From Powells.com
Hot new releases and under-the-radar gems for adults and kids.
Staff Pick
The first of a trilogy based on ancient Aztec and Mayan mythology, Roanhorse has created a marvel of world-building and populated it with fascinating, fantastical characters. I loved the hard drinking, mermaid sea captain. This wonderful read left me anxiously waiting for the rest of the story. Recommended By Kathi K., Powells.com
This remarkable book from the original and fresh voice of Rebecca Roanhorse is epic and personal all at once. A world completely new, yet born from the Native stories of the Americas. Characters that pull at your heart. Humor, sex, danger, adventure, intrigue, and in all its fantasy, filled with humanity. Recommended By Doug C., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
From the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Resistance Reborn comes 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.
Crafted with unforgettable characters, Rebecca Roanhorse has created an epic adventure exploring 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 the most original series debut of the decade.
Review
"Roanhorse (the Sixth World series) strikes a perfect balance between powerful worldbuilding and rich thematic exploration as the protagonists struggle against their fates. Fantasy fans will be wowed." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
Review
"The pages turn themselves. A beautifully crafted setting with complex character dynamics and layers of political intrigue? Perfection. Mark your calendars, this is the next big thing." Kirkus (Starred Review)
Review
"[A]n epic fantasy with vivid worldbuilding and exciting prose....[T]here is no real right vs. wrong. Only inevitable change will draw out the heroes of this imaginative tale." Library Journal (Starred Review)
Review
"Black Sun is an inspired fantasy that will keep you turning pages past your bedtime and have you cheering for each of the ensemble cast as they careen towards a fateful cataclysm. Love fantasy? This is the book for you. Hate fantasy? This is especially for you. Roanhorse has created an excellent world that feels lived in and characters that feel like people you know, which is exactly what I would expect in a book by an author at the top of her game." Justina Ireland, New York Times bestselling author of Dread Nation
About the Author
Rebecca Roanhorse is the New York Times bestselling author of Trail of Lightning, Storm of Locusts, Star Wars: Resistance Reborn, and Race to the Sun. She has won the Nebula, Hugo, and Locus Awards for her fiction, and was the recipient of the 2018 Astounding (formerly Campbell) Award for Best New Writer. Her forthcoming book, Black Sun, is out in October. She lives in New Mexico with her family.