Shadows Upon Time

By: Christopher Ruocchio

Narrated by: Samuel Roukin

Bloomsbury presents Shadows Upon Time by Christopher Ruocchio read by Samuel Roukin

The seventh and final novel of the galaxy-spanning series merges the best of space opera and epic fantasy, as Hadrian Marlowe at last lights the greatest fire humanity has ever seen.

The trumpet sounds.

The end has come at last. After his victory at Vorgossos, Hadrian Marlowe finds himself a fugitive, on the run not only from the Extrasolarians, but from his own people, the Sollan Empire he betrayed—and who betrayed him. Hidden safely beyond the borders of human space, Hadrian awaits the arrival of the one ally he has left: the Jaddian Prince Kaim-Olorin du Otranto.

What's more, the inhuman Cielcin have vanished, unseen for more than one hundred years. The armies of men have grown complacent, but Hadrian knows the truth: the Cielcin are gathering their strength, preparing for their final assault against the heart of all mankind.

Only Hadrian possesses the power to stem the tide: an ancient war machine, forged by the daimon machines at the dawn of time. The mighty Demiurge. With it, Hadrian must face not just the Cielcin horde, but their Prophet-King, and the dark gods it serves—the very gods who shaped the universe itself.

This must be.©2025 Christopher Ruocchio (P)2025 Recorded Books LLC

Critic reviews

PRAISE FOR THE SUN EATER SERIES:

'Space opera fans will savor the rich details... Readers who like a slow-building story with a strong character focus will find everything they're looking for' —Publishers Weekly

'With the scope of Dune and a confessional, first-person voice that puts us into the mind of a possible madman, this is space opera at its most riveting and grandiose' —B&N Book Review

'A craftsman of rare ability, Christopher Ruocchio lures you into a future filled with danger, action, irony, vaulting prose, and a few precious dollops of hope.' —David Brin

'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

'Epic-scale space opera in the tradition of Iain M. Banks and Frank Herbert's Dune, without being a clone of either of them. His is a welcome new voice in science fiction.' —Eric Flint

'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

'Packs in action and erudition in equal measure. This is a gripping first installment in a space opera that delivers both high-adrenaline thrills and hard-earned wisdom about the human spirit.' —D.J. Butler

'A richly imagined epic, briskly and vividly told.' —R.M. Meluch

'This wow book is a must for fans of Pierce Brown and Patrick Rothfuss."

A bit slow but a worthy ending

Too often Sci-fi or fantasy epics never end. So having an epic series of this scope be completed in a satisfying manor in less than a decade is a true miracle.

This final book did suffer a bit in pacing but the narration was good and the series as a whole is definitely worth a read.

The ending landed

The triple backflip this book is lands perfectly on its feet. Thank you Christopher Rucchio and Samuel Roukin, thank you

Smooth ending of the great series.

This series has issues with the first segment of the book – it’s simply not as engaging as the rest. The same was true in DQ, and it’s the case here as well. In this instance, it feels like the first 100–200 pages were cut from the end of the previous volume (but for some reason were moved to the next book, perhaps due to page limit constraints?). The real fun I was expecting before starting the book only begins after this rather substantial segment is over.

The book definitely has the most “wow” moments – moments that gave me goosebumps out of excitement, like when our protagonist barged in or handled someone in a badass way – though by the finale, you could see some of it coming.

I had some issues with a few supporting characters, especially one in particular – anyone who’s read it knows, as it’s been widely discussed on Reddit; it’s hard to miss. I also had some minor issues with the ending itself (but I won’t say more to avoid spoilers). Overall, though, I wish every series flowed as smoothly as this one. I’ll definitely be following the author’s future projects.

4.25/5