The Sun and the Void

Starred review from April 24, 2023
Romero Lacruz debuts and launches her Warring Gods series with a spellbinding sapphic epic fantasy about two young women navigating a world steeped in prejudice, folklore, and ancient magic. When Reina Duvianos, a “half-nozariel in a country hostile to her kind,” receives a summons from her estranged, magic-wielding grandmother, Doña Ursulina Duvianos, she sets off across the treacherous mountains. On the way, she is attacked by some supernatural creatures and Doña Ursulina saves her life, leaving Reina indebted to her grandmother—and determined to stay in the powerful witch’s favor. Meanwhile, Eva Kesaré, human but “bastard born and ugly,” is shunned by her family because of her own affinity for magic. The arrival of Rahmagut’s Claw, an astrological event that leaves the veil between the human world and the gods at its thinnest, puts Reina and Eva in each other’s paths as Doña Ursulina schemes to summon the god of the Void to grant her more power. Both heroines search for a sense of belonging in a treacherous, colonized world where magic (called “geomancy”) is deeply tied to the earth. 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. Agent: Naomi Davis, BookEnds Literary.

June 15, 2023
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 �guila 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 �guilas 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 �guilas. 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.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 1, 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

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2023
Romero Lacruz takes readers on a journey against time in her debut. Set in a madeup world with colorful Latin American undertones, this sapphic fantasy follows two women from different backgrounds in a quest to rediscover themselves and where they belong. Reina, half noraziel, desperately seeks her sorceress grandmother's approval after a youth spent as an outcast because of her parentage. Eva, half valco, wants to escape her wealthy family's disapproval due to her unknown father and her affinity to geomancy. Both seek salvation through the arrival of a dark deity who promises great power to whoever frees him while a comet is visible in the sky. 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 (aguinaldos and arepas are real, after all). 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.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.