Ashes of Man by Christopher Ruocchio

At a Glance: A Shattered Hero

Ashes of Man picks up right where Kingdoms of Death left off which is to be expected since this was originally one whole book and how I wish the publishers kept it that way. In it’s own right this book was great, and offered a ton of depth, and incredible storyline, and some truly jaw dropping moments to make it a strong solo entry regardless of the split. Hadrian is understandably suffering from severe PTSD while still having to navigate the politics of court, and the consistent threats to his life from all sides.

We pick up only hours after the end of the last book, and Hadrian is en-route to see the emperor after his time paying his respects and mourning the massive amounts of loss he suffered after Dharan-tun. The story is told in two distinct acts, Hadrians attempt at recovery, the politicking I so throughly enjoy in this series, and then an intense and prolonged siege that takes place on Perfugium with a large battle sequence that reminds me of those incredible chapters from Demon in White.

The book wraps up with an absolutely monumental cliff hanger in a situation I truly don’t understand how Hadrian overcomes, but we the “reader” have the foresight of knowing that he must, but the shocking moments are so incredibly effective even though I know Hadrian makes it through.

Extrasolarian Focus: The Universe Continues to Expand

In this entry to The Sun Eater we get a deeper look into the Extrasolarians who are modified humans—human consciousness inside different hosts—that believe non-modified humans are “apes” and don’t grasp or understand the potential of their lives. Their willingness to wipe out the “typical humans” adds another chilling level of threat to Hadrian and the Sollan Empire as a whole.

Ashes of Man also re-introduces the Jaddians and their incredible skills at battle with their Maeskolos swordmasters, and philosophical differences due to cultural beliefs that offer a stark and much needed contrast to the empire and it’s subjects. It also adds another level of politicking to the universe and the series, allowing us to see the empire and it’s emperor as more than just the “top dogs” of the universe.

We also get a lot more world building than I expected in a book 5, getting even more glimpses behind the curtain of how the Emperor manages to maintain control over a universe that takes lifetimes to travel while in a suspended frozen state, and how the Empire has literal warehouses of people “on ice” waiting to be called for service or populate new worlds.

Character Grief: Scars Below the Surface

Ashes of Man has some of the best character work in the series thus far, exploring how everyone handles grief in differently, and how even the most critical of one another can reach a new level of understanding through actions over words.

Hadrian as expected is dealing with significant grief and PTSD after the events in Kingdoms of Death where he witnessed his Red Company reduced to nothing, his friends he’s had for literally 100s of years die, and some of the most in-human psychological and physical torture at the hands of Syriani Dorayaica and the Extras. Hadrian is clouded in thought, unable to harness the power of The Quiet, and adrift among most of the book, and his only anchor is Valka.

The stand out for me in this one though was The Emperor William, a person I thought simply as a cold ruler with some little moments of empathy becomes what I envision as a true leader, incredibly disturbed by the death of the millions under his care as Emperor by the Cielcin, and his actions during the siege we’re incredibly eye opening and changed my perception of him. His continued efforts to protect Hadrian seem motivated more by genuine care than just the fact that Hadrian is a powerful weapon in his service, but it’s very clear there is that motivation as well. In the end though, 4 words seem to wash all of that new found respect away.

The other favorite for me in this one was Lorian Aristedes, the fiercely loyal commander of Hadrian’s Red Company and one of the only ones left has many heart felt moments, and he is truly one of the strongest characters in the story even though physically he’s probably the most fragile. His levity in moments of grief and darkness were something this story sorely needed after the last book.

We also get the return of some old friends from Empire of Silence in a truly epic fashion, but I don’t want to spoil it for you if you haven’t read this one yet.

Two Acts: A Perfect Mix of Suspense and Action

Ashes of Man manages to get back on track when it comes to pacing, it certainly didn’t feel drawn out during any of the book, and any of the “slower” parts served to build the tension of the moments and really helped me feel the despair during the bleakest moments of the siege.

The two acts manage to be very well balanced, while there is some tense moments during the first act, it’s very much the calmer portion of the book. We get politicking in droves, a huge lore drop done in such a good way that I was hooked the entire time dying for more information, never once feeling “info dumpy” like some deliveries can.

Act two is all action, dread, despair, and has the familiar cosmic horror element that Christopher Ruocchio excels in during the siege and Battle of Perfugium which had me at the edge of my seat and also gave some of the biggest character growth of the story while simultaneously delivering the biggest gut punch of the Sun Eater series yet.

That action propels us into what almost feels like a reset for Hadrian after the strides he made to emotionally recover from the beginning of the book, and shows us that even though we may believe someone is better than we initially thought, one moment can tear that all away in an instant.

The ending had me absolutely shook, jaw on the floor during the most pivotal moment of the series so far, and one that has changed how I thought we’d arrive at the end of the series completely.

