I absolutely loved this book! I loved how unique it was and loved the characters. I loved how there was information given in small amounts so it kept you hooked and wanting to know what would happen. Definitely worth the read.

This story was a really intriguing fantasy read. I quite enjoyed how the twists in the story played out, particularly Pell's "visions". I don't want to spoil anything so I'll stay somewhat brief, but the story was really creative to me and hooked me from the start. I was very invested in what Pell was doing to try and start the machines in the tower and all the cloak and mystery that covered her time there. The last part of the book was really well-paced and I did not want to put the book down, needing to know how everything was going to culminate and ultimately resolve.
I liked the romance thread in this book. Again, I don't want to spoil anything, but the way the romance pieced together was really neat to me and I liked how original it was and how it worked in the plot. There is some implied intimacy, but I'd say it's more fade to black/closed-door as far as content goes. There is nothing on the page and it's not descriptive or graphic in any way.
I received an advance reader copy of this novel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Still the Sun had everything I would expect from a Charlie Holmberg book and like every other CH book I've read, it did not disappoint. I felt the world was well built and the story seeds were woven beautifully, allowing me to see and not see, at the same time. So when those ideas sprouted, it all fit so perfectly. I loved Pell, and loved the connection between her and Heartwood. The townsfolk were all enjoyable and the way she pulled everything together was really so well done. Then she wrapped it up so the ending was satisfying, leaving a door open for more, but not leaving me feeling in complete emotional turmoil over what would happen next.

"A mere tinkerer in a village of farmers will do."

Pell is an engineer and digger by trade—unearthing and repairing the fascinating artifacts left behind by the mysterious Ancients who once inhabited the sunbaked planet of Tampere. She’ll do anything to help the people of her village survive and to better understand the secrets of what came before.

Heartwood and Moseus are keepers of a forbidding tower near the village of Emgarden. Inside are the remnants of complex machines the likes of which Pell has never seen. Considering her affinity for Ancient tech, the keepers know Pell is their only hope of putting the pieces of these metal puzzles together and getting them running. But Pell’s restoration of this broken behemoth soon brings disturbing visions—what is her relationship to it and why has the truth has been hidden from her?

"Something is missing."

The thing that I love about Holmberg is that all of her books are unique. I'll say it again and again, pick up every single new book she puts out, and recommend her to others. Even if I don't re-read a large majority of her books, they will always be worth reading even a single time.

Most of the novel is spent describing the puzzle of the tower machines--musing over what they're for and ways to fix them. Holmberg explains the parts and repairs in a way that is (or at least) sounds technical but simple enough (and with enough context clues) to not lose a reader like me that doesn't know jack about fixing things.

While I was continually frustrated the first half of the novel with her flashbacks covering reality (I'm one of those people that needs spoilers like I need breath so this is definitely a me thing to be frustrated at learning at the pace of the character), once it hit the 42% mark I finally felt like we were rolling. The pieces started coming together, you started venturing your own guesses, and when you had alllllllmost everything but that ONE MISSING PIECE...ah, the excruciatingly satisfying FINISH. The only nitpick I have is that I wish the visions had been emphasized in italics or some other way so I could see how jarring it was for the character vs. feeling it myself and trying to shift that to the character lol.

This novel really makes me feel Charlie's growth as an author and I can't wait to see what else comes next.

Recommended for the tinker lovers and the "what's happening" lovers especially.

Very unique world with an absolutely stunning book cover. I did enjoy the mystery aspect of this book. And the descriptions overall were well done as I was able to picture a lot of the world building. Unfortunately, this book was not for me. A lot of the engineering parts of this book seemed long and tedious. The romance fell flat. And the ending felt rushed and not satisfying.

Wow. Just wow. I could not put this book down. Every word played out like a movie in my head, and I Devoured it. Holmberg always comes up with the most magical worlds, and this one is something I never could have fathomed.

I loved Pell and her little village. I loved the way her mind worked and all the little Easter eggs that were strung throughout the story. More than anything, I loved how this story unfolded, unfurling its secrets bit by bit until I was sucked in and unable to let go.

Heartwood had me intrigued from the very beginning. I loved how Casnia was portrayed and I love even more the reason behind it. Each of the characters were wonderful and I wish there was more. I would love to see a little more, a glimpse into the future to see how it all turned out after the end—partially because I think there is more story to tell, but mostly because I’m not ready to let it go.

Sigh. I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time to come.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.