I tried reading this book many times and just couldn't get into it. I then bought it on Audible hoping that listening to it would rectify some of the pacing problems I was having... my go to remedy when a physical novel is giving me some difficulties BUT no luck. I returned the audiobook unfinished which is something just not done en mi casa but I think that speaks to how poorly we vibed. This book is getting rave reviews. I read a review that went so far as to call this Mrs Roanhorse's Magnum Opus... I didn't get that AT ALL. Now, maybe it is a me thing (quite possible), maybe I'm in the wrong headspace for this book right now but I tried it on 2 different platforms and I just couldn't see it through... a travesty but unavoidable.

*** I was given a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy to review.

Representation: bisexual main character, multiple queer side characters, story inspired by pre-Columbian America indigenous peoples, disabled main character

An epic story set in a rich world based on pre-Columbian cultures, Black Sun tells the story of four people that become intertwined over time. Xiala, a ship's captain who has a penchant for drink and the ability to drive men mad and calm the seas with just her voice. Serapio, a mysterious blind man covered with scars that plays with shadows and whispers to crows. Naranpa, a young Sun Priest that has ambitious plans to revitalize the Watchers and their role in the Sky Made Clans. Okoa, a young scion burdened with a bloody legacy of oppression and the decision to join an uprising or quell it and maintain the peace. We travel between wide open seas, sprawling seaside towns, and narrow, tall cities built into and on cliffs. We experience cultures that believe in only science and scoff at magic, to those who revere it and honor ancient traditions. Political intrigue abounds, people wanting belonging to societies who shun them or begrudgingly accept them but never fully, relationships bloom and burn.

Rating: 5!!/5 When I saw Rebecca Roanhorse had a new book, I knew I had to read it. I really enjoyed The Sixth World series, and looked forward to reading more. I liked the worldbuilding in the previous series, but I was blown away by what Roanhorse did with this! High fantasy inspired by pre-Columbian indigenous peoples, Roanhorse creates a rich world with people who vary widely in their beliefs, customs, clothing, and living ways. There is so much casual queer rep in this, and it never feels superficial or tokenized. It feels like an authentic part of the world, and people simply accept it as a fact of life, which is amazing. There are multiple people who use neopronouns and more than two genders are recognized. If I recall correctly, Roanhorse also described a person's appearance without using gender until the person was introduced or the gender was made known. Disability rep - I'm not blind myself, but I appreciated how Roanhorse portrayed Serapio, the blind character. It felt like she really made sure she wrote him respectfully, and I never felt like she pitied him or wrote him as "oh poor blind man." Serapio was his own person and very capable. I also liked that Roanhorse never made it seem like he was gifted with extraordinary abilities to walk around and live like a sighted person. There were parts where he emphasizes that he simply had good tutors, and worked hard to get to where he is. I just absolutely loved it and was devastated when I finally realized it was only the first of a series, and it ended on a major cliffhanger. I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

This is a great start to a new series! The multiple POVs didn't pull me in initially, but the world-building is amazing, and I quickly became interested in how the stories would intersect. My favorite storyline was the Teek woman, and that will keep me reading the series as the next book comes out.

I did not finish this book as I ended up losing interest when I started reading it. The writing is good but I just caught myself not really caring about the story.

If it isn’t my own review draft of Rebecca Roanhorse’s BLACK SUN staring me coldly in the face as I type this review after already having finished the novel several weeks prior (whoops!) I am, dear reader, not a very dependable writer, and arguably a bad reader, too, but alas, I still have a question for you:

“If you or a loved one enjoys, in a novel, bloodshed, religious mutilation, ominous prophecies, and/or protagonists who deserve a much-needed bloody break, but because they’re the main characters, fat chance of that in hell happening? If so, then you might be entitled to compensation when reading BLACK SUN. Congrats!”

If you resonated with even one of the aforementioned qualities this novel possesses, then partake of my lavishly written review that’s chock-full of adverbs, adjectives, and gushing.

