Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell (Review) – Flavia the Bibliophile

Title: Winter’s Orbit
Author: Everina Maxwell
Type: Fiction
Genre: Adult, Science Fiction, LGBTQ, Romance
Publisher: Tor Books
(Macmillan Publishers)
Date published: February 2, 2021

A complimentary physical copy of this book was kindly provided by the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

While the Iskat Empire has long dominated the system through treaties and political alliances, several planets, including Thea, have begun to chafe under Iskat’s rule. When tragedy befalls Imperial Prince Taam, his Thean widower, Jainan, is rushed into an arranged marriage with Taam’s cousin, the disreputable Kiem, in a bid to keep the rising hostilities between the two worlds under control.

But when it comes to light that Prince Taam’s death may not have been an accident, and that Jainan himself may be a suspect, the unlikely pair must overcome their misgivings and learn to trust one another as they navigate the perils of the Iskat court, try to solve a murder, and prevent an interplanetary war… all while dealing with their growing feelings for each other.

⤖ My Review ⬻

When I heard about Winter’s Orbit late last year, it quickly became one of my most-anticipated releases of 2021. I was very excited when I finally got my hands on a copy and then proceeded to feel disappointed as I didn’t get to it as soon as I had planned. I am happy to say, however, that once I did get to Winter’s Orbit I was able to focus on it a lot more than I would have if I had picked it up earlier…so maybe it all turned out for the best.

As I dove into the book, I soon realized that the tone and setting were turning out to be a little bit different from what I was anticipating. This was not a bad thing though, as I soon found myself pulled into the world as well as feeling very intrigued by the characters, their inner workings, and the secrets they were potentially keeping.

Over the course of my reading Winter’s Orbit, I actually felt like I became quite close with the characters. I think it helped a lot that I really took my time with this one, as it ensured that I took the time to savour everything. I’m very much a poly reader and a mood reader, so I’m always reading more than one book at a time (which was also part of the reason it took me a little bit longer to get from start to finish with Winter’s Orbit).

I’m not really one to enjoy politics heavy plots, especially in science fiction books and movies, but sometimes when it’s done really well like in Winter’s Orbit, I find myself intrigued by what’s going on, who is allied with who, and curious about how things will turn out. I think I can also say that there was definitely some court intrigue in Winter’s Orbit as well. All in all, I found this book to be enjoyable and I hope to see more of the characters or the world–whether it be in a series or spinoffs–otherwise I think I’d be happy with just anything else that this author writes.

⤖ About the Author ⬻

Everina Maxwell is the author of Winter’s Orbit, a queer romantic space opera about a diplomat who enters into an arranged marriage to save his planet. She grew up in Sussex, UK, which has come a long way from the days of Cold Comfort Farm and now has things like running water and Brighton Pier. She was lucky enough to live near a library that stocked Lois McMaster Bujold, Anne McCaffrey and Terry Pratchett, so spent all her spare time devouring science fiction and doorstopper fantasy, with her family’s Georgette Heyer collection always a reliable friend when the library books ran out. She first took part in NaNoWriMo in 2004 and continues to precariously balance writing, a day job, and watching Let’s Plays of video games she claims she doesn’t have time to play. She lives and works in Yorkshire.