Black Sun

"Just when you thought prophecy in epic fantasy was passé – enough with the chosen ones already – Rebecca Roanhorse gives us Black Sun, first in a trilogy set in a world inspired by the empires of pre-Columbian America. A young man who’s the vessel of a god travels to reach the holy city Tova by the day of Convergence, escorted by a captain able to sing the sea under control; meanwhile, the young Sun Priest is determined to atone for old wrongs, but generational trauma and fear are difficult to ease. Here destiny and fanaticism drive unforgettable characters forward, without losing a sense of agency, and the worldbuilding is perfection. This is superlative work: inventive, gripping, rich. Best I’ve read in a while."

"Yes, and both the first two were Locus finalists. There’s gorgeous writing here, and some real originality woven in with the classic feel of an epic fantasy. We are in a world inspired by pre-Columbian Americas – an expansive world with convincing variety, and fractious inter-group relations. The worship of old gods has been banned, and the resulting godless culture is overseen by the Watchers, with the Sun Priest at their helm. There is a deep grievance held by worshippers of the Crow god, who suffered a massacre at the hands of the Watchers. That sums up the sides in the key conflict – although the world around these two camps is satisfyingly messy, with the marginalised semi-magical Teek people, other god-clans and magic users, and a criminal underworld all complicating the picture."