Back in late September, when autumn was still a distant dream, and the weather was remarkably warm, I got my sticky fingers all over a copy of Rebecca Roanhorse’s new novel, BLACK SUN. It was pitched to me as a cast of characters trying to not die in pre-Columbian Americas, an indigenous-lore based magic system, and four characters who, quite literally, did not get even a single break throughout the novel. Unless you count Serapio, who is broken many, many times over the course of a few hundred pages.

That’s right – sweet, sweet suffering for the price of just $20!

BLACK SUN, as you may have already seen, is notoriously popular across Goodreads and every other critic’s column across multiple news syndicates. There’s a good reason for it, and I’ll explain why I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5.

The story begins eerily, following the young child, Serapio, who begins his teenage life rather poorly. His mother, a devout woman, commits atrocious acts to her own child in the name of the Crow God. By far, Serapio’s journey and POV was my favorite out of the four POVs that Rebecca introduces to us throughout the story.

The second character we meet is Xiala: sailor, drunk, and my inner animal, whose mysterious deity of the seas grants her the powers to entice men and control the tumultuous ocean waters when she sings. This doesn’t stop her from getting tossed into jail, however, especially when she steals girls from under men’s noses because she is just too Femme to handle! PERIOD!

The plot begins when Xiala is discharged from prison. She teams up with a deliciously mysterious lord, who offers her a truly beguiling amount of money if she can sail to the ancient holy city of Tova – but with a catch. She must reach Tova in less than a month before the eclipse so that her cargo, none other than Serapio, can accomplish his long-awaited task.

His task? Just to become the Crow God. Because, as we all know, prophecies are accurate and mean exactly what we want them to mean. What’s said prophecy? Well…

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

Not ominous or confusing or dry at all.

The stories and backgrounds Xiala and Serapio are similar. Their shared pains of being abused by their mothers, of only knowing pain from others in their lives, and of being singularly driven by one overarching goal overlap. Serapio must become the Crow God. Xiala drowns men the same way she drowns her sorrows in women, men, and drink. Both are incredibly fucked-up.

Finally, we meet Nara, Sun Priest, whose razor-sharp tongue, dysfunctional family background, and big, big beef with her brother made just hum in understanding, as well as Okoa, who recently lost his mother and is accused for the Sun Priest’s murder later in the story.

Of course, the issue with having four characters in a single novel is that one or two are always threatening to be drowned under the stories of other stronger POVs, and unfortunately, Nara and Okoa are both easily overshadowed by Xiala’s and Serapio’s far more compelling narratives. It’s the primary reason as to why I dropped a star from my rating, as I believe the storylines could’ve been much tighter if Rebecca had chosen to cut even one POV from the overall novel.

I often found myself speeding through Nara’s and Okoa’s chapters in order to continue Serapio’s and Xiala’s plots. As soon as I realized that my eyes were skimming their parts, I felt a part of my soul just go “ugh.” I hate that I can’t devote equal attention to every character, as Rebecca’s work is masterfully edited, but it is an honest reaction that I feel many others resonate with. When you have too many tragic backgrounds and strong characters, they begin to cannibalize one another.

A major crux of the story rests upon the highly anticipated meeting of the Crow God and the Sun Priest. It’s a huge aspect of the novel, and the resolution is one that was painfully satisfying. I loathe to spoil it for you, the reader, simply because of how taken aback I was at the twist, but I will say this: If you love pain, you’ll love the Crow God. If you love power and corruption, you’ll love the Sun Priest.

Just things to chew on as you anxiously peruse the pages for whatever the fuck I am mentioning, heh.

Overall, BLACK SUN is a riveting, absolute triumph of a novel. Its magic system and religions made my blood rush a little bit faster, my soul quake a little bit harder, especially as the pages seemed to flow faster and faster as the novel came to a close.

