Book Review: Howling Dark (The Sun Eater, #2) by Christopher Ruocchio
This review is a copy of the transcript of my video review on Howling Dark.
Cover art illustrated by Kieran Yanner
Howling Dark by Christopher Ruocchio
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Series: The Sun Eater (Book #2 of 7)
Genre: Sci-fi, Space Opera, Science Fantasy
Word Count: 264,000 words
Pages: 679 pages (Hardcover edition)
Published: 16th July 2019 by DAW Books
Philosophical, bizarre, sprawling, and epic. Howling Dark outshined the already stunning Empire of Silence.
“The poets say that one’s fears grow less with trial, that we become men without fear if tried enough. I have not found it to be so. Rather, on each occasion we are tested, we become stronger than our fears. It is all we can do. Must do. Lest we perish for our failings.”
Loss.
I’m at a loss witnessing how proficient Christopher Ruocchio is in the art of storytelling. When I posted my review of Empire of Silence three weeks ago, many viewers of mine mentioned they’re confident I would love Howling Dark and the third book in the series, Demon in White, even more. Both Howling Dark and Demon in White are often deemed as the best volumes of the series. I was both excited and slightly unsure whether that would come to fruition. I loved Empire of Silence very much, and it instantly became an immediacy for me to read Howling Dark to find out whether it would surpass it. Also, before you ask me, I have read the short novel in-between first, The Lesser Devil, which, by the way, is an action-packed short novel that made me even more impatient to read Howling Dark because I miss reading Hadrian’s slow-burn narration. And a week after I finished reading The Lesser Devil, I read Howling Dark. Here we are. So… was it indeed a superior book compared to Empire of Silence? Unbelievably, I will have to concur. All of you were right about this. Again. And before this year is over, one of my goals is to read Demon in White. But before that, here is my review of Howling Dark.
“No, no. I only mean that you can be too free. That’s chaos. You have to have a goal to aim at and to orient yourself to. Imore says the properly lived life is one which draws the best path between that goal—who you could become—and who you are today, but that this is accomplished by sacrificing certain freedoms. By making choices.”
Howling Dark is the second novel in The Sun Eater series by Christopher Ruocchio, and it continues the chronicle of Hadrian Marlowe. But do not expect the story to begin directly after the ending of Empire of Silence. Hadrian is lost. For half a century, Hadrian 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: The Red Company. Determined to make peace and bring an end to nearly four hundred years of war, Hadrian must venture beyond the security of the Sollan Empire and among the Extrasolarians who dwell between the stars. If he succeeds, he will usher in a peace unlike any in recorded history. If he fails…the galaxy will burn.
“True lessons require not only knowing, but that the student practices his knowledge again and again. Thus knowledge becomes us, and we become more than the animal and the machine. That is why the best teachers are students always, and the best students are never fully educated. I had forgotten Gibson’s lesson for a moment, but stood a little straighter, shouldering as a pack my grief, my regret and self-loathing.”
Yes, the story in Howling Dark begins decades after the conclusion of Empire of Silence. With time jumps as relatively big as this, it can understandably take a while to get used to the reintroduction of Hadrian and his friends (both new and old) in a brand-new setting and storyline. Initially, there were a few moments in the first 100 pages where it felt like I missed reading a book, especially regarding Hadrian’s relationship with a new character named Jinan. But rest assured, if you feel the same way I did, this is intentional. Maybe Ruocchio plans to fill the interval someday with a novella or two, but you have not missed reading a book. Ruocchio gradually fills in the details efficiently so readers can understand the key events within the time gap. And it did not take long for me to feel immersed in Ruocchio’s exquisite writing again. Even though it has only been three weeks since I reviewed Empire of Silence, it felt good to be back with Hadrian, Valka, Bassander Lin, Switch, Pallino, and the world again.
“Were I still the boy I’d been, I would have said she owed me for my mercy. But mercy that expects repayment is no mercy at all, nor is a friendship truly a friendship that stands on debt and gratitude.”
