Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 1

A collection of short stories that sit between books #2 and #3 of the Sun Eater series. These stories lack the fire of the novels and this collection is not up to the level of previous novellas, The Lesser Devil (set parallel to book #1) and Queen Amid Ashes (set after book #2).

There is a long time gap between novels #2 and #3 and Ruocchio has set Queen and these short stories into the gap to explain some of the intervening time. I've been reading them before I get into book #4 and they recede too far into the past, but the way they've dealt with piecemeal events has been frustrating when compared to the power of the main series.

Quick short stories that help flesh out the universe, including one with Hadrian in the arena.

Not a big novella/short story fan, but as background for a grander, epic series, I enjoyed these and think that they enhance the Sun Eater experience.

Some stories are really good but most of them are meh to me.