Prince Kiem's life as a reformed wild child is turned upside down when he finds out that he's getting married - tomorrow. His husband-to-be is dreamy Count Jainan, who only a month earlier lost his husband, Taam, in an accident. Their arranged marriage is a rushed affair with the goal to once again unite their planets in a treaty. They have one month to get the Auditor, who oversees all treaties, to confirm their union.

But things don't go according to plan. As Kiem tries to settle into a life with Jainan, more and more inconsistencies and mysteries arise. It turns out that Prince Taam's death may not have been an accident, and his top secret military project, Kingfisher, may have had something to do with his death. As they work together to unravel the truth behind Taam's death and Kingfisher, Kiem and Jainan are drawn into a dangerous conspiracy and they'll only survive if they learn to truly trust one another.

This was a fantastic read from start to finish! I immediately loved Kiem and Jainan and was rooting for them the entire time, flailing and crying in equal measure. Kiem is a warm, kind-hearted guy who is trying to do his best, and Jainan is brilliant yet painfully polite and slow to open up (for Reasons). They are both put into a difficult and awkward position, and reading about their early fumbles is both amusing and somewhat painful once more about Jainan's backstory is revealed. I love their slow burn love story and the way they respect each other and come to truly care for one another.

I enjoyed the worldbuilding and learning about the different planets and their place in the larger system. My favorite aspect of this fictional world is that there doesn't seem to be any homophobia, racism, or misogyny, though there are tensions between the different planets and cultures, with people from the Iskat Empire looking down on people from Jainan's planet. I particularly liked how different planets have ways of signaling gender, for example on Iskat, men wear something made of wood, women wear something made of flint, and nonbinary people wear something made of glass. 

I would recommend this book to fans of fake dating books like Red, White & Royal Blue and Boyfriend Material, and to fans of thrilling sci-fi!

If you’re a fan of the fake dating and/or arranged marriage trope, this is definitely a book for you. If you’re not (why though?), you would still appreciate the court intrigues and cool space opera vibes. (Even if you don’t usually read sci-fi novels, like I don’t.)

A lot of books these days use the fake dating trope, but not all of them succeed, and it’s pretty obvious why. For this trope to work in a story, to have any emotional load at all, you need to have some miscommunication. Both of the characters who are supposed to fake a relationship need to be into each other, but without the other realising. The longer this lack of knowledge goes on, the better. The bigger the emotional punch.

Winter’s Orbit understands that perfectly. It gifts you pages and pages of gay pining, and we all know there is absolutely nothing better in the world. The characters are also an ideal combination for this kind of story, with one of them being an absolute himbo & the other a detached, austere figure. There are always reasons behind actions and not everything is what it seems to be, so don’t be fooled exactly. Dig deeper.

The novel deals very heavily with domestic abuse, so it’s probably not for every reader out there. The whole arc is treated with respect, though, and all the care and attention it deserves, and the characters aren’t turned into victims with no agency.

Despite that, it’s actually a fun book that keeps you on your toes. Mainly thanks to the writing; the style is simple, but focused on details, minute emotions, which allows you to fully experience everything along the characters. And makes you care about all the more. So really, it’s a little bit perfect.

This book was the most perfect fusion that I didn't know I needed. A sci-fi romance. Have I found a new favourite sub-genre? It certainly looks like it. 

The initial set-up is that of an arranged political marriage between our two protagonists, Prince Kiem and Count Jainan, set in motion to satisfy a treaty between two aligned planets. This marriage is sudden, and brought about by the death of Jainan's previous partner. It soon becomes clear that his death may not be as much of an accident as everyone has been made to believe it was, and our protagonists are forced to put their unfortunate beginnings aside and investigate. 

When this was pitched to me as Red, White & Royal Blue in space, I thought it was too good to be true. Turns out even that didn't do this book justice. I was hooked from start to finish, both by the complex political intrigue and by the swoon-worthy romance. Above all else, that real win of this novel is the characters. They were both so beautifully complex and loveable, and the dynamic between them made me not want to stop reading. 

Now excuse me while I go and scream at every person I know to read this book. 

TLDR: slow-burn gays in space with political intrigue and murder mystery plotline. 

TW: detailed discussion and flashbacks to an abusive relationship/domestic violence.

TW: this book contains rather a lot of a (former) abusive relationship, which is hinted at until near the end when there are some pretty vivid flashbacks. The abuse also really drives a lot of one of our mc's actions for most of the book.

