Everything Kate Elliott writes is worth checking out. If you’re a fan of the author’s work already, then you should definitely give this a try. If you’re a fan of science fiction, but haven’t tried Elliott’s books yet, then start here. Recommended.

I appreciate the novel aspects of this book. The characters are interesting and varied and the intrigue throughout is captivating. I am not generally a fan of the constant war depicted in science fiction; however, this series more dwells on the strategy of the combat over the combat itself. I also appreciate that the costs of war are not brushed over by the story or the characters. I look forward to the next installment.

I started reading this book and found that it was not for me. It didn't seem fair for me to review a book that I didn't finish.

A sprawling and well realized space opera.

I found the story a little slow to get started, but once I pushed on I found the story to be interesting enough. I found some of the main players to be too similar and because different characters are referred to differently by different narrators the result was as confusing as I intended this sentence to be.

A few of the more far-flung narrators were interesting but it was hard to keep all the separate narratives juggling in my brain. I did have a great sense of satisfaction when it all came together though.

All in all a rich, enjoyable read for fans of big, multi-pov space opera.

While Kate Elliott (a pseudonym of Alis A. Rasmussen) may be best known for her fantasy novels, her early work was mostly science fiction. She wrote a science fiction series (The Highroad Trilogy) under her real name and her 1990s Jaran novels are excellent examples of anthropological science fiction romance. Still, it has been twenty-six years and about eighteen fantasy novels since Elliott wrote her last science fiction book--a long wait for her science fiction fans.

Elliott calls this book "Gender-swapped Alexander the Great on an interstellar scale". The book does not hit the reader over the head with historical parallels, but this does excuse the author's use of Queens, Princes, and Princesses, and Core Houses in the future. (How the Republic of Chaonia has royalty is not explained.) The book's main character is Princess Sun, the daughter and heir of Queen-Marshal Eirene and one of her consorts, Prince Joao of the Gatoi. Nearly all of the Gatoi fight for the Phene Empire, as enemies of Chaonia, so most people are deeply suspicious of Prince Joao; Sun recognizes that it would not take much for them to feel the same way about her and that she would be replaced as heir should her mother ever have a full-blood Chaonia child.

Sun is an interesting character. She is a military genius but earnestly wants her mother's approval. She is proud almost to the point of arrogance, both of her own abilities and her position as heir. Sun also has a temper she does not always keep under control; one of her guards' jobs is to keep reminding her to control herself.

Her mother the queen is very conscious of appearances and does not want her daughter to eclipse her either militarily or in the eyes of her subjects even though the queen is regarded as a hero for accomplishing wonders in defeating the enemy and building Chaonia into a major power. Early in the book the queen sends her daughter on an inspection tour to keep her away from her upcoming wedding so she does not create a scene and there are many scenes of the two arguing or having others (especially those from Lee House) try to increase the ill-feelings between the two.

Sun has a group of Companions who include young people from the other Core Houses (who function as a hereditary nobility) who function as her friends, support staff, and her link to the Houses. These Companions include The Handsome Alika, the equivalent of a rock star (he plays the ukulele). When Perseus Lee (from the House that controls the secret police and corrections system) dies, Lee House sends his twin sister Persephone as a replacement. But Perse, another viewpoint character (whose first-person chapters all have "Wily Persephone" in the title) has been hiding as a cadet in the Central Defense Cadet (military) Academy (under a fake name) and is not pleased to be brought back into her House's service, let alone to be its heir and Companion to Sun. Meanwhile Sun and the other Companions are not sure where Perse's loyalties lie. And she discovers his best friend in the cadets was spying on her. It is unusual to have the first-person narration from someone who is not the main character while the bulk of the book is in the third-person, but it works here.

The other main character in Unconquerable Sun is Lieutenant Apatma At Sabao, a soldier of the Phene Empire in their war against Chaonia. She thinks she is an ordinary lancer pilot but senior officers know her name, delay a ship to transport her, and at one point make sure she escapes from a ship that is about to be destroyed. This cause Apatma to wonder what is going on and what is so special about her. Showing these glimpses from the enemy's point of view is a brilliant way of expanding the universe for the reader.

The book is full of politics, issues of trust, and military action. The plot of this 563-page novel is far too complex to summarize here. Lee House is up to something. Prince Joao is up to something else. The Phene Empire has its own plans. Sun can only hope that her mother is up to something too because otherwise she is being manipulated by forces trying to separate her from Sun. Certainly, Sun's own pride and temper are not helping things. And can Wily Persephone and Princess Sun really trust each other and do the Companions have their own agenda.

This book is not a romance. But it is worth noting that as with ancient Greece homosexuality is accepted without comment and both the queen and Sun have female lovers.

Unconquerable Sun is the first book in a trilogy so there is a lot of setting things up and the first few chapters are a bit too obvious with the info-dumping. The trilogy is all one story so this volume ends with much of the plot unresolved. The sequel Furious Heaven is scheduled for release September 2021. Princess Sun, in this book's last sentence, says, "I have no idea what's going to happen next, but I would bet anything that it is going to be wild." I think that is a safe bet.

I recommend this book for fans of action/adventure stories and space opera. This is clearly the start of an epic trilogy. Although this is science fiction with planets and spaceships, it still has a fantasy feel with princesses and her heroic band of Companions. Elliott makes no attempt to explain any of the science. I would not call this Young Adult, but the main character is a young woman trying to forge her own identity and do what she thinks is necessary despite her parents' plans for her. The book is a lot of fun.

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

Princess Sun has spent her life in her mother, Eirene’s shadow. The queen-marshal managed to expel invaders from Chaonia and built it to be respected and feared. Rival forces would benefit from Sun’s demise, and they are always plotting. In order to stay alive and on top of the plot, Sun must rely on her biggest enemy, a prisoner of war, and her lover. What could go wrong, right?

This space opera is quite the endeavor. It’s long, complicated, and has non-stop action. There are many characters, all with different agendas, political intrigue, and of course, lots of space. I enjoyed this one, even if I did get a little lost here and there in its world. I don’t think that was the fault of the author, I sometimes just get lost in larger worlds full of characters.

I enjoyed getting to know all of them, though, and the length of the book meant that nothing was rushed. Despite the action, it doesn’t feel as if the book moves too quickly (or too slowly). It’s well paced, held my interest, and left me racing toward the finish to find out what happened.

If you need an interesting world to get lost in while our own is in turmoil and you like epic space sci-fi, definitely check this one out.

This promised a lot and I can honestly say that it delivers on most of the comparisons and inspirations. Action-heavy; jumps POVs and betwen tenses but I actually liked that for this story. Each narrator really stood out (though Apama’s storyline seems somewhat superfluous at this juncture in the overal series).

A space opera that does a great job conveying a sense of interstellar time and distance. Elliott often crafts excellent characters but nearly everyone shines. The intentionally messy and politically nuanced plotlines make for a demanding but very rewarding scifi novel.

4.5/5

Princess Sun is the heir to the Republic of Chaonia, a growing power caught between the mighty Phene Empire and the proud Yele League. Sun’s mother is Eirene, the ruthless queen-marshal who managed to build the Republic from scratch after winning multiple battles against the two giants.

Sun wants to follow in the footsteps of her legendary mother. Yet, even after brilliantly winning the first battle, Eirene isn’t impressed by her daughter’s victory and sends her away to tour various Chaonian planets. However, after a bloody incident that causes the death of one of her Companions, Sun decides to go back home only to realize that in the meantime, her mother has found a new concubine and that Sun might lose her position as the heir…

Unconquerable Sun is the first installment in Kate Elliott’s Sun Chronicles, a new epic space opera trilogy. The title is a bit misleading since the book follows several characters, Persephone Lee, one of Sun’s new Companion, Zizou, a genetically engineered soldier, Apama, a soldier working for the Phene Empire and of course, Sun herself.

Oddly enough, my least character of the bunch was Sun and my favorite was Persephone which is probably an unpopular opinion. To be perfectly honest, I thought Sun was kind of a gratuitous asshole sometimes? I get that being the heir to a republic when everyone wants you out of the picture can turn everyone into a paranoid mess but still. I only liked her chapters because they allowed me to understand the world and the politics a bit better but, I’m not sure Elliott managed to convince me that Sun would make a good leader – I’m pretty sure she would alienate too many people for that.

Persephone on the other hand, is also a bit of an asshole but, I didn’t mind. I don’t have to find characters likeable to find them interesting and, she definitely was. Sure, she made some stupid decisions and she had the tendency to be attracted to the wrong people at the wrong times but still, I liked reading her chapters the most. (I don’t know what it says about me 😂)

The beginning of Unconquerable Sun was quite slow and it took me some time to get familiar with the various republics and empires. However, once I did, it was very satisfying and I’m very curious to see how the events at the end of the book will impact the balance of power. The worldbuilding is rich and detailed and the writing was very solid. The choice of narration was interesting, some chapters are told from first person while others are told from third person. It could have felt a bit awkward or weird but it didn’t, at least not for me.

In any case, I had a lot of fun reading about Sun and her Companions’ adventures. The Companions are members of the seven most powerful families of the Chaonian Republic. I usually love reading about political intrigues (especially in a science fiction setting!) and it was fascinating to learn about the families and their influence on the Republic. This book was very focused on one of the family – the Lee family – but I hope that we will learn more about the other houses in the coming books!

My only gripe with Unconquerable Sun is that while I really enjoyed learning about the world Elliott created, I couldn’t help but to notice how many elements she borrowed from different cultures. It’s not uncanny for authors to be inspired by different cultures in order to build their worlds but, I thought Elliott kind of played “pick & choose” with different cultures.

For example, Chaonia was an odd jumble of Chinese, Japanese and Korean culture and I recognized some elements inspired by India and the Philippines in the Phene Empire. It wouldn’t have bothered me if Elliott had been clearly inspired by one culture in particular but this mash-up of cultures combined with the Ancient Greek references was jarring. You can’t just take cultural elements from various countries, mash them together and call that worldbuilding, can you?

To finish with this tangent, I’m pretty sure the whole Idol Faire program was inspired by idol variety shows such as the Korean show Weekly Idol and, because of that, I couldn’t not see Sun and her group of a Companions as a K-pop group of sorts. Let me be clear, I have nothing against K-pop, on the contrary, but I’m not sure I want to imagine the heir of an intergalactic empire as a leader of a K-pop group.

Even if Unconquerable Sun wasn’t the perfect read, I still enjoyed it quite a bit and, I’m sure a lot of readers will enjoy it too. The story is epic, the cast of characters and the various political intrigues are fascinating. It’s action-packed and it has a lot of cool space battles. It also features a lot of casual queer relationships – Sun herself is in a relationship with a woman, Persephone is bisexual (or pansexual, it’s not specified) and Eirene has multiple consorts (both women and men).

I will definitely read the second book, Furious Heaven, whenever it comes out! (hopefully next year?).

I really wanted to love this book, and I thought I would because Space Opera’s are among my favorite way to escape. However, even the political intrigue and gender - flipped Alexander the Great story riff couldn’t grab me. I found it almost impossible to get through it, and actually gave up on it for a while and read a few other books. I did finally manage to finish it.

I just could not get into this book. It read more like sci fantasy than space opera and unfortunately the characters and plot just did not hold my attention. So I am enacting my ebook review policy and have chosen to dnf this one. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

This book moves really fast and I really needed that this week. It is space opera and, short version, female Alexander The Great In Spaaaaaaaaaace!!!

