Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse is a super cool fantasy book that completely pulls you in. The story is set in a world inspired by Indigenous cultures, and it’s full of magic, politics, and drama. The plot revolves around a mysterious eclipse that’s about to happen, and several characters are all connected to it in different ways. There’s Serapio, a guy with a crazy destiny, Xiala, a badass sea captain, and a whole bunch of other characters who are all trying to figure out their roles in this huge event.

What I loved about this book is how unique it feels. The world-building is so rich and different from the usual fantasy stuff you see. The magic is cool, and the cultures and history are super interesting. The characters are complex and messy, and you’ll probably find yourself rooting for the ones you’re not supposed to, which just makes the story even more fun.

The pacing is kind of slow at times, but it’s worth it because the world and the characters are so layered and well-developed. Plus, the twists and turns in the story keep you on your toes.

An extraordinary epic Fantasy from acclaimed author Rebecca Roanhorse, BLACK SUN is only the first entry in the extensive BETWEEN EARTH AND SKY series. Complex and creative worldbuilding makes for a fascinating examination of divergent cultures, societies, spirituality, and gender expression. Not a short read, but an important one.

I wasn’t able to get to this a few years ago but now that I've finally read it, I'm disappointed that I didn’t do so sooner. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
Black Sun is the start of a high fantasy series inspired by the civilizations of the pre-Columbian Americas. It was a bit slow to start for me but it didn’t take long before I was hooked. I loved the diverse cast of characters and multiple POVs. Out of the 4 main characters, Serapio and Xiala are my favorites (so far!). There is some great world-building and I enjoyed learning about the magic system and prophecies.
I’m looking forward to reading Fevered Star soon!

The concept around this story and multiple points of view converging all together was so interesting. I am curious to see where it will go in books 2 and 3!

I did not connect with the book when I received the ARC. However, I recently came back to it, and it became one of my favorite books of all time. The worldbuilding is vivid and the characters and the plot were appealing, I love all the inspirations, the aesthetic, the narrative. This was indeed such a great book.

3.5 Stars

Black Sun was an enjoyable read with an engaging plot and a great cast of characters.

In the holy city of Tova, this year's winter solstice is set to coincide with a solar eclipse, a rare celestial event the Sun Priest has prophesized as an unbalancing of the world. In a distant city, a ship launches bound for Tova by the solstice carrying a mysterious passenger. The young man is blind and scarred; with the power to change the world.

Black Sun started out as a pretty slow read for me to the point I wasn't sure if I was going to continue with the book or not. I'm pretty iffy on fantasy as it is and epic fantasy is usually last on the list for me to pick up but I'd enjoyed another one of the author's books, Trail of Lightning, so I did at least want to try Black Sun. The world building in this one is pretty heavy at the start with several regions in the world with their own cultures along with various political climates. There's so much information presented near the beginning of this book about the world building that I ultimately started skimming those sections as it's my least favorite part of fantasy books. There was one section of the world I was interested in, the island of Teek and its' people, and I do hope we get more about it in future books.

There are four POVs in Black Sun and I liked that they were each quite different from each other. First is Xiala, a captain with powers derived from the sea and my absolute favorite character in the book. She's awesome and I loved every second we spend following her. Next is Serapio who has been raised to be the host of the crow god. His backstory is tragic and I found his magic to be quite interesting. After that we have Naranpa, the Sun Priest and leader of one of the religious groups in Tova. Her position is quite precarious due to issues with a rival religious group and I'm curious about what direction her character will go after the events of this book. Finally we have Okoa who is a guard for the crow people. We didn't get as much time with his character so I'm looking forward to seeing more of him in the future.

With four separate POVs, there are quite a few plot threads going on throughout this book. I found the plots taking place outside of Tova to be the most interesting but I enjoyed watching all of the various threads come together as the book got closer to the end. Several of these plots went in directions I wasn't expecting at all and the majority of them are left open when the book ends. The author does a great job getting you invested in what's going on and I'm looking forward to picking up the next book to see what happens.

Overall Black Sun was a great start to the Between Earth and Sky series and I'm looking forward to picking up the next book in the series, Fevered Star, soon.

This came out in 2020 when I wasn’t reading as much as I wanted due to school and it has been sitting there on my TBR list. Since then, I have admitted to myself that I am not nearly as much of an epic fantasy, especially political fantasy, then I wish I was. This is epic political, fantasy with some very expected set up for a fantasy books. Multiple points a view around a fantasy world converge by the end of the book for a large event that changes the political structure of the world and sets up drama for the rest of the trilogy. No happy endings in book one. I dislike reading book ones in this type of trilogy sometimes for this set-up. I know something bad is going to happen and the whole book often feels like set-up. With all this complaining, one may wonder why I have given it 4 stars. That is because despite my dislike of the genre, I am now highly anticipating reading the second one. I really liked the world based on meso-America and look forward to seeing more of it. I like Serapio quite a bit and appreciate how his blindness was balanced with his and the world’s magic, though he still was able to “see” at times using magic. I will give the second one and try and hope to get to it in less than 3.5 years.

