Newcomer Ruocchio kicks off his "Sun Eater" series with a work that is controlled and accomplished. Narrator Hadrian Marlowe is revered as a hero who destroyed the alien Cielcin and despised as a murderer for his role in the destruction of a sun that cost four billion lives, including that of the emperor. Yet he is neither but also both of those things. Hadrian is the son of a powerful palatine lord, and as the oldest, he's always assumed he was the heir. But his father has other plans. He decides instead to send Hadrian to the Chantry, the religious order that maintains strict controls against technological heresy, a fate Hadrian dreads. Hadrian's attempt to escape his destiny sets him on a course that will alter the universe. In this first of a projected ongoing series, the seeds of Hadrian's future are skillfully set. VERDICT The author, an assistant editor at Baen Books, pens an engrossing read that confidently blends action and political intrigue. 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.—Jane Jorgenson, Madison P.L., WI

Space opera fans will savor the rich details of Ruocchio's far-future debut, which sets the scene for a complicated series. The Earth is long dead, but humans have spread to many other planets, where they now practice a heavy-handed, dangerous religion. Humans are also at war with vicious aliens. In the frame story, protagonist Hadrian Marlowe, onetime presumed heir to an empire, explains why he is now waiting to be hanged in front of all the worlds. His is a gritty, bloody, mostly sad journey: he starts out wealthy and powerful, wakes up one day on a planet he's never heard of, is reduced to living in the streets, and eventually becomes a lord again. At times the heavy description and flashbacks reduce the momentum, and there's very little action—a bit surprising given the backdrop of interstellar war and religion-mandated torture—but readers who like a slow-building story with a strong character focus will find everything they're looking for in this series opener. Agent: Shawna McCarthy, McCarthy Agency. (July)