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The Warring Gods #1
The Sun and the Void
In a lush world inspired by the history and folklore of South America, a sweeping epic fantasy of colonialism, ancient magic, and two young women's quest for belonging unfolds.
Reina is desperate.
Stuck living on the edges of society, her only salvation lies in an invitation from a grandmother she’s never known. But the journey is dangerous, and prayer can’t always avert disaster.
Attacked by creatures that stalk the region, Reina is on the verge of death until her grandmother, a dark sorceress, intervenes. Now dependent on the Doña’s magic for her life, Reina will do anything to earn—and keep—her favor. Even the bidding of an ancient god who whispers to her at night.
Eva Kesare is unwanted.
Illegitimate and of mixed heritage, Eva is her family’s shame. She tries her best to be perfect and to hide her oddities. But Eva is hiding a secret: magic calls to her.
Eva knows she should fight the temptation. Magic is the sign of the dark god, and using it is punishable by death. Yet, it’s hard to deny power when it has always been denied to you. Eva is walking a dangerous path, one that gets stranger every day. And, in the end, she’ll become something she never imagined.
Reina is desperate.
Stuck living on the edges of society, her only salvation lies in an invitation from a grandmother she’s never known. But the journey is dangerous, and prayer can’t always avert disaster.
Attacked by creatures that stalk the region, Reina is on the verge of death until her grandmother, a dark sorceress, intervenes. Now dependent on the Doña’s magic for her life, Reina will do anything to earn—and keep—her favor. Even the bidding of an ancient god who whispers to her at night.
Eva Kesare is unwanted.
Illegitimate and of mixed heritage, Eva is her family’s shame. She tries her best to be perfect and to hide her oddities. But Eva is hiding a secret: magic calls to her.
Eva knows she should fight the temptation. Magic is the sign of the dark god, and using it is punishable by death. Yet, it’s hard to deny power when it has always been denied to you. Eva is walking a dangerous path, one that gets stranger every day. And, in the end, she’ll become something she never imagined.
511 pages, Paperback
First published July 25, 2023
About the author
Gabriela Romero Lacruz
2 books406 followersBorn and raised in Venezuela, Gabriela Romero Lacruz is author of the #1 Sunday Times bestselling novel, THE SUN AND THE VOID. She graduated with a BS in chemical engineering from the University of Houston and, after a stint in Oil and Gas, launched The Moonborn, a clothing, accessories, and stationery brand featuring her own illustrations. She writes dark and twisty fantasy stories set in places that remind her of home, so in her mind, she’s never too far from the beaches and mountains of Venezuela. She also illustrates book covers for select clients.
She is represented by Naomi Davis of Bookends Literary.
She is represented by Naomi Davis of Bookends Literary.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 930 reviews
March 19, 2023
Edit to add content warnings and author note:
If you can, please upvote this post so potential readers can view the content warnings.
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
FYI: To complete your reading experience, the book comes with a map of the world, a list of characters and their respective families, a guide to the magic system, and a glossary of terms.
What to expect:
- Venezuelan and Colombian inspired landscapes
- Mythology drawn from Venezuelan folklore
- A Sapphic romance
- Magic-heavy swordfights
- Fantasy races/species unique to this world
Author note: I kindly ask that you please don't tag me in negative reviews on any social media platform.
Original Review:
I love this book so much. It has Latine folklore, yummy Venezuelan foods, heroes inspired by the liberators of the South American war for independence, and fearless women that kick ass.
But I may be biased ;).
If you can, please upvote this post so potential readers can view the content warnings.
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
FYI: To complete your reading experience, the book comes with a map of the world, a list of characters and their respective families, a guide to the magic system, and a glossary of terms.
What to expect:
- Venezuelan and Colombian inspired landscapes
- Mythology drawn from Venezuelan folklore
- A Sapphic romance
- Magic-heavy swordfights
- Fantasy races/species unique to this world
Author note: I kindly ask that you please don't tag me in negative reviews on any social media platform.
Original Review:
I love this book so much. It has Latine folklore, yummy Venezuelan foods, heroes inspired by the liberators of the South American war for independence, and fearless women that kick ass.
But I may be biased ;).
Want to read
October 17, 2020I genuinely screamed when I read this premise.... “young noblewoman and servant girl become vessels of ancient gods to save nation” OH MY GOD!!!!!!
April 22, 2024
My thanks to Orbit books, Gabriella and Netgalley. First off, we need a new name for this author. Her name is too long and hard to remember. I'm thinking more along the lines of Gabi. Like Madonna. Just not as gross and preoccupied with fakeness. But, the woman tells such a fine story, that I believe she will eventually work into that. Yes, that's my way "I suppose?" of saying the woman can tell a story. Not just any story, really. I somehow managed to get lost in this book. Thing is that I wasn't expecting much from this story. The best I hoped for was just something I'd enjoy and then forget about. This story isn't about forgetting. You aren't done with this one until it's done with you. Obviously, it's not done with me yet! Ditto! Book, I ain't done with you either. Take that!
Want to read
October 16, 2020- Venezuelan ADULT epic fantasy
- a. young noblewoman and servant girl
- folklore
- an ancient god
- f/f pining
This book is so needed. I am so tired of every fantasy deal having to be YA. I need this book very badly.
IT IS TIME FOR GAY LATINX ADULT FANTASY TO SHINE
- a. young noblewoman and servant girl
- folklore
- an ancient god
- f/f pining
This book is so needed. I am so tired of every fantasy deal having to be YA. I need this book very badly.
IT IS TIME FOR GAY LATINX ADULT FANTASY TO SHINE
September 29, 2023
ARC received in exchange for an honest review
wow. i have never before read such pathetic and useless heroines in an adult fantasy novel until this. where is their agency?
like okay sure, the innocence and naivety were charming at first. i thought the characters were cute in a way because they were pitiful and so easily manipulated, but it quickly became tedious. they spent the entire novel being pushed around by everybody, mostly being manipulated and betrayed. they felt like stock fantasy characters and nothing really sets them apart from each other or from any other basic fantasy protagonist. like really, as main protagonists, why can't they assert themselves? and i wish i could say that i had continued reading for the plot and the worldbuilding— on paper, everything sounds good. Venezuelan inspired epic fantasy and being vessels of ancient warring gods? sign me tf up! yet, it was all incredibly boring to read about. i felt nothing the entire time i was reading, and this is a long book.
plot: dense and poorly-executed. it needs more rigorous editing because there is so much potential in the story. there were the dysfunctional family dynamics, political families, folklore and religion, and the rich history of the different races in the nation— yet it never felt fully integrated with the novel because all this was inconsequential to the characters and the plot. it all felt like shallow background information for the characters to move around in. also, some plot points were dropped quickly and we never got to see how those played out. so essentially, we wasted pages on information that did not contribute anything to the plot and character development.
writing + worldbuilding: would've been better had it been less repetitive with its descriptions. i was taken aback several times by the descriptions in the book (ex. spicy sunlight) and the vocabulary felt anachronistic at times. i did not get a sense of what the world looks like despite all the lengthy descriptions of dress and food because the writing felt robotic. it seemed like the author took several good ideas and tried to combine them together, which did not really work well. most important scenes felt anticlimactic and the supposedly big reveals fell flat to me. the dialogue was ridiculous and it read like a parody of a fantasy novel. also, the magic system is not what it promised. i've read my fair share of fantasy novels with complicated magic systems but this one here is one i still do not have a clear idea about. we do not know the limits of their magic nor do we know what exactly the laws of their magic say, even though they always mention it. the descriptions for the magic system needed to be more elegant and precise. it lacked direction and decisiveness because the laws of it are seemingly dictated by the author's whims; whatever magic the author wants to happen will happen for the convenience of the plot.
really, this book still needs some serious editing. i've been anticipating this book since orbit acquired it and i'm just upset that it's not what it's advertised to be.
wow. i have never before read such pathetic and useless heroines in an adult fantasy novel until this. where is their agency?
like okay sure, the innocence and naivety were charming at first. i thought the characters were cute in a way because they were pitiful and so easily manipulated, but it quickly became tedious. they spent the entire novel being pushed around by everybody, mostly being manipulated and betrayed. they felt like stock fantasy characters and nothing really sets them apart from each other or from any other basic fantasy protagonist. like really, as main protagonists, why can't they assert themselves? and i wish i could say that i had continued reading for the plot and the worldbuilding— on paper, everything sounds good. Venezuelan inspired epic fantasy and being vessels of ancient warring gods? sign me tf up! yet, it was all incredibly boring to read about. i felt nothing the entire time i was reading, and this is a long book.
plot: dense and poorly-executed. it needs more rigorous editing because there is so much potential in the story. there were the dysfunctional family dynamics, political families, folklore and religion, and the rich history of the different races in the nation— yet it never felt fully integrated with the novel because all this was inconsequential to the characters and the plot. it all felt like shallow background information for the characters to move around in. also, some plot points were dropped quickly and we never got to see how those played out. so essentially, we wasted pages on information that did not contribute anything to the plot and character development.
writing + worldbuilding: would've been better had it been less repetitive with its descriptions. i was taken aback several times by the descriptions in the book (ex. spicy sunlight) and the vocabulary felt anachronistic at times. i did not get a sense of what the world looks like despite all the lengthy descriptions of dress and food because the writing felt robotic. it seemed like the author took several good ideas and tried to combine them together, which did not really work well. most important scenes felt anticlimactic and the supposedly big reveals fell flat to me. the dialogue was ridiculous and it read like a parody of a fantasy novel. also, the magic system is not what it promised. i've read my fair share of fantasy novels with complicated magic systems but this one here is one i still do not have a clear idea about. we do not know the limits of their magic nor do we know what exactly the laws of their magic say, even though they always mention it. the descriptions for the magic system needed to be more elegant and precise. it lacked direction and decisiveness because the laws of it are seemingly dictated by the author's whims; whatever magic the author wants to happen will happen for the convenience of the plot.
really, this book still needs some serious editing. i've been anticipating this book since orbit acquired it and i'm just upset that it's not what it's advertised to be.
August 18, 2023
The Sun and the Void is a lush start to an epic fantasy series featuring South American folklore and a Sapphic romance.
Eva Kesare has an aptitude for magic but cannot use it openly because it is viewed with suspicion by everyone around her. She is viewed with suspicion and barely tolerated by her family due to her mixed heritage.
Reina is similarly an outcast. When her grandmother invites her to Aguila Manor, she leaves everything behind without a backward glance. But monstrous creatures attack Reina in the forest, and her grandmother, a powerful sorceress, is the only one who can save her. Now her life depends on the Doña’s magic, and she’ll do whatever it takes to keep her favour.
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.
If not for the slow pacing, this would have been a five-star read. For me, the pacing suffered from explaining every last detail of the setting. It took me twice as long to read this as it normally would for a fantasy of this length.
As I mentioned, the characters were well-drawn. They’re all mostly morally ambiguous or plain evil. They’ll do whatever is asked of them without thinking about it too deeply. Maior was a late entry into the book, but she might be my favourite character.
I can’t wait to see what the next book has in store.
