Cielcin side though. After being on the world ship of the Prophet we learn so much. Syriani Dorayaica has forged the Cielcin into a force that they have not been since mankind was still young. All of them are united for one goal which is far bigger than just winning the war against humanity. We are given a glimpse into the larger force that they serve and what happened to those who came before the Cielcin.

As always Hadrian Marlowe will be our only perspective and main character. In this book, we do have less of his future self-talking over events than in previous titles. This book tests Hadrian's faith in himself and what he has been shown. It will break him down and we will move through the series with a different Hadrian. Syriani is another large player in this book. The fact that he has studied humanity, our politics, and history is incredible while frightening. The book is setting them up, as Hadrian quips, as rival chess pieces. So similar are they in some ways while being opposites in fundamentals.

This book follows Hadrian from Nessus where the Emperor has placed him to be out of the public (and Chantry) eye. The Empire has been struggling against the Cielcin threats and needs allies. Thus he sends Hadrian Marlowe to the Lothrian Commonwealth to negotiate for troops. The Commonwealth is more desolate a place than even Hadrian imagined. Something is not right on this planet and the longer they stay the more the feeling grows.

You need to be prepared for the darkness of this book. There will be torture, isolation, and loss to name a few. It will spend a lot of time with Hadrian in very emotionally trying situations where the goal is to break him down fully.

In the end, the book was so good. It was hard to read while also being hard to put down as I needed to see how we would get to the other side. With how Hadrian has spent the last several years I believe there will be some consequences. However, he needed that time and we the readers needed to see that our hero could cling to sanity.

    

You can find this book from the below retailers or many others:

Amazon     Penguin Random House