This book was such a joy to read. There were a lot of my favorite romance / fanfic tropes (more on that in a minute), sympathetic characters, conspiracy and peril, and enough drama and action to keep me reading for hours without even realizing it. You know the type - when you tear yourself away from the book and realize it's nearly 11pm and you've been reading since early afternoon. There wasn't a lot of worldbuilding but what there was was fascinating. I really need to know more about the remnants. Remnants of... what, exactly? 

This is an arranged marriage slooooooow burn romance (mostly due to some misunderstandings at the start) which means you see each character fall in love while trying to hold themselves back because the other one *obviously* doesn't feel the same. There is also a "there's only one bed" moment and an absolutely delightful incident with a bear when our mcs find themselves the focus of a murder attempt and take an unexpected detour through the snowy wilderness. Kiem and Jainan have a distinct fanfic flavor to their personalities and relationship, which probably added to my enjoyment. I'm just really into the 'affable, friends with everyone but can't shake the mishaps of his college days so no one expects him to amount to anything' and 'uptight, private and self-contained, brilliant but mistreated and so just sort of floats along' character types, I guess.

Kiem and Jainan realize pretty early on that they're up against something big, which only gets bigger the more they try to discover the truth of what's going on and who they can trust. I was really pleased with how it all turned out, as I didn't guess a lot of it ahead of time. I also really liked how it ended. It was very satisfying.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for providing an e-arc to review.

There’s a big gap in the Sci-Fi genre between books that have some romance in them, and real romantic sci-fi novels. Usually when I read a SF book that touts romance, I have to hunt to find the peck. And when I find a real romance set firmly in the SF genre, it’s usually of the alien tapeworm erotica sort.

Where is the balance? Where is the sweet spot between the sci-fi novel where the main characters dance around their attraction, kiss a couple of times and then you find out the dude woke her up from their cryogenic sleep cycle because he was a lonely incel and has doomed her to death and the erotica novel where you are unsure how the alien anatomy not only works but how it doesn’t also spontaneously combust? 

Where is the sci-fi romance?


Well, it’s in Winter’s Orbit.
Full of some of our favorite romance tropes: arranged marriage, only one bed, so much yearning, doesn’t know how attractive they are, studious quiet one and reformed partier make nice – Winter’s Orbit is a high concept sci-fi where the Imperial Power is facing an interplanetary treaty-making fraught with plebeian tensions abroad. When the military minded Imperial Prince Taam dies suddenly, the Emperor is forced to arranged a political alliance with his widow, Jainan (from the unhappy allied planet) to the playboy Imperial Prince, Kiem. 

Kiem and Jainan are forced into a world of royal duties, treaty obligations and political intrigue that neither of them are prepared for. But the biggest hurdle is figuring out how to be a good partner to the other without letting him know just how much you want to HOLD HIM. Enter: the yearning. 


Kiem is fun and easy and silly and a bit reckless. And even though he is forced into his marriage with Jainan, he is never reckless with him. Jainan’s husband has just died – perhaps been murdered – and Kiem is acutely aware that Jainan is grieving. He gives him space, hopes he is well, and quietly falls for him while trying not to get too close. 

Jainan, on the other hand, is the stoic rock in a precarious place. He is there to represent a planet he hasn’t been on in years, and he views his entrance into Kiem’s life as an inconvenience to Kiem. He keeps his distance emotionally and physically so as not to be a nuisance. But he’s lonely. And Kiem is kind. 

Watching these two navigate not only their burgeoning feelings for one another, but also the galactic politics and potential murder investigation coming their way was pure pleasure. They are so soft for one another. When their flybug (self-driving car thing) impossibly crashes into the side of a mountain, I cheered because finally they were going to be really alone for a really long time. Only one tent? Even better. 

Winter’s Orbit is a true science fiction romance. Romance set in a fully realized sci-fi world. Don’t miss it. 

Content Warning: Winter’s Orbit contains allusions to past relationship abuse – mental and physical, and towards the end of the novel is explicit about said abuse.

I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it... in a world so relentlessly uncertain, there's a powerfully simple pleasure in the experience of a promise kept.

