Epic Space Adventure!
I listened to the almost 32-hour-long audiobook of Furious Heaven (The Sun Chronicles #2) by Kate Elliott, narrated by Natalie Naudus and thought it was great! This is the sequel to Unconquerable Sun. The series is a gender-swapped Alexander the Great in space where all of the important characters are strong and powerful queer women. Both books are full of kickass women in space.
Furious Heaven is well-written military science fiction blended with space opera. The story has very imaginative and detailed world-building but is also a high-octane adventure. This latest volume of the series really leans into the military aspects of the story. It’s action-packed and while at times it may be sprinkled with humor, it’s also threaded with wartime philosophical questions. An event triggers the march toward war and the characters are thrown into situations which have them experiencing the overall consequences of combat and the complexities of military ethics. It explores such themes as who really is a liberator and who is a conqueror.
Princess Sun (the title character) is a Royal in the Republic of Chaonia. Their governing structure is built upon political alliances between seven “Core Houses” and Sun surrounds herself with the people from those families, who at first glance appear to be the misfits or castoffs from those ruling factions. Her faith in them, however, fosters their allegiances and they have become her most trusted advisors (called her “Companions”). She is a charismatic woman whose actions engender loyalty and is someone you want to root for.
Sun and her entourage of allies (and found family) are all given compelling backstories. One of my favorite Companions is Persephone Lee, an intelligent, fiercely loyal, smartass disaster pansexual who adds a bit of levity to the intensity of the storyline. Furious Heaven takes on a more serious tone than the previous book, so Persephone’s actions and witty banter help to release some of the ongoing tension.
We are also presented with points of view from the enemy Phene Empire, which serves to humanize the opposing side of the conflict. The world-building is so in-depth that we can almost taste the different cultural cuisine across the different societies. The level of detail extends to even the furniture and workstations since the Phene has different anatomical physiology.
The author presents the complexities of the different civilizations, as she also incorporates interesting technological components. We dig into the infrastructure of the Beacon transportation network which is used to transport their ships across the Galaxy, as well as the Ring communication protocols which Sun’s advisors use for secure lines of communication. The tech and the politics are always some of my favorite things in good science fiction!
Both of these books also spotlight Natalie Naudus’s narrative skills. She is so good at creating distinct voices and this series has such an incredibly large cast that she manages effortlessly. Not many voice actors could handle this many characters without confusing the listener.
Furious Heaven is a well-developed work of military science fiction with fierce female characters. The world-building is intricate and far-reaching, but it’s also a high-adrenaline adventure. The first book, Unconquerable Sun sets the foundation so you need to start there, but Furious Heaven is a terrific installment in the trilogy. The story is self-contained, but it does leave open loose threads for the conclusion. I can’t wait for the next book!
I loved it.
5 stars
