Reviews with content warning for Slavery - Black Sun

My CAWPILE score: 3.93/10 - definitely in the 2 star range.

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:

Naranpa's note to Okoa, the death of Okoa's mother, what the Carrion Crow clan actually did.

-There were several elements that were seriously underdeveloped that could have added a lot more intrigue, such as:

Okoa's relationship with his sister, clan dynamics, what any of the 4 clans actually stand for & what they do, the magic (including the "witchcraft" & the Teek magic), the other Gods/deities.

-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:

in chapter 15 when we find out Okoa's mom is dead and his cousin tells him that nobody could have entered her room since the door was guarded BUT we literally just got through learning that 3 of the quarters/clans have aviaries and obviously her room had a window if she supposedly jumped.

-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.

Content Warnings

emptykingdom's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Black Sun is an epic fantasy adventure unlike anything I've ever read. This pre-Columbian inspired fantasy will take you on a high stakes ride with bisexual mermaids, crow gods, sun priest, sailors on a voyage, forbidden magic, political intrigue, and a celestial prophecy with our four diverse cast of main characters on a mystical quest.

Reasons to add to your TBR:

☀ It's a high stakes political intrigue and rivalries

☀ The worldbuilding, inspired by various Indigenous cultural influences, is excellent, sharp, innovative and expansive. And the prose is absolutely vivid and vibrant which really brings this fantasy to life. Rebecca Roanhorse proves she has the range.

☀ Complex and fully developed (morally grey) characters

☀ The rep. One of the MCs is nonbinary whom prefers neo-pronouns (xe/xir) to which the characters respect. Another MC is bisexual. The casual queerness is commonplace in their non-cis/heteronormative society and it's very much appreciated. There's nuanced disability rep as well which was also handled with care (i.e. the author hired sensitivity readers).

☀ The story revolves around the winter solstice, a time for celebration and renewal, however this one will coincide with a solar eclipse which is a rare celestial event that tips the balance of their world.

Find out more about why Black Sun is one of the best books I've read this year, or of all time:

https://www.emptyxkingdom.com/2020/10/story-diary-black-sun-by-rebecca-roanhorse.html

Content Warnings

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