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bookstaash's reviews
87 reviews
The Sun and the Void by Gabriela Romero Lacruz
For example, Reina often follows people’s orders without asking questions or considering the motives of the requester (even when the request goes against her own interests or morals). When her grandmothers tells her to capture Celeste, Reina just does it thinking that Celeste won’t be harmed even though Celeste is fighting tooth and nail against it. Reina should have asked why Celeste was so vehemently opposed to going to Dona Ursulina earlier in the story.
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? No
4.0
Reina and Eva Kesaré leave the only homes they’ve ever known in search of a new life, away from people who will judge them based on their race/species. Both are thrust into a dangerous game where they have to discover who they are and what they’re willing to fight for.
This debut was really good and an overall fun read! I really loved the rich world-building here and the Venezuelan cultural aspects (refreshing in the world of fantasy fiction). Learning the boundaries and uses of geomancy as Reina/Eva discovered their own power was a good way to really experience the magical system and, I look forward to seeing how Eva further explores her power in the next book. Romero-Lacruz’ writing style is very enjoyable and descriptive; it was easy to place myself in the world and visualize while I was reading. The action and magic scenes were also well-written and fun to read.
Reina and Eva (the two main heroines) seemed a bit naïve throughout the story - based on their life experiences and the culture/time period of the story, I would have expected more maturity from both characters. Reina often lacked agency and was easily manipulated within the story and was used as a pawn to do others’ bidding. In the opening, Reina recalled how horrible people had been to her growing up, but then suddenly started trusting the most dangerous characters? And they showed her who they were the entire book - Reina just chose to ignore this. Alternatively, Eva was capricious and impulsive; many of her decisions were poorly considered or not thought through at all - leading to disastrous consequences every time. Throughout, the story and characters felt very young adult (even though the book is categorized as adult).
Part 1 was a bit of a slow start, but the action really picks up on the latter half of the book. The story ends with some ends tied up but, still leaves a lot of room for the sequel and conclusion of the duology. I’m excited to see where the story goes! This would be a great read for anyone looking for a fantasy set in a unique world with LGBTQ+ representation and some popular tropes (e.g., found family).