Inspired by the pre-Columbian cultures of the Americas, the story revolves around the magnificent event of the convergence, when the moon's shadow create a Black sun, signalizing the return of god.

Alternating between different perspectives - the Sun priest Naranpa; the captain of a ship, Xiala, whose song has power over waters; a mysterious man Serapio and a warrior Okoa - Roanhorse delivers a masterful characterization. The characters face their judgment, some paving their path to power through blood while others venture into the fear of the unknown. In this final installment, the characters converge by their minds/hearts, through shared generational trauma that feel palpable. It was nothing but utterly satisfying to dive into these characters' mind, in an incisive and mesmerizing plot driven by (misplaced) loyalty, plotting, ambition, revenge and forgiveness.

Among God vessels, dark and forbidden magic, mythical creatures and queer rep, Roanhorse showers the reader with pages of political intrigue, in which there is a matter of trust and fate. Roanhorse is a skillful storyteller, effortlessly expanding the politics into the otherworldly. The characters are remarkable and textured, whose ending left me with a void - with a bittersweet conclusion, I wouldn't have minded staying 100 more pages with them and I needed a concrete (or even more hopeful) outcome for some characters. I was shattered in the best way and might need some time to pick up the scattered pieces of my heart.

Between the Earth and Sky, there are those who read and those who didn't experience this trilogy. Action-packed and multi-layered, this is an Indigenous epic fantasy that is written near perfection and 600 pages of book three weren't enough. Undoubtedly, a series not to be missed.

4.25
This may be my least favorite of the three, but it's still a fairly satisfying ending to this epic trilogy! I think my favorite part were all of the flashbacks that we got, particularly for Naranpa. I really grew to appreciate her character even more and I find the dream-walking magic to be so interesting! We get too much of Balam's POV though for my liking...not that we're supposed to like him though.

Serapio faces assassination attempts while Xiala's island is under attack. There are horrific prophecies and lots of action, but the ending did feel a bit rushed for me. I won't spoil it of course, but it does end on a less bleak note than I feared it might. I'm sad that it's over as I found this world absolutely fascinating and wanted even more time with these characters (except for Balam, LOL). Hopefully we get a new epic series from Rebecca Roanhorse soon!

This was a fantastic conclusion to Roanhorse's "Between Earth and Sky" trilogy. While we are still generally counting forward in time in this installment, we have a number of insightful flashbacks that help us to better understand the motivations of a few key characters, and the blend of present and past worked beautifully throughout. What I loved most about book one, Black Sun, was the countdown to Convergence and the tension and anticipation that that countdown built for the reader, and in this, while we aren't counting down, we are finally bringing all of our far-flung characters back to Tova, and that gravitational pull ensures each narrative and POV feels meaningful.

Where Serapio's powers are the driving force in book one, and Naranpa's powers in book two, we are finally exploring Xiala's powers in this installment, and man it's so freaking cool. I loved seeing how her own journey diverges and converges with Serapio's, and how all of our Gods and God-avatars circle each other until the very end. This is bloody and merciless, with a sprawling cast of morally gray characters, all willing to bargain morality for ambition. I also appreciate that so much of the driving force in this trilogy feels accidental and circumstantial, a significant choice in a story that depends so much on prophecy and fate. We explore this very literally in dialogue between Xiala and Serapio on the power of fate, and we see it play out as characters have to continually adjust their goals to account for unforeseen outcomes and new obstacles.

This is a grisly and compelling fantasy series all the way through, and one I look forwarding to recommending to new readers, now that it's complete!

This was an excellent conclusion to the Between Earth & Sky series. I loved the increased inclusion of my favorite characters from the previous books, namely Iktan and Xiala. This book made my heart soar and make me cry within a couple of chapters. This book has firmly solidified Rebecca Roanhorse as an auto-buy author for me! I can’t wait to see what else they have to write in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley for an early access copy!

This was an incredible conclusion to the Between Earth and Sky trilogy! I got an ending I was hoping for for one pairing, but the other three POVs’ ending left me crushed and wanting either more, or raging for their ending. I had the weird chance to read the first half on my Kindle as an eARC and the last half in the physical book form as I’m a bit behind on my reviews for eARCs thanks to last month being so hectic, but back to the review! 💙

XIala continues to be one of my favorite older women in the genre of high fantasy. She has changed so much from the first book, and I just love how she went from being an exile to that of a revered hero of her people. Her and Serapio’s relationship continues to tug at my heartstrings, and again, I’m just so happy to see them in a relationship where the woman is older and more experienced. Speaking of Serapio, I loved that his characterization took a darker turn in this book, but he never let his decisions slide past him. His desire to keep himself accountable for the things he’s done is something that I wish more villain like characters would acknowledge in their own POV. And their ending? Just perfection even though I was stressed out for them. 🥹

