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kodafaith's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Okay I saw this book explained that it feels like one giant prologue and that’s so true!! BUT it isn’t bad at all. This book is so strange in how it feels like almost nothing happened but you also just easily fly through and are engrossed. It does feel like the book ended right when the plot started but the characters were engrossing and interesting and the way has definitely been paved for the next book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicide, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death and Racism
readundancies's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
4.25
I am slowly coming around to the idea that some books just take more time to finish than initially anticipated, and a lot of those books are epic fantasy novels.
Who’d a thunk it?
The characters are the real treat of this story. I enjoyed Serapio’s storyline and learning how he grows from boy to vessel, and am more intrigued to see where his story goes in the sequel. But I lived and died by Xiala. Rebecca Roanhorse has this incredible ability to write fierce and resolute female characters and Xiala is no exception. She’s incredibly strong-willed and readily adaptable to change and I love her Teek magic. It’s very mermaid-siren vibes and despite the fishtails I was down for that. (It’s here where I should note that outside of The Little Mermaid nostalgia I carry with me, mermaids are not really my thing. I love sea-faring adventures and nautical tales, but mermaids, not so much.) And while Okoa didn’t really have a major role other than to help set up the political climate of Tova and the history and worldbuilding, it’s clear that he is going to have a larger role in the sequels which I’m eager for because his contentious relationship with his sister brews drama that I am here for.
And even Naranpa, who started off as my least favourite character, ended up turning things around by the end and growing on me. At first I just could not get behind her attitude at the beginning. The entitlement that comes with her role as Sun Priest just dripped off of her and it was not a good look. It had gotten to the point where I was actively disappointed when two successive chapters were from her POV because her internal monologue was so grating. It wasn’t just that she was unlikeable, it was that her naïveté led to frequent bouts of general floundering and her far too easy to rile up personality was making me really apathetic towards her whole situation. But once she fell back onto her roots and away from the political games that she was frankly not great at keeping levelheaded towards, she became not only tolerable but worth rooting for. I can’t wait to see where her story leads in the sequel.
When it comes to world building, I didn’t think it was as stellar as the characterization, but it’s something that can easily be addressed and improved upon in the sequels. Because I want to know everything about the Teek. Everything. There was not nearly enough information and backstory provided to readers about them and I desperately need more. Even the Obregi and the House of Seven and merchant lords - Balam specifically has a backstory that I am itching to sink my brain into - the culture is there and I feel it in the pages of the book but I haven’t gotten to explore it yet and I need. I crave. I desire muchly.
The plot was also a highlight. It was a little jarring at first navigating the time changes between the character perspectives, but it functioned really well to connect everyone and reveal important plot points and backstory in a smooth manner. The build up of suspense towards The Convergence kept the pace chugging along at a nice speed and I never felt things were happening too slowly or too quickly. There was a seafaring adventure, political machinations (where the fall of Abah was swift but vindicating) and a soft magic system that has a lot of potential and I ate it all up like it was my favourite food and I was starving.
Special shout out to Michelle Marchese for the interior design of the hardcover because maps. I adore them.
And the dust jacket? Stunning. Simply stunning.
One more amazing read from Rebecca Roanhorse and I’ll become a fully-fledged believer, anointing her to Favourite Author status. I eagerly anticipate this happening in the sequel and the second novel in her Sixth World series which I need to crack open since it’s been sitting all neglected on my shelves for a while.
Who’d a thunk it?
The characters are the real treat of this story. I enjoyed Serapio’s storyline and learning how he grows from boy to vessel, and am more intrigued to see where his story goes in the sequel. But I lived and died by Xiala. Rebecca Roanhorse has this incredible ability to write fierce and resolute female characters and Xiala is no exception. She’s incredibly strong-willed and readily adaptable to change and I love her Teek magic. It’s very mermaid-siren vibes and despite the fishtails I was down for that. (It’s here where I should note that outside of The Little Mermaid nostalgia I carry with me, mermaids are not really my thing. I love sea-faring adventures and nautical tales, but mermaids, not so much.) And while Okoa didn’t really have a major role other than to help set up the political climate of Tova and the history and worldbuilding, it’s clear that he is going to have a larger role in the sequels which I’m eager for because his contentious relationship with his sister brews drama that I am here for.
