A ship launches from a distant shore, carrying a blind man and a captain with secrets of her own. They are headed to the holy city of Tova, where unrest from the surrounding clans threatens the Priests' seat of power there. What unfolds is an epic and exciting adventure, and one of the strongest fantasy series openers I’ve ever read. Rebecca Roanhorse weaves the story together beautifully, and anyone looking to fall into a completely immersive and political intriguing world will absolutely be satisfied. At times dark and at times hopeful, I loved everything about this book.
— Julia
The first book in my current, favorite trilogy, Black Sun is one of the most unique worlds I’ve encountered in fantasy fiction. Inspired by a pre-Columbian mythology, Roanhorse’s writing is incredibly creative and her characters are layered and exciting. This is a great read for a newer sci-fi/fantasy reader as well as a seasoned reader who is looking for something that’s not the “same old.”
— Josh
October 2020 Indie Next List
“As an avid fantasy reader and an Indigenous person, I cannot adequately describe how much it meant to read Black Sun and be immersed in a non-white fantasy based on cultures from the Americas. This book is so well done! I loved all of the characters (especially the swashbuckling, magic-using ship captain), the settings were beautifully written, and the magic in this world is fascinating. If you’re looking for murderous sea women, larger-than-life crows, gods returning to avenge past violence, political intrigue, and dash of romance, look no further. I also really appreciate the way that queer and nonbinary characters are portrayed. Roanhorse has written a perfect high fantasy novel and I cannot wait to see where this series takes us next!”
— Hillary Smith, Copperfield's Books Calistoga, Calistoga, CA
Description
NOMINATED FOR THE 2021 HUGO AWARDS AND THE 2020 NEBULA AWARDS FOR BEST NOVEL
From the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Resistance Reborn comes the 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 event 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 an epic adventure exploring 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 the most original series debut of the decade.
About the Author
Rebecca Roanhorse is the New York Times bestselling author of Trail of Lightning, Storm of Locusts, Black Sun, and Star Wars: Resistance Reborn. She has won the Nebula, Hugo, and Locus Awards for her fiction, and was the recipient of the 2018 Astounding Award for Best New Writer. She lives in New Mexico with her family.
Praise For…
“Rebecca Roanhorse… [is one] of the Indigenous novelists reshaping North American science fiction, horror and fantasy — genres in which Native writers have long been overlooked.” — The New York Times
“Readers are in for intricate world-building, engrossing adventure and stunning backdrops.” — The Washington Post
“Roanhorse, who has won awards for sci-fi writing and contributions to the Star Wars series, builds a world featuring beasts, mermaids and deeply human characters on a quest for survival.” — TIME
"The pages turn themselves. A beautifully crafted setting with complex character dynamics and layers of political intrigue? Perfection. Mark your calendars, this is the next big thing." — Kirkus, starred review
“A must read for fans of N.K. Jemisin’s epic fantasy and those who love George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series but want more diverse worlds.” — Booklist
"Roanhorse introduces an epic fantasy with vivid worldbuilding and exciting prose. Readers will be attracted to the story, in which there is no real right vs. wrong. Only inevitable change will draw out the heroes of this imaginative tale." — Library Journal, starred review
"A a razor-sharp examination of politics, generational trauma, and the path to redemption...Roanhorse strikes a perfect balance between powerful worldbuilding and rich thematic exploration as the protagonists struggle against their fates. Fantasy fans will be wowed."
— Publishers Weekly, starred review
“I emerged from Black Sun bleary-eyed, tongue-tied, heart-swollen. This is a brilliant world that shows the full panoply of human grace and depravity. Rebecca Roanhorse is the epic voice of our continent and time.”—Ken Liu, award-winning author of The Grace of Kings, and The Hidden Girl and Other Stories.
"This is the novel I've been waiting for. This is the novel we've all been waiting for. Everything's different now, with BlackSun. Different and better. Stands shoulder to shoulder with the very best fantasy out there. There's Martin, there's Jemisin, and now there's Roanhorse."—Stephen Graham Jones, award-winning author of The Only Good Indians, and Mongrels
"Engrossing and vibrant. Black Sun left me with my jaw on the floor."—Tochi Oneybuchi, author of Riot Baby
“Sweeping yet intimate, Black Sun is a masterpiece. Roanhorse has crafted an urgently important and utterly engrossing tale of power, oppression, revolution—and the deeply personal cost of each. This is the fantasy epic the world needs right now.”—Peng Shepherd, author of The Book of M
"Absolutely tremendous. Roanhorse knocks it out of the park again with an epic tale about duty and destiny that will sweep readers away and broaden the horizons of an entire genre."—S.A. Chakraborty, nationally bestselling author of The City of Brass.
"Black Sun is an inspired fantasy that will keep you turning pages past your bedtime and have you cheering for each of the ensemble cast as they careen towards a fateful cataclysm. Love fantasy? This is the book for you. Hate fantasy? This is especially for you. Roanhorse has created an excellent world that feels lived in and characters that feel like people you know, which is exactly what I would expect in a book by an author at the top of her game."—Justina Ireland, New York Times bestselling author of Dread Nation.
"With multifaceted characters on the level of a political thriller, a world so unique and vivid, you'll wish you had an infinite number of pages in which to explore it, and a quest worthy of the best in epic fantasy, Rebecca Roanhorse's Black Sun will transform you. An extraordinary journey."—Fran Wilde, author of Updraft and Riverland, two-time Nebula winner and Hugo, World Fantasy and Locus finalist
“The world sucks you in from the start, and the pacing yanks you along by the collar. Black Sun is instantly riveting from the beginning—Roanhorse is at the top of her game here.”—R.F. Kuang, bestselling author of The Poppy War
"An intricately layered, sprawling and fabulously dark epic fantasy of political intrigue, power and revenge. Enthralling, beautiful and heartwrenching."—Aliette de Bodard, Nebula award-winning author of Seven of Infinities
“This tale of adventure, prophecy, politics, and magic…will have you hooked on page one.” — Cosmopolitan
“Bold, richly emotional and expertly crafted, Black Sun shines brighter than even the highest expectations.” —Shelf Awareness, STARRED review
“As an avid fantasy reader and an Indigenous person, I cannot adequately describe how much it meant to read Black Sun and be immersed in a non-white fantasy based on cultures from the Americas. This book is so well done! I loved all of the characters (especially the swashbuckling, magic-using ship captain), the settings were beautifully written, and the magic in this world is fascinating. If you’re looking for murderous sea women, larger-than-life crows, gods returning to avenge past violence, political intrigue, and dash of romance, look no further. I also really appreciate the way that queer and nonbinary characters are portrayed. Roanhorse has written a perfect high fantasy novel and I cannot wait to see where this series takes us next!”