Black Sun (Between Earth and Sky, #1)

by Rebecca Roanhorse

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of Black Sun in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Rebecca Roanhorse is back, and this time with an all-new series, Between Earth and Sky. The first novel in this series is Black Sun, and it is not a novel you want to skip.

Serapio has known his destiny since he was a young child. Now, with the solar eclipse looming ever closer, it is nearing the time where his destiny will rise up. All he has to do is get to Tova.

Xiala is a Teek, one who has fought and struggled to make a place for herself in a world that is far less than accepting of her gender and race. Yet she's not one for giving up either. Naturally, when opportunity knocks, that means she'll answer. Even if the job is for her to carry a strange man across dangerous waters.

“As Xiala well knows, when a man is described as harmless, he usually ends up being a villain.”

Wow. I'm honestly not even sure where to start. Black Sun is, simply put, phenomenal. It is wonderfully written, with rich details, depicting a society far from harmonious. The sheer amount of human nature portrayed within these pages is breathtaking.

Black Sun is a world full of magic, settling into place in a time of our past. It feels both familiar and foreign, and for all the right reasons. Roanhorse's characters flesh out the world, portraying the good and bad that comes with humanity.

It is a powerful read, one that is going to be worth multiple read-throughs in the future (especially as new additions to the series near release). And I truly do mean that. It has been three days since I finished Black Sun (I needed time to contemplate the novel before writing my review), and I still cannot get it out of my head.

Xiala and Serapio are but two of the characters portrayed within the pages. There are several other perspectives given highlight, each one making the world feel even more alive. I don't want to say much about the others, because I don't want to spoil their stories (which is why they're not mentioned in my description up above). I can tell you that all the perspectives quickly lent towards a complex story, with no right or wrong answer.

It's wonderful, actually. The more you think about it, the more intense and complicated it really is. I cannot wait to see what happens in the next novel (which has no title yet, to my knowledge), especially in regards to some of my favorite characters. After all, it would be impossible to read Black Sun and not become strongly attached to those within.

See more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks