Published in 2018 by American author Christopher Ruocchio, Empire of Silence is the first book in a series of six called the Sun Eater series. The story is described by the author as a space opera, as readers follow an exiled young prince named Hadrian as he flees the path chosen for him by his governor father and instead seeks to create his own life among the stars. The book is rated 4 stars out of 5 on GoodReads, gathered from over 11,000 ratings.