Family is a big part of the story, both blood- and found-. There are ground battles and space battles, and a celebrity contest running alongside. There's a large cast, and several plots going at once, though some of those plots end up intersecting, and some of the plots started before the book did.

I have read a ton of Kate Elliott books, most but not all, and I think this is one of her best. Looking forward to the sequel.

Kate has a reputation around here for writing big, complex, character-driven Fantasy novels. Whilst she has written Science Fiction before (the Jaran books, for example), this is her first foray into adult SF for a while.

The plot and characterisation is allegedly based upon Alexander the Great the polymath of Ancient Greece who became King of Macedonia and who eventually ruled most of Asia by before he was aged thirty. You don’t need to know anything of that ancient history for this gender-flipped futuristic incarnation, but parts of the story make more sense if you have an idea.

In terms of the bigger picture, Princess Sun is the daughter of Queen-Marshal Eirene, the ruler of a Macedonian-like Republic of Chaonia whose rule has led to an expulsion of previous occupiers Yele and their alien Phene (as in Phoenician?) compatriots. Although the young Sun is successful at the start of the novel in the Battle of Na Iri she defeats the Phene Empire, her domineering mother barely recognises her efforts. Eirene clearly dislikes her child, and Sun veers between being determinedly independent and trying to gain her mother’s affection.

The result is a court at Argos in Chaonia that rivals Game of Thrones for political intrigue, Machiavellian machinations and back-stabbing treachery. The world of eight courtly houses that Sun and Eirene inhabit is harsh and brutal, with Sun as prospective successor to Eirene being both an instigator of action and a victim of circumstance. Her life is continually monitored, she has permanent bodyguards and the media latch onto her every move. Like Alexander, Sun is surrounded by a group of her peers who aid her through life. Known here as ‘Companions’, they are a varied group of the elite whose ranks are made up of Sun’s relatives and the siblings of the rulers of other Noble Houses. Whilst some are clearly loyal to Sun, it is apparent that some are there simply because it keeps Sun’s enemies in check.

One of Kate’s strengths in her writing is her characterisation, and she doesn’t disappoint here. Whilst I might quibble with the book’s title (If Sun is ‘unconquerable’, where’s the tension in that?), this book plays to the author’s strengths in that for all of its science-fictional trappings it is a character- focused book. The story is told partly through the actions of Sun, whose complex nature, intelligence and charm develops a pleasing complexity to her character. Whilst at times Sun’s self-awareness and opinion of herself lends towards arrogance, Kate does well to show the admiration and loyalty that such a charismatic leader can engender.

Sun’s Companions are also nicely varied too. Hetty, Sun’s lover, is loyal and Sun’s confidant. Ti is the humble and initially rather gauche ‘cee-cee’ (servant) who is contracted to serve the group. There’s even a little fun with Alika, the shy and sensitive, yet gifted musician who is the book’s equivalent of a Pop Idol contestant (although here it’s called Idol Faire.)

Most of the story is told through the perspective of Companion Persephone Lee, who at the beginning of the story is reluctantly taken out of military training to take up a position in Sun’s entourage as a member of the influential Lee House. Perse is unsurprisingly Initially grudging towards Sun and the situation she is forced to be part of, but as much of the story is about the consequences of actions outside Perse’s knowing, these revelations through the novel lead to Perse respecting and eventually wanting the admiration and respect of Sun.

The retaliation by the Prene after Na Iri leads to a massive counterattack in the Aspira System and on Chaonia, the consequences of which involve Sun and her group and take up most of the second half of the novel. To counterbalance things, we are also given snippets of a life from the other perspective as we are shown what happens to Apama at Sabao, one of the four-limbed Phene trained and sent into battle as a lancer pilot. It is surprisingly sympathetic to their cause and suggests that in war there are similarities in view, even when the perspectives are different.

