Prince Kiem, a famously disappointing minor royal and the Emperor’s least favorite grandchild, has been called upon to be useful for once. He’s commanded to fulfill an obligation of marriage to the representative of the Empire’s newest and most rebellious vassal planet. His future husband, Count Jainan, is a widower and murder suspect.

Neither wants to be wed, but with a conspiracy unfolding around them and the fate of the empire at stake they will have to navigate the thorns and barbs of court intrigue, the machinations of war, and the long shadows of Jainan’s past, and they’ll have to do it together.

So begins a legendary love story amid the stars.

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Have I ever read a sci-fi romance?

*checks notes*

Hmm. Mayyyybe? I’ve certainly read some sci-fi books that feature romance. But Everina Maxwell’s debut novel WINTER’S ORBIT reads more like a romance layered over top a space opera, with a murder mystery happening in the background. I mean…fucking wow. This book is just outstanding in so many different ways.

WINTER’S ORBIT is built around the arranged marriage trope, but it’s an arranged marriage that starts with a tragedy. After the mysterious death of his husband Taam, Count Jainan is betrothed to Prince Kiem, who is something of a minor royal, one with a penchant for…not much. Kiem is a profoundly kind person, he’s just lived a life of excess, which has not exactly endeared him to the Emperor, his grandmother.

On the other side, Count Jainan is quiet, serious, reserved. On the surface, he & Kiem are not a good match, and given that the marriage is all in the name of diplomacy, Jainan just sort of accepts this as his fate.

I had seen folks posting content warnings for WINTER’S ORBIT, for a previous abusive relationship & the subsequent PTSD, so of course I want to mention that here. Everyone will bring their own experience to this book, and for me, the way Maxwell handled this aspect of the story felt incredibly delicate. But again, for some folks, these scenes/lines of dialogue will hit harder.

Jainan suffered emotional & physical abuse at the hands of Taam (who is Kiem’s cousin), and it took me awhile to pick up on it. And when it finally hit me, I almost felt compelled to go back and start the book over. Because it became clear to me that Jainan’s past experiences were informing nearly every aspect of his present life. Every awkward interaction he has with Kiem stems from the PTSD he is suffering from. It’s fucking heartbreaking. And part of coping with that trauma means Jainan has shut down in a lot of ways…which leaves Kiem in the dark.

So these are some of the heavier things happening in this book, but oof…it’s also just incredibly sweet as well. There’s a lot of humor packed into this story, and more than a little bit of adventure. It’s political, and twisty & turny, and definitely takes on a bit of a whodunnit vibe.

Not really being a true romance reader, some of the more popular tropes found in WINTER’S ORBIT (only one bed, miscommunication) feel a bit new to me! Watching Kiem and Jainan have all these near-misses was delightfully frustrating, and I couldn’t have been rooting for these two any harder.

Kiem’s assistant Bel also deserves a special mention for providing some bone dry humor, as well as basically being the glue that keeps Kiem’s life from falling apart. She also has a really interesting backstory which only gets touched on briefly, but has me curious about whether we will see any more books set in this world/with these characters…here’s hoping!!

WINTER’S ORBIT was amazing, something that felt both familiar & really new to me. I adored the characters in this book & would protect them at all costs.

Huge thanks to Tor Books for the copy!!!