Eric Appelbaum
Wow, what a book. Howling Dark has me completely rethinking how I felt about the first book in Christopher Ruocchio's The Sun Eater series. What I had expected to be this hard sci-fi space opera has taken a turn for the more mystical, the more mysterious, and frankly the series is so much better for it. It brings an identity and character to the world that had been lacking previously. This is definitely a series where a 1 book litmus test isn't enough to understand whether or not it's for you.
Hadrian Marlow starts to shed his optimistic idealism from Empire of Silence, and you see the beginnings of the Hadrian Marlow who killed a sun and the Cielcin with it. The events Hadrian experiences over the course of Howling Dark and how he changes from them are as gripping as they are heartbreaking at times. Its a credit to Ruocchio that I felt many of these emotions right along with him.
The surrounding cast also come into their own. Hadrian's sense of purpose allowed me to get more attached to the surrounding cast. In Empire of Silence, Hadrian felt like a passenger for much of the book, and the people around him just passing scenery. It required future Hadrian to indicate who was important, who was worth being invested in. Howling Dark is different, these are the people Hadrian chose to be around, and it is that choice that brings gravity the events of the novel therein.
To talk of themes; due to the nature of The Sun Eater series as a future of Earth sci-fi, it draws heavily on the classics. It helps to be well read, though Ruocchio does provide some helpful explanations given that Hadrian Marlowe is writing for an audience who might not be as familiar or educated with Classical English as he. True to his melodramatic self, Hadrian waxes poetic, drawing the parallels between his own situation and the classics, which gives a very interesting take to some of the sci-fi themes the genre is known for.
The plot progression of Howling Dark has a clearer through line, even if some of the changes and events are much more drastic. Where this novel takes you is an absolute treat, and I can say that I must see where Ruocchio brings this story to it's conclusion, because even though we might know where it ends, the journey is well worth it.
Wow, what a book. Howling Dark has me completely rethinking how I felt about the first book in Christopher Ruocchio's The Sun Eater series. What I had expected to be this hard sci-fi space opera has taken a turn for the more mystical, the more mysterious, and frankly the series is so much better for it. It brings an identity and character to the world that had been lacking previously. This is definitely a series where a 1 book litmus test isn't enough to understand whether or not it's for you.
Hadrian Marlow starts to shed his optimistic idealism from Empire of Silence, and you see the beginnings of the Hadrian Marlow who killed a sun and the Cielcin with it. The events Hadrian experiences over the course of Howling Dark and how he changes from them are as gripping as they are heartbreaking at times. Its a credit to Ruocchio that I felt many of these emotions right along with him.
The surrounding cast also come into their own. Hadrian's sense of purpose allowed me to get more attached to the surrounding cast. In Empire of Silence, Hadrian felt like a passenger for much of the book, and the people around him just passing scenery. It required future Hadrian to indicate who was important, who was worth being invested in. Howling Dark is different, these are the people Hadrian chose to be around, and it is that choice that brings gravity the events of the novel therein.
To talk of themes; due to the nature of The Sun Eater series as a future of Earth sci-fi, it draws heavily on the classics. It helps to be well read, though Ruocchio does provide some helpful explanations given that Hadrian Marlowe is writing for an audience who might not be as familiar or educated with Classical English as he. True to his melodramatic self, Hadrian waxes poetic, drawing the parallels between his own situation and the classics, which gives a very interesting take to some of the sci-fi themes the genre is known for.
The plot progression of Howling Dark has a clearer through line, even if some of the changes and events are much more drastic. Where this novel takes you is an absolute treat, and I can say that I must see where Ruocchio brings this story to it's conclusion, because even though we might know where it ends, the journey is well worth it.
