User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
There is truly nothing the restive embrace of a good story cannot fix; and
Winter’s Orbit is a damn good story.
I had the opportunity to read an early copy of this book a few weeks ago, while caught in the dreary throes of finals and deadlines, and the story was like a rope thrown into a churning sea, mooring me to some semblance of sanity. Those moments when I would step outside myself and step inside the story were the only moments my mind could shut off its rigor and everything in me would settle like silt. I yearned for the escape I knew the story would bring, and for the space of a few hundred pages, I felt weightless, like all the trouble in the world had lifted from my shoulders.
Ironically, trouble finds our characters from the outset of the novel.
The high concept of “
a wayward, scandal-magnet prince and an intensely serious, duty-bound scholar are drafted into a political marriage and forced to work together in order to prevent an interplanetary war” tells you all you need to know about this book, but it only scratches the surface of the story’s many delights.
Winter’s Orbit represents everything in the genre for which I have an unaffected fondness: an extraordinarily believable and imaginative world with varied forces forming a tremulous web of fraught coexistence, complicated political machinations, the racy adventurous feel of a mystery left unsolved, deftly rendered characters that drive straight to your heart, and an ineffably tender romance that wraps around you like a thick wool robe—all woven through a superbly assured prose to create the kind of masterful storytelling that wells up to pull the reader into a unique and unforgettable experience.
The novel is also, thrillingly, just as emotionally satisfying.
(spoilers ahead)Jainan’a chapters are some of the novel’s most painful and wounding sections. From the moment we meet him, Jainan carries himself with the flinching weariness of a man with memories that require iron cages, kept still and quiet and captive so they did not devour him whole. This comes with a sense of foreboding, a whisper of wrongness. The reader does not immediately understand why Jainan moves so timidly through his life, always guarded, always careful, like he was waiting for a blow; why he often has to realign his whole world around a single act of kindness; or why everything he thought and did tends towards an all-pervasive self-loathing. Most chilling, however, is the sense that Jainan’s private, repeated mantras carry the echo of someone else’s voice.
The full picture soon begins to bloom like a stain across the paper: the full arc of Jainan’s traumatic relationship with his abusive ex-husband, who, for five years, had used his position as an imperial prince to etch the knowledge of powerlessness directly into Jainan’s heart, cutting all Jainan’s tethers—his family, his friends, his dreams—and making sure Jainan had no ally but his abuser, which is to say, that he had no ally at all. Through Jainan’s character, the author plumbs the cavernous depths of domestic abuse, tracing the interwoven strands of shame, anger, guilt, and sometimes even grief, that cling to survivors after they’re freed from their abusers. It’s a devastating topic, but Maxwell handles it with sensitivity, complexity, and so much care. Abuse, the novel hauntingly illustrates, carves a wound so deep and so hidden it takes a very long time to find it and address it. It casts a vast, horrible shadow over your relationships and leaves you unmoored. There are so few literary accounts of domestic abuse in queer relationships (something I read a while ago about it still haunts me: “when your love is taboo, so are its violences.”) so stories like
Winter’s Orbit are crucial in expanding the scope of the queer experience.
Prince Kiem, on the other hand, offers a very good counterpart to Jainan. Kiem has carefully constructed his reputation as the evanescently charming, scandal-prone prince who leads an unfettered life, and he did it in much the same way one might erect a brick façade, or drape armor around their body. One of the novel’s most rewarding moments is seeing Kiem with his defenses lowered, his shields abandoned on the ground, the barricades abraded, revealing someone who’s so achingly familiar and undeniably loveable. Beyond the charming façade is someone who is insecure and self-effacing, tragically concerned and affected by other people’s unfavorable opinions of him. Kiem can also be naive sometimes: by his own admission, he had not cared for the intricacies of war and politics and has banished from his thoughts all of the Empire and its tumultuous affairs. But when the fog of complacency and ignorance lift, forcing Kiem to confront several uncomfortable truths, he throws himself headlong into unearthing the secrets lodged under the Empire’s skin, holding them into the light and calling for wrongs to be set aright, in what is a beautiful display of character-development.
