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A review by rubybooks
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-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? Yes
5.0
I actually pre-ordered this before the paperback came out, but it's been on my shelf since then. I decided to finally pick it up during Pride Month because I'd heard that there are queer characters as well as a character who uses neo-pronouns (there are actually multiple side characters who use them) and I definitely need to read more books with that representation. If you're looking for adult fantasy to read featuring characters of different races, sexualities and genders, you should definitely try this book!
Black Sun is the first book in a new adult fantasy series, and I believe it's inspired by the Americas before colonisation. The magic system is also intertwined with religion, and there are multiple faiths followed in the book. Xiala is the Teek captain of a ship carrying precious cargo: an apparently "harmless" blind man who is destined to be in the city of Tova. Both Xiala and Serapio are not exactly human - Xiala is Teek, which means she can calm the sea with her Song, and Serapio's fate is intwined with the Crow god. Meanwhile, in Tova, Sun Priest Naranpa struggles with keeping order in the city. Black Sun is written in third person with chapters following the different characters and all of their stories come together at the end in time for Convergence, a solar eclipse that is coinciding with the winter solstice.
As I said before, I got sucked into the plot straight away. I also think that this would be a great book to read if you're trying to get into adult fantasy because the writing was really accessible and I found the world-building pretty easy to understand, even though it definitely had complexities. World-building is usually my favourite part of fantasy books, and this world is so interesting! I was especially interested in the history of Tova and how politics and religion plays into that. I want to learn more about the Teek in the future too! Black Sun follows characters from a lot of different places, and I loved this because it meant we got to see loads of different settings which in turn helps us learn about the characters.
The characters were all so different and compelling. Xiala is bisexual, and I absolutely loved her attitude from the moment she was introduced. I loved learning about all the characters, but she definitely captivated me the most. Serapio is incredibly complicated, and I appreciated seeing his development from child to adult as this heavily impacted his personality. It took me a bit longer to get used to Naranpa, but by the end I was completely invested in her story and what was going to happen to her. Her situation and role as Sun Priest is incredibly complex, and by the end of the book you can see how much development she went through in becoming less naive and more able to stand up for herself.
This is an incredibly unique adult fantasy and I fell into it so easily - I really can't wait to see where the series goes and I'm so excited for book two. I was a bit intimidated before I started because adult fantasy can be slow to get into and I've been in a reading mood where I want fast-paced books, but I was actually really surprised because I fell into the story really easily and read it so quickly. Black Sun contains content including murder, abuse, suicide, and mutilation/scarring as part of a religious ritual. Overall, I'd highly recommend this book.
Black Sun is the first book in a new adult fantasy series, and I believe it's inspired by the Americas before colonisation. The magic system is also intertwined with religion, and there are multiple faiths followed in the book. Xiala is the Teek captain of a ship carrying precious cargo: an apparently "harmless" blind man who is destined to be in the city of Tova. Both Xiala and Serapio are not exactly human - Xiala is Teek, which means she can calm the sea with her Song, and Serapio's fate is intwined with the Crow god. Meanwhile, in Tova, Sun Priest Naranpa struggles with keeping order in the city. Black Sun is written in third person with chapters following the different characters and all of their stories come together at the end in time for Convergence, a solar eclipse that is coinciding with the winter solstice.
As I said before, I got sucked into the plot straight away. I also think that this would be a great book to read if you're trying to get into adult fantasy because the writing was really accessible and I found the world-building pretty easy to understand, even though it definitely had complexities. World-building is usually my favourite part of fantasy books, and this world is so interesting! I was especially interested in the history of Tova and how politics and religion plays into that. I want to learn more about the Teek in the future too! Black Sun follows characters from a lot of different places, and I loved this because it meant we got to see loads of different settings which in turn helps us learn about the characters.
The characters were all so different and compelling. Xiala is bisexual, and I absolutely loved her attitude from the moment she was introduced. I loved learning about all the characters, but she definitely captivated me the most. Serapio is incredibly complicated, and I appreciated seeing his development from child to adult as this heavily impacted his personality. It took me a bit longer to get used to Naranpa, but by the end I was completely invested in her story and what was going to happen to her. Her situation and role as Sun Priest is incredibly complex, and by the end of the book you can see how much development she went through in becoming less naive and more able to stand up for herself.
This is an incredibly unique adult fantasy and I fell into it so easily - I really can't wait to see where the series goes and I'm so excited for book two. I was a bit intimidated before I started because adult fantasy can be slow to get into and I've been in a reading mood where I want fast-paced books, but I was actually really surprised because I fell into the story really easily and read it so quickly. Black Sun contains content including murder, abuse, suicide, and mutilation/scarring as part of a religious ritual. Overall, I'd highly recommend this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Physical abuse, and Suicide