'There is something wrong with you', he told himself, because there was no loss, and now he was sounding quite insane. But it was like an echo of someone else's voice


Winter's Orbit is a new favorite! It was such a strong and solid debut novel with layered and complex characters, a very well developed plot, and a really sweet romance story. Maxwell's writing was wonderful and so easy to get into - Winters Orbit is a Sci-Fi romance rather than Sci-Fi with romance.
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.
The Iskat Empire controls its political relationships with the vassal planets with a system of treaties and often alliances with marriage. After the death of the Iskat Imperial prince Taam, who is married to a representative of the planet Thean, the Emperor needs to reinstate this alliance as soon as possible ahead of the imminent visit from the Auditor for the signing of the Resolution, which will guarantee peace among empires for decades. She decides to marry the Thean widower, Jainan, with her most problematic grandchild, Kiem, within only a day. He's told that above all else, this marriage must succeed because their Empire's status in the intergalactic Resolution treaties is at stake. There can be no broken links in the chain to show the Empire's weakness.
Jainan, diplomatic ambassador to his home planet, Thea, is currently reeling from the recent death of his former husband, Taam. Taam was a member of the Emperor's royal family and one of the realm's key military players. With Taam's—supposedly accidental—death, Jainan is told that his new political alliance is going to be secured with a new marriage. Jainan has never heard of Kiem, but he can only hope that Kiem will be better than Taam—even if Jainan would never admit those words aloud. He's been punished for breaking his silence before.
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. I liked Jainan but I loved Kiem. Kiem is the typical social (galaxy) butterfly, he got in trouble so many times in the past and he is forced within only 24 hours into marrying someone who is grieving his previous partner. He is not educated like Jainan, but he is someone I would identify as 'street smart'. Thanks to all his networking connections, he knows how to survive in this society full of journalists always ready for the next royal scandal. I loved how he was super conscious of Jainan’s grief and feelings at the beginning of their relationship.
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.
There are unexpected twists and betrayals and lots of political maneuvering that makes it a very interesting read that’ll keep you engaged.
We have some very beloved fanfic tropes like an arranged marriage, only a single bed, the unlikely couple getting stranded and bonding over it, and also lots of miscommunication and yearning because of it. And one of the most fascinating parts of this world is how moralizingly queer it is - gender is chosen by every individual and they can present themselves as whatever they want using symbols on their person, and relationships between any genders are just part of life. It’s just so lovely to read more stories like this where homophobia and gender binaries don’t exist.
But the strength of this book is definitely the characters. They are definitely opposites, which means the attraction is inevitable. While there was a lot of communication between them for a while which made me quite tense about what was gonna happen, it was also so lovely to see them slowly become reliant on each other and then able to talk about their feelings. I was literally sobbing with happiness seeing them get together and then work with each other to figure out all the mysteries. The ending was particularly very amusing and I was full of joy seeing the proceedings play out.
I especially loved Kiem’s assistant Bel who was a total badass with an interesting backstory and was such a supportive figure throughout the mystery solving. The Auditor and Agent Rakal also turned out to be fascinating despite me doubting their motivatives. Gairad was a sweet addition while the Emperor was kinda subtly funny. But it was Taam, Jainan’s dead husband who felt like a constant presence despite not being alive and the author did such a great job creating and solving all the entanglements.
Kiem and Jainan are lovely together, complementing each other in a lot of ways. Kiem charming, social, and empathetic, always feeling he’s not smart enough, and Jainan thoughtful, anxious, and distant, always afraid to do wrong. Their relationship builds up slowly, although Kiem immediately thinks Jainan is attractive. They get to know each other pretty quickly and start working together when they find out Taam might be murdered. From the start, it’s clear that something happened in Jainan’s past that made him anxious and obedient. As a reader, I felt that way earlier than Kiem. The first part of the story is directed to the world-building and the growing relationship between Kiem and Jainan, while the second half of the story is more fast-paced with a lot of action. Now it's up to Kiem and Jainan to juggle all of the political balls in the air, navigate their relationship, and somehow solve a murder and avoid getting murdered themselves... See what I mean? It's a LOT, y'all!
I did wish that the plot and the pacing were slightly adjusted, however. This story had a lot going on in it. But despite how much was spinning in the plot, the pacing took forever to get off the ground. I felt that the first third of Winter's Orbit draggggggged on, and then the last third was a wham bam! Of action sequences and an extremely rapid conclusion. This story could have been easily expanded into a trilogy—which would have allowed the author to expand on the world-building, the politics, the side plots, and character motivations, and the romance. In a way, all of those elements suffered for me given how much had to fit in such a limited space.
If you're a reader who wants detailed world-building 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.
Overall, really glad I read this, and I'm excited for everyone else to have the chance when it gets officially released in four days.
Thankyou Tor for sending me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advanced copy of Winter’s Orbit through Netgalley so I could share my review with you!

