Author: Everina Maxwell
Publisher: Tor Books
Released: February 2^nd, 2021
Received: NetGalley

I received a copy of Winter’s Orbit in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Everina Maxwell’s debut novel, Winter’s Orbit, is a delightful blend of space opera, romance, and politics, with the inclusion of an m/m romance. In short: it’s perfect.

In a universe where different planets must find a way to make and keep alliances, treaties are crucial. Sometimes, they even rely on a marriage to keep them firm. That’s how Kiem found himself in this situation, that much is clear.

The treaty between the Iskat Empire and Thea had been safe, right up until the moment that Imperial Prince Taam fell. Now his widower, Jianan, is being rushed off into a new marriage with Taam’s cousin.

Anything to keep the peace, right? Well, as it turns out, these two are about to uncover a series of secrets, any one of which could be a threat to the treaty they’ve given up so much to protect. They must save the day, and in the process, learn about each other and themselves.

“I have very little appetite for another war, and this would be the worst possible time. Hence you will be signing a marriage contract with Count Jainan tomorrow.”

Winter’s Orbit is so much more than what I expected, and I went into this novel with pretty high expectations. It was delightfully complex, with lots of twists, and it makes certain that you’re emotionally invested by the end.

After all, how could you do anything but root for the two of them to succeed? Not just in their journey to save everything they care for, but in their deeply personal adventure towards love. It’s fitting, and it’s beautiful.

It outshines the politics in this novel, that much is certain. There’s still plenty of drama and action to be had along the way as well. Some of said action came as quite the surprise, and even had a few humorous notes snuck in. It was perfect.

I think the thing I love the most is that Winter’s Orbit isn’t a sci-fi with romance. It is sci-fi romance, through and through. It merges the two flawlessly, and allows both the plot and the characters to exist in perfect harmony.

Okay, I really did like the galactic politics as well. And the secondary characters. Actually, I pretty much enjoyed every part of this book. All of the details were so well thought out, and helped to enhance the overall experience.