Christopher Ruocchio

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 navigate 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.

CAN THE YOUNGEST SON OF A NOBLE HOUSE SAVE HIS FAMILY FROM A PLOT GENERATIONS IN THE MAKING? Crispin Marlowe grew up in his brother’s shadow, but Hadrian is gone, and his grandmother—the duchess of Delos—is dying. Answering her summons, Crispin takes off on what should be a routine flight to the ducal palace from the castle at Devil’s Rest. But he is flying into a trap. There are whispers of treachery among the duchess’s many daughters, rumors of hidden knives in the planet’s court . . . if he can even make it there. With no one coming to save him and only his sister, Sabine, and a few injured guardsmen to protect him, House Marlowe’s least famous son must make his heroic stand, and contend not only the foes arrayed against his house, but with the cultists who dwell in the mountains above his family’s ancestral home . . . . PRAISE FOR THE LESSER "A deep and vividly told story that promises an even larger epic in the main body of the series. It's science fiction in the vein and legacy of Dune with its own satisfying voice." – R.R. Virdi, Two-Time Dragon Award-Finalist, Nebula-Finalist, Amazon Bestselling Author PRAISE FOR CHRISTOPHER "Empire of Silence is epic science fiction at its most genuinely epic. Ruocchio has made something fascinating here, and I can't wait to see what he does next." —James S.A. Corey, New York Times-bestselling author of The Expanse novels “Empire of Silence is a rich tapestry of future history and worldbuilding, a galactic-sized story of a hero, a tyrant, but portrayed as a man.” —Kevin J. Anderson, New York Times-bestselling author of The Dark Between the Stars "Space opera fans will savor the rich details of Ruocchio’s far-future debut, which sets the scene for a complicated series.... Readers who like a slow-building story with a strong character focus will find everything they’re looking for in this series opener." —Publishers Weekly "Although stretched across a vast array of planets, the story line is often more focused on the intimate than on the expanse, giving it a wonderful emotional punch. This wow book is a must for fans of Pierce Brown and Patrick Rothfuss." —Library Journal (starred review)

The third novel of the galaxy-spanning Sun Eater series merges the best of space opera and epic fantasy, as Hadrian Marlowe continues down a path that can only end in fire.Hadrian has been serving the Empire in military engagements against the Cielcin, the vicious alien civilization bent on humanity's destruction. After Hadrian and his Red Company achieve a great victory, a cult-like fervor builds around him. However, pressures within the Imperial government scared of his rise to prominence result in an assassination attempt, luckily thwarted.With the Empire too dangerous to stay, Hadrian and his crew leave for a massive library on a distant world. There, he finds the next key to unlocking the secrets of the Quiet: a set of coordinates for their origin planet, unnamed and now lifeless. Hadrian's true purpose in serving in the military was to aid his search of a rumored connection between the first Emperor and the Quiet, the ancient, seemingly long-dead race linked to so many of Hadrian's extraordinary experiences. Will this mysterious lost planet have the answers?

The second novel of the galaxy-spanning Sun Eater series merges the best of space opera and epic fantasy, as Hadrian Marlowe continues down a path that can only end in fire. Hadrian Marlowe is lost. For half a century, he has searched the farther suns for the lost planet of Vorgossos, hoping to find a way to contact the elusive alien Cielcin. He has not succeeded, and for years has wandered among the barbarian Normans as captain of a band of mercenaries. Determined to make peace and bring an end to nearly four hundred years of war, Hadrian must venture beyond the security of the Sollan Empire and among the Extrasolarians who dwell between the stars. There, he will face not only the aliens he has come to offer peace, but contend with creatures that once were human, with traitors in his midst, and with a meeting that will bring him face to face with no less than the oldest enemy of mankind. If he succeeds, he will usher in a peace unlike any in recorded history. If he fails...the galaxy will burn.

The fourth novel of the galaxy-spanning Sun Eater series merges the best of space opera and epic fantasy, as Hadrian Marlowe continues down a path that can only end in fire. Hadrian Marlowe is trapped. For nearly a century, he has been a guest of the Emperor, forced into the role of advisor, a prisoner of his own legend. But the war is changing. Mankind is losing. The Cielcin are spilling into human space from the fringes, picking their targets with cunning precision. The Great Prince Syriani Dorayaica is uniting their clans, forging them into an army and threat the likes of which mankind has never seen. And the Empire stands alone. Now the Emperor has no choice but to give Hadrian Marlowe—once his favorite knight—one more impossible task: journey across the galaxy to the Lothrian Commonwealth and convince them to join the war. But not all is as it seems, and Hadrian’s journey will take him far beyond the Empire, beyond the Commonwealth, impossibly deep behind enemy lines.

