The Iskat Empire had dominated the system and not all the other world are pleased about it. To avoid rising hostilities, recently widowed Jainan, is rushed into an arranged marriage with his deceased husband Prince Taam’s cousin. Prince Kiem has a less than stellar reputation but when duty calls, he finds himself married to a man he has never met. The two of them know their marriage is necessary to keep treaties and political alliances in place and a bid to keep the rising hostilities between the two worlds under control. When Prince Taam’s death turns out it may have not been and accident. In fact, Jainan is a suspect. Now the pair must overcome their uncertainties and learn to trust one another as they navigate the perils of the court while trying to solve a murder to prove Jainan’s innocence

Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell was surprisingly good and I devoured it in one sitting. Really not what I expected at all. If you are looking for a science fiction story, this isn’t it. It is more of a romance, of the arranged marriage variety, set on another planet. Not a lot of the technical flavor but there is definitely interplanetary conflict. You know almost from the beginning Jainan has a secret. He seemed just too subservient for it to be a personality thing. His over thinking his actions and words hinted at something dark. As for Kiem, I think he was painted to be a playboy of sorts. We are meant to not take him seriously, almost a complete joking disappointment by the court when really underneath it all he has a heart of gold. Kiem is the perfect match for Jainan, to help heal the ugly he has endured.

There’s a quite a few stories here that all mesh together. First, there is the mystery behind Taam’s death. Was it an accident or murder and the big question of why. Next there is the political aspect. Court, interplanetary dealings, and will war be averted. Last but not least, the relationship between Kiem and Jainan. Each story I found exciting to read and meshed together well. It was the fragile relationship between Kiem and Jainan that really did it for me. These two I just liked from the get-go. The wounded and the disappointment. Not necessarily a great combination but as their relationship began to grow you can see they were able to heal one another, to form a bond.

Author Everina Maxwell has done a spectacular job with the storyline, characters and world building. I look forward to reading more from this author. There wasn’t anything about Winter’s Orbit I didn’t like and feel this is a book worth recommending.


Stars: 4

I received this book from Netgalley. I was not compensated for the book other than the entertainment it provided. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I wanted to love this book so badly -- it fits all of my interests, and a couple people specifically told me they thought it would be perfect for me. Unfortunately, though I liked it, I did find the writing fell a bit short. I wasn't invested in the characters until about 75% of the way through. I did think Jainain's past was what he had been through was handled really well, and Kiem was super loveable. But so much time was spent on the political side of things, and I had to push myself through those parts. I think someone who likes that kind of book will enjoy this!

This book has stereotypical main characters who have zero chemistry that are forced into an arranged marriage, and they somehow fall for each other immediately. They don't really develop any chemistry along the way, so it just wasn't believable to me. I couldn't really picture the sci-fi world much, as it is likely there.

I think this is a great book for romance readers who want to try out a sci-fi, and don't mind stereotypical couple personalities.

Everina Maxwell’s debut is a space delicacy of operatic and gay delights. It started out that way.

When Prince Taam dies, Prince Kiem is set to marry into a political marriage to the beautiful yet bashful Count Jainan. On the cold planet Iskat, with its snowy mountains and glittering ultramarine seas, Kiem and Jainan must solve its imperial treaty with Thea to access their link network.

When the emperor makes the final decision that Kiem is to marry Prince Taam’s widower, Count Jainan, Kiem is shocked by that pesky romantic thing called attraction. It’s the marriage ceremony that caught me. A prince spilling ink and stealing gazes over his new husband while trying to sign a contract is just so endearing. The way Maxwell slows down a scene is like a cameraman carefully zooming in just so lightly as to get the right emotion hit at the right time.

In Kiem, we find the puppy dog version of a space prince. He talks too much when he’s nervous and overthinks every little thing. He doesn’t know how to act around his beautiful new husband. Kiem misinterprets his new husband’s ‘shyness’ and ‘nervous’ behavior at every turn.

In the midst of attraction and romance, Kiem and Jainan must solve a mystery. They must restore the treaty but first they must sort out the culprits and corruption current in their surroundings. As the cards laid out before them start to make more sense, Kiem and Jainan iron out their personal relationship. Kiem has a hard time listening to Jainan’s body language. Kiem is one of those people that does not listen to when someone is having difficulty with their past. Eventually, he finds out just how much he did not listen, and continues to disregard his new husband’s space.

