Empire of Silence

Hadrian Marlowe writes his story while he awaits execution. He skips over the creation of the empire when humans expanded beyond Earth millennia ago, then skims past the first three centuries of war with the Cielcin (the aliens who destroy planets and enslave humans as livestock). He promises to explain how he “rip[ped] the heart out of a star” (2), destroying two civilizations and earning the title of Sun Eater. But first, he starts with his childhood as the eldest son of a cruel lord, Alistair Marlowe: the Archon (mid-ranked lord) of Meidua province on the planet Delos.

As with all palatine (members of the imperial aristocracy), Hadrian was grown in a vat from engineered genetic material. His parents married for political reasons and barely acknowledged his birth. His mother preferred the company of women and retreated to her mother’s household and her harem of women, while Alistair left Hadrian to servants and returned to the family business of mining uranium. Four years later, the Marlowes grew a second son, Crispin, whom Hadrian despises.

Hadrian’s story shifts forward in time to when he is 19 and Crispin is 15. At this point, they are both competing in a training duel while their sword master, Sir Felix, supervises.