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trips's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I read about 50% of this book in 2021, and put it down due to life. Things got busy, knew I wouldn't finish it anytime soon, so I returned it to my library. Decided to read it again as I needed a book with a "weather" word in the title. And..well.
I'm happy I finally finished the book, but the plot left me wanting so much more. The world was lush and exciting, I loved the introductions to all of the characters but then...it felt like I was reading a lead up to a climax that didn't totally happen. I understand this is a series, but some of the events in this book felt completely unnecessary, and the plot probably could've been condensed for better flow.
Serapio's backstory bits were a bit to tell and no show for me, and I felt like we didn't get enough points from his POV in the current plot and instead we got a few chapters with Okoa. Okoa is perfectly fine character, but his chapters were the snooziest and the tell instead of show of them all I felt.
Xiala's great though, definitely the best character.
In any case, TL;DR I wanted to like this book because it has a great setting, but the plot just did nothing for me and left me without feeling like I got a whole lot out of it.
I'm happy I finally finished the book, but the plot left me wanting so much more. The world was lush and exciting, I loved the introductions to all of the characters but then...it felt like I was reading a lead up to a climax that didn't totally happen. I understand this is a series, but some of the events in this book felt completely unnecessary, and the plot probably could've been condensed for better flow.
Serapio's backstory bits were a bit to tell and no show for me, and I felt like we didn't get enough points from his POV in the current plot and instead we got a few chapters with Okoa. Okoa is perfectly fine character, but his chapters were the snooziest and the tell instead of show of them all I felt.
Xiala's great though, definitely the best character.
In any case, TL;DR I wanted to like this book because it has a great setting, but the plot just did nothing for me and left me without feeling like I got a whole lot out of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol and Blood
tinysierra's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
“Today he would become a god. His mother had told him so.” pg 1
An amazing epic fantasy with intriguing diverse characters. Wow. Also… mermaids! Giant crows!
There was a mix of character driven and plot driven moments. I felt like there was a lot of slow/medium paced moments where there was more focus on character development/interactions but it did pick up in some places with more plot related aspects. It kept my attention either way.
The timeline hopped around a bit, jumping back into the past and then forward into the present. Slowly putting the pieces together. The chapters had the date along with experts from in world media (like journal entries), which really added to my immersion.
I liked Xiala and Serapio’s chapters the most. It was nice to see the story through a blind characters perspective. I hope to see more about Xiala’s powers in the next book.
In this book, queer characters are accepted in some of the societies but not others. There are characters that use neopronouns (xe/xir)! Xiala mentions that she takes pleasure with “men, women, and other genders” which I assume means that she’s bi or pan.
The ending was fast and admittedly a little anticlimactic but I don’t find myself feeling disappointed. I’m curious about where the story is going.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Colonisation, Death, Physical abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Death of parent, Murder, Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Classism, and Violence
Moderate: Homophobia, War, Biphobia, Drug use, Confinement, Suicide, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Abandonment, Sexual content, Animal death, Vomit, and Infidelity
alyssaborders's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Blood
Moderate: Gore
bookycnidaria's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
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? No
4.0
Note: My full review is here.
This was a really interesting read. If there's one thing I want to read more of, it's pre-Columbian fiction/nonfiction/fantasy/what have you, (1) because pre-Columbian cultures and histories are fascinating and (2) because I know very little about said cultures and histories and would like to learn more.
Black Sun is the first book in the Between Earth and Sky trilogy, an epic fantasy set in a world inspired by the pre-Columbian Americas. This is a world where music has power and mermaids are real, where giant crows are bred as warrior mounts and no one is disturbed by the idea of a third gender. They do have a lot of problems based on class and race, but, well, nobody's perfect. The story is narrated by turns by Xiala, a Teek ship captain who can manipulate the sea with her Song; Naranpa, the reigning Sun Priest, who bootstrapped her way to the top but now finds her life under constant threat; Serapio, a blind man burdened with glorious purpose; and Okoa, a crow-riding warrior from Serapio's mother's clan, who finds himself in the middle of a religious uprising despite his best attempts to avoid it. Along with the chaos of their everyday lives, they have to deal with the Convergence, an upcoming solar eclipse that will affect all of them in different ways.
