Demon in White

Christopher Ruocchio continues to impress the hell out of me with this fantastic series. This is seriously climbing the ranks of my favorite series I have ever read. The combination of the epic scale, the mystery, the warfare and everything else these books have going for them is just incredible. The series has compelling characters, great emotional moments and incredibly impactful scenes that just pull emotion directly out of you.<br /><br />The way that these books are written is simply beautiful and Ruochhio has only gotten better throughout the series with his writing. The politics of the world played a major role in this book specifically, and go figure, it was so well done. <br /><br />Everything that Hadrian has been through up to this point in the story has truly changed him as a character and we are seeing just how impactful he is in this war with the Cielcin. There are a lot of moving parts behind the scenes that we don't quite understand still and I cannot wait to learn more. <br /><br />I'm now caught up on the 3 books that are out and my wait begins for book 4. Kingdoms of Death cannot come soon enough.

Demon is White is my favourite of the three Sun Eater books, a fantastic sequel to Howling Dark with an engaging story that expands the world and lore, populated by excellent and memorable characters. It picks up quite a while after the end of Howling Dark and I felt the time skip was much better handled this time around. I didn’t find it jarring as the book reintroduced the characters and the changed circumstances seamlessly. The writing is gorgeous as ever, all the descriptions are vivid and the various locations: Annica, the Library, the Imperial Forum, all have a distinct feel to them that make them stand out.<br /><blockquote> <i>"Though young wood does not burn for the moisture in it, as a lonely cinder may catch in old, dry wood and spark a great burning fire, so do such small things kindle the hearts of those with eyes and time to see."</i> </blockquote><br />There is a lot of fascinating lore in this book, learning about the history of humanity over millennia and how the Empire is what it is today, all the information that has been lost or that has survived. It also has a lot of interesting political manoeuvring, with Hadrian having to wade through high society, the noble palatines and the Emperor’s retinue. There are more questions but also more answers about the mysteries introduced in previous books, regarding the alien civilizations and the Cielcin. The explanations involved some of the most mind-bending stuff imaginable, with the ethereal quality of the writing adding to the experience. It wholeheartedly embraces the sci-fantasy label and it allows for some fantastic worldbuilding elements that are typically beyond the realm of hard science.<br /><br />This book also had some great character development, even the side characters like Alexander felt real and fleshed out. Over the course of the story, it’s evident how Hadrian is gaining a cult-like status among his people and the soldiers, how legends are created and events are conflated, leading to important people being worried about his power. Hadrian’s changes are noticeable but subtly done to a point where the progression feels natural and earned. Clear differences can be seen between Hadrian at the beginning of the first book and the end of this book but the journey feels natural and there are no sudden, awkward character changes. The small philosophical interjections by Hadrian reflecting on his choices while writing his memoirs in the future were excellent and added to his character while also ominously hinting at things to come.<br /><blockquote> <i>"Every place is the centre of the universe. Everything matters. Every one of our actions, every decision, every sacrifice. Nothing is without meaning, because nothing is without consequence.</i> </blockquote><br />Unlike the overly meandering pace of the first book, this book has fantastic pacing. It never gets boring or overstays its welcome, moving along at a steady pace while always progressing the plot and characters further. The action scenes were very well-written, tense and chaotic. Both duels and large scale battles were engrossing and the swift pacing in these parts did not let up, adding to the tension with both depressing and fist-pumping moments. The stakes in this book have been realistically and exponentially increased, so there is never a moment where I felt the characters were safe or powerful enough to easily take down threats, especially with the new information that is provided about major players in this war. There are mini-climaxes at regular intervals, meaning a lot of important stuff happened regularly and kept the plot moving. On the whole, an amazing third entry that I have pretty much no issues with, and I’ll be eagerly awaiting the fourth book’s release.

Absolutely flawless!!! A new favorite author and series. At this point I’m convinced this author can do no wrong.

Demon in White was incredible.<br />I think we often think of books on a spectrum, with one side being thought provoking, and theme driven, with the other being page turning adventure.<br /><br />Demon in White is one of the books that prove those aren't mutually exclusive.<br /><br />Obviously can't talk about specifics, but this book covers a ton of ground, war, battle, and chaos, politics, and scheming, interpersonal conflicts, and and even research, revelations, and lore. It manages to be amazing in the personal, quiet scenes, and the epic scenes.<br /><br />all of it was done fantastically.<br /><br />Hadrian as a character really stepped it up in my opinion. The years begin to weight on him, and we as the reader feel that weight. He would probably now be among my favorite protagonists in the genre. <br /><br />We get introduced to some new characters, and some vastly exceeded my expectations.<br /><br />Ruocchio can still write like very few people, and his prose is even better here. It is so grand, intense, and immersive. This is the type of book that almost made me miss my bus stop a couple times because I was too immersed in the book. He manages to make his writing beautiful, without sacrificing clarity, as all my favorite prose writers do. His prose is not obtuse, I don't need to read descriptions of settings or actions multiple times to understand there meaning.<br /><br />Demon in White is among my favorite books of all time. If I was going to find some room for improvement it would be in some of the side characters. There might be a couple people Hadrian met in book 1, or between book 1 and book 2, whose actions and history have blended together. The book still has fantastic side characters as a whole, and funnily enough there are a whole new group of side characters who all look similar, and I felt they were more distinctive.<br /><br />Overall, the review is that you should read Sun Eater, and if you quit because you thought it was a NotW rip off after the first third of EoS, then I implore you to give it another chance, it is soooo good.<br />9.5/10

