Science fiction and fantasy often go hand-in-hand. The two genres are so closely related that they’re referred to as SFF, smashed together even though they can be worlds apart. But there’s a good reason for them to be so entwined. Whether we’re imagining a distant future or an alternate past, elements of fact, technology, and science can make a fantasy world all the richer.
In 2018, Christopher Ruocchio introduced readers to Hadrian Marlowe. Set in a distant galaxy, it’s a series that takes the best of space opera and epic fantasy and brings them together. Spanning six books so far with one more waiting to be released, the characters and story have taken readers on a wild ride that they now hold their breath to complete. If you’re looking for a book to fill that galaxy shaped hole, here are six books filled with war, adventure, and plenty of action.
Empire of Silence
Hadrian Marlowe, the devil who destroyed a sun, recounts the life that led him to become a monster in this series starter that Library Journal calls “a must for fans of Pierce Brown and Patrick Rothfuss.”
More Books for Fans of Empire of Silence
The Winterlong Trilogy
Decades after Washington D.C. was devastated by both nuclear and biological warfare, society is strictly divided. The Ascendents, responsible for the initial destruction, rule from a distance. The Curators take care of the few remaining museums and libraries. The Paphians barter in sex and the Lazars are cannibals.
At the center of it all is Wendy Wanders. A genetically modified girl who can tap into the dreams and emotions of the people around her. When she stumbles on an ancient power threatening to consume everything, she embarks on a journey with her twin brother to stop it.
Cugel: The Skybreak Spatterlight
After mispronouncing a spell, Cugel the Magician finds himself stranded on a deserted beach half a world away from his home. But he isn’t known as Cugel the Clever for nothing. He might be penniless, but he’s far from helpless. With determination and flamboyance, he will make his way through mud pits and villages, bars and manors, so that he can once again face the Laughing Magician and deliver his wrath.
The Omega Point Trilogy
Humanity has colonized hundred of planets and in the course of their conquest, come across a humanoid species living in the Hercules star cluster. It was the first time humanity questioned their superiority. And in their doubt, they waged war. The end was predictable. Inevitable. Until a ruthless enemy emerged. One that would change the fate of the entire universe.
The Sword of Kaigen
High in the mountains of the Kaigenese Empire, the superhuman warriors known as The Sword of Kaigen live. They can raise the sea and wield blades of ice, and for hundreds of years have dealt with the enemies of the Empire. Fourteen-year-old Mamoru knows it’s his duty to become a warrior and defend the land. Misaki put her sword away when she married Mamoru’s father. But as Mamoru starts asking questions about the Empire he is meant to protect and an invasion looms across the sea, mother and son must both face their destinies and embrace who they are truly meant to become.
Of Blood And Fire
Epheria is a land divided by war and drenched in distrust. The High Lords of the south are only kept in check by the Dragonguard warriors of the north. And in one of the remote villages, a man named Calen prepares for The Proving, a test that not everyone survives. But when three strangers arrive, they carry with them a secret they’re all willing to die for. A secret that rips Calen’s world from under him and he is forced into war. The fight has raged for centuries. His arrival isn’t in prophecy. He is just a man. And he will bleed.
The Will of the Many
He tells the Caten Republic that his name is Vis Telimus. He tells them he is an orphan. He says that good fortune landed him in the prestigious school and that he will gladly allow his Will to be taken once he graduates. He tells them he belongs. And they believe him.
But Vis isn’t who he says he is. He is hunting for answers, searching for an ancient weapon that will tear the Republic apart. And if they suspect his lies, if they find out who he really is, he will die.