Jainan and Kiem could not be any more different. Where Kiem is loud and chaotic and draws all eyes like a flare, Jainan is a world unto himself, intense and quiet and with a shadow’s talent for passing unremarked. And for long stretches of the novel, they both keep an invisible barbed wire between them. I loved how Kiem falls in love with Jainan in one swift motion, clear and unmistakable, and how slowly he eases open Jainan’s heart like a book, mindful of the places, still tender and aching, where the past left its bruises. On the other hand, I loved how Jainan always stood by Kiem’s side, and how, in turn, he slowly learns to let go and trust that Kiem’s embrace would break his fall.
Winter’s Orbit is truly about the
longing. At times, Kiem and Jainan’s relationship feels as delicate as a sigh, fragile and tentative. The will-they-won’t-they back and forth drove me INSANE, and I wanted to scream at them to “PLEASE JUST KISS”.
All in all,
Winter’s Orbit is a smart, tender, and deeply rewarding gem of space opera. I could have gladly spent twice as long with Jainan and Kiem, and still longed for more!
Rating: really liked it
i feel a little duped. i saw quite a few reviews firmly stating this is a romance with a sci-fi setting, but i actually have to strongly disagree. this is very much a sci-fi story with a very small side of romance.
the romance is used more as a minor plot devise rather than the actual plot. add to that the slowburn nature of it all and it becomes practically non-existent. this isnt a bad thing, but i picked this up with the intention of reading a romance story and this was not it.
setting my personal disappoint aside, i do recognise this is a good book, especially as a debut novel. its well-written, the pacing is consistent, and the plot feels well thought-out for a standalone. i did, however, skim through a lot of the parts about the military, mining operations, and interplanetary diplomatic relations as it was very dull content for me. but again, this goes back to me wanting the focus to be on the romance instead.
so i have no problem saying that readers looking for an interesting sci-fi novel about an allegeded murder cover-up and political scheming will enjoy this. but if you are wanting a sci-fi romance, i would suggest reading something else.
↠ 3.5 stars
Rating: really liked it
Once again Tor shows up for the gays
Rating: really liked it
There's been some discussion within the SFF community recently about books with romance as the
central focus and the SFF aspect as a
backdrop, rather than the other way around. I'm mentioning this because WINTER'S ORBIT is exactly the kind of work that slots itself neatly (in my mind) as a
sci-fi romance rather than sci-fi
with romance. And so is exactly the kind of romance-focused SFF work people (including myself) are interested in seeing pop up more.
It's been pitched as many things:
Ancillary Justice meets
Gideon the Ninth, or
Ancillary Justice meets
Red, White & Royal Blue. Personally, I'd pitch to fans of
MDZS/The Untamed - it's got the same bubby x stoic dynamic (Kiem really reminded me of WWX), useless gays and a slowburn romance born out of misunderstanding.
Anyway, it is first and foremost a romance and secondly a book about a murder and galactic politics. It was fun and charming, with worldbuilding on the lighter side. And true to its roots as an online novel, the heroes are faced with convenient problems and a fair smattering of tropes. (Example: in the middle of the book, these two useless individuals - in a marriage of convenience and both mistakenly thinking the other doesn't like them - have crashed in the middle of nowhere. Dramatics ensue, including the love interest (sexily) fighting off a bear to save the hero. Then they have to huddle together for warmth in their tiny tent in what is essentially the 'there's only one bed' trope.)
It wasn't perfect - there were bits where I thought it meandered just a bit
too much and I felt my attention slipping, and I wished I could've
loved Jainan (the love interest) rather than just liking him. It also didn't make my heart flutter as much I wish it could have done. But it was fun, and I've already recommended it to others.
If you're a reader who wants detailed worldbuilding and a narrative that adheres strictly to the plot rather than meandering for personal & romantic character developments, WINTER'S ORBIT may not be the perfect read for you. But if you like your romance
and your science fiction, then hurrah.
> 4 stars+ content warning for domestic abuse (in a relationship prior to the story's start, mainly alluded to but seen clearly in flashbacks near the end of the novel)Thank you to Orbit UK for the proof copy!*
as a useless gay myself, I am very interested in a book full of similarly useless gays
Rating: really liked it
Officially released as of 2/2/21! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
4.5ish stars.