One of the most wonderful things about this book is its sheer diversity. Though it takes place on one continent, there are several different ethnic groups, orientations, and identities, including a nonbinary gender called bayeki, which uses the pronouns xe/xir. This whole world was incredibly detailed, but the world-building never distracted from the story. Overall this was a really intriguing first installment, and I am now in wait mode for book two, particularly as Black Sun ended on a rather cruel cliffhanger. I am seriously considering reading it again. Now that we've been introduced to the characters and the world, I fully anticipate that books two and three will be even better than book one, and I can't wait to see what they have in store.
This was a really interesting read. If there's one thing I want to read more of, it's pre-Columbian fiction/nonfiction/fantasy/what have you, (1) because pre-Columbian cultures and histories are fascinating and (2) because I know very little about said cultures and histories and would like to learn more.
Black Sun is the first book in the Between Earth and Sky trilogy, an epic fantasy set in a world inspired by the pre-Columbian Americas. This is a world where music has power and mermaids are real, where giant crows are bred as warrior mounts and no one is disturbed by the idea of a third gender. They do have a lot of problems based on class and race, but, well, nobody's perfect. The story is narrated by turns by Xiala, a Teek ship captain who can manipulate the sea with her Song; Naranpa, the reigning Sun Priest, who bootstrapped her way to the top but now finds her life under constant threat; Serapio, a blind man burdened with glorious purpose; and Okoa, a crow-riding warrior from Serapio's mother's clan, who finds himself in the middle of a religious uprising despite his best attempts to avoid it. Along with the chaos of their everyday lives, they have to deal with the Convergence, an upcoming solar eclipse that will affect all of them in different ways.
One of the most wonderful things about this book is its sheer diversity. Though it takes place on one continent, there are several different ethnic groups, orientations, and identities, including a nonbinary gender called bayeki, which uses the pronouns xe/xir. This whole world was incredibly detailed, but the world-building never distracted from the story. Overall this was a really intriguing first installment, and I am now in wait mode for book two, particularly as Black Sun ended on a rather cruel cliffhanger. I am seriously considering reading it again. Now that we've been introduced to the characters and the world, I fully anticipate that books two and three will be even better than book one, and I can't wait to see what they have in store.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Racism, Child abuse, Classism, Genocide, and Violence
wellreadandhalfdead's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-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 was absolutely floored by this book. It is a stunning work of fantasy, nuanced but still pulsing with action and intrigue. It is based on pre-colonial Mesoamerican culture, which was such a breath of fresh air. I was so captured by the characters and the intricacies that tied them all together. It built steadily to a climax that had me instantly craving the next book. If all of the books in the series are as good as this first one, then I've found my new favorite.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Self harm
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Pedophilia
radlizareads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Suicide
supercat_earl's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Death of parent, and Violence
sup3r_xn0va_maya's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
This is one of the first books that I've read that had multiple points of view and I had to read this a little slower than I normally read books.
I want to like aspects of the blind representation but upon a closer look the blind main character kind of falls into the "magical disabled persons" trope and I don't like that very much.
I want to like aspects of the blind representation but upon a closer look the blind main character kind of falls into the "magical disabled persons" trope and I don't like that very much.
"Typically, the disabled characters are limited to four types: the “magical cripple,” the “evil cripple,” the “inspirational cripple” and the “redemptive cripple.” Magical cripples transcend the limitations of the human body and are almost divinelike. They make magical things happen for able-bodied characters."
- PBS.org
I really liked Xiala, I like how relatable Serapio was, the queerness, and the addition or introduction of a third gender.
This was a really good read and I can't wait to dig into the next book in the series.
I'm giving this 4.5 stars out of 5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Abandonment, Confinement, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Physical abuse, Death of parent, and Violence
nytephoenyx's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was an absolutely fabulous fantasy story. I love the interwoven Native American elements as well - they add a level to the tale that makes it feel somehow more unique and more genuine. It’s gory and intense at times, but gripping. Can’t wait to read the second book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, Blood, Violence, Alcohol, Body horror, Child abuse, and Death
Author is Navajo, and all characters are coded-indigenous.kennim's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? Yes
5.0
Pros:
-The writing
-The wordbuilding
-The characters, particularly Serapio and Xiala
-The pacing
-The magic system/religions
-The writing
-The wordbuilding
-The characters, particularly Serapio and Xiala
-The pacing
-The magic system/religions
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Self harm
Moderate: Genocide
Minor: Homophobia