In-between these two cultures are the Gatoi, a sort of Predator-like super-soldier, enhanced with neural tattoos that make them fearsome warriors. They have been auxiliaries for the Phene Empire and, despite Eirene’s relationship with Sun’s father, Prince Joao, are therefore now one of Chaonia’s fiercest enemies. Sun is also intertwined with this because she is half-Gatoi and half-Chaonian herself, allowing her to both understand the worlds of Chaonian court as well as the rituals of the Gatoi.

The inclusion of Zazou, a captured Gatoi soldier who becomes familially bonded to Sun, creates another complication. Not only is he amusingly a source of lust for one of the group, it later becomes apparent that he may be Sun’s secret weapon in the Phene/Gatoi attack.

With all of these disparate elements eventually combining, overall Unconquerable Sun is a rip-roaring Space Opera which plays to the genre’s strengths. With an interesting background history, complex and diverse characters and a pace faster than many, Unconquerable Sun is bold, nuanced and generally engaging, a romp that kept those pages turning after a steady start. More in the mould of Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan series than say, Peter Hamilton, this was as good as I had hoped it would be – a well-written thoroughly enjoyable read with enough twists and turns to keep most fans of Space Opera interested.

I used my review copy of Unconquerable Sun to interview Kate Elliot for the Fantasy Inn podcast. I also purchase a hardcover for my bookshelf and had it displayed behind me during my recent online Dragon Con panel.

The last time I read a Kate Elliott book, I remembered liking the first book of the series well enough, and loving the sequel. Which I really hope ends up being the case for Unconquerable Sun and the Sun Chronicles series because I liked this book, but I didn't love it.

The synopsis promised a gender-swapped Alexander the Great (you know, except in space) which, okay, I can see it, but I'm not familiar enough with Alexander the Great's life to really catch any specific nods to the source material. That said, I don't think that stopped me from enjoying this book by any means. We get some kickass ladies dominating space. Can't beat that.

From a story standpoint, it's fairly straightforward. Through multiple perspectives, we see a princess attempting to live up to her mother's legacy while also standing out for her own accomplishments, one of her companions trying to live the life she wants rather than the one her family set forth for her, and a pilot who's just trying to live her best life in her fighter craft. But all parties are building toward the inevitable clash of sworn enemies in deep space.

With multiple PoVs, though, I ended up with a favorite and it wasn't the so-called protagonist Princess Sun. Apama, the pilot I mentioned, probably has the smallest role in the book overall. For the first like five chapters, all we see is Sun. After that we get Apama and Persephone at somewhat odd points. I was jarred out of the story almost immediately when each one was introduced which didn't work in any of the characters' favor.

In addition, I never really cared much for Princess Sun. She was showcased as this politically savvy strategy master but of all the characters I feel like we knew her the least, she was so distanced from the reader. Persephone was better and I liked her but found her to be a bit judgmental too. Not bad, and definitely preferable to Sun's chapters. And then there was Apama who got the least page time but I wanted to know more! She was a pilot thrust into a mysterious situation and became involved in the game of conquerors without realizing it. There was just something so relatable about her and I hope she gets more chapters in the sequel.

Also this book is supposed to have a sapphic romance and it does but... it really didn't feel like the primary romance at all which was such a shame. Would have liked to see it more at the forefront especially when "secret lover" is mentioned in the synopsis and felt like an afterthought in the story itself, especially when the characters in question could have simply had a close friendship and achieved the same results.

Unconquerable Sun really comes down to its characters carrying the story. The plot was perfectly fine and entertaining but I didn't find that WOW factor. I had a bit of trouble with the writing at the start and the way it took me out of the book several times but that eventually settled once all the character PoVs were introduced. The character made this story what it was and are also why I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped.

That said, I think Unconquerable Sun was a good series starter and I'll definitely pick up the sequel to see how things play out.

