Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book.

Rating: 2.5 stars

“Winter’s Orbit” was by far one of my most anticipated 2021 reads, when I saw it on NG, I instantly hit request and as soon as I was approved I started reading straight away. Nearly 2 months later, I’ve finally finished.

Unfortunately, this book didn’t work out for me. But I’m in such a minority as everyone else seems to love this so I definitely think its a “me not you” situation and I urge everyone reading this review to also check out other reviews too!

One thing I will say is that I’m not a big sci-fi reader. However, as this book was recommended for fans of RWARB, I thought this would be heavy on the romance and it’s really not. It’s also chock-full of my least favourite trope, miscommunication. By the time these two characters actually started interacting in a healthy way, my interest and patience were gone (around the 70% mark).

The writing style wasn’t for me and the world was so confusing I couldn’t make head or tails of it. However, I really liked the two main characters, especially Janian, and I thought the trauma he went through and his gradual recovery was handled really well, in my opinion. I also loved the way gender was discussed and how characters wear a certain colour to indict their pronouns, that was super cool!

Overall, If you love slow burn, heavy sci-fi novels with just a dash of romance and queer characters, I’d definitely recommend this book to you!

I adored this book. It was everything I was hoping for and more. I hope Everina Maxwell writes many, many more books. My only very slight critique is that the editing in a few sections could have been a little bit tighter, but otherwise… it was pretty much perfect.

I love the juxtaposition of this personal story set against an intergalactic one. I love that Maxwell created such distinct characters in Kiem, Jainan, and Bel – and that they aren’t perfect. No one wants paragons, especially right now when we’re all forced to live with our own imperfections right in front of our salads all the time.

Even the minor players in Winter’s Orbit are given life with careful snippets of dialogue, a facial expression or gesture, or even the choice of who they stand next to.

I’m also fascinated by the ways in which Maxwell explored the concepts of home and family.

Perhaps most importantly, I enjoyed watching Kiem and Jainan get to know each other, to figure each other out as people rather than symbols or tropes.

This was a pretty engaging sci-fi slow burn romance with a strong central mystery that thoroughly sustained the novel right through to the end. The world building in a sci-fi novel can sometimes get bogged down in a cacophony of complicated terms but this one did no such thing and I found the prose to be very well written, and overall I really enjoyed the evenings I spent ready Winter's Orbit and would definitely recommend it.

A light sci-fi romance, Winter’s Orbit is full of equal parts angst and action. When Prince Kiem’s cousin dies in an accident, Kiem must marry is cousin’s widow to uphold the bond between the Iskat Empire and their vassal planet, Thea, or risk unbalancing the whole system. But Kiem and his new husband, Count Jainan, are not what the other expect. They can’t seem to communicate or understand each other properly and there is something suspicious going on connected to Prince Taam’s accident.

This was mostly a reread for me, since I read the original version when it was on AO3 under the title Course of Honor, but it was just as enjoyable this time around. Arranged marriage, tightly wound intellectual + golden retriever (former) party boy, glimpses into an interesting sci-fi universe, fantastic queer details… sold!

The writing style was really accessible.
The main problem, for me, is that Winter’s Orbit is the direct descendant of “Course of Honor”, and it maintains the typical structure of an AO3 work. The plot is pretext to write a Romance, it progressed slowly and was wrapped up quickly. There is practically no world building nor any palpable difference between the planets and cultures introduced (so to say, Thea and Iskat).
The characters were cute, their dynamic were wholesome, but they took way too long to work things out. It was obvious right after the marriage that something was off with Jainan, that he was acting strangely, but Kiem figured it out only at the 70% mark. For me that is pretty absurd, considering that Jainan’s behavior had really big red flags. The miscommunication was handled quite badly because both were expressing discontent, but none of the two would recognize if as so. This cheapened the relationship between the two, especially on Kiem’s behalf: he was appeared as a total idiot for not recognizing Jainan’s actions as dictated by trauma.

What happens when you mix arranged marriage, political unrest, arbitrary corporate oversight, and put it in the far reaches of space? One of the best space operas of 2021. Winter's Orbit is Red, White, and Royal Blue meets Ancillary Justice, and it's worth obsessing over. Easy reading couples with intricate plot in the best of ways, making this a book to watch.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Everina Maxwell for providing an eARC of Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell in exchange for a review.

