Sun of Suns

4.5 stars, Metaphorosis reviews

Summary
In the weird gaseous sphere of Virga, towns and cities are loose conglomerations of linked structures floating far from the world's central sun. Hayden is in his teens when his parents die in a failed attempt to break free off oppressive invaders by lighting their own renegade sun. As an older and more mature young man, he still harbors plans of revenge, but the world is much more complicated than he'd envisioned.

Review
I can't remember where or when I picked up Sun of Suns, but I know that I'd read Schroeder's novel Ventus (which I thought was promising, but slow), that Sun of Suns was one of the early e-books I got, and that it was in my library by 2010 at the latest. I recall enjoying it quite a bit, but for some reason didn't carry on to the rest of the series. So when I saw some of those on sale recently, I picked them up.

On this second reading, I liked Sun of Suns just as much as on the first go-round. It's innovative, with engaging characters and a solid plot. I have a few quibbles here and there, but I really enjoyed the story. I'd had a few concerns about buying the series in bulk, as it were – that often doesn't end well – but so far so good, and I'm keen to finally go on to the other books.

Schroeder doesn't just set out an unusual and intriguing setting, he's careful to lay the trail for more surprises and innovation to come. I'm genuinely curious to find out what comes next. A very solid SF story, and one I recommend.