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Black Sun

By: Rebecca Roanhorse
Narrated by: Cara Gee, Nicole Lewis, Kaipo Schwab, Shaun Taylor-Corbett
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Publisher's summary

From the New York Times best-selling author of Star Wars: Resistance Reborn comes the “engrossing and vibrant” (Tochi Onyebuchi, author of Riot Baby) 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 even 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 a “brilliant world that shows the full panoply of human grace and depravity” (Ken Liu, award-winning author of The Grace of Kings). This epic adventure explores 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 this “absolutely tremendous” (S.A. Chakraborty, nationally best-selling author of The City of Brass) and most original series debut of the decade.

©2020 Rebecca Roanhorse. All rights reserved. (P)2020 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Interview: Rebecca Roanhorse Celebrates Indigenous Fantasy

'...my heart is really in the world building and the grandeur of epic fantasy.'
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  • Black Sun
  • '...my heart is really in the world building and the grandeur of epic fantasy.'

Editor's Pick

Redefine what you think of high fantasy
I’ve known Roanhorse can deliver a mean genre-bending tale ever since the first and second installations in her Sixth World series were among Audible’s best fantasy picks of the year in 2018 and 2019. This time around she’s completely crushing the high fantasy genre with a new world that draws upon the mythologies of pre-Columbian America. Roanhorse’s hallmark swift plotting, one-of-a-kind worldbuilding, and likable but morally ambiguous characters are all here, which means potential listeners shouldn’t hesitate to dive into this out-of-the-ordinary epic fantasy. Four narrators, portraying the four main points of view, round out the experience with a cinematic feel. It’ll get you right away, I promise. —Melissa B., Audible Editor

What listeners say about Black Sun

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great story but lacks any kind of an ending

I really enjoyed this story, and the narration was well done. I regretfully feel the need to dock a star on the story. There is no satisfying ending to this story. Every single storyline we’ve been following through the entire book is left unresolved. I’m okay with a book in a series leaving a cliff hanger, leaving a few things unresolved, but leaving the entire book with no kind of conclusion felt very misleading and dissatisfying. I’m wary of the next book, but I’ll probably listen to it. If that has the same lack of ending, I won’t go further in the series. I don’t enjoy being abandoned in the middle of a story.

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33 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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An epic myth

Rebecca Roanhorse is a master of mythology. She builds worlds and belief systems that are so original and so fantastic. Then her words pull you into the center of it all, making the story come alive.

Her main characters were all so endearing, there was no way to choose a favorite. Although this book ended in a cliffhanger, I eagerly await the next one and am rooting for all the characters to survive.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Masterful.

This was an amazing experience, each tale woven masterfully, the emotional waves and experiences so tangible it was almost a shock to come back. I was bitterly disappointed that I will be waiting until next year for the next installment.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Book two me Pronto!

Two words. LOVED. IT. I mean from start to finish it was brilliantly written! I'm so ready for book two!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Refreshing and Fun storytelling!

I loved it all!
Every chapter draws you into the characters and this beautifully written world.
Such a refreshing fantasy take on the pre- Colombian americas.
Folklore, magic, LGBTQIA+, love, revenge and more.

Can’t get enough, would recommend to everyone around 16 and older.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great once you understand the Xe gender

There is a confusing bit to listen to in the beginning. Xe, sounds like shay, is a gender neutral personal pronoun, not a name or rank. And xer, sounds like hear, is the possessive form.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Crows

I want more. I am a lover of crows so this story resonated to my bones. More please

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Action packed ending

I cannot wait for the next book after that ending. That was such a cliffhanger. This was excellent!

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Brilliant part 1 of 3!

This story is incredible. The world building is rich and the characters complex. Looking forward t o starting book 2 and will be awaiting book 3’s release at the end of the summer of 2023.

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A great combo

This title shows the rare combination of being extremely well written, a great world full of mysteries as well as some truly captivating characters. To top it off, the narrators are easy and captivating to listen to.

The only downside for me was that the book ended too soon, because I want more.

I'd recommend this to fans of soft magic systems and people who enjoy a fantasy world that isn't a poor copy of 12th century England.

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1 person found this helpful