In an interplanetary empire that cements its bonds with vassal planets via marriage into the imperial family, Prince Taam’s sudden death jeopardizes the stability and legitimacy of Iskat’s hold over the planet Thea. To mend those ties, Prince Kiem of the Iskat empire must marry Taam’s widower, Count Jainan, a diplomatic envoy from the vassal planet Thea. As civil unrest on Thea grows, evidence comes to light that Prince Taam’s death may not have been accidental. To safeguard the intergalactic treaty standing between them and the wider dangers of the universe, Kiem and Jainan must work together to demonstrate the strength of Iskat’s ties to Thea while avoiding threats that reach farther than either of them can guess.

I first heard of this book when I preordered it on a whim, based solely on the description “Ancillary Justice meets Red, White & Royal Blue.” Having read the ARC, I can’t say that I’m disappointed and I’m definitely not sorry I preordered a copy of the finished book. It takes a forced/arranged marriage, a tightly-wound intellectual with a shadowed past matched with a golden retriever of a (reformed) party prince, the BEST personal assistant, the impacts of imperialism, the long-term effects of abusive relationships (not Kiem and Jainan’s, just to clarify), gender expression that embraces trans and nonbinary identities as normal and unremarkable, secret plots, and political machinations and spins them all into a queer romance folded into a space opera and a political thriller. It’s everything that I wanted right now without knowing how to express it.

Winter’s Orbit started as an original work on Archive of Our Own and for anyone who has read much fanfiction, the beats of the story will feel familiar without being boring or unsatisfying. Kiem and Jainan are both doing their best in the marriage (for different reasons), but run into problems before they slowly realize they are working on two very different sets of assumptions about the marriage. It’s enormously satisfying watching them gradually build trust and start to understand where the other is coming from, even as the space opera and thriller elements of the story keep the plot zipping along. Likewise, I had a blast with the world-building of this small interplanetary empire in the context of a much wider galaxy waiting to snap up these planets at any sign of weakness, plus the inner machinations of the empire itself. I’m stuck between wanting a sequel to spend more time with this world and being really pleased that it wraps up so well in a single volume. Either way, I’m excited to see what Everina Maxwell writes next. In the meantime, if you like romance, space opera, or political maneuvering you should try Winter’s Orbit.

One of the most anticipated reads of 2021. Thank you for a review copy. I enjoyed this book quite a bit. There was action but I wish there was more dialogue between characters so we can really see the development between one another. Other than that, the world building in space was great and so was the plot.

Prince Royal Kiem of the planet Iskat gets called into a meeting with the Emperor, which is never a good thing. Prince Taam has been killed in a accident and Kiem is immediately engaged to his widower Count Jainan, a vassal diplomat from the planet Thea. Iskat rules seven planets and a resolution agreement exists between the ruling powers with Iskat the dominant planet. A Unification Day treaty must be signed in a month for protection. Kiem is a charming, kind, ne'er do well in his mid twenties and Jainan is a bit older at 27 and much more serious. These two slowly build their forced marriage into friendship, but they discover and keep secrets. Can they save the treaty? There are several shady characters in the story and I found myself rooting for Kiem and Jainan. This is a debut and I look forward to the next offering by Everina Maxwell.

Spoiler-ish content warning for Winter's Orbit: Mentions and descriptions of past domestic violence/abusive relationships (verbal, physical, emotional, and somewhat vaguely implied sexual). In my opinion, this is handled very well, but it may be difficult for some to read.

Winter's Orbit is pitched as "Ancillary Justice meets Red, White & Royal Blue", which is honestly spot on! This is a slow, romantic, funny, queer space opera that had me utterly enraptured from start to finish.

When diplomatic aid Count Jainan loses his husband, Prince Taam, to a spacecraft accident, he is quickly forced into a second arranged marriage with Prince Kiem to maintain planetary relations. But Jainan isn't convinced Taam's death was an accident, and with some digging, Kiem realizes that Jainan himself is secretly a suspect. To save the empire, the pair must work together to uncover the truth behind Taam's death and maintain public appearances, all while trying to figure out their own growing feelings for one another.

I loved the prose here, although it should be said that this book was originally published on AO3, and you can tell - but not in a bad way! It simply has the structure and style of fanfiction. I occasionally have difficulty reading books like this, but Winter's Orbit pleasantly surprised me - I really, really loved this book. It also embraces many of the tropes found in fic: huddling for warmth, "oh no, there's only one bed!", etc. and honestly? We love to see it. The tropes are also executed in unique ways, which makes for a refreshing read!

