Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse ISBN: 9781534437739
Series: Between Earth & Sky #2
Also in this series: Black Sun
Published by Simon and Schuster on April 19, 2022
Genres: Fantasy, Mythology, LGBTQIA
Pages: 400
Format: eBook
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Return to The Meridian with New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Roanhorse’s sequel to the most critically hailed epic fantasy of 2020 Black Sun—finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, Lambda, and Locus awards.
There are no tides more treacherous than those of the heart. —Teek saying
The great city of Tova is shattered. The sun is held within the smothering grip of the Crow God’s eclipse, but a comet that marks the death of a ruler and heralds the rise of a new order is imminent.
The Meridian: a land where magic has been codified and the worship of gods suppressed. How do you live when legends come to life, and the faith you had is rewarded?
As sea captain Xiala is swept up in the chaos and currents of change, she finds an unexpected ally in the former Priest of Knives. For the Clan Matriarchs of Tova, tense alliances form as far-flung enemies gather and the war in the heavens is reflected upon the earth.
And for Serapio and Naranpa, both now living avatars, the struggle for free will and personhood in the face of destiny rages. How will Serapio stay human when he is steeped in prophecy and surrounded by those who desire only his power? Is there a future for Naranpa in a transformed Tova without her total destruction?
Welcome back to the fantasy series of the decade in Fevered Star—book two of Between Earth and Sky.
Characters: 9, both the main characters and the secondary characters (hell, even the tertiary characters) were unique, memorable, and well fleshed out.
Atmosphere: 9, from the description of the plains to the description of Serapio’s growing relationship with the crows, everything felt very tangible and immersive- to the point where I had a visceral reaction to some characters and scenes.
Writing: 9, Roanhorse’s writing drew me in and didn’t let me go. It’s evocative without being florid, and the ideal balance between quick pace and rich inner life of each character.
Plot: 9, I didn’t know what to expect after the end of the first book, but this one still managed to surprise me. The characters continue to develop, in richer and deeper ways, and the stakes get even more dire.
Intrigue: 9, I’d rather read this than do almost anything else. Especially with the inclusion of more information about both the Teek and the Coyote’s Maw people.
Logic: 10, everything followed established character motivations, magic rules, and law of the land- including character relationships. More magic was introduced in a way that fit seamlessly with what we discovered in book 1, to the point where I’m convinced Roanhorse had at least the first two books plotted before she began writing.
Enjoyment: 9, though it lacked the shiny newness of being the first book in a series, Fevered Star hooked me and kept me engaged. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!
Read for the Orilium Academy 2022 Spring Equinox readathon (bonus prompt for the House of the Arcane members).
*Many thanks to Book Roast for creating and sharing this book rating system!
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
YESSSS! I was legit a little nervous to read your review- I have not read ANY reviews of this book yet, and I can’t understand why, because everyone loved the first one! And I have this one on my shelf (where it will remain until at least 2073 I guess) but I am SCARED because sequels are scary. So I am beyond thrilled to read your glowing review! Did you find it easy-ish to get back into? I think that is my fear- I read the first one sometime in the summer of 2020 so… what the heck will I remember?! Wonderful review!
Huh, I wonder why so few have reviewed it? It starts up a couple of weeks after the first one ended, and you get the highlight reel of book 1 pretty early on (through character reflection) so it should be easy to slide right back into it. I’m impatient for book 3 (and also…how can she possibly wrap all this up in one more book??)