 | Fevered Star is even better than Black Sun, the first installment in the Earth and Sky trilogy. The political intrigue is fascinating, the sorcery intriguing, the characters complex and human. The story opens where the first book ended: with the sun hidden/eclipsed since the winter solstice when Serapio fulfilled his destiny and ascended as the Crow God. But Serapio was never supposed to survive his ordeal and Crow Clan and the rest of the city don’t know what to make of him now. The other two main point-of-view characters also struggled: The Sun priest Naranpa striving to thwart Serapio and bring back the sun, and Xiala trying to reunite with him. |
I found all of the viewpoint characters equally compelling.
- Balam the dreamwalker is equal parts creepy, powerful, and limited by his hubris.
- Serapio, the broken tool of his god, is heart-wrenchingly human in his desire for love and connection.
- Xiala, the grounded Teek sea captain, is less spunky in this installment, but her backstory is well handled, as is her intense longing to be reunited with her beloved Serapio.
- Okoa, the conflicted Carrion Crow warrior, may be the least intriguing character, but his simple values and desire to do what’s right lend a moral center to the narrative.
- Naranpa the deposed Sun Priest's was annoyingly naive in Black Sun, so it was a joy to watch her metal being tested in Fevered Star. Naranpa has a lot more grit in this book, and moved from my least to most favorite character.
The only plot weakness was how characters kept missing each other: Xiala and Serapio, Xiala and Iktan the Knife. The frustration was too much! A small quibble in an otherwise fabulous epic fantasy.
If you like your books to have a definitive ending, this one may have too many loose ends. The narrative moves all of the characters to new places, a bit like a chess game with everyone lined up for a final confrontation. Small threads are tied off with Xiala, Naranpa, and Serapio, but the overall arc remains open for the sequel.
If you like your books to have a definitive ending, this one may have too many loose ends. The narrative moves all of the characters to new places, a bit like a chess game with everyone lined up for a final confrontation. Small threads are tied off with Xiala, Naranpa, and Serapio, but the overall arc remains open for the sequel.
Other books featuring Indigenous characters: The Bone Marrow Thieves, A Snake Falls to Earth
Other epic fantasies with active gods: The Unspoken Name, The Thousand Eyes,
A Spear Cuts through Water
Other epic fantasies with active gods: The Unspoken Name, The Thousand Eyes,
A Spear Cuts through Water