The sixth novel of the galaxy-spanning Sun Eater series merges the best of space opera and epic fantasy, as Hadrian Marlowe continues down a path that can only end in fire. The end is nigh. It has been nearly two hundred years since Hadrian Marlowe assaulted the person of the Emperor and walked away from war. From his Empire. His duty. From the will and service of the eldritch being known only as the Quiet. The galaxy lies in the grip of a terrible plague, and worse, the Cielcin have overrun the realms of men. A messenger has come to Jadd, bearing a summons from the Sollan Emperor for the one-time hero. A summons, a pardon, and a plea. HAPSIS, the Emperor’s secret first-contact intelligence organization, has located one of the dreadful Watchers, the immense, powerful beings worshipped by the Pale Cielcin. Called out of retirement and exile, the old hero—accompanied by his daughter, Cassandra—must race across the galaxy and against time to accomplish one last, impossible To kill a god.

The fifth novel of the galaxy-spanning Sun Eater series merges the best of space opera and epic fantasy, as Hadrian Marlowe continues down a path that can only end in fire. The galaxy is burning. With the Cielcin united under one banner, the Sollan Empire stands alone after the betrayal of the Commonwealth. The Prophet-King of the Cielcin has sent its armies to burn the worlds of men, and worse, there are rumors...whispers that Hadrian Marlowe is dead, killed in the fighting. But it is not so. Hadrian survived with the help of the witch, Valka, and together they escaped the net of the enemy having learned a terrible truth: the gods that the Cielcin worship are real and will not rest until the universe is dark and cold. What is more, the Emperor himself is in danger. The Prophet-King has learned to track his movements as he travels along the borders of Imperial space. Now the Cielcin legions are closing in, their swords poised to strike off the head of all mankind.

THOUGH THE BATTLE TO SAVE HER PLANET IS OVER, THE WAR NEVER ENDS. Hadrian Marlowe is newly a knight of the galaxy-spanning Sollan Empire: a hero who they say slew the alien Prince Aranata Otiolo in single combat; a man they say no man or xenobite can kill. Acting on the Emperor’s orders, Hadrian has come to the desert planet Thagura and driven off the Cielcin invaders, rescuing in the process the Lady Gadar Malyan, Baroness of that entire world. But not all the fighting is ended. Pockets of inhuman resistance remain on the desert world, and Hadrian the Halfmortal must soon do battle with not only the man-eating alien barbarians, but with something just as terrible: man’s own inhumanity to man. PRAISE FOR CHRISTOPHER RUOCCHIO: "Empire of Silence is epic science fiction at its most genuinely epic. Ruocchio has made something fascinating here, and I can't wait to see what he does next." —James S.A. Corey, New York Times-bestselling author of The Expanse novels "Empire of Silence is a rich tapestry of future history and worldbuilding, a galactic-sized story of a hero, a tyrant, but portrayed as a man. " —Kevin J. Anderson, New York Times-bestselling author of The Dark Between the Stars "One hell of a writer." —Larry Correia, author of Monster Hunter International "Although stretched across a vast array of planets, the story line is often more focused on the intimate than on the expanse, giving it a wonderful emotional punch. This wow book is a must for fans of Pierce Brown and Patrick Rothfuss." —Library Journal (starred review)

Explore the Sun Eater Universe in this special, limited edition collection! A legendary hero. His all too human brother. A soldier tossed into battle against an inhuman foe. All these things and more are here! Collected for the first time ever in print, experience these eight shorter tales from the Sun Eater universe, including The Lesser Devil, a novel that thrusts Crispin Marlowe, a young nobleman, into a desperate battle for survival against an enemy hell-bent on destroying his family. In the others, a bounty hunter must fight to recover the most precious cargo of all, a priestess must sit in judgement over a witch for crimes against her own humanity, and a duelist must fight not only to save his own life, but to spare that of his enemy. And above it all, the legendary Hadrian Marlowe sets out on three separate adventures of his own! Contains: - The Lesser Devil - The Demons of Arae - Victim of Changes - Not Made For Us - The Night Captain - The Duelist - The Parliament of Owls - The Pits of Emesh

Second collection of stories set in Christopher Ruocchio's epic Sci-fi/Fantasy Sun Eater universe. Limited to 500 deluxe numbered editions and 52 lettered editions. 8 more shorter tales from the Sun Eater universe. Contains: - Queen Amid Ashes - The Dragonslayers - Fire in the Sky - Kill the King - Knowledge - Good Intentions - The Four Devils - House Marlowe of Delos: A Brief History

The fourth novel of the galaxy-spanning Sun Eater series merges the best of space opera and epic fantasy, as Hadrian Marlowe continues down a path that can only end in fire. Hadrian Marlowe is trapped. For nearly a century, he has been a guest of the Emperor, forced into the role of advisor, a prisoner of his own legend. But the war is changing. Mankind is losing. The Cielcin are spilling into human space from the fringes, picking their targets with cunning precision. The Great Prince Syriani Dorayaica is uniting their clans, forging them into an army and threat the likes of which mankind has never seen. And the Empire stands alone. Now the Emperor has no choice but to give Hadrian Marlowe--once his favorite knight--one more impossible task: journey across the galaxy to the Lothrian Commonwealth and convince them to join the war. But not all is as it seems, and Hadrian's journey will take him far beyond the Empire, beyond the Commonwealth, impossibly deep behind enemy lines.

This is the 7th and (seemingly) final book in The Sun Eater series. Book and title officially announced and confirmed by the author through his personal social media. More info and release date will be determined and announced at a later date.