When it comes to the politics in Winter's Orbit I was... kind of happily shocked, to be honest. Because normally, I really kind of hate politics in books - I skimmed those sections in Red, White & Royal Blue - but I was actually rather invested in the what was happening in this story. There were brief moments of skimming, mostly near the end, but for the most part I was wholly engaged in the politics of these foreign planets.

It should also be noted that you shouldn't read this book solely for the purpose of the romance. That said, you shouldn't read it solely for the plot, either. Winter's Orbit is very well balanced when it comes to plot v. romance, which makes it an easy and fun (if not somewhat slower) read.

I'd also really like to point out that the emotions in Winter's Orbit are intense. It's an arranged marriage situation, so you can expect some awkwardness, but I was honestly not prepared. I love when a book is able to make you want to scream from second-hand embarrassment, as I feel it speaks to the author's grasp of emotions. If that isn't your jam, don't worry - it's very brief! But oh, boy, was it rough. And it isn't just the awkwardness/embarrassment, - I felt every conceivable emotion whilst reading this. The emotions are so rich that I felt like I was in the character's heads. I felt their anger, anxiety, misery, and joy as if it were my own.

The characters themselves are a bit tropey, with the "golden-retriever who definitely has ADHD" and the "emotionally distant, anxious, and subdued feline" types, but I truly adored the characters and was shocked by how real they seemed. I probably shouldn't have related to Jainan as much as I did, but here we are! Not sure what that says about me. The side characters are also delightfully well-rounded!

The romance itself is a bit of a slow burn, hindered by mental health and miscommunications, but it isn't so slow as to make you want to give up on them. It's sweet and honest and real, and I was rooting for them from beginning to end. I did feel like there was somewhat of a lack of a build-up for emotional attraction (initially there was quite a focus on physical attraction), but it evens out as the story continues!

The plot itself was strong enough that even without the romance I would have likely found myself intrigued by this book. I actually went into this not knowing it was somewhat of a whodunnit story (I have a habit of diving blindly into book recs), so, as a murder mystery fan, I was quite happy about that! It isn't your Agatha Christie type mystery, but it's great fun all the same. I'll admit I'm not very sharp when it comes to mysteries, but personally, I didn't find it too predictable, and I think this story would be a fun read even if you are a perceptive reader.

When I heard about Winter’s Orbit, an LGBTQ+ sci-fi novel pitched as Ancillary Justice meets Red, White & Royal Blue, I was immediately intrigued. Not only do I love queer royalty in almost every setting, I loved both of the books in the pitches and I’m always here for more queernorm adult speculative fiction. Plus, hello, arranged marriage/marriage of convenience but make it MLM? I’m in.

I got more than I expected from Winter’s Orbit and was pleasantly surprised to find deep, rich worldbuilding and intricate political intrigue in addition to three dimensional characters. I’d actually say the comp of RW&RB is a little misleading—if you go into this expecting a lighthearted romcom in a sci-fi backdrop, you’ll be at best jarred and at worst disappointed. The good news is I think the book stands on its own quite well.

The plot was well paced and I was genuinely surprised at several points, which is rare for me. And of course, the chemistry between the two leads develops in a natural way and had me invested; my only minor critique would be perhaps a bit too much reliance on lack of communication for conflict in the relationship. There are heavier topics at play in this novel, including prolonged discussion of domestic violence and abuse, so proceed with caution.

Overall, I enjoyed Winter’s Orbit a great deal and will be delighted to add it to my list of adult queer speculative fiction recommendations. I’ll be checking out the next book in the series as soon as I’m able!

Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I was so happy to receive this gay space book! I loved the characters and the world. It was amazing and everything I needed to get out of the slump.

Winter’s Orbit is a queer, political space opera and romantic masterpiece! It’s pitched as “Ancillary Justice meets Red, White & Royal Blue” and that is such a spot on description! It has the same wonderful queer, fun and political vibes as RWARB and an epic space and treachery plot that is similar to Ancillary Justice, all mixed together into one of my absolute favorite books ever!

In the Iskat Empire, the treaties and political alliances between the planets are the foundation that holds the empire together. When the planet Thea starts to rebel against Iskat about the same time as Imperial Prince Taam dies in an accident, his Thean widower Count Jainan is rushed into an arranged marriage with Taam’s cousin Kiem in a desperate way to prevent an interplanetary war.

