Empire of Silence

One thing this book certainly isn't is silent! The first book in what looks to be an epic sci-fi space opera. I have been seeing this book likened to Patrick Rothfuss ‘The Name of The Wind' and I can definitely see that vibe here, in both the story telling style and structure, and it is hard not to make comparisons between the two. It uses the ‘older main character as narrator' style, chronicling his life to date. The ‘Sun Eater' part of the chronicle is definitely not dealt with in this first book (much like there has yet to be any king killing in Rothfuss' books).

For such a sprawling scope, the novel stays relatively small scale and personal. The action is confined to just 2 planets in a vast galaxy. You get introduced to a myriad of different cultures and plenty of other worlds are referenced, so there is a lot of world building involved here.This is not a short book, and some of the world building is a bit slow at times, but the pay off is worth while with a vast and extremely detailed universe. The quasi-religious anti-technology Luddites that seem to control the empire in which the book is set have a faint echoes of some of the more extreme religious sects of today, but it seems an agenda strangely at odds with the star-faring society. It creates an almost medieval/ancient culture with gladiatorial combat to the death and near serfdom for most of the population. The distinct class stratification is brutal and a strong focus in the story.

Ultimately this is an engaging story, both broad and narrow in its viewpoint. A sprawling space opera that focuses in on the intimate details. A study in contrasts and a very promising start to a book series