Description

‘A chilling account of a dark past wrapped in the warm blanket of a promising future . . . A pleasure to read’ Ann Leckie

‘Sparks fly’ NPR

‘A stunning new space opera debut’ K. B. Wagers

The Iskat Empire rules its vassal planets through a system of treaties – so when Prince Taam, key figure in a political alliance, is killed, a replacement must be found. His widower, Jainan, is rushed into an arranged marriage with the disreputable aristocrat Kiem, in a bid to keep rising hostilities between two worlds under control. But Prince Taam’s death may not have been an accident, and when Jainan himself is a suspect, he and Kiem must navigate the perils of the Iskat court, solve a murder, and prevent an interplanetary war . . .

***Winner of an ALA Alex Award***
***Sunday Times bestseller***

‘Has everything you could ask: impossible choices, divided loyalties, dry wit . . . charming slow-burn romance, and an adventure in space politics’ A. K. Larkwood

‘High-pitched noises escaped me; I shouted, more than once, ‘Now kiss!’…in a world so relentlessly uncertain, there’s a powerfully simple pleasure in the experience of a promise kept’ The New York Times Book Review

‘Dazzling . . . Its characters stayed with me long after I raced through the last chapters’ Aliette de Boddard

Everina Maxwell’s debut is a space opera with high-stakes multi-world politics and irresistibly engaging characters, perfect for fans of Gideon the Ninth and The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. An LGBTQ romance and Tiktok/Booktok sensation. Find the author on Twitter at @av_stories

From the same author:
OCEAN’S ECHO

Publisher Review

Delightful! Winter's Orbit is a chilling account of a dark past wrapped in the warm blanket of a promising future. It was such a pleasure to read A captivating love story with engaging characters, wrapped around a murder mystery with high-stakes multi-world politics. Winter's Orbit reminds me in the best way of the Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold. I can't wait to see what Maxwell does next! Everina Maxwell's writing has everything you could ask . . . I don't know how she's managed to write a book that's simultaneously an elegant comedy of manners, a charming slow-burn romance, and an adventure in space politics, but whatever her secret, I'm wildly envious A dazzling and comforting story of galactic politics, healing and romance. Its characters stayed with me long after I raced through the last chapters