I am actively looking forward the next book in the Between Earth and Sky series.

Much respect to NetGalley for kindly providing me this ARC. As always, my reviews are kind of honest as they’ll ever get (until the money comes in, and I’ll happily shill in the name of early retirement).

4 stars

This was an incredibly gripping book that kept me wanting to read more. It took a little time to work out all of the world building, as is true for any fantasy, but I've never felt so invested in a seeming villain. The characters were fantastic!

I received a free advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The writing is evocative. I felt like I was in some of the scenes although, at first, I was confused as to whether the story takes place on one world or multiple worlds that are connected by a sea. (I'm still a little confused to tell the truth. From the back cover description, I keep imagining them in a space ship even though Roanhorse very clearly describes Xiala's SHIP and them sailing into PORTS and being on BEACHES.)

At first, the alternating multiple viewpoints irked me. I loved following the adventures (and misadventures) of Xiala, the ship captain who wakes up drunk and in jail after being caught seducing someone's wife. (Yes! It starts with a queer drunken ship captain who feels no compulsion about seducing married women and is unabashed about waking up in jail!) The other characters eventually grew on me, but some of them, such as the sun priest, took a little more time to get interested in.

I did appreciate the gender non-binary characters--and the way that Roanhorse simply had them be--warriors and other characters--and didn't make an issue of their gender identity.

I did not love the cliffhanger.

Before receiving access to a digital arc, I had been eagerly anticipating reading Rebecca Roanhorse's Black Sun. I didn't know much about it going into it aside from the fact that it's high fantasy that isn't European inspired. Don't get me wrong, I love me some medieval-esque fantasy, but as it seems to be the "standard" in what's out there, I want to read beyond that. The gruesome opening scene to this novel propels the story forward and kept me wanting to know how and why and what, and I devoured this in a matter of days.

This story is has the foundation of Indigenous mythology, and Roanhorse weaves culture and identity in delightful and refreshing ways. Nothing about this novel feels didactic; the characters' genders, sexualities, and lives felt so immediate, real, and never forced. To be in a world in which you can be who you are and to have it accepted without a second thought is so refreshing, and I know this will resonate with a lot of readers who are trans and non-binary. While fantasy is often considered 'escapist,' this fantasy wants you to consider looking at your own world through a different lens. It especially made me want to learn more about precolonial indigenous mythology and literature.

The relationships and the conflicts among the characters against the backdrop of politics and celestial prophecies propel this story forward, and I'm already craving the sequel. I loved the matriarchal societies, especially the Teek, and I hope more of the Teek culture is featured in the next books in the trilogy. It's one of those books in which I found every single character compelling, from the protagonists to the antagonists, because each "side" has credible reasons for behaving and believing in what they do, and to me that makes the conflict much more real, personal, and elevated.

I don't want to talk about the details of this too much because so much enjoyment for me from this book came from the discovery of reading it. This is one of my top reads of the year, and I'm going to be talking about it and recommending it for years to come.

If you only read one high fantasy this year, make Black Sun your choice.

First: the cover art is out-of-this-world. Second: I loved it. I'm not usually a fan of high fantasy (in fact, I usually hate them), but this is a refreshing exception to that rule. Rebecca Roanhorse has created a truly special world in Meridian and I'm so glad she's sharing it with readers. I am particularly impressed by the scope of representation, the seamless integration of non-binary and third gender folks, plus the care taken to her depicting her blind protagonist as, not a superhero, but simply someone who has adapted. I can't wait to read more in this world.

Rebecca Roanhorse’s Black Sun is a divinely crafted MPOV fantasy novel with exquisite world-building and magical creatures. A young man named Serapio believes himself to be the reborn Crow god of the Carrion Crow clan. A clan that hasn’t forgotten the Night of Knives, when members of their clan were mercilessly slaughtered by the priesthood in the holy city of Tova. The winter solstice is approaching and Serapio must get to Tova to confront the Sun Priest and upset the balance of power the priesthood has over the four Sky clans. With a cast of sophisticated characters and Roanhorse’s remarkable storytelling, Black Sun is an incredible introduction of what aims to be a groundbreaking novel series.

Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse is an adult fantasy inspired by Pre-Columbian Americas and the different civilizations that existed during that time. Roanhorse weaves a tale of prophecies, politics, and magic to create a unique fantasy world that is wonderfully realized and set the backdrop for a set of characters that paths will all intertwine.

In the city of Tova, the winter solstice is a time for celebration but when it coincides with a solar eclipse what is expected is in jeopardy. Xiala, a ship captain and Teek (women who can control the sea), is tasked to bring Serapio, a blind young man, to Tvoa before the solstice to face his destiny. Narapa, the young Sun Priest, who many don't think deserves her position as she came from the slums is also tied into what ever fate Serapio brings. While Okoa, a member of the worshipers of the Crow God, attempts to find out why his mother died and if it was murder.

I loved the premise of the story and liked most of the book. However, the story is told through the perspectives of our four main characters and I only was interested in two of the perspectives. I love Serapio's story as we start with how he became blind and believes himself to be the avatar for the Crow God that will destroy the Sun Priest. Xiala is a badass sea captain who happens to have magical powers and I just want more of her story. I also enjoyed her growing relationship with Serapio and the tragedy that it seems to be.

I found Narapa's sections to be boring and I found myself not wanting to read her chapter's which in the end caused me to skim read them. I understand why her perspective is used and given the ending I excited to see where her story will go. Okoa had the fewest chapters and not well developed but I feel like he will grown in the next book.

Though the book starts out slow when the plot ramps up its a race to the end. And that ending took me by surprise and left me wanting so much more. I can't wait for the next book to come out.

Rebecca Roanhorse is fast becoming a favorite author of mine. I adore her Sixth World series and I’m thrilled to say that I adore this series beginner as well.

Immersive and rich with culture, Roanhorse crafts her tale in BLACK SUN around the history and mythology of Pre-Columbian Americas. The Sky Made clans are flocking to the holy city of Tova because the Winter Solstice is fast approaching, an event which holds great significance to all the clans of this world. But this Solstice promises to be a bit different because there’s also a solar eclipse that will be happening at the same time, which prophecy says will bring a great unbalancing of the world. With so much unknown surrounding the Solstice this year, there’s an undercurrent of unease that touches all the characters. Combine that with a strange young man crossing the sea to Tova and deaths among the Carrion Crow, it seems like whatever is prophesied also promises to bring quite a bit more than just unbalance.

BLACK SUN is epic fantasy at its finest. Colorful, atmospheric, and filled with magic, each part of this grand world was so meticulously crafted and so incredibly rich, a perfect backdrop for an amazing cast of characters. I absolutely loved each and every one of these characters and how they don’t fit in to this particular society’s confines, but that just makes them fight harder to be who they truly are. I also really appreciated the diversity among them, particularly in regard to creating a non-binary character that’s very seen and prominent in the story. We need more diversity in fantasy and Rebecca Roanhorse not only understands that, but she executes it perfectly.

Bottom line — I can’t wait to see what Roanhorse brings in the next installment of this fantastic new series. I’ll definitely be putting this beauty on my favorites shelf, right alongside her Trail of Lightning and Storm of Locusts. 5 glorious stars.

This book had a lot going for it that was completely unexpected for me. The celestial journey between the main characters, Serapio and Xiala, which in turn is inspired by the civilizations of the pre-Columbian Americas, was something I didn't think I ever needed. I studied Pre-Columbian art history for a period of time and this book was able to provide me a sense of connection to the things I learned about the peoples of ancient times and how they viewed their world and the mysteries within it. There were moments that I did feel the book did drag a little, but it made up for it shortly after. The setting and imagery of this world is beautiful and vibrant from the get-go. Mixing politics and magic in any situation/setting is just calling for attention and the adventure of a lifetime. For anyone interested in an epic fantasy set in a real-life civilization long gone, this is the book for you.

