A review by emptykingdom
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

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


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