Thrust into leadership upon the death of his emperor father, young Prince Ahkin feels completely unready for his new position. Though his royal blood controls the power of the sun, he’s now responsible for the lives of all the Chicome people. And despite all Ahkin’s efforts, the sun is fading—and the end of the world may be at hand.
For Mayana, the only daughter of the Chicome family whose blood … Chicome family whose blood controls the power of water, the old emperor’s death may mean that she is next. Prince Ahkin must be married before he can ascend the throne, and Mayana is one of six noble daughters presented to him as a possible wife. Those who are not chosen will be sacrificed to the gods.
Only one girl can become Ahkin’s bride. Mayana and Ahkin feel an immediate connection, but the gods themselves may be against them. Both recognize that the ancient rites of blood that keep the gods appeased may be harming the Chicome more than they help. As a bloodred comet and the fading sun bring a growing sense of dread, only two young people may hope to change their world.
Rich in imagination and romance, and based on the legends and history of the Aztec and Maya people, The Seventh Sun brings to vivid life a world on the edge of apocalyptic disaster.
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I honestly don’t know how to start this review. In fact, I’m not even sure if my brain is properly working right now because guess what? I stayed until 5 AM to finish this book. I wanted to finish it so badly that I couldn’t even wait another day.
To be honest, I didn’t have high expectations for this. Sure, the premise sounded exciting. It’s not every day that you stumble upon a fantasy book based on the Aztec and Mayan legends. But the human sacrifice aspect of the plot reminded me of Gravemaidens and that was, unfortunately, a bit disappointing.
However, a few chapters in and I was hooked. I’m not sure if it’s the plot, Ahkin (I have a weak spot for princes), or the writing but it was the type of book that I really wanted to finish fast. It was interesting and intriguing enough that I didn’t want to put it down. And when I got to the conflict, I wanted to finish it even faster. It is the kind that feels like removing band-aid on a wound. You know it’s painful but also inevitable so you just have to go through it as quickly as possible.
What I really liked about this book is the romance. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a huge shipper. When I like a couple, I don’t mind if they have too many sweet moments. In fact, the longer it is, the happier my heart will be. I really shipped Mayana and Ahkin so I was quite happy that they had so many moments together. Technically, theirs was a whirlwind romance that happened in a few days. But it was understandable because there was a time constraint so I didn’t have a problem with it. It felt like they’ve known each other forever.
Another thing I liked about this book is how it was unpredictable. The reason the sun was fading was unexpected and not something I even considered. I also liked how Laini incorporated magical elements into the story and didn’t just base everything from Aztec and Mayan history and rituals. It made things a lot more interesting.
The only minor problem I had with this book are the names. I have no idea how to pronounce them. Atl, Yaotl, Ehecatl… Please, can someone enlighten me?
The ending definitely hints at a second book but it is not the kind of cliffhanger that’s infuriating. It was satisfying but at the same time, makes you want more. I am really excited about what’s in store for this series. Based on what happened in the last chapter, it will get even more
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A tremendously lush and romantic adventure.
I cannot thank Lani Forbes enough for allowing me to read an early copy of her book.
Everything about THE SEVENTH SUN was stunning, from the prose, to the myths, to the romance between Akhin and Mayana, to the magic system and intrigue.
An absolute must-read!
I’ve received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Upon the death of his emperor’s father, Prince Ahkin feels completely unready for his new position. At only 18 years old he is now responsible for the lives of all the Chicome people and to control the sun with the royal blood that runs through his veins. Before he can ascend the throne he needs to be married, this means that 6 noble daughters will be presented to him as a possible wife, while one will be chosen, the other 5 will be used as a sacrifice to bless his new marriage.
The story revolves around Mayana descendant of the goddess Atlacoya and Ahkin the king of the Chicome Empire. From the moment they meet on the ritual of finding a bride, there’s a deep connection between them, but the gods seem to be against them. While Ahkin might question from time to time the blood rituals, Mayana is against them and can never stomach doing. With a bloodred comet and a sun that fades every day way too soon, the life of the Chicome Empire hangs on the line.
The book is based on the legends and history of Aztec and Maya people and brings you an amazing world full of imagination, steamy romance, the amazing connections between two people, and even if it has triggers such as blood rituals animals, and humans the book is definitely worth reading.
While the blood rituals in the book did make me feel squeamish, (even tho they weren’t very detailed) the story between Mayana and Ahkin has developed very quickly from the very first pages, I felt their relationship develop a little bit too quickly for my taste, especially since they barely knew each other, but the intensity of their feelings left me in awe. They’ve had an amazing connection, she knew how he feels, they had so many things in common to share and he always felt she knows him better than anyone else.
