DNF at 53%

I loved the premise for this book and was super excited to receive it as an ARC but unfortunately it was just way too slow for me and I found myself losing interest fast.

This was a very interesting and different book, I see why some people would dislike it but i kinda enjoy it

full review here: https://youtu.be/La7yBtiR-yg

3.75/5 ⭐
This book is really promising in plot and worldbuilding, the fact that it’s inspired by the history and folklore of South America makes it even better. It’s filled with original elements and ideas you don’t often encounter in other books. Yet there are also a lot of elements integrated that are sadly part of the real world’s history as well. The two FMC start as supressed beings but towards the end of the book they finally start to fight themselves free. Because of this, I’m really curious about what the next book will have in store for them. Add an intriguing magic system to this mix and you’re holding a lot of great ingredients in your hands for a great novel. There is also an epic quest, enemies and betrayal lurking around the corner, learning to accept one’s strengths, not letting others determine your worth, blossoming friendships, a small drop of romance, lots of mythology, villains and oppressors you’ll absolutely hate, multiple thrilling action scenes, …
However, there is one big downside to this book: the pacing. This book could’ve easily been told in at least 100 pages less. The writing style is absolutely pleasant, but too descriptive and too slow paced. It takes until halfway through the book before it becomes somewhat hard to put this book down. And yet there are pieces or events that feel more abrupt, less well-developed. So perhaps a better balance could be struck here (this would result in this book getting 4 or even 4,25 stars for me). Nevertheless I have really high hopes for the next book.

3.5 Stars

I read this book in the summer and completely forgot to post my review of it.

This was an interesting read for me and I did find it took me a couple of chapters to get into this book.
The world building was intricate and complex but I also found it easy to follow. I enjoyed the history and explanations as I felt this helped us understand more.
The plot did seem a little off in a couple of places but I did push through.
I really enjoy it when books have their own unique magic system and this one was great.
I enjoyed the characters and felt that they were developed ok but could have done with some more depth to them.
I don’t know what it was but I felt this book was missing something as usually Im hooked when it comes to fantasy book but this one I struggled with unfortunately.

Thank you to Netgalley, the Author and the Publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Okay, this was okay, but not great... I really liked the world building concepts, overall plot direction, and characterization. It was developed and entertaining, with pretty good characters. But I just couldn't really enjoy this book and I think that's down to the pacing and the chunks of descriptions that you had to slog through. I do see why others love this book, especially if you are less fussed about pacing or the heavy descriptions.

I was very excited about this book just by the premise – young noblewoman and servant girl become vessels of ancient gods to save nation – because that sounds amazing, and the cover is beautiful, and it’s on all of the lists… and then it fell a bit flat for me. And believe me, no-one was more heartbroken than me. As a very visual person (AKA a fancy way to say I judge books by their covers), the art provided throughout the book is absolutely gorgeous – and that cover??! Visually, I really enjoyed this book.

Now onto the contents of the book! For me, the worldbuilding was so dense at the beginning, and I really struggled with the dual-POV amongst all of it. I’m looking at a character list right now and honestly, I still don’t really know who is who. There were quite a few times where I put this book down and left it for days… or weeks… and I thought I wouldn’t pick it up again, but I really don’t like DNFing books and wanted to give this one a fair shot.

I felt like Reina and Eva were unbalanced. To me, when reading, Reina seemed to really tip the balance of the story in her favour, and I felt we didn’t see much of Eva compared to Reina. I felt like I knew the character of Reina so much better than the character of Eva, and I like to get to know all the characters of a story equally in order to truly enjoy it.

The last… I want to say 15%? percent of the book felt like a completely different story! I was so confused by what was going on. It felt like the author was rushing to finish the book, but at the same time it really dragged. I do think the worldbuilding is really interesting, it was just very hard to absorb all of the information when it’s spewed onto the page. This book just didn’t feel polished to me.

First of all, thank you to the author for posting a review on Goodreads that had all the content warnings in there.

Second, I'm still unsure about how I feel about this book. I think I loved it, because the worldbuilding was amazing, and that's a really big plus for me. but some of the descriptions felt really off to me, and it's a bit slow too. I also wish that the book was more evenly divided between the characters.

This was an easy enjoyable read. Style is very reminiscent of SMG soo wuite liked this even though it was a little slow in the beginning.

Good character development - even as a lot of them aren’t very likable people. You still start to change your mind about them and root for them (Maior, Javier and Eva).