3.75 rounded up.
Thank you to Orbit for sending a physical copy to review.
https://booksandwheels.com
Eva Kesare has an aptitude for magic but cannot use it openly because it is viewed with suspicion by everyone around her. She is viewed with suspicion and barely tolerated by her family due to her mixed heritage.
Reina is similarly an outcast. When her grandmother invites her to Aguila Manor, she leaves everything behind without a backward glance. But monstrous creatures attack Reina in the forest, and her grandmother, a powerful sorceress, is the only one who can save her. Now her life depends on the Doña’s magic, and she’ll do whatever it takes to keep her favour.
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.
If not for the slow pacing, this would have been a five-star read. For me, the pacing suffered from explaining every last detail of the setting. It took me twice as long to read this as it normally would for a fantasy of this length.
As I mentioned, the characters were well-drawn. They’re all mostly morally ambiguous or plain evil. They’ll do whatever is asked of them without thinking about it too deeply. Maior was a late entry into the book, but she might be my favourite character.
I can’t wait to see what the next book has in store.
3.75 rounded up.
Thank you to Orbit for sending a physical copy to review.
https://booksandwheels.com
October 2, 2023
More 3.5/5 stars than anything.
Before I get into my review, I want to address something. This book was accused of promoting so many harmful things by several people here on GoodReads, YouTube, and TikTok. I will not say who those people are; two have at least deleted or privated their reviews and one apologized, though I am not the one to accept or reject the apology. Many of these accusations were outright lies or came from a lack of reading comprehension. I will talk about some of these accusations in my review.
The Sun and the Void is set in a world inspired by colonial-era Latin America, primarily Venezuela and Colombia. It takes place some years after a revolution against the empire of Segol and two nations have been formed: Venacia and Fedria. The story opens with one of our two MCs Reina Duvianos, a nozariel girl, arriving at the Águila Estate In Venacia, searching for her grandmother Ursulina who she never met before after receiving a letter from her. Reina is attacked by some Void creatures called tinieblas and is rescued by Celeste, daughter and heir of the Águila family; Javier, Celeste's uncle, who actually only a year or so older than Celeste; and her grandmother Ursulina. Ursulina "heals" Reina by constructing a contraption that keeps her heart alive via the fueling of iridio, one of the magical elements used in geomancia and thus Reina tries to serve her as granddaughter and student while also trying to serve the Águila family, who're a family of mixed humans and valcos. Reina gradually becomes closer to Celeste and Celeste's father, Enrique, and Ursulina hatch a plan to enact an ancient ritual to summon the Void God Rahmagut. Celeste disappears and Reina sets off to find her and fulfill the ritual.
Elsewhere in Venacia, Eva Kesaré, a half-valco daughter of the human Serrano family, tries to study geomancia in private so that she can escape the constricting rule of her family and the shame they place upon her, as her mother was said to have been manipulated and defiled by a valco man. Eventually, Javier shows up and she's a kindred spirit in the fellow but stern valco. He takes her away, heading for Fedria to find the Liberator, one of the heroes of the revolution, to find Rahmagut's tomb. However, Eva's stars struck freedom is only temporary and a temultuous relationship with Javier begins. Eventually, she and Reina will cross paths and be caught up in the conflict of it all.
Off the bat, I want to discuss my personal criticisms of the The Sun and the Void first. The book's biggest problem, to me, is its pacing. The book is slow, especially in the beginning half. It does eventually pick up and if you stick around, you're in for a good story. But it's a book that requires a lot of patience to keep interested in the beginning, I will admit. Interesting things do happen along the way which keep you anchored, but it can be tough.
Second, there is some world-building issues that can make you scratch your head. It doesn't ruin the book, but it will cause question. The main issue for me was religion of the humans, Pentimiento, which is inspired by colonial Christianity in Latin America. Now, my problem isn't Pentimiento demonizing geomancia as witchcraft or valcos and nozariel (more on them later) as strange beasts, as there is historical basis to that--albeit I do feel that the bishop was one-dimensional. My issue is that Gabriela Romero-Lacruz never details Pentimiento's beliefs. We know they worship a goddess called the Virgin, we know who she's based off of, and venerate her saints. But then, Pentimiento also has crosses on its churches and its adherents make the sign of the cross. To some this won't matter, but it raises questions for me. There's nothing wrong with basing your fantasy world's religion on a real one for some commentary, but you cannot lazily build it. Again, what is the theology around the Virgin and her adherents? The Virgin Mary in Christianity doesn't have an explicit connection to crosses, except weeping at their feet for her Son, and the sign of the cross is in relation to the Trinity of which Mary is not apart of. So, in this world was the Virgin of Pentimiento crucified? Is she invoked in their crossing? Why does Pentimiento vilify nozariel and valcos based on their cosmology and theology? If there are to be other books, Romero-Lacruz needs to flesh this out.
Third and final criticism. Sometimes certain words or phrases are used that don't quite fit. There were many criticisms about the usage of "spicy sunlight" in the book. I actually don't mind this, but another description could've been stronger. Sometimes character will say "Mi mami" but then say "My mom" or "mother" later. There needs to be consistency. The biggest offender is the usage of "troubleshoot" which simply doesn't work for this setting. Keep your word choices to the proper setting.
And now for some good stuff :D
Despite wrong words and phrases occasionally used, the book's prose is quite good. Emotional and atmospheric when it needs to be. Romero-Lacruz is a master at her characters' emotional development.
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!
I would say the romances are only in their beginning stages by the end of the book, and that's fine. But Romero-Lacruz treats them with care.
Additionally, I must give Romero-Lacruz points for her fight scenes. She knows how to orchestrate them! From the emotions and desperation felt by the characters in them, to how they flow, and to how cinematic they feel.
I do genuinely feel sorry for anybody who gave up on this novel because of the lies spread by certain reviewers. I can understand because of the pacing, but just taking the lies at face value, even form people who admitted they never finished the book is astounding.
And speaking of all that, time to address the accusations.
"This book promotes incest!"
In one scene, Reina witnesses Enrique and Laurel, Celeste's parents, having sex and Enrique suggests marrying Celeste to her uncle Javier--who remember is about her age--to continue the valco line. Laurel is against it and Reina is horrified to hear it. Enrique is clearly an antagonist and this is the only time inbreeding is suggested. Having sex while talking about marrying your daughter to your brother is really weird, but that scene clearly illustrates Reina's disgust at the incest!
"Reina gets on with her uncle!"
No. Just, no. Javier mentions that he initially agreed to marrying Celeste years ago before Laurel basically cursed him, but no. Reina and Javier clearly hate each other and Reina is very obviously a lesbian for fuck's sake!
"Reina gets it on with her cousin!"
. Again, no.
(This one was a comment on TikTok) "Is this incest stuff a Latin American thing?"
No. Please Google the Habsburgs, most European monarchies, and British Gothic fiction before saying crap like that.
"This book promotes Anti-Indigenous sentiment!"
Okay so, the valcos and nozariel are indigenous to Venacia and Fedria and they are greatly distrusted and mistreated, especially nozariel, in the book. This is clearly an allegory for how real Indigenous people were treated by the Spanish colonizers in Latin America and this story is piloted by Reina and Eva, two very obviously mixed-raced people, it's literally central to their characters. This book is written by an Afro-Latina author originally from Venezuela. She is not condoning anti-Indigenous sentiment, she is showing its persecutions and bigotry. For God's sake! Did the people making this particular accusation lack reading comprehension and have no knowledge of how actual Indigenous people were treated under colonialism, especially under the casta system? Reina and Eva at times do feel uncomfortable about who they are and that's because the assholes around them in the story have made them feel that way! In the scenes where Eva's grandmother is disgusted by her valco heritage, her grandmother is not shown in the right! When Reina sees and hears about other nozariel who have been mistreated it's very obviously not presented as a good thing! Like, HOW ARE PEOPLE THIS DENSE!?
So, in conclusion...The Sun and the Void is a debut novel and it shows. There are some faults, but none of it is in the false claims made against the book. There's some good stuff here too and I think Romero-Lacruz can improve in a future book. I've been encountering that all this year. Debuts that weren't quite polish, but showed potential.
Before I get into my review, I want to address something. This book was accused of promoting so many harmful things by several people here on GoodReads, YouTube, and TikTok. I will not say who those people are; two have at least deleted or privated their reviews and one apologized, though I am not the one to accept or reject the apology. Many of these accusations were outright lies or came from a lack of reading comprehension. I will talk about some of these accusations in my review.
The Sun and the Void is set in a world inspired by colonial-era Latin America, primarily Venezuela and Colombia. It takes place some years after a revolution against the empire of Segol and two nations have been formed: Venacia and Fedria. The story opens with one of our two MCs Reina Duvianos, a nozariel girl, arriving at the Águila Estate In Venacia, searching for her grandmother Ursulina who she never met before after receiving a letter from her. Reina is attacked by some Void creatures called tinieblas and is rescued by Celeste, daughter and heir of the Águila family; Javier, Celeste's uncle, who actually only a year or so older than Celeste; and her grandmother Ursulina. Ursulina "heals" Reina by constructing a contraption that keeps her heart alive via the fueling of iridio, one of the magical elements used in geomancia and thus Reina tries to serve her as granddaughter and student while also trying to serve the Águila family, who're a family of mixed humans and valcos. Reina gradually becomes closer to Celeste and Celeste's father, Enrique, and Ursulina hatch a plan to enact an ancient ritual to summon the Void God Rahmagut. Celeste disappears and Reina sets off to find her and fulfill the ritual.
Elsewhere in Venacia, Eva Kesaré, a half-valco daughter of the human Serrano family, tries to study geomancia in private so that she can escape the constricting rule of her family and the shame they place upon her, as her mother was said to have been manipulated and defiled by a valco man. Eventually, Javier shows up and she's a kindred spirit in the fellow but stern valco. He takes her away, heading for Fedria to find the Liberator, one of the heroes of the revolution, to find Rahmagut's tomb. However, Eva's stars struck freedom is only temporary and a temultuous relationship with Javier begins. Eventually, she and Reina will cross paths and be caught up in the conflict of it all.
Off the bat, I want to discuss my personal criticisms of the The Sun and the Void first. The book's biggest problem, to me, is its pacing. The book is slow, especially in the beginning half. It does eventually pick up and if you stick around, you're in for a good story. But it's a book that requires a lot of patience to keep interested in the beginning, I will admit. Interesting things do happen along the way which keep you anchored, but it can be tough.
Second, there is some world-building issues that can make you scratch your head. It doesn't ruin the book, but it will cause question. The main issue for me was religion of the humans, Pentimiento, which is inspired by colonial Christianity in Latin America. Now, my problem isn't Pentimiento demonizing geomancia as witchcraft or valcos and nozariel (more on them later) as strange beasts, as there is historical basis to that--albeit I do feel that the bishop was one-dimensional. My issue is that Gabriela Romero-Lacruz never details Pentimiento's beliefs. We know they worship a goddess called the Virgin, we know who she's based off of, and venerate her saints. But then, Pentimiento also has crosses on its churches and its adherents make the sign of the cross. To some this won't matter, but it raises questions for me. There's nothing wrong with basing your fantasy world's religion on a real one for some commentary, but you cannot lazily build it. Again, what is the theology around the Virgin and her adherents? The Virgin Mary in Christianity doesn't have an explicit connection to crosses, except weeping at their feet for her Son, and the sign of the cross is in relation to the Trinity of which Mary is not apart of. So, in this world was the Virgin of Pentimiento crucified? Is she invoked in their crossing? Why does Pentimiento vilify nozariel and valcos based on their cosmology and theology? If there are to be other books, Romero-Lacruz needs to flesh this out.