To categorize this as a "romance novel" would, I think, be doing it a disservice, (especially to SFF readers who might be put off by that label, although maybe that’s just my implicit bias) because that would discount how good it is as a science fiction novel. It is equal parts tightly plotted, imaginative space opera, and intimate, significant relationship study. Very impressive.
I was looking forward to reading based on pre-release advertising and hype, but I was not expecting something so exciting, fun, and polished from an unknown debut author. Again, Maxwell has done an equally good job of building a nuanced world of intergalactic intrigue as she has of making her characters lovable and believable.
Both aspects, the politics and the relationships, are tense and page-turning. The marriage of the two main characters in particular is challenging as a reader because the POV switches from one to the other and their miscommunication makes it so they never manage to get on the same page, despite my internal screams toward them. Maxwell does a good job playing on those frustrations.
Posted in Mr. Philip's Library
Rating: really liked it
This Review ✍️ Blog 📖 Twitter 🐦 Instagram 📷 Support me ☕
Winter’s Orbit theoretically is something I would love, I mean from the amazing cover to the settings and the fact that it is published by Orbit aka my favorite publisher. And I am saying theoretically because it ended up being a lit underwhelming. You should take this review with a grain of salt though because I know it will be successful and the majority of readers will love it.
The story follows prince Kiem who finds himself facing an arranged marriage with his cousin’s widower Jainan. The cosuin’s -Prince Taam- death is suspicious and the new pair finds themselves entangled in a political situation complicated by the fact that Taam’s death may not have been an accident.
The two characters are kind of stereotypical for stories of this kind, Kiem is the goofy extrovert and Jainan is an introverted ball on anxiety. They are kind of opposites and I think opposites attract each other?!
The problem is that up to 60% the dynamic between them was meh and could have been improved by a little more conversation and then suddenly they talk and they fall head over heels for each other. The secondary characters are not memorable for me except maybe for one character.
The writing is not bad, it is light-hearted, and easy to follow but I don’t think it goes to the degree of being quotable! There was something strange and I don’t know how to explain it, it kind of reminded me of fanfiction which I don’t read a lot of (I used to read using Wattpad back in the day) and when I finished it I did find out that it actually started as one and don’t get me wrong here because I don’t think fan fiction is bad bit I think there is a certain format to it that I kind of touched upon here.
The other thing is that it is a sci-fi story but I did not feel that, it was just a minor part of the story. I actually don’t read much sci-fi and I am more of a fantasy reader so I had to prepare myself and get in the mood for this genre and then I felt it was not really sci-fi. The world-building is very simple and we are not given much, it then takes the course of a contemporary story with sci-fi in the background!
Summary: I think Orbit’s Winter is a good story but I kind of had different expectations which affected my enjoyment of the story. The characters and settings could have been better in my opinion but I can still see it as a successful book among readers which is what matters at the end of the day!
Rating: really liked it
Sci-fi romance, heavier on the romance, with a lot of pining and hurt/comfort. I wasn't surprised to see this originated on AO3: there's a very distinctive quality in the setup, structure and pacing. Someone ought to do a full linguistic study on this, because it's fascinating how this entire genre has developed. Ideally comparing it to the early lays/medieval romances in the use of tropes and stylistic gestures. Or something.
Rating: really liked it
2/2/2021
GOOD MORNING, WORLD!!
THIS AMAZING BOOK RELEASES TODAY! You might want to grab a copy soon ;)
Or read my review down below:
11/19/2020
Winter's Orbit feels a lot like coming home. This slow, soft, and utterly romantic space opera is unlike any other sci-fi novel I've read before, and I hope that it starts a trend, because it's something special.This was originally published on AO3 and you can tell.
It reads like a fanfic in the best way possible. Familiar tropes done in a fun way; longer, self-contained chapters that suit being posted serially; even the way the romance unfolds with its focus on the smallest touches, lots of introspection, and emotional connection over the physical (even if the physical attraction is real). Just. Divine. Reading this gave me the same amount of joy as coming home to binge read an 80k slow burn arranged marriage AU fic.
This is the definition of comfort read. So stellar.
