Review: Winter's Orbit

 

This is absolutely everything I want in a book: romance, drama, political intrigue, revolution, and deep emotional healing. It stars Kiem and Jainan, who have been forced into a rushed arranged marriage after the death of Jainan’s first husband. They are expected to put forward a united front to symbolize the relationship between Iskat, the imperial state run by Kiem’s family, and Thea, Jainan’s home planet which has begun to resist Iskat’s rule. They must navigate not only their personal challenges but also a dangerous plot that begins to appear amid increased unrest and exploitation. So, again – just absolutely the ideal blend of romance and external plot for me.

I absolutely adored both of these characters. Kiem in particular was so unreservedly sweet and compassionate. Also there was one of my favorite tropes ever, also known as “oh no we’re stranded in the freezing wilderness, we’d better huddle together in a tiny tent for warmth.” Plus a big dramatic confession of love at the end? This book is practically made for me. And oftentimes the science fiction aspect of a book like this would get the backseat, but not so much here. It isn’t exactly what you’d call hard sci-fi, but it’s also very much not just set dressing.

Gender is also addressed in a really nice way here – it’s interpreted entirely based on social indicators such as the material of the jewelry one wears, so non-binary identities are totally accepted and integrated and pronoun usage has absolutely nothing to do with assumed sex. But it isn’t completely cut and dried either, because different cultures use different signifiers. Just generally a really cool approach. Honestly that’s about what I’ve got to say; I can’t think of anything I didn’t like. Would 10/10 recommend.