New out November 18, 2025
Shadows Upon Time
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Our view
“Shadows Upon Time” brings “The Sun Eater” to its end, and is written for readers who have followed Hadrian Marlowe through six books. Hadrian, a fugitive from the empire he betrayed, waits beyond human space for his last ally while the alien Cielcin prepare a final assault. Some readers find this last volume slow and repetitive, its narrator hard to bear and its women defined only by him.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
The trumpet sounds. The end has come at last. After his victory at Vorgossos, Hadrian Marlowe finds himself a fugitive, on the run not only from the Extrasolarians, but from his own people, the Sollan Empire he betrayed—and who betrayed him. Hidden safely beyond the borders of human space, Hadrian awaits the arrival of the one ally he has left: the Jaddian Prince Kaim-Olorin du Otranto. What's more, the inhuman Cielcin have vanished, unseen for more than one hundred years. The armies of men have grown complacent, but Hadrian knows the truth: the Cielcin are gathering their strength, preparing for their final assault against the heart of all mankind. Only Hadrian possesses the power to stem the tide: an ancient war machine, forged by the daimon machines at the dawn of time. The mighty Demiurge. With it, Hadrian must face not just the Cielcin horde, but their Prophet-King, and the dark gods it serves—the very gods who shaped the universe itself. This must be.
Reading order · The Sun Eater
Full order & progress →- Empire of SilenceStart here
7.97.9 / 10 - Howling DarkHowling Dark–Not ranked yet
- Demon in WhiteDemon in White–Not ranked yet
- Kingdoms of DeathKingdoms of Death–Not ranked yet
- Ashes of Man
8.38.3 / 10 - Disquiet GodsDisquiet Gods–Not ranked yet
- Shadows Upon TimeThis book
8.18.1 / 10
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.3 across 136 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 48% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Fantasy average of 8.0. That is how 8.1 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardcover | 8.3 | 136 | 100% |
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