I adored Rebecca Roanhorse’s books Trail of Lightning and Storm of Locusts so when I saw Black Sun back in 2020 I was thrilled…then decided to wait until the 3rd book was going to come out before I read it. Book 3 releases in June so I read it finally and I’m so glad I did! Absolutely EPIC in scope, world building, details, planning, etc, Cannot wait to start book 2 of the trilogy. She has created such an amazingly detailed world . If you like Game of Thrones then I think you’d love Black Sun. This has my highest recommendation.

Thanks to the author and Saga Press for the e-arc I received in exchange for my honest review. I also preordered a hard copy, checked a copy out from my local library, and got the audiobook as well.

I love Rebecca Roanhorse's books that are set in New Mexico and the 4 corners region. I couldn't get into this one, despite trying 3-4 times since it was published!

I'm finally giving up on this ARC. I've tried to read it a few times over the last three years and I've put aside each time around the 30% mark. I loved the premise of this story but I just can't get into the book. The writing is good but I can't get my brain to focus on the story.

A fresh fantasy world based on indigenous North American people that leaves you wanting more. This first book is so amazing that the one person in my book club who has DNF'ed most picks this year finished this one and is eager to get the next one.

A terrific follow up that answers many of the questions posed in the first book. The action doesn't really let up, and the reader is quickly drawn back in! One of the most creative books series out there. Can't wait for the next one!

Lush Epic, fantasy story set in pre-columbian times with multiple povs. I was not lost in who was the voice in each chapter as we moved through the story. The ancient prophecy is never lost in the story and the tale is woven in a way you just get wrapped up in the tale. The author did an amazing job of weaving, intrigue, plotting, back-stabbing and danger into the story. I did feel that ending was very abrupt to the point where yes their more story but it just seemed like you were cut off with a cleaver i would of liked a bit more to transition to the next book. Overall i think this is a very unique story.

This started off as a buddy read, but they quickly left me behind while I struggled to find reasons to continue reading this book. It's honestly been so long now that I've forgotten most of what I read (not very much). I do remember being annoyed by the dialogue and wishing for more showing instead of telling. Roanhorse has created a very complex world, but I wanted to feel fully immersed in it and not like a bystander. I also don't want to have to question how something works but want the story to unfold in a way that explains through experiences. I know some dialogue is necessary to explain complex ideas, but I would prefer to see them played out on paper.

Black Sun was soooo hyped, and I just expected more from this fantasy world and its characters. I also really, really didn't like the child mutilation and found that aspect of the book to be hard to stomach.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me a free copy of this advanced copy of the book to read and review.

Black Sun (Between Earth and Sky Book 1) by Rebecca Roanhorse

461 Pages
Publisher: Gallery Books, Gallery/Saga Press
Release Date: October 13, 2020

Fiction, Sci Fi, Fantasy

Serapio was a boy whose mother turned him into a god. She sewed his eyes shut and carved ritual symbols on his body before she killed herself. Now it is time for the winter solstice, the celebration of new beginnings. This year is different, however, there is a total eclipse of the sun the end of the sun year. This is the end of the sun year and the beginning of the year of the crow.

Xiala is a sea captain and a Teek, a woman who can command the water with song. She is tasked with bringing Serapio to Tova in time for the solstice celebration at all costs. What she doesn’t realize at the time of the assignment is that it might be a price too high to pay.

Naranpa is the Sun Priest but has never really been truly accepted. She is from the earth and was not a sky maiden. Now someone is trying to assassinate her. Her apprentice is trying to undermine her authority and make a power play.

The story has a steady pace, the characters are somewhat developed, and it is written in the third person point of view. The three main characters are all different traveling troubled paths. Each is heading for their destiny but must make sacrifices. The book ends in a cliffhanger so we are left not knowing their fates. This is the first book of the trilogy

Unfortunately I couldn't get into this book. I know that it gets rave reviews, but the beginning felt so dense and there was just so much going on that I couldn't connect with the book or any of the characters. I found myself lost for the majority of the book. It's probably a me thing though.

What a stellar series starter! Black Sun's world-building is captivating, filled with vivid detail. Each POV captured my attention. The characters are quite intriguing, and Roanhorse bestows plenty of nuance and development upon them. I'm eagerly looking forward to the rest of this series.

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 even 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 a “brilliant world that shows the full panoply of human grace and depravity” (Ken Liu, award-winning author of The Grace of Kings). This epic adventure explores 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 this “absolutely tremendous” (S.A. Chakraborty, nationally best-selling author of The City of Brass) and most original series debut of the decade.

What an incredible start to a new fantasy series. The world building was written so beautifully, and the characters were so incredibly unique. I absolutely can’t wait to read the next!