I am really struggling with how to rate this book. Fantasy is not my first choice but since I heard so many good things about it I decided to give it a try. This book started strong and got my attention right away. About 75% into the book I was impressed, interested; it was a strong 4 and then “boom” – such a disappointing end. I understand that this book is a part of the trilogy but I feel like the author could give us more interesting cliffhanger. Overall it was a good read, good story. Will I read the next book? Probably not.
Thank you to Net Galley and Saga Press for an ARC of this book in exchange of my honest review.

Wow, this book had me hooked for the very first page. It was beautifully written, intense and absolutly thrilling. The story unfolds through four different POVs, each with a different role in the events. They each had a unique voice and it was interesting to see how they were all woven into the web of the larger story. And my friends, they do not all appear to be on the same side.

And that end. Be warned, this story has fantastic tension and it builds in many ways to a "To Be Continued" moment. Not completly a cliff hanger but there is obviously so much more to tell. I cannot wait to see what happens next and read everything else that Rebecca Roanhorse has published. I LOVED this book.

We NEED more epic fantasy written by Indegenous People. Black Sun was unique and incredible.

Yes! This is it! This book is… wow!

Maybe my 2020 reading life has experienced a drought of easy, five-star reads. Maybe everything about this year has been utter shit and brimming with disappointment. So when I picked up Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse, I was begging, Please be good. You sound so interesting and your cover is gorgeous and if another of my most anticipated reads disappoints me, I will cry.

Well, Black Sun wasn’t just good; it was wonderful. It wasn’t just interesting. It was page-turning and original. I’ve already ran out and bought a copy for myself because I fell for it so hard.

(And in case you’re wondering, yes, the cover is even more dazzling in your hands, and the gold positively shimmers. I might’ve swooned.)

Black Sun is the beginning of a fantasy trilogy inspired by the civilizations of the Pre-Columbian Americas, full of old magic, political intrigue, and prophecies surrounding the return of a vengeful god. Ricocheting between past and present, the narrative hurtles towards a rare, celestial event: a Convergence, where a solar eclipse occurs during the winter solstice.

Xiala, a Teek captain whose Song can compel men’s minds and calm the ocean waves, has been given a crucial task by Balam, a Cuecola nobleman: Sail to the holy city of Tova and arrive with a single passenger before the Convergence takes place. The passenger, he assures her, is harmless, but Xiala has known enough men to reason that a “harmless” man will often become a villain.

Serapio, however, doesn’t view himself as one. Rather, he is a young man with a destiny. Blind, scarred, and with command over crows, Serapio’s journey to Tova is the culmination of a prophecy his mother bestowed to him at a young age along with the carvings she imparted on his skin.

Meanwhile, preparing for the Convergence in Tova is Naranpa, the Sun Priest, an outsider who has unexpectedly risen to great heights and been left to contend with growing political unrest, clan grudges, and lessening reliance on her priestly order. Perhaps the only person she can count on is Iktan, the Priest of Knives, who is also her protector and former lover, but Iktan may have xer own agenda.

There are other characters, of course, like a superstitious first mate and a Shield to the matriarch of Carrion Crow. All of them have such life breathed into them, even the background characters, and it was such a joy to read such natural dialogue interwoven with creative description, rich fantasy cultures, and imaginative world-building. I constantly look for fantasy books not set in yet another European-centric background because—while I do still like those—I am always hungry for something different. Black Sun proves there are other ways writers can pull off fantasy with new life, settings, and cultures, and even though it may be unfamiliar to readers, it is no less riveting.

