Black Sun

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I'm normally a sci fi fan and bored at the idea of traditional fantasy. But this was well reviewed so I decided to give it a go. Wasn't disappointed at all. The characters are very well constructed, with a bit of wit and humanity thrown in. There are only two main story arcs, making it easy to follow, and holds attention due to very nice writing style. And the fantasy element isn't too heavy, certainly a long way from lord of the rings. Only distraction from a good story was the rather trendy and predictable use of a confusing third gender for one character. It adds nothing to the story, just throws in some reading difficulty (xe, xir pronoun nonsense etc) and a few woke points. Which is a shame, because other than that the character is interesting. But if you can get past that, this is a great read and highly recommended. Looking forward to the sequel.

This novel follows several viewpoint characters and jumps back and forth in time. Therefore, it's important to pay attention to the dates and quotations at the start of each chapter. I enjoy that sort of structure, but it would be confusing if you didn't notice how it works. To be honest, I wasn't always certain I liked that characters, but they were distinctive and they did grow on me by the end. I particularly enjoyed the world-building and the bits of mythology that came through. The culture is fascinating. Also, I like crows. So overall, I can recommend this book and very much look forward to reading the next installment.

Black Sun is an absolute masterpiece of fantasy writing, there is incredibly rich world building, high stakes and four main characters that feel completely vivid and real by the end of the book. This is an epic scale story, and only book one, so I can't wait to see how much further this world can go. I loved every single one of the main characters and couldn't choose a favourite: Serapio, the living vessel for the ancient Crow god, Xiala, the half mermaid captain of the ship that carries Serapio to his destiny, Naranpa, the priestess just barely holding onto her authority and Okoa, the son of the leader of the Crow clan. It isn't immediately obvious how these characters will come together, especially considering how far apart they are, but the way Rebecca Roanhorse does is wonderful. The characters throughout the book, all faced with their own challenges and issues whether it be a storm, an assassination attempt or a mutiny, are solid and sympathetic throughout. The ending was nothing like I expected, I eagerly wanted more; the sequel can't come soon enough. This is easily one of my top books of the year.

'A god will return When the earth and sky converge Under the black sun.' I did wonder if this was going to be my 'thing' but it was so good I don't even know where to start reviewing it! I am a bit gobsmacked! Ok, so this book follows: ~ Xiala, a ships captain who can control the water with her Song, ~ Nara, the Sun Priestess, ~ Serapio, a man who has been told he will be a god, ~ Okoa, the Crow Clan matron's son, trained warrior. Our journey with them takes us from the early part of Serapio's life, to the Tova city where Nara is, to Xiala given her next shipping route complete with cargo, to Okoa who finds himself back where he belongs. The build up was slow setting the scene, the world building exquisite and the story line absolutely perfect. I was absolutely hooked! Okoa was one of my fave characters and I really hope to see more of him in the next book! Serapio, omg loved him. His innocence, what he is learning about life, his wants. I could cry! I also found Xiala's chapters to be the most enthralling. Down to earth, never judging and just loved and got on with life! Would totally recommend this read and, if you're like me and didn't think it would be your thing, give it a go and you'll hopefully be pleasantly surprised!