A god will return

When the earth and sky converge

Under the black sun

From New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Roanhorse comes the first book in the Between Earth and Sky trilogy inspired by the civilizations of the Pre-Columbian Americas and woven into a tale of celestial prophecies, political intrigue and forbidden magic.

In the holy city of Tova the winter solstice is usually a time for celebration and renewal, but this year it coincides with a solar eclipse, a rare celestial event proscribed by the Sun Priest as an unbalancing of the world.

Meanwhile, a ship launches from a distant city bound for Tova and set to arrive on the solstice. The captain of the ship, Xiala, is a disgraced Teek whose song can calm the waters around her as easily as it can warp a man’s mind. Her ship carries one passenger. Described as “harmless” the passenger, Serapio, is a young man, blind, scarred, and cloaked in destiny. As Xiala well knows, when a man is described as harmless, he usually ends up being a villain.

Crafted with unforgettable characters, Rebecca Roanhorse has created an epic adventure exploring the decadence of power amidst the weight of history and the struggle of individuals swimming against the confines of society and their broken pasts in the most original series debut of the decade.


"The pages turn themselves. A beautifully crafted setting with complex character dynamics and layers of political intrigue? Perfection. Mark your calendars, this is the next big thing." —Kirkus, (starred review)

"Roanhorse introduces an epic fantasy with vivid worldbuilding and exciting prose. Readers will be attracted to the story, in which there is no real right vs. wrong. Only inevitable change will draw out the heroes of this imaginative tale." —Library Journal, (starred review)

“I emerged fromBlack Sunbleary-eyed, tongue-tied, heart-swollen. This is a brilliant world that shows the full panoply of human grace and depravity. Rebecca Roanhorse is the epic voice of our continent and time.”— Ken Liu, award-winning author ofThe Grace of Kings, andThe Hidden Girl and Other Stories.

"This is the novel I've been waiting for. This is the novel we've all been waiting for. Everything's different now, withBlack Sun. Different and better. Stands shoulder to shoulder with the very best fantasy out there. There's Martin, there's Jemisin, and now there's Roanhorse."— Stephen Graham Jones, award-winning author ofThe Only Good Indians.

"Engrossing and vibrant. Black Sun left me with my jaw on the floor."— Tochi Oneybuchi, author ofRiot Baby

“Sweeping yet intimate,Black Sunis a masterpiece. Roanhorse has crafted an urgently important and utterly engrossing tale of power, oppression, revolution—and the deeply personal cost of each. This is the fantasy epic the world needs right now.”— Peng Shepherd, author ofThe Book of M

“The world sucks you in from the start, and the pacing yanks you along by the collar. Black Sun is instantly riveting from the beginning—Roanhorse is at the top of her game here.” — R.F. Kuang, bestselling author ofThe Poppy War