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Cover of Black Sun

Black Sun

by Rebecca Roanhorse

🌶️🌶️mild·Between Earth and Sky #1·Ongoing Series
4.2 on Goodreads (54,937)

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Ending

reveal ending

Why Read This?The one-sentence sell. What do you get for showing up to this book, even when it's hard?

Roanhorse draws on Indigenous civilizations to build a fantasy world that feels genuinely new. Three POV characters collide around a solar eclipse with mythic stakes — this is Game of Thrones energy filtered through Mesoamerican cosmology.

Synopsis

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.

book details below may contain spoilers. some hidden

At a Glance

Roanhorse builds a fantasy world rooted in Pre-Columbian Americas that feels breathtakingly original—no medieval Europe, no elves, no chosen-one farmboys. Three storylines converge on a winter solstice eclipse in the holy city of Tova, where crow god prophecies and Sun Priest politics crash together. The body horror in the opening chapters is intense, but the payoff is a mythic epic unlike anything else on the shelf.

trope onetrope twotrope threetrope four

Book Details

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Goodreads RatingThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.

4.17 ★ (54.9k)

Page CountHow long the commitment is.

454 pages

PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.

2020

Primary GenreWhat type of book this is. Romance? Fantasy? A 400-page therapy session disguised as a thriller?

Epic Fantasy

PairingWho's falling in love? The gender makeup of your main romance. Helps you find your specific flavor of love story.

M/F

POVWhose head are you in? First person = deep in the feels. Third = watching from above. Dual = emotional whiplash (affectionate).

Multi-POV

Romance PacingHow long until they kiss? Slow burn = 300 pages of tension. Insta-love = page 12 and it's already chaos.

Slow Burn

CliffhangerEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.

reveal ending

AudiobookCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.

AvailableCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.

Yes

FormatHow fancy is the audio? Standard = one narrator. Full cast = theater kids went off. GraphicAudio = a MoViE iN yOuR mInD.

Single Narrator (unspecified)

TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
forbidden loveprophecy-driven loveadventure romance
RomanceMagicActionAngstWorld
Theme Constellation

Mood & Vibe

MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.

darkepicatmosphericintensemysteriousmythic

Writing StyleHow the author writes - prose style, dialogue approach, and narrative voice. This is about craft and delivery, not emotional effect.

cinematicatmosphericlushdramaticimmersive

Story PacingDoes the story sprint or saunter? Fast = you'll miss sleep. Slow = you'll savor every word. Medium = balanced chaos.

medium

Emotional WeightHow much are you gonna cry? Light = fun feels. Moderate = real stakes. Heavy = bring tissues. Devastating = call your therapist.

heavy

Energy RequiredCan you read this on a Tuesday after work, or do you need a full Saturday and three cups of coffee? Low/Medium/High.

high

VibesOne perfect sentence that captures the essence. Like: 'Fae politics meets forbidden romance with zero chill.'

forbidden desirepage turner

Characters

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

FMC ArchetypeWho is she? The female main character's core identity/role. Assassin? Healer? General Badass?

pirate/captainadventurergeneral badass

MMC ArchetypeWho is he? The male main character's core identity/role. Your exact flavor of book boyfriend.

reluctant herocursed MMCdark/tortured soul

Relationship DynamicsThe interpersonal dynamic between the main characters. How do they relate to each other? This is about character energy and connection style, not plot situations.

slow burnstar-crossedonly one who understands them

Spice Details 🌶️

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
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Spice Level 2

Spice StyleNot just how much spice, but what kind. Emotional intimacy? Explicit but vanilla? Plot-driven heat? Know your flavor.

Restrained and mythic—connection forged through shared purpose and cultural gravity, with intimacy expressed as spiritual alignment rather than physical closeness.

Getting SteamyGentle kinks. Fun but nothing too crazy. The appetizer, so to speak.

tensionanticipationlonging glances

Bringing the HeatFor those who know exactly what they came for. This is where you find your exact brand of chaos. The good stuff.

None
Browse more books by spice level →
This stuff might hit different. No shame in needing to know what's coming. (20)▼
spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
child abuse (referenced)self-harmviolencegraphic violencegoredeathmurderslaverykidnappingreligious traumabody horrorbloodgriefwargenocideableismracism/bigotryhomophobia/transphobiaclassismalcoholism
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World & Setting

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World TypeWhat kind of world are you stepping into? High fantasy = full secondary world. Urban fantasy = magic in modern cities. Portal = starts here, goes there.

high fantasymythological

Primary SettingWhere does the story physically take place? Court intrigue = palace. Dark academia = campus. Cozy witch vibes = small town. This is about location, not world rules.

royal court / palaceship / at seatemple / church / monastery

Fantasy CreaturesWhat supernatural beings populate this world? Fae courts, vampire covens, dragon riders, or just regular humans doing their best.

gods/deities

RepresentationIdentity representation in the book. LGBTQ+, race/ethnicity, disability, neurodivergence, body type, age and more.

bisexual MCBIPOC MCBIPOC LIIndigenous MCIndigenous LIdisabled LIqueer

Reading Context

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

Emotional PayoffWhat you get for showing up. The catharsis, the growth, the 'I'm a different person now' moment. This is why the hard books are worth it.

adrenaline rushvicarious thrillexpanded empathyperspective shift

Best Time of YearSeasonal mood rings for books. Summer romance reads different than winter gothic.

anytime

When & Where to ReadContext matters. Some books are Beach Trip energy, others are 3am Bedtime spiral-reads. Trust.

vacationrainy weekendcozy evening

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Quick Facts

Spice LevelThe heat scale. 0=wholesome, 1=kisses, 2=fade-to-black, 3=tasteful spice, 4=explicit, 5=you need a cold shower. Know thyself.🌶️🌶️mild
PagesHow long the commitment is.454
PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.2020
GoodreadsThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.4.17 ★ (54.9k)
EndingEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.reveal ending

SeriesThe series this book belongs to and where it falls in the reading order.

Between Earth and Sky #1
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