Considering how I felt about <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/41564599.Howling_Dark__Sun_Eater___2_" title="Howling Dark (Sun Eater, #2) by Christopher Ruocchio" rel="noopener">Howling Dark</a>, my expectations for Demon in White were accordingly moderated. As it turns out, I quite enjoyed Demon in White.<br /><br />It seems that Ruocchio has finally found his stride. He's more experienced, so the writing has a polish that was lacking in <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/36454667.Empire_of_Silence__Sun_Eater___1_" title="Empire of Silence (Sun Eater, #1) by Christopher Ruocchio" rel="noopener">Empire of Silence</a>. He also seems to have figured out the pacing issues that plagued the overly bloated and often self-absorbed <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/41564599.Howling_Dark__Sun_Eater___2_" title="Howling Dark (Sun Eater, #2) by Christopher Ruocchio" rel="noopener">Howling Dark</a>. What's left? A steadily paced and detailed story that nicely moves the overall epic forward.<br /><br />Marlowe is becoming more mature and likeable. I love his loyalty and devotion to Valka, and to his longtime friends and fellow officers. I liked the development with the Quiet and the foundation provided to explain the true nature of Marlowe's gift for self-preservation.<br /><br />Honestly when I started this I was sort of dreading it a little, but it turned out to be the best book of the series so far.

<strong>Absolutely Epic Science Fiction </strong><br /><br />The Demon in White approaches 800 pages, but it's so good, the reader finishes it wanting the next thousand page tome in this series - now. The third novel in this science fiction series begins with palace intrigue so deadly and dangerous that even Hadrian the Half-Mortal thinks he might just be safer in the heat of battle. <br /><br />Much of the story has Hadrian and Valka and the rest of Red Company digging through ruins or ensconced in study in an ancient library. Nevertheless, for those looking for breathtaking ferocious battle, it's all here, nastier, dirtier, bloodier, and more terrifying. On the way, the legend of Hadrian grows as the royals fear he is on his way to becoming so powerful that even the throne will fall to him. <br /><br />Balanced against fierce battles against mankind's greatest enemies - the kind that views humans as cattle to be slaughtered for dinner -- are mystical questions about fate and coincidence and free will and what forces are out there beyond history. Whose tool is Hadrian and who does he serve? And whose tools are the enemies? The fate of the universe just may hang in balance. <br /><br />This is a tremendous spacefaring series that gets better and better with each volume.

This was probably the best book I've read so far in 2021. It's hard to talk about why without spoilers since it is the 3rd book in a series (The Sun Eater btw), but I'll try.<br /><br />When I read Empire of Silence, book 1 in the series, last year I thought it was good with excellent prose, but it was clearly a debut novel. Some things about it like the pacing and character interactions dragged it down a bit, and it was clearly a book 1 in a series where our characters are fairly young and it takes a while to set things up and put them in motion. You start to get some really good payoff for those things in Howling Dark, book 2, where the series goes to another level and takes some unexpected turns. However, in book 3, Demon in White, you really see the series come into its own and it finally becomes the epic space opera you cannot get enough of. This is a big book at over 700 hard back pages, but the pacing and reveals are so good I never had a problem hitting over 100 pages a day. Often I just couldn't put it down, and when I did put it down I was thinking about what I had read.<br /><br />This book was on fire from page 1. The pacing is excellent with some sections running a break-neck pace while others giving us some room to breathe and characters time to reflect. The characters and relationships are at the best they have been in the series. And finally there are just some elements that when a book has them it's going to be an automatic 5 stars for me. This book pretty much has them all. <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="fe94738f-9ca2-406f-b941-0979ee9f3914" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="fe94738f-9ca2-406f-b941-0979ee9f3914">Hidden knowledge, secret archives, ancient lore that relates to our own present, vicious and scary alien overlords, trippy time travel elements, and yes by god a freakin' siege on a foreign planet in outer space.</label> Along with all of those story-telling elements I love the climax of this book is one of the best I've read. The last 10-15 chapters compare favorably to the best "Sanderlanche" Sanderson has ever written. It left me breathless and wanting more. Thankfully I have some short stories I can read to tide me over until 2022 and the release of Kingdoms of Death.<br /><br />With the conclusion of Demon in White this now makes the list of my all time favorite series. I sincerely hope more people discover and read it.

10/10<br /><br />The best sci fi book I have ever read. Bring on Kingdoms of Death!

Even better the 2nd time. My favorite sci fi book of all time. It has everything.

Thanks to Netgalley for giving me access to this ARC.<br /><br />OMFG this book. If you have follow me for a while you know I LOVE the Sun Eater series, but all of them have like a diferent tone, and omg, this one. IT EVEN HAS LIKE SPACE HORROR??. I literally don't want to say anything because it's a third book on a series, but really if you have never tried this series. DO IT. I want the future of science fiction x fantasy to look like this. Hadrian is just such an incredible character, his growth is unbelievable. <br />In conclusión, I just need more Christopher Roucchio. <br /><br />Video review will be added later.