Audiobook review: Fevered Star, by Rebecca Roanhorse

Fevered Star (Between Earth and Sky #2) by Rebecca Roanhorse

Narrated by Christian Barillas, Nicole Lewis, Darrell Dennis, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Cora Gee 

Return to The Meridian with New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Roanhorse’s sequel to the most critically hailed epic fantasy of 2020 Black Sun—finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, Lambda, and Locus awards.

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?

Welcome back to the fantasy series of the decade in Fevered Star—book two of Between Earth and Sky

My Review

I have this book as a signed hardback and an audiobook, and I loved the first book. I listened to this audiobook while going out and about, and I listened to the final half hour or so after work on Tuesday. I couldn’t wait until my next trip out.

We find the characters introduced in Black Sun struggling to find their place after the disaster of the slaughter on Sun Rock. Serapio is lost – he should have died, but he lived. Naranpa is thought to be dead, betrayed by her own priesthood, but she lives. Xiala is desperate to find her lover and lost too far from the sea. The avatars of the sun goddess and crow god struggle to realise their place, struggle to find their personhood, and think of a future that includes the survival of Tova. The other states of the Meridian have decided it’s time to deal with the clans of Tova, who have dominated the cities for three hundred years. And they have allies inside Tova.

This is the second book in a trilogy, and it does suffer from the difficult position of bridging the introduction with its amazing climax and the finale in book three. I can’t wait to find out what happens, although I have some idea given events in Fevered Star. I think Xiala will face her past in Teek, Naranpa will fly to the Graveyard of the Gods and learn more about her destiny, Serapio will build a kingdom in Tova, while the other cities attack, and probably betray each other. Naranpa will return just in time to save Tova, and Xiala will turn on the other cities from within their ranks. Honestly don’t know though. The Mirrored Heavens is out in August next year, so I have to be patient.

But back to Fevered Star.

Character development continues in this novel, and we learn more particularly about Xiala and her past. Serapio and Naranpa learn to be themselves through hardship and to question their purpose as avatars of gods in constant war with each other. They realise, in the novel’s climax, that they don’t actually have to keep fighting, and if they do they’ll destroy their home.

The world building extends as we visit the other cities and meet more Teek for the first time. The descriptions of the cities, landscapes and islands is rich and evocative. The cities are colourful and fascinating, full of life.

The plot takes us through the complex politics of The Meridian and the development of the main characters. It was gripping and I always wanted to know what happened next. But, other than the climax of the fight on Sun Rock between Serapio and Naranpa, the story was fairly steady.

I did enjoy the book, but I want to know what happens next.