Title: Black Sun
Author: Rebecca Roanhorse
Genre: Adult Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, General Science Fiction
Page Count: 464
Published by: Gallery/Saga Press
Date Published: October 13, 2020
You can find it here: Bookshop.org
Synopsis
The winter solstice is quickly approaching in the city of Tova – the holy metropolis nestled high in the clouds and home to The Watchers – the Sun Priest, Priest of Knives, Priest of Succor (healing), and the Priest of Records. Normally a time of celebration, this year’s solstice aligns with a solar eclipse, a rare cosmic event that the newly minted Sun Priest, Naranpa, foresees as a great unbalancing of the world.
Meanwhile a ship captained by the smart talking Xiala – an exiled siren from the watery world of the Teek – is headed to Tova with a very precious and unique piece of cargo: Serapio, a blind young man who must reach the city before the solstice in order to fulfill a prophecy that will change the Meridian Kingdom forever.
Discussion
This utterly unique, multi point-of-view story absolutely blew me away with its spectacular characters, mesmerizing world, and deliciously paced, compulsively readable plot. A fantasy story set in the pre-Columbian cultures of the Americas, rather than typical Caucasian European settings that predominate in the genre, Black Sun absolutely shines as Roanhorse draws on the great birth of historical and cultural richness of the area. While I was initially worried this would be a daunting read, it is actually one of the most approachable adult fantasies I have read that was able to somehow simultaneously combine incredible detail and completely otherworldly concepts into one addictive read. Perfectly paced, perfectly timed, crackling characters, political intrigue, magical abilities, ordained destines, whip-smart dialogue and a truly amazing world left me eating up this story in giant gulps.
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