Prince Kiem and Count Jainan are diplomatic aids forced into an arranged marriage after Jainan's husband Taam (also Kiem's cousin) is killed in a spaceship accident. But when Taam's death is revealed to have been a murder, not an accident, the two must now work together to solve the mystery before political intrigue causes an interplanetary war. All throughout, of course, they slowly fall for each other and duty becomes real love.
This is very much an opposites-attract type of romance with Kiem as the easygoing, charming, and extroverted flirt while Jainan is the quiet, socially awkward, and stone-faced academic who's more into duty and numbers.
It is a delightful slow burn that is at times hindered by miscommunication and insecurity, but not extreme enough to be annoying. There's a good reason for it and I'd like to include a content warning for mentions of past domestic violence/abusive relationships. All in all, handled very well, in my opinion.
The worldbuilding flew over my head at the beginning but it is only really secondary to the characters and their relationships with each other.
This is a space opera and not hard sci-fi, but it's got gorgeously described scenery (that very iconic tent in the snowy mountains scene is carved into my heart) and a special emphasis on culture and politics over technology and space battles. Fans of
A Memory Called Empire may enjoy this too.
This is an atmospheric and cozy read that's meant to be savored slowly, rather than binge read all in one sitting. A very refreshing novel that I was excited to pick up after a long day, because it really did help me recharge. I'm looking forward to getting a physical copy when it's released because I appreciate it so much.
TL;DR A full 5 stars and highly recommended, even for non sci-fi readers.Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for providing me with a free e-copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: really liked it
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Believe me, giving this book a 1-star rating upsets me greatly. I love the blurb and I thought I would really love this book. In fact, it was one of my highest anticipated 2021 releases. I love science fiction. I love space opera. I love the political arranged marriage trope. Basically, at first glance this should've been the perfect book for me. Unfortunately, it turns out to be a really disappointing read.
First of all, I really didn't enjoy reading this book. I usually like slow books but the thing with
Winter's Orbit is the fact that nothing really happened in the first half. I was extremely bored because it took a REALLY long time to get into the actual plot. The plot picked up around 75% through but by then, it's too late to pique my interest. It took me quite awhile to finish this book even though usually I'm a fast reader.
And then, my main complaint about this book; MISCOMMUNICATION TROPE GALORE. This is my least favorite trope ever and honestly I wouldn't read this book if I knew this trope would play such a huge role in it. It's very frustrating to read because all of their problems would be easily solved if only they're WILLING to talk to each other. It's so tiring because the first half (or maybe even 3/4 of the book?) is basically miscommunication upon miscommunication upon miscommunication and so on.
Next, the lack of solid worldbuilding. I was so excited to read this book because I'm a sucker for sci-fi, especially space opera, but turns out the worldbuilding in
Winter's Orbit was never really fleshed out. We got a few glimpses of the world here and there but well, that's it. It's such a shame because I think the world is pretty interesting and I wish we could've gotten more information about it.
Last but not least, I must stress that this book may not be particularly bad, but it's definitely not for me. I feel like this is actually a matter of preference and I'm sure this book is another reader's cup of tea. Go read it and judge it for yourself!
Rating: really liked it
It's too complimentary to compare this book to a gem like Ancillary Justice, but I think the comp to Red, White, and Royal Blue is right on the money. Women writing santized gay romance set in sanitized political environments is apparently the thing now, and I am not into it whatsoever.
This book has the advantage of being set in a fictional society, which automatically makes it far less cringey than RWRB, a book I admittedly absolutely hated. The worst part of that one, for me, was the fact that Casey McQuiston used the 2016 election as a cutesy backdrop for her otherwise unremarkable romance plot. In Winter's Orbit, a convoluted mystery serves as a sort of thin pretense for the romance between Kiem and Jainan, which emerges out of the "fake marriage" trope.
The main problem for me is not so much the fact that Winter's Orbit originated as a fanfic-adjacent web serial and shamelessly relies on the usual tropes therein, though I have my own issues with that trajectory. It's that the plot exists to prop up a romance that barely even happens. The protagonists kiss rarely and have one single fade-to-black sex scene. Even RWRB had more than that, and I criticized that book for tiptoeing around the mechanics of gay sex. I have a real problem with women writing m/m romance novels who have absolutely no interest in developing their characters as, um, men who like to have sex with men. That wouldn't fly in mainstream m/f romance. It's one thing if you establish your characters as people who aren't interested in sexual relationships, but that's absolutely not the case here.
