I listened to the audiobook performance of this series, of which this was the first of three books making up the “Between Earth and Sky” trilogy.

The series' eight performers were overall quite outstanding. But for this particular book in the series, big kudos go to Cara Gee, Nicole Lewis, and Shaun Taylor-Corbett.

This initial book in the series works hard to create a credibly “landscape” in epic fantasy terms in a culture not known for the stereotypical epic fantasy genre. It does an amazing job, and I personally bought into it completely. I don’t know anything about Mesoamerican cultures, and it was not a problem. It was not expected that I should, and I was able to simply accept the world building like I would any other fantasy novel reminiscent of a northern European medieval culture.

This book also starts small so it can build up to an epic conclusion, which is very appreciated.

The series in its entirety is quite unlike anything I’ve come across, and it has really made me examine how I apply my empathy to complicated characters that do both good and terrible actions. There are some moments in the book where those complexities are acknowledged and richly debated, adding to the deliciousness of the storytelling, but other times when they’re just glossed over, leaving the moral and ethical ramifications hanging.

On a personal note, the series has also deeply affirmed why I am not a religious person, which seems like an odd thing to come away with after reading an epic fantasy set in pre-Columbian Mesomerica. But there ya have it. More on that in my review of Mirrored Heavens, the last book in the trilogy.

I highly recommend these books. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the ride, and I’m sad it’s over. The actors’ performances of these characters will follow me for a very long time because they added so much to their depth and humanity, really giving them heart and fleshing them out in a way that makes them more understandable, in some ways. Big thumbs up!