Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse

There are no tides more treacherous than those of the heart. —Teek saying The great city of Tova is shattered. The sun is held within the smothering grip of the Crow God’s eclipse, but a comet that marks the death of a ruler and heralds the rise of a new order is imminent. The Meridian: a land where magic has been codified and the worship of gods suppressed. How do you live when legends come to life, and the faith you had is rewarded? As sea captain Xiala is swept up in the chaos and currents of change, she finds an unexpected ally in the former Priest of Knives. For the Clan Matriarchs of Tova, tense alliances form as far-flung enemies gather and the war in the heavens is reflected upon the earth. And for Serapio and Naranpa, both now living avatars, the struggle for free will and personhood in the face of destiny rages. How will Serapio stay human when he is steeped in prophecy and surrounded by those who desire only his power? Is there a future for Naranpa in a transformed Tova without her total destruction?

Kind of a disappointment when compared with the first book, not gonna lie. I read the first book earlier this year, loved it, and added it to my favorites list for this year without question. This one is very clearly Book Two, in that nothing of any particular special note happens, but we get a lot of exposition about what happened.

All of the previous points of view are here for you to read and digest their feelings after the aftermath of the first book. Lots of regret, lots of confusion, lots of anger to go around for everyone involved, which is understandable but also kind of....boring? It felt like the same points of anger, regret, confusion are repeated several times in several different ways across the viewpoints, and it started reading as very same-y by the end. Also, lots of political intrigue buildup in this book, so if that's not your thing, you probably won't enjoy this one very much.

Funny enough, Xiala's viewpoint was my favorite in the first book, but I found it kind of bland in this one. She's just kinda....there, and all the badassery she showed in the first book now has her questioning everything and regretting things and being a downer and kind of wishywashy. I sort of wanted her to embrace her new side to a degree, not run from it. She also doesn't seem to drive the plot any like she did in the first book, so it felt like she was just the reader's observer character in this one. I don't know, kind of disappointing.

But I do like all the political pieces moving around! I'm big on fantasy political drama, and it seems to be setting up for something good in the next book. There's just a lot of slog to get through along the way.

Wowwwwwww ... this is a whole 'nother level for Roanhorse. Those insipid characters from the first book are now nuanced, feeling, conflicted creatures. (Minor spoiler) The Annoying Prophecy having been (partially) foiled in the first book, events are now free to take very interesting new courses, and oh, they do. It's like seeing cardboard cutouts suddenly spring to life.This is Book Two Of N: I came in expecting development, not resolution, and got much more than I dared hope for. The Meridian world feels much more real. The intrigues are better defined. And the characters... I'm in love with half of them. They now show gumption, fears, feelings, self-reflection, uncertainty, grit. New relationships are forged here, with all the stages of grudging and developing trust. Relationships begun in the first book are clarified and better defined. What surprised me most is the quiet competence that the principal characters now exhibit, and how Roanhorse depicts it. (I'm a sucker for smart competent people). This is a more mature work than anything I've read by her. Rewarding, filled with promise.Friendly hint: re-skim [b:Black Sun 50892360 Black Sun (Between Earth and Sky, #1) Rebecca Roanhorse https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1601212809l/50892360.SY75.jpg 61321587] if it's been more than a few months since you read it. Roanhorse wastes few words filling in backstory. (Don't even THINK of reading this without having read Black Sun first. It will make very little sense.)Another Friendly Hint: If you're the kind of person who needs a tidy wrap-up, don't read this yet. Wait for the next, or possibly next-next: this has the feeling of a long-game saga. And pray to whatever gods you pray to that Roanhorse will not abandon this series.

Worthy sequel. I'm yearning for book 3 which is... entirely too far away.

Fevered Star is a worthy follow-up to Black Sun, one of my favorite books of the last few years. This is epic fantasy of the highest order and Roanhorse's writing is a joy to read.

While Black Sun was constructed like a ticking time bomb with a narrative structure that built towards an epic conclusion, Fevered Star is a quieter tale. It's the calm after the storm that that hit in book #1. It's a transitory time in the Meridian as factions grow, contract, splinter off, or soldier on. The characters scramble to consolidate power and lines are drawn in the sand.

Despite the more subdued action, I'm fully invested in these characters. Each POV brings something interesting to the table and Roanhorse uses this novel to position her chess pieces for the coming conclusion/confrontation/clash to decide the fate of this world. Several fuses have been lit, but we'll have to wait until the third book to see them pay off. I know I'm looking forward to it.

See this review and others at The Speculative Shelf.