I’m just going to come right out and say it.

DEMON IN WHITE, the latest installment in Christopher Ruocchio's The Sun Eater series, is a powerful tour de force that stands head and shoulders above its two deftly crafted predecessors. It continues the tale of Hadrian Marlowe, a knight in service to the Empire against the alien Cielcin. At no point while reading this book will you feel that you’ve reached a good place to stop for the day. I don’t use silly phrases like “unputdownable,” but if I did, DEMON IN WHITE would be just that.

Hadrian, as has been learned previously, longed to be a scholiast, forever locked away in the Great Library learning all the wonders and mysteries of the universe. Fate would not afford him such a life, and instead he has become a great warrior, a mythic hero serving the will of the Emperor. He still yearns for entry to the Library, but without clearance from the Emperor himself, his chances at seeing those halls and seeking out the answers to his questions have never seemed farther away.

"DEMON IN WHITE...is a powerful tour de force that stands head and shoulders above its two deftly crafted predecessors.... [N]o one is delivering better science fiction than Christopher Ruocchio."

And those hopes are soon to be dashed again as the Emperor has a new mission set aside for his great hero --- a mission that Hadrian certainly believes is designed to keep him out of the spotlight and away from the adorning crowds. Emperors are jealous types, and as Hadrian’s cult of personality grows, so does his list of enemies. But through it all, Hadrian, the reluctant hero, just wants his answers. Answers about the Quiet. About who or what it is, and perhaps enough information to know why it saved his life.

Ruocchio’s work here is exquisite. His world building continues to impress, and it does not take much effort to be immediately lost within the web he weaves. The cast of characters is equal parts hilarious, engaging, mysterious and, despite their many alien backgrounds, doused with enough humanity on the page to make them relevant to a reader. Hadrian himself is a tremendously engaging narrator.

There is no lack of depth in this tale, though the pages seem to fly by at far too rapid a rate. Philosophical teachings, interstellar battles, political intrigue --- DEMON IN WHITE has them all. It is epic-level storytelling in a volume small enough to devour in a few days. I am not sure if that is good or bad, because one would certainly love to remain within the universe laid out here in order to explore more. We’ll get that chance soon enough. Ruocchio is already driving his way through book four, and then he’ll be able to deliver us a fifth and final installment.

If you are looking for a top-to-bottom solid and entertaining work of science fiction, I wholeheartedly encourage you to pick up DEMON IN WHITE and its two preceding novels in the series (EMPIRE OF SILENCE and THE HOWLING DARK). For my money, right now in this time and place, no one delivers fantasy better than Brandon Sanderson. By the same token, no one is delivering better science fiction than Christopher Ruocchio.