The Sun and The Void

Product Information

TSATV is a perfectly fine debut novel. The author is great with imagery and sensory details. She has a great grasp of the food and flora and fauna of this world. That is this novel's greatest strength. The lush and varied landscape as well as the clear effects of colonialism and revolution are all inspired by Venezuela, creating a rich, complex world... An ambitious new fantasy with a unique setting and broad cast of characters." ― Kirkus I never got a sense of what they could actually do with the magic or what connection is between metal and the gods that give them power. Content warning: alcohol, assault, blood, child death, childbirth, death, demons, emotional abuse, gore, infertility, kidnapping, pregnancy, racism, religion, sexually explicit scenes, mentions of slavery, violence I find myself questioning who should shoulder the responsibility for this outcome. It genuinely astonishes me that a book in this state was published without the necessary beta readers, critique partners, alpha readers, and extensive editing. The writing feels like a first draft desperately in need of refinement and improvement.

This book is LONG. There's lots of political machinations. Too many characters. Sooooo many details. Slow pacing. And very few actual plot points happen. It's a serious journey to read this, and not a fulfilling one to me. This book could've honestly been pared down by a third, and you would've had no idea anything was missing.

In the first chapter, one of the main characters is almost killed while being chased, but I found myself completely apathetic towards her fate. The book tries to create a sense of urgency and emotional investment, but it fails to establish any reason for me to care about the characters in the first place. The book tells us about character relationships without adequately showing them, leaving me with nothing to empathize or connect with.

Thank you NetGalley for approving me for a eARC in exchange for a honest review. This was an impressive debut fantasy novel. I was impressed with the world building and the intricately woven politics of the book. I loved the chapter titles and artwork. I would’ve even loved to see more of it throughout the book, as the story lends itself to artwork. Still, the sapphic romance is so cute, and I'm really excited to see where it goes in the sequel. I love having a (queer latina!) love interest who's fat, and it made me realize how rarely we see fat people shown as the object of desire in fantasy, particularly without fetishizing it. The romantic tension was really great, and had me like this the whole time:This book is slowly paced; it does not rush getting to know the characters and the world. It is richly detailed, and nearly every character is fully realized. The world-building is complex and encompasses religion, politics and the land’s colonial history. It also looks at gender dynamics and prejudices. And speaking of characters, they are all quite well-developed for the most part and their journeys, albeit long, are astounding. Reina and Eva grow from such uncertain young woman to strong and powerful women skilled in combat (mostly Reina) and geomancia. With the exception of the aforementioned bishop, most of the side characters are well-developed as well, especially Javier whose future and relationship with Eva most interest me. Even Maior, an aid to Reina, has great development. Ursulina is also a great villain, such a cruel and calculating vieja. The characters are just great! Two women embark on a unforgettable questinto a world of dark gods and ancient magicin this sweeping fantasy debut inspired by the history and folklore of colonial South America. I won't be continuing with the series, and I sincerely hope the author won't be allowed to continue either. A fresh start may be necessary for the author to find her footing and produce something more compelling. The trees sacrificed to produce the paper for this book deserved better than to be wasted on such disappointing literature.