With dialogue as fresh as orange juice and the political atmosphere of Star Trek, Everina Maxwell’s abilities are magnificent. Or they could have been.

The miscommunication trope is hinged upon Kiem misunderstanding Jainan and his behavior. I love the miscommunication trope for being such a relatable addition. But with all tropes, it depends on what is being said or misinterpreted. If, for example, that author interprets an abuse victim’s trauma as an easy thing to misunderstand than I’m not a happy camper. This is where we have to have a conversation on how an author perpetuates stereotypes about abuse. Everina Maxwell makes me torn between loving and hating this book. It’s just such a fun read and yet I felt like I was being flung into all the old and overused tropes about abuse. I am between that place of being a fantasy romance reader and an abuse victim. I love the yearning in between two characters with the backdrop of a breathtaking secondary world. Transforming awkwardness into a story of abuse is an underhanded tactic. It is an easy way to build up drama.

Writing abuse takes expertise and sensitivity. If not done well, it seriously lacks the nuance of real people’s lives that have been impacted by this. Abuse victims have a hard time wanting to publicly address our trauma. Talking to a therapist is difficult but having the world know is something that invites panic attacks, shock, and even more traumatic experiences. It is irregular to see a character do this, not only that but it is insulting that the abuse victim is doing more work than their partner. To even consider such a public display requires a massive amount of work. This type of trauma transforms your mind and nervous system. In order for Maxwell to deserve this storyline she needed to not only put Jainan and Kiem’s relationship on hold but do some emotional work with her characters. Trauma is not fixed with a bandaid.

Just to clarify, I am a romance reader in addition to a science fiction & fantasy reader. I love romances that feature trauma victims fighting for their right to deserve healthy love. But, I don’t see that in Winter’s Orbit. It is on the sidelines and unrecognizable to the reader. Trauma is never well written when it is done so with a bandaid.

Maxwell could have added abuse in her novel but she needed to understand how to depict abuse before throwing a love interest that cannot comprehend why his partner would take such abuse and deliberately disrespect an abuse victim’s space. Narrative perspective allows us to understand the failings and bias of the characters. This book proposes a large backstory of mental health and fails to actually pull through on that promise.

I am deeply disturbed by how much I loved the rest of the novel versus the trauma, something that effectively lifts the entire book up. The characters and perspective fail to analyze the characters faults. Ultimately this is the part that destroys everything else of worth in Winter’s Orbit.

Winter’s Orbit takes off beautifully but crash lands with a poorly executed story of trauma and abuse, unfortunately taking the whole book down. Ultimately Everina Maxwell’s debut is overwhelmed by such a heavy subject matter, leading to a book lacking in nuance and any possiblity of a well written romance. I do look forward to what else Maxwell has in store in the future but this one is a disappointment.

Winter's Orbit is usually not I book that I would gravitate to reading but I really enjoyed reading this sci-fi romance. I loved the world building throughout as well as the characters. The themes of murder and politics are there but I liked the way they were handled. This was an easy read for which I always enjoy.

I read and thoroughly enjoyed Winter's Orbit when it was originally serialized on the Internet, so I was very pleased to learn that it was going to be traditionally published, and also curious to see whether the story had changed significantly. Though some subplots have been tightened, the world-building expanded, and the overall stakes raised, Winter's Orbit is very much the same story with the same characters as the internet-published version, and I enjoyed it just as much the second time around!

The obvious comp title is likely to be Red, White, and Royal Blue (but in SPAAAACE) although I personally think the two are rather different in tone, in addition to the science fiction vs. contemporary distinction. Winter's Orbit has a bit more seriousness and melancholy (and a murder-mystery subplot!) and is written in tight-third rather than 1st person POV. Still, it's much closer to RW&RB in spirit than to, say, darker fantasy LGBTQ romances such as Captive Prince. Readers who relish the peanut butter of science fiction in the chocolate of romance will enjoy this warm-hearted tale. Heat level: Medium-low.

Slow-burn space opera romance. Period.

