TL;DR: Holy grandfather crow! This was amazing and I’m kicking myself for putting it off for so long. I don’t even know where to begin because everyone else seems to have already said it best but I will say that I 100% get the hype. Black Sun is a testament to Roanhorse’s brilliance as a writer. She has a great ability to create culturally rich, diverse and spellbinding epic fantasy worlds, and compelling well-rounded characters. It was so easy to immerse myself in the setting and by the end, I was fully invested in our character’s arcs. I can’t wait to see what happens next! 😍

First of all, I’m glad I buddy-read this with Becky because it’s been fun to message about our theories, our shock at all the goings on and our excitement to continue the series! Buckle up, folks. It’s gonna be a long one! 😂

Black Sun is told from multiple POVs and time jumps as the years, months, weeks and days count down to the main event of “the convergence”. The world-building was astounding and I loved how Roanhorse brought this fantasy world inspired by pre-Columbian American cultures to life. From the Sky Made clans of Tova to the merchant-run cities that lie beyond the Crescent Sea, each location, its peoples, cultures and myths are explored in wonderful detail. Something I greatly appreciated was how normal queerness was in this world! We have a bisexual lead and secondary characters, as well as a trans and several nonbinary characters, too. Roanhorse also doesn’t shy away from brutality and I admit that some scenes left me feeling rather squeamish, although thankfully the more intense scenes were far and few between. This world is dark and gritty but also vibrant and exquisite and filled with a multitude of beliefs and ways of life, which makes it such a rich read.

There were admittedly times at the start when I was confused by the breadth of history and politics that we have to take in. There is a lot to absorb but the author’s writing is so accessible and easy to digest that it didn’t take long for me to grasp the stakes. This also isn’t a fast-paced story, even if I couldn’t get through the pages quickly enough in those final few chapters! Roanhorse takes her time in growing this world, building up the tension in the plot, and developing the many characters we encounter. While I can see that being a deterrent for some, especially if they’re not as absorbed by the world-building and characters, but I wouldn’t have changed this pace for anything! It allowed me to become fully immersed in the setting and to connect to the characters who were the main reason I loved this story so much!

Our main characters are Serapio, Xiala, Naranpa and Okoa. They all present vastly different perspectives and experiences, so it wasn’t difficult to keep track of who we were following despite the many POV shifts and time jumps. I love how all of their stories explore the evergreen themes of good versus evil, villain versus hero, and belonging. What does it mean to love a place that doesn’t love you back? Where do you belong when half the people see you as a destroyer and the other half see you as their salvation? Who are truly the monsters here? Roanhorse does a great job exploring all of these themes through our main character’s arcs.

While I felt connected to all four of them, I loved Xiala and Serapio the most. I practically fell in love with Xiala the moment she was introduced. 😂 She’s defiant, sarcastic, and a proud daughter of the sea. As a siren, she’s also regarded by most as a man-eating monster. She’s a little punk and brought a great lively energy to the story! Similarly, Serapio is treated fearfully and is indirectly labelled a villainous monster several times by various characters. His story stole my heart from the first and I felt so much for this man who, as a child, was made to believe he existed only as a vessel for a blood-thirsty vengeful god. He’s a walking contradiction—one minute full of joyous childlike wonder at being able to experience the world and the next, a sombre soul full of shadows and weighed down by the burden of his purpose. I simultaneously feared him but also wanted to give him the biggest hug possible because he deserved it. 🥺

The perspective I found most trying was Naranpa’s—not because it was boring but because it was painful to read! As the newly invoked Sun Priest, she’s taken it upon herself to fight against the grain of “tradition” and try to revive what she sees as the priesthood’s dying role in society. Her naivete and idealism land her smack amid a nest of vipers and she doesn’t realise it until the tides have turned too far against her. I wanted to shake her and at the same time push all of those who surrounded her off a cliff. 😂 I’m so curious to see what becomes of her character as the series continues but I see so much growth and potential! The final POV is the one we spent the least amount of time with but was no less interesting to read. Okoa is a Crow son who trained at the Hokaia war school. He’s loyal and proud and has a tumultuous but important journey ahead of him. I’m so excited to see how he develops and what path he chooses to follow from the crossroads where he finds himself at the end of this book.

Overall, the book community told no lies when they called this an amazing read. It’s probably one of my favourites of 2024 and I can’t wait to continue (and hopefully finish) the series before the year ends!

Have you read Black Sun or is it on your TBR?

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