And even Naranpa, who started off as my least favourite character, ended up turning things around by the end and growing on me. At first I just could not get behind her attitude at the beginning. The entitlement that comes with her role as Sun Priest just dripped off of her and it was not a good look. It had gotten to the point where I was actively disappointed when two successive chapters were from her POV because her internal monologue was so grating. It wasn’t just that she was unlikeable, it was that her naïveté led to frequent bouts of general floundering and her far too easy to rile up personality was making me really apathetic towards her whole situation. But once she fell back onto her roots and away from the political games that she was frankly not great at keeping levelheaded towards, she became not only tolerable but worth rooting for. I can’t wait to see where her story leads in the sequel.
When it comes to world building, I didn’t think it was as stellar as the characterization, but it’s something that can easily be addressed and improved upon in the sequels. Because I want to know everything about the Teek. Everything. There was not nearly enough information and backstory provided to readers about them and I desperately need more. Even the Obregi and the House of Seven and merchant lords - Balam specifically has a backstory that I am itching to sink my brain into - the culture is there and I feel it in the pages of the book but I haven’t gotten to explore it yet and I need. I crave. I desire muchly.
The plot was also a highlight. It was a little jarring at first navigating the time changes between the character perspectives, but it functioned really well to connect everyone and reveal important plot points and backstory in a smooth manner. The build up of suspense towards The Convergence kept the pace chugging along at a nice speed and I never felt things were happening too slowly or too quickly. There was a seafaring adventure, political machinations (where the fall of Abah was swift but vindicating) and a soft magic system that has a lot of potential and I ate it all up like it was my favourite food and I was starving.
Special shout out to Michelle Marchese for the interior design of the hardcover because maps. I adore them.
And the dust jacket? Stunning. Simply stunning.
One more amazing read from Rebecca Roanhorse and I’ll become a fully-fledged believer, anointing her to Favourite Author status. I eagerly anticipate this happening in the sequel and the second novel in her Sixth World series which I need to crack open since it’s been sitting all neglected on my shelves for a while.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, Blood, and Death of parent
andromeda_1998's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Black sun is different from most books I read before. This adult fantasy novel has a different flow, a different feeling than most books in its genre and it does it’s job splendidly. But why does this book work?
Characters
Through the book we follow 4 different characters. A sun priest, a pirate, a chosen one and a warrior.
The sun priest, Naranpa, is a 33 year old woman devoted to the sungod. She once to make the temple into a place of healing and power for Tova (the city she lives in). I didn’t really like her point of view. I found her to be a bid bland and boring. Her POV was necessary though to tell the story and I would not have liked the book without her.
A pirate, Xiala, Xiala is my favorite character. She’s bi, wild and fierce. She is a woman you don’t want to cross.
A chosen one, Serapio, his story is an interesting one. I cannot tell you if this character is the hero or the villain of the story and that is why I like this book. I like that he is morally grey.
A warrior, Okoa, we get to know him later in the story and while I didn’t not hate him as a character, I also didn’t like him. I find his type to be a bit boring but I know that he is the kind of character that others will love.
Worldbuilding
The worldbuilding is done splendidly. Throughout the book and by different pov’s we get to know this beautiful meso American inspired world. The world has magic but it isn’t a common practice.
Writing
The writingstyle takes some getting use to. The book stars slow and doesn’t follow the western way of pacing. I would recommend to not dnf this book in a early stage. Just read through it.
I would recommend this book to adult readers (years 20+) the story isn’t necessarily brutal but the book has some adult themes better fitted to this category.
Characters
Through the book we follow 4 different characters. A sun priest, a pirate, a chosen one and a warrior.
