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manicpixl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racism, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Homophobia
blacksphinx's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
How much you will love this story comes down to one thing: your willingness to watch traumatized and abused people make bad choices from the very limited ones they have. If you want your abused heroines to be out here from page one owning their abusers with a witty one-liner, you will hate this.
This is a book about people making bad decisions under duress, and by the end I think it may be fair to say one of our PoVs is a villain protagonist. The story set into motion by these events is fascinating, and I want to watch these girls become both better and worse.
(I wanted to give this book five stars, but people constantly keeping secrets from each other + a really annoying love triangle dragged it down.)
This is a book about people making bad decisions under duress, and by the end I think it may be fair to say one of our PoVs is a villain protagonist. The story set into motion by these events is fascinating, and I want to watch these girls become both better and worse.
(I wanted to give this book five stars, but people constantly keeping secrets from each other + a really annoying love triangle dragged it down.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, and Classism
Minor: Child death, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and War
yarisbooksandbevs's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I wanted more from this book. I felt like he world building and magic system was a bit unclear and incomplete. I thought the characters started to show some growth until they made questionable decisions in the end and it felt like a step back in their development.
Honestly this book left me with so many questions on the world building front.Why does Reina see her heart as monstrous? Because of iridio? Then why does she admire when Celeste uses it? Eva’s family treated her like crap and she refused to believe that they were lying about her father? How do the nozariel wear clothes with their tails? Is iridio inherently tethered to Rahmagut? Why do some users acknowledge him and others don’t? Among others .
On a character front, many of them didn’t stick with me or make me love them or hate them. I didn’t have strong feelings for a lot of the characters other than annoyance at their dumb decisions. I did like Maior and her fiery personality.I liked that Reina chose Maior in the end. I thought they had more chemistry and fit better than Reina and Celeste. Reina started off very naive and impressionable and stayed that way for the majority of the book but I’m glad we saw some development, even if it was toward the last couple of chapters. On Eva’s side, she really started to upset me toward the end. She refused to believe her kind father and stuck to what her horrible grandmother told her, she refused to defend Javier. I know Javier was morally grey but at least he knew he wasn’t a saint. Eva acts all high and mighty then turns around and acts cruel to Javier and caused the whole mess in the end! Not to mention she becomes arrogant with her abilities. I thought Doña Ursulina was easy to hate and Doña Laurel was easy to love which was nice. .
I wanted more clarity in the world building and character development. There were a few characters I enjoyed and I thought the fighting scenes were well described. I don’t think I will be picking up the rest of the series but I am glad I gave it a chance and someone who isn’t as nit picky about world building may enjoy this more than I did.
Honestly this book left me with so many questions on the world building front.
On a character front, many of them didn’t stick with me or make me love them or hate them. I didn’t have strong feelings for a lot of the characters other than annoyance at their dumb decisions. I did like Maior and her fiery personality.
I wanted more clarity in the world building and character development. There were a few characters I enjoyed and I thought the fighting scenes were well described. I don’t think I will be picking up the rest of the series but I am glad I gave it a chance and someone who isn’t as nit picky about world building may enjoy this more than I did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Racism, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, and Colonisation
Moderate: Gore, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Slavery, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Minor: Child death, Cursing, Genocide, Incest, Infertility, Rape, Self harm, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
rambles's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Violence, Blood, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Homophobia, Incest, Rape, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Colonisation, and Classism
gen_wolfhailstorm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Thank you to Black Crow PR for granting me a physical uncorrected proof of this title. All opinions remain 100% genuine.
Buddy read with Sharron Joy Reads.
I loved the depth of this tale. It was slow for the first 3rd or so with world building but once I pushed through, I found it to be worthwhile.
The setting was lush, tense and atmospheric, all at the appropriate times.
I appreciated all the contextual terminology being at the front. I find nothing more tedious than trailing through the end of the book, looking for what something means, with the fear of seeing a spoiler hanging over me like a black cloud.
The conversation of oppression, classim and the mistreatment of other species due to being who they are was so on point to how society still is in the real world.
The sapphic romance threaded through was great. I felt like there was a lot of manipulation in the romance though (as well as the platonic relationships) and it was hurtful to see characters I began to care about being strung along on the whims of others.
The magic system felt unique and unusual to me and though at times it went over my head a little, I was excited to see powers being mastered by various characters.
this is the 2nd book in as many with some weird incest thread, oh dear... I mean I wasn't expecting that and I still don't really get the how... I guess Celeste and Reina would be 1st half cousins?
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and can see how it can set up for a sequel, but equally would feel complete enough as a stand a lone.
Buddy read with Sharron Joy Reads.
I loved the depth of this tale. It was slow for the first 3rd or so with world building but once I pushed through, I found it to be worthwhile.
The setting was lush, tense and atmospheric, all at the appropriate times.
I appreciated all the contextual terminology being at the front. I find nothing more tedious than trailing through the end of the book, looking for what something means, with the fear of seeing a spoiler hanging over me like a black cloud.
The conversation of oppression, classim and the mistreatment of other species due to being who they are was so on point to how society still is in the real world.