I immediately rooted for the poor forced-into-marriage couple, both Jainan and Kiem were such wonderful characters! Jainan is a Thean diplomat and dutiful scholar, who always takes his responsibilities seriously and puts duty before his own happiness, whereas Kiem is the disreputable prince, who never takes anything too serious, but with such a good heart. I just loved how Kiem always sees the best in everyone, how kind, generous and sociable he is. And how he was so conscious of Jainan’s grief after losing his partner and respecting his feeling. A bit too much even… Jainan was also so lovable, but a much more complex character with a baggage that revealed itself as the story evolved. When it appears that Prince Taam’s death may not have been an accident, and that Jainan is not only shut out from the investigation of his late husband’s death, but a suspect himself, the new couple must quickly overcome their differences and learn to trust one another while navigating political, military and inter-galactic diplomatic relations. As well as dealing with their growing feelings for each other…

The genuine and sweet way Kiem’s and Jainan’s relationship developed was just adorable. Everina Maxwell did an excellent job building up the romance slowly while at the same time driving the plot forward at light speed with the murder mystery, the political intrigues and all galactic action.

I also really loved the world building and the unique concept that gender is a choice you can make to express (or not) and that partnerships are completely gender-neutral too. In this world there is no homophobia at all. The character’s sexuality is no one’s business but their own. I really appreciated the fact that Everina Maxwell didn’t even make a big thing of this.

Even though the story is based on a science-fiction story and set in space, it feels very contemporary. It’s light and sassy, but it still deals with a lot of heavy topics such as abuse and violence, angst, self-loathing, love and vulnerability, and a forced marriage trope. Basically, this book has it all! A swooning gay romance, great dialogue, nuanced and queer relationships, political intrigues that need to be challenged, a murder history that needs to be solved, and a galactic war that needs to be stopped. It’s hilarious, witty, tender, thoughtful and devastatingly heartfelt. It's a story about being brave enough to admit you are worth fighting for, for wanting things, and for chasing after those things. It’s a story that deals with difficult topics in a both honest and fun way at the same time.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the ebook copy and the opportunity to read this gem in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely love this book and recommend it with all my heart!

Review- Winters Orbit
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1 Star
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So as most people know, I typically only read ownvoices gay romance. So I’m sure you’re wondering why I decided to read this book. Well I’m currently writing a fantasy arranged marriage princes story and I saw this story on netgalley and was like oh I should read this to see how someone else used the concept. Big mistake. I’ll never get back the hours i slogged through this book.
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First of all the characters were boring and one dimensional. Their only reason not to like each other for 60% of the book was because they weren’t talking. I know for a fact that if you forced two men to live together in an arranged marriage sleeping in the same apartment they would not have the communication problems these two had. Even after the 60% now it seemed faked and forced that after one night together they all of a sudden like each other and love each other? Gurlllll please. I feel like we barely even scratched the surface of who these characters are.
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This book is the exact example of why I didn’t want to read non ownvoices mlm. I couldn’t think of a more boring couple if I tried. The two men were super unrealistic and the exact reason why I advocate so hard for Ownvoice authors- so people can see realistic gay/bi men in their books.
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I honestly wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone and I’d like to forget I ever read it. The end. Thank you netgalley for the chance to review this book honestly.

<b><i>Winter's Orbit</i> feels a lot like coming home. This slow, soft, and utterly romantic space opera is unlike any other sci-fi novel I've read before, and I hope that it starts a trend, because it's something special.</b>

This was originally published on AO3 and you can tell. <b>It reads like a fanfic in the best way possible.</b> Familiar tropes done in a fun way; longer, self-contained chapters that suit being posted serially; even the way the romance unfolds with its focus on the smallest touches, lots of introspection, and emotional connection over the physical (even if the physical attraction is real). Just. Divine. Reading this gave me the same amount of joy as coming home to binge read an 80k slow burn arranged marriage AU fic. <b>This is the definition of comfort read.</b> So stellar.

Prince Kiem and Count Jainan are diplomatic aids forced into an arranged marriage after Jainan's husband Taam (also Kiem's cousin) is killed in a spaceship accident. But when Taam's death is revealed to have been a murder, not an accident, the two must now work together to solve the mystery before political intrigue causes an interplanetary war. All throughout, of course, they slowly fall for each other and duty becomes real love.

