paperback, 464 pages
Published June 7, 2021 by Gallery / Saga Press.
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.
I haven't read enough fantasy since I started reading again to say much that can't be disentangled from my reading experience. I will say: I found the characters interesting, their dynamics more so, and the backdrop of the meso-american inspired fantasy captivating. It was so compelling I finished in one sitting. As soon as the book club for this one wraps, I'm starting the sequel.
The character and world building in this book is phenomenal. I love that the author based a fantasy world on indigenous central american cultures and not medieval England (yawn).
I always appreciate a book that's got quality LGBTQ+ characters (both in terms of sexual attraction as well as gender identification).
The book got pretty intense and violent in parts, which is why I'm rating it 4 stars. Readers who don't mind that sort of stuff might appreciate it as a 5 star book. I'm not kidding when I say that the story and characters are really well done.
I finished this book last night and am excited to start the sequel tonight!
Listened to this over a weekend where I REALLY needed to escape, it was fun and engaging and I definitely got really wrapped up in the world. I didn't know very much going into it but I'd read another short story by this author that I really liked and I saw it recommend a bunch / nominated for hugo, etc. I thought the setting was extremely sick and want to learn more about how the author built the world. Lots of fantasy elements which is unfortunately not totally my jam, but I enjoyed it a lot nonetheless.
First fantasy book I've enjoyed in years. The setting was so refreshing and new, but it also felt like a real place. Maybe it's a world I've visited in my dreams? It surely will be a world I dream visit in the future.