I was looking forward to this book for so long! Gender-bent Alexander the Great in SPACE! One of my favorite sci-fi tropes (not sure if really a trope) is when a classical civilization like Rome or Greece is brought into the stars. Space warfare! Unconquerable Sun certainly has all of that but somehow failed to truly impress and left me with a lackluster reading experience.

Princess Sun has just recently returned from a great triumph over the enemy, however her mother Queen-Marshall Eirene is not overjoyed. She instead sends Sun and her companions on what amounts to being a publicity tour around the empire. An assassination attempt that results in the death of one of her dearest companions begins the drama. Persephone Lee is the other main POV in this story and is significantly more interesting and likable than Sun. She is from a House that is known for their subterfuge and treachery and Sun distrusts her from the start. Perse (as she likes to be called) has been yanked out of her happy life as an unknown in the military academy she ran away to and has no idea what Sun or the Lee House are plotting. She’s rather unwillingly drawn into the madness and is trying her best to keep herself, Sun, and her companions alive.

I could honestly have not cared less about Sun. She elicited no emotion from me whatsoever and I would have preferred the book be entirely about Persephone. I didn’t connect with the majority of the characters, and thus felt the impact of the events much less than I would have otherwise. I did not vibe with this book. It wasn’t bad, just definitely not the book for me. The story was complex and the writing descriptive (if lacking in the ability to make me feel for the characters) so I can’t give this book too low a rating. For me this was a solid 3 stars – extremely middle of the pack and I’ll likely pass on the remainder of the series unless some seriously rave reviews change my mind.

This is a stellar space opera/palace intrigue novel. It follows several narrators during an interstellar clash between warring races. Sun is a princess, daughter of the Queen-Marshal Eirene. Persephone is a young military cadet with a very different, secret past. Zizou is an elite warrior of a race of space nomads. And Apama is a young Phene pilot who's been receiving special treatment for reasons unknown.

There are space battles, palace intrigue, family drama, a dash or two of romance, a group of highly talented friends, assassinations, and one narrator with a wry, funny voice. This novel doesn't take itself very seriously, which is fun in a serious sci-fi adventure.

There are lots of reasons to check this one out. The sequel can't come too soon.

The first Kate Elliott book I ever read was Cold Magic a good few years back, and that book, and the series as a whole really, firmly cemented her as one of my favourite authors. The next one was Black Wolves (and yes, I am still incredibly bitter there won’t be a sequel to it, with that ending!), which I loved just as much. So, obviously, I have been waiting impatiently for this book since then.

And in no way does it disappoint.

Unconquerable Sun is based off Alexander the Great, but it’s sapphic and it’s set in space. It follows Sun, the daughter of the Queen-Marshal Eirene, and Persephone, who is drafted into Sun’s companions after her brother’s death. It is a book full of politics, both internal to the republic and external, on account of the empire that threatens their freedom.

If you have never read a book by Kate Elliott before, don’t expect a fast-moving, action-packed adventure from the off. And that is most definitely also the case here. Not a whole lot actually happens plot-wise, but the book itself is over 500 pages. So you have to be ready to immerse yourself in a slow-moving and occasionally pretty dense novel (at one point, they spend a good 15% of the book just escaping).

But the payoff is so worth it. When the action comes, it comes thick and fast, and it’s so tense you don’t want to put the book down for a moment. I all but devoured the last third of the book or so because I had to know what was happening. Honestly, the only reason I didn’t give this book the full five stars is because it was slow and dense at the beginning, which I wasn’t necessarily in the mood for.

And now all I have to do is actually hope that the rest of this series gets published.

Not that I’m bitter.

He de decir que me ha encantado esta space opera de Kate Elliott, que me ha tenido entretenida e intrigada a la par, aunque el comienzo haya sido un poco lioso.

