Teaser

For his role in the escape of Hadrian Marlowe, Lorian Aristedes has been condemned to live out his life on the prison world of Belusha. A hellscape from which no one has ever escaped . . .

Review

One of my favourite things in literature is a world that exists beyond a single series. No matter how engrossing a seven-book epic may be, I want to poke at the dark corners, follow the side characters, and visit those worlds the main character only mentions in passing. Often, the best way for an author to enable readers such as myself is to write short stories in the same setting. Christopher Ruocchio goes one step further, and writes short novels to support his main Sun Eater series. The Dregs of Empire is the third of these, and in this edition is accompanied by a number of short stories from the Sollan Empire setting.

Unlike previous stories, The Dregs of Empire is closely related to the mains tory. In fact, if you haven’t read Ashes of Man, then this story will a) spoil it for you, and b) not make much sense. It’s largely concerned with the personal fallout of Lorian’s actions at the end of that novel, and diving into his mindset as he faces those consequences. It also feels like it’s setting up events for the upcoming Disquiet Gods, which is precisely what I dislike seeing in side stories, but I’ll hold back on my judgement until I see the end result in a few months’ time.

The story itself is fairly straightforward. As soon a s a protagonist goes to prison, you know you’re in for an escape attempt. As always, the strength is Ruocchio’s prose, which brings home the sheer trauma and desperation of a prison planet, driving in at the personal and intimate anguish such an existence brings. There’s also a good look at how Belusha fits into the larger universe. What there is not, however, is any hint of the more fantastical aliments of recent Sun Eater novels, and The Dregs of Empire is all the stronger for their absence. Comparing Lorian’s imprisonment at human hands to Hadrian’s among the Cielcin in Kingdoms of Death, I have to declare that this is the far more interesting.

The short stories accompanying this story are in the keeping with the central theme of the Sollan Emprie’s more oppressive tendencies. In Mother of Monsters, we see how they seek to control all information regarding the Cielcin’s origins for reasons as political as they are religious. In The Archaenaut shows us the deep-rooted fear of the other that still governs first contact situations, while Daughter of Swords is a stark reminder of how even the greatest heroes can be broken if they oppose the Empire.

A collection as dark as it is vibrant, The Dregs of Empire and Other Stories fleshes out Ruocchio’s creation beyond the life of Hadrian Marlowe incredibly effectively. recommended reading for all Sun Eater fans, while the ‘other stories’ in particular are highly suggested reading for those who enjoy short stories.

Book Stats

• Tales of the Sun Eater (#3)
• Published in 2023 by Planet 9 Books
• 563 pages