Between the Sheets: Emotion is the Focus

Ashes of Man doesn’t ever go beyond the fade-to-black spice that we’ve seen from the rest of the series which earns it a 🌶️ (1.0) on our spice scale. Christopher Ruocchio does an incredible job of making the relationship between Hadrian and Valka feel so incredibly real, it’s not simple, it’s not just a blind devotion or love, but one of a true partnership where each is there for the other in the moments they most need it.

This book doesn’t need to convey the passion in the bedroom because it hits the most important part of that passion, and that is the true love and support of a lifelong partner, and in Hadrian and Valkas case that lifetime is 100s of years spent together and how that shapes a bond that is so much more than words and sex.

Bro Reading Comfort: Airplane Safe

Ashes of Man is not explicit at all when it comes to the romance since it’s fully about the emotion, the violence that we do see is not gratuitous at all and always serves the plot and scene, and nothing about this should make you nervous to read it on the plane earning this Sun Eater entry a 😳 (1.0) on our comfort scale.

The cover art features our goat Valka in armor looking incredibly bad ass, but in no way does it scream “look at what this guys reading” outside of it being particularly cool. While there are some heavy themes and deeper emotional moments, there is nothing that will have you blushing reading it next to the sweet older person at the local Starbucks.

Darkness Factor: Steeped in PTSD and Grief

Christopher Ruocchio does an incredible job at portraying how deeply grief can effect someone even after a large amount of time has passed. What makes the Sun Eater series unique in this face is that when Hadrian goes on ice, he wakes up sometimes decades later, but for him it’s as if the events happened just yesterday earning this one a 💀💀💀 (3.0) on our darkness scale.

There are heavy themes of PTSD after Hadrian and Valka’s experiences over the past few books, and it focuses heavily on how those different events have forever changed both of them. Valka dealing with the lingering virus that almost killed her and still poses a threat, and Hadrian’s grief and PTSD from the events under Cielcin imprisonment are worked through slowly as they would be in reality, and it’s done in a way that really gives a good understanding of what could lead Hadrian to our final foretold conclusion.

Book Battlefield: A Perfect Blend

Ashes of Man is another great entry into the Sci-Fi space opera genre, but also like many of Ruocchio’s other Sun Eater books, it can fit into so many different genres. Science Fantasy mixed with Cosmic Horror and often lyrical prose should hit home for anyone that enjoys any type of SFF work. This specific book hits all those marks, but at this point reading it without any of the other books would just be an insane move and I’d be very concerned about your decision making in all aspects of life 😅.

This book does an incredible job at handling the enormous scope of the politics and it’s universe as a whole and I don’t ever feel lost when reading through this one, even when people or concepts are introduced that we haven’t seen since Empire of Silence (book 1), it flows naturally and the information has enough context clues for those who may not immediately recall why they know this person.

Should You Bother?

For Sun Eater Fans: I think at this point in the reviews it goes without saying, everyone of these is a must read, and if you’re up to book 4 and still questioning it, then maybe it’s not for you.

For Politicking Fans: Unlike the last book, we get tons of the politicking that have made this series amazing, and it does a great job at just continuing to increase the tension and the stakes

For Character Work Fans: This has some of the best character work in the series so far, the growth, the grief, and the struggles are amplified and feel real throughout.

Final BroMantasy Verdict

Ashes of Man is so interesting because it doesn’t have a time jump compared to the rest of the Sun Eater entries, it was supposed to be combined with Kingdoms of Death and while I understand why the publisher split it, I so wish they hadn’t. While together they would have been incredible, I think Ashes of Man is a slightly more balanced read and hits all the points I love about the series which is why this one lands at a 4.75/5.

This one had some incredible character work overall, and the action still comes in vividly descriptive moments that make you feel like you’re watching it and not just reading or listening. Getting to see the Emperor in a more human way in this was a real treat for me, I love how even characters that are not the focus get incredible depth as this series continues. Lorian Aristedes was another incredible character who got a lot of focus in this book, and even though he’s a supporting character, he gets a main character treatment, depth, humor, and one of the most interesting people in this world.

Hadrian and Valka are the most real couple I’ve read, and that’s coming from someone who reviews Romantasy where romance is the focus, and I’d argue with anyone that the romance in this series and especially Ashes of Man is deeper and resonates more than any Romantasy to date. Their love feels real, and it isn’t just some trope laden sub plot, but one of the main focuses of the story, especially how they both help each other recover in their grief and PTSD.

Ashes of Man has some of the most powerful moments in the series, and the ending was probably the most jaw dropping to date, it was truly a shocking moment but felt it was justified even if it changed everything about how I thought the story was going to move forward. It’s incredible how four words can change the entire trajectory of a story, and they will forever be burned into my memory.