Black Sun
Ratings164
Average rating4.1
This book has been a long time coming. I added it to my tbr when I first heard of it, was very excited when I got the arc and also got the audiobook immediately upon release. But I never did get to reading it because my head was a mess last year, and I completely avoided reading all books which I had high expectations for. But I finally braved it this month, at a time when I am again in a bad reading slump, but this had me completely in its grips from the first word and wouldn't let me go till I was done.
What a refreshing world the author managed to create here. While creating European inspired worlds is pretty common in the fantasy genre, I have tried to diversify my reading in the past year or two to try and pick books where the worlds are created by authors with Asian or African heritage, taking inspiration from their own cultures and mythologies. However, I never even gave a thought that a world could be based on pre-Columbian indigenous American cultures, and I was completely in awe as I discovered with epic wide world created by the author. We have cities and towns and tribes, each with its own set of cultures and belief systems, bound by a treaty to ensure peace in the world, and watched over by a priesthood who believe themselves capable of reading the stars and predicting the future. I am obviously ignorant about the history and couldn't discern which aspect of the world building was inspired by which culture, but nevertheless the author managed to create something which felt real and lived in, and very much a part of the daily lives of its people. The various magic systems are also lightly described and I was amazed by the scenes where it came into play, but I also have a feeling that this aspect will be more prominent in the next book. And also except for some personal prejudices/superstitions, this is also a very queernormative world, with all forms of genders and sexualities just accepted as part of the normal and where this aspect of a character doesn't drive the plot.
The writing is really engaging and mesmerizing from the get go. All the descriptions were quite vivid and I could feel the cold, the pain, and the fear that the characters were experiencing; as well as the feeling of being on the sea in the middle of a ship killing story, the air hitting your face when on the back of a giant corvid, and the dread of being on the edge of a cliff just before falling down. The pacing is also just right, never slacking off even for a bit, making me excited to keep turning the page without ever putting the book down. I was frankly quite surprised by the use of neopronouns, because I have personally never encountered them before, but they felt very organic to the world that the author created. All the POVs are woven seamlessly through the story, and I was so glad that I loved everyone equally and was looking forward to read about each of their adventures. Listening to the first half of the book on audio also helped because the full cast of narrators are brilliant, and I loved getting to know how to pronounce the words correctly.
The way the collective history and the trauma of the people is told through this story felt very raw and painful. Each of the clans or tribes has suffered in the past and while there maybe peace currently, the hurts nor the pain have been forgotten, and every generation inherits this trauma, alongwith a deep seated need for vengeance (or justice) for their peoples. Add to this a dose of religious fanaticism and belief in vengeful prophecies, and it makes for a powder keg of a world which is always on the verge of the next riot, or maybe even outright war. I thought the author's handling of the topic of generational trauma and the cycle of revenge was very realistic and hit me quite hard.
And it was this writing that made me very empathetic towards most of the characters, despite whatever action they were keen on taking. Serapio's life has been traumatic since his birth, first with his mother treating him like a vessel to fulfill her goals, and his father ignoring him either out of fear or disgust. He has been told and trained and prepared to fulfill his destiny, but I couldn't help but feel bad that he never got much of a choice. It was hard to see him determined to achieve his goal as vengeance for a people whom he didn't even know, but at the same time I also wanted him to succeed.
Xiala on the other hand was a delight. Belonging to a people who are feared because of their abilities, she has to navigate a lot of misogyny, prejudice and fear to be able to work as the captain of a ship. She is also open with her affections, just wanting to have a good time with some drink and a chat with the people around her. But it's not always easy to find that camaraderie that she so desires, and that's why I really loved her developing relationship with Serapio.
And the last one is the sun priest, Narampa. She is admirable for having risen up to her position despite being from a humble background, and believing so thoroughly in the responsibility of her role and the priesthood as a whole. But she is also naive enough to think only her beliefs are right, as well as that she alone can reform an age old status quo. I honestly wasn't surprised to see her encounter many obstacles, and despite her sometimes questionable decisions, I did want her to be safe.
There are also a good number of side characters as well as creatures who make this a very memorable read, and though most of them had very less page time, I can assure you that they leave an indelible mark and it hurts when something bad happens to them.
In conclusion, this is what epic fantasy feels like. A vast world with scope for being more expansive, characters who are not always likable but still very much will find a place in your heart, a fast paced plot with multiple threads that all converge with an impending sense of doom, and an unexpected ending where you are left wondering if any of your favorites made it. I'm extremely happy that I seem to be having great luck with fantasies these days and I can only hope it continues. And now I'm eagerly waiting for the sequel news, which the author promised would be coming soon.