La frase en la que se ha centrado toda promoción de Unconquerable Sun la definía como un retelling de Alejandro Magno con género cambiado en el espacio (un gran triunfo de marketing, poque es una frase demoledora). Y es una muy buena definición, porque aunque solo conozco ligeramente la historia del conquistador, es cierto que se nota ese aire de inspiración griega en la ambientación y esa famosa «camaradería» de los miembros de su séquito. La trasunto de Alejandro es Sun, que lleva toda la vida preparándose para asumir el mando de la república de Chaonia cuando su legendaria madre no esté.
Al principio de la novela nos podemos encontrar un poco perdidos con muchos personajes nuevos y sobre todo con los diversos puntos de vista de la narración, que llevan aparejados cambios de la primera a la tercera persona e incluso en el tiempo verbal. Este recurso requiere un pequeño periodo de adaptación, pero luego se antoja algo natural y fluido. Para conocer a los personajes, no obstante, hace falta un poco más de tiempo y esfuerzo, pero merece la pena. Son distintos y complementarios entre ellos y se convertirán en el alma del libro.
Las intrigas políticas y traiciones están a la orden del día, incluso dentro de la misma familia, porque ¿quién te puede poner mejor la zancadilla que aquel que te conoce desde siempre? Todo esto con una guerra de fondo, con un imperio que ha tenido que retroceder un poco en sus posiciones por el empuje de Chaonia, pero que no está dispuesto a dar su brazo a torcer en una guerra a varias bandas.
El ritmo de la novela, aunque empieza un poco indeciso, toma una velocidad de crucero muy elevada una vez que están desplegadas todas las piezas en el tablero. Y se vuelve definitivamente frenético al final del libro, cuando las apuestas están más altas y empiezan las revelaciones que cimentarán la continuación, porque por desgracia (o por suerte si la autora sigue con este nivel), el libro no es autoconclusivo.
Por si le faltaba algo, la novela está trufada de guiños al lector y huevos de pascua para ir descubriéndolos. Desde tuckerizaciones de otros escritores pasando por referencias futboleras, el libro tiene muchos pequeños detalles que denotan el trabajo y el cariño volcado en su creación. Tener un diminuto dinosaurio como mascota, los personajes con cuatro brazos o la creación de nuevas palabras que quedan como pequeños retos de comprensión para el público del libro son añadidos que aumentan la inmersión en la aventura.
Por favor, leed esta novela. Necesito comentarla con alguien urgentemente.

Actual Rating: 4.5 stars

If you like epic sci-fi with political intrigue, an interesting cast of characters, and plenty of action, then I would definitely recommend checking out Unconquerable Sun. This is pitched as a gender-flipped Alexander the Great, and halfway through the book I did a little reading on his life. It's interesting to see how this takes key events and characters from real history and puts them in a completely different setting.

Princess Sun wants nothing more than her mother's approval, but Eirene is not only a ruler, but a lauded military mind who is sparing with her praise. The world is complex and you are thrown right in, expected to just figure it out. And if you pay attention, you will. Sun's father is from a different race and her mother has multiple consorts. There are a number of elite families, from which are drawn the members of Sun's inner circle. Court intrigue and political agendas abound, along with military clashes with the Phene Empire. I won't say too much about the plot, but it is both intricate and action-packed. After a slightly slower stop, it feels nearly non-stop right up to the end. In fact, I might have preferred a little less action (hence the not quite 5 star rating), but I'm sure others will feel differently.

The relationships among Sun's retinue are fascinating, and how they interplay with social and cultural rules. There are a number of casually queer characters in the book. Eirene has both male and female consorts, Sun has a (frowned upon) romantic relationship with one of the women in her circle, and Persephone (another perspective character) is interested in both men and women. There are other interesting touches, like a sort of reality TV competition type thing, but more complicated and with futuristic technology. I like that this thinks through the role of celebrity in a future world. We see the plight of refugees and the ways that seemingly good policies can be used in harmful ways to the most vulnerable.

There's a lot more, but suffice to say I really enjoyed my time with this book and definitely plan to continue on in the series. It's one that I could see re-reading in the future and taking more away from it after having a better grasp on the world. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.