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I just finished the book. I’m rating this book in parts. The whole section before he left his home world is a 4-5/10. It was literally nothing. You could have covered that in 2-3 chapters. From there on, I’d say the rest of the book is a 6.5-6.8. I enjoyed some parts, but I can’t give it higher than that. Truly. The main problem with this book is that it’s way longer than it needs to be for what actually happens throughout the whole book, and the things that happened in the book really weren’t that exciting, excluding the Cat storyline, the gladiator storyline, and that one chapter where he had visions. (which was the best chapter in the book). The problem with people recommending this book is that they tell you it’s slow paced,but, what they don’t tell you is that it’s slow paced with really no reward. The book can’t be slow paced and there’s no reward, no truly exciting arc, which is expected from slow paced books. Oh and he’s a fucking simp and I know what a simp is, and he is that so don’t be defending him in these replies.

I wanted to share my thoughts on KoD in the comment section but I decided to make a post. When I talk about this series, I urge new readers to push through to KoD. A tall order but so worth it. Everyone has their favourite book. Yet I find all the effort becomes worthwhile after finishing KoD. It's what makes the series special and challenges many modern heroes for what makes them compelling. It's brutal but underscores the brilliance of CR's writing. Ruocchio puts on display Hadrian's most powerful quality as a character: His human endurance. It really challenges and changes Hadrian's relationship to destiny & fate. Finishing this book gives you every justification to why the story begins and ends the way it does.

Kingdoms of Death is what separates Hadrian Marlowe against many protagonists utlizing the chosen one trope. Outside of Berserk, I've never seen a hero fall so hard in their character arc. KoD is also filled with cosmic and existential horror, a huge tonal shift from the rest of the series. We get aspects of cosmic horror in the series but never at this scale or intensity.

While Demon in White is Hadrian's high moment in his precieved lifetime, KoD is his lowest. With DiW, we really dive into the galactic human order of the Sollan Empire. While we deal with tensions, hubris and clashing ideologies of humanity - we often feel safe with the stacking camaraderie & enemies of those surrounding Hadrian. Hadrian is powerful in the third book. He quite literally is indestructible at the end of DiW.

KoD is the opposite. It is absolutely hostile, alien and anti-human. It is filled with strange creatures, societies and cultures. Everything surrounding Hadrian is like a sharp rusty knife in the dark. For a period of time, every smile upon Hadrian is like looking at the smiling teeth of a great white shark, smelling blood in the water. Ravenous and hungry. I really find from the first chapter, there is this charged dial of pressure and you feel it slowly building acceleration. It's more dense & pronounced in tension than in any of the other books. Both KoD & AoM operate on the feeling of watching a ticking time bomb. When we get to the Black Feast, the pressure is so dizzying that we really feel delirious seeing the Red Company again - just like Hadrian does. KoD is the most intimate and vulnerable we will ever be with Hadrian, which is something to say in conjunction to how the entire series operates.

What I love most about KoD is the ending. We are given death upon death upon death throughout this book. The title is so silly and ancient, like OG Golden Age sci-fi but there is nothing more fitting. We are understanding death cults and death-centric cultures championing anti-existence in this book. We are also given the anti-humanism aspects from the Lothrians to the cosmic horror of giant alien creatures commiting mass suicides. The miniscule nature and insignificance of our place in the universe is almost unfathomable. Torture and death for humans are presented like cannon fodder. And yet, the most profound and healing death in the book is with Gibson. After such a harrowing tale, the most humane way for Hadrian to heal is still with one more death. It is done in a place of safety, reverence and with human traditions that respect communities, history and stories of life. The ending helps illustrate what separates the destructive nature of the Cielcin (controlled by the vengeful, anti-life Watchers) from the growth and cultivating nature of humans. I appreciate seeing the text making that whole moment come full circle from Hadrian's preaching. KoD is this unequivocal anchor for what has to be done.

"This must be."

It's what underlines Hadrian's monologues on being a defender for humanity. Becoming a shepherd and tool for the Absolute (it helps supports CR's views relating to Abrahamic religion in the text - I couldn't appericate and seperate myself from this till way after finishing the series). It is why I really think DiW, KoD & AoM are just extraordinary books for the chosen one narrative.

"Why must your burden be light?"

Chosen One types cannot just be powerful or given a simple destiny. We need to believe why they can't stray from the path or why they are compelled to finish what they started. KoD answers that question egregiously. What Hadrian has turmoil with in Howling Dark, he completely commits to after KoD. Ashes of Man, Disquiet Gods and Shadows Upon Time carry weight when we are reintroduced to Cielcins or Watchers. What had been fathomable, barbaric brutes from the human perspective, we now obtain this nuanced construction of who they are from this point forward. Seeing the cosmic horror of the influence god like beings can have on creature on a galactic scale. Something like Nahutes become an ugly, horrific and charged weapon with meaning. They are seekers aiming to kill its prey as fast as possible, engineered not just as a tool but from a dark belief system. Hadrian knows that yes, Cielcin on mass are brutal and awful to other species. But we are later are horrified by the influence a powerful being can have on creatures, converting their entire civilization in service to utter annihilation. Tolkien references in the book hit harder now upon re-read. KoD after finishing the book becomes a tradegy of gargantuan proportions rather than just a torture porn. "This must be" is not just to vanquish an enemy or entire species. To Hadrian's justifications & bizzare ego, "Fire at Will" becomes a strange act of mercy.

