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allthembooks's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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
4.75
the_bookish_hag's review
4.0
Black Sun: Between Earth and Sky By Rebecca Roanhorse
Black Sun spans 20 days in its current timeline with small dips back in time to give you more nuance. It takes place in a precolonial era with heavy Native American/Indigenous undertones of both South and North America. It follows the journey of multiple peoples' lives leading up to the solstice also known as convergence. Some know this moment will be a very historical moment, some have no clue and some are just along for the ride.
Our main perspectives are that of Sarapio, a boy whose goal it is to reach the holy city of Tova in time for convergence. You have Xiala, a very special woman who helps transport Sarapio along his journey and Naranpa, a priest who resides in Tova. Right off the bat this book reminded me of playing Dungeons and Dragons. It starts off in a way that reminds me of when players are trying to come up with interesting ways the party meets before setting off on adventure and I loved that feeling. Sarapio and Xiala set sail for Tova counting down the days with sun, sea, and a bit of mutiny. We see through Naranpa’s eyes as she shows us the panic, drama and political red tape enveloping the city.
The world building and lore in Rebecca Roanhorse’s tale is stunning and refreshing. It's nice to read something that leans into the Americas with a creative and respectful depiction. Instead of the overused European myths and legends or inaccurate takes made by someone who uses native and indigenous culture as novelty. My one caveat with Black Sun is that I wasn't glued to it until a little over half way through. It's slow moving with a lot to show and tell you and as far as action, there isn't much until much later in the book. It was cozy and enjoyable for me until about ¾’s in when I was fully hooked and feral. The end had me purchasing the next book a day later to know what happened. There is the smallest fragment of spice in this and I personally liked it, I thought it was tasteful and not cringe.
Black Sun spans 20 days in its current timeline with small dips back in time to give you more nuance. It takes place in a precolonial era with heavy Native American/Indigenous undertones of both South and North America. It follows the journey of multiple peoples' lives leading up to the solstice also known as convergence. Some know this moment will be a very historical moment, some have no clue and some are just along for the ride.
Our main perspectives are that of Sarapio, a boy whose goal it is to reach the holy city of Tova in time for convergence. You have Xiala, a very special woman who helps transport Sarapio along his journey and Naranpa, a priest who resides in Tova. Right off the bat this book reminded me of playing Dungeons and Dragons. It starts off in a way that reminds me of when players are trying to come up with interesting ways the party meets before setting off on adventure and I loved that feeling. Sarapio and Xiala set sail for Tova counting down the days with sun, sea, and a bit of mutiny. We see through Naranpa’s eyes as she shows us the panic, drama and political red tape enveloping the city.
The world building and lore in Rebecca Roanhorse’s tale is stunning and refreshing. It's nice to read something that leans into the Americas with a creative and respectful depiction. Instead of the overused European myths and legends or inaccurate takes made by someone who uses native and indigenous culture as novelty. My one caveat with Black Sun is that I wasn't glued to it until a little over half way through. It's slow moving with a lot to show and tell you and as far as action, there isn't much until much later in the book. It was cozy and enjoyable for me until about ¾’s in when I was fully hooked and feral. The end had me purchasing the next book a day later to know what happened. There is the smallest fragment of spice in this and I personally liked it, I thought it was tasteful and not cringe.
alimac's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
kdawn999's review
3.0
I listened to this one, so it took me a while to pick up on the third-gender pronouns being used, which are a cool feature. I like the visuals here, the setting derived from Mezo-America rather than from a European medieval realm. That being said, there do seem to be few GOT convergences world-building wise ("the Seven" gods, raven/crows, etc.) The novel follows multiple character perspectives, but, sadly, there were only two characters I was interested in. I'm not sure if I'm going to read the next one. Things felt a little too easy for the "mission" in the first. I find myself wanting just a little more--more gender bending or more societal details about the third gender, more time building up other characters with equal attention, more formality to the politics of the sun priest and the celestial tower.
trapwomanistcyborgwitch's review
4.0
This was a great story that I enjoyed. There are themes of rebirth, deep ties and aderance to religion/Spirit. The author was influenced by Columbian indigenous cultures and it is beautifully illustrated in this book. The characters in this book are fighting to keep their spiritual and community ties alive, while undergoing personal changes themselves. There is detailed magic system and worldbuliding that takes up the majority of the book. It is more character-driven to me so the book moves a little slower than I would like. There is a pretty good plot that develops from the first page and is carried throughout the different POVs. There are familial drama/curses, corruption and some other dark themes to explore. Would recommend and excited to read the next book in the series.
spess's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.5
bridgettearmi's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
4.5
This was intense!! I really enjoyed this book. I was drawn in from the very first chapter and I feel like it never slowed down after that. I always feel a bit wary of books with multiple POV’s, but I thought this was executed so so well. I felt invested in each character and was never bored with any of them. It was the perfect amount of dark to make you question your sanity and wonder why you root for the “bad guys”. I will be anxiously awaiting the next book in this series!
sdrosy's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.0