Content Warning: Winter’s Orbit contains scenes and discussion of domestic violence.

The fate of the empire relies on the success of a last-minute arranged marriage between an imperial Prince and a recently widowed diplomat.  With tensions rising between Iskat and its vassal planet Thea, securing a treaty is more important than ever.  Prince Kiem, who is best known for his less-than-favorable appearances in the tabloids, was not expecting to get married any time soon.  But, when his cousin Prince Taam is killed in an accident, Kiem is forced to marry Jainan to ensure continued positive relations between the two planets.  Janian, Taam’s widower, will do whatever it takes to preserve the treaty between Iskat and Thea.  The two seem to have little in common, but when they discover that Taam’s death wasn’t an accident, they are forced to cooperate to try and catch the killer.  If they can learn to work together, they just might be able to save the empire and themselves.

You can get your copy of Winter’s Orbit on February 2nd from Tor Books!

It would not be an exaggeration to say that I screamed a little bit when I saw that Tor Books had approved me to review Winter’s Orbit, one of my most anticipated releases of Winter 2021.  This book combines two of my favorite literary elements (queer folks and space) to create an irresistible story of romance set against a background of political strife in space.  Winter’s Orbit balanced character development with plot action so perfectly that I couldn’t seem to make myself stop reading!  Kiem and Jainan’s opposing personalities made for a fantastic slow-burn romance that you will not want to miss!

My Recommendation-
Winter's Orbit would be the ideal book for people who read Red, White, and Royal Blue and thought to themselves, “this could use more galactic-level conflicts”.  This book would be a fantastic pick for people who enjoy a good blend of romance with their sci-fi novels.

The comp titles for this book were pieces of media I wasn't familiar with. But gays in space was enough to convince me to read this book. And I'm so glad I did!

Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell is a smart and slow-burn tale that also reads like a murder-mystery. Right off the bat, I fell in love with Kiem and Jainan, with their opposite personalities that made them so endearing to me. There were moments when I wanted the story to hurry up because it was meandering, but overall I appreciated it for the tight worldbuilding and the establishment of each character.

Cannot wait to read the next books!

I devoured this book and loved every second of it. The description of "Red White and Royal Blue meets Ancillary Justice" was an immediate sell, and it delivered. There were a lot of fun tropes all done really well, and I enjoyed getting to see the culture and politics of the planet system. For fans of The City in the Middle of the Night, Bonds of Brass, A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, Gideon the Ninth, Belle Revolte, and Carry On.

I really enjoyed this novel. A lot of focus has been made on the love story that is at the center of the story. But for those of us who aren't really into romance novels please don't be scared of this book. You would be doing yourself a disservice, as this story contains a lot of action and a intriguing plot that will keep you from putting it down. Expect this to be huge when it's released in February.

So...this book is easily going to be one of my favorite releases of the year! Winter's Orbit is a stunning sci-fi debut that merges loads of political intrigue, mystery, culturally intricate world-building, and a political marriage of convenience turned slow-burn romance. It's everything I hoped for and would be a great crossover book for romance readers trying to get into sci-fi, or for sci-fi readers wanting a little more romance.

Kiem is an outgoing, playboy prince known for his escapades and carefree attitude. When the emperor tells him he is to marry the recently widowed husband of his cousin for political reasons, it's the last thing he expects. Jainan is introverted, nerdy, and it becomes clear that things in his marriage weren't quite right. Kiem tries to respect his space as he grieves and Jainen is determined to be useful to Kiem and not get in his way. And neither of them think the other is remotely interested in a real relationship. They couldn't be more wrong. But twists start coming as they discover Jainen is being investigated for the murder of his former husband, and there are plots that need to be uncovered.

I won't say more, but this was just perfection. It really leans into the galactic sci-fi empire bit with lots of a political intrigue, but it's grounded by the thread of this slowly developing relationship between Kiem and Jainan. I loved it SO very much! I'm incredibly impressed with this debut and am eager to read more.