Bro I’m at chapter 67 EoS, why is this guy so bent up on Volka. Anais is right there. Volka doesn’t even like him which makes their interactions so cringe because he’s trying to stay pure for her and she doesn’t even care what he does. Also she’s a fucking hypocrite. I don’t hate her though. He’s like 25 too, he’s got to grow up. Also I’m not asking you guys for spoiler.

It took me quite a while to finish one. Not because it was bad but rather because of the brilliant writing by Ruocchio and the pain I felt. I tell you about my thoughts in the video. I am curious to hear your thoughts.

OK, this is gonna ruffle some feathers as some one who literally spent years of his life going through all seven of these books and loves them and really loves the concept and the characters. This conclusion sucks balls.

I’ve been seeing alot of people bitch about the ending and I didn’t get it until finished it. Not only did Chris set everything up to have a “happy ending” literally dragging us through seven books…. he smashed the cake in front of us and then took off with our wife.

It’s like he got tired of writing about Hadrian and felt like he hadn’t embarrassed him enough in KoD so disposed of him in the most mocking way possible.

Just give us what we want. Hadrian takes the throne, marries Selene, blah blah blah, give us a little mini series of Hadrian ruling or even move on to other characters in the universe or do a prequel.

I’ve been wanting a red company spin off since book 2

You didn’t have to do our boy Hadrian like that. I get he’s Catholic but not everything has to end up with Christs walk to Golgotha.

Hadrian should’ve burned earth. Had a baby with Selene, met up with his sister, etc etc.

It’s not even an ending because we have this 7th book idiot Hadrian talking about how he searched the stars for Selene and Kassandra without ever telling us what happened in between.

Ok Chris I get it, you never really thought out how the story would be told and finished and whatever. Who tf is going to destroy Demiurge? Put it in a museum dude. Don’t destroy it cause you’re morally superior to the universe.

I literally could go on and on what I’m saying is Chris passed up on a golden opportunity to continue the series with Hadrian as emperor and we all would’ve loved it and bought it. I already have seen my heroes assassinated for crimes they didn’t commit, I don’t need it in my favorite book series too. Let me have a happy ending dude.

I've first came about this series like almost two years ago, and from that moment I knew I would read it, but not when. Now it is the time I think (I say I think because I'm reading Dune, gotta start with God Emperor probably on monday, won't have a problem with reading two scifi 8somewhat similar maybe in some aspects?) stories because I read dune in physical and in spanish, my native language, and sun eater in digital and in english, tho a few months ago EoS was released in Spanish).

Got all the books, all the short stories. Even the reading order, but i have a question: should I read it chronologically or in publication order? For those who read it chronologically, reading the novellas and short stories "interrupted" the flow of the main books, or the complete oposite? What about those who read them in publication order? And, to hell with it, what about the main seven first and then reading the novellas and short stories?

Cheers

I finally finished the series, and I honestly don’t know how to feel.
The first book grabbed me right away. It wasn’t perfect, but I had a great time with it and immediately wanted to keep reading.
Then I hit book two… and wow, it was rough. I actually restarted it twice because I kept getting bored. I also couldn’t get over the main premise. Hadrian is somehow convinced that finding the Cielcin will magically lead to peace, and an empire that’s been fighting them for centuries is willing to pour resources into chasing that idea based on… what, exactly? Hope? It just never made much sense to me.
Thankfully, the ending of book two was much better, and it gave me enough motivation to keep going. The rest of the series had ups and downs, but overall I enjoyed it.
Then I got to the last book.
I’m not gonna lie, I thought it was a complete slog. I only finished it because I’d already invested so much time into the series. There were so many sections that felt like they dragged on forever and could have been cut without losing anything.
I don’t even mind that the ending leaves some things unresolved. That’s not what bothered me.
What really lost me was Hadrian. By the end I genuinely couldn’t stand him. His refusal to even entertain the possibility that other people might sincerely hold different beliefs became incredibly frustrating. And the story’s shift into what felt like increasingly heavy-handed religious messaging just wasn’t for me.
By the time I reached the last page, I wasn’t sad the series was over, I was just relieved.

do i need to read the novellas? like are they all important to the series? i’m having a hard time finding them in my libraries on libby.

I just finished chapter 40 when the Tamerlane lands in aktermura. I thought they broke free but I swear I almsot shed a tear watching the officers walk out. I’m just so glad he chose Lorain, he’s the goat and I was not ready for him to die

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Hello everyone I just finished Demon in White and for some reason I feel like it kind of fell short of all the hype. First of all I have really enjoyed the series so far but haven’t absolutely loved it yet. I’m just wondering if I should keep reading or not. I Want to like the series more but it’s a pretty big commitment so just wondering what I should do thank. :)

I feel like I can’t go one post on here without seeing someone dunk on “I realized it was my own voice” “Valka forgive me” or “ABBA😖”.

Do people actually dislike his writing style or is it all light trolling for a laugh? Some of you I can’t tell. It’s one of the best stories I’ve ever gotten into, and yes I roll my eyes too when Hadrian forgets he’s speaking. But damn, are yall haters?

So far they haven’t stopped talking when does the silence start? Also will he ever meet anyone again cause everyone he meets he ends with “and I never saw them again”