Third and final criticism. Sometimes certain words or phrases are used that don't quite fit. There were many criticisms about the usage of "spicy sunlight" in the book. I actually don't mind this, but another description could've been stronger. Sometimes character will say "Mi mami" but then say "My mom" or "mother" later. There needs to be consistency. The biggest offender is the usage of "troubleshoot" which simply doesn't work for this setting. Keep your word choices to the proper setting.
And now for some good stuff :D
Despite wrong words and phrases occasionally used, the book's prose is quite good. Emotional and atmospheric when it needs to be. Romero-Lacruz is a master at her characters' emotional development.
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!
I would say the romances are only in their beginning stages by the end of the book, and that's fine. But Romero-Lacruz treats them with care.
Additionally, I must give Romero-Lacruz points for her fight scenes. She knows how to orchestrate them! From the emotions and desperation felt by the characters in them, to how they flow, and to how cinematic they feel.
I do genuinely feel sorry for anybody who gave up on this novel because of the lies spread by certain reviewers. I can understand because of the pacing, but just taking the lies at face value, even form people who admitted they never finished the book is astounding.
And speaking of all that, time to address the accusations.
"This book promotes incest!"
In one scene, Reina witnesses Enrique and Laurel, Celeste's parents, having sex and Enrique suggests marrying Celeste to her uncle Javier--who remember is about her age--to continue the valco line. Laurel is against it and Reina is horrified to hear it. Enrique is clearly an antagonist and this is the only time inbreeding is suggested. Having sex while talking about marrying your daughter to your brother is really weird, but that scene clearly illustrates Reina's disgust at the incest!
"Reina gets on with her uncle!"
No. Just, no. Javier mentions that he initially agreed to marrying Celeste years ago before Laurel basically cursed him, but no. Reina and Javier clearly hate each other and Reina is very obviously a lesbian for fuck's sake!
"Reina gets it on with her cousin!"
. Again, no.
(This one was a comment on TikTok) "Is this incest stuff a Latin American thing?"
No. Please Google the Habsburgs, most European monarchies, and British Gothic fiction before saying crap like that.
"This book promotes Anti-Indigenous sentiment!"
Okay so, the valcos and nozariel are indigenous to Venacia and Fedria and they are greatly distrusted and mistreated, especially nozariel, in the book. This is clearly an allegory for how real Indigenous people were treated by the Spanish colonizers in Latin America and this story is piloted by Reina and Eva, two very obviously mixed-raced people, it's literally central to their characters. This book is written by an Afro-Latina author originally from Venezuela. She is not condoning anti-Indigenous sentiment, she is showing its persecutions and bigotry. For God's sake! Did the people making this particular accusation lack reading comprehension and have no knowledge of how actual Indigenous people were treated under colonialism, especially under the casta system? Reina and Eva at times do feel uncomfortable about who they are and that's because the assholes around them in the story have made them feel that way! In the scenes where Eva's grandmother is disgusted by her valco heritage, her grandmother is not shown in the right! When Reina sees and hears about other nozariel who have been mistreated it's very obviously not presented as a good thing! Like, HOW ARE PEOPLE THIS DENSE!?
So, in conclusion...The Sun and the Void is a debut novel and it shows. There are some faults, but none of it is in the false claims made against the book. There's some good stuff here too and I think Romero-Lacruz can improve in a future book. I've been encountering that all this year. Debuts that weren't quite polish, but showed potential.
August 6, 2023
DNF @ Page 175 @ 35%
#ownvoices review - As a Queer Latine individual, I feel it's important to mention this upfront before delving into my review. I had high hopes for this book, even purchasing two copies, expecting it to become an all-time favorite. Unfortunately, my experience was quite the opposite, as this book turned out to be one of the most disappointing reads I've ever encountered.
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.
Publishing
I want to address the failure of publishing in regard to this book. It's disheartening to see the limited representation of Latine Fantasy in the literary world. That's not to say that it doesn't exist, but for other BIPOC communities you can easily find SFF written by Asian and Black authors.
Regarding this specific book, it faced numerous delays, pushing its release from 2021 to 2022 and then to 2023. With such an extended timeline, one would assume it was to ensure the book's perfection.
Yet, upon reading it, it became evident that the book didn't meet expectations. There aren't many Goodreads reviews, but I must acknowledge the stunning cover and the beautiful artwork inside, which the author provided.
Despite that, I am left bewildered by how the publishing process allowed this book to be released after so many years. I feel cheated, wondering what potential this book could have achieved with proper support and development.
The Author
While I understand that the publishing process may have contributed to the book's shortcomings, it's difficult to overlook the author's role in its state. Releasing the book in its current form leaves me astonished, especially considering the overall rating of 3.5 on Goodreads, which suggests that many readers aren't enjoying it. Even the 3-star reviews appear overly generous.
It seems plausible that the author either lacked proper critique or disregarded feedback during the editing process. Mistakes abound, evident from the first chapter alone, raising doubts about the involvement of beta readers or any form of critical assessment.
The possibility of the author being indifferent to the feedback or neglecting the editor's notes cannot be dismissed. Understanding the reasons behind these issues, whether the author's obstinacy or a lack of support from the publishing side, remains uncertain.
Additionally, I'm puzzled by the agent's decision to represent this book. Although representing more Latine SFF authors is commendable, it shouldn't entail representing subpar works. I question what the agent saw in this book, considering its glaring issues. It is worth noting that the agent in question, Naomi Davis, is a white literary agent, raising concerns about the lack of Latine literary agents and the reliance of Latine authors on white literary agents. These cultural blind spots might have been factors contributing to the book's unaddressed flaws.
Writing
The writing in this book was undeniably atrocious! It's hard to find the right words to describe just how bad it was. The text felt clunky and robotic, making it difficult to immerse myself in the story. The descriptions were either nonsensical or excessively lengthy, as if the author wanted to control every aspect of the reader's imagination, but the result was overwhelming and cumbersome.
Even though I typically enjoy detailed passages, the overabundance of unnecessary descriptions, like "spicy sunlight," felt awkward and jarring, pulling me out of the story. It seemed like the author was attempting to be creative with her wording, but it only came across as amateurish and confusing.
The frequent focus on food descriptions also became bothersome, as characters seemed to eat excessively, and the incessant details about their meals grew tiresome. Moreover, the dialogue felt unnatural, as if the characters were merely serving the plot rather than engaging in authentic conversations.
The main issue with the book is its needless wordiness, seemingly driven by an attempt to reach a specific word count. Instead of delivering a concise and engaging 300-page book, the author stretched out and over-explained every aspect, resulting in a tedious reading experience.
Overall, there's nothing positive or praiseworthy to say about the writing. Reading the words became physically uncomfortable, as they strained my eyes and made it impossible to continue without frustration.
Characters
These characters are incredibly flat and lack any depth or agency, making them some of the most basic and 2-dimensional characters I've encountered in my reading life. I agree with the review's assessment that both of the main characters, Reine and Eva, are merely passive observers in the story. They seem to have no control over their circumstances, as events happen to them, and they merely go along with it. Surprisingly, even though the plot presents supposedly interesting situations, they end up feeling mundane and uninteresting to read about. Moreover, every event in the story is overly melodramatic, leading to eye-rolling and head-shaking moments.
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.
Another issue arises from the overwhelming info-dumping of around 20 different characters in the early chapters or pages. This flood of names and relationships feels like character soup, making it impossible to keep track of everyone and their significance. While the book provides a character sheet at the beginning, it proves inadequate and unhelpful in providing meaningful insights into the characters.
The book would have been more engaging if the author had gradually introduced the characters and shown us their relationships instead of resorting to telling us everything upfront. The heavy-handed approach to character introduction and development detracts from the overall reading experience and highlights the shortcomings of the writing.
Worldbuilding
In addition to the character overload at the beginning, the author introduces a plethora of different locations, factions, peoples, and creatures in the world. However, like with the characters, I find myself struggling to keep track of all the details. While the author may have a comprehensive understanding of the world she's created, she fails to effectively translate that for the reader's comprehension. It feels as though we are dropped into this complex world without proper guidance, leading to confusion and a quick sense of being lost.
Despite the presence of a map at the beginning of the book, it proves unhelpful in visualizing the world effectively. The author's overexplanation of the setting, presented in a robotic and list-like manner, does little to help me form a clear mental image of the world. I feel frustrated by the overwhelming amount of information I'm expected to memorize all at once. While I genuinely want to understand how this world operates, the excessive info-dumping hampers my ability to grasp its intricacies, leaving me feeling overwhelmed.
The author's use of names for places and peoples intended to represent real-world locations and cultures falls flat, lacking depth and immersion. It feels superficial and doesn't allow me to connect with the world on a meaningful level. The constant pages of boring and unnecessary exposition, delivered through unnatural character dialogue, add to my struggle in engaging with the story.
Perhaps if the author had avoided the literal pages of info-dumping and found more organic ways to introduce the world and its complexities, I could have had a better experience with the book. As it stands, I find myself grappling with the abundance of information while yearning for a more immersive and enjoyable reading experience.
Magic System
The magic system in this book is utterly perplexing. While the narrative delves into long, tedious exposition and intricate details about various aspects, the magic system remains surprisingly vague. It seems to involve something related to minerals, but the explanation is unclear, and its connection to the gods is ambiguous. Despite its apparent significance and influence on the story, I find myself unable to provide a coherent description of how it works, which is quite frustrating.
I concur with another reviewer who suggested that the magic system appears to serve whatever purpose the author desires for the plot. It lacks clear rules or consistency, leading to random and unexplained occurrences. Even though the book emphasizes the rarity of a particular blue ore/mineral, it is repeatedly mentioned, making it seem less rare and diminishing the sense of uniqueness.
This magic system had the potential to be a distinctive and engaging aspect of the story, particularly with its connection to the different earth elements. However, it ultimately falls flat and becomes a significant disappointment. While the author may have had a clear vision of how the magic system operates, she failed to convey it adequately to the readers, leaving me puzzled and unsatisfied.
Plot
The book's division into two parts feels forced and contrived. It's challenging to pinpoint a clear plot, but I'll attempt to explain based on my understanding and other reviews. The story revolves around two girls, Reina and Eva, who lack agency and depth. Reina's arc involves her needing to sacrifice babies to resurrect some lady you're supposed to care about who died. On the other hand, Eva's story focuses on portraying magic as dangerous and evil, lacking nuance and depth in her character development.