One thing I really appreciated is that it takes a different approach to dealing with gender. In the primary society we see on the page, people indicate their gender via accessories rather than clothing choices or body appearance. Women wear flint, men wear wood, and nonbinary folks wear glass ornaments in their hair or as jewelry. We hear about another culture where gender is indicated through different ways of tying scarves. I thought this was so interesting and and such a useful idea. And why not use speculative fiction as a way of reimagining the world to be inclusive rather than homophobic?

What an incredible book and one I hope to see get lots of attention this year! I received an advance copy of this book for review from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Content warnings include physical, emotional, and psychological domestic abuse, anxiety and PTSD, attempted murder, torture involving memory alteration.

I loved this book. It was the exact right combination of pining, romance, danger, and political intrigue. I usually get really frustrated with major plot conflict that can be easily solved by "just talk to each other already" but every once in a while a book comes along that handles it just right, and Winter's Orbit is a perfect example.  The rush into the arranged marriage & associated diplomatic events, Jainan's history with Taam, and Kiem's caring though kind of bumbling personality all combine to make the perfect storm of challenges for the characters to work through together. I can't wait to recommend this to everyone I know.

Like, I love the characters and the romance but couldn't give two shits about the space politics? That's my vibe.

But then again, that is what this book is. A space opera romance, with a convoluted plot and uninteresting political drama. The world building was lacking, the sci-fi aspects (like gadgets and entities) were confusing--I still don't know exactly what a Remnant is-- but if you push that all aside there is a shining romance in between the pages.

What Winter's Orbit has in abundance is inclusion. In the Iskat Empire anybody can feel free to be their authentic self, if you wish for others to know what gender you identify with you need only illustrate it by using the right kind of accessories. Seems superficial, but it works in a pinch. There are high ranking officers who identify as "they" as well.

The characters really breathed life into the book. I loved Prince Kiem, his self deprecation, his genuine drive to do the right thing even if he goes against his family, his willingness to really listen to his partners needs and even learn his culture... Kiem is a national treasure. At the beginning of the novel he was a little sheltered, by his own choice. Politics was not his thing and he seldom paid attention. Instead he volunteered in charities and tried to rehabilitate his image from troublemaker #1. By the end he grows up so much, taking charge and using his charisma for the greater good.

Jainan! T_T oh my goodness. I knew from the first interactions between him and Kiem that something wasn't right. He seemed too guarded, always trying to anticipate Kiem's needs in a very fight or flight way, always holding his tongue... He broke my heart. There is a lot of miscommunication between Jainan and Kiem, mainly because Kiem lives in a world where Domestic Violence isn't a thing (he has no experience with it) and Jainan assumes all royalty will expect the same kind of treatment. Again, it is heartbreaking, and the moment these two finally get close enough to trust in each other what they are really thinking/feeling I shouted HALLELUYAH! It does drag along in some scenes, the same misunderstanding, but it builds in a realistic way.

While I don't think Winter's Orbit does a great job in the sci-fi aspect, I do think it shines when it comes to the romance and the respectful way it treats domestic abuse within a queer relationship. I felt close to the characters, both the main ones and the side characters, and wish we could maybe have another novel with Bel (Kiem/Jainan's aide) as the MC.

I just finished this book 5 minutes ago and now I'm so soft!

Damn, this was good. Equal parts exciting, funny, and romantic. The plot was a head-scratcher, and although there were times when the pacing was slow, it was still exciting. The writing style and prose were great, sharp yet can also be mellow sometimes and I loved that. Oh, and the main characters are two sweet, dumb boys who deserve all the world! *cries* Also, can I just say that the slowburn romance in this book made me want to tear my hair out. So good!

Full review on my blog soon!

CW: Toxic relationship, domestic abuse, physical abuse, violence, torture (mild), sexual content (mild)

Winter’s Orbit is a new favorite! It was such a strong and solid debut novel with layered and complex characters, a very well developed plot, and a really sweet romance story. Maxwell’s writing was wonderful and so easy to get into–the way they wrote Kiem and Jainan’s perspectives captured my attention right away and I fell in love with their story.

The world-building was also rather intriguing. I really enjoyed the mechanics involved in the Resolution and the process behind the treaty. The arranged marriage premise did make me a bit hesitant at the start, but the way Maxwell approached and, through Jainan and Kiem’s POVs, developed that aspect was fantastic!

