"A sweeping fantasy that is evocative and captivating! I loved the beautiful world and intricate characters, woven into an enthralling tale of ancient gods, dangerous magic, family and love."—Sue Lynn Tan, Sunday Times bestselling author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess
“Capricious gods, dangerous magic, and ancient vows straining under the weight of her characters’ desperate humanity, Gabriela Romero Lacruz has gifted us a classic epic fantasy with an original, inventive setting. A rich, enchanting read and an impressive debut.”—Ava Reid, award-winning author of Juniper & Thorn
“A gorgeous epic of family and power, gods and magic, longing and betrayal, The Sun and the Void pulls you in with a fascinating world and keeps you turning pages with richly drawn characters, unfolding mysteries, and plenty of action. A compelling, heart-twisting read!”—Melissa Caruso, author of The Obsidian Tower
"A spellbinding sapphic fantasy...The lush worldbuilding and delightful blend of love, betrayal, and curses set the stage for a powerful and promising new series. This is a gem." —Publishers Weekly
"Romero Lacruz excels in her enchanting world building, with lush descriptions of beautiful landscapes and vivid depictions of folklore and traditions with a hint of realism. Fans of N.K. Jemisin, Tomi Adeyemi, and Nisi Shawl will appreciate this fresh voice in fiction, especially when it comes to its commentary on colonialism, strong female characters, and the intricacies of magic used for good and evil."—Booklist
“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.” —H. M. Long, author of Hall of Smoke
"Set in a beautiful and engaging world with fascinating characters and even more fascinating magic, The Sun and the Void is an excellent addition to any fantasy reader's collection." —Tara Sim, author of The City of Dusk
"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." —M. J. Kuhn, author of Among Thieves
"The Sun and the Void is a highly imaginative fantasy that will captivate you from the first page. Set in a lush, sweeping world full of dangerous magic, this is a stunning story with characters who are fully realized in their humanity, their love, and their pain. It is a tale of hope and despair, gods and mortals, and the decisions we make against impossible odds. This debut is the kind of enchanting, epic fantasy that readers are craving and will remember long after they finish reading."—Francesca Flores, author of The Witch and the Vampire
"The lush and varied landscape as well as the clear effects of colonialism and revolution are all inspired by Venezuela, creating a rich, complex world... An ambitious new fantasy with a unique setting and broad cast of characters."
—Kirkus
"Incredibly rich world-building, forthright explorations of prejudice and colonization, and a strong premise...this story is destined to be a summer banger."—Paste Magazine
“An enthralling new world of gods and monsters...This ambitious, thrilling series opener pulses with vitality and imagination.”—Shelf Awareness
06/01/2023
DEBUT In this South American-inspired fantasy debut, two young women grapple with their beliefs while working with gods and magic that have been forbidden to them. Reina is a half-human nozariel seeking shelter from a land that would enslave her. When she finds her grandmother, she is sucked into a world of dangerous magic and worship of a god that she fears. Eva is a half-human valco living in a family that wants to use her for their advantage. She believes she has found a way out of their grasp, but winds up in a situation much more sinister. The novel unfolds through both Reina's and Eva's points of view. Unfortunately, the characters and voices are often very similar, as are their storylines, making it hard to remember whose perspective one is reading. VERDICT Written with passion by an debut novelist born and raised in Venezuela; all of the hallmarks of an epic fantasy are here, but the story gets off to a slow start.—Tegan Beese
2023-05-24
As the barrier separating the god Rahmagut from the world thins, the ambitious and desperate rally to seek his favor.
After the death of her father, Reina has had to survive alone in a society unable to see past her ears and tail, which betray the fact that her mother was a nozariel and not quite human. Humans once enslaved nozariels, and though slavery is now outlawed, society is still deeply divided. When Reina’s estranged grandmother summons her to the Águila Manor, Reina leaves at once. Meanwhile, far away, Eva is singled out within her own family for her valco blood, deemed dangerous and warlike by humans. The Águilas are valcos as well, and Reina must prove herself useful to the family’s head, Don Enrique. Reina throws herself into her work, learning magic tied to the dark god Rahmagut from her grandmother and fighting the dangerous creatures conjured by Rahmagut’s powers alongside the beautiful Celeste and the vicious Javier. Reina experiences a new world of magic and devotion to a god other than Ches, who is revered for trapping Rahmagut in a void beyond the world. Rahmagut promises power for whomever completes an invocation on the few days when his constellation appears. Those days fast approaching, Don Enrique works with single-minded purpose to gain Rahmagut’s favor, though he is not the only one in his household who would think to summon a god. Simultaneously, Eva’s path brings her ever closer to the Águilas. The lush and varied landscape as well as the clear effects of colonialism and revolution are all inspired by Venezuela, creating a rich, complex world. Featuring morally gray characters and a plethora of relationships among women, both Sapphic and platonic, the book has an occasionally heavy hand in terms of characterization, but that doesn't detract from the overall scope of the plot.
An ambitious new fantasy with a unique setting and broad cast of characters.