The so-called "inciting incident" for Reina doesn't occur until 35% into the book, after a long and tedious exposition. This lack of a compelling plot makes the reading experience uninteresting and boring. Eva's narrative is equally predictable, with her character and the surrounding individuals being one-dimensional and lacking complexity. The story clumsily emphasizes that people perceive her as evil because of magic, but this fails to add depth or uniqueness to the storyline.
The interactions between characters, whose names are forgettable, feel unrealistic and contrived. They seem present solely for info-dumping or plot progression, rather than being fully fleshed-out individuals. Additionally, the passage of time in Reina's story feels strangely distorted, giving a sense of gaslighting as if readers are expected to believe in a significant passage of time that doesn't feel genuine.
Overall, the characters lack substance and agency, making it challenging to find any redeeming qualities in the book. It even leans towards YA rather than adult, with violence being the primary factor distinguishing it as an adult book. While I acknowledge the presence of sexism when categorizing female authors' works as YA, the main characters' portrayal in this book does indeed feel more like teenagers rather than adults.
Queerness
I'm going to be very careful with how I say this as I know the author is queer, I am queer, and there are queer characters in the book. It appears that the world in the book is not queernorm. However, as a result I feel that the queer characters of the world seem to be used as a shock factor.
Here's my issue with this. I'm assuming based on this fact that this world is set in the past because of these attitudes as many in Latin America today, in general, are more accepting of the LGBTQ community; however, as another reviewer pointed out, "Also Javier asks if Celeste attempted to "troubleshoot" something, a word that comes from working on phone lines, something that doesn't exist in this world." Which is such a good point because there are certain things about this book that are weirdly modern?
Instead of writing a Latin American fantasy where queer issues aren't present, the author chose to incorporate these issues into the narrative. This decision feels puzzling, as it's not clear if the intention was to accurately represent historical realities or to use queerness as a plot device for shock value. Which to me personally feels like the later, for shock value, which I don't appreciate the author doing.
Race/Ethnicity
Personally, I found the way the author tackled this aspect in the book to be downright offensive. I understand what the author might have been attempting to convey, but in my opinion, it didn't work at all. The allusion to indigenous people as monsters in the book was deeply triggering and unsettling to read about, even more so than the book's violence, which was already boring to me. It's true that historically, colonizers and some racist individuals viewed indigenous peoples in this manner, and sadly, some hold these views even today. However, having the entire framing of the story based on this concept is highly problematic.
Moreover, having the characters refer to themselves as monsters and giving indigenous characters antlers or tails only adds to the discomfort. It feels as if the book is dehumanizing indigenous people and perpetuating harmful stereotypes. The idea could have been handled more responsibly by simply having these characters exist in the story without the need for them to be contrasted with "humans."
As a Latine person, reading about the mixing of heritages and feeling as if the indigenous parts are being depicted as "weird" is a combination of feeling othered from both outside and within. This portrayal misses the mark on addressing the complexities of mixed heritages in Latin America, and it's poorly executed. I find it difficult to comprehend how a book with such problematic content was able to be published.
Let me emphasize once again that INDIGENOUS PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE and are not monsters. The book's depiction is deeply troubling, and it is distressing to read about indigenous people being presented in this manner. This aspect might not be as bothersome to non-Latine readers, as I have noticed a lack of Latine reviews on Goodreads. Nonetheless, it remains a significant issue that needs to be addressed and acknowledged.
Religion
This is a complex topic that I'll attempt to discuss. Firstly, it should go without saying that colonialism is detrimental, and I see parallels between what the Spanish did historically and the actions of certain groups like Mormons, JW's, and other Evangelicals from the USA in Latin America today, which can be viewed as a form of modern colonialism. That's a topic worthy of a separate discussion, but let's focus on the book.
In the book, we have the Virgin, which is a clear representation of the Catholic Church, and then the Indigenous religion(s). The presentation of these elements is a bit weird because, unsurprisingly, all the Christian characters are depicted as inherently bad, offering no nuance, especially when viewed from a modern perspective. They believe magic is evil, which is one perspective, but the issue arises when the book portrays one of the Indigenous gods as evil, involving the sacrifice of babies and women. This kind of logic makes it understandable why the Christian characters feel the way they do. However, the book seems to frame the ones performing the murders as good or justified, solely because they want to revive a character you're supposedly meant to care about.
Needless to say, this portrayal has numerous issues. Painting all Christians in the story as bad to the extent of needing a trigger warning for "religion" is bizarre and lacks nuance. While there have been terrible acts done in the name of religion, there are also instances of good. The book fails to explore these complexities, making me question who the intended audience is. Another Latine person might find this two-dimensional view on religion disheartening, as it lacks the depth and understanding needed to portray these beliefs accurately.
In the modern day, countries like Colombia or Argentina may be more Christian than the USA, yet they are less conservative. They grant rights such as abortion, whereas the USA's puritanical values still influence its politics. Even among sex workers in Latin America, many identify as Christian. Unfortunately, the book's portrayal of both Christianity and Indigenous religions lacks depth, complexity, and understanding, resulting in a 2-dimensional representation that falls short of conveying the complexities and nuances present in real-world beliefs.
Conclusion
In the end, this book fails on every possible level. It's rare for a book to evoke such strong negative emotions in me—boredom, anger, and annoyance—all at once, but this book managed to do just that. Its numerous issues lead me to believe that either it was never properly edited to address its flaws, or the author chose not to make necessary changes. I'm uncertain which scenario is true, but it's undoubtedly one of them, or perhaps a combination of both.
To be honest, I have nothing positive to say about this book. As a Queer Latine individual, there were elements here that I expected to appreciate, but that wasn't the case. Unfortunately, this book serves as a masterclass in what not to do as an author. It's as if all the advice online on what to avoid in writing was compiled into one poorly executed book.
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.
Needless to say, I will be attempting to return both copies of this book in the hope of getting my money back. This reading experience has left me thoroughly dissatisfied, and I believe others would be better off avoiding it altogether.
#ownvoices review - As a Queer Latine individual, I feel it's important to mention this upfront before delving into my review. I had high hopes for this book, even purchasing two copies, expecting it to become an all-time favorite. Unfortunately, my experience was quite the opposite, as this book turned out to be one of the most disappointing reads I've ever encountered.
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.
Publishing
I want to address the failure of publishing in regard to this book. It's disheartening to see the limited representation of Latine Fantasy in the literary world. That's not to say that it doesn't exist, but for other BIPOC communities you can easily find SFF written by Asian and Black authors.
Regarding this specific book, it faced numerous delays, pushing its release from 2021 to 2022 and then to 2023. With such an extended timeline, one would assume it was to ensure the book's perfection.
Yet, upon reading it, it became evident that the book didn't meet expectations. There aren't many Goodreads reviews, but I must acknowledge the stunning cover and the beautiful artwork inside, which the author provided.
Despite that, I am left bewildered by how the publishing process allowed this book to be released after so many years. I feel cheated, wondering what potential this book could have achieved with proper support and development.
The Author
While I understand that the publishing process may have contributed to the book's shortcomings, it's difficult to overlook the author's role in its state. Releasing the book in its current form leaves me astonished, especially considering the overall rating of 3.5 on Goodreads, which suggests that many readers aren't enjoying it. Even the 3-star reviews appear overly generous.
It seems plausible that the author either lacked proper critique or disregarded feedback during the editing process. Mistakes abound, evident from the first chapter alone, raising doubts about the involvement of beta readers or any form of critical assessment.
The possibility of the author being indifferent to the feedback or neglecting the editor's notes cannot be dismissed. Understanding the reasons behind these issues, whether the author's obstinacy or a lack of support from the publishing side, remains uncertain.
Additionally, I'm puzzled by the agent's decision to represent this book. Although representing more Latine SFF authors is commendable, it shouldn't entail representing subpar works. I question what the agent saw in this book, considering its glaring issues. It is worth noting that the agent in question, Naomi Davis, is a white literary agent, raising concerns about the lack of Latine literary agents and the reliance of Latine authors on white literary agents. These cultural blind spots might have been factors contributing to the book's unaddressed flaws.
Writing
The writing in this book was undeniably atrocious! It's hard to find the right words to describe just how bad it was. The text felt clunky and robotic, making it difficult to immerse myself in the story. The descriptions were either nonsensical or excessively lengthy, as if the author wanted to control every aspect of the reader's imagination, but the result was overwhelming and cumbersome.
Even though I typically enjoy detailed passages, the overabundance of unnecessary descriptions, like "spicy sunlight," felt awkward and jarring, pulling me out of the story. It seemed like the author was attempting to be creative with her wording, but it only came across as amateurish and confusing.
The frequent focus on food descriptions also became bothersome, as characters seemed to eat excessively, and the incessant details about their meals grew tiresome. Moreover, the dialogue felt unnatural, as if the characters were merely serving the plot rather than engaging in authentic conversations.
The main issue with the book is its needless wordiness, seemingly driven by an attempt to reach a specific word count. Instead of delivering a concise and engaging 300-page book, the author stretched out and over-explained every aspect, resulting in a tedious reading experience.
Overall, there's nothing positive or praiseworthy to say about the writing. Reading the words became physically uncomfortable, as they strained my eyes and made it impossible to continue without frustration.
Characters
These characters are incredibly flat and lack any depth or agency, making them some of the most basic and 2-dimensional characters I've encountered in my reading life. I agree with the review's assessment that both of the main characters, Reine and Eva, are merely passive observers in the story. They seem to have no control over their circumstances, as events happen to them, and they merely go along with it. Surprisingly, even though the plot presents supposedly interesting situations, they end up feeling mundane and uninteresting to read about. Moreover, every event in the story is overly melodramatic, leading to eye-rolling and head-shaking moments.
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.
Another issue arises from the overwhelming info-dumping of around 20 different characters in the early chapters or pages. This flood of names and relationships feels like character soup, making it impossible to keep track of everyone and their significance. While the book provides a character sheet at the beginning, it proves inadequate and unhelpful in providing meaningful insights into the characters.
The book would have been more engaging if the author had gradually introduced the characters and shown us their relationships instead of resorting to telling us everything upfront. The heavy-handed approach to character introduction and development detracts from the overall reading experience and highlights the shortcomings of the writing.
Worldbuilding
In addition to the character overload at the beginning, the author introduces a plethora of different locations, factions, peoples, and creatures in the world. However, like with the characters, I find myself struggling to keep track of all the details. While the author may have a comprehensive understanding of the world she's created, she fails to effectively translate that for the reader's comprehension. It feels as though we are dropped into this complex world without proper guidance, leading to confusion and a quick sense of being lost.
Despite the presence of a map at the beginning of the book, it proves unhelpful in visualizing the world effectively. The author's overexplanation of the setting, presented in a robotic and list-like manner, does little to help me form a clear mental image of the world. I feel frustrated by the overwhelming amount of information I'm expected to memorize all at once. While I genuinely want to understand how this world operates, the excessive info-dumping hampers my ability to grasp its intricacies, leaving me feeling overwhelmed.
The author's use of names for places and peoples intended to represent real-world locations and cultures falls flat, lacking depth and immersion. It feels superficial and doesn't allow me to connect with the world on a meaningful level. The constant pages of boring and unnecessary exposition, delivered through unnatural character dialogue, add to my struggle in engaging with the story.
