111000

Sadly, a very boring book which didn't manage to engage me at all.
For being over 500 pages long, nothing much is actually happening besides an abundance of overly flowery description of clothes. (I recently have this feeling that especially debut writers trying to fill a made up page quota by over describing a lot of meaningless things.)
None of the characters are actually likable and all have uncomfortable traits of toxicity, they are either cutthroat or overly clingy, no in between.
The story itself lacks suspense and energy. Even in scenes which are supposedly action rich, there is not much action there, everything is very steady paced and if something exciting is happening it is immediately over as if the writer didn't dare to explore that aspect of her writing more.
I don't think I'm interested in the second book of this series, but I believe that it will find a readership who will enjoy it, it is just not for me. ( )

The Sun and the Void is Gabriela Romero Lacruz's debut novel. For a debut, the story is ambitious. The sheer grandness of its scope alone is impressive. When you realize that the story is two stories running in tandem for most of the novel, what Ms. Romero Lacruz created is worthy of wonder.

Unfortunately, the two stories into one is the heart of my troubles with The Sun and the Void. For the first third of the book, I wondered what the point of the stories was and where they were going. Reina's and Eva's situations are so different and unconnected that I didn't enjoy flipping back and forth between them. Each woman's story is so aimless that I struggled to find the motivation to keep reading.

Eventually, Reina and Eva's paths connect and do so in a manner I was not expecting. Still, the journey the women must then undertake lacks urgency. While what the women must accomplish is important and the timeline short, this section of The Sun and the Void contains no tension nor builds any suspense. The tone is wrong for what is occurring on the page.

The last third of The Sun and the Void improves enough to keep my interest. Ms. Romero Lacruz throws out a few twists that impressed me because of their unexpectedness. Even better, she ends the novel with a potential storyline that made me rethink my decision to leave the rest of the series unread.

Still, any sequel will contain Eva and Reina, and I am not Reina's biggest fan. Part of my struggles with the first third of the book were solely because of Reina. Her lack of situational awareness or even self-preservation is annoying. Her inability to read people made things worse. Most of her problems are because she trusts when she shouldn't and ignores her instinct.

Meanwhile, Eva is all about her gut feeling and following her instincts. The two women couldn't be more different. Eva is a much more sympathetic character. Eva acts; Reina reacts. Eva wants to learn and grow; Reina only wants a place to call home. Eva stands up for herself and refuses to become a victim; Reina is a pawn to everyone in her circle. Eva welcomes change; Reina thinks that nothing should ever change and only wants things to revert to how they used to be. I supported and rooted for Eva; I wanted to smack Reina upside the head for her foolishness.

My final thoughts on The Sun and the Void remain as divergent as my reading experience. There are aspects of it that I enjoyed. The ending was fabulous; depending on where Ms. Romero Lacruz goes with it, there is a lot of potential for the sequel to be much more exciting and cutthroat than this first book. For everything I liked in the story, I have an equal number of issues with it. One of these issues is that after 616 pages, the mythology behind the magic remains unclear.

A more patient reader, or one more familiar with South American folklore, will likely have a much better impression of The Sun and the Void than I do. My dislike of Reina is strong. The first third of the book is too aimless, and the fantastic ending is not enough to change my initial reaction. The Sun and the Void is one of those novels I want to love more than I did. I wish it well and hope other fantasy readers enjoy it more than me. ( )

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.