Maxwell’s writing has definitely improved since her debut, with an impressively creative plot to bolster this story! There, it is also expected that he will be “synced” with an Architect, a process that creates a permanent mental bond so that the Reader can be controlled. Surit's memory, unbidden, presented him with a flash from the Note: Tennal, his presence like a lightning bolt, pressing his hand to Surit's chest and making an invitation.

So—interestingly—was the ethereally beautiful twentysomething waif who looked like someone’s trophy boyfriend. If the legislator had really found him, it wasn’t as if her people were going to gently tap him on the shoulder and start a conversation. Surit had only come to know him: the one burning star in a system of inert planets, flaring so brightly it was dangerous to orbit.While I would describe Winter’s Orbit as a romance with sci-fi, I would consider Ocean’s Echo to be a sci-fi with romance. That's because it starts with Tennal, who has been taught all his life that he is a shameful disaster and a screw-up who can only bring dishonor on his family. The kind of surprising thing to me is I also did not like her first novel (maybe I should go back and up it one star because it is better than this one), and here I go again trying her second novel.

A beautiful novel from Everina Maxwell which seamlessly blends scifi and romance together to deliver a satisfying plot and all of the feels. Winter's Orbit is a chilling account of a dark past wrapped in the warm blanket of a promising future. There is no overlap in characters, but the world building is the same- and expanded on in a truly fascinating way in Ocean's Echo. I read the paper book first and then decided that I also need to listen to the audio book and it was a right decision.Marit dies, Surit is born after Marit's death from frozen material (did they not freeze material before the experiment? The magic/tech system of the readers and architects was incredibly interesting and created a very engaging setup for the plot.

The writing style itself, and the distinct point of views from both Tennal and Surit’s perspectives, are raw and honest and compelling. There were a few non-binary characters who were written well, important to the plot, and a delight to read about. I am such a sucker for the whole trope of a person who's been shamed all their life for being officially "Too Much" finally meeting the person who looks at their "Too Much"ness and thinks: "WOW that is AMAZING.in a world so relentlessly uncertain, there's a powerfully simple pleasure in the experience of a promise kept. This is especially true with Tennal, who is charismatic, full of energy, kind of a disaster, and with whom I personally connected with a lot.