Naranpa and Iktan’s reunion was so bittersweet. I won’t go into too much detail without spoiling it for everyone, but I really enjoyed their journey back to one another even though their ending left me desperately wanting to know more. I really hope Iktan gets the answer they want in (hopefully) future installments!! 🤞🏼

And lastly, Okoa . . . oh this sweet summer child. He was dragged through the mud in this book, and my heart ached continuously for him as you clearly see how conflicted and lost he is. I was really rooting for him, and the ending he got, while it did make me somewhat happy, made me so sad. He probably was my other favorite POV in this book. 🥲

The story itself in this third installment was done so well and honestly, I loved every second of it. The only thing that I found myself thinking about after finishing the book was what happened to Serapio’s Tuyon? But overall, loved this conclusion and the chaotic events that took place. Big thank you goes to Saga Press and NetGalley for accenting my desperate request to read this in exchange for an honest review, and to the author, Roanhorse, for crafting such an incredible epic political fantasy inspired by Pre-Columbian civilizations. I don’t know if I will ever read something like this again. 😭

Publication date: June 4, so get your copy now!!

Overall: 4.75/5 ⭐️

I am unwell. Absolutely devastating, beautiful book. Excellent conclusion to this series, except I need one more book, maybe a novella? Please, I beg you, I need to know what happens next. 😭

Mirrored Heavens is the enchanting finale to Rebecca Roanhorse’s groundbreaking Between Earth and Sky trilogy. If you’re yearning for fantasy worlds that break free from stale, overdone European tropes, this series is a spellbinding incantation you won’t want to miss. Roanhorse conjures a world inspired by Indigenous American myth and magic, casting a potent spell of political intrigue, thrilling action, and shocking betrayals.

The characters have grown so much since we first met them in Black Sun. Poor Serapio, the Crow God Reborn, and his lover, the enigmatic siren and sea witch Xiala, continue to be a fascinating and complex pairing. Their tragic love story is fraught with passion and sacrifice as their magic intertwines. But each character’s journey is filled with unexpected twists and turns, as if Roanhorse casts a new charm with every page, keeping you guessing until the very end.

And that cover art? Pure magic.

While I’m sad to see this world fade, Mirrored Heavens offers a satisfying, heart-pounding conclusion and a final flourish to a truly unique fantasy series. If you’re ready to be captivated by a story that challenges conventions and transports you to vividly imagined worlds, this one will leave you utterly spellbound.

Mirrored Heavens is the third in Roanhorse's Between Earth and Sky Trilogy. The books draw from a variety of pre-Columbian American influences and feature a variety of LGBTQ representation with one of the main characters Xiala being bisexual and several other characters are non-binary. I had highly enjoyed the first two books Black Sun and Fevered Star. I would recommend reading the books in order to best understand the story.

This book does move back and forth through time uncovering some more details about the past that help illuminate what has happened so far and better explain various characters motivations. What I love about Roanhorse's work is that she has complex characters who have different goals of their own or pressure from those whom they represent to act in a certain way sometimes against their own best interest rather than generally having "good guys" and "bad guys." Even good characters do not always make the best decisions. It also looks at the weight that is put on a person who has been raised to become a god or favored by their god in the cases of Serapio and Xiala whose elemental romance provides the beating heart of the story.

A great conclusion to the series! I reread books one and two to prepare me for the final book and I had such a good time revisiting the world and characters again. I fell more in love with this series.
Xiala is in my top for favorite badass female characters in fantasy!

My only critique is that I felt that the final epic battle was too quick. I was expecting it to be drawn out longer than it was.
Other than that, Rebecca Roanhorse is now a favorite and an auto buy author for me!

I highly recommend the Between Earth & Sky series!

5 stars for the highest level of love for this series as whole, the characters, and the world. The Between Earth & Sky trilogy is the pinnacle of diverse fantasy and deserves nothing less than all the accolades! For those looking to get into diverse high fantasy, this would be one of the first recommendations I would provide.

4.5 stars for the pacing and one unresolved character arc that I am HOPING AND PRAYING will lead to some sort of spin-off or companion story.

Much like Black Sun, Mirrored Heavens unfolds as a quest narrative where each character embarks on a distinctive journey, ultimately converging towards a pivotal central plot point - which is namely the war between the clans and whether or not The Carrion King will be defeated.

Though some may say it was overlong or that the pacing was slow, it didn’t feel that way at all to me as I enjoyed every minute I got in this world and with these characters, especially knowing how this would likely be the last time I would get to experience them. There were some bits of the conflict that did seem to resolve to easily, especially for Serapio, but that would really be my only critique. Roanhorse carried forward the complex, diverse cast of characters and political machinations in a world that was so vividly described and easy to picture while adding in new reveals, expanded powers, and unique horrors for our beloved characters to experience and ALL characters were put through the ringer by the end. The time spent with Xiala was especially a treat and she has definitely made the list of favorite characters alongside characters like Amina Al-Sirafi. I do wish we had spent more time with Naranpa, however.