The sapphic romance threaded through was great. I felt like there was a lot of manipulation in the romance though (as well as the platonic relationships) and it was hurtful to see characters I began to care about being strung along on the whims of others.
The magic system felt unique and unusual to me and though at times it went over my head a little, I was excited to see powers being mastered by various characters.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and can see how it can set up for a sequel, but equally would feel complete enough as a stand a lone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Infertility, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
ladynavalon's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I really enjoyed the world bulding, that's five stars, no doubt. But, I didn't like the pace, some characters seem not know what to doy and the plot is not clear for the first half of the book. In this sense, I feel like the characters needed more work. Also, I didn't like how the author writes... I admire her for writting almost 600 pages in a different language, but it is hard to follow her sometimes... but I insist, I love the world she created.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Blood, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
lettuce_read's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Minor: Homophobia
hailstorm3812's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I think my high hopes got the best of me with this one. I really liked the characters (especially Reina) and the world-building and that probably will entice me into reading the next one. I did have problems with the pacing and structure. It dragged in the middle for me and the fact that none of the characters even suspect the twist is baffling. I think my biggest issue is that Reina and Eva should be foils with a developing relationship and they just float around each other. The finale hinges upon the different yet same directions they wind up in but it lacks the emotional resonance since they don't care about each other. The only person it actually effects personally is Maior. My qualms aside I did still have fun and overall liked the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Colonisation
Minor: Genocide, Homophobia, Rape, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and War
bingsoojung's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
<i>ARC exchanged for an honest review</i>
<b>The Sun and the Void is a book of magic, sinister magics, and two girls trying to seek power in a world which has disenfranchised them. If you are a fan of anti-colonialist fantasy and stories of power, identity, and how it’s wielded, then you’ll probably like the Sun and The Void.</b>
Before I start my review, I want to give a spoiler-y note for other sapphic fantasy readers. While these are spoilers, this is to clear some things up about the description of the book.
Okay, so from how the book has been marketed, you would think romance is a big part of the book, and that the two POV characters are the f/f romance, like in the Jasmine Throne (because let’s be real if you’re reading this, you’ve read the Jasmine Throne). However if you expect that, you will be disappointed. The two POV characters aren’t in a relationship, nor will they likely ever be. I’m pretty sure one of them is straight.
The romance in the book is unrequited love for most of the book. In fact, the actual romantic aspects don’t even make an appearence until the final 1/3 of the book. If you are looking for sapphic fantasy, this book, while that, is <i>incredibly</i> light on the sapphic part of that. This is not sapphic in the way of the sapphic trifecta, or Gideon the Ninth. This is predominately a book more concerned with it’s plot and world and the growing non-romantic relationships between characters, than anything else. I still really enjoyed this book, but I was also disappointed at the lack of more queerness in the story personally. I really was expecting a more Priory-esque level of sapphic to the forefront, but that wasn’t what I got. So don’t expect that.
So! The Sun and The Void! Now I heard of this novel a few months ago by way of a friend, and because of that it’s been on my TBR for a while. Thus I was delighted to get an ARC of it. The Sun and The Void takes place in a world based on South America, which has just recently managed to drive away the colonial forces that previously subjugated it. However beacause of this the world has been left in turmoil, and power, and who wields it, is everything. As a premise this is honestly the type of book I adore. Gabriela Romero LaCruz did a fantastic job of building out her world in a way that felt incredibly engaging, and left me invested in what secrets it held. I really wanted to know what else we had to learn.
Reina and Eva are our POV characters, and both of them are incredibly fun people to follow. Sometimes you read a book with multiple POV’s and one of them falls short, leading to a large section of the book feeling unsatisfactory. But neither Reina or Eva lag behind the other, leading to the entire book being incredibly engaging. Both of them are complex people trying to make the best of terrible circumstances, and while not all their choices are good, you understand why they’re making them. In fact, that’s probably Romero LaCruz’s strongest point. All of the characters are incredibly well written. While many of them aren’t good people, you understand why they make the choices they make. There were characters who I hated to love and loved to hate, and Romero LaCruz knows how to make a compelling character for everyone.
The author’s ability to worldbuild around the reader is also fantastic. I’m personally a very big fan of being dropped in a world and just being confused, and Romero LaCruz does that, and does it excellently.
My major critique of the story, however, is the pacing. I think this is the first time I’ve ended a book truly thinking that the pacing needed some work. The book is split into two parts, part one, and part two, and part one is 1/3rd of the book and honestly too long. While I really enjoyed that section of the book, it’s pacing is incredibly uneven compared to part two, where the story picks up greatly and honestly change from being more of a family political drama story, to an adventure story. In all honestly the first half of the book should’ve been shortened to be a third of the book.
Secondly, while Eva and Reina both felt incredibly important as characters, due to the uneven attention given to Reina over Eva in part one, it honestly felt as if the story was more Reina’s than Eva’s. Which is a shame! Because I really honestly enjoyed Eva’s part of the story. She was clever and fun, and even though her life was incredibly different from Eva’s it was nevertheless incredibly engaging. Likewise, there are some plot elements that occur that felt implausible, and are honestly just idiot plots for the author to get from point a to point b.