While I wish the story got off to a start a bit more to my liking- I guess I wanted the story to slap me off my seat- but once I got over myself, I found that Everina Maxwell can write one hell of a politically intriguing story full of characters you can root for. I highly recommend Winter's Orbit. Love.

I don't think I've fallen in love with a book recently as hard as I fell for Winter's Orbit. It was meant to be from page one. This arranged, forced, political marriage trope might be my thing. I loved it, I loved the characters, and I loved the world. I feel like worldbuilding-wise there was more to be explored, but this in no way hurt how much I loved the book. I was lucky enough to receive a free copy through Netgalley, I'm very grateful, and all opinions are my own.

I loved the original ao3 story and I absolutely loved Winter's Orbit. I really hope Tor does more romance focused SFF/romance forward sff because I really loved this and I want to see more set in this universe.

There's been a lot of hype around the release of Winter's Orbit and I am so grateful to say that this debut novel is just fantastic. I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience and can't wait to see what Evarina Maxwell releases next.

A sci-fi romance story with a political intrigue plot, we follow the Prince Kiem of the Iskat Empire, the youngest and most disappointing of the Emperors heirs, and the one who's finally being asked to step up and marry the delegate from Thea, one of Iskat's vassal planets. Count Jainan was formally married another Prince of Iskat until his partner's death. Neither Kiem nor Jainan want to be married but both step up to the task and inadvertently find themselves investigating Jainan's former-husband's murder and end up caught in a political plot to wrest stability from the empire.

A lot happens in Winter's Orbit, and while the initial set-up involves a lot of heavy world-building, it doesn't take long to become invested in both Kiem and Jainan's stories.

There are content warnings in this book for domestic abuse and dubious consent in a marital relationship (all of which happen off page but are mentioned in flashbacks during the book's climax), as well as kidnapping and interrogation/torture. While they're not super explicit they do inform the behaviours and actions of one of the characters within the book.

This book has a real fantasy-sci-fi feel in terms of its scope. As far as I'm aware it's a standalone book, which is incredible, but it does mean it packs a lot into a small space and does it with finesse. I enjoyed reading about how Kiem and Jainan's relationship develops over time, and how their own personal experiences impact on their ability to relate to one another and accept their new situation. Kiem has been known as the 'bad boy/troublemaker' of his family and now has to prove he can step up, and Jainan is dealing with the aftermath of his first marriage and the two have to work at finding and building trust and a middle ground where they can meet.

I'm always wary of books with a lot of hype surrounding them, but this was solid. If you enjoy sci-fi, politics, and queer relationships, definitely check Winter's Orbit out.

If you're anything like me, nearly a year into a pandemic my brain doesn't have much space for complex world-building so I was extremely hesitant to going into this sci-fi mystery romance situation and yet, I loved it. The world-building IS very intense and I don't think I have a full grasp on this link situation or the treaties or the world, but I have enough of a grasp to know what was happening in the actual story and that's really all I need. But when it comes to describing this book to you? Well, I'll give it a shot.

Jainan and Kiem have to get married for political reasons and they find out literally two days before their wedding. Kiem is a Prince, but he has historically not had a lot of responsibilities because he's known for essentially being drunk and a playboy. He's turned a new leaf prior to this bombshell so we see him still being clueless about politics and intergalactic relations, but he commits right away to this marriage once it is sort of forced on him. Jainan just lost his bonded partner of five years, Prince Taam, to a... mining accident, I think. Also maybe it was murder? So anyway, the two of them get married and discover that there's a lot happening under the surface of "get married to save the treaty" and so we follow Jainan and Kiem (and their assistant Bel, whom I adore) around this world as they investigate.

I really, really enjoyed this one because of the characters. Jainan has some trauma responses to things and it's so interesting to watch the way these two strangers continually misunderstand one another or apply their own insecurities as an explanation for the other's behavior in a way that doesn't work because you can't actually do that. Kiem is so outgoing and vivacious and flirtatious in a lot of ways so Jainan doesn't realize that he's special to Kiem. Their romance is SO slow to build and I thought it was exceptionally well done once we finally got to it. I did start wishing they would communicate better at various points because I was impatient. But overall, this book is exceptional! I really, really hope we'll get more set in this world because there's so much more to explore. Also, Bel is amazing and needs an HEA.