Made-up fantasy, too visual, too many classes. I'm blind, I don't do made-up worlds in general. Not the book's fault. I should have read the blurb before picking it up. Someone recommended it because there's a blind character somewhere, but this is clearly for sighted readers. Just not my kinda genre.
There has recently been a bounty of Mesoamerican inspired fantasy, with Black Sun following close on the heels of Anna Stephen's ‘The Stone Knife'. This has to be a good thing as it opens up a whole new set of cultural references to be given a fantastical take. I cannot help but be happy that fantasy is moving on from the tired Medieval European tropes!
Black Sun has all the hallmarks of great fantasy, with some priesthoods riven with power struggles, a mysterious blind man with strange powers and a sea captain who has a greater affinity with water than might initially be assumed... Everything builds as these different elements march towards a meeting during the eclipse - the Black Sun of the title. Wrap this all within a Mesoamerican setting and you are left with this delightfully brutal and dark story.
I absolutely loved this, the world created, the mythology and the characters were all brilliantly realized and wrapped in an easy reading prose and a borderline grimdark plot. Highly recommended!
Probably closer to a 3.5 for me personally but I rounded up.
The Good: I enjoyed the boats and how they operated. The build up people powers and how their motivations made sense.
The bad: the start to this book was a little slow and bumpy. I took me awhile before I got that yes, story! feeling. Additionally the shifting view points are a little hard to follow until the characters are more established. I had to flip back and forth at least twice making sure I was connecting the snippets correctly, which would have been a pain with an ebook.
Conclusion: I had a good time and don't regret picking up another book by this author. In my opinion, she still has room to grow as an author.
The first chapter was already amazing and engaging. I haven't had many books that are great right from the beginning and throughout. This had great stories and great characters. Once I started I could not put it down. I also always love when a book has small things before a chapter begins. This had sayings and poems and bits of journal which was great.
I was afraid the ending would be too vague or in the middle of the story but it did feel like the main story had ended and a proper time to stop and start the next book. Which I will definitely be reading.
Black Sun is a gorgeous, devastating book. It is always challenging to write an ensemble cast story where each perspective character is equally interesting, and Rebecca Roanhorse pulled it off with a flourish. I was so invested in each character's lives and struggles. I did not want to put the book down. It was high tension, high stakes story, which made the moments of lightness that much more powerful. Beautiful weaving of Indigenous culture into a fantasy world. So many queer and gender diverse characters! I will not stop thinking about it until the next one comes out!
Thanks to Saga Press for granting my wish for an arc of this book!
Prior to finishing this, I could already tell it would be in my roster of books I won't shut up about. Roanhorse created such a dynamic story following three different POVs. There is such an interesting mix of components.
You've got:
• Prophecies
• Political Intrigue
• Sirens
• Giant Crows and Water beetles
• Underground cultists
I also just loved how she made you feel so strongly for all the characters that regardless of who was the ‘hero' or who was the ‘villain' you understood their motivations and possibly questionable choices.
Preorder this book. Request your library get a copy of this book. It's that great.
This book manages to be a real epic fantasy while being really original. As all really good fantasy, it has a fascinating world that is as much a character as any of the protagonists, it has a fascinating plot and actual characters that you come to know and want to discover more about.
Two points for those who are interested in reading this book. Firstly, much has been made of how this is inspired by the pre-Columbian civilisations of the Americas. This gets mentioned so much that I was a bit nervous that I'd have to go read some textbooks so I would be able to follow the references.
Don't worry.
Sure, this is a fantasy world and it's got strange customs and terms - but so has most good Fantasy or Science Fiction, Ms Roanhorse makes sure that her readers will pick things up pretty quick. What is different with this book is that it's fresh.
Tolkien was so successful that many, many authors pretty much copied him for a long time (and some did a great job). In the last couple of decades many authors rebelled against this trend by writing “Grimdark”... which means pretty much copying Tolkien, but it's dark! European castles, the characters all sound either English or American and there's probably an Elf or Orc running around somewhere...but good guys die and sex exists! Shock!
Ms Roanhorse is not doing reactionary “Grimdark”, instead what she is doing is making the genre fresh again - it feels like proper epic fantasy but just as Tolkien was inspired by the traditions of Europe, Ms Roanhorse uses the American palate to paint a fresh picture. So you can approach this as you would any fantasy book, looking to discover the world and meet its peoples, but be ready for a breath of fresh air.
The second thing a potential reader should really know is that the first chapter is a bit of a shocker. I've said this book isn't “Grimdark”, but this first chapter is very Grim and gets literally rather Dark. It is also very different to the rest of the book it involves a child having some pretty nasty stuff done to him - nothing sexual, but it does involve a knife, needle and thread and some dark magic . It is necessary for the plot, but understand that it is not representative of the rest of the story which follows broadly likable people.
