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ehmannky's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Among the many things that I appreciated about this book, beyond it just being a really good epic fantasy, is that the world is so effortlessly queer.
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Gore, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Biphobia, Drug use, Homophobia, Sexism, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Vomit
christalbotheindl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Misogyny, Sexism, and Death of parent
caramiaculpa's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicide, and Death of parent
Minor: Biphobia, Infidelity, Slavery, and Trafficking
brianareads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Self harm, Trafficking, Grief, and Murder
whysomanysams's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, and Death of parent
Minor: Homophobia
livroybal's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Moderate: Gore
Minor: Suicide
beholderess's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse and Death
Minor: Animal death, Suicide, and Death of parent
_forestofpages's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicide, Death of parent, and Murder
stacey_the_chapter_conundrum's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Things I liked:
-The storytelling/oral history style was great and the writing fit that style very well!
-The audiobook narrators did a great job!
-Some of the lore and atmosphere was interesting and enjoyable.
-A couple of the characters are memorable.
Things that didn't work for me:
-I thought the ending was pretty abrupt and I wanted more falling action!!
-Most of the content was setup for the series overall and ended up not being very relevant to the plot in this book.
-There was a lack of exploration of motivations behind characters actions.
-The plot felt hyperfocused on one event and it ultimately didn't feel satisfying for me due to the ending. We're introduced to some plot threads that end up going completely unexplored, there were missed opportunities in that area, such as:
-There were several elements that were seriously underdeveloped that could have added a lot more intrigue, such as:
-There was the odd moment that was lacking in logic that didn't end up being explored. One example of where this stood out to me was:
-The descriptions were lengthy and got boring in my opinion. I would have preferred if they were sprinkled in throughout the story instead of taking over large chunks at a time.
Moderate: Gore, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Slavery, Suicide, Vomit, and Trafficking
rorikae's review against another edition
- 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
At the center of 'Black Sun' is the day of convergence, when the winter solstice coincides with a solar eclipse. We follow four characters whose lives all hinge around the events that will take place on the day of convergence. We follow the sun priestess, the son of a recently deceased community elder, a ship captain with a mystical voice, and a blind young man who can communicate with crows. As we move closer to the fated day, we uncover more about each character's past as their futures start to entwine.
Roanhorse does a great job of slowly but enticingly exploring each of her characters as we learn more about the mythology of her world and where those myths step into reality. The pacing is superb, except for one hiccup at the end. Roanhorse gives ample time with each character, though we do get less time with one that is introduced later in the story, as she slowly uncovers their backstories and how they are connected to the day of convergence. At the climax of the book, there is a moment of extremely fast paced action/events that happened so quickly, and in contrast to the rest of the story, that I found it disorienting. Perhaps this is precisely what Roanhorse wants us to feel.
I'm fascinated for where this story will go next though I don't have any concrete guesses on where the next books will take us. What I do know, is that I care for these characters and will happily follow them into their next set of adventures.
Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Blood
Minor: Sexual content and Suicide