Perhaps if the author had avoided the literal pages of info-dumping and found more organic ways to introduce the world and its complexities, I could have had a better experience with the book. As it stands, I find myself grappling with the abundance of information while yearning for a more immersive and enjoyable reading experience.
Magic System
The magic system in this book is utterly perplexing. While the narrative delves into long, tedious exposition and intricate details about various aspects, the magic system remains surprisingly vague. It seems to involve something related to minerals, but the explanation is unclear, and its connection to the gods is ambiguous. Despite its apparent significance and influence on the story, I find myself unable to provide a coherent description of how it works, which is quite frustrating.
I concur with another reviewer who suggested that the magic system appears to serve whatever purpose the author desires for the plot. It lacks clear rules or consistency, leading to random and unexplained occurrences. Even though the book emphasizes the rarity of a particular blue ore/mineral, it is repeatedly mentioned, making it seem less rare and diminishing the sense of uniqueness.
This magic system had the potential to be a distinctive and engaging aspect of the story, particularly with its connection to the different earth elements. However, it ultimately falls flat and becomes a significant disappointment. While the author may have had a clear vision of how the magic system operates, she failed to convey it adequately to the readers, leaving me puzzled and unsatisfied.
Plot
The book's division into two parts feels forced and contrived. It's challenging to pinpoint a clear plot, but I'll attempt to explain based on my understanding and other reviews. The story revolves around two girls, Reina and Eva, who lack agency and depth. Reina's arc involves her needing to sacrifice babies to resurrect some lady you're supposed to care about who died. On the other hand, Eva's story focuses on portraying magic as dangerous and evil, lacking nuance and depth in her character development.
The so-called "inciting incident" for Reina doesn't occur until 35% into the book, after a long and tedious exposition. This lack of a compelling plot makes the reading experience uninteresting and boring. Eva's narrative is equally predictable, with her character and the surrounding individuals being one-dimensional and lacking complexity. The story clumsily emphasizes that people perceive her as evil because of magic, but this fails to add depth or uniqueness to the storyline.
The interactions between characters, whose names are forgettable, feel unrealistic and contrived. They seem present solely for info-dumping or plot progression, rather than being fully fleshed-out individuals. Additionally, the passage of time in Reina's story feels strangely distorted, giving a sense of gaslighting as if readers are expected to believe in a significant passage of time that doesn't feel genuine.
Overall, the characters lack substance and agency, making it challenging to find any redeeming qualities in the book. It even leans towards YA rather than adult, with violence being the primary factor distinguishing it as an adult book. While I acknowledge the presence of sexism when categorizing female authors' works as YA, the main characters' portrayal in this book does indeed feel more like teenagers rather than adults.
Queerness
I'm going to be very careful with how I say this as I know the author is queer, I am queer, and there are queer characters in the book. It appears that the world in the book is not queernorm. However, as a result I feel that the queer characters of the world seem to be used as a shock factor.
Here's my issue with this. I'm assuming based on this fact that this world is set in the past because of these attitudes as many in Latin America today, in general, are more accepting of the LGBTQ community; however, as another reviewer pointed out, "Also Javier asks if Celeste attempted to "troubleshoot" something, a word that comes from working on phone lines, something that doesn't exist in this world." Which is such a good point because there are certain things about this book that are weirdly modern?
Instead of writing a Latin American fantasy where queer issues aren't present, the author chose to incorporate these issues into the narrative. This decision feels puzzling, as it's not clear if the intention was to accurately represent historical realities or to use queerness as a plot device for shock value. Which to me personally feels like the later, for shock value, which I don't appreciate the author doing.
Race/Ethnicity
Personally, I found the way the author tackled this aspect in the book to be downright offensive. I understand what the author might have been attempting to convey, but in my opinion, it didn't work at all. The allusion to indigenous people as monsters in the book was deeply triggering and unsettling to read about, even more so than the book's violence, which was already boring to me. It's true that historically, colonizers and some racist individuals viewed indigenous peoples in this manner, and sadly, some hold these views even today. However, having the entire framing of the story based on this concept is highly problematic.
Moreover, having the characters refer to themselves as monsters and giving indigenous characters antlers or tails only adds to the discomfort. It feels as if the book is dehumanizing indigenous people and perpetuating harmful stereotypes. The idea could have been handled more responsibly by simply having these characters exist in the story without the need for them to be contrasted with "humans."
As a Latine person, reading about the mixing of heritages and feeling as if the indigenous parts are being depicted as "weird" is a combination of feeling othered from both outside and within. This portrayal misses the mark on addressing the complexities of mixed heritages in Latin America, and it's poorly executed. I find it difficult to comprehend how a book with such problematic content was able to be published.
Let me emphasize once again that INDIGENOUS PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE and are not monsters. The book's depiction is deeply troubling, and it is distressing to read about indigenous people being presented in this manner. This aspect might not be as bothersome to non-Latine readers, as I have noticed a lack of Latine reviews on Goodreads. Nonetheless, it remains a significant issue that needs to be addressed and acknowledged.
Religion
This is a complex topic that I'll attempt to discuss. Firstly, it should go without saying that colonialism is detrimental, and I see parallels between what the Spanish did historically and the actions of certain groups like Mormons, JW's, and other Evangelicals from the USA in Latin America today, which can be viewed as a form of modern colonialism. That's a topic worthy of a separate discussion, but let's focus on the book.
In the book, we have the Virgin, which is a clear representation of the Catholic Church, and then the Indigenous religion(s). The presentation of these elements is a bit weird because, unsurprisingly, all the Christian characters are depicted as inherently bad, offering no nuance, especially when viewed from a modern perspective. They believe magic is evil, which is one perspective, but the issue arises when the book portrays one of the Indigenous gods as evil, involving the sacrifice of babies and women. This kind of logic makes it understandable why the Christian characters feel the way they do. However, the book seems to frame the ones performing the murders as good or justified, solely because they want to revive a character you're supposedly meant to care about.
Needless to say, this portrayal has numerous issues. Painting all Christians in the story as bad to the extent of needing a trigger warning for "religion" is bizarre and lacks nuance. While there have been terrible acts done in the name of religion, there are also instances of good. The book fails to explore these complexities, making me question who the intended audience is. Another Latine person might find this two-dimensional view on religion disheartening, as it lacks the depth and understanding needed to portray these beliefs accurately.
In the modern day, countries like Colombia or Argentina may be more Christian than the USA, yet they are less conservative. They grant rights such as abortion, whereas the USA's puritanical values still influence its politics. Even among sex workers in Latin America, many identify as Christian. Unfortunately, the book's portrayal of both Christianity and Indigenous religions lacks depth, complexity, and understanding, resulting in a 2-dimensional representation that falls short of conveying the complexities and nuances present in real-world beliefs.
Conclusion
In the end, this book fails on every possible level. It's rare for a book to evoke such strong negative emotions in me—boredom, anger, and annoyance—all at once, but this book managed to do just that. Its numerous issues lead me to believe that either it was never properly edited to address its flaws, or the author chose not to make necessary changes. I'm uncertain which scenario is true, but it's undoubtedly one of them, or perhaps a combination of both.
To be honest, I have nothing positive to say about this book. As a Queer Latine individual, there were elements here that I expected to appreciate, but that wasn't the case. Unfortunately, this book serves as a masterclass in what not to do as an author. It's as if all the advice online on what to avoid in writing was compiled into one poorly executed book.
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.
Needless to say, I will be attempting to return both copies of this book in the hope of getting my money back. This reading experience has left me thoroughly dissatisfied, and I believe others would be better off avoiding it altogether.
May 24, 2023
I have mixed thoughts on this one... on the one hand, I really like a lot of the ideas around the worldbuilding, overall plot direction, and characterization. It was well thought out and entertaining. That said, I think this would have been greatly improved by another round of editing to tighten up the pacing & descriptions. This could have been a 4 or 4.5 star book for me, I think, if it had been 20% shorter
Still, if you are not as particular about pacing as I am, I could see this being a bigger hit for you than it was for me, and for a debut, pretty impressive!
Still, if you are not as particular about pacing as I am, I could see this being a bigger hit for you than it was for me, and for a debut, pretty impressive!
April 25, 2023
THIS BOOK.
The Sun and the Void is a powerful and enthralling tale of struggle and hope, gods and mortals in a lavish fantasy world. Gabriela Romero Lacruz’s debut boasts unparalleled world-building, fully-realized lore, and characters who will leap off the page and right into your heart. I absolutely loved it. A fantastic debut.
The Sun and the Void is a powerful and enthralling tale of struggle and hope, gods and mortals in a lavish fantasy world. Gabriela Romero Lacruz’s debut boasts unparalleled world-building, fully-realized lore, and characters who will leap off the page and right into your heart. I absolutely loved it. A fantastic debut.
September 20, 2023
The Sun and the Void brought me so much joy to read.
First off, I'm obsessed with every cover design for this book. Second, I have a minor in Spanish, and studied many of the different central and South American regions. Seeing those cultures brought to life in a fantasy setting was special. That said, if you don’t speak Spanish I think some passages will be very confusing, but it’s a high fantasy book. Confusion is expected!
Onto the good stuff. It follows two main characters, each of a non human race which was unexpected and fun. I particularly appreciated the subtle approach to addressing racism in the world. It felt realistic, but never heavy-handed. Subtlety feels like a lost art sometimes in fantasy, but I thought this was done quite well. The main characters themselves are both quite “difficult to love”. Quick to blame, quick to anger, and quick to speak vile words to the people they claim to love. They were frustrating and real. (I have to say that Eva and Javier’s relationship made me want to die sometimes 😂)
The plot moves along at a nice pace, not with any particularly wild twists, but I did like the shifts in direction throughout. It kept me engaged, which is important for a 510 page book!
Overall, while the ending was a little more romance heavy than I normally prefer, I found The Song and the Void to be a compelling story, with a great cast, in a gorgeous world that I couldn’t help but fall in love with.
Long live Rahmagut and Ches!
First off, I'm obsessed with every cover design for this book. Second, I have a minor in Spanish, and studied many of the different central and South American regions. Seeing those cultures brought to life in a fantasy setting was special. That said, if you don’t speak Spanish I think some passages will be very confusing, but it’s a high fantasy book. Confusion is expected!
Onto the good stuff. It follows two main characters, each of a non human race which was unexpected and fun. I particularly appreciated the subtle approach to addressing racism in the world. It felt realistic, but never heavy-handed. Subtlety feels like a lost art sometimes in fantasy, but I thought this was done quite well. The main characters themselves are both quite “difficult to love”. Quick to blame, quick to anger, and quick to speak vile words to the people they claim to love. They were frustrating and real. (I have to say that Eva and Javier’s relationship made me want to die sometimes 😂)
The plot moves along at a nice pace, not with any particularly wild twists, but I did like the shifts in direction throughout. It kept me engaged, which is important for a 510 page book!
