Black Sun
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4.1 • 354 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
From the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Resistance Reborn comes the “engrossing and vibrant” (Tochi Onyebuchi, author of Riot Baby) first book in the Between Earth and Sky trilogy inspired by the civilizations of the Pre-Columbian Americas and woven into a tale of celestial prophecies, political intrigue, and forbidden magic.
A god will return
When the earth and sky converge
Under the black sun
In the holy city of Tova, the winter solstice is usually a time for celebration and renewal, but this year it coincides with a solar eclipse, a rare celestial even proscribed by the Sun Priest as an unbalancing of the world.
Meanwhile, a ship launches from a distant city bound for Tova and set to arrive on the solstice. The captain of the ship, Xiala, is a disgraced Teek whose song can calm the waters around her as easily as it can warp a man’s mind. Her ship carries one passenger. Described as harmless, the passenger, Serapio is a young man, blind, scarred, and cloaked in destiny. As Xiala well knows, when a man is described as harmless, he usually ends up being a villain.
Crafted with unforgettable characters, Rebecca Roanhorse has created a “brilliant world that shows the full panoply of human grace and depravity” (Ken Liu, award-winning author of The Grace of Kings). This epic adventure explores the decadence of power amidst the weight of history and the struggle of individuals swimming against the confines of society and their broken pasts in this “absolutely tremendous” (S.A. Chakraborty, nationally bestselling author of The City of Brass) and most original series debut of the decade.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Now this is how you launch a new book series. Hugo Award–winning author Rebecca Roanhorse blows the doors off conventional fantasy with the first installment in her Between Earth and Sky trilogy. Set in a world brilliantly inspired by the lore of pre-Columbian indigenous cultures, Black Sun follows the newly crowned Sun Priest as she prepares her people for the winter solstice celebration. But darkness lurks on the horizon in the form of a ship sailing toward her, carrying a hardened captain with mysterious abilities and a young passenger who is prophesied to alter the fabric of history. We were totally engrossed by all three of Roanhorse’s main characters, none of whom are clear-cut heroes or villains. This book is a thrilling adventure that’s also refreshingly inclusive in regard to gender and sexuality—it will thrill both old-school and new-wave fantasy fans.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The opening of Hugo- and Nebula Award winner Roanhorse's Between Earth and Sky series draws inspiration from the indigenous cultures of North and Central America to deliver a razor-sharp examination of politics, generational trauma, and the path to redemption. Sun Priest Naranpa, the highest religious authority in the holy city of Tova, faces prejudice for her low birth despite her high rank, and her radical desire for her priests to be more accessible to Tova's people makes her an object of resentment. Meanwhile, in the Obregi Mountains, a young boy named Serapio, raised to become the vessel of the god Grandfather Crow and take revenge for the Night of Knives, a massacre committed against his people, sets out to fulfill his destiny. Sea captain Xiala, a Treek who commands powerful sea-born magic, may be her own worst enemy of many, but she proves a welcome friend to Serapio as he voyages across the sea to avenge his people by ending the Sun Priest's reign. All three formidable characters are on a collision course that keeps the pages flying. Roanhorse (the Sixth World series) strikes a perfect balance between powerful worldbuilding and rich thematic exploration as the protagonists struggle against their fates. Fantasy fans will be wowed.
Customer Reviews
Acclaimed First Novel in the Between Earth and Sky Series
“Black Sun” is a decidedly different alternative world fantasy novel by Rebecca Roanhorse. It was nominated for most of the major awards, and won a couple of them. It’s a complex novel, and is the first in a series known as Between Earth and Sky.
This novel is different in that it has a very different setting, it’s roughly based on pre-Columbian American civilizations. There is limited magic, and a few forms of giant sentient animals. The religious systems are also novel and different. This is pretty refreshing, as so many fantasy novels seem to be based on European history.
There are four point of view characters: Serapio, Xiala, Okoa, and Naranpa. The history of the world is revealed in a series of flashbacks. Everything in this novel is focused on “Convergence” which is a solar eclipse in the Year 325 of the Sun, which has great import to the characters and indeed to their civilization.
I was about 70% of the way through this book before I was really sure how I felt about it. For me, this was partly due to the unfamiliar setting, and partly due to the point of view characters, who I didn’t know how I felt about. However, it fell in place for me at that point, and I found it a memorable and interesting story. The recently released second book in the Between Earth and Sky Series is called “Fevered Star” and I had to add it to my want to read list.
Amazing setting and world creation
This book was amazing! I loved the world and it’s backdrops!
A Great Book Set In A Great World
This was a great read set in a fascinating world. A brilliant mix of modern and traditional influences in a riveting story of revenge. This book delivered page after page. Highly recommend.