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 thereWith 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 DEVIL: "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 AuthorPRAISE 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 "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)
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Blending expansive galactic empire scale with dark fantasy and classic literary influences, the space opera sequence The Sun Eater presents a vast, dynastic chronicle set across an interstellar future. American writer Christopher Ruocchio gained widespread recognition in science fiction through this ambitious series, launching the universe with his debut novel Empire of Silence.
Born in North Carolina, Ruocchio developed an early devotion to storytelling and later studied English rhetoric and classics at North Carolina State University. His academic background in classical literature and rhetoric heavily shapes the formal tone, expansive worldbuilding, and intricate narrative structures found across his published work.
Before establishing himself as a full-time novelist, Christopher Ruocchio gained industry experience working as an assistant editor at Baen Books, where he co-edited four genre anthologies. His formal career as a published novelist began with Empire of Silence, which was awarded the 2019 Manly Wade Wellman Award. He followed this success with the second entry in his space opera series, Howling Dark, which earned a nomination for a 2020 Dragon Award. Residing in Raleigh, North Carolina, Ruocchio has continued to expand his grand interstellar saga through additional full-length novels—including Demon in White, Kingdoms of Death, Ashes of Man, Disquiet Gods, and the series entry Shadows Upon Time—alongside novellas and short story collections such as The Lesser Devil and Queen Amid Ashes.
Ruocchio's space opera fiction draws upon high-concept galactic empire settings while echoing literary predecessors such as Frank Herbert's Dune, Gordon R. Dickson's Dorsai series, and Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun. His writing style integrates first-person recollection, formal prose, and classical rhetoric with grand-scale interstellar conflict and dark fantasy elements. Themes of dynastic power, galactic commerce, personal catharsis, and religious or moral duty recur throughout his books, reflecting his classical studies and personal background.
The Sun Eater