I very much loved the slow progression of Kiem and Jainan’s relationship. There were so many misunderstandings and things left unsaid between them, but not in a way that generated useless drama and conflict. They were so careful with each other, though each had different reasons, and the way in which they came to rely on and support each other was my absolute favorite part in the novel. The confession at the end was icing on the romance cake to me 😀

There was also quite a bit of action! The plot got really tense and intense towards the second half and it was super fun to read about Kiem and Jainan trying to solve the mystery behind Taam’s possible murder. Some of the twists regarding that were a bit predictable, but in no way did they negatively impact my reading experience.

Honestly, if you enjoy Sci-Fi stories with a well executed plot, complex characters, and queer romance, please pick up Winter’s Orbit. It was really that good.

I quite enjoyed the characters, despite the fact that they had a lack of communication issue for 50% of the book. 
The lack of communication mostly made sense. It did feel a little tedious toward the end of the communication issue portion.. but there were reasons for it. 

Jainan is precious and Kiem is charismatic and compassionate heck.

Honestly maybe not the best world-building in my opinion, but I didn't mind, since heavy sci-fi world-building can often leave my lil non-scientific brain going ""whet?!"

I don't have much to say one way or the other about the writing style. It was fine for me, but not remarkable. 

One of the characters in this book is a victim of domestic abuse - both emotional and physical. We do see a couple of scenes where the abuse is described on the page, but more frequently/strongly we see the after-effects. As someone who has been in an emotionally/mentally/slightly physically abusive relationship, I really appreciated that representation and caught it immediately because I could relate. 

It was generally a good time! Not mind-blowing for me as far as the plot, or the characters, but I did enjoy the reading experience - the characters especially

Disclaimer: I'm not a sci-fi person, but I can usually find something to like in these kinds of books and push through them which is what happened with this one. I loved both of the main characters as they were witty, determined, and hoplesslessly in love with each other without realizing it. Honeslty, their relationship and their slow-burn romance were the best parts of this book.

On the other hand, my biggest problem with this was that the pacing was just so slow and towards the end I was counting down the pages until I was done because I was tired of it dragging on. I just don't think having a slow-burn romance AND slow pacing is a good combination for a book.

Overall, I'm happy that I read this and while I wish it would have been faster paced, it was an interesting read and the romance made it worth it.

Trigger Warning: Domestic Abuse, Mind Control

Playboy Prince Kiem is doing just fine thankyouverymuch. That is, until he's forced into an arranged marriage with recently widowed Count Jainan, who was previously married to Kiem's cousin, Taam. But the empire of Iskat is held together by marriage treaties, and they're going to have to make it work in order to help certify their empire to the larger galactic federation. Things aren't going to be that easy though. Because it turns out Taam was murdered, and it could be due to a cover-up for a greater scheme...
"What about sprawls of despair?" he asked. "Do we have special furniture for that? Put that on the list: source despair furniture for living room. Did I tell you I'm getting married?"

Well this went a bit differently than I was expecting, and I um, am kinda hoping it's going to be a series??

The Red, White and Royal Blue comp title is perfectly accurate, but there was not enough tea drinking for Ancillary Justice to fit. But you know what does fit? Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan series.

Definitely got shades of the Vorkosiverse reading this one, and I loved it. Was it because of the blinding charisma of Kiem, the deep levels of reserve within Jainan (the signs are there immediately), the blisteringly competent Bel, and the other secondary characters? Along with the descriptions of the space, the way the military was integrated, how Internal Security popped up, the Emperor, and a whole bunch of other things (including gender and cultural considerations), and I loved it so much!

Also, it has the following tropes, used delightfully:

-One bed
-Arranged political marriage between two kinda enemy peoples
-disaster bisexual and uptight gay
-Someone fell into a river while camping and they must now huddle together naked for warmth

Also, Kiem repeatedly puts his foot in his mouth around Jainan, and it's so painful to watch the two constantly miscommunicate.

Anywho, lots of conversations on healthy relationships, communication and more, all wrapped into a really fun military-political-and-thoroughly-queer space opera!

"I think," Jainan said slowly, "that it's very possible to spend all your energy doing the right thing but still miss something obvious. I think that doesn't make your effort meaningless."

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review

4.5ish stars.

To categorize this as a romance novel would, I think, be doing it a disservice. It is, above all, a tightly plotted, imaginative space opera, although the central relationship does play an enjoyably significant role.

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. 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 they can never manage to get on the same page. Maxwell does a good job playing on those frustrations.

Overall, really glad I read this, and I'm excited for everyone else to have the chance when it gets officially released in a couple weeks!