A review by in_love_with_bookish
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

 Black Sun is unlike any other fantasy book I read and that’s definitely a great thing. There are definitely some familiar elements like prophecies, political intrigue, and warring clans but the execution, the world-building and the writing of characters make this book an unforgettable story.

I am the only storm that matters now, and there is no shelter from what I bring.


The story focuses on four main characters that are linked together with prophecies, massacres, and vengeance. And even though some of these characters don’t interact at all in this book, I can’t help but feel a sense of connection between them as the author takes time to establish the dynamics between all the characters with care and complexity.

The world-building is engaging and done really well. I was a little confused at the beginning but by the end of the book, I felt capable of envisioning the world and feel its history.

There are only two kinds of men: ones who betray you sooner and ones who betray you later


But I think we spend a lot of time where nothing happens plot-wise and I didn’t mind that because we had the chance to really know the characters, understand their motivations, and dig deeper into who they are and what are they capable of.

I also appreciated the balance between the fantastical elements of the book and the political intrigue as well as these two elements clash together to create a story that’s equally phenomenal and disturbing. Forbidden magic from one side and political intrigue from another, as all the characters converge to the same destination, we understand that things will turn out gruesome and bloody for them. It’s that sense of dread that keeps you from putting the book down.

A man with a destiny is a man who fears nothing


The only thing that I can complain about is that some of the characters felt sidelined and underutilized. They didn’t do much or offer much to the plot and they didn’t feel as incorporated in the conflict as well as the others but I think this could definitely be fixed in the next book. I also find the ending to be a little bit underwhelming but I guess it certainly opens up a lot of possibilities to the sequel.

The costliest mistake one can make is to underestemite one’s opponent through low expectations


All in all, this was an exhilarating experience filled with all the elements that make a great fantasy read, a great world-building, engaging plot, and well-written characters that have complex and fascinating dynamics. This is a unique story told in an engaging way and executed nearly perfectly.

Violence should only be used in defense, and even then, it corrupts. If you must kill your enemy, do it quickly and be done. To linger only invites humiliation of both the victim and the self, and there is no honor there.
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