If this were more hardline sci-fi story with a romance component, that would be one thing. But the world is barely developed beyond the plot points that are important to progress the romantic storyline along, and the political elements are subject to the same thing. It's a bizarre departure from convention that's all too popular among women who think boys kissing is cute but are squicky about the rest of it. And I'm completely 100% over it.
This book gets three stars because there were sections that engrossed me--I was invested in the romance and I think plenty aspects of the narrative were done well. Maxwell isn't a bad writer. And I gave RWRB two stars, and this is definitely better than that. But between the sort of complimentary colonialism stuff and the dragged-out pacing and the rest of it, I find myself feeling ultimately disappointed.
Rating: really liked it
Winter's Orbit was such a lovely story, the perfect blend between interplanetary politics and heartwarming romance. The protagonists were so sweet, and the worldbuilding was truly spectacular!
~★~ What is this book about? ~★~ Every twenty years, the Iskat Empire renews peace treaties with its planetary colonies. The deadline for a renewal is creeping up fast, but the sudden death of Imperial Prince Taam halts procedures across the galaxy. In an attempt at patching up interplanetary relations before the treaty conference, the Empire organizes an arranged marriage between Taam’s widow (a Thean ambassador named Jianan) and Taam’s cousin, the disreputable prince Kiem. Rushing into marriage with a grieving man seems bound for disaster, but things become far worse when Kiem finds out Jianan is being investigated for Taam’s murder in the midst of an impending interplanetary war.
~★~
It’s hard to believe
Winter’s Orbit was originally posted on AO3; I’m so thrilled that it was picked up by publishers! Maxwell has a real talent for writing, which shines through in her careful plot planning and undeniably amiable cast.
I can’t express how much I love Jianan and Kiem as protagonists. Every bit of dialogue between the two was wonderful, especially considering their “opposites attract” dynamic.The slow-burn romance tinged with softness and humour made for such a well rounded story.
The sci-fi and romance elements are so nicely intertwined with each other that the removal of either aspect would make the logistics of this tale almost impossible. The balance was so nice to see! It wasn’t long before I became deeply invested in both the main relationship and the politics of Maxwell’s universe.
If you’re in need of a (mostly) wholesome romance with action, mystery and space politics,
Winter’s Orbit is the perfect book for you!
Trigger warning (mild spoiler): brief description of domestic abuse.
Rating: really liked it
This was so hecking ✨soft✨
My elevator pitch for this book is: oblivious gays in space and they're both in dire need of a hug.
Rating: really liked it
I was eagerly anticipating Winter's Orbit by debut author Everina Maxwell, but, alas, I should know to curb my expectations of newbie authors by now.
Winter's Orbit was... interesting. The world-building felt very convoluted, but I was willing to go along for the ride if the payoff was an amazing story. However, I spent the first part of the book mucking through tons of secondary characters and a messy political story that I had little interest in. The book really centers around a convoluted political situation that I didn't even fully understand at the end of the book, so if you are wanted a more character-focused story, look elsewhere.
The romance was also extremely disappointing. I kept waiting and waiting for the two MCs to get together, but it was one miscommunication after another. I've found that new authors rely heavily on miscommunication to build tension in a plot, and that was certainly the case here. The romance was frustratingly underdeveloped, and it was glaringly obvious that one of the MCs was put through the literal wringer in his previous relationship. It was hard to see how the other MC didn't notice something was wrong.
While the book had potential, I seriously debated DNFing it at 90%, just because I was so over the story. Not what I was hoping for.
goodreads|instagram|twitter|tiktok
Rating: really liked it
so apparently i
did sell my soul to this intergalactic queer romance after all
—☆—
when i tell you i’m OBSESSED with both this cover and this premise i mean i would sell my actual soul for a copy
Rating: really liked it
I absolutely loved some things about this book & really didn’t like others....
