'"You would not invite a scandal across half the royal family," Rakak said. They looked like they had bitten something sour. "The Emperor would–"
"Exile to me to a monastery again?" Kiem said. "Already went, three years ago. I'm a world-class meditator. I don't mind being in the newslogs."'

This book was so much more than I was expecting. I was imagining a light, gay rom-com in space. I got a nuanced relationship, fraught by history and circumstance, with a decent amount of world-building and some interesting cultural norms to add weight to the story.

Kiem is the Iskat royal family's playboy. Jainan is the recently bereaved partner of Kiem's cousin and the formal representative to Thea, a vassal planet of Iskat. Needing to firm the alliance between Thea and Iskat ahead of signing the Resolution, a trade and defence treaty between empires, the Emperor demands that Kiem and Jainan marry immediately. They have one month to get to know each other and convince the public and the Resolution Auditor that the alliance is strong, or the empire faces invasion or civil war or both.

I LOVED Kiem. He's like a mix between a big puppy, Corporal Carrot (Discworld) and a young Prince Harry. Incredibly kind and sociable, he sees the best in everyone and loves nothing more than an opportunity to have fun and meet people - whether they're 5-year-old school children, the gardener or the Ambassador to a vassal planet.

'"How doe you know all these people?"
"Just...normally," Kiem said. "Everyone does, right?"
"No," Jainan said.'

He's not academic and has no interest in politics, but he's also not stupid, conceited or malleable - facts that surprise those who seek to use or manipulate him.

Jainan is harder to understand, particularly as a key fact is withheld until a good way into the book (though I, and I'm sure many others, guessed this well ahead of Kiem). Married to Prince Taam for five years, he's been widowed a month. He's shy and nervous, naturally academic, and determined to do his duty, no matter the cost. His secret deserves discussing and is one of the most interesting and valuable aspects of the book in my opinion, however it is somewhat of a spoiler, so visit my Goodreads profile (di_maitland) if you'd like to read more.

Kiem and Jainan's relationship is slow to build and victim to endless misunderstandings and miscommunications (or a failure to communicate at all). On the whole, these felt genuine, rather than conveniently created to add tension to the plot (though they did this too), however, by the mid-point, I was beginning to get quite frustrated. Fortunately things developed soon afterwards and we began to have external, rather than just internal, hurdles to overcome.

Bel, Kiem's personal assistant, is the only other significant character and is awesome. I would have loved to have seen more of her and would definitely read a book with her as protagonist (hint hint, Everina Maxwell).

Maxwell's world-building was good, though it felt a little contrived at times, there was some info-dumping to start, and it was slightly more complicated than it needed to be - remnants being a prime example of this. That said, I appreciated that the world extended beyond the main characters' little bubble and was intrigued by the way gender and sexuality were presented. I liked that individuals could choose whether they were male, female or neuter, but found the manner in which these were indicated unlikely.

All in all, I really liked Winter's Orbit (though I still don't know where the title comes from!). It had some really sweet characters that were more nuanced than those found in most Romances; its world-building was well developed, its diversity impressive and its writing style easy. I would recommend it to lovers of pure sci-fi and pure romance, as well as those, like me, who enjoy both.

Winter’s Orbit is a book for me that feels very like a fic (I don’t mean it negatively, take it how you will). And I can’t tell if that’s because I read the original piece it stemmed from (although it has hardly changed) or it genuinely does. Either way it’s a fun, action-packed romance-slash-space-mystery that hits all the right notes when it comes to emotions.

Kiem expects to spend his life unbothered by Iskat Empire politics, barring the occasional disapproving meeting with his grandmother. But when his cousin, Taam, is killed in a crash, Kiem is forced to step in and marry his widower, Jainan, to maintain a treaty and, hopefully, peace throughout the entire galaxy. Add onto this evidence that Taam’s demise wasn’t entirely accidental, and Kiem finds himself at the centre of a plot which may threaten life as he knows it.

I’m honestly finding this book a bit tricky to review because, in effect, it’s a reread for me. I don’t know why that makes it harder, but them’s the breaks.

What catches your attention first and foremost in this book are the characters. I loved Kiem from the first page of the original and I loved him even more from the first page of this. And the same was the case for Jainan. They, and all the rest of the main cast, are the kinds of characters who are so vibrant as to leap off the page at you. It’s that, and the growing relationship between Kiem and Jainan, that makes the book for me.

In terms of plot, the novel is half romance, half thriller. I say half and half because the thriller part does sort of take a backseat to the romance at times. It’s like a romance in space thriller trappings, and it’s excellent. My favourite genre is mysteries or thrillers used as a vehicle for a romance, and it does it so well here. Perhaps at times, I wanted it to lean more into the thriller aspect, but I knew what I was getting into here, so that wasn’t a problem for me.

If there was anything for me to nitpick, it would be just that, on occasion, I wanted the worldbuilding to go even more in depth than it did. I think that may have been a byproduct of me finding it a little fic-ish, to be honest, though. It didn’t really impact on my original rating either.

If you are looking for a standalone science fiction book to read, then, this one fits perfectly and I would highly recommend it.

This was a very fun read. The slow burn was sweet and worthwhile, and I’m glad it handled partner abuse the way that it did. I thought the world was very interesting, and open enough to leave room for more books.

I was expecting a fun romantic space opera and while I absolutely GOT a fun romantic space opera I also got complex interstellar politics and cool new technology and important conversations surrounding trauma and abuse. I got STRESS and STAKES! I got HEART-MELTING CHARM! So, basically everything I could want in a thrilling new piece of science-fiction.

The story follows a prince of the Iskat Empire, Kiem, who has recently been thrown into an arranged marriage with his cousin's recent widower, Jainan, in order to preserve the complex treaty between their planets. The story switches between Kiem and Jainan as they navigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding Jainan's former husband's death, the growing political tensions between their planets, and their unexpected relationship.