In a rare occurrence, I also loved the POV of every character, which is rare. There’s usually one or two characters whose chapters I’ll rush through to get to the characters I care more about, but not with this book. While Naranpa had to grow on me faster than Xiala and Serapio, I came to love her perspective all the same. Another character also gets introduced later that I also appreciated, and I never once felt that his POV chapters were a pointless addition. Rather, they were increasingly necessary, and I look forward to seeing more of him in the next book.

You also learn quite a bit about Xiala’s Teek culture and how it’s received by others in the world, and I loved every morsel of information I got about it—and there’s still so much mystery and mysticism behind it and her. She’s going to be an instant favorite with readers, and she deserves it!

Then, there are the four clans in Tova: Carrion Crow, Water Strider, Golden Eagle, and Winged Serpent. The first was certainly highlighted the most in this book, but what I saw from the others was deeply engaging, and I hope to see much more of the other clans in the next books. What I saw of the Maw was also a good time. I love me some shady, underground crime bosses and gambling rings.

And also… I hope Balam comes back. He is not by any means a major character at all, but he was definitely my type, and yeah, I hope this instigator makes a glorious return. But if not, there is still plenty here to entertain me, so it’s no great loss.

Along with the wonderful characters was the narrative balance Black Sun has. It was as equally engaged with the plot as it was with character development, and usually, you find yourself getting more of one over the other. This book was fast-paced, for sure, but I felt it did an exemplary job of putting you in the character’s heads and having you learn about them while also ensuring the plot was being driven forward.

I think alternating between past and present was a clever narrative choice on Roanhorse’s part to ensure both characters and plot kept moving. Even when you are reading a chapter set in the past, you feel that the novel is building and building towards something, and when that something finally arrives, it is such a glorious pay-off. Everything about this book just paid off, and I never felt that anything was extraneous, written out of character, or took a poor direction. Roanhorse just knows how to flipping write, and I will certainly be checking out her other works soon.

Besides the world-building and such, there’s of course the diversity aspect. Every character and culture is based on civilizations in the pre-Columbian Americas, and we also have a few non-binary characters, including Iktan, and an openly bisexual character in Xiala. It was just wonderful to see such seamless relationships and interactions between all the characters, even those fraught with tension or mistrust or envy. Xiala and Serapio especially have my whole heart and soul, but also Naranpa and Iktan, and gosh, I am dying for the next book.

This is the hit we take with getting ARCs sometimes. Sure, you get early access to great books, but then the wait for the next amazing book becomes completely intolerable. And maybe my encouraging you to read Black Sun immediately means you’ll be joining an excruciating wait with me, but I think it’s worth the pain, as Serapio will certainly assure you.

So please, read Black Sun immediately.

This epic tale is a great beginning to a series full of betrayal, revenge, love and duty. The first parts might be a bit slow as the scene is set but soon the characters intertwine and the adventures progress in a way that you can’t help needing to know what happens next. The writing style is engaging and the portrayal of tribes, clans, families and relationships is interesting and relatable. While it is obvious there will be a sequel and more, the book in itself offers satisfying results to many plot arcs and a satisfying ending. I can’t wait for the next installment.

A wonderful new series by a first class author who has stepped outside her comfort zone with amazing results. Black Sun is an event. The combination of the solstice and a solar eclipse....a black sun.

There is so much to praise in this first volume of a planned series. The story line is based on a pre-Columbian native story. The world building has such a visual quality, I can see the ships, hear the priests chant, feel the frustration of the characters....Rebecca Roanhorse's writing skills are amazing. It's as if she is sharing a picture of a world she can see in her mind. The story unwinds in a multiple POV format. Each of the main characters has spent their lives from birth being groomed for their place in history. Their stories alone are spellbinding. Their purpose has not always been clear, but the Black Sun is the date for the culmination of their lives. All paths will cross at that point.

This book is what a reader looks for in every title they choose. A story they will become lost in and feel cheated when the last page is done. It's goose bump territory for sure.

This book is a fantastic fantasy! Would highly recommend to readers of this genre. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.