Although I have an e-ARC from Netgalley (thank you to Netgalley and the publisher), since I was late, getting to it, I was able to listen to most of it via Hoopla until I was entirely too impatient and also needed to go to sleep so I read the last bit physically so I could know what happened faster.

Have you ever started a book and knew immediately that it was going to quickly become an all-time favorite? Y'all. Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell was one of those books for me. This book pulled me in and didn't let me go. Everything about this story spoke to my soul and it brought me so much joy. To steal the words of one of students, this book was a book of my heart.

It checked so many boxes for me and contained so many of my favorite tropes! Some of these are:

-Arranged marriage/marriage of convenience. Check!

-Epic space setting. Check!

-Political intrigue. Check!

-Space princes. Check!

-Surprise feelings and mutual pining. Check!

-Oh no! There's only one bed! Check!

-Slow burn romance. Check!

Y'all! I can't give a book any higher praise than to tell you that I wanted to immediately start rereading it right after I finished it. And I let myself reread this one twice and it is one I know I will pick up again and again.

As much as I adored this book, I've been having a hard time getting my thoughts on it in order. This story is a sprawling space opera that is gloriously character driven. It reminded me more of a fanfic in that way and how it focused on the relationship. I loved it so much! It is all about the characters overcoming their pasts and finding happiness. It was also a queernorm story where the characters being queer wasn't used as a plot device. This is a recent trend that I want to see more of in my fiction. It brings my little queer heart joy.

I fell in love with Prince Kiem and Count Jainan as soon as they appeared on the page and I haven't been able to get them out of my head. Prince Kiem is literal sunshine and my heart hurt for Jainan as we learned more and more about his past marriage. The book hangover for this book was real. There have been few books in the last few years that have garnered the same amount of obsession this one has.

The arranged marriage trope is one of my favorite tropes but only if it's done right. And oh boy! Was it done right in this book! I was rooting for them to come together and fall in love. I loved watching them dance around each other and as they slowly became friends and started to fall for each other. I also loved the community they start to pull around them. I need a book about Bel in my hands stat!

I'm a sucker for an SFF book with lots of political intrigue and Winter's Orbit had it in spades with Jainan being a diplomat and Kiem being a prince. I'm also a sucker for good space opera with lots of worldbuilding and I need more books set in this world! I was intrigued with politics of the Iskatian empire and I want more! I will admit that it took me a bit to kind of understand where Kiem and Jainan stood in the empire and I'm not sure I completely understand. But it didn't take away from the story at all.

This book is definitely going to be one of my favorites of the year. I'm going to call it and place it in my top five. So far it's my favorite book of the year and it's going to be a serious contender to keep that spot over the next ten months. The more I think about it the more I love it. The author said she's writing another book set in this world and I need it! I hope one day she writes more about Kiem and Jainan but I will take anything she'll give me in this universe.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

I am a shallow person, and I have to admit that it was the cover that caught my attention on NetGalley. It is true that I requested this title for some reasons (the plot was interesting, I am trying to read more sci-fi, and this seemed right up my alley) but the cover was what made me stop. And come, isn’t it a beauty? It is really eye-catching!

Aside the amazing cover, we have a lot of amazing things in this book, too. I have read a lot of amazing review for this book, and I became a bit scared because, sure, I really wanted to read it but what if now my expectations are too high? But I shouldn’t have feared! I loved this book from the start to the end.
The short explanation is that this book has a very balanced pace, it manages to alternate fast and slow, so that the story developed itself in a “long” span, I mean, usually we have books in which everything take place in a week or so, but here we get to see the time flow. And then we get some action and things happening all together, and that balance out really well.
And we have an interesting world-building too. A fascinating universe to explore. Sure, to be honest, the world-building is the weakest point of the book, because the author gave us some snippets of it, and we get to see some of it, sure (we get to see some landscape, some strange animals, because their doves and bears aren’t our doves and bears, that’s for sure!!), and we get to see some of the complicate sociological and cultural aspect (for example, this universe is an accepting one when it came to gender and sexuality. It may be a tad confusing, both for us readers and for the characters, because every world has its tradition on how people tell the world how they identify themselves, and so you have to know a bit of the culture of the other planets, but it is not a big issue, and this was fantastic!) but it is not enough. I mean, we are told that in the Empire there are a lot of different planets, and outside the Empire there is a whole Universe, who is full of life, but we don’t get to see it. And a good chunk of the story revolves around remnants. These things are important, and they are something quite complex and dangerous, but with a ton of potential for technology, but all this part is not really well explained. You know that they are there, that they are wanted by some, but the reasons for all of that is not given to us.
To be honest, this is a minor thing, because you can enjoy the story even without this information, but it is something that is there, and that could have been done a tad better.

