Black Sun
Ratings196
Average rating4.1
An entertaining fantasy read. The book ends on a cliffhanger and feels unresolved, so I didn't really feel a sense of satisfaction when I finished reading it, though :(
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.
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 !
Black Sun is everything I love about new-age fantasy epics. It's diverse, it's speculative, it's smart, and it's a big fuck you to colonization! Based in the pre-columbian (aka pre-colonized) Americas, Black Sun highlights the vibrancy and beauty of cultures that are often overlooked. Everything from the world-building to the characters and magic was so VISUAL. I truly felt like I was right there alongside Xiala and Serapio. Roanhorse beautifully introduces the reader to a world/society that is INCREDIBLY complex in a way that is (For the most part) super accessible! I did feel at sometimes there were characters or groups mentioned where I was a bit confused, but I honestly think that was more an error on my part.
This book pretty much checked all of the boxes for my ideal fantasy epic— the cast was incredibly diverse and used inclusive language throughout. Sexuality and gender were fluid in a way that felt to me educational and important to the story. I know a lot of times people feel like inclusive language feels “preachy” but I did not feel that at all (nor do I ever really, though). The characters had clear motivations and grew a lot throughout the story.
The magic system (my favorite part) was definitely VERY interesting and complex; I'm excited to see where Roanhorse takes it. It did feel like some characters had seemingness limitless potential, whereas others barely had any ability at all, which is usually a red flag to me in world-building (re: HP). The magic itself also seemed to play a bit of an odd role in society. For example, MAGIC magic is forbidden (i.e. raising the dead, gods, etc.), but like, “fake” magic governs their entire society (astrology, reading the starts)? But, all of this to say, the magic felt really intentional to me, like Roanhorse was prepping us to really DIVE in in future books— so I can't wait!
I could literally go on and on about the world-building and writing, but I will let you all read and decide for yourselves! If you've read it, let me know your thoughts below!
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!
I'm half-mad I read this without the rest of the series being completed. This is one of those books where I'm impressed by what an author can do in short amount of pages, it managed to have an epic fantasy feel. I became enraptured in the story and characters early on and loved the magic of the world and imagery throughout. Perhaps if I'm going by my rating rubric this would be a 4 out of 5 stars, for some very minor lack of character depth and plot arc issues, but I so thoroughly enjoyed this book I'm going with my gut. 5 outta 5!
(23/04/22) Yes, still a page turner. A few more niggles this time around but not enough to lower the rating. Moreso this time it struck me how good this book would be for beginners to fantasy; it manages to be sweeping and present a realised world without being an 800 page brick (800 page bricks remaining, of course, my favourite kind of fantasy book). Onward to book two!
(22/02/21) A great start to what is (hopefully!) going to be a great series. Feels like a breath of fresh air in the genre and truly original, with world building inspired by the pre-Columbian Americas. The opening chapter was certainly memorable, propulsive and shocking and had me gripped from the start. Characters are fun, pacing is solid, lots of questions left in the (somewhat rushed) ending feels a tad annoying but the knowledge this was first in a trilogy let me let that slide.
Such a gorgeous book this was !
All the characters were engaging and I loved the Native (south) American and Polynesian inspired world !
I can't wait to read the future books in this series !
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.
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.
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!
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.
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 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.