While this story leans a bit on established tropes, it generally stood on its own as a unique piece of science fiction. I really loved Maxwell's take on gender here especially. In this society, gender is indicated not by physical traits but by chosen external indicators (things like stone or glass worn as jewelry) that you choose to adorn yourself with to display--or not display--your identity. This story is also fine example of how it is possible to create a fictional world where homophobia does not exist and queer characters can have struggles distinct from their identities. Our characters deal with a lot of heavy issues--I will note a trigger warning for domestic abuse in particular, also noted below--but none of their struggles have to do with their gender identity or whom they love. It is refreshing amid the tendency of some science fiction and fantasy to heavily enforce these norms even when their manufactured universes otherwise break established convention.

Overall, I enjoyed this read. The politics were compelling, the science was interesting, and the romacne was sweet. It was cool to learn that this novel was originally published as an original work on AO3--it definitely has some trope-y aspects to it but it defied a lot of my expectations and it speaks to the amazing talent of writers online.

tw: domestic abuse

Review will be posted on bookofthegay.com on January 19th, 2021
Review will be posted on Instagram around the same date with review edited to include link at that time
Review has been posted to goodreads
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Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell is a m/m romance with a queernorm sci-fi world. As soon as I saw gay political marriage, I knew I had to request an arc. Thank you to Tor and Netgalley for granting my e-arc request, Winter’s Orbit was a joy to read! Winter’s Orbit is available February 2nd, 2021.

The Iskat Empire rules a seven planet space system through treaties upheld by political marriages. But things aren’t all sunshine and rainbows. Some of the planets, including Thea, are beginning to rebel, and the timing couldn’t be worse. The overarching galactic empire has sent an Auditor to verify Iskat’s treaties.

Prince Kiem is the least favourite of the Iskat Emperor’s grandchildren and a constant disappointment. He finds out about his political marriage the day before the ceremony. While the ceremony goes mostly to plan, Kiem worries about his new husband, the quiet and grieving Count Jainan of Thea. It has only been a month since Jainan’s last partner, Prince Taam, died in an accident. Kiem doesn’t want to push his own feelings onto the grieving widower, but their marriage must appear strong to keep the hostilities between the two planets under control.

Winter’s Orbit introduces engaging characters and a fast moving plot that kept me turning pages. Kiem and Jainan’s relationship is at the forefront of the story. There is definitely enough plot between the treaty, possible murder, and military conspiracy to land the book solidly in the sci-fi category. But, the plot really drives the changes in their relationship. The details of their feelings is prominent throughout the book.

I honestly think that the tagline comping Red, White & Royal Blue does a disservice to Winter’s Orbit. Here, the themes are more mature, the characters more developed, and the relationship is complex and ultimately rewarding. To be fair, I love angst and pining, and Winter’s Orbit delivers a great deal of that. Sometimes I just wanted to scream at Kiem and Jainan to talk to each other. But, each time they tried it often just made things more complicated in a way that never felt over done. It made sense for the characters and their histories.

Kiem and Jainan both go through strong character arcs. Kiem is a somewhat reformed fuck-up who stills sees himself in a negative light. He might be charming, but he doesn’t see his own worth. Jainan suffers from anxiety relating to his past trauma. He defers to Kiem regardless of his own wishes and never gives himself freedom. Both characters complement each other and develop and grow through their interactions with each other over the course of the story.

While some areas of the book felt a little stilted - there were parts where I wondered if I had missed a segue between different actions of scenes - it was overall a really enjoyable read and I would highly recommend it!

This book was exactly what I needed while feeling down during the pandemic. With a sweet, heartwarming romance with a setup that's straight out of fanfic (and I mean that in the best way), Winter's Orbit is simultaneously light and cute and yet has lots of serious elements to its plot. I expected something breezy and fanfic-like and what I got was that and more - realistic portrayals of PTSD, interesting worldbuilding that touches on how cultures react to one another, and lots of details and side characters that I hope are further fleshed out in future books. Highly recommended for fans of sci fi and romance., or fans of one who are willing to explore the other.

I went into this hoping for a lighthearted space romance & I absolutely got that with a bit more tossed in for good measure.

-Kiem is a Royal Prince of Iskat and an embarrassment to the Emperor
-Count Jainan is a representative from Thean, one of Iskat vassal planets

The Iskat Empire controls 7 planets in loose federated empire upheld through treaty arrangements that are solidified through marriage via an Iskat prince. Jainan's first husband Taam (also Iskat Prince) has died suddenly leaving a vacancy that would help solidify Thean/Iskat relations right as the treaty is being renegotiated. Kiem is informed that he will be married off to Jainan within 24 hours, no questions asked. What could possibly go wrong?

At Jainan & Kiem navigate a very tumultuous start to their marriage, it becomes clear that Jainan's recently deceased husband's death may not have been an accident at all. As the two investigate & begin to pull threads, a complex mystery unravels that is not fully revealed until the end.

I absolutely love 'thrown together' romances & while this one was not typical in so many ways, it was delightful to read. I think this book is a bit genre defying; it pulls romance and sci-fi into its' orbit in a way that I think would be pleasing to fans of both genres because you get both elements measured throughout. Is it a romance set in space or a science fiction with romance? It's both!

Character development was tops for me in this one. Kiem's jovial, puppy eyed personality just begs for you to love him. Jainan's character unfolds in a much more complex manner due to a very complicated past which was unsettling at times to read. There were a few parts that got a little confusing as the plot developed, but I felt very satisfied with the ending.

4/5 stars for me & would totally recommend to someone (perhaps like me) that needs something a little more lighthearted in their sci-fi