Winter's Orbit

On the plus side, really well written m/m romance with mutual pining; sweeping political space opera. On the minus side, too many stories shoehorned into one, making it a hugely exhausting book to read. If you like the way that Lois McMaster Bujold tortures their characters, this book is for you.

Characterisation is great; detailed world building; too much plot; writing is great; pacing is a bit off at times. Spectacular for a first novel.

Holy shit, can I give it more stars? Because it needs more stars. I ADORED this book. 10/10, would die for my precious space sons.

Okay, speaking on a perhaps more grown-up level...the pacing of the story was perfect. I loved pretty much every character that was presented, and nobody felt unfleshed. The way gender was handled was really fresh and blended seamlessly with the world around them, as did the handling of sexuality (as a non-issue) and the way childbearing was pretty much unrelated to it. The mystery was compelling, and even with all the clues laced throughout, I had pretty much convinced myself that the sinister forces were from a completely different angle than they wound up being. Masterful! I don't generally enjoy space show more politics as much as I did here (I'm more Kiem, personally: focused on the social over the strategic), but I never felt bored even a little.

And I want my own Bel. show less

I’m sure there are loads of reviews singing the praises of the (deserving!) leading men, so I’ll leave them for everyone to love on while I talk about our girl Bel.

Highly efficient, dignified ex-space pirate confusing 'personal assistant to Prince Kiem' with 'exasperated sister-figure to that lazy moron, Kiem'? A sweet, slow-burn fondness for Jainan? The whole, “you scared the shit out of me you idiot” bit when she comes to yoink the boys off the mountainside? The whole, “we are not getting this Thean child killed,” bit with the anarchist undergrad she barely knows but adopts on-sight (sidenote: same)? The whole, “lol fuck that lowbrow job offer” bit when she turns down thE EMPEROR just so she can keep chillin with the show more fool squad because she’s actually a not-so-secret die-hard softie?? ... I’m deeply in love.

Anyway, lovely characters. Great story. I’m excited to see if Maxwell writes anything else in this universe~ show less

A lot of the galactic politics take a back seat to this story of a slow burn romance between two people who are broken in different ways.
When Prince Taam dies a treaty is in jeopardy and Prince Kiem, somewhat the black sheep of the extended imperial family, has to step into the breach and marry his widower, Jainan. Kiem has been trying to reform but all that anyone thinks about is his ability to be a fool and make headlines. Jainan appears to be devastated by the loss of Taam, but the truth is more complicated than that and it's taking all of Kiem's charm to get through to him.
As the story unfolded I really felt for the characters and wanted them to succeed and to prosper. Two great characters and their side kicks were a lot of fun show more too. Honestly it could have been set in a corporate boardroom and still worked but it really made me want to read more by this author. show less

I see what all the hyper was about -- fantastic love story, firmly rooted in awkward people not knowing how to bridge a communication gap. I love the world building, the political machinations, the unexpected customs, but the love story's slow unfolding and the crew of characters is the real star here.

The Iskat Empire is held together by treaties, which are in turn sewn up with arranged marriages. Some of the subject planets are beginning to chafe under Iskat rule, so when the Iskat Prince Taam dies in a flight accident, his widower, Jainan, is hurriedly remarried off to another Iskat prince, Kiem. But a marriage between a prince whose reckless past has given him a reputation as a spoiled and disobedient royal and a quiet and deeply damaged widower who isn’t showing any actual willingness to remarry doesn’t seem like then bandage the empire needs. And when Taam’s death is revealed as a murder with Jainan as a suspect, the marriage only gets less likely to succeed. But there’s more to both Kiem and Jainan than anyone else show more sees, and possibly more between them than either could have hoped.

Sci-fi romance with an idiots-to-lovers trope? Yes, please. And it doesn’t disappoint. show less

Phew, what an intense book! I must say, there are very few science fiction novels quite like Winter’s Orbit. Most science fiction revolves around the depravity of new technology or straight-up action scenes. This book has some of these elements, but it also has more! Winter’s Orbit almost reads like a mystery/romance novel with heavy bouts of political intrigue. It follows some traditions found in Red, White and Royal Blue, and yes, The Duke and I. It also follows some traditions found in Dune and Lois McMaster Bujold books like Shards of Honor. There are two characters who are placed together by fate (and their families), an obstacle they must overcome, and along the way love blossoms between the two aristocrats. All in a space show more opera future!

There are cultural nuances between Kiem and Jainan, being from two different planets, which flavors the story with a degree of believability. Kiem is constantly on the go and looking for the newest and greatest adventure to conquer, even if he isn’t good at it. A typical spoiled prince, Kiem is also the most rebellious individual in the entire book. Jainan, on the other hand, is obsessed with duty to the empire and duty to his people. Having studied astronomical engineering at university, he has a laser-focused mind but can be quite awkward when introduced to social affairs. With Kiem’s bravado and Jainan’s perfectionist persona, the two are perfectly matched to unravel the universe’s greatest conspiracy.

The imagery and world-building in this book are also feats to marvel. There is no shortage of details, no imagery too bland, and no dialogue too tedious. Winter’s Orbit is a bouquet of descriptions and valued subtleties that spans worlds.

Three Words that Describe this Book: romance, scifi, political intrigue

Give This A Try if You Like… Dune, Collapsing Empire, Red, White and Royal Blue, Shards of Honor (by Lois McMaster Bujold), Jupiter Ascending (film) show less