This is very much an opposites-attract type of romance with Kiem as the easygoing, charming, and extroverted flirt while Jainan is the quiet, socially awkward, and stone-faced academic who's more into duty and numbers. <b>It is a delightful slow burn that is at times hindered by miscommunication and insecurity, but not extreme enough to be annoying. There's a good reason for it and I'd like to include a content warning for mentions of past domestic violence/abusive relationships.</b> All in all, handled very well, in my opinion.

The worldbuilding flew over my head at the beginning but it is only really secondary to the characters and their relationships with each other. <b>This is a space opera and not hard sci-fi, but it's got gorgeously described scenery (that very iconic tent in the snowy mountains scene is carved into my heart) and a special emphasis on culture and politics over technology and space battles.</b> Fans of <i>A Memory Called Empire</i> may enjoy this too.

<b>This is an atmospheric and cozy read that's meant to be savored slowly, rather than binge read all in one sitting.</b> A very refreshing novel that I was excited to pick up after a long day, because it really did help me recharge. I'm looking forward to getting a physical copy when it's released because I appreciate it so much.

<b>TL;DR A full 5 stars and highly recommended, even for non sci-fi readers.</b>

<i>Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for providing me with a free e-copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Thank you so much Tor Books and NetGalley for a free e-copy of this book.

The Iskat Empire controls its political relationships with the vassal planets with a system of treaties and often alliances with marriage. After the death of the Iskat Imperial prince Taam, who is married to a representative of the planet Thean, the Emperor needs to reinstate this alliance as soon as possible ahead of the imminent visit from the Auditor for the signing of the Resolution, which will guarantee peace among empires for decades. She decides to marry the Thean widower, Jainan, with her most problematic grandchild, Kiem, within only a day.

As soon as they are married, it becomes apparent that the death of the Imperial prince Taam was not an accident and Jainan is accused of murder. As they struggle to get along in this forced marriage, the murder investigation tests the relationship between Kiem and Jainan and the stability of the whole Iskat Empire.

I wish you could hear me squeaking of joy, because this novel was a beauty. This debut science-fiction and space opera was originally published on the website Archive of Our Own and it gathered so much enthusiasm that it made its way to Tor Books. It’s often compared to Red, White & Royal Blue – which was one of my favourite reads of the last year – and I can see the similarities in terms of atmosphere and feels. I still consider Winter’s Orbit as a diamond on its own, because the plot is written around a forced marriage trope, and I will add that it’s finely executed. Moreover, other than being basically based on a science-fiction story which takes place in a galaxy far far away, it also analyses and explores the topic of abuse and violence in a unique and delicate way so it definitely is a different story, with a different tone, compared to Red, White & Royal Blue.

I would say, this book reminds me more of Becky Chambers’s debut novel The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, because of its world/space building, because of its fantastic gender and sexuality representation and because of all the feelings that both stories left me. In terms of the world structure, I would say probably it needed a little bit of more development as certain details are left unsaid. For example, I felt the origin of remnants was not explored sufficiently, except the reader was given the explanation of their purpose only toward the end of the story. The best part of this world is that people’s gender is a choice that they can choose, or not, to express with accessories they wear (like glass or wood) and not with physical traits. Also, homophobia doesn’t exist, simple as that. No need to justify your gender and your sexuality and that’s so good that the writer doesn’t even mention it in the whole story or compare this reality to the normal world. However, I do understand that the main factor of this story is the relationship between Kiem and Jainan, and so other details about this world have less relevance.

Kiem is the typical social (galaxy) butterfly, he got in trouble so many times in the past and he is forced within only 24 hours into marrying someone who is grieving his previous partner. He is not educated like Jainan, but he is someone I would identify as “street smart”. Thanks to all his networking connections, he knows how to survive in this society full of journalists always ready for the next royal scandal. I loved how he was super conscious of Jainan’s grief and feelings at the beginning of their relationship. Jainan is probably one of the most intriguing characters I had ever encountered (well, I think I say this a lot about all my favourite characters – lol). Anyway, Jainan is duty bound to the Empire and to his planet, every action he takes, every thought he has, every word he says are bound to his loyalty and for the sake of the relationship between Thean and the Empire.

Kiem and Jainan’s relationship slowly progresses, so the romance builds up around the mystery of the murder of Prince Taam and all the political intrigues of the Iskat Empire, but it genuinely follows a natural development, in accordance with the main characters’ personalities and pasts until they finally complement each other. The other side characters needed a bit more love, and more background, in particular Jainan’s sister, but again, this could be me in need of learning more about these characters.

