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readingelli's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Child abuse, Suicide, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Sexism, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail
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
micklesreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
4.75
Excellent fantasy inspired by the indigenous Columbian cultures of the Americas. It took me little while to get into, mainly due to the brutality of the opening scene, which I'll describe
below as a spoiler. I'm glad I pushed through though; this was great fantasy with wonderful character development and world-building, and it's queer to boot.
Bird nerds will love the depiction of crows, and the author was faithful to science regarding their grieving and memories.
The first scene begins with Serapio, a twelve year old boy, being ritually tortured and mutilated by his mother, who then completes suicide. It's detailed and graphic.
below as a spoiler. I'm glad I pushed through though; this was great fantasy with wonderful character development and world-building, and it's queer to boot.
Bird nerds will love the depiction of crows, and the author was faithful to science regarding their grieving and memories.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicide, Torture, and Death of parent
whitedaylilies's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Suicide, and Violence
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
queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? No
5.0
5 ⭐ CW: violence, scarification, child abuse, suicide, murder, descriptions of blood and gore
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse is the first novel in the Between Earth and Sky series. This is a secondary fantasy world based on pre-Columbian Americas, so I got a refreshing departure from the typical European epic/heroes journey.
We follow different POVs throughout the book that give us different insight into the greater whole of the story. We follow Serapio, destined to be the Crow god reborn and is blind; Xiala, a Teek woman sailor tasked with getting Serapio where he needs to go in time for the winter solstice/solar eclipse; Naranpa, the Sun Priest who doesn't fit in and wants to reform the priesthood; Okoa, a son of Carrion Crow clan who has learned the art of war; and Zataya a Dry Earth Witch.
I absolutely loved the world building in this! Rhoanhorse finally shows us what a sophisticated society before colonialism could have looked like. This world was so vibrant and varied and so different from other fantasy stories. It reminds of some of the African I spired fantasy worlds that didn't focus on colonialism. The characters were all so different and not what you'd expect for a heroes journey type of story. Xiala is my favorite so far. A bisexual woman who has the ability to Sing the Sea to calm and control a man's heart. Sign me up for that siren song. I also loved her relationship with Serapio. This was not a romance heavy book, but I appreciated their connection as it grew over time.
We get some amazing rep in this book! For starters, Serapio is blind and the most capable person in the book. Rhoanhorse took such care with her representation. This is also a world that recognizes a third gender, and we get a couple of characters using neopronouns such as xe/xir. There is also mention of trans people being a normal part of the world.
This book landed on a nasty cliffhanger! I feel like so much happened, but I still have so much to learn. I feel like I could read an entire book just about Xiala. Rhoanhorse gives us themes around opposites and duality such as light/dark, sky/earth, good/evil. She also subverts the idea of Serapio being a villain. I don't know that I would even label him as an antagonist. Imma need that second book now. If you have read this, please feel free to DM me, I need to discuss (read: scream).
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse is the first novel in the Between Earth and Sky series. This is a secondary fantasy world based on pre-Columbian Americas, so I got a refreshing departure from the typical European epic/heroes journey.
We follow different POVs throughout the book that give us different insight into the greater whole of the story. We follow Serapio, destined to be the Crow god reborn and is blind; Xiala, a Teek woman sailor tasked with getting Serapio where he needs to go in time for the winter solstice/solar eclipse; Naranpa, the Sun Priest who doesn't fit in and wants to reform the priesthood; Okoa, a son of Carrion Crow clan who has learned the art of war; and Zataya a Dry Earth Witch.
I absolutely loved the world building in this! Rhoanhorse finally shows us what a sophisticated society before colonialism could have looked like. This world was so vibrant and varied and so different from other fantasy stories. It reminds of some of the African I spired fantasy worlds that didn't focus on colonialism. The characters were all so different and not what you'd expect for a heroes journey type of story. Xiala is my favorite so far. A bisexual woman who has the ability to Sing the Sea to calm and control a man's heart. Sign me up for that siren song. I also loved her relationship with Serapio. This was not a romance heavy book, but I appreciated their connection as it grew over time.
We get some amazing rep in this book! For starters, Serapio is blind and the most capable person in the book. Rhoanhorse took such care with her representation. This is also a world that recognizes a third gender, and we get a couple of characters using neopronouns such as xe/xir. There is also mention of trans people being a normal part of the world.
This book landed on a nasty cliffhanger! I feel like so much happened, but I still have so much to learn. I feel like I could read an entire book just about Xiala. Rhoanhorse gives us themes around opposites and duality such as light/dark, sky/earth, good/evil. She also subverts the idea of Serapio being a villain. I don't know that I would even label him as an antagonist. Imma need that second book now. If you have read this, please feel free to DM me, I need to discuss (read: scream).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Suicide, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content and Violence
kirstengo00's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Suicide
anu_wil'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? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Child abuse
aralakh's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gore, and Violence
drinaiscold's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Biphobia, Child abuse, Death, Homophobia, Grief, Lesbophobia, and Classism
Minor: Ableism, Misogyny, and Murder