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A review by dinipandareads
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
5.0
Holy grandfather crow. This was amazing and I'm kicking myself for putting it off for so long. That said, I'm glad that I buddy-read it with Becky because it's been fun to message about our theories, our shock at all the goings on and our excitement to continue the series!
Content/Trigger Warnings:
I don't even know where to begin with this review because everyone else seems to have already said it best but I will say that I fully get the hype. Black Sun is a testament to Roanhorse's brilliance as a writer with how she manages to create culturally rich, diverse and spellbinding epic fantasy worlds, and complex, compelling and well-rounded characters that never fail to reel readers in.
Black Sun is told from multiple POVs and time jumps as the years, months, weeks and days count down to the main event of "the convergence". The world-building was astounding and I loved how Roanhorse brought this fantasy world inspired by pre-Columbian American cultures to life. From the Sky Made clans of Tova to the merchant-run cities that lie beyond the Crescent Sea, each location, its peoples, cultures and myths are explored in wonderful detail. Something I greatly appreciated was how normal queerness was in this world! We have a bisexual lead and secondary characters, as well as a trans and several nonbinary characters, too. Roanhorse also doesn't shy away from brutality and I admit that some scenes left me feeling rather squeamish, although thankfully the more intense scenes were far and few between. This world is dark and gritty but also vibrant and exquisite and filled with a multitude of beliefs and ways of life, which makes it such a rich read.
There were admittedly times at the start when I was confused by the breadth of history and politics that we have to take in. There is a lot to absorb but the author's writing is so accessible and easy to digest that it didn't take long for me to grasp the stakes. This also isn't the fastest-paced story, even if I couldn't get through the pages quickly enough in those final few chapters! Roanhorse takes her time in growing this world, building up the tension in the plot, and developing the many characters we encounter. While I can see that being a deterrent for some, especially if they're not as absorbed by the world-building and characters, but I wouldn't have changed this pace for anything! It allowed me to become fully immersed in the setting and to connect to the characters who were the main reason I loved this story so much!
Our main characters are Serapio, Xiala, Naranpa and Okoa. They all present vastly different perspectives and experiences, so it wasn't difficult to keep track of who we were following despite the many POV shifts and time jumps. I love how all of their stories explore the evergreen themes of good versus evil, villain versus hero, and belonging. What does it mean to love a place that doesn't love you back? Where do you belong when half the people see you as a destroyer and the other half see you as their salvation? Who are truly the monsters here? Roanhorse does a great job exploring all of these themes through our main character's arcs.
While I felt connected to all of four of them, I loved Xiala and Serapio the most. I practically fell in love with Xiala the moment she was introduced.
Content/Trigger Warnings:
Spoiler
blood, gore, graphic violence, murder, suicide, child abuse, mutilation, sacrificial rituals, drug use, excessive alcohol consumptionI don't even know where to begin with this review because everyone else seems to have already said it best but I will say that I fully get the hype. Black Sun is a testament to Roanhorse's brilliance as a writer with how she manages to create culturally rich, diverse and spellbinding epic fantasy worlds, and complex, compelling and well-rounded characters that never fail to reel readers in.
Black Sun is told from multiple POVs and time jumps as the years, months, weeks and days count down to the main event of "the convergence". The world-building was astounding and I loved how Roanhorse brought this fantasy world inspired by pre-Columbian American cultures to life. From the Sky Made clans of Tova to the merchant-run cities that lie beyond the Crescent Sea, each location, its peoples, cultures and myths are explored in wonderful detail. Something I greatly appreciated was how normal queerness was in this world! We have a bisexual lead and secondary characters, as well as a trans and several nonbinary characters, too. Roanhorse also doesn't shy away from brutality and I admit that some scenes left me feeling rather squeamish, although thankfully the more intense scenes were far and few between. This world is dark and gritty but also vibrant and exquisite and filled with a multitude of beliefs and ways of life, which makes it such a rich read.
There were admittedly times at the start when I was confused by the breadth of history and politics that we have to take in. There is a lot to absorb but the author's writing is so accessible and easy to digest that it didn't take long for me to grasp the stakes. This also isn't the fastest-paced story, even if I couldn't get through the pages quickly enough in those final few chapters! Roanhorse takes her time in growing this world, building up the tension in the plot, and developing the many characters we encounter. While I can see that being a deterrent for some, especially if they're not as absorbed by the world-building and characters, but I wouldn't have changed this pace for anything! It allowed me to become fully immersed in the setting and to connect to the characters who were the main reason I loved this story so much!
Our main characters are Serapio, Xiala, Naranpa and Okoa. They all present vastly different perspectives and experiences, so it wasn't difficult to keep track of who we were following despite the many POV shifts and time jumps. I love how all of their stories explore the evergreen themes of good versus evil, villain versus hero, and belonging. What does it mean to love a place that doesn't love you back? Where do you belong when half the people see you as a destroyer and the other half see you as their salvation? Who are truly the monsters here? Roanhorse does a great job exploring all of these themes through our main character's arcs.
While I felt connected to all of four of them, I loved Xiala and Serapio the most. I practically fell in love with Xiala the moment she was introduced.