The interwoven destinies of the people of Meridian will finally be determined in this stunning conclusion to New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Roanhorse’s Between Earth and Sky trilogy.
Even the sea cannot stay calm before the storm. —Teek saying
Serapio, avatar of the Crow God Reborn and the newly crowned Carrion King, rules Tova. But his enemies gather both on distant shores and within his own city as the matrons of the clans scheme to destroy him. And deep in the alleys of the Maw, a new prophecy is whispered, this one from the Coyote God. It promises Serapio certain doom if its terrible dictates are not fulfilled.
Meanwhile, Xiala is thrust back amongst her people as war comes first to the island of Teek. With their way of life and their magic under threat, she is their last best hope. But the sea won’t talk to her the …
The interwoven destinies of the people of Meridian will finally be determined in this stunning conclusion to New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Roanhorse’s Between Earth and Sky trilogy.
Even the sea cannot stay calm before the storm. —Teek saying
Serapio, avatar of the Crow God Reborn and the newly crowned Carrion King, rules Tova. But his enemies gather both on distant shores and within his own city as the matrons of the clans scheme to destroy him. And deep in the alleys of the Maw, a new prophecy is whispered, this one from the Coyote God. It promises Serapio certain doom if its terrible dictates are not fulfilled.
Meanwhile, Xiala is thrust back amongst her people as war comes first to the island of Teek. With their way of life and their magic under threat, she is their last best hope. But the sea won’t talk to her the way it used to, and doubts riddle her mind. She will have to sacrifice the things that matter most to unleash her powers and become the queen they were promised.
And in the far northern wastelands, Naranpa, avatar of the Sun God, seeks a way to save Tova from the visions of fire that engulf her dreams. But another presence has begun stalking her nightmares, and the Jaguar God is on the hunt.
Nominated for the Nebula, Lambda, Locus, and Hugo Awards, winner of the Alex Award from the American Library Association and the Ignyte Award from Fiyah magazine, the Between Earth and Sky trilogy is amongst our most lauded modern fantasy series from The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and USA TODAY bestselling author Rebecca Roanhorse.
Two things that stood about about this book in particular: one is the way it finished off the series (satisfying but also super daring; to say more would be full of spoilers, but massive respect for this), and the other is a minor conversation between two characters about fashion.
It is incredibly refreshing to have a character - especially a male character, even though he's not cross-dressing - wearing a nice long full skirt, because skirts offer better freedom of motion than pants while fighting. This runs counter to so many lazy cross-dressing tropes, it's realistic, it's aesthetic, it's great. It's so great.
I actually think this is my favorite book of the three in the Between Earth and Sky series. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters over the course of the long story. As time went on, I became better and better at visualizing their appearances and their mannerisms. I think Roanhorse really hit her stride with this book, though. For example, the way she recapitulates the theme of the title, "Mirrored Heavens," throughout the book with different characters going through trials that are mirror images of the trials that another character endures, is masterful. It's colorful, it's touching, it's unpredictable, there's a distinct thread of sincere romance that pervades it, and the setting is beautiful. 10/10 will likely read again.
A good way to finish an ambitious series #Bookstodon
4 stars
I respect the author for ending it on her terms. Inevitably, with so many different characters, perspectives, it's easy to tie it up in a bow. Well done.
Overall, I loved this trilogy, which had such amazingly beautiful and intense descriptions of a Pre-Colombian world and what happens when different powers and religions intersect and collide. I still love here the relationships among the individuals who serve as avatars, but I wish that not every single main character had become The Chosen One (although I overall love Xiala's story). I miss the greyer morality of the other books as Serapio continues to move towards being a more straightforwardly good character. Although I loved spending time with each of these characters - and I really do love all of the final five (Okoa, Serapio, Naranpa, Iktan and Xiala) -- this third book had a significant amount of bloat, and a lot of loose threads were left untied, especially in Okoa's case (my personal favorite). Nonetheless, this is still among the most inventive, imaginative and compellings works in fantasy right …
Overall, I loved this trilogy, which had such amazingly beautiful and intense descriptions of a Pre-Colombian world and what happens when different powers and religions intersect and collide. I still love here the relationships among the individuals who serve as avatars, but I wish that not every single main character had become The Chosen One (although I overall love Xiala's story). I miss the greyer morality of the other books as Serapio continues to move towards being a more straightforwardly good character. Although I loved spending time with each of these characters - and I really do love all of the final five (Okoa, Serapio, Naranpa, Iktan and Xiala) -- this third book had a significant amount of bloat, and a lot of loose threads were left untied, especially in Okoa's case (my personal favorite). Nonetheless, this is still among the most inventive, imaginative and compellings works in fantasy right now and a satisfying story about trying to find the humanity within the destiny.
It took a bit to remember who all the characters were and their intricate past interactions with each other, but they soon became familiar again. And I appreciate the ending that lingers a bit in their lives after the big climax. Definitely a series I might reread again someday.