Overall, while the ending was a little more romance heavy than I normally prefer, I found The Song and the Void to be a compelling story, with a great cast, in a gorgeous world that I couldn’t help but fall in love with.
Long live Rahmagut and Ches!
Shelved as 'dnf'
November 25, 2023DNF @170 pages
There has been so much drama surrounding reviews of this book I waited to try it until things had kind of died down. For the most part, I thought the first part of the book was fine and fairly entertaining while trying to take on some bigger thematic content such as colorism and different kinds of racial discrimination that take place in Latin America. I didn't really understand some of the problems people seemed to find here but I did decide to DNF because the very end of part 1 and first chapter of part 2 involve putting multiple babies in harms way where they will likely be killed and several of them die in the process. While the author isn't trying to make that seem okay exactly, it does feel very glossed over how horrific what they're doing for selfish reasons is. And not in an intentional way from what I can tell. I just don't think it's well-handled and for me personally, babies or young children being killed when there isn't a big enough story reason and it's not being handled with intention is a hard no for me as a parent. This felt so sudden and off-hand, it's just not going to be the book for me. That said, I don't feel like this is a malicious or "problematic" thing and nothing that I read would fall into those categories. It's just trying to do a lot and not cautious in how it's approaching things.
There has been so much drama surrounding reviews of this book I waited to try it until things had kind of died down. For the most part, I thought the first part of the book was fine and fairly entertaining while trying to take on some bigger thematic content such as colorism and different kinds of racial discrimination that take place in Latin America. I didn't really understand some of the problems people seemed to find here but I did decide to DNF because the very end of part 1 and first chapter of part 2 involve putting multiple babies in harms way where they will likely be killed and several of them die in the process. While the author isn't trying to make that seem okay exactly, it does feel very glossed over how horrific what they're doing for selfish reasons is. And not in an intentional way from what I can tell. I just don't think it's well-handled and for me personally, babies or young children being killed when there isn't a big enough story reason and it's not being handled with intention is a hard no for me as a parent. This felt so sudden and off-hand, it's just not going to be the book for me. That said, I don't feel like this is a malicious or "problematic" thing and nothing that I read would fall into those categories. It's just trying to do a lot and not cautious in how it's approaching things.
April 15, 2023
This didn't evoke much emotion in me, which might be the worst thing I could say about a book. It was fine. I felt very flat while reading it, and put it down frequently because I got bored. It could be because we are told from very early on where the story will inevitably end, and implicitly how given this is part of a series. So it’s just killing time until we arrive at the destination.
By the last third I just wanted it to be over, and if it wasn’t an ARC I don’t think I would have bothered finishing it.
By the last third I just wanted it to be over, and if it wasn’t an ARC I don’t think I would have bothered finishing it.
Want to read
October 19, 2020i was about to scream when i read VENEZUELAN f/f epic fantasy !!! it's the first LGBTQ+ book (ever?) that i've seen that's from my country, i'd never expected to see venezuelan lesbians in my home page so it was the nicest surprise. i'm very excited for this one!
August 14, 2023
Whew! This book was a journey. The first part was a hefty amount of info that I wasn't quite prepared for. It was very slow paced and I wish some of those chapters would've been cut down a bit. I feel like the play by play of how Reina came to the manor and started working could've been condensed. At the same time despite the length 2 years passed rather quickly during what felt like a month's time. Eva also barely got any chapters during that section of the book so I ended part one not really knowing anything about her. She was much more fleshed out in part 2 and quickly became my favorite character of the story. Though I do wish the chapters could've been spread a little more evenly between her and Reina.
Part 2 is what pulls you into the story because we're finally seeing the characters work towards goals and everyone has their own agenda. We also see what real magic can do in this world and learn more about how people wield it. These aren't just characters you instantly fall in love with. When you thought you knew someone we would find out new information about them that would have you questioning how you feel. I liked that she kept readers on their toes that way.
She put a lot of thought into this world and the unique magic system and I can't wait to see how she expands on it in the next book.
3.5
Full review
https://womenofcolorreadtoo.blogspot....
Part 2 is what pulls you into the story because we're finally seeing the characters work towards goals and everyone has their own agenda. We also see what real magic can do in this world and learn more about how people wield it. These aren't just characters you instantly fall in love with. When you thought you knew someone we would find out new information about them that would have you questioning how you feel. I liked that she kept readers on their toes that way.
She put a lot of thought into this world and the unique magic system and I can't wait to see how she expands on it in the next book.
3.5
Full review
https://womenofcolorreadtoo.blogspot....
Read
September 12, 2023 ————————————
What I liked: The world building in this book was, by far, the best part about it. Geomancia was so interesting, as well as the Gods of the Sun and el Vacío. The characters, while flawed for sure, I was actually very invested in. With that being said, I do think there were some issues to contend with…
What I didn’t like:…firstly, being that the character’s motivations/personalities didn’t seem very constant to me. Their decisions often made me raise an eyebrow, both in terms of consistency and naïveté. And, as many people have noted, this book is LONG. I didn’t really feel it picked up until the halfway point (250 whole pages in). It definitely could have benefited from some more editing to chop down the length as well as fix some passages and language that didn’t flow well.
Content warnings: mentions of sexual assault, incest, murder, racism, domestic abuse
—————————————
Thank you so much Orbit books for providing me an ARC!
What I liked: The world building in this book was, by far, the best part about it. Geomancia was so interesting, as well as the Gods of the Sun and el Vacío. The characters, while flawed for sure, I was actually very invested in. With that being said, I do think there were some issues to contend with…
What I didn’t like:…firstly, being that the character’s motivations/personalities didn’t seem very constant to me. Their decisions often made me raise an eyebrow, both in terms of consistency and naïveté. And, as many people have noted, this book is LONG. I didn’t really feel it picked up until the halfway point (250 whole pages in). It definitely could have benefited from some more editing to chop down the length as well as fix some passages and language that didn’t flow well.
Content warnings: mentions of sexual assault, incest, murder, racism, domestic abuse
—————————————
Thank you so much Orbit books for providing me an ARC!
Read
January 23, 2024The 1 star is for myself, for completing the book
September 15, 2023
3.5 stars
This was pretty fun! I don't think I've read a Venezuelan-inspired fantasy book before, so that alone was really interesting, and having a sapphic romance and an interesting concept was just the cherry on top.
I actually liked my reading experience with this book, so honestly my main critique comes down to it feeling very much like a debut novel. Some of the prose and dialogue feels a bit simplistic — though I understand from the acknowledgments that Romero-Lacruz isn't a native English speaker, so I can give her a bit more leeway there I guess. The vibe of the character interactions was also a bit more YA than Adult, and the length and complexity of the world didn't really match up with that, which was weird.
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:
[image error]
I often have reservations about fantasy that centers around a fictional group that's oppressed as a kind of metaphor for real-world oppression — see this fantastic essay for more on this strangely popular trope — but this one worked better than most, imo. Romero-Lacruz doesn't shy away from the realities of oppression and persecution, and while the contant harassment nozariels experience in this world can become draining... maybe that's the point?
I've rarely come across a version of this trope that actually shows the reader what the emotional experience of prejudice is like — maybe Children of Blood and Bone is comparable here? So heads up that this book is rough to read at times, and it includes an instance of hate crime against a nozariel that could practically be described as a lynching. Still, the theme of seeking chosen family and belonging is prevalent in this story, and we do get an almost happy ending.
I kind of wish we could have followed Maior over either of our actual main characters. She had by far the most agency of all of them and seemed like the smartest and most underused chraracter. Reina was still fun to hear from, but I got kind of tired of Eva after a while. Her POV in the beginning was interesting enough and helped execute more world-building that Reina's POV lacked, but near the middle of the book, Eva somehow faded into the background despite having a POV the whole time.
As much as I enjoyed Eva and Reina gaining more agency near the end of the story, it was so frustrating how many stupid decisions they made and how weirdly trusting they could be... Maybe this book would have worked better as a YA novel because of their naivete, but in that case I think the sheer scope of the world and plot might have worked against it.
The good news about a book seeming "debutish" is that once the author is able to move beyond their debut novel, their work (hopefully) will get better and better! I think this series has a lot of potential, and I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes.
CW: relationship abuse, threat of sexual assault, racism against a fictional group inclusing an execution/hate crime, a strange incesty plotline (distant relations & doesn't go very far-- it didn't bother me much but it might bother others)
This was pretty fun! I don't think I've read a Venezuelan-inspired fantasy book before, so that alone was really interesting, and having a sapphic romance and an interesting concept was just the cherry on top.
I actually liked my reading experience with this book, so honestly my main critique comes down to it feeling very much like a debut novel. Some of the prose and dialogue feels a bit simplistic — though I understand from the acknowledgments that Romero-Lacruz isn't a native English speaker, so I can give her a bit more leeway there I guess. The vibe of the character interactions was also a bit more YA than Adult, and the length and complexity of the world didn't really match up with that, which was weird.
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:
[image error]
I often have reservations about fantasy that centers around a fictional group that's oppressed as a kind of metaphor for real-world oppression — see this fantastic essay for more on this strangely popular trope — but this one worked better than most, imo. Romero-Lacruz doesn't shy away from the realities of oppression and persecution, and while the contant harassment nozariels experience in this world can become draining... maybe that's the point?
I've rarely come across a version of this trope that actually shows the reader what the emotional experience of prejudice is like — maybe Children of Blood and Bone is comparable here? So heads up that this book is rough to read at times, and it includes an instance of hate crime against a nozariel that could practically be described as a lynching. Still, the theme of seeking chosen family and belonging is prevalent in this story, and we do get an almost happy ending.
I kind of wish we could have followed Maior over either of our actual main characters. She had by far the most agency of all of them and seemed like the smartest and most underused chraracter. Reina was still fun to hear from, but I got kind of tired of Eva after a while. Her POV in the beginning was interesting enough and helped execute more world-building that Reina's POV lacked, but near the middle of the book, Eva somehow faded into the background despite having a POV the whole time.
As much as I enjoyed Eva and Reina gaining more agency near the end of the story, it was so frustrating how many stupid decisions they made and how weirdly trusting they could be... Maybe this book would have worked better as a YA novel because of their naivete, but in that case I think the sheer scope of the world and plot might have worked against it.
The good news about a book seeming "debutish" is that once the author is able to move beyond their debut novel, their work (hopefully) will get better and better! I think this series has a lot of potential, and I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes.
CW: relationship abuse, threat of sexual assault, racism against a fictional group inclusing an execution/hate crime, a strange incesty plotline (distant relations & doesn't go very far-- it didn't bother me much but it might bother others)
April 9, 2023
[eARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review]
I was hoping that The Sun and the void would fill the celestial sapphic hole that The Night and its Moon left in my heart. It did not manage to do that, unfortunately.
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.
Some pitfalls, I found, were the repetition of certain descriptions. "Spicy sunlight," "marcescent leaves," and "enamel-blue sky" come to mind. I didn't love these descriptions the first time they were used, and they were each used multiple times throughout the book and stuck out like a sore thumb. I would have liked to see other descriptors, or descriptors cut entirely. It's fine not to describe the sunlight or the sky or the leaves or whatnot. That's a fairly minor editing issue.