Ruocchio has built upon every groundwork established in Empire of Silence. We’re only two out of seven books into the series, but I can confidently say The Sun Eater series is already packed with characters that get under your skin. None of the characters ever felt like they behaved out of their personality, and the beautiful, wholesome, heartbreaking, and pulse-pounding scenes between Hadrian and the integral characters were palpable. In the first book, we see Hadrian’s moment of encounter with a few pivotal side characters like Valka, Switch, and Bassander Lin. The relationship between Hadrian and Valka was one of my favorite things about Empire of Silence, and I am pleased to say this trend perseveres in this book. I just loved reading about the slow-building chemistry they have with one another. But if I were asked which relationship development tugged at my heartstrings most in Howling Dark, my pick goes to Hadrian’s friendship with Switch. Their interaction and development made me emotional, simple as that. If you have read Howling Dark, you have the luxury of foresight to know what I’m talking about.
“Sad is like a big ocean, and you can’t breathe deep down. You can float on it, you can swim a little, but be careful. Grief is drowning. Grief is deep water.”
And then, there’s the rivalry with the Phoenix, Bassander Lin. A man who obeys every order and law, even against his own emotion. Bassander Lin was a character that did not have many spotlights in Empire of Silence, but the teasers Ruocchio included there ensured I should pay attention to this character, and in Howling Dark, it has paid off. And I have no doubt this notion will run through the rest of the series. Hadrian’s clash of morality and ideals with Bassander Lin is one of the finest aspects of the novel, and I loved everything about it. Additionally, there’s also the dispute against the Cielcin and the introduction of a new character I will not name—he’s the character on the front cover of Howling Dark illustrated by Kieran Yanner—that heightened the complexity and conflict of the series.
“A man is the sum of his memories—and more—he is the sum of all those others he has met, and what he learned from them. And that is an encouraging thought, for that knowledge and those memories survive and are part of us through every storm, and every little death.”
In a way, it can be argued that Ruocchio employed a similar storytelling and progression structure from Empire of Silence in Howling Dark. The first quarter of Empire of Silence was about introducing Hadrian and his family, and Hadrian eventually arrived at Borosevo. Most of the plotline in Empire of Silence took place in Borosevo. At the end of Empire of Silence, a negotiation or interrogation scene relying on the power of language and translation transpired. These are, more or less, the same in Howling Dark. However, you would be sorely mistaken to think the similar story structure or progression entails duplicate content of its predecessor. Howling Dark is a different form of threatening beast.
“Deep truths there may be, but none is deeper than this: Those lost to us do not return, nor the years turn back. Rather it is that we carry a piece of those lost to us within ourselves, or on our backs. Thus ghosts are real, and we never escape them.”
It is so bizarre at times, terrifying, ruthless, and undeniably more epic. Ruocchio vividly painted the oppressive darkness of space and space travel with his writing. Space travel and space opera are often depicted as glorious, but immersed in these great stories, I cannot shake the chilling fear of being lost in the infinite obsidian outside our dominion when I imagine space travel. This is one of many examples in Howling Dark regarding how Ruocchio wrote space opera series incredibly well in Howling Dark. Even the passage of time caused by the usage of fugue is not a trivial matter. And we haven’t even accounted for the incomprehensible extraterrestrial creatures, like the Cielcin in this series, and the harrowing evil of both man and Cielcin into the equation.
“Evil is older than we, other than we—or is greater than, extending back and forward across all of conscious Time. Reader, there are other devils than Man. And by our evolved reason we may be sure of understanding human devils only.”
Following up on the lore and world-building teased in Empire of Silence, I absolutely enjoyed the expansion of the grandiose scope in Howling Dark. If you have read Empire of Silence, this should not come as a surprise. This is expected, and Ruocchio delivered. The world-building in Howling Dark is extraordinary and intricately designed. Without going into spoiler-territory, we learn more about the Golden Age of Earth, the Mericanii, daimons, androids, robots, and cyborgs of the series. These and the inclusion of the horror elements exponentially escalate the large-scale setting of The Sun Eater series while also making sure Howling Dark is a different book to Empire of Silence. As I said, Howling Dark contains many bizarre scenes. If you think you would succeed at predicting everything going on in Howling Dark, then I applaud your confidence.
“We believe our fear destroyed by new bravery. It is not. Fear is never destroyed. It is only made smaller by the courage we find after. It is always there.”
