This week we are discussing Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse, Ch. 1-13.
Content Warning!!! This book contains situations and subjects related to: alcohol and drug use, domestic abuse, eye injury, homophobia, murder, ritual scarring, poison, sexual abuse, suicide, and violence.
Spoiler Warning!!! This post is full of spoilers for Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse.
Discussion:
Jacilyn: Hello friends, and welcome to our first discussion of Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse. Longtime followers might recognize the author’s name - we read another book of hers in 2021, Trail of Lightning. Both Michaela and I really enjoyed Trail, so making the decision to do this book was easy.
I will start by saying that I am very grateful for the name guide in the beginning of the book. There are a lot of names and factions to remember, so having that to reference has been really helpful. This book has three main protagonists, from what we’ve seen so far, and the timeline jumps around a bit. I won’t say I fully grasp the timeline yet, but I haven’t been confused, either. It’s always been clear when we’re in the present day or in the past, and positioning time in reference to the Day of Convergence is a good way to build tension.
I’m already invested in all three of our protagonists. I can’t quite yet tell if Serapio is going to lean benevolent or malevolent, but all the talk of his destiny, and the training he had to endure, makes it pretty clear that something big is on the horizon for him. Xiala is probably the one I’m most fascinated by thus far - she is queer, and a Teek, who appear to be a race that has a magical connection to water and abilities known as their Song. Unfortunately, but unsurprisingly, other folks fear Teeks, simply because they are different. And then there’s Naranpa, the Sun Priest, who is basically this world’s equivalent of a progressive trying to reform government and society for the good of all - but she’s being persecuted for her efforts. Serapio and Xiala have met, but I can’t tell if Nara will be alive by the time they reach Tova.
Michaela: I loved Trail of Lightning and its sequel Storm of Locusts. Then when I saw Roanhorse had a new book I grabbed it right away. She is on her way to being an automatic buy author for me. The name guide is really helpful, the only thing is I wish my book had a map in it but I just learned that Jac’s ebook copy has a map! Why can’t my paperback edition have one? So weird.
The timeline jumping was definitely a little confusing at the beginning but each chapter tells you the date and location every time and that is so, so helpful. Having the dates all in reference to the Convergence has really sucked me in, I have to say. You’re totally right, it’s building all the tension!
I think Serapio doesn’t really know which way he’s going to lean either if I’m being honest, but I think he is prepared for either option. Considering his second trainer, Eedi, was there to teach him defense I can only imagine that whoever decided Serapio was going to be the next life of the Crow God knew he would encounter violence against him. I really enjoy Serapio’s character though, he has this air of honor and duty that makes him a really interesting character to me. Actually, all three main protagonists have a similar feeling like that. Narnapa has her duty as Sun Priest but she has honor in her beliefs of making things better, which I really commend her for. She is clearly surrounded by people who do not want progress but stagnation because that is what benefits them the most. Naranpa really wants to see and be the change the world needs, and people in her own inner circle is fighting against that; *ahem* Abah *ahem*. Xiala also has a sense of duty though not in the same way as the other two, instead of feeling duty to a religious position she has honor in her job as captain and a duty to her crew and the jobs she is hired to do. I just really like all three protagonists right now and for me that’s rare, I am easily annoyed by protagonists especially early on in books.
I want to learn more about Xiala and the Teek culture and powers. Everyone seems to kind of look down their noses at them but we don’t know why yet. I really want Xiala and Naranpa to be in the same room for just like 5 minutes, I just feel like that would be a fascinating time!
Jacilyn: I can’t quite tell if I trust Iktan, or not. I want xir to be loyal to Naranpa, but I just don’t know. I could see a betrayal happening, unfortunately. The other Watchers? I don’t trust them at all. One of the chapters seems to be showing us Nara’s death, or at least her getting close to her death - will it be due to some betrayal? Will it be due to the assassins coming after her? Will it be Serapio’s presence? I really don’t know yet, but we know things are going to go very bad very quickly.
Serapio’s life makes me sad for him. It’s no wonder he’s lonely. He went through a lot of trauma at the hands of his mother, she kills herself and leaves him alone with a father who basically neglects him at best, and then these teachers arrive, none of which have treated him well thus far. I want to know more about his mother, and her connection to these people and the Crow God. I’ve noticed that some of the excerpts at the beginning of chapters have been her observations of crows when she was a child. She’s clearly special, like Serapio is, but I don’t entirely understand how or why yet.
I am hopeful that Xiala and Serapio will begin a friendship on this journey. They already seem to be connecting well - I’m sure Xiala understands some of the loneliness he feels, to be feared by others. She’s not afraid of him, and he’s not afraid of her. I can definitely see them being great allies to each other.
Michaela: I desperately want to trust Iktan but I just don’t. Xe is just being too flighty, like I know xe is meant to be a sneaky and secretive person per the position xe holds but like…c’mon. Also that “scratch” on xir neck, sus!
Serapio’s life so far has been a whole lot of other people fulfilling promises to his mother and then his mother fulfilling a promise or maybe a job for someone else. It’s still a mystery to me for sure. I want to know why Serapio’s mother ended up with his father. I feel like it was made to seem like an alliance kind of marriage but I don’t know if that was what actually happened. His father did not understand Saaya’s culture at all, and then isolated Serapio because of that as well.
If Xiala and Serapio aren’t best friends by the end of this I will riot, they are so cute already. Xiala teaching him how to eat fish, adorable. They’re both secluded from others because they look physically different from most others and I think they will feel a bond over that. Also Serapio is fascinated already since Xiala pushed him out of the crow he was seeing through. Which, both character’s powers are so cool! Dream team. But at the same time it also feels like a set up for them to be easily opposed because Xiala has that defense against Serapio’s power. Time will tell but I’m on team besties.
Right now there are still so many questions I’m excited to get answered. Everything with the main trio especially but also I want to know more about the Night of Knives. Also, I’d like to know more about why the Carrion Crows are so socially isolated when they’re right there in the city of Tavo. They are right there next to Otsa, why are they distanced so much by every other clan?
Jacilyn: The Night of Knives was an interesting parallel to things that have happened in reality. I wouldn’t be surprised if part of the inspiration was Kristallnacht, or Night of Broken Glass, during the Holocaust. Of course, Rebecca’s work is heavily influenced by Native culture, and there are unfortunately many instances of Native peoples being the victims of similar violence also. It’s truly no wonder that Carrion Crow are as distrustful as they are - but of course, so many of the people in power hold that against them. It’s unsurprising, but terribly unfortunate.
We do have a lot of questions, still, but I’m sure we’ll be coming back next week with more answers under our belts. So far, we’re both enjoying this book a lot, and are looking forward to what’s coming next. Until next time, friends.
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