My biggest problem with this book was how slow it was to start. The book is split into two parts, and what felt like the true "inciting incident" doesn't come until 33% of the way through the book. This event is what ultimately divides the book into parts, and the entirety of the plot takes place in part 2. Part 1 is entirely worldbuilding and character-building. I'm docking it quite a bit for that, as I read over a hundred pages waiting for anything to happen.
Another issue I had was how imbalanced the perspective shifts felt. I would have liked to see more alternation between Reina and Eva, rather than spending big chunks of time with Reina and then a couple of chapters with Eva. Reina felt like the protagonist and Eva felt sidelined.
I was slightly disappointed by the magic system, as we were promised celestial magic. The magic felt, to me, to be mineral/ore/metal based rather than celestial-based. The gods are Sun/Void gods, but the magic that the mortals use is not celestial. So that was a promise that wasn't fulfilled.
I do think that the book's climax was quite good, and I'd say that while the build-up could have been better, it was earned. I think this author has great potential, I'd just like to see some changes made to the pacing. Not quite what I was looking for, but perfectly fine for a debut.
3/5 Stars -- I Liked It.
I was hoping that The Sun and the void would fill the celestial sapphic hole that The Night and its Moon left in my heart. It did not manage to do that, unfortunately.
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.
Some pitfalls, I found, were the repetition of certain descriptions. "Spicy sunlight," "marcescent leaves," and "enamel-blue sky" come to mind. I didn't love these descriptions the first time they were used, and they were each used multiple times throughout the book and stuck out like a sore thumb. I would have liked to see other descriptors, or descriptors cut entirely. It's fine not to describe the sunlight or the sky or the leaves or whatnot. That's a fairly minor editing issue.
My biggest problem with this book was how slow it was to start. The book is split into two parts, and what felt like the true "inciting incident" doesn't come until 33% of the way through the book. This event is what ultimately divides the book into parts, and the entirety of the plot takes place in part 2. Part 1 is entirely worldbuilding and character-building. I'm docking it quite a bit for that, as I read over a hundred pages waiting for anything to happen.
Another issue I had was how imbalanced the perspective shifts felt. I would have liked to see more alternation between Reina and Eva, rather than spending big chunks of time with Reina and then a couple of chapters with Eva. Reina felt like the protagonist and Eva felt sidelined.
I was slightly disappointed by the magic system, as we were promised celestial magic. The magic felt, to me, to be mineral/ore/metal based rather than celestial-based. The gods are Sun/Void gods, but the magic that the mortals use is not celestial. So that was a promise that wasn't fulfilled.
I do think that the book's climax was quite good, and I'd say that while the build-up could have been better, it was earned. I think this author has great potential, I'd just like to see some changes made to the pacing. Not quite what I was looking for, but perfectly fine for a debut.
3/5 Stars -- I Liked It.
May 11, 2023
It was a curse, not a blessing, that I won this book in a goodreads giveaway. 😔 I loved the premise set out in the blurb, but the execution was unfortunately terrible. If I hadn't received my copy as an e-arc, I would've dnf'd, but I felt compelled to finish out of guilt.
So, the good.
• I did genuinely enjoy the South American-inspired setting. That's the star in my one-star rating. It's always refreshing to see a fantasy book not set in Europe.
The neutral.
• This is ADULT. I know there's a trend of fantasy books being labeled as adult when they're really young adult, but this is adult adult. And I feel like we can check off literally every content warning aside from excrement. 😂
And the bad.
• 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.
• I had zero emotional connection with any of the characters. Eva and Reina, our main characters, were incapable of the barest amount of critical thinking, and they read as frustrating, immature, unsympathetic characters to me.
• It seemed like the author used a thesaurus to change up her words rather than just writing ~naturally~ or whatever. Or maybe English isn't her first language. Which, major respect for writing this long ass book in your non-native language. But I'm sorry, it's still not good though. 😬
• The author mentions a sapphic romance in her promotion of this book, but the actual romance is very minor. This is more of a political story than a romance story. Do not go into this expecting a significant romance, or you will likely be disappointed.
In conclusion, I would only recommend this book if you're up for a dense, slow-paced, South American fantasy/political fiction book.
Oh, and thank you again to goodreads for the e-arc! 🩷
So, the good.
• I did genuinely enjoy the South American-inspired setting. That's the star in my one-star rating. It's always refreshing to see a fantasy book not set in Europe.
The neutral.
• This is ADULT. I know there's a trend of fantasy books being labeled as adult when they're really young adult, but this is adult adult. And I feel like we can check off literally every content warning aside from excrement. 😂
And the bad.
• 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.
• I had zero emotional connection with any of the characters. Eva and Reina, our main characters, were incapable of the barest amount of critical thinking, and they read as frustrating, immature, unsympathetic characters to me.
• It seemed like the author used a thesaurus to change up her words rather than just writing ~naturally~ or whatever. Or maybe English isn't her first language. Which, major respect for writing this long ass book in your non-native language. But I'm sorry, it's still not good though. 😬
• The author mentions a sapphic romance in her promotion of this book, but the actual romance is very minor. This is more of a political story than a romance story. Do not go into this expecting a significant romance, or you will likely be disappointed.
In conclusion, I would only recommend this book if you're up for a dense, slow-paced, South American fantasy/political fiction book.
Oh, and thank you again to goodreads for the e-arc! 🩷
Read
January 30, 2024let's go, sapphic, let's go!
August 12, 2023
The Sun and The Void is a debut epic fantasy focused on 2 women struggling to find where they belong as they each get swept into a larger plot involving ancient gods, gone from the world so long, many don't believe they ever existed. Ok, I love books with warring and/or reincarnated gods so I was going to want to read this anyway. But I got even more excited when I learned that the author drew on folklore and history from South America in developing this world. I just finished reading and have lots of thoughts.
Pacing and Plot: The first chapter is exciting but then things slow down quite a bit. The plot doesn't really get moving again until a little past the 30% mark. This did take me a while to get through but it didn't necessarily bother me as I enjoyed the world building. And I really liked the story and where things ended up even if it took a while to get into the main plotline.
World building: I really liked the world and the magic system. I think the author did a fantastic job describing the world, especially the plant and wildlife. After looking up some of the plants, I got really clear pictures in my mind of the setting. And it was new and fresh because you don't see many epic fantasies in settings inspired by South America.
Characters: I never quite connected with Reina, although I did grow to understand her and her motivations. Eva, however, I connected with right away. She starts out trying so hard to be good, to earn her grandmother's love and approval. And then there's Maior - I love her. She comes in as a side character but she quickly became one of my favorite characters. Reina, Celeste, Eva, and Javier all seem to be in flux, but Maior is steady. I'm excited to see what's in store for each of them.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next one. I recommend this if you like:
-stories about gods
-epic fantasy
-diverse reads (Latinx author, South American inspired setting, sapphic romance)
!! NOTE !! Please make sure to check the authors content warnings because it gets dark and some sensitive topics are covered.
Thank you to NetGalley, Orbit, and Gabriela Romero-Lacruz for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
Pacing and Plot: The first chapter is exciting but then things slow down quite a bit. The plot doesn't really get moving again until a little past the 30% mark. This did take me a while to get through but it didn't necessarily bother me as I enjoyed the world building. And I really liked the story and where things ended up even if it took a while to get into the main plotline.
World building: I really liked the world and the magic system. I think the author did a fantastic job describing the world, especially the plant and wildlife. After looking up some of the plants, I got really clear pictures in my mind of the setting. And it was new and fresh because you don't see many epic fantasies in settings inspired by South America.
Characters: I never quite connected with Reina, although I did grow to understand her and her motivations. Eva, however, I connected with right away. She starts out trying so hard to be good, to earn her grandmother's love and approval. And then there's Maior - I love her. She comes in as a side character but she quickly became one of my favorite characters. Reina, Celeste, Eva, and Javier all seem to be in flux, but Maior is steady. I'm excited to see what's in store for each of them.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next one. I recommend this if you like:
-stories about gods
-epic fantasy
-diverse reads (Latinx author, South American inspired setting, sapphic romance)
!! NOTE !! Please make sure to check the authors content warnings because it gets dark and some sensitive topics are covered.
Thank you to NetGalley, Orbit, and Gabriela Romero-Lacruz for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
August 19, 2023
This isn't a full review as I've not quite finished the book yet (I have 1/4 left to read ).
The Sun and The Void is a sapphic fantasy novel full of magic, Latin heritage, amazing word-building, and incredible characters.
The book has a lot of information to take on board at the beginning, but do stick with it (use sticky tabs to go back to parts to jog your memory too) as once it really starts it's incredible. This is such a perfect foundation for a new epic fantasy series to grow from and I can't wait to see what happens at the end of this book and where the next installment will lead us! The book is told across two POV - Reina and Eva and do feel more drawn to Eva's character out of the two but as with any amazing fantasy series, you never know how much your opinion will change further into the series.
The Sun and The Void is a sapphic fantasy novel full of magic, Latin heritage, amazing word-building, and incredible characters.
The book has a lot of information to take on board at the beginning, but do stick with it (use sticky tabs to go back to parts to jog your memory too) as once it really starts it's incredible. This is such a perfect foundation for a new epic fantasy series to grow from and I can't wait to see what happens at the end of this book and where the next installment will lead us! The book is told across two POV - Reina and Eva and do feel more drawn to Eva's character out of the two but as with any amazing fantasy series, you never know how much your opinion will change further into the series.
July 5, 2023
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.
The writing was captivating and immersive. The characters were well fleshed out and interesting. I appreciated all the extras that were featured at the beginning and end of the book, which includes a map, a family outline, a glossary of terms, and explanation of the magic system. I think the glossary and magic system explanation would’ve helped more at the beginning of the book because I didn’t realize it was there until I reached the end, and I felt like it would’ve helped my reading experience significantly.
The story itself follows two perspectives, Reina and Eva, as they embark on their own individual journeys of self discovery and how they fit into their world.
The first part of the book is a lot of intense world building and high fantasy writing. I thought it had an some Encanto meeting Game of Thrones vibes. Honestly, I did have some trouble understanding the world at first because there’s a lot of names and lands mentioned within the first part of the book, but once I got everything down in my head, around 20% into the book, I was fully immersed and invested.
My biggest critique, and why this wasn’t 5 stars for me, was that the pacing felt off and the chapters were way too long for my liking, especially in part two. I feel like some of the scenes went on for too long and I just wanted the characters to get to the point in their dialogue. The first part of the book felt quicker paced and a lot of interesting stuff happened plot-wise around 50% in, but then the plot felt like it came at a stand still and nothing was really happening, until I reached 70%. Once I did reach 70%, the plot picked up and I was hooked again, and I loved the ending.
Also I preferred being in Eva’s POV because I thought Reina was a bit unlikeable and I rooted for Eva a lot more, so I wish the chapters were more evenly split because it felt like we got more Reina than Eva.
With all that being said, I was impressed by this book and would definitely go on to read the next in the series. As a Latina, I love seeing the representation of my culture and cultures similar to mine in fantasy books, and other sub genres of fiction, so I was excited to read this one and it didn’t disappoint.