Overall I am very satisfied with the series and how it was resolved and will absolutely continue to recommend it to other fantasy readers. I look forward, in great anticipation, to anything else Rebecca Roanhorse writes!

Thank you to Saga Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, for the free copy for review.

I need someone to make a special edition for this series! Fantastic conclusion and one that I will re-read in future!

Mirrored Heavens concludes the Between Earth and Sky series intensely. This book was terrific, and its focus on Xiala and Okoa made it stand out to me, as I feel that the narrative left them behind in previous books. In my opinion, Xiala went from being a "meh" character to becoming a strong one, while Okoa and his inner conflict of loyalty to Carrion Crow and loyalty and search for belongingness and approval. Serapio’s inner turmoil was also great.

My one gripe with this is how Naranpa is pushed to the background of the book. She’s not my favorite character but she felt crucial to the plot of the first two books, and she’s definitely pushed to the background along with everything else she stood for: reinstating the Coyote clan which in theory would have brought a lot of new conflict to the table as the matrons not only have to adapt to shifts within Tova but also within their own circle and inner politics; her being “god-touched” by the Sun God, learning Dream Walking, and then just to have that ending that was so sour to me. However I like her relationship with Iktan, and how xe is so willing to fight for her and give it all for Naranpa.

Xiala is her strongest in terms of characterization in this book: going from the drunken mess from the first book to the de facto queen and leader of her people on this one, overcoming grief, trauma and pain to become a Queen of Teek by the end, as well as a mother and a woman willing to challenge her people’s way of life. Her coming into her own power and strength is great to read about. Her encounter with Serapio was so sour sweet and that little scene between the two of them at the end of the book is so tender.

Okoa is another character who in my opinion is at his strongest in Mirrored Heavens. I disliked how he ends, it feels to abrupt but to be fair so is the reality of death itself. I like that it’s a direct consequence of his own actions, and that it’s the end of a cycle of pain that in part he started and fed.

Overall this a great conclusion to what I can call one of my favorite fantasy series, however the unresolved plot points do bother me to some extent and I wished there were more books.

This book ends a massive trilogy set in a massive world, one built roughly on pre-Columbian cultures in the Americas. I can't recall anything close in the fantasy landscape. The four main characters are all god-touched in one way or another, bringing their Lords' divine competitions to the mortal world with cataclysmic, bloody results: the body count in this book is incredibly high. Much of the religious practice is blood-based, and the good guys are generally as bloodthirsty as the bad guys.

Roanhorse is a fine writer. The characters are recognizably human, doing their best to navigate a world of war and the demands of their gods. The story is well-told, although the last confrontations and climactic battles are intercut with a few too many flashbacks. Rather than heightening suspense, these broke the flow of action and had the opposite effect.

All in all, this is a very good capstone to a major work of fantasy, It's well worth reading.

This was a stunning conclusion to a dark, gut-wrenching, utterly unique fantasy trilogy. Everything paid off in the best way, and there's one scene in particular that made me cry. How Rebecca creates characters who do such violent things and also are so tender to one another, I do not know. MIRRORED HEAVENS really nails the landing.

I did a mix of audiobook and e-galley and the cast of the audiobook was fantastic. Thanks to the publisher for my e-ARCs.

2.2/5

Black Sun was one of my favourite books from last year. Mirrored Heavens was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024. And here I am, absolutely pissed at this book.

The concept, the magic, the world building, religion, different cultures and races of Black Sun was simply amazing. Fevered Star was a huge disappointment because "nothing" happened, a lot of things happened but as a preparation for the coming war, and we were introduced to new characters alongside an expansion of the world building. Second book syndrome, we all know what that is, but the book ended in a way that made you think war was around the corner so I didn't think much of it.

Imagine my face when book 3 starts with the same numb feeling of book 2 and it keeps going for 500 FUCKING PAGES. 500 pages of nothing really going on, of preparation, of characters settling in for the war. All for it to finish in 50 pages. Everything, every drama, every discovery for the war and the involvement of the armies, everything just gone in 50 pages.

It gave me the feeling that the author hated the book and just wanted to be done with it quick to focus on something else.

And the characters? Those are not the characters that we were introduced in book 1. Serapio turned to a monster, Xiala turned to a wimp. Xiala, who was a tough sailor, a daughter of the sea always drunk and confident and getting into arguments, turning into someone whose sole purpose feels like it is coming back to Serapio's lap while crying all the way to Tova. Iktan and Naranpa feel like new characters.

