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yuripiano's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Mother waters, what a first chapter!
Seven hells, what a rest-of-the-book!
This book was hyped up to me by a number of people, and I came into it with high expectations fresh off of finishing The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi. Listening to the first chapter and coming from Oklahoma, I was excited - I could tell this was the start of a book I could really get into. The setting was interesting, and I really can't stop talking about how hard that first chapter hooked me.
I sadly can't say that for the rest of the book.
I feel like often times, I've said books had a "medium pace" on here that others would say had a slow pace, and I could go with the flow of them and be swept up in the overarching narrative, but I was about 80% of the way through this book and still waiting for anything meaningful to happen.
This book features a number of characters with their own sorts of ambitions all converging into one point, which they conveniently also call "convergence". That said, I think of two books that I both thought were excellent when it came to this sort of explicit foreshadowing (Harrow the Ninth) and converging plot points (Children of Time).
Obligatory spoilers for both of these books, but, with regards to Harrow the Ninth, the book explicitly states "x days before the Emperor's murder", and you're thrown right into the night before it happens - so much suspense! Black Sun does this too, and both feature jumping back and forth in time getting closer and further away from The Big Event while explaining more of what's going on. With Harrow, however, it felt as though much more was happening even though you were kept in the dark as to where exactly everything fell into place. There was always this feeling that more would be revealed as you reread the book and the series as a whole, and even still, there's so much in that whole series that will inevitably having me shaking my fist and cursing Tamsyn Muir for making it so obvious once Alecto comes out in 2073. However, we more or less already know what's going to happen with regards to the convergence in Black Sun, and the rest of the book just feels like waiting to get to "the good part".
As for multiple points of view, the chapters with Serapio's POV are the most enjoyable to me (along with Okoa who is introduced criminally late in my opinion), and they help to give more insight into the actually-important-thing-happening. This is contrasted with Xiala's story which is... what, budget Amina Al-Sirafi? I had no great interest in her, and it felt as though the author really wanted to make something of her being Teek and her lore and whatnot, but it felt so incredibly disconnected with the greater story of Naranpa and later Okoa that every chapter with her felt more like "walking simulator" where we were just... plodding away, hoping to get closer to Tova.
In Children of Time, we also have multiple groups with different aims leading toward a single contact, but each group felt important toward progressing the story, and there were likable characters, whereas I got annoyed by Naranpa and actively disliked Xiala.
I was also disappointed with Abah - she felt a little cartoonishly antagonistic to me, especially with the events near the end with her abducting Naranpa. I'm not sure how to put it - the whole affair felt rather... forced? A number of things in the whole book felt kind of forced though. Speaking of cartoonish characterizations, Denaochi and the whole affair in The Maw felt difficult to believe. Perhaps I'm being overly critical of Naranpa's arc, though.
Wall of criticisms aside, I thought that the plot in a vacuum was really cool - just the execution of it left a lot to be desired for me.
Like The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi, this is another book that makes me want to go back and revise my old reviews. I think this book had serious potential, and then just didn't do anything. I know there's a sequel, but this book didn't exactly make me want to pick up the following book. Again, this is just personal opinion! But I felt like this book was solidly average for my personal tastes.
Seven hells, what a rest-of-the-book!
This book was hyped up to me by a number of people, and I came into it with high expectations fresh off of finishing The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi. Listening to the first chapter and coming from Oklahoma, I was excited - I could tell this was the start of a book I could really get into. The setting was interesting, and I really can't stop talking about how hard that first chapter hooked me.
I sadly can't say that for the rest of the book.
This book features a number of characters with their own sorts of ambitions all converging into one point, which they conveniently also call "convergence". That said, I think of two books that I both thought were excellent when it came to this sort of explicit foreshadowing (Harrow the Ninth) and converging plot points (Children of Time).
Obligatory spoilers for both of these books, but, with regards to Harrow the Ninth, the book explicitly states "x days before the Emperor's murder", and you're thrown right into the night before it happens - so much suspense! Black Sun does this too, and both feature jumping back and forth in time getting closer and further away from The Big Event while explaining more of what's going on. With Harrow, however, it felt as though much more was happening even though you were kept in the dark as to where exactly everything fell into place. There was always this feeling that more would be revealed as you reread the book and the series as a whole, and even still, there's so much in that whole series that will inevitably having me shaking my fist and cursing Tamsyn Muir for making it so obvious once Alecto comes out in 2073. However, we more or less already know what's going to happen with regards to the convergence in Black Sun, and the rest of the book just feels like waiting to get to "the good part".
As for multiple points of view, the chapters with Serapio's POV are the most enjoyable to me (along with Okoa who is introduced criminally late in my opinion), and they help to give more insight into the actually-important-thing-happening. This is contrasted with Xiala's story which is... what, budget Amina Al-Sirafi? I had no great interest in her, and it felt as though the author really wanted to make something of her being Teek and her lore and whatnot, but it felt so incredibly disconnected with the greater story of Naranpa and later Okoa that every chapter with her felt more like "walking simulator" where we were just... plodding away, hoping to get closer to Tova.
In Children of Time, we also have multiple groups with different aims leading toward a single contact, but each group felt important toward progressing the story, and there were likable characters, whereas I got annoyed by Naranpa and actively disliked Xiala.
I was also disappointed with Abah - she felt a little cartoonishly antagonistic to me, especially with the events near the end with her abducting Naranpa. I'm not sure how to put it - the whole affair felt rather... forced? A number of things in the whole book felt kind of forced though. Speaking of cartoonish characterizations, Denaochi and the whole affair in The Maw felt difficult to believe. Perhaps I'm being overly critical of Naranpa's arc, though.
Wall of criticisms aside, I thought that the plot in a vacuum was really cool - just the execution of it left a lot to be desired for me.