Ok, now that all this is out of the way, let’s talk about the characters. The protagonists, Kiem and Jainan, are amazing! And the beautiful thing is, that they are quite amazing as individual, but they are even more so as a couple. I loved them from the start, Kiem is such an easy-going guy, he is portrayed like the black sheep of the Emperor family, he is one of the least favorite siblings and he is sort of the wild one. To be honest, he is not a criminal, just a rebellious boy who wants to have a good time. But he is not just that. He made me think of a quote from an Italian author, Italo Calvino, and I have founded this translation online: “Take life lightly, for lightness is not superficial, but gliding above things, not having weights on your heart“. Because he is really an easy-going guy, and he is one of those people that seem everybody’s friend, the sort that seem always in a good mood but he is also one of the most considerate people ever, and it was impossible to not love him. He is just so open, and good natured, but he is a good guy at heart, sometimes he is maybe too good for his own good, but he is adorable. He is refreshing, and he deeply cares for the people around him.
And then we have Jainan, that seems his opposite. He is always controlled, he doesn’t smile, he is always guarded and he has a very deep sense of duty. He is always appropriate, he doesn’t want to be noted, and he tried so damn hard. He is also a very troubled guy, and I would talk about this in a spoiler section in a moment. But he is also sweet. So sweet.
And sure, we have a lot of miscommunication and misunderstanding between those two. And usually I am not a big fan of this trope. I am one of those people who is constantly itching to scroll the characters and scream “talk, for heaven sake! Talk!!!” but this time I wasn’t so bothered by it, because you can see that the things are way more complicated than the usual, and you know that there is a reason for it.
And aside those amazing MCs, we have some secondary characters that are quite intriguing. I loved Bel, for example. I would have loved to see more of her (and if we ever get another book set in this world, I really hope we would get more of her around, because she was amazing!), she is strong, resourceful and loyal. And I love her relationship with Kiem. And I have to say that I liked the Emperor. And this was highly unusual for me, because I usually don’t like this kind of characters, but… she surprised me!

To me this book was an amazing romance in space. The part that really hooked me up was the relationship between Kiem and Jainan. And I guess this was mainly because I was in the right mood for this kind of romance, but this book has more to it. We have intrigues, political ones, and we have a mystery, since it seems like Taam, Jainan’s former husband, was murdered. The political part was interesting, and all the intrigues helped the pace along. We get to see them trying to find the truth, because there is not only an assassin around, but the assassination is jeopardizing a lot more than Jainan’s live. It is putting the whole Empire at risk.
And there is one more valuable thing in this book, one that I appreciated a lot, but that I would discuss after telling you that this would be a spoiler. It would not be a big one, because you know it from the start (or better, you would suspect it, because it would be confirmed after the halfway point of the book) but still, it is a spoiler and so I am telling you!


SPOILER

The author is really good in treating abuse and abuse’s victims in this book. Jainan relationship with Taam wasn’t a good one. Taam was abusing him. And I think that the author did an amazing job, and a delicate one, portraying it, and the consequence on Jainan. I loved the way in which Kiem react to that, and the way in which he really tries to do better for Jainan. But I really think that the author deserves a shout out for her job, because the way in which she tells us that Jainan is a victim is subtle, and authentic, and just so real. And she began well before saying outright that there was abuse. I really liked the way in which she treated it.

END SPOILER

So, this book has a lot of hype around it, and I just have to add my voice to it, because it is well deserved! It is true that, to me, this is an amazing romance, but it has a lot more: amazing characters, action, intrigues, politic, a mystery, and fun. It is a well rounded up book, and I think everyone can find something to enjoy in there!

