#78 in Science fiction
Shadows Upon Time
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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.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.2 across 115 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 38% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Science fiction average of 7.8. That is how 8.1 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardcover | 8.2 | 115 | 100% |
Reader voices
The most-liked reviews on Hardcover (credited to their authors).
“Mid-read review, about 60% of the way through. (update: DNFed at 80% progress. SO BORING.) This series has had its ups and downs. The middle books were rough reads, but the second-to-last picked up a bit, just in time to face-plant the grand finale. The first word that comes to mind is "boring". Where I am now it is, at last, starting to truly go somewhere, but dear lord. It could have been edited down to half the length, easily, with all of the repetitive descriptions, tropey intrigue, and repetitive descriptions. The second thing that comes to mind is "was this always a series for rich wh…”
“Writing a 7 book long series from the perspective of the most obnoxious chauvinistic annoying brat while repeating the same types of plots and monologues over and over only for it to end in some boring space jesus bible allegory was definitely a choice. Also. Why does the 40 year old woman (who's a swordmaster) act like an 18 year old at most? And why do the only "important" female characters only ever exist in Hadrians orbit? While the flatly characterised male characters at least have a life of their own. I wouldn't even call Cassandra a character. She was just a plot device. There are end…”
“Rating: 5/5 stars “You are like a man who—finding a fence in the wilderness—tears it down to clear the land, and doing so releases a lion from its pen.” It's been a long time since a series made me feel this way. Approaching the last book was bittersweet, I almost didn't want to start it because I didn't want to be done with Hadrian and the Sun Eater saga. That hesitation alone tells me how much I truly loved this series. I was nervous about whether Ruocchio could land the ending, but he absolutely did. Shadows Upon Time delivered in every aspect. From the beginning of book one, you knew wh…”
Frequently asked
What is Shadows Upon Time rated?
8.1 out of 10, from 115 reader ratings across 1 independent sources.
Is Shadows Upon Time worth reading?
Readers give it 8.1/10 from 115 ratings, which puts it ahead of 61 % of the Science fiction shelf.
Where does Shadows Upon Time rank?
#78 in Science fiction on the current snapshot.
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