Empire of SilenceEmpire of Silence
Score Modern
What it's about
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. Christopher Ruocchio's space opera follows the making of a legend.
Why it's worth reading
It opens the Sun Eater series, a favorite of fans of sweeping, literary space opera.
You'll love it if you liked
Dune
Red Rising
The Name of the WindGood to know
It's long and slow to start, told as a memoir. It's the first of a long series.
By the numbers
- Readers46 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller37 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #196 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #298 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #1068 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1978 of the 2,816 books we rank
Reads as
Adventurous, Epic
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All Systems RedExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →Quick answers
Is Empire of Silence worth reading?
Yes. It opens the Sun Eater series, a favorite of fans of sweeping, literary space opera. It ranks #1,978 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 64.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Empire of Silence about?
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. Christopher Ruocchio's space opera follows the making of a legend.
How long does it take to read Empire of Silence?
About 20 hours (800 pages), or about 6 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Empire of Silence?
If you liked it, try Dune by Frank Herbert, Red Rising by Pierce Brown or The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.

