While I enjoyed Romero LaCruz’s descriptors as well, sometimes she would put them in places that felt incredibly clunky. It’s like she’d remembered how flowery her writing style was, and then tossed one in at a place where she needed one. The descriptions, while decadent, were maybe just a bit too filling, and we could’ve used some more matter of fact wording.
At the end of it all, this was an incredibly enjoyable read and fantastic book, however it very much is a debut novel, and often falls into the traps of such. I look forward to reading the next book in the series though, and seeing where Romero LaCruz goes with this series!
<b>The Sun and the Void is a book of magic, sinister magics, and two girls trying to seek power in a world which has disenfranchised them. If you are a fan of anti-colonialist fantasy and stories of power, identity, and how it’s wielded, then you’ll probably like the Sun and The Void.</b>
Before I start my review, I want to give a spoiler-y note for other sapphic fantasy readers. While these are spoilers, this is to clear some things up about the description of the book.
Okay, so from how the book has been marketed, you would think romance is a big part of the book, and that the two POV characters are the f/f romance, like in the Jasmine Throne (because let’s be real if you’re reading this, you’ve read the Jasmine Throne). However if you expect that, you will be disappointed. The two POV characters aren’t in a relationship, nor will they likely ever be. I’m pretty sure one of them is straight.
The romance in the book is unrequited love for most of the book. In fact, the actual romantic aspects don’t even make an appearence until the final 1/3 of the book. If you are looking for sapphic fantasy, this book, while that, is <i>incredibly</i> light on the sapphic part of that. This is not sapphic in the way of the sapphic trifecta, or Gideon the Ninth. This is predominately a book more concerned with it’s plot and world and the growing non-romantic relationships between characters, than anything else. I still really enjoyed this book, but I was also disappointed at the lack of more queerness in the story personally. I really was expecting a more Priory-esque level of sapphic to the forefront, but that wasn’t what I got. So don’t expect that.
So! The Sun and The Void! Now I heard of this novel a few months ago by way of a friend, and because of that it’s been on my TBR for a while. Thus I was delighted to get an ARC of it. The Sun and The Void takes place in a world based on South America, which has just recently managed to drive away the colonial forces that previously subjugated it. However beacause of this the world has been left in turmoil, and power, and who wields it, is everything. As a premise this is honestly the type of book I adore. Gabriela Romero LaCruz did a fantastic job of building out her world in a way that felt incredibly engaging, and left me invested in what secrets it held. I really wanted to know what else we had to learn.
Reina and Eva are our POV characters, and both of them are incredibly fun people to follow. Sometimes you read a book with multiple POV’s and one of them falls short, leading to a large section of the book feeling unsatisfactory. But neither Reina or Eva lag behind the other, leading to the entire book being incredibly engaging. Both of them are complex people trying to make the best of terrible circumstances, and while not all their choices are good, you understand why they’re making them. In fact, that’s probably Romero LaCruz’s strongest point. All of the characters are incredibly well written. While many of them aren’t good people, you understand why they make the choices they make. There were characters who I hated to love and loved to hate, and Romero LaCruz knows how to make a compelling character for everyone.
The author’s ability to worldbuild around the reader is also fantastic. I’m personally a very big fan of being dropped in a world and just being confused, and Romero LaCruz does that, and does it excellently.
My major critique of the story, however, is the pacing. I think this is the first time I’ve ended a book truly thinking that the pacing needed some work. The book is split into two parts, part one, and part two, and part one is 1/3rd of the book and honestly too long. While I really enjoyed that section of the book, it’s pacing is incredibly uneven compared to part two, where the story picks up greatly and honestly change from being more of a family political drama story, to an adventure story. In all honestly the first half of the book should’ve been shortened to be a third of the book.
Secondly, while Eva and Reina both felt incredibly important as characters, due to the uneven attention given to Reina over Eva in part one, it honestly felt as if the story was more Reina’s than Eva’s. Which is a shame! Because I really honestly enjoyed Eva’s part of the story. She was clever and fun, and even though her life was incredibly different from Eva’s it was nevertheless incredibly engaging. Likewise, there are some plot elements that occur that felt implausible, and are honestly just idiot plots for the author to get from point a to point b.
While I enjoyed Romero LaCruz’s descriptors as well, sometimes she would put them in places that felt incredibly clunky. It’s like she’d remembered how flowery her writing style was, and then tossed one in at a place where she needed one. The descriptions, while decadent, were maybe just a bit too filling, and we could’ve used some more matter of fact wording.
At the end of it all, this was an incredibly enjoyable read and fantastic book, however it very much is a debut novel, and often falls into the traps of such. I look forward to reading the next book in the series though, and seeing where Romero LaCruz goes with this series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Homophobia, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Abandonment
krisalexcole's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Chronic illness, Genocide, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, War, and Classism
Minor: Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Incest, Infertility, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Dismemberment, homelessness