Journey before destination. The devil is in the details. We might have known that Hadrian would become The Sun Eater at the end of the series, but the flow and all the intricacies of Hadrian achieving his many titles remain unpredictable to me. And Howling Dark is another proof of why I am resilient in voicing my opinion that prophecies or visions are not detrimental to the storytelling quality in science fiction and fantasy. Same with every trope, it all depends on execution. How the author operates the tropes in their story matters the most. And in my opinion, the usage of visions in Howling Dark was total brilliance. The plot is unpredictable. The tone of the series is darker. The ugliness of the world does not fade. The mystery of The Quiet thickens with certainty. Hadrian will have to rely on his companions, hand-in-hand, to fight against the overpowering darkness and death. And I am excited to read further into the series.
“It is said that Death herself was present at the first summoning of that nuclear fire, and that she had smiled in her lipless way and pronounced that she was mighty then, mighty enough to destroy worlds and not only nations. The magi who had summoned her quailed, and wrung their hands, and wept for the evil they had done, but did it all the same—for ever are magi so consumed by the question of whether a thing can be done that they ignore the matter of whether or not it should until it is too late, being the sort who sells his soul for knowledge, forgetting it is the soul which craves that knowledge in the first place and makes life worth living.”
From cover to cover, Howling Dark hooked and impressed me. Each page, each paragraph, and each chapter only gets better and better. And let me tell you this: the page-turning slow-burn narrative in Howling Dark has an unquestionably explosive payoff. This is a magnificent example of a large-scale space opera series done right. If you read Empire of Silence and expect battle-filled concluding chapters, you will get what you seek in Howling Dark. The last 100 pages of this novel were utterly breathtaking and intense. I did not expect the series to reach this level of intensified carnage and high-stakes dialogues, not this soon, and I am grateful for it.
“The greater part of war, I think, is such forgotten acts of heroism. You sing your songs of Hadrian Halfmortal, of the Phoenix of Perfugium, of other heroes, but I tell you we are nothing, nothing next to those ordinary men who lay down their lives—who are not ordinary at all.”
I read the 100 pages long climax sequences of Howling Dark in one sitting. It was impossible to put down. The instrumental negotiations and unrelenting chaos imbued with twists and turns were superbly engaging. The glowing shard of ice of the highmatter swords acted as a command of control in the stained red and black encapsulated domain. Will the swordsman or the poet triumph as the orators in the inevitable traversal of madness brimming with harsh decisions, treasons, horror, cruelty, and violence? Read and find out for yourself. But as all hell breaks loose in the Demonic’s dreadnought, we readers will witness the details of the birth of one of Hadrian’s many titles. And as if seeing clearly through the eyes of the characters in The Sun Eater, I do not think I will ever forget this iconic scene penned in Howling Dark.
“The answer was within. Within the structure of literature, of art and meaning that we humans had raised about ourselves like an ark, a curtain wall to block out the waters of chaos and the world. That is why we pray, why we build great temples and write great books: to ask great questions and to live—not by the answers, for such questions are unanswerable—but by the noble process of seeking those answers, that we might stand tall and struggle on.”
Love.
“To love is in part the attempt to become a creature worthy of love.” Amidst the darkness, war, brutality, and violence, I believe Howling Dark is, at its core, a story about love, loyalty, friendship, duty, choices, hope, and seeking peace. Light cannot exist without darkness, and vice versa, after all. To wrap this review up, Howling Dark is simply one of the best sci-fi novels written and published. I loved everything about it immensely. I already adored Empire of Silence, and somehow, Ruocchio managed to turn Howling Dark into a greater volume. My addiction to The Sun Eater has grown stronger. And although I am only two books into the series, The Sun Eater has become one of my favorite ongoing series. And the ending of Howling Dark was tremendously satisfying. Hadrian’s journey toward Gododin, toward light and fire, is one step closer. My list of books to read is not getting shorter, but I don’t feel burdened in making the chronicle of Hadrian Marlowe one of my paramount series to read. Ruocchio is two-for-two now. I will read Demon in White soon and find out whether Ruocchio will achieve a hattrick of favorite books on my list with the first three novels of The Sun Eater series.
“ We are not always the authors of our own stories. Some of us never are. I think that is what we struggle for: the command of our own lives. We struggle against our families, against the state, against nature, against our own weakness. All that we might choose for ourselves, if only for a moment.”
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