Why EMPIRE OF SILENCE is incredible! 🌑🐐 

Check out the book here: bookshop.org/a/89948/9780756419264

Hi Daniel! So glad you enjoyed the book--thanks for taking the time to read it. I hope you like the rest!

I've been telling folks since 2020. So glad others are finally discovering the best kept secret in science-fiction. Ruocchio is a wizard.

It's Rock-ee-oh. 😘 Haven't actually read this book yet but someone close to me seems to really like it, so idk. (Thanks for the glowing review! CR is on sabbatical from social media, but I made sure he saw this.)

There are endings, Reader, and this is one. If what I have done disturbs you, Reader, I do not blame you. If you would read no further, I understand. You have the luxury of foresight. You know where this ends. I shall go on alone. Always get chills when I read that

Glad you loved it, too, Daniel! I think it's amazing. Best sci-fi debut I've ever read, really.

I love how Hadrian’s height works as a metaphor for his privileged mindset. When it starts he mentions that he is short. so in my head I was like “oh okay he is like 5 foot 6 or something” but nope. He was just comparing himself to the rest of the palatine. He is actually way taller than most people. But he really focuses on how “short” he is when describing himself. Hadrian does this with everything. He is so focused on his own woes that he ignores the fact that he is better off than all of the lower class because of how he was born. He focuses on how much he is lacking in the patrician sense. Just a cool character detail I loved.

Christopher is also just such a cool dude. I'm from his home town so he does book readings and book signings at small book stores. Hearing him talk about his love of metal music and that influence on chapter titles is so much fun.

Great format for a book review. Loved. It. You are the master. And Crispin Richey wrote a damn fine book. One of my Sci-Fi favs

Just have to appreciate that Daniel was like "I have a pinched nerve so I am not going to go to hard" and then follows that with a 120 seconds of just pure unadulterated thirst for some fictional characters

That’s crazy, just started book two and wanted a recap of the first book which I read last year to see this video uploaded 15 minutes prior. It’s like Daniel was watching.. 👀

I ADORE that you've incorporated spoiler sections into your reviews. Hearing someone elses fleshed out thoughts on a book is what i crave when I finish a book myself. Going to be picking this one up to hear what you have to say later!

This book series is such an underrated gem. Easily one of the best books I've ever read. The second one, Howling Dark is even better too! My jaw was on the floor the entire time.

I’m really liking the new format of the book reviews. It’s been helping be able to see your mid book impressions which is often more important then final thoughts. Keep up the great work Goblin Lord!

Thank you so much for finally giving this criminally under known series some of the attention it deserves. Reflect on everything you said, then ask yourself what it means to you that the author sold this book at 18, if memory serves. He's simply an incredible author, and you haven't seen anything yet. Ruocchio himself has said he didn't learn to outline until book 2, and has been very up front that he basically had to gut and rewrite Empire of Silence in a short time at the request of his editor / publisher.

A full book review! Just what I needed! I love this style. I have missed the long form. I know those take a lot of time and effort. Thank you! This is exactly what my ADD brain needed. Time for chores while I listen!

Yessssss Suneater is excellent. Have fun in the Howling Dark

I'm glad you liked it so much, Daniel. I fell in love with this series a few months ago. It's now my favorite science fiction series.

oh my god, a book review. thank you for blessing me this day.

So glad that these books are getting shout-outs on bigger and bigger platforms. Author deserves it. Maybe we get a hardcover re-print :)

I'm so glad you loved the book as much as I did - it's a truly amazing series. The praise is so well deserved, and it's awesome to see it on a platform as big as yours. I can only recommend people to pick it up. Enjoy the subsequent books - they only get better!

Been shouting Ruocchio's name from rooftops for years now. Spent the last 6 months hunting down the entire series in hardcover and finally completed it. Can't recommend these books enough.

Sun-Eater ist hands down the best SciFi since a looong time. Not in the Red-Rising Action-fun-bonkersness way but simply in a writing-way. Also would really see a Convo between Daniel and Christopher👀 He's such a cool and intellectual guy to chat with about writing and books in general! Btw.: Ruocchio has never read Pierce Brown and also doesn't plan to until finishing Sun-Eater bc of the similarities often pointed out.

Learned his name pronunciation from Brian Lee Durfee. It's like Rock-ee-oh

Glad to see you get to this great book, hope you continue on with Suneater, they keep getting better

This was one of my favorite reads of the year. I’m so excited to read the rest of the series. This video was exactly what I needed to help me think through this book!