The sun priest, Naranpa, is a 33 year old woman devoted to the sungod. She once to make the temple into a place of healing and power for Tova (the city she lives in). I didn’t really like her point of view. I found her to be a bid bland and boring. Her POV was necessary though to tell the story and I would not have liked the book without her.
A pirate, Xiala, Xiala is my favorite character. She’s bi, wild and fierce. She is a woman you don’t want to cross.
A chosen one, Serapio, his story is an interesting one. I cannot tell you if this character is the hero or the villain of the story and that is why I like this book. I like that he is morally grey.
A warrior, Okoa, we get to know him later in the story and while I didn’t not hate him as a character, I also didn’t like him. I find his type to be a bit boring but I know that he is the kind of character that others will love.
Worldbuilding
The worldbuilding is done splendidly. Throughout the book and by different pov’s we get to know this beautiful meso American inspired world. The world has magic but it isn’t a common practice.
Writing
The writingstyle takes some getting use to. The book stars slow and doesn’t follow the western way of pacing. I would recommend to not dnf this book in a early stage. Just read through it.
I would recommend this book to adult readers (years 20+) the story isn’t necessarily brutal but the book has some adult themes better fitted to this category.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Blood, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
therainbowshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
I really enjoyed this book and recommend it. The world building is amazing and the characters are so much fun. It was super fun reading from several characters' perspectives and anticipating their paths colliding cataclysmically! Who do you root for when one of your POV characters is out to kill another?
📘The Gist 📘: In legends, the crow god ate the sun. Now, he's on a journey to do it again. The story follows seafaring Xiala and her passenger Serapio as they make their way toward Tova for its solstice celebration. At the same time, the sun priest of Tova prepares for the festivities dedicated to renewal and finds herself embroiled in a political plot that could destabilize peaceful tribal alliances.
📒Representation📒: Indigenous mcs and culture, bipoc mcs, neo pronouns, a-spec mc, nonbinary and trans sc, blind mc
💕 For readers looking for 💕: Epic fantasy, tribe society and characters, legends, scary gods, crows, multiple POV characters, LGBTQ+ characters
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Suicide, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racial slurs
bookcaptivated's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, and Alcohol
Minor: Cursing, Misogyny, Rape, Slavery, Kidnapping, and Grief
urs's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, and Violence
Minor: Child abuse, Confinement, Homophobia, Sexism, and Suicide
troisha's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Racism, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Drug use, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Suicide, Excrement, Vomit, and Grief
theasbookworld's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Racism, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Religious bigotry
yvonne_cl's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Biphobia, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Ableism and Sexual content
peachani's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
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
4.25
Oh wow, did I enjoy this book! I was a bit worried at first; not being that into fantasy after teen and young adulthood, I can get bored in the opening chapters of a book. Since this was a book club read, I persevered and eventually, the world Rebecca Roanhorse created drew me in. By the halfway point, I was fully invested. When I got to the last page, I actually yelled "Oh my God!" What a cliffhanger.
I appreciated getting to see a fantasy world set in Mesoamerica. I am not any more than superficially knowledgeable about the people that lived in that world, so I wasn't able to recognize specific tribes in the writing, but I did notice little details like pyramids and such.
I found myself being totally drawn into the love story between two main characters and was truly heartbroken when there was no way for them to be together... so technically, you could say this book is better than Romeo and Juliet in that sense.😂
These days, the true test of whether I really enjoyed a book is if I want to buy a physical copy of it. I absolutely want Black Sun in my personal, physical library.
I appreciated getting to see a fantasy world set in Mesoamerica. I am not any more than superficially knowledgeable about the people that lived in that world, so I wasn't able to recognize specific tribes in the writing, but I did notice little details like pyramids and such.
I found myself being totally drawn into the love story between two main characters and was truly heartbroken when there was no way for them to be together... so technically, you could say this book is better than Romeo and Juliet in that sense.😂
These days, the true test of whether I really enjoyed a book is if I want to buy a physical copy of it. I absolutely want Black Sun in my personal, physical library.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Grief, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Cursing, Drug use, Pedophilia, Racism, and Trafficking