RETURN TO THE WORLD OF THE SUN EATER IN THIS SPIN-OFF ADVENTURE SET AFTER THE EVENTS OF BOOK FIVE!For thousands of years, the icy planet of Belusha has served the galactic Sollan Empire as its most notorious prison planet. It is here the very worst men in the Empire are locked murderers, traitors, deserters—each condemned to toil on the oil rigs and scrapyards of the planet in bitter cold, preyed upon both by the men of the Martian Guard set to watch over them, and by the Outborn reavers whose fathers escaped the work camps to scratch a living from the icy wilderness.It is a hard world. A desperate world.And it is here that Lorian Aristedes finds alone; friendless; betrayed even by his own failing, mutant flesh. Is it here that Lorian Aristedes has been sentenced to work himself to death for the crime of abetting his master’s escape from Imperial justice.For any other man, it would be the end of his story…but for Lorian Aristedes—once the left hand of the Halfmortal, Hadrian Marlowe himself—it is only the beginning.

THOUGH THE BATTLE TO SAVE HER PLANET IS OVER, THE WAR NEVER ENDS.Hadrian Marlowe is newly a knight of the galaxy-spanning Sollan a hero who they say slew the alien Prince Aranata Otiolo in single combat; a man they say no man or xenobite can kill.Acting on the Emperor’s orders, Hadrian has come to the desert planet Thagura and driven off the Cielcin invaders, rescuing in the process the Lady Gadar Malyan, Baroness of that entire world.But not all the fighting is ended. Pockets of inhuman resistance remain on the desert world, and Hadrian the Halfmortal must soon do battle with not only the man-eating alien barbarians, but with something just as man’s own inhumanity to man.#PRAISE FOR CHRISTOPHER "Empire of Silence is epic science fiction at its most genuinely epic. Ruocchio has made something fascinating here, and I can't wait to see what he does next." —James S.A. Corey, New York Times-bestselling author of The Expanse novels"Empire of Silence is a rich tapestry of future history and worldbuilding, a galactic-sized story of a hero, a tyrant, but portrayed as a man. " —Kevin J. Anderson, New York Times-bestselling author of The Dark Between the Stars"One hell of a writer." —Larry Correia, author of Monster Hunter International"Although stretched across a vast array of planets, the story line is often more focused on the intimate than on the expanse, giving it a wonderful emotional punch. This wow book is a must for fans of Pierce Brown and Patrick Rothfuss." —Library Journal (starred review)

SIX STORIES FROM THE UNIVERSE OF THE SUN EATER WRITTEN BY INTERNATIONALLY AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR CHRISTOPHER RUOCCHIO AND COLLECTED HERE FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME. On a distant world, an assassin must kill a half-machine king. On another, a team of soldiers must save a princess from behind alien lines. Elsewhere in the galaxy, a young girl defies inhuman invaders to save her little brother... Here are more tales of our far future, of an age when man's empire is crumbling across the stars: a time of war, of great good, and greater evils. Here are further tales of the Sollan Empire and of the barbarians who dwell between its stars. Here are tales of strange, far worlds. Tales of battle, of desperation, and holy law. And here, too, are tales of a man who will change the fate and future of the galaxy as a whole. Tales of the Sun Eater, of Hadrian Marlowe himself. PRAISE FOR CHRISTOPHER RUOCCHIO: "Empire of Silence is epic science fiction at its most genuinely epic. Ruocchio has made something fascinating here, and I can't wait to see what he does next." —James S.A. Corey, New York Times-bestselling author of The Expanse

SEVEN STORIES FROM THE UNIVERSE OF THE SUN EATER WRITTEN BY AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR CHRISTOPHER RUOCCHIO AND COLLECTED HERE FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME. A new horror comes to a centuries-old war... A machine witch on trial for crimes against her own humanity... Pirates in the black of space… Here are tales of the far future, of a time where mankind reigns across the galaxy: a time of war, of great evil, and of greater heroes. Here are tales of the Sollan Empire, and of the barbarians who dwell in the cracks between its stars. Here are tales of strange, far worlds. Tales of battle, of desperation, and holy law. And here, too, are tales of a man who will change the fate and future of the galaxy as a whole. Tales of the Sun Eater, of Hadrian Marlowe himself.

Ce n'était pas sa guerre. La galaxie se rappelle le héros qui a éradiqué jusqu'au dernier Cielcin dans le ciel. Mais on se souvient aussi du monstre qui a détruit un soleil, oblitérant tant de vies humaines – dont celle de l'Empereur lui-même – en outrepassant ses ordres. Hadrian n'était pas un héros. Il n'était pas un monstre. Il n'était même pas soldat. Sur la mauvaise planète, au bon moment, pour les meilleures raisons, Hadrian Marlowe emprunte un chemin qui ne peut que très mal finir. Il échappe à son père et à un destin de tourmenteur, mais se retrouve prisonnier d'une planète étrange et reculée. Forcé de se battre dans l'arène et de se confronter aux intrigues d'une cour planétaire, Hadrian doit combattre pour un Empire qu'il n'aime pas, contre un ennemi qu'il ne comprendra jamais.