This book was so good! I seriously didn't expect to like it as much as I did since i'm not usually into Sci-Fi books ; but I was pleasantly surprised.

PROS
• captivating plot ✓
• great characters ✓
• well written ✓
• slow burn romance ✓
• a relationship to root for ✓
• queer romance ✓
• fantastic world building ✓
• well executed arranged marriage trope ✓

CONS
• slow start ✓
• too long could have been trimmed down ✓

Overall I really enjoyed it and I highly recommend it.

I was so graciously sent this book by Tor and NetGallery. Thank you so much for gracing my shelves :)

Winter's Orbit: 4/5

"A wayward, scandal-magnet prince and a staidly serious, duty-bound scholar are drafted into a political marriage and forced to work together in order to prevent an interplanetary war."

Winter's Orbit has been compared to Red White and Royal blue, but in space. I kind of have to disagree with this statement solely because this is not just a romance novel. I believe SFF readers who don't mind a little bit of romance would love this book along with hardcore romance readers. As much as this book has an outstanding romance, it is heavily plotted and not what I initially expected.

Winter's Orbit follows Prince Kiem and Count Jainan who are forced into an arranged marriage after Jianan loses his late husband Taam. Later it is revealed that Taam's death was not an accidental space ship crash, but actually was a murder. Jainan and Kiem must work together to solve Taam's murder, all the while political tensions are on the rise. Somewhere along the way, Kiem and Jainan find themselves actually falling for each other, while healing in each other's arms.

I have to mention, this book is COMPLEX. As much as the romance really shines, the plot is layered, complex, and at some points difficult to follow. There is a lot of talk of political alliances and treaties, on top of a murder mystery. Some pieces of this really were confusing to me and it was tough to keep everything straight. Fortunately, the book wraps up really well and you realize that the author has been purposefully keeping the reader in the dark for some awesome reveals later in the book.

Now, let's chat about the romance, this is top tier for me. Winter's Orbit originally started out on AO3 and you can kind of tell, but in the best way possible. I personally enjoy the way fanfiction flows and the way that the romance blooms over the entirety of the book. This romance is MEGA slow burn. After what feels like hundreds of misunderstandings (and many choice words on my part screaming at the book) the satisfaction I felt when Jainan and Kiem finally let it all out on the table... was incredible. I wouldn't say Kiem and Jainan are enemies to lovers, but it does have the one-bed trope AND some wonderful verbal consent which always makes me love a book.

There are also definitely some issues I had with the book which include that there is very little to no world-building at all. Towards the middle of the book, I just settled upon suspending my belief and rolling with the punches because much of this galaxy is never explained to the reader. I also want to point out again, that there is so much going on with the plot that sometimes it is hard to keep track of. Furthermore, I felt like some plot points are introduced and then forgotten/never used or talked about again. Lastly, I think this book is REALLY slow. The pacing for me was one of the biggest struggles with this book. I think the author could have cut out about 100 or so pages and still had a great novel.

I lastly want to mention TW for domestic abuse (in a past relationship). This is explored pretty deeply in Winter's Orbit and is quite a major plot point.

Overall I think this was enjoyable and it kept me on my toes. I think the writing style is really an advantage to this book where you experience everything the characters are going through. The character development is like no other, I just love Kiem and Jainan SO MUCH. If you want political intrigue, murder mystery, a cozy mlm romance all in a space setting? This is for you.

Great book, and I definitely recommend it!

Teenage me would have probably liked this. Alas, as I am no longer a teenager, I find the fanfic-y vibes of this novel to be a wee bit cheesy. The two main gain have very generic personalities (one is the fun-extrovert and the other guy is an introvert). I also guessed a 'reveal' within the very few pages...the way the narrative portrays trauma feels very scripted (to me).
The sci-fi is merely a backdrop and I guess I prefer more detailed and less generic world-building. The interaction between the characters, the tone of the story, the relationship between the two main characters....they all reminded me of fanfiction (which I used to enjoy reading but no longer).
I'm sure many readers will love this (I can already see lots of glowing reviews) and I wish the author the best but I am just not 'vibing' with Winter's Orbit.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review in 10 words: Came for the plot, stayed for the romance. sci-fi-fantastic. 4/5

(I was provided a copy of 'Winter's Orbit' by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review).