I literally finished this book last night and saw that you had posted a review - great timing! Definitely excited to go forward into this series more! One of my favourite reads of the year.

Love this series Mike's Book Reviews got me to check it out, glad its getting a spotlight! The author has a youtube channel thats worth looking at for updates

I'm glad you found this series! It was recommended to me from a friend and I was hooked in the same way you are, Hadrian is such a dynamic and charismatic character. I read the first book and binged through the rest bc I couldn't help myself, they only get better as they go along. Such emotion and despair ahead of you, I envy you reading them for the first time and look forward to your thoughts on these books.

Glad you enjoyed the book. Witnessing Hadrian's growth throughout the series can be exciting and at the same time heartbreaking. The second book really rewrite his character and purpose in a bittersweet way.

I never, and I mean NEVER clicked on a link so fast! I’m even typing this before pressing play! I’m that overjoyed that you finally got your hands on this masterpiece of a series! Okay off to watch the video! P.S. It will keep getting better and better btw! If you loved book 1, wait till you reach book 2 and goodness book 3!

Listened to this series a few months back, I really enjoyed the whole thing. It gets super dark! I really enjoyed how the translation became so important to the overall story. Please keep making content on this series.

I’m glad you finally got to this man. I’ve been waiting for your review of this!

I don't know if you noticed this, Daniel, but there are also a lot of nods to Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun, particularly with the use of very complex, fancy words that describe certain common occupations, like myrmidons and lictors: two words that were often used to great extent and significance in Wolfe's masterpiece, which happens to be yet another distant future epic.

If you are an Audible subscriber, Book 1, 1.5, and 2 are free to add to your library via the Plus Catalog.

Gibson was basically the single person Hadrian was close to in his entire childhood & youth. He’s filled with the wisdom of Gibson. He can’t shake him, he’s part of his mind and heart. He can’t quit Gibson.

You gotta read Book of the New Sun after this, it's a major influence on Ruocchio ( Wolfe in general really)

I sincerely hope you do a deep dive just like this video for every other book in the series. I just like you have temporarily ignored my TBR to read the rest of the series, and I'm loving it. I'm currently in the middle of book 2, and I plan on finishing the rest of the series before the year is over.

I started reading the sun eater series three weeks ago, now im currently reading the third book, holy hell its amazing. Howling dark, the second book is my favorite so far, cool battle scene, epic duel and some gruesome stuff !

So glad to see this series finally get the attention it deserves. This series for me is my absolute favorite since reading. can't wait to get your thoughts on the rest. Also noticing a lot of the same comparisons and similarities to red rising I was shocked to learn Rucchio had never actually read them.

It blows my mind this is the author's debut book. It is so amazing and I've been a long time fan of Christopher. I am so happy he is finally getting the recognition he deserves.

Dude. Howling Dark.

Very nice to see you do a deep dive into an epic series

Glad to see you doing single book reviews!!

I’m so glad you started reading Sun Eater! I’ve loved them all. And I agree they just get better and better!

So glad you read and gave such a thorough review. I just finished that book a couple weeks ago and loved it as much as you. Starting Howling Dark next week! Happy Thanksgiving!

And the series just keeps getting better. SO stoked this series is hitting the masses.

LOVE this style of video Daniel💙

Been waiting for this since I saw you fantasy news

You have so much more "growth" to look forward to... Seriously though, howling dark and demon in white are 2 of the best scifi books I've ever read.

Thank you for good book tip..I was looking for one desperately. I'm so excited.

Added to my tbr pile! Sounds like a heck of a read

I really wish Daniel would give Ryan Cahills a Bound and the Broken a read. Especially with how much influence from classics like WOT and LOTR he clearly shows.

I literally laughed aloud at my desk at work when the line “a you a walking literary cliche” and response “yes, ask anyone who knows me!” came up. Love the acknowledgment to the reader that Hade is a bit extra 😅

I remember like 4 years ago suggesting it in one of his streams and it obviously didn’t impact him finally getting to it but it’s awesome for him to finally check out this series!

Love that two of my favorite book tubers are *finally* reading this. 😊

Glad you finally got to Suneater! I adore Rocchio!

My fav sci fi series so far. So glad you started it.

