This really was hard work to finish being far too slow and repetitive.
In fact the story did not really come to life until the final quarter.
Maybe if it had been half the length it would have been worth my time.

Wild Sun is an epic tale around slavery/domination and the fight for freedom.

The tale focuses around a few characters, one being Cerrin. She’s forced into servitude but yearns for freedom and will risk it all to get it.

Sonus is another of the unfortunates forced to serve the Vitaari, he’s smart..super smart. When his life is turned upside down it’s time to step-up and get revenge.

While these two have never met their paths are going to collide.

The Vitaari are a race who want only to dominate..they use technology to suppress those they feel are less than them but they are vain..and a little complacent at times..that will be their downfall.

Cerrin’s and Sonus’s path cross with the thanks to some allies.. the time to rebel is fast approaching.

I really enjoyed Vellerik, one of the Vitaari.. while he’s one of the bad guys he’s the best of the bunch..honourable.. when push comes to shove what we he do?

The plot was very good, clear, focused and with enough detail to paint a vivid image of what it must be like for those captives. The writing style meant the book flowed well..There’s a lot to take in at first but after the initial couple of chapters I was easily hooked…it kept getting better and better with every chapter.

I don’t often request books from NetGalley but im glad I requested this one in exchange for an honest review. Well worth reading!

My rating 4/5 Stars!

‘Wild Sun’ is a thrilling, science fiction adventure that manages to blend a vintage, golden age feel with an enjoyably modern take on tyranny.
It’s the story of a relatively primitive planet, invaded and ruled by a vicious species who have enslaved the population and are stripping the world of its mineral resources. It features twin protagonists, allowing the authors to flip between two storylines and keep things interesting. Cerrin is a somewhat stereotypically plucky young woman. Sonus is a more studious engineer. Both are determined to overthrow the invaders and their travails make for a gripping read. In particular, Sonus’s growing understanding of the alien technology works brilliantly and gives him a really satisfying story arc.
What the book lacks in depth, it makes up for in atmosphere. It really does feel like the kind of classic sci fi adventure I’d happily pluck from my dad’s bookshelves as a teenager. The planet is richly described and the good vs evil narrative manages to feel both classic and current. The vintage vibe even extends to the fact there is no swearing in the book, in fact the one curse word that does feature is rather charmingly censored, displaying as “b----“.
At just over 300 pages, it’s the perfect length for this kind of rousing tale. The action moves at a good pace and I ploughed through it in a couple of days. There are some memorable set pieces, and whilst the extended cast can get a bit muddled at times, the two central characters are fun and engaging. It’s badged as part one in a series but doesn’t play any cheap tricks on the reader in the hope of hooking interest for the next book. The ending is fully formed and satisfying, and yet leaves things nicely open for a sequel. When the next book comes, I’ll certainly be reading it.

I guess you could say that Wild Sun can be compared to Red Rising to some extent. Mining tribes, rebellion and a "superior" force trying to exploit the tribes.

The premise sounded intriguing, but I had issues with the pacing (over half the book felt very slow), I missed descriptions and background of the different races/tribes, I couldn't form any connections with the main characters like Cerrin or Sonus and there were just too many names introduced that had me very confused.

A good book for me can instill vivid pictures of the world, but this story was missing that flow.

The writing is by no means bad, I guess I'm just comparing this to all the other great sci-fi and fantasy books that I've read.

All opinions in this review are my own and I received an eARC if this from Netgalley.

Wild Sun is a tragic yet hopeful story. People are enslaved to mine a valuable mineral. It's a horrible way to live, but escape is impossible. But, the human spirit rises up in a few who decide they will be free or die. This is a story about fighting against authority because it's the right thing to do. Is triumph in store or disaster? It's a jumble of emotions from enthralled to angry to despair and hope. The story will pull you in and keep you reading until the end. It's a good read. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting, fast paced read that I promise you will immerse you in a world where hope lies in the fighting spirit of a select few...if not a young girl who knows the value of her life and refuses to be tamed.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.

A gritty well written tale of a planet that has an invaluable mineral to a race that has enslaved the native people to work the mines. Cerrin, the heroine, lives only to escape. Sonus was an engineer before he was captured. Heart wrenching events lead one to fight the good fight, and one to chance everything for freedom. This was beyond a good read. While the premise was "space" oriented, this is a character driven story. Drawn into the story, I worked the mines with Cerrin. I felt Sonus' wrath and agony, and finally determination as I toiled with him at the masters command to fix their machines. His joy at the destruction he wrought. And finally,goosebumps when the end is near, the confrontation, the escape, the warrior woman. Excellent. The only caveat I had was the title. A mere couple mentions of the planets sun, and it really had no bearing on the book. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC form Netgalley.

I didn’t want to put this book down. From the premise that had me clicking the link to get a free copy to the short description, I was already anticipating a good tale. I wasn’t disappointed.

This story follows three different people as they each struggle to deal with enslavement – two from the slave side and one from the conqueror side.

Cerrin is a fighter at heart and sees the acceptance of slavery by her people as weakness. Even though the invaders have advanced technology while her people are bow and arrow types, Cerrin is determined to win her freedom.

Sonus is from a different tribe than Cerrin. His people were more advanced, just getting to steam engines when the invaders came. So he’s smart and technically inclined. Besides mining ore, he gets to do tech grunt work the invading engineers don’t want to do. Although others try to engage him in rebellious plots, he sees the futility of fighting against superior technology.

Vellerick only has a short time before he can retire. He wanted to spend the rest of his time someplace quiet, but he has to deal with past demons and boredom. That is, until the cruel commander arrives to stir things up.

All three characters have interesting story arcs and felt fairly well fleshed out. I appreciated that not all the conquerors were evil, some dealt more kindly towards the natives than others. The main villain was unfortunately one dimensional, but I really liked his guard. I did think there were a few too many side characters to keep track of at times, especially if you are like me and are pushing into 1am to finish. Oh my bleary eyes! But each felt unique enough and contributed to the overall feeling of a vibrant, real world.

The world building was well done. I got the sense of what the invaders’ universe was like as well as the slaves’ lives in the mines. The native culture as it still existed after years of slavery was believable. There was also a hint that maybe the natives have a connection with nature. Hopefully the next book will go into that more.

I thought the pacing was fairly good. It’s kind of a slow burn as each person has to deal with situations and overcome obstacles before everything culminates in a spectacular ending where all three threads converge. This story is what Avatar should have been, where the natives set out to do their own saving.

The ending wrapped things up but left me crying for more. I want to know what happens next! Always a good sign that the book was a good one. I really enjoyed this book and heartily recommend it.

Although Wild Sun has an Avatar-like setting and heroine like Katniss' Hunger Games, it failed to win me over. Despite an intriguing cover and timely topics like indigenous struggles, the book falls flat.
I struggled through the slow-paced, uneventful first half of the book, with it's deliberate descriptions and mass of characters, both major and minor. Finally the plot picked up in the second half but by then I'd disconnected. Likewise, the disjointed plots of the three underwhelming protogonists, Cerrin, Sonus and Vellerick, inexplicably intertwine at the end.

This is my first sci find book, so perhaps I'm unaware that this is the usual style, but I don't plan to read more to find out.
It seems Wild Sun is the first book of a trilogy, and the authors should take their own advice from the last line: 'You need to move faster.'

Thank you for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.