In equal parts profound philosophy and cynical foreshadowing, Ruocchio has delivered an all time great sequel in Howling Dark. Intensely interesting world-building, some great character work, and an ending that will shake readers to the core, Howling Dark improves on the already great start of Sun Eater and marks the arrival of one of the best voices in SFF right now. 

“We are clay, shaped as the mountain is shaped: by the wind, the tramping foot, and the rain. By the world. The mark of other hands is on us, but we are ourselves alone.”

Following Empire of Silence, Hadrian has more questions than answers. He has prisoners, a semi-loyal crew, gusto, and no idea where to go. He’s searched the galaxy for ways to contact the Cielcin and put an end to the war, and he’s done so mostly fruitlessly. When he gets a hint of where the planet of Vorgossos is, he’ll find threats both larger and more insidious than the Cielcin.

Howling Dark begins in media res, something I wasn’t fully expecting given the framed narrative of Suneater. Hadrian and crew are targeting a being known as The Painted Man while they search for information. From the intro alone, you can tell Howling Dark is going to be a special book. The imagery and attention to detail for The Painted Man feels fresh out of a horror film, as well as the intensity and action that follows. 

While you can tell right from page one that Howling Dark is firing on all cylinders, you can also tell that Ruocchio has improved his game in pretty much all facets. Empire of Silence is a great book, Howling Dark is better. The rumination of Hadrian has always been a treat to read, but now it’s paired with increased action, sprawling world-building, and some really interesting philosophizing. A lot of the novel feels inspired by Book of the New Sun in its weirdness and the twists and turns it takes, and while Ruocchio has always had a nice feel for action, it’s vastly improved in this.

There’s a touch of horror in every aspect of Howling Dark, especially the ideas brought to life in Vorgossos. Sometimes it’s in your face, sometimes it’s insidious, but it’s ever present, like the blackness of space. Creepiness oozes off the page and leaves you feeling like you need a shower. 

Amidst the fear is a lot of philosophical discussion. Characters debate, and what I love is that they’re never right or wrong. The conversations feel real and high-level. You can tell that every character truly believes they’re right and they’re willing to state their case until the very end. 

“The world is filled with monsters: dragons in the wilderness, serpents in the garden. We must become monsters to fight them. Anyone who thinks otherwise has never really had to fight for anything.”

While the beginning of Howling Dark is one of my favorite parts of the book, that is in retrospect. In real time, I must confess the beginning threw me off and I’m curious why Ruocchio took this approach. The narrative of Suneater is an intimate one—full of minute details about Hadrian’s life—so to skip years and years of Hadrian’s life felt like a head scratcher. 

Once we get out of the first bit, Howling Dark does slow down to the pace of Empire of Silence. It’s not bad, but it is frequently slow at times, so the read does require patience. Lots of dialogue, lots of wandering, lots of soul searching. It’s a book that needs you to bear with it for a while, but once things kick off near the end, Ruocchio has you trapped. 

The ending of Howling Dark is an epic whirlwind that is impossible to put down once you hit The Red Scene. There’s multiple instances of jaw-dropping scenes, but it’s not just flash. The substance behind it builds the plot and makes me extremely eager to see what Ruocchio has in store in the next books, and my mind has been kept busy by the foreshadowing and hints provided. 

All in all, if you liked Empire of Silence then this is a must-read. I encourage any fans of Name of the Wind or Book of the New Sun to pick this series up, and I encourage them to be patient. Ruocchio rewards the faithful, and the ending of Howling Dark is the cherry on top of one of my favorite sequels of all time.

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