It’s a fast, action-packed read and a refreshing science-fiction story, which clearly left me thirsty for more stories in this fantastic world/space-building. A part of me is glad this was a stand-alone, and the plot itself has a round and satisfactory ending. However, the small lack of background about these planets and how they came to be, and about a few characters make me wish for more and I would keep my radar on for more novels from this writer. An absolute must-read for all the fans of The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet and Red, White & Royal Blue.

I saw this book pitched as Ancillary Justice meets Red, White and Royal Blue, and immediately went “𝒚𝒆𝒔 𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆!!” but then this story was just so totally and completely it’s own thing that I couldn’t put it down! I found myself looking for opportunities throughout my day, just to catch five minutes to read! I was just instantly obsessed with these absolute disaster cupcakes that are our main characters and needed to know what happened next.

Jam packed with sass and mystery right from the first page, 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐎𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲-𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐫-𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞-𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝-𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝-𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝! I absolutely loved my time reading this book and can’t wait to add it to my shelves in February.

P.S. Can we just talk about that cover for a minute?! Because I’m STILL not over how gorgeous it is!!!

I have to admit, I'm one of the many people who read the previous incarnation of this novel when it was published online and was absolutely delighted to hear it had been picked up for professional publication. I've probably read the previous version 3 or 4 times and so was a bit sceptical about how I'd feel about re-reading it again. I shouldn't have worried: I made the fatal mistake of starting at midnight and couldn't put it down till I was flagging a few hours later, then read the rest of it in one go the following morning. Considering I roughly knew how the story goes, that for me speaks volumes about the quality of writing.

The basic premise of <I>Winter's Orbit</i> is that our main characters are subject to an arranged marriage which is necessary to support a treaty that allows their planets easy access to the wider universe. Kiem is a bit of a wastrel but he's a good-hearted soul when all is said and done, which means he seems to be the only person worrying about the fact that the man he's about to marry (<I>tomorrow</I>, since the treaty is up for renewal shortly and the clock is ticking) has just lost his partner to an accident. For himself, Jainan is resigned to doing whatever he has to do for the good of his people and if that means marrying this spoiled princeling who seems to have lived his life on the front page of the gossip sheets, so be it.

Once they're married, Kiem tries to make this relationship work and be sensitive to Jainan's needs, while also again being the only person to actually stand up for Jainan when he's suspected of being involved with the death of his previous partner, Kiem's cousin Taam. Using his ability to get his own way by charming people, or by threatening them with the press if that doesn't work, Kiem soon discovers that this death is part of a wider scheme involving the project Taam was in charge of and is determined to get to the truth.

All of this is going on against the backdrop of treaty negotiations, with not just their relationship under scrutiny but also the demand to produce a collection of alien Remnants which have been found on these planets since the last treaty renewal twenty years earlier. There are all sorts of schemes within schemes going on, not helped by the fact that Jainan's relationship with Taam is not quite what Kiem thinks it was and the impact of all of that on this new relationship.

It's true there are a number of tropes at play in <I>Winter's Orbit</i> (for example, forced to huddle together for warmth turns up at one point) but that's not a bad thing. The main characters are well-written and convincing, even if I always find myself wanting to bang Kiem and Jainan's heads together at various points as they each misinterpret what's going on. The treaty stuff is new, clearly added to give an element of time pressure for everything to be solved, and it definitely works. All in all, the speed with which I ripped through this book (effectively, again) shows how much I enjoyed it and how well it still works for me. I'm looking forward to many re-reads in the future, as well as anything else this author puts out, since she signed a 3-book deal!

<I>I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.</i>

'"You would not invite a scandal across half the royal family," Rakak said. They looked like they had bitten something sour. "The Emperor would–"
"Exile to me to a monastery again?" Kiem said. "Already went, three years ago. I'm a world-class meditator. I don't mind being in the newslogs."'

This book was so much more than I was expecting. I was imagining a light, gay rom-com in space. I got a nuanced relationship, fraught by history and circumstance, with a decent amount of world-building and some interesting cultural norms to add weight to the story.

Kiem is the Iskat royal family's playboy. Jainan is the recently bereaved partner of Kiem's cousin and the formal representative to Thea, a vassal planet of Iskat. Needing to firm the alliance between Thea and Iskat ahead of signing the Resolution, a trade and defence treaty between empires, the Emperor demands that Kiem and Jainan marry immediately. They have one month to get to know each other and convince the public and the Resolution Auditor that the alliance is strong, or the empire faces invasion or civil war or both.

