Queen Amid Ashes: A Tale of the Sun Eater Hardcover – April 26, 2024

Queen Amid Ashes by Christopher Ruocchio - 2.6 in The Sun Eater series - the novellas that uplift the main series novelsChallenging, dark, informative, mysterious,reflective, sad, and tense.Medium-pacedPlot- or character-driven? PlotStrong character development? It's complicatedLoveable characters? It's complicatedDiverse cast of characters? NoFlaws of characters a main focus? Yes4.5 StarsThe story of Lady Gadar Malyan was interesting to witness. What happened on Thagura is sad, and it is interesting to see how the "justice" of the Emperor is executed.Reading about how this investigation happened and how this story really is Game of Thrones in a Science Fiction setting...with a Dune weight to the history over the ages.In saying this, the following was actually really interesting to read, which I thought I'd be bored at, but not so...it was crafted and relayed very well.The history of House Marlowe is also an additive to the overall understanding of where Hadrian was raised from.I will be reading the Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 1, soon.

While I did enjoy Queen Amid Ashes for what it was, as another story to read about Hadrian. This, to me, is the weakest of the series so far, but it’s also hard to live up to the high praise I’ve had for each installment of this series. QAA still has that same incredible prose that makes it so easy to consume, while also keeping that dark and tense story-telling that, even in these novellas, Ruocchio does such a phenomenal job of sucking me in to the story. I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, but I have a feeling that the events of this story are essential to the rest of the story, and may lead to some bigger problems for Hadrian down the road.“With every threshold we cross we become someone new, for every place is new, and every hour, and with every moment we are changed. We may not step in the same river twice, nor with the same feet.”I loved the fast-paced feel to this as the story and all of its secrets started to unfold as Hadrian and his crew battle Cielcin and uncover what more has happened on Thagura before their arrival. Though the new characters introduced were intriguing to say the least, there wasn’t much on the side of new or further character development with Had, the crew or the new characters that I’m used to seeing from Ruicchio. Even though Ruocchio hooked me and Samuel Roukin put on another great performance, there was just something about this that was more “it was good” than “it was great.” Still a very solid entry that I do feel might be a requirement to read.

Despite being a novella, this is probably my favorite Sun Eater content so far. Any and all fans of the series should absolutely not skip this one before reading Book 3!Although my enjoyment was definitely heightened by having previously read Books 1 and 2 in the saga, I do think that you could start here if you wanted to get a taste of this world and Ruocchio's writing. I don't -recommend- going that route (the whole series is great!), but this story can stand alone.It follows the protagonist of the main series, Hadrian Marlowe, as he leads his fleet to rescue a relatively minor, backworld planet of the human Empire that has requested aid after having been attacked by the alien Cielcin - the villains of the series. However, things there are not quite as they seem, to say the least.In less than 200 pages, we learn much more about the Cielcin, humanity and its place in the universe, Hadrian and his crew, and Hadrian himself. The story is written beautifully and went in genuinely surprising directions while still ending very satisfactorily.The truth is, this is one of the best and most compelling novellas I have ever read.The series so far has not been without a few minor flaws (mostly pacing issues), but I can find no faults with this novella. It is outstanding.Highly recommended for fans of Science Fantasy (like Dune or Star Wars), and fans of 1st Person POV!

I enjoyed this story that takes place after Howling Dark, but not as much as the previous novella, The Lesser Devil, nor Howling Dark itself. Do not misunderstand me, this story has exquisite writing and wonderful storytelling and should most certainly be read as an integral part of the Sun Eater series. Christopher Ruocchio is an outstanding writer and everyone should be reading this series!!

Ruocchio puts as much work and beauty in his short stories as he does his novels. This must be the mark of a true artist. This story made me think about what justice means. More than a simple sci to book. This author is truly brilliant.

Super interesting story right from the start, and it made me eager to get through the novella and pick up book 3. Then around 65% through, the story ends and we are instead given a historical recounting of the entirety of House Marlowe. I still haven’t managed to finish it, though I have finally made it to the modern section of it.I really can’t overstate how disappointing it is. It’s also written from a neutral perspective - maybe it would’ve been more interesting if narrated by Hadrian. I think it’s great that the author has constructed such elaborate world/lore-building, but this kind of info dump belongs on a wiki page, not in a novella.I’m being generous with my 3/5 rating - it would’ve probably been 4.5 without the dregs, but here we are.

For a novella I was pretty intrigued and it was a cool little story. Data dump at the end was a little much though.

The short stories Ruoccio writes help tide me over between the main installments of his series. The pacing is excellent, the writing lyrical, and the story captivating. The short stories help flesh out Hadrian Marlowe's character and serve as additional background for the series. Ruoccio is a young man still. Younger than me. To see writing of this quality from him at his current age makes me excited to see how he develops over time. Well done, Christopher Ruoccio!

I am totally loving the Sun Eater series, compelling characters, epic scope and easily consumed prose (though I do find myself consulting a dictionary frequently for some of the Greek/Roman terminology) QoA is an excellent addition to the main series