Title: Black Sun

Series: Between Earth and Sky #1

Author: Rebecca Roanhorse

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.

‘A god will return
When the earth and sky converge
Under the black sun.’

I did wonder if this was going to be my ‘thing’ but it was so good I don’t even know where to start reviewing it! I am a bit gobsmacked!

Ok, so this book follows:

~ Xiala, a ships captain who can control the water with her Song,
~ Nara, the Sun Priestess,
~ Serapio, a man who has been told he will be a god,
~ Okoa, the Crow Clan matron’s son, trained warrior.

Our journey with them takes us from the early part of Serapio’s life, to the Tova city where Nara is, to Xiala given her next shipping route complete with cargo, to Okoa who finds himself back where he belongs.

The build up was slow setting the scene, the world building exquisite and the story line absolutely perfect. I was absolutely hooked!

Okoa was one of my fave characters and I really hope to see more of him in the next book!

Serapio, omg loved him. His innocence, what he is learning about life, his wants. I could cry!

I also found Xiala’s chapters to be the most enthralling. Down to earth, never judging and just loved and got on with life!

Would totally recommend this read and, if you’re like me and didn’t think it would be your thing, give it a go and you’ll hopefully be pleasantly surprised!