Black Sun
Series: Between Earth and Sky, Book 1
By: Rebecca Roanhorse / Narrated By: Cara Gee, Nicole Lewis, Kaipo Schwab, Shaun Taylor-Corbett
Length: 12 hrs and 47 mins
Another winner! Not-quite 13-hours, and a LOT o’ time spent on the edge of one’s seat…!
Okay, I’ll just get it outta the way: I’m an Uber fan of Rebecca Roanhorse, after getting two in a different series under m’ belt and desperately hoping for her to write like the wind and chuck out the next.
So here we are with a brand new series, Big Sis’s pick for an audiobook to listen to and to discuss. Now, sometimes, and this ain’t always a bad thing: An author masters a certain form of tale, crafts different characters to plug into said tale, and comes out with a Bang-Up Listening experience based on just how well they’d mastered that format.
Here? With Black Sun? Oh my heavens, and good golly gosh, nooooo!!! I was blown away by just how completely and unutterably different this start to a new series is. This was an entirely different concoction, unique characters and such a one-of-a-kind setting. Based on Indigenous Pre-Columbian Americas, what I liked was that not a thing was explained. There wasn’t an iota of World Building Backstory Info-Dump to be found, we’re just thrown into the setting/world, and everything unfolds from there.
Not to mention? This story starts in typical Roanhorse fashion: Serapio is being thiiiiis shy of tortured, scarred, blinded, brutalized, indoctrinated, and set up as a Vessel for Destiny. Xiala wakes up in a jail, and even more characters will be introduced in their own fraught fashions.
One thing: I found the timeline confusing at times, Roanhorse starts each chapter with a bit on just where we are in time, which was helpful, but which didn’t help me when we’re set back years. A minor Whatthehey, but just a heads up. Further, alternating narrators who were pretty awesome for the most part, sometimes delivered characters in a completely unsuitable voice every now and again. And Shaun Taylor-Corbett’s voice kinda was a trifle too young-sounding for Serapio. As he becomes an object of interest and attraction for Xiala, the sexy (Not in a toe-curling way… huzzah!!!) parts came off as a trifle odd.
Those things said? Those were the only off things about this engaging Listen. Action came fast and furious, there was backstabbing and full-on in your face stabbing, grand character crafting, and an ending that Michael J. Sullivan WISHES he could write. Sooo many characters, sooo much happening, and sooo much was tied up at the end with just the right amount of loose tendrils for Roanhorse to pick up and get Book 2 rolling. I was satisfied, but came away with hankering for more.
Now, I realize I’ve not given y’all ANYthing on what the story is all about, butt that’s cuz this is a complex tale that starts Wham! and this that the other AND The Kitchen Sink is thrown at the Listener, causing us to settle back for a bumpy, joyous ride.
Thrills, chills, twists and turns, give it a go, yes?
Waiting for a sale on Book 2… -BUT- may have to chuck a credit at it eventually… and might I offer: With this growing awareness of Roanhorse’s abilities, with this coming out sooo very uniquely… it totally would be worth it!
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