I LOVED Kiem. He's like a mix between a big puppy, Corporal Carrot (Discworld) and a young Prince Harry. Incredibly kind and sociable, he sees the best in everyone and loves nothing more than an opportunity to have fun and meet people - whether they're 5-year-old school children, the gardener or the Ambassador to a vassal planet.

'"How doe you know all these people?"
"Just...normally," Kiem said. "Everyone does, right?"
"No," Jainan said.'

He's not academic and has no interest in politics, but he's also not stupid, conceited or malleable - facts that surprise those who seek to use or manipulate him.

Jainan is harder to understand, particularly as a key fact is withheld until a good way into the book (though I, and I'm sure many others, guessed this well ahead of Kiem). Married to Prince Taam for five years, he's been widowed a month. He's shy and nervous, naturally academic, and determined to do his duty, no matter the cost. His secret deserves discussing and is one of the most interesting and valuable aspects of the book in my opinion, however it is somewhat of a spoiler, so visit my Goodreads profile (di_maitland) if you'd like to read more.

Kiem and Jainan's relationship is slow to build and victim to endless misunderstandings and miscommunications (or a failure to communicate at all). On the whole, these felt genuine, rather than conveniently created to add tension to the plot (though they did this too), however, by the mid-point, I was beginning to get quite frustrated. Fortunately things developed soon afterwards and we began to have external, rather than just internal, hurdles to overcome.

Bel, Kiem's personal assistant, is the only other significant character and is awesome. I would have loved to have seen more of her and would definitely read a book with her as protagonist (hint hint, Everina Maxwell).

Maxwell's world-building was good, though it felt a little contrived at times, there was some info-dumping to start, and it was slightly more complicated than it needed to be - remnants being a prime example of this. That said, I appreciated that the world extended beyond the main characters' little bubble and was intrigued by the way gender and sexuality were presented. I liked that individuals could choose whether they were male, female or neuter, but found the manner in which these were indicated unlikely.

All in all, I really liked Winter's Orbit (though I still don't know where the title comes from!). It had some really sweet characters that were more nuanced than those found in most Romances; its world-building was well developed, its diversity impressive and its writing style easy. I would recommend it to lovers of pure sci-fi and pure romance, as well as those, like me, who enjoy both.

Winter’s Orbit is a book for me that feels very like a fic (I don’t mean it negatively, take it how you will). And I can’t tell if that’s because I read the original piece it stemmed from (although it has hardly changed) or it genuinely does. Either way it’s a fun, action-packed romance-slash-space-mystery that hits all the right notes when it comes to emotions.

Kiem expects to spend his life unbothered by Iskat Empire politics, barring the occasional disapproving meeting with his grandmother. But when his cousin, Taam, is killed in a crash, Kiem is forced to step in and marry his widower, Jainan, to maintain a treaty and, hopefully, peace throughout the entire galaxy. Add onto this evidence that Taam’s demise wasn’t entirely accidental, and Kiem finds himself at the centre of a plot which may threaten life as he knows it.

I’m honestly finding this book a bit tricky to review because, in effect, it’s a reread for me. I don’t know why that makes it harder, but them’s the breaks.

What catches your attention first and foremost in this book are the characters. I loved Kiem from the first page of the original and I loved him even more from the first page of this. And the same was the case for Jainan. They, and all the rest of the main cast, are the kinds of characters who are so vibrant as to leap off the page at you. It’s that, and the growing relationship between Kiem and Jainan, that makes the book for me.

In terms of plot, the novel is half romance, half thriller. I say half and half because the thriller part does sort of take a backseat to the romance at times. It’s like a romance in space thriller trappings, and it’s excellent. My favourite genre is mysteries or thrillers used as a vehicle for a romance, and it does it so well here. Perhaps at times, I wanted it to lean more into the thriller aspect, but I knew what I was getting into here, so that wasn’t a problem for me.

If there was anything for me to nitpick, it would be just that, on occasion, I wanted the worldbuilding to go even more in depth than it did. I think that may have been a byproduct of me finding it a little fic-ish, to be honest, though. It didn’t really impact on my original rating either.

If you are looking for a standalone science fiction book to read, then, this one fits perfectly and I would highly recommend it.