Shadows Upon Time
- First Released
- November 18, 2025
- Publisher
- DAW Books
- Cover Artist
- Kieran Yanner
- Word Count
- 371,000[fn 1]
- Series
- Sun Eater, Book 7
- Succeeds
- Disquiet Gods
- First Released
- November 18, 2025
- Publisher
- Head of Zeus
- Cover Artist
- Patrick Knowles
- Word Count
- 371,000[fn 1]
- Series
- Sun Eater, Book 7
- Succeeds
- Disquiet Gods
There are endings, reader...
— Hadrian Marlowe
Shadows Upon Time is the seventh and final book in the Sun Eater series by Christopher Ruocchio. It concludes the story of Hadrian Marlowe, and is set to be published by DAW Books on November 18, 2025. Shadows Upon Time is preceded by Disquiet Gods.
For details on the Novellas and Tales of the Sun Eater, see Novellas and Short Story Collections.
For the official recommended reading order, see the Welcome Page.
Full Shadows Upon Time spoliers below, proceed with caution.
Synopsis
The seventh and final novel of the galaxy-spanning series merges the best of space opera and epic fantasy, as Hadrian Marlowe at last lights the greatest fire humanity has ever seen.
Ambitious universe-building combines with intimate character portraits for storytelling on a truly epic scale—for fans of Orson Scott Card, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Patrick Rothfuss, and Jack Campbell.
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.
— Synopsis from Highmatter Books
Summary
Publications
Print and Ebooks
| Edition | Cover | Publisher | Cover Artist | Interior Artist | Format | Pages | Dimensions (MM) | ISBN-13 | Publication Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Edition |
|
DAW Books | Kieran Yanner | Map by Daniel Hasenbos | Hardcover | 928 | 9780756420000 | November 18, 2025 | ||
| UK Edition |
|
Head of Zeus | Patrick Knowles | Map by Daniel Hasenbos | Hardcover | 928 | 9781035920662 | November 2025 |
Audiobooks
| Publisher | Narrator | Runtime | Format | ISBN-13 | Publication Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded Books | Samuel Roukin | Unabridged | 9798892731843 | November 18, 2025 |
Trivia
- A major event of this book is spoiled in the first chapter of Empire of Silence.
Notes and References
Footnotes
- The word count refers to the total number of words between the first and last chapter, discounting sections such as dramatis personae, acknowledgements, copyright information, etc. For exact word counts across the entire series, see Word Counts Table. For the methodology by which the word count was found, see Word Counter Script.
No comments to display
No comments to display