Like The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi, this is another book that makes me want to go back and revise my old reviews. I think this book had serious potential, and then just didn't do anything. I know there's a sequel, but this book didn't exactly make me want to pick up the following book. Again, this is just personal opinion! But I felt like this book was solidly average for my personal tastes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Gore
Moderate: Sexual content, Child abuse, and Alcohol
2treads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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? No
5.0
Absolutely amazing. Mybs3cond time reading this book and I am still in love with how Roanhorse has built this story. The cagracywrs are compelling, the plot moves well and keeps me engaged and immersed. The influence of the Meso-American peoples can be seen in the festivals, dress, beliefs, and clan groupings.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, Gore, Body horror, Alcohol, Grief, Murder, and Violence
norspider's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Revenge is a buffet served cold.
Black Sun has a deep, rich world that is explored more deeply in each chapter. The pre-Columbian inspiration for the setting is utilized expertly; each faction and sub-faction is given their due.
The pace, dialogue, and plot all kept me wanting to read.
I found myself cheering for each of our POV characters, which is very rare for me. I want Xiala to live rich and well. I want Naranpa to bring honor back to her station. I want Okoa to avenge his mother. And I want Serapio to fulfill his destiny.
There is wonderful LGBTQIA2S+ representation! Not caricatures or jokes, just people living in the world as part of the story. Beautifully done.
The only reason I didn't give Black Sun a full 5/5 is because none of its plots conclude; this is an incomplete book. But I knew this was the start of a series when I picked it up so I can (mostly)look beyond that. And Roanhorse has found a passionate new fan in me!
I can't wait to read book 2!
Black Sun has a deep, rich world that is explored more deeply in each chapter. The pre-Columbian inspiration for the setting is utilized expertly; each faction and sub-faction is given their due.
The pace, dialogue, and plot all kept me wanting to read.
I found myself cheering for each of our POV characters, which is very rare for me. I want Xiala to live rich and well. I want Naranpa to bring honor back to her station. I want Okoa to avenge his mother. And I want Serapio to fulfill his destiny.
There is wonderful LGBTQIA2S+ representation! Not caricatures or jokes, just people living in the world as part of the story. Beautifully done.
The only reason I didn't give Black Sun a full 5/5 is because none of its plots conclude; this is an incomplete book. But I knew this was the start of a series when I picked it up so I can (mostly)look beyond that. And Roanhorse has found a passionate new fan in me!
I can't wait to read book 2!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Animal death, Confinement, Death of parent, Drug use, and Sexual content
Minor: Excrement
moonytoast's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Violence, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Alcohol, Death, and Child abuse
Moderate: Gore, Sexism, Vomit, Body horror, and Cursing
ebp'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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, Classism, Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Alcohol, Murder, Suicide, and Death
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Genocide, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Kidnapping, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: War
camrich's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
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
4.25
I’m usually not much of a high fantasy reader, but I had heard so many great things about this book that I had to give it a shot. Overall I thought it was great! It took me a little bit to get into all of the world building, but the characters (especially Serapio and XIALA!!) had me hooked from the start. I actually grew to love learning about all of the cultures and the tensions between them as the book progressed, especially the political state of Tova and tensions between the clans/the clans and the priesthood/within the priesthood. Another thing I loved was all of the representation, especially regarding trans & non-binary identities and visual disability.
Now for a bit of the negative points of this book for me. The main one was that the book spent all its time building up to this major event only for it to actually happen across 2, maybe 3 pages; I was obviously disappointed. That being said, I did think that it was cool to read about the effects of this event from the different character perspectives which softened the blow a bit. Another was how underdeveloped one of the main character’s story was, especially in comparison to another character who got lots of page time but had very little development (*cough* Narampa *cough* ) I was actually really interested in expanding on Okoa and the mystery behind his mother’s death/murder but unfortunately it seemed like that plot point was abandoned (hoping the author further develops that in the second book!).
Overall a solid start to the trilogy, will definitely be picking up Fevered Star and Mirrored Heavens to see how everything plays out!
Now for a bit of the negative points of this book for me. The main one was that the book spent all its time building up to this major event only for it to actually happen across 2, maybe 3 pages; I was obviously disappointed. That being said, I did think that it was cool to read about the effects of this event from the different character perspectives which softened the blow a bit. Another was how underdeveloped one of the main character’s story was, especially in comparison to another character who got lots of page time but had very little development (
Overall a solid start to the trilogy, will definitely be picking up Fevered Star and Mirrored Heavens to see how everything plays out!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Blood, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, Suicide, and Xenophobia
Minor: Alcohol, Sexual content, Animal death, and Genocide
read_with_riley's review against another edition
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Vomit, Violence, Blood, Gore, Alcohol, and Slavery
lilacs_book_bower's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- 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
4.0
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I liked the 4 character POVs we get, and was rooting for them all, even though some of them were opposed to each other. I felt a bit sad for a couple of them. But I don't think I really loved any of them. They felt like full characters, but I don't think they really changed much from beginning to end. The pacing was a little bit odd. The ending is pretty abrupt; this is definitely 1st in a trilogy, so don't expect any resolution. I do give props to the world building here, it was very interesting setting (a fantasy world inspired by Pre-Columbus Americas). For me personally, I was into the book when reading it, but often forgot about it when not reading. I will definitely pick up the sequel at some point.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Misogyny, Murder, Self harm, Classism, Death, Child abuse, Suicide, Violence, Gore, Abandonment, and Alcohol
ash_ton's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Violence, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, Torture, and Grief
Minor: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Addiction, Biphobia, Vomit, Alcohol, and Suicide
casdelvo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, and Body horror
Minor: Death of parent, Alcohol, Homophobia, Animal death, and Confinement