Dec 27

Dec 27 Black Sun (Between Earth and Sky, #1)

Author: Rebecca Roanhorse
Publisher: Saga Press
Goodreads | The StoryGraph

Click above to buy this book from my Bookshop.org shop, which supports independent bookstores (not Amazon). You can also find it via your favorite indie bookstore here.

Note: Trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the full review.

Cover Description

From the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Resistance Reborn comes the first book in the Between Earth and Sky trilogy, inspired by the civilizations of the Pre-Columbian Americas and woven into a tale of celestial prophecies, political intrigue, and forbidden magic.

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.

TL;DR Review

Black Sun is the start of what promises to be an excellent high fantasy series, with expert world-building and fiercely lovable characters. I think the majority of the series’ action is yet to come.

For you if: You enjoy modern-style epic fantasy, and/or you want to read more fantasy by Indigenous authors.

Full Review

“Usually,” Xiala said carefully, “when someone describes a man as harmless, he ends up being a villain.”

I bought Black Sun as soon as it came out, but it took me a couple of months to get to it. I knew I’d love it, I just had to squeeze it in. Friends: I was not disappointed. This is the kind of compulsively readable epic fantasy I love, with a big, gorgeous, political world filled with culture; characters as deep as the ocean; and plenty of adventure with promise for more.

This is the first book in the Between Earth and Sky trilogy, and it’s an epic fantasy inspired by the civilizations of the Pre-Columbian Americas. We have a few main characters: Serapio, whose mother set into motion the process of turning him into the vengeful Crow god; Xiala, a sailor and captain from a magical, persecuted people, who loves to get herself into trouble with drink and women; Naranpa, a young visionary who, despite her lower-class birth was risen to the position of Sun Priest; and Okoa, son of the recently deceased matron of the Carrion Crow clan. As we approach the “Day of Convergence” (a full solar eclipse on the winter solstice), their fates hurtle toward one another with unstoppable force.

Black Sun’s main purpose is definitely to build out this beautiful, intricate world and introduce us to these rich characters in order to tee up the rest of the books. There’s a lot of information to learn, but I found the world-building to be smooth and effective and not overwhelming. It’s also exciting and super adventurous, although I think the majority of the action in this series is yet to come in this series. (Although just a heads up that some of the scenes are a little more bloody than average.)

Another thing I really loved: Several characters in this book have a third gender, one that uses the pronouns xe/xir. This detail was weaved in so naturally, presented without commentary, without making it a thing. I have never read a book with characters that use any pronouns outside of she/her, he/him, or they/them. It was really well done.

This is a book about destiny, and pride, and home, and power, and class, and revolution. I don’t know when the next book is going to be published, but I can’t wait.