This is a fantastic addition to the fantasy genre, I look forward to the sequel and hope that other similarly inspired books are on the horizon.
uncertain 3.5 rounded up.
I'm not sure why I didn't enjoy this book more, it has so many elements that are interesting and characters I sould have just loved, maybe I wasn't in the right headspace for it.
That being said, I really struggled to get invested or more exactly to stay invested in the story and the world building seemed lackluster to me after the first half of the book.
For the aces in the room: one of the MCs is very keen on the spicy stuff (by which I don't mean food though she does enjoy that type of spicy too as far as I can tell) in the most adorable way (at least I found it cute). But the actual spicy stuff wasn't over the top or heavy, it's implied or talked about after the fact without details mostly and there's one pretty tame scene.
This is pitch perfect epic fantasy. Everything works so well together — propulsive pacing, exceptional characters, excellent world-building, and a fascinating mix of cultures, politics, religion, and lore.
The story builds and builds as each chapter moves us closer to the ill-omened “Convergence” (a solar eclipse). I could not stop turning the pages until the explosive finale, which does not disappoint. It also leaves a tremendous amount open-ended, which makes me excited for the future of this series, as it feels like Roanhorse has barely scratched the surface of where to go with these characters and this world. Altogether, this is one of the best books of 2020.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
See this review and others at The Speculative Shelf.
Black Sun.
I'm have no idea how to rate this book. I also have no idea how to properly articulate my thoughts.
I did enjoy many of aspects of the book. However, here are more things I didn't like or felt bored reading.
I loved how I got to look through the perspective of someone else about generational trauma.
Like... holy cow yall!!!
I did enjoy how inclusive this book was. I'm not an expert in this topic but I believe it was written appropriately. Now, I do believe majority of the characters are fascinating. There was only one that I felt was... okay/not as compelling as the rest.
The writing style is heavy and one needs to take it slow.
However, I felt as though there was no room for interpretation but instead feed all the information. Which for me, it's a love-hate relationship.
The word building is... good?? but not the best imo. I appreciate it and this an area I don't know how to articulate my thoughts. With the three primary storylines we see... I didn't feel the different levels of danger that the characters faced. After a while I only like one storyline (Serapio) & wished the others would just... stop because I was becoming... unfocused/bored??
Y'all. It's a Solid book. I do recommend it. I just think im not in the correct mindset to read it.
I had a little trouble getting into it, but it was still a good book. I'm interested to hear more about the Teek and happens to the main characters, so I'll pick up the next one.
3.5. Good in parts, but I never really found myself caring for most of the characters. Not sure whether I'll read the next in the series...
“There was magic in the world, pure and simple. Things she didn't understand. Best get used to it.”
I'm waffling hard on whether to give this the 5 stars that I feel like it deserves, and the 4 stars I want to give it out of consistency with my other books I really loved but didn't stick the landing. I'm definitely sure this was a favorite book of this year for me so far, though.
The story this book tells is from the point of view of four different characters. Xiala, a Teek captain tasked with ferrying a blind man to a distant city within a very short time for an urgent date with a Sun Priest before the Convergence (an eclipse on the solstice). Serapio is the blind man, blinded by his mother at a young age to be the vessel for a crow god bent on vengeance against the priests for a wrong done to its people, clan Carrion Crow. Naranpa, the Sun Priest, a low-born priest given the highest rank amonst the priests by the previous Sun Priest and having to navigate office priesthood politics as a result, and Okoa, reluctant leader of clan Carrion Crow, having to deal with the potential fallout a vengeful crow god on the loose will bring his people.
We get a lot of character development between Xiala and Serapio on their voyage to Serapio's appointment which I loved, and we learn a bit about Xiala's people, the Teek, and the strange powers she inherited. I loved Okoa's viewpoint as well, as he feels his way through leading clan Carrion Crow through potentially turbulent times. I thought Neranpa's viewpoint was the weakest of the four, but also necessary to show how fractured the priesthood is. She's a bit naiive, a bit annoying, and a bit gullible, and I found her chapters a bit boring but necessary to tell the larger story.
I feel like the ending of this book was super weak though, and while the second book is out for me to dive into at the time I'm writing this, I think I'd be a bit harsher with docking the book a star if it wasn't. After the buildup, the ending is a bit of a slap in the face.
All that said though, this was a really great read, and I look forward to reading the second book.
Deeply mixed feelings. Roanhorse's new world is imaginative, rich and vivid. Her pacing is excellent. The characters, unfortunately, fall completely flat. They're mere plot devices to move the story on: they have little agency of their own, no inner lives; the relationships between them are for the most part contrived and unsatisfying. The Doomsday Device guy docilely goes along with his preordained fate; the High Priestess is a sappy milquetoast consistently three moves behind everyone else; the Dashing Adventure Heroine — okay, she shows a lot of promise, but she has a lot of shit to get together first.
