Howling Dark

Sun Eater, Book 2

By: Christopher Ruocchio

Narrated by: Samuel Roukin

Length: 28 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

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 400 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.

©2019 Christopher Ruocchio (P)2019 Recorded Books

I love this series and loved this book

The story is riveting, thought provoking, and even the narrators digressions are pure gold. The performance is top shelf and I'm anxiously awaiting the next books release!

It's a love hate rollercoaster

I'm all over the place with this series so far. Sometimes it's masterful then others it's flat annoying. Honestly I think the author will be great and this series if he can just show a little restraint.

The Main character is supposed to be melodramatic, as he even says he is himself, but where 3 flowery frivolous descriptors would be more than enough we get 6. The author takes melodramatic moments he has crafted and makes a caricature of them. It really gets tedious, I get it you are dramatic.

BUT here is where this series absolutely shines his it's depth and distortion of Earth history over time, words that have slightl changes in meaning and pronouncement. AND how the distorted history shaped the culture

You can tell that the author has studied language

Another fun ride, worth the credit

This one was a LITTLE less diverse in stories than the first but dont let it deter you, the lines that it follows are just as interesting. In some cases it even outshines the first book, with the characters reaching a more mature age in their lives and accepting the harsh reality of dealing with things as adults with HUGE responsibility looming over them. Was a fun ride once again.

This book is better than the original…

… in every way. I don’t want to give any spoilers so I’ll keep it light. He does find Vergosos (sp?) but what he finds there… well, you’ve got to listen for yourself. Read on.

The prose and the plot

I really disliked the start of the story where we started years after the last book left off with no explanation.

Good story, narrator has some quirks

Narrator did a passable job, but his strange pronunciations of common(ish) words was downright silly.

A proper sequel

Sequels always have this funny way of being black or white. Good or bad. This one was actually great. It fleshed characters moved our main character from being a complainer to a stoic hero with shadows in his past. 10/10

Amazing!

Great character work, wonderful plot. Feels like every book continues to improve! Great prose, a top 5 series for me.

Thoroughly engrossing

Another long book, that I hated to see end. Hadrian's story had my full attention with every passage of his long life's journey.
Hadrian is determined to make peace between the Empire and the Cielcin, but his quest takes him and his mercenaries into uncharted waters with a mediator that only lives in legend. He still holds his idealistic view that peace can be obtained, as he seems to by guided by a force unseen. As all things unfold though, man and creature alike have other ideas.
This story is so totally engrossing, because of the characters and the vast scope of the universe they are set in. As he tells his tale, I find myself visualizing every aspect of the narrative, the people, the creatures, the universe, with each twist and turn it's like being there with Hadrian, as he slowly realizes his path may not be his own.
Samuel Roukin gives an excellent narration, I look forward to listening to book 3.

"Kyle like dis book. All fives."

But honestly, this book I enjoyed more than the first as I felt this first book had to set the scene for the saga. This book got into the action very quickly and expanded the universe Ruocchio created giving even more depth, detail, and world building without boring the listener. I cannot wait to listen to his next book which is downloading as I type.