At 13 min I felt that hahaah. That is exactly how I felt. I was like Ruocchio is walking in the future while we were stuck in the past. Just finished EoS after I saw the first half of your review of the second book. Praise you and Praise Roucchio! I won't be seen for the next couple of weeks till I'm done.

I haven't seen you this excited in a long time. my TBR is mad at you now

So excited for this book deepdive!

I know it's not as exciting these days as it may have been in the beginning... But you have been a huge inspiration to me to pull my old ideas off the shelf and begin writing my graphic novel. Cheers.

I binge read this book and am off to the next one. Excellent review!

Thanks for the recommendation ! I am now on book 3 and love it !

Like the video style Daniel. Feels a bit more grounded and relaxed instead of the over the top reactions. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

I suggest Jacob Yellow as a possible nickname goblin.

Just finished this as well. Great character driven internal journey. Look forward to continuing.

Thanks for introducing me to this series. Currently on book 3 and loving it.

I'm really excited for you read the rest of the series to see where he all goes!

There's novella with Crispin as main character taking place between books 1 and 2 called The Lesser Devil. It flashes out Crispin some more.

Thank you for introducing this fantastic book to me. It was right up my street and I hadn't heard of it before

cant wait for book #4 review so happy you picked this up

YOOOOOOOOOOOOO. I've been waiting for him to talk about this series for yearssssssssss

I found Empire of Silence in a second hand book store in May having not ever heard of it, and while it was not my favourite of the year, the second book in the series (Howling Dark) was absolutely incredible for me.

Glad you enjoyed the book! I have read the entire series up until this point, and am waiting for the release of book five. It is incredibly good.

I just randomly read this book because of the cover art. Most of my fantasy reads come from your recommendations so it’s wild that you just read it in the midst of the ocean of fantasy.

Hadrian's father/brother relationships really hit home for me, personally. That was a tough one.

Currently starting book 3, book 2 was AMAZING. I’ve heard book 3 is even better, which is crazy. So stoked you loved this one, and I’m a big fan of your channel!

LETS GOOOOO THIS IS WHAT IVE BEEN WAITIN FOR

The Sword our Orator!

FINALLY! I picked this up randomly and loved it. It’s my first sci-fi book too

You've sparked my interest, I'll have to add Empire of Silence to my list.

We'll, thanks to this book popping up places I frequent and especially this review I've now read it and yup yup yup I am in for the ride, already purchased book 2.

I actually like this format!

Love this kind of review!

So happy you got to this book amazing series that a lot of people are getting to recently

I was wondering when you were going to finally get into this series Daniel! It's become one of my diehard favorite ongoing epic fantasy series (and easily IMO the best example out there of true science-fantasy, even more so than Dune and Hyperion). The sequels are even better though, especially Howling Dark and Demon in White. Demon White I see as the Storm of Swords or Empire Strikes Back of the series to date, it's just so indescribably epic and climatic.

Very cool to hear you talk about this series. I am 3 books in so far and I must say that I found the first one to be the weakest by a solid margin so you should be in for an absolute treat.

Thank you so much for recommending this book. I listened to it on Audible and the narrator is so perfect for the character of Hadrian. His posh British accent goes so well with the overly flowery prose. I think I might be more frustrated by it if I were reading it rather than listening, but the audio book just felt so good.

Discovered this book a year or so ago by complete accident at a book store because the series’ covers intrigued me. Haven’t gotten to it yet (perhaps soon) so when I saw this video come up, giving it praise, I felt so justified in buying it haha

this is such a great series, awesome to see you like it.

I’m about a quarter into it and absolutely addicted, it’s amazing!

WOOOO! Alright just bought it, diving in, be back to watch the last bit of the video tomorrow or day after when I'm done. Fuckin awesome video! Like the format a lot. And hope the pinched neck eases up, Goblino!

God Damnit Daniel I was going to wait till after 6 came out and closer to 7 and now you’ve got me more stoked than ever to get to this biotch!

Love this format Daniel! As far this Kristina Rocco, never heard of him but I’ll check it out! Bye bye so handsome

I am so happy that booktube has been praising Suneater, it seems it almost didn't make it to book six and now I'm sure there will be a boom of new readers

So glad that Danny Grundle read Empire of Silence.

I've been trying to tell people about this series for years now. It's great that it's getting some attention! I am very excited to see how this hits you.

LETS GO!! I just started book 4 and have the interstitials and book 5 coming in the mail.

Finally!!!! You made it, Daniel😭