The writing was captivating and immersive. The characters were well fleshed out and interesting. I appreciated all the extras that were featured at the beginning and end of the book, which includes a map, a family outline, a glossary of terms, and explanation of the magic system. I think the glossary and magic system explanation would’ve helped more at the beginning of the book because I didn’t realize it was there until I reached the end, and I felt like it would’ve helped my reading experience significantly.
The story itself follows two perspectives, Reina and Eva, as they embark on their own individual journeys of self discovery and how they fit into their world.
The first part of the book is a lot of intense world building and high fantasy writing. I thought it had an some Encanto meeting Game of Thrones vibes. Honestly, I did have some trouble understanding the world at first because there’s a lot of names and lands mentioned within the first part of the book, but once I got everything down in my head, around 20% into the book, I was fully immersed and invested.
My biggest critique, and why this wasn’t 5 stars for me, was that the pacing felt off and the chapters were way too long for my liking, especially in part two. I feel like some of the scenes went on for too long and I just wanted the characters to get to the point in their dialogue. The first part of the book felt quicker paced and a lot of interesting stuff happened plot-wise around 50% in, but then the plot felt like it came at a stand still and nothing was really happening, until I reached 70%. Once I did reach 70%, the plot picked up and I was hooked again, and I loved the ending.
Also I preferred being in Eva’s POV because I thought Reina was a bit unlikeable and I rooted for Eva a lot more, so I wish the chapters were more evenly split because it felt like we got more Reina than Eva.
With all that being said, I was impressed by this book and would definitely go on to read the next in the series. As a Latina, I love seeing the representation of my culture and cultures similar to mine in fantasy books, and other sub genres of fiction, so I was excited to read this one and it didn’t disappoint.
July 5, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a review copy for free via NetGalley, but I am voluntarily leaving my honest review. Many thanks to the publisher, Orbit Books, and the author for the opportunity!
The Sun and the Void has a LOT going on here, and depending on how much worldbuilding and plot threads and characters you like in a read, that can be good or bad. For me, I love a lot of worldbuilding -- but I'm a firm believer that worldbuilding needs a strong cast to further bring it to life and see things through. Maybe it was just me, but I just couldn't really connect with a majority of the characters. And since I didn't connect with the characters that much, I also didn't really feel the romance subplots for any of them either. There wasn't really great buildup or chemistry, imo. Reina and Eva also felt a bit similar to each other, even if they definitely have different trajectories here.
I love a lot of the ideas present here, but the density of everything and the pacing in the execution kind of made this a hard read. We get plenty of details about the history and personalities of our main cast, and side characters as well. But even with all that, it couldn't quite grip me into the story and actual events that were playing out in the book. It's a shame because I do think this is a world I would absolutely love, and the magic seems pretty cool too! If things were a little tightened up, I think that would've made it more fun to read.
Overall, I loved the inspiration, aspects of the worldbuilding. The actual plot just didn't work for me, nor was I really invested when it came to the characters. But I would definitely try out another book by the author in the future.
The Sun and the Void has a LOT going on here, and depending on how much worldbuilding and plot threads and characters you like in a read, that can be good or bad. For me, I love a lot of worldbuilding -- but I'm a firm believer that worldbuilding needs a strong cast to further bring it to life and see things through. Maybe it was just me, but I just couldn't really connect with a majority of the characters. And since I didn't connect with the characters that much, I also didn't really feel the romance subplots for any of them either. There wasn't really great buildup or chemistry, imo. Reina and Eva also felt a bit similar to each other, even if they definitely have different trajectories here.
I love a lot of the ideas present here, but the density of everything and the pacing in the execution kind of made this a hard read. We get plenty of details about the history and personalities of our main cast, and side characters as well. But even with all that, it couldn't quite grip me into the story and actual events that were playing out in the book. It's a shame because I do think this is a world I would absolutely love, and the magic seems pretty cool too! If things were a little tightened up, I think that would've made it more fun to read.
Overall, I loved the inspiration, aspects of the worldbuilding. The actual plot just didn't work for me, nor was I really invested when it came to the characters. But I would definitely try out another book by the author in the future.
March 12, 2023
In The Sun and the Void, a world of misunderstood power, summonable gods, and fearsome danger sets the stage for a gorgeous and gutting exploration of family, ambition, and belonging.
Through evocative prose and desperate characters, Gabriela Romero Lacruz weaves a delightfully tangled web of magic and curses, gods and monsters, love and betrayal. This read is perfect for readers who like their fantasy served with a healthy dose of anguish. Prepare to be thinking about this one long after you turn the last page.
Through evocative prose and desperate characters, Gabriela Romero Lacruz weaves a delightfully tangled web of magic and curses, gods and monsters, love and betrayal. This read is perfect for readers who like their fantasy served with a healthy dose of anguish. Prepare to be thinking about this one long after you turn the last page.
August 9, 2023
I don’t think this will stick with me.
The book opened strong and had me in its grip for a while. Two protagonists with deeply internalized insecurities and their respective family dramas – I was in. The worldbuilding was vivid, the magic system interesting enough and I liked where it was heading, but not for too long.
This is one of those books I’d probably rate higher had I read it way before the release date, imagining there’s enough time for trimming and polishing, but this is already out in the US and that doesn’t give me hope. The plot started to meander at some point, and it was ultimately very predictable. I’m left with questions I doubt there’ll be answers to and some anachronisms and questionable adjective choices left much to be desired in what was otherwise writing I actually enjoyed.
Pentimiento as a religion pulled me in at first and I was excited to see where this Catholic inspired variant with “the Virgin” at the top would go but as far as I’m concerned these guys could’ve just been any regular old Christians and not much would change. I’m dying for interesting religious systems to be explored in fantasy.
All in all this would’ve been so much better after a round of edits and some trimming. Hopefully the next installment addresses some of the questions and deepens the story but as of right now, I’m not burning up for it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Daphne Press for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
The book opened strong and had me in its grip for a while. Two protagonists with deeply internalized insecurities and their respective family dramas – I was in. The worldbuilding was vivid, the magic system interesting enough and I liked where it was heading, but not for too long.
This is one of those books I’d probably rate higher had I read it way before the release date, imagining there’s enough time for trimming and polishing, but this is already out in the US and that doesn’t give me hope. The plot started to meander at some point, and it was ultimately very predictable. I’m left with questions I doubt there’ll be answers to and some anachronisms and questionable adjective choices left much to be desired in what was otherwise writing I actually enjoyed.
Pentimiento as a religion pulled me in at first and I was excited to see where this Catholic inspired variant with “the Virgin” at the top would go but as far as I’m concerned these guys could’ve just been any regular old Christians and not much would change. I’m dying for interesting religious systems to be explored in fantasy.
All in all this would’ve been so much better after a round of edits and some trimming. Hopefully the next installment addresses some of the questions and deepens the story but as of right now, I’m not burning up for it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Daphne Press for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Want to read
August 12, 2023Romero Lacruz's The Sun and the Void is a wonderful Venezuelan folk lore tale that takes fantasy lovers on an epic journey.
A journey filled with lush depictions of South American landscapes which you can envision, and the detailed cuisine of the locals discussed within the chapters.
Romero Lacruz's word building is complex and sometimes flowery,
The overall experience is one that you will most enjoy.
Thank you, NetGalley,/Gabriela Romero Lacruz/Orbit Books.Orbit/For this Incredible eARC in advance for my honest review. My opinions are of my own volition.
A journey filled with lush depictions of South American landscapes which you can envision, and the detailed cuisine of the locals discussed within the chapters.
Romero Lacruz's word building is complex and sometimes flowery,
The overall experience is one that you will most enjoy.
Thank you, NetGalley,/Gabriela Romero Lacruz/Orbit Books.Orbit/For this Incredible eARC in advance for my honest review. My opinions are of my own volition.
April 17, 2023
*Thank you to the publishers via Netgalley for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review*
So, I finally finished it and it, honestly, was a struggle. I'm not going to say this was a bad book--because it really wasn't. Unfortunately, this book needed to be pared down by a lot, imo.
But before I get too detailed, let's start with some things I liked. Gabriela Romero-Lacruz did an amazing job setting scenes. The way she described the surroundings made everything feel lush and vibrant. I could easily picture the scenes the way she wanted them described and I really liked some of the turns of phrase she used doing so. I also think the magic--although I do feel as though it could have been fleshed out just a tad more--was pretty cool.
Now for the critiques. This book has a huge pacing problem. It honestly felt bloated and too slow in most parts while the ending felt unsatisfying because of how it seemed to end so rapidly. Since we're in the minds of the two main protagonists, I expected them to be handled equally to make sure they were fully fleshed out, but that didn't really happen. Reina gets the majority of the page time--even when it seemed like she probably shouldn't--and I feel like Eve got quite shafted so, as a result, she seemed like less of a character.
Which brings me to... the characters. There's a lot of info-dumping in this book and a lot of it is done via dialogue between characters. This, unfortunately, has the side effect of making the characters seem one-dimensional rather than nuanced.
Lastly, and this is just a personal critique of mine, the way Maior was described felt... off to me. She's a bigger bodied (i.e. fat) character and the way she's described, especially through the eyes of Reina kind of left me uncomfortable. Like, there were times when Reina seemed to mock Maior for being fat and endlessly compared her body to Celeste's. Idk, it just struck me as weird and off-putting. But I could just be overly sensitive.
Unfortunately, I didn't end up enjoying this and I won't be continuing with the next book.
So, I finally finished it and it, honestly, was a struggle. I'm not going to say this was a bad book--because it really wasn't. Unfortunately, this book needed to be pared down by a lot, imo.
But before I get too detailed, let's start with some things I liked. Gabriela Romero-Lacruz did an amazing job setting scenes. The way she described the surroundings made everything feel lush and vibrant. I could easily picture the scenes the way she wanted them described and I really liked some of the turns of phrase she used doing so. I also think the magic--although I do feel as though it could have been fleshed out just a tad more--was pretty cool.
Now for the critiques. This book has a huge pacing problem. It honestly felt bloated and too slow in most parts while the ending felt unsatisfying because of how it seemed to end so rapidly. Since we're in the minds of the two main protagonists, I expected them to be handled equally to make sure they were fully fleshed out, but that didn't really happen. Reina gets the majority of the page time--even when it seemed like she probably shouldn't--and I feel like Eve got quite shafted so, as a result, she seemed like less of a character.
Which brings me to... the characters. There's a lot of info-dumping in this book and a lot of it is done via dialogue between characters. This, unfortunately, has the side effect of making the characters seem one-dimensional rather than nuanced.
Lastly, and this is just a personal critique of mine, the way Maior was described felt... off to me. She's a bigger bodied (i.e. fat) character and the way she's described, especially through the eyes of Reina kind of left me uncomfortable. Like, there were times when Reina seemed to mock Maior for being fat and endlessly compared her body to Celeste's. Idk, it just struck me as weird and off-putting. But I could just be overly sensitive.
Unfortunately, I didn't end up enjoying this and I won't be continuing with the next book.
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