Princess Sun has finally come of age.
Growing up in the shadow of her mother, Eirene, has been no easy task. The legendary queen-marshal did what everyone thought impossible: expel the invaders and build Chaonia into a magnificent republic, one to be respected—and feared.
But the cutthroat ambassador corps and conniving noble houses have never ceased to scheme—and they have plans that need Sun to be removed as heir, or better yet, dead.
To survive, the princess must rely on her wits and companions: her biggest rival, her secret lover, and a dangerous prisoner of war.
Take the brilliance and cunning courage of Princess Leia—add in a dazzling futuristic setting where pop culture and propaganda are one and the same—and hold on tight
If there’s one thing you should know about me and Alexander the Great retellings/re-imaginings, it’s that Unconquerable Sun is the only one I’ve ever read. My AtG knowledge is severely lacking. But now I feel I at least know something. Alexander the Great was an interplanetary and intergalactic conqueror. (Did I get that right, your historianlyship?)
Anyway, your literatureship, I just want to say that…wow I loved this book. There are multiple perspectives that each offer something unique to the story. While we’re rooting for Sun, the book doesn’t paint the enemy’s perspective as completely evil. For the enemy’s perspective, we even get letters from the character to her mother.
The multiple perspectives do a great job of subverting expectations, whether for the characters in the book or the reader themself. Those living weapons with no thoughts of their own other than to obey? Nope. They have a rich history and culture. The girl who comes from a powerful family must also be just like her parents and relatives, right? LOL.
And while she doesn’t get her own POV, there’s a character called Tiana who is the best. I love her quips, and her character arc (well, all the characters’ arcs tbh) was really good.
The worldbuilding was also done fantastically. There’s one place we visit where people live in a polluted tent city. It reminded me of living near a similar environment. It resonated with me, personally, because I thought the book did a great job of showing the reality of a place like that without demeaning it or making a value judgement on it.
Everywhere we visit just feels alive, not simply a background painting. To put it cheesily, the sets felt like characters in and of themselves.
It feels like we only got a little taste of the worlds. We see a training academy, enemy spacecraft, oceans, palaces, etc. In the grand scheme of things, it’s not a lot. But it’s so fleshed out that it feels like so much more. It’s incredible.
While the book doesn’t directly use LGTBQ+ labels (at least I don’t remember seeing any), those themes are very prevalent. It’s not focused on or made a big deal either. It’s just a part of the characters’ lives. And it’s a completely normal thing in their society.
Basically, Unconquerable Sun by Kate Elliott is one of the best books I’ve read this year. I’d been looking forward to it since at least May-June 2019. And wow, it far exceeded expectations. The book is big, but it was so easy to read and get lost in. So yeah, I guess this is more just a complete gush.
We received an e-ARC from the publisher.
If you loved this book, then make sure you read Kate’s other work. She is one of the most underrated and UNNOTICED SFF writers. She writes culture like an anthropologist and is a master at creating deep, believable characters.
Can’t wait to get this book here in Australia. Due to colonial book publishing practices, we have to wait until October.