But what pissed me the most was that book 2 introduce us to Coyote clan, the Maw, giving Naranpa and her hometown so much importance in book 2. WHAT FOR? No character from the clan, not even the Maw get more than 5 pages in this book. Only Zataya comes in with a USELESS prophecy that means nothing and only serves to add a bit of unnecessary drama to the story.

And so many things don't make any sense. Tunn coming in to the Teek island serves NO PURPOSE beyond helping Xiala to "develop" her character. All the flashbacks and we still don't know anything about Saya.

This book pissed me off and made me start hating what I believe would be one of my new fantasy series ever. I don't even want to recommend Black Sun anymore.

*Thank you to Saga Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

I'll be honest - I was bored for the first 30-50% of this book. And while I know that we needed all of this political intrigue and PoV bouncing, that didn't mean that I had to like it. However, past the halfway mark, we do get back into the action and it felt good. We do also get a lot of new PoVs in this book and I thought it added a lot to the story.

The last 15% felt rushed in my opinion (though I may have been rushing to finish it myself), kind of like I blinked and all of the conflict was over. But overall, I think that it was a good end to the series and I have plans to reread when I'm not falling asleep on an airplane.

The conclusion to Rebecca Roanhorse's Between Earth and Sky trilogy picks up where book two left off - with all of our heroes spread across the continent, caught in the middle of a war and desperately trying to find their ways back to one another.

Mirrored Heavens featured all of the queer angst and political drama I have come to love from this series. The relationships between Serapio and Xiala, and Naranpa and Iktan are achingly romantic, yet well balanced with the fantasy adventure and complex political plot lines. I loved reading about all of these characters again. Their development is thoughtfully done and fully realized at the novel's conclusion. My heart will be aching for Serapio for a long time.

Throughout the series, I've struggled with understanding some of the motivations of the side POV characters, and book three did not bring me much more clarity. Overall, I felt like six hundred pages was a bit much for the core plot of this novel, and possibly most of the exposition could have been folded into book two to balance the pacing.

I will always recommend this series for its memorable characters, unique world building, and beautifully, authentically diverse cast.

Mirrored Heavens is the finale to the Between Earth and Sky trilogy. It is one of the most unique fantasy series out there, and one of my favorites, based on pre-Colombian Central American culture and mythos.

The god avatars are scattered, Serapio, the Crow God Reborn has been crowned the Carrion King ruling all of Tova. His enemies gather both within Tova, and on distant lands. The matrons of the city scheme to destroy him, and his enemies from throughout the Meridian come to bring Tova finally and fully to it's knees. A prophecy of the Coyote God is sung in the dark corners of Tova and promises certain doom for Serapio, unless he fulfills the acts it calls for and despite saying that even in victory, the Crow God will still lose everything (and Xiala telling him that prophecies are nothing more than stories, barely based in reality).

Xiala has been thrust back amongst her people as a leader and princess, while war and violence quickly make their way to the islands of Teek. Their magic and way of life are threatened, Xiala is their last hope, and the last able to properly wield their magic. Meanwhile, Naranpa, the avatar of the Sun God, seeks to harness her power and a way to save Tova from the visions she's had of it engulfed in flames, while facing the Jaguar man who has haunted her dreams since she was revived.

Mirrored Heavens is absolutely ACTION PACKED. Up until the very-very end. The ending was, satisfying, as was the action. I really loved how so much of this story played out and the arc Roanhorse created for both beloved and hated characters. I loved the way the Coyote God's prophecy ultimately came to pass. Throughout the series, Roanhorse masterfully separated the individual stories, and then artfully brought them back together in the end, as well as how she moved through each story as she brought the characters together for the ultimate ending. Mirrored Heavens truly ripped my heart apart and I feel like it tried to put it back together, but I'm still absolutely shattered in the best way possible.

Rebecca Roanhorse is an amazing author, and this is one of my most favorite series, and Mirrored Heavens was everything I hoped it would be, while simultaneously being unexpected (mostly because I wasn't exactly sure what would, or even could happen). I will forever read anything that Rebecca Roanhorse writes.

Thank you NetGalley, Saga Press, and Rebecca Roanhorse for an eARC of Mirrored Heavens!

But I love this world. I love Roanhorse’s writing. These characters, their multiple POVs were so fun to follow. This unique fantasy setting that takes place in pre-Columbian Americas is SUCH a refreshing world to be in. Words that come to my jumbled mind: Indigenous, queer normative, magical, BRUTAL, and just so freaking cool. There’s avatars of gods, warring clans with complicated histories, blood magic, dream walking, giant crows and eagles, oh the list goes on.

I think I’m still processing how some of the storylines concluded- some more hopeful than I expected, and others more bleak. But I just loved this world so much and I’m sad to say goodbye.

Rebecca Roanhorse is one of the greatest literary voices of our generation, and Mirrored Heavens is further proof of that.