The story itself is disappointing: it all hinges on a Great Prophecy, and visions of revenge, and a lot of seriously unlikely events coming together in just the right way. There are hints of some Grandmaster-level scheming, but all of it predates the events in the book, those characters having set things in motion before dying, and then those events all happening decades later as planned. (The story clearly takes place before Murphy's Law was discovered). This leaves very little for the characters to do aside from move according to the script, which they do with an ad-lib here and there. And, too much is not adequately explained: they had years to get Doomsday Guy to his assigned place and time, why did they leave the sea trip for the very very absolute last minute? The priest society, what purpose do they serve? And, seriously, cacao beans as currency?
it didn't feel long, but it did feel epic and large in scale
just as good as everyone says it is
4.3 - wow, I really liked this story! Super accessible read like many others have said and I don't think it was so ubpruptly ended. The writing wasn't super detailed which I'm glad for (for a beginner fantasy reader like me). I honestly can't wait for the next book since there were definite cliff hangers !
Guys. This book.
This story follows 4 different POVs; Xiala, a woman exiled from her home land whose song can calm water; Serapio, a man who was destined from birth to seek revenge for his people; Narampa, the Sun Priest; and Okoa, a warrior of the carrion crow clan. I don't want to explain too much of the plot for fear of spoilers.
This book is incredible. Based in the pre-colonial Americas, this fantasy novel delivers something fresh and different from any other fantasy novel I've read to date. The characters are diverse and interesting. I listened to this via audiobook almost all in one sitting because I was completely enraptured. All of the characters are morally grey with conflicting goals in life, but the reader is still made to root for all of them. The relationships formed and the struggles they endure are beautiful and brutal. Serapio's character is so complex and dark, leaving me wanting to know every single detail of his life. This first book feels like it barely dips into each character's backstory, making me incredibly excited for the next one. (Not to mention that cliffhanger ending...) I would highly recommend this book. I'm waiting with bated breath for the next one.
A quick-paced, plot-tight read of indigenous fantasy, of which there needs to be much more of. But at the same time — it was almost too quick-paced, and too plot-tight.
The points I enjoyed:
— The character voice of Serapio. The gentleness combined with the “doomed to be a monstrosity and what is that, truly?” question was wonderful to read, whether in flashback or in present day.
— The way each chapter was woven together. It truly was an air-tight plot. It flowed seamlessly one point into the next. Everything did have a purpose, however strong or weak that purpose was in the actual narrative.
— The world. Reading about a pre-colonial world that wasn't “we're stuck in a period piece” was a breath of fresh air. You could smell and taste the rich traditions. There was no shying away from what others might deem as “harsh” or “backwards” or “grotesque.” (Leaving out details to avoid spoilers.)
— The ending. I was relieved it didn't end the way I thought it would — or rather, the way that we were led to believe that we were doomed to read, so to speak.
The points that missed for me:
— The other character voices. Although I enjoyed all of them as concepts, what they could do, and how their arcs sustained them — their voices weren't unique enough for me to grasp. If I didn't have dialogue tags every sentence, I would have no idea who was speaking because after a while, they all blended together and sounded the same. Naranpa and Xiala mirrored each other in their voices (frustrated, coming from rough backgrounds, had enough and taking action) — and Okoa was not there long enough for me to connect to, and was overshadowed by Serapio until the end. Serapio was the strongest for me.
— The air-tight plot. It read quickly. I've seen some perspectives indicating that the beginning was slow and painstaking — but I didn't find that to be the case. I found it to be the right pace; and then, the rest of it after they were established, characterisation was cast aside for the sake of the plot moving quickly. There were times where I wished the writing had lingered. On the environment, on the action outside of the POV, on the characters' emotions, just lingering in general. I felt like I would just get comfortable sitting in someone's POV, and then, we would switch or something else would happen. I felt a bit like I was underwater without a lot of air to breathe in.
— The world. Because I could taste its richness, I wanted to taste more. I got a clear picture, again, in the beginning and sometimes in the middle — but otherwise, I found the descriptions to err on the side of blandness. I'm not sure if there was a lot cut to meet word-count or page-count, but I think it was cut to a fault, if that's the case. This could have benefitted from being a fantasy of truly epic proportions — The Wheel of Time length, LOTR length. Let us have flesh.
— The writing style. Not in the sense that Ms. Roanhorse has a weak voice; she has a strong one and a commanding one. However, despite this being marketed as adult ... it read as YA to me.
It was good, and I will read the sequels in the series to come. But it left me a bit on the “...damn” side instead of the “wow!” side.