library binding, 500 pages
Published April 1, 2021 by Center Point Pub.
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 Mesoamerican (?) world is interesting, and the explicit use of timestamps on each chapter (including foreshadowing, jumping back and forth) is somewhat unique, but the book definitely leaves the reader with that "Ooops I started a trilogy" feeling.
A solid page turner.
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.
This book blew me away with how good it was. It's set in a fantasy world based on the pre-Columbian Americas, and is chock-full of interesting, diverse characters. The bulk of the story is set in the city of Tova, religious center of Meridian, where the different Sky Made clans and their matrons live, and the priests of the Celestial Tower try to shape society. Not long ago, there was a massacre of the Crow Clan, instigated by the Celestial Tower, and cultists who do not follow the priests' beliefs are waiting for the return of Grandfather Crow, to take revenge.
The book starts 20 days before the Convergence, a rare solar eclipse during winter solstice, and Grandfather Crow is traveling towards Tova in the form of a young man named Serapio, one of the PoV characters. Since childhood he has been groomed towards the day of the Convergence, to …
This book blew me away with how good it was. It's set in a fantasy world based on the pre-Columbian Americas, and is chock-full of interesting, diverse characters. The bulk of the story is set in the city of Tova, religious center of Meridian, where the different Sky Made clans and their matrons live, and the priests of the Celestial Tower try to shape society. Not long ago, there was a massacre of the Crow Clan, instigated by the Celestial Tower, and cultists who do not follow the priests' beliefs are waiting for the return of Grandfather Crow, to take revenge.
The book starts 20 days before the Convergence, a rare solar eclipse during winter solstice, and Grandfather Crow is traveling towards Tova in the form of a young man named Serapio, one of the PoV characters. Since childhood he has been groomed towards the day of the Convergence, to kill the Sun Priest in Tova. Aiding him in getting to Tova is Xiala, a vivacious Teek captain who likes to play hard and soothe the seas with her song.
The other PoV characters are Narapa, the young Sun Priest, who is beset by political machinations on all sides as well, plus Okoa, the son of the Crow Clan's matron who died under mysterious circumstances.
The Convergence of all those characters is skillfully done, I was at the edge of my seat as the day count in each chapter got smaller, and could easily have read 500 more pages of the good stuff. The flashbacks to Serapio's youth were always very interesting too. Serapio must be the most tragic character I have read of in recent times.
The world is vibrant, colorful, gripping. Hooray for non-European centric Fantasy, get me more of this stuff.
