Source: Goodreads

Book Review: Empire of Silence

I picked up Empire of Silence because 2 To Ramble and Smitty recommended it and, honestly, because the title goes unbelievably HARD. Empire of Silence sounds like the kind of book that promise a grand worldbreaking adventure. The title alone was enough to get me interested.

The book follows Hadrian Marlowe, a man who tells his own story from the future, long after everything has already gone wrong. He frames himself as a legendary figure, someone history will not judge kindly. That setup is unique, and it signals that this is a slow kind of science fiction rather than an action-heavy one such as Red Rising (my favourite, BTW).

That said, the book very much feels like a prologue. A long one at that. Most of the story is about setup, background, and positioning Hadrian for something much bigger that has not arrived yet. You can feel the real story waiting just beyond the end of this book. At times, that works. At other times, it feels like the book is clearing its throat for several hundred pages.

As a character-driven reader, Hadrian himself is a mixed bag for me. He is intelligent and thoughtful, but also deeply whiny. Very whiny. He spends a lot of time complaining about his circumstances, his expectations, and his lack of freedom, even when he is very privileged. I understand that this is intentional and part of his arc, but it does make me feel I hate the protagonist.

Where the book shines is in its ambition. The universe feels large, old, and layered with history. Politics, religion, and empire are clearly meant to matter in a long-term way. Christopher Ruocchio is playing a very long game here, I believe.

In the end, I did not dislike Empire of Silence, but I also did not love it. It feels like the opening move rather than a complete novel. If you want an action-packed story, this book may test your patience, as it did mine.

I will continue the series, but more out of curiosity. The empire is truly silent for now. I am still waiting to hear it speak.

3/5