I am not a big sci-fi reader. I am a romance reader, and although it would not be fair to call Winter's Orbit a romance novel, Kiem and Jainan's relationship was my favourite aspect of this story.
That being said, I found the narrative, the political intrigue and actual sci-fi based plot to be very captivating! Sci-fi fans should not be deterred by the references to this story being a romance. I commend the author for their ability to thoroughly world-build without info dumping on the reader (especially one who, like myself, is not as comfy in the scifi genre!).
The book plays on the age old trope of miscommunication/misunderstanding as a barrier to happiness for the couple. The POV's between the couple were easy to follow and I found the two main characters to complement each other well! The book has just a million little touches that make it super comfortable, with a nice slow pace that forces you to become absorbed in the story.

(Content warning: The book does reference domestic abuse in a prior relationship. This is referred to during the story in flashbacks towards the end of the novel but is otherwise alluded to generally).


I generally enjoyed the mix of science fiction and romance in this novel, although I don’t think either Ancillary Justice or Red, White, and Royal Blue are good comparisons for the story told here.

One thread of the book involves political intrigue, and I thought that part of the story worked well. Count Jainan of the planet Thea married into the Imperial house of Iskan to cement a galactic treaty. When his husband Taam dies unexpectedly right before the treaty is due to be renewed, a new marriage to Iskan Prince Kiem is hastily arranged in hopes of fulfilling the terms of the agreement. That would be fraught enough. But Taam’s death isn’t as straightforward as it seems, and questions surround his role as chief administrator for a controversial military-run asteroid mining project in orbit over Thea. In asking questions about Taam and his project, Jainan and Kiem get tangled up in what ultimately turns out to be a complicated scheme to subvert the political order of the empire. The author did a good job of unfolding the layers of the plot and keeping Jainan and Kiem (and this reader) guessing as to what was happening until the very end.

The romance wasn’t quite as satisfying to me, at least at first. Arranged marriage plotlines are often built around misunderstandings and lack of communication, and when you bring two strangers together into forced intimacy, that’s a likely outcome. However, Kiem’s personality seemed to me to be at odds with the extreme level of miscommunication that happens through the first part of the book. Jainan’s unwillingness to be open with Kiem is understandable because it’s very clear from the beginning that he’s been in an abusive relationship. Kiem, however, is supposed to be one of those people who’s never met a stranger and will talk to anyone about anything. The fact that he just doesn’t ask Jainan about what he’s thinking and feeling seemed out of character for that type of person. That said, once the two of them finally start talking more, I really enjoyed the way their relationship developed, and I got enough swoony moments to satisfy my romantic side. 😊

Overall, I’m glad I gave this debut novel a try, and I’m looking forward to reading whatever the author comes up with next.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

Even as one of the lesser royals of the Iskat Empire, Kiem knows his duty. With an important treaty on the line, a marriage alliance must be made between Iskat and Thea, one of its vassal planets. One of Kiem’s cousins, Prince Taam, was formerly married to Jainan, but upon Taam’s death, Kiem must step in and marry the Thean in order to ensure the continuation of their political alliance. Kiem might have a reputation for bad behavior, but he is reformed (mostly) and accepts the quick marraige to Jainan.

Kiem and Jainan are doing the best they can to make things work and put on a good face for the public. In order for the treaty to go through, the relationship must pass muster with the regulators. But with Jainan a recent widower and such a fast marriage, things between the men are definitely awkward. However, when it comes to light that Taam’s death may not have been an accident, and some are looking to point the finger at Jainan, the men realize that they must work together to clear his name. As they begin to look into what really happened, it reveals a complex web of politics, deceit, and cover ups. As they spend more time together, the bond between Kiem and Jainan begins to solidify into something real. But someone has secrets they don’t want revealed, and if the men get too close to discovering the truth, they may find their lives on the line.

