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Reading: Black Sun (247/365)
Sep. 4th, 2021 06:19 pmRebecca Roanhorse's Black Sun is an epic fantasy set in a world inspired by the pre-Columbian Americas. Spanning the length of a diverse continent, ranging from tropical to temperate zones, it follows the interlinked stories of its four main characters as they move towards a single moment; a solar eclipse on the winter solstice which will see a reborn god taking revenge for the murder of his followers by the ruling priesthood.
Roanhorse's worldbuilding is terrific; the continent of Meridian and its different societies felt real and vivid, and the characters were complex and managed to be both sympathetic and monstrous at the same time. I don't read that much epic fantasy, but I liked this a lot. I would say, though, that Black Sun is very much the first book in a series and doesn't stand well on its own; much of it feels like scene-setting, building to the final confrontation at the moment of the eclipse, which simply opens up more questions rather than providing any resolution, and the next book isn't out until next year. (I'm not sure whether that will conclude the story, or if this is going to be a trilogy.)
Roanhorse's worldbuilding is terrific; the continent of Meridian and its different societies felt real and vivid, and the characters were complex and managed to be both sympathetic and monstrous at the same time. I don't read that much epic fantasy, but I liked this a lot. I would say, though, that Black Sun is very much the first book in a series and doesn't stand well on its own; much of it feels like scene-setting, building to the final confrontation at the moment of the eclipse, which simply opens up more questions rather than providing any resolution, and the next book isn't out until next year. (I'm not sure whether that will conclude the story, or if this is going to be a trilogy.)
