Book Review | Black Sun

Title: Black Sun
Author: Rebecca Roanhorse
Published: 21st January 2021
Publisher: Rebellion
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Between Earth and Sky #1

Rating: 5/5 stars

A god will return
When the earth and sky converge
Under the black sun

In the holy city of Tova, the winter solstice is usually a time for celebration and renewal, but this year it coincides with a solar eclipse, a rare celestial event proscribed by the Sun Priest as an unbalancing of the world.

Meanwhile, a ship launches from a distant city bound for Tova and set to arrive on the solstice. The captain of the ship, Xiala, is a disgraced Teek whose song can calm the waters around her as easily as it can warp a man’s mind. Her ship carries one passenger. Described as harmless, the passenger, Serapio, is a young man, blind, scarred, and cloaked in destiny. As Xiala well knows, when a man is described as harmless, he usually ends up being a villain.

Crafted with unforgettable characters, Rebecca Roanhorse has created an epic adventure exploring the decadence of power amidst the weight of history and the struggle of individuals swimming against the confines of society and their broken pasts in the most original series debut of the decade. -Goodreads

My thanks to Rebellion and NetGalley for approving me for an eARC of Black Sun.

This is one of my most anticipated releases of 2021 (check out the first part of my list here), and I was so excited to be approved. I dropped everything and immediately began reading this one! I am super glad that this one did not disappoint at all!!

This is the first book in a new series by Rebecca Roanhorse, it is a clever and vibrant fantasy novel which sweeps the reader into a world of religion, prophecies and power. The world that Roanhorse has created is incredible. I loved being swept away into this novel, and I didn’t want it to end.

We follow a number of characters’ POVs throughout the novel. These characters eventually come together in a number of ways, and I love a split POV novel especially in fantasy! It allows the plot to move at a fairly brisk pace, and allows the reader further insight into the world and the rules of the world. I loved reading all the characters viewpoints, even the characters that I wasn’t so fond of!

I think my favourite character was Xiala, the sea captain who loves a drink, and who plays a vital role during the novel. She was so spiky and rude, I couldn’t help falling for her. Any fantasy set at sea immediately plants itself in my heart, and her chapters at sea were my absolute favourites!

The representation in Black Sun is excellent; gender fluid and non-binary characters, and a bisexual main character. This is well handled by Roanhorse, and I love this representation in fantasy!

The setting of the novel is based on the Indigenous Americas, a setting that I don’t have much knowledge on, but I loved every new thing I discovered. Everything was fresh to me!

Overall I adored everything about Black Sun. I will definitely be buying a physical copy of the novel, and I cannot wait to see where the series is going next!

Buy from Waterstones here (affiliate link)