Winter’s Orbit was an interesting story that gained speed for me as it went along. I’ll admit to finding the first part of the book to be challenging, as I found it slow, complicated, and with too many misunderstandings marring the early relationship between Kiem and Jainan. There is a lot of set up here to the story and most of it involves detailed political maneuverings that felt overly complicated and somewhat overwhelming. The bottom line is that this marriage is essential to securing a lasting peace, but it felt like there are layers and layers of nuance and side threads added in that made the set up too complex and it takes quite a while to really get things moving. The other issue is that Kiem and Jainan spend almost the first half of the book completely misunderstanding one another at every turn, which stopped me from really feeling any type of connection between them for much of the story. At first, I actually found it interesting, as these men are so different they are completely unable to understand one another — yet they don’t realize that they are misunderstanding each other. It’s like they think they are speaking the same language, but they’re not. However, this is a long book and almost 200 pages of watching them misinterpret virtually every single thing the other says or does became overwhelming. They pretty much both think that the other dislikes (or even despises) them, and so they read the wrong thing into every word and action, over and over (and over). What kept me going was the curiosity of how things would play out and the feeling that something was right there on the horizon, but getting to that point felt slower than I would have hoped.

Close the halfway point, things finally click for these guys and they realize that they have been misunderstanding each other all along. It happens a bit abruptly, as they realize that there is actually an attraction between them, and somehow that resolves all the other numerous confusions and misunderstandings that have been plaguing them. But regardless, once that dam breaks, things pick up nicely. There are some suspenseful scenes, and I particularly enjoyed a section when Jainan and Kiem are off alone together in the wilderness. The men end up making a nice team, with the more outgoing, personable Kiem being a good fit with the more reserved and focused Jainan. And I loved seeing Jainan come into his own, breaking out of the walls he had put around himself (with good reason). This story is the best when Kiem and Jainan work together and there are some nice moments and some excitement as the mystery of what happened to Taam comes together. I still feel like things get a little too bogged down in the politics, however. It often felt like there were just way too many layers here and understanding all of the players and their motivations was a lot. But I do think the story ties up with some nice energy and leaves these guys in a good place.

A couple of side notes. First, just an FYI that a version of this book appears to have been originally published on AO3 under the title Course of Honour. Second, there is a possible trigger here that is a spoiler, so I will put it behind the tag.

Spoiler

And finally, the blurb refers to this book as “Ancillary Justice meets Red, White & Royal Blue” and while I am not familiar with the first book, I read (and loved) Red, White, and Royal Blue and I am not really seeing the connection. This story doesn’t have that sense of playfulness or lightness of tone, nor the intense romantic vibe of that book. Also, while Kiem is technically royalty, it is almost irrelevant to the story other than as the reason he is chosen for this arranged marriage. So that isn’t a knock on this book, but just that if you are choosing the story because you think you are getting something like Red, White, and Royal Blue, I am not sure if you will be satisfied.
Overall, I found this an enjoyable sci fi romance. The story took a while to get off the ground for me, but I enjoyed the characters and think it comes together nicely. The political machinations overwhelmed things somewhat for me, but I think this is a nice choice for those looking for a sci fi story with likable characters and some suspenseful elements.

I have seen a few reviews around about this book and many people are calling it a romance. From what I know about the romance genre, the romance is the main part of the story. I would not say that this is the case in Winter's Orbit. I came for the queer romance but got sucked into the compelling story that unfolded around the politics of the universe and the mystery around the death of Taam. The romance side of the story as well was definitely a slow burn and it wasn't until well after I read half the book that the focus shifted slightly to include more about the relationship between Kiem and Jainan. I was rooting for them the whole time because in their strange way, they just seemed perfect for each other.

I do want anyone who is thinking about reading this to know that I would put a content warning on it for domestic abuse. It isn't a huge focus of this plotline but it is definitely in there and I can see that being triggering for some people.

The pacing of the book is quite slow to start but I find it picks up a bit of speed after the first half. That is when it really hooked me in and I couldn't put it down. I actually wish there was more focus on the relationship. There was one intimate scene but it was not explicit. I guess since I like to read romances, I was expecting more but I would definitely say this was a science fiction book with a side of romance.

Queer love and a mystery in space... what is not to love really.

I will definitely be trying to get other people to read this so I have someone to talk to about it.