The world the author has built for this story is amazing, each empire is different and each descendant from the gods has different powers, from controlling the water to controlling the animals. During their marriage ritual, each girl needs to prove herself worthy of being the queen of the Chicome Empire, while others came here to win, others like Yemania were sent here as a pure sacrifice. The story can be brutal in some parts, especially when comes to Yemania, she’s definitely different than the rest of the girls in the empire, but her skills in healing people are amazing and instead of seeing that she considers herself unworthy – that’s also the reason her father has sent her, she’s a girl he can sacrifice because he knows she’ll never win. My heart broke for Yemania, I could find myself in her so much because she’s misunderstood, her skills are amazing, perhaps more amazing than her brother, and while her looks might not be to the same standards as everyone else her heart shines brighter than everyone else.
This story for me has been a swirl of emotions, from excitement to fear to disgust towards some of the so-called kings of empire, but overall the book is an amazing ride and definitely has some lessons hidden.
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The Seventh Sun was very well written, however it was clear in the beginning what was going to happen, but it wasn’t a disappointment because there were other things that happen which you don’t quite know what will happen until a bit later.
I loved the very clear imagery of the colors of clothing, feathers, food (along with the description on the food).
That cliffhanger!!!!! Aaaahhh! I’m looking forward to the next book, The Jade Bones!
I am unsure whether Lani is an Own Voices author, specifically for this book, as I don’t personally know her. I still believe this was written nicely.
TW:
ritual suicide/sacrificing
ritual cutting
animal sacrifice/abuse
Parental loss
An engaging, character-driven mix of Native American (Aztec) mythology and romance with a strong heroine and vivid world building.
Surprisingly good book. Great read. The ending is a great surprise. I can’t wait till the next book comes out.
Its not a book. Its half a book. Actually, igs probably really only 1/3 of a book. I was going to give it 5 stars until i realized it would end in tube middle of the story. The last two chapters literally brought out more complications to set up the 2nd book. Dont bother
The Seventh Sun is a unique fantasy set in the era of Aztecs and Mayas. Lani Forbes did an excellent job with the setting and characters. I loved the heroine’s dilemma. If she stands by her beliefs, her life will be forfeit. Standing strong in the face of adversity is something we all face. Forbes handled this with beautiful characters and story. Some of her wording was so descriptively beautiful I had to smile. I can’t wait for the next in the series.
The Seventh Sun combines Aztec and Mayan folklore and mythology to weave a story unique. That was what probably drew me to this novel, the idea behind it because, well, I am Mexican with Aztec roots so the appreciation of the culture that Forbes was able to create impressed me. This novel reminded me of the film Apocalypto. Nevertheless, the fantastical elements of the novel make it something fresh and give those mythologies a new outlook.
What Forbes does is connect the apocalypse to the self-sacrifice of those with unique gifts. Anyone descendant of those individuals is considered noble blood. So there are many different types of magic in the novel from raising the sun to healing to animal control, that makes the magic in the novel, while not unique, interesting to read. Then there are the sacrifices that govern the people. In these ancient cultures sacrifice was a part of daily life, and Forbes highlights that with this storytelling. Nevertheless, what Forbes also does is make the characters question it.
The characters are, for the most part, well-constructed. There are times when they sound rather whiney to the point of annoyance, but they far between. However, if not for the tension of the story and the pacing, these characters would come off more two-dimensional. The plot and conflicts that arise within them bring the characters to life rather than the other way around. Even the princesses, well while some of them have exciting voices, the idea of pitting them against one another to win the king’s hand is somewhat cliché. It is a bit of a turn-off, but when these characters do bond, it is something that takes the readers breath away because it shows solidarity even in the darkest of times.
However, Mayana does tend to come off as a Mary Sue caricature. I only say that because of her inner conflicts, they do not seem like real conflicts to the reader. She refuses to participate in the sacrifices and believes the teachings to be manmade, orchestrated by the temple to give order to the people, and while that is all great, her tone, her narrative, makes her sound like a know-it-all. There are not enough flaws in her character to make her connect to the reader.
Nevertheless, it was an exciting novel to read and the ending was genuinely gripping. The pace, the attention to detail, it gives the reader something to look forward to even if they sometimes find themselves struggling to connect to the characters.
What an amazing journey. This book is beyond… its rich and atmospheric, elegant and detailed, bold and full of heart. I just want to fan girl over this book. I picked up up off of a recommendation and the cover alone. I love historical fiction novels and reading about the Mayan/Aztec is a love of mine. This book seemed to have all my favorite bases ticked so I decided to read it.
I am beyond blown away with it. Every page is lush and detailed, full of pleasant scenes and rich detailed characters. I loved how the author incorporated history and facts to make this story come aline. I was sucked in and didn’t escape until way after I turned the last page. I will be reading more from this series and this author; that is a no brainier for me.
There is romance here (it is YA so nothing more then kissing) but oh my the adventure it amazing. I loved the direction the story took and was surprised in parts and predicted others. The ending is mostly complete (a small cliffhanger) that left me immediately wanting more. I can’t wait for what comes next and that wait is going to “kill” me!! LOL.
If you are looking for adventure and a fun story this is it!! Ten stars and more. I will leave this review with one thing that I would have liked mentioned to me and that is this: Trigger warning/Sensitive Reader Warning: I do think sensitive readers need to be aware that there are some very difficult scenes with animals within the story. They not graphic but do depict death/harm.