World building was a little confusing - I struggled with the families, the history and the magic system. It only really clicked in at the end.
The revelations at the end were interesting and some I didn’t see coming!

Not sure if this counts as YA or New Adult but enjoyable read overall. Is this a series I wonder?

Firstly I’d like to thank Daphne Press for the gorgeous proof!! 💙💛

I was so so excited to get my hands on The Sun and the Void and boy, this book does not disappoint at all!! It’s such an adventure!! It’s sapphic, it’s Latin folklore, it has gods, amazing female characters and it’s so full of fantasy, adventure and wonderful food!! 😍❤️ The world building is amazing and magic system is incredible!! I really hope you guys pick this book up!!

I really enjoyed The Sun and the Void, it really surprised me in the most spectacular way. I fell for the characters immediately and I know you guys will too!! Such a magnificent debut ❤️🥰 4.5✨

I loved this book! This book was absolutely magical and enchanting and I loved every single part of it! Gabriela Lacruz is someone to watch for because their writing is absolutely amazing and this book was filled with a rich story and rich characters. I loved everything about it and also, the cover is absolutely stunning!

I was incredibly excited about the premise of this book. I haven't had much exposure to South American folklore, and the summary really gripped me.
I can definitely see the potential in this book. The world building was well done and felt very tangible. The plot was very dense and hard to comprehend at points. I also felt the characters were too naïve. At the beginning, this was fine and to be expected, but it felt like they had little growth and kept getting pushed around.
All in all, I was underwhelmed and this showed itself in how long it took me to finish it.
It definitely had the elements of being something fantastic, but just fell a little flat to me.

First off thankyou Netgalley for the the free copy in exchange for a review I am very grateful.

I was really looking forward to this release but unfortunately it just wasn't for me. It ended up being a DNF as I just couldn't get into it like I hoped and struggled with motivation to continue reading several times. That being said from the amount I read it is a GOOD book so I might pick it back up again in the future.

The world building and histories I feel were very well done and easy to follow and understand which is good, I think having a few pages of the 'worlds' history before the story started was a great addition so you knew some of what was going on from the start instead of struggling to figure things out.
That being said I do feel there was alot of information dumping in conversations which was probably not as necessary and it was part of the reason I DNF.
Whilst I liked the characters I just didn't feel all that connected to them or understand some of the things they did which for me made it a slow read which put me off. Perhaps if I stuck with it a little longer it all would of tied in and made sense but it took me almost 3 months probably to get 30% into the book and I felt it was time I gave up.

Unfortunately I had to give up on this one, I usually wouldn’t review books I didn’t finish but the pace is just so so slow and I think a lot of people will really struggle to get into it at all

A shame! Because the concept really interested me

I absolutely loved this one!
So unique and I love the characters.
A great start to n epic fantasy series and one I will definitely be continuing

I really wanted to love this - I saw it on many "most anticipated fantasy books of 2023" lists and was super excited to get my hands on an arc.

However - I felt this book was just ok. I certainly didnt hate it but also wasnt rearing to read it.

The setting is completely unique - I jave never explored a book set in Veneuzuela and was excitied to dive in. However the first half of the book is extremely slow paced and I found myself avoiding picking the book back up.

Too many wordy descriptions of characters and slow worldbuilding has stopped me from giving this higher.

Though I had high hopes for The Sun and the Void, I am sad to say this book wasn't quite a win for me.

Though the setting and the world building is intriguing and well thought out, the pacing seemed off and somewhat clunky while the characters looked on from the side lines.
It felt more like the world was happening to the characters while they looked on from the side lines.

I wanted further exploration of the magic and less internal angst. So though the premise was intriguing this is not a new favourite as hoped.

DNF
The premise of the book sounded very interesting but unfortunately the writing style and world building was disappointing.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me.

I wanted to like it, as I saw it all over social media at some point. Regardless, the plot did not hold my interest and the characters had no depth. The attempt of complex world- building failed miserably.

This was one of my more anticipated reads for the year, it sounded like something unique and interesting. Unfortunately, though there were elements I really liked, it fell a little flat for me. I did end up liking it overall but it wasn’t one of my favourites for the month.

First, the good. The setting was what first attracted me to this book, and I wasn’t disappointed in this regard. Many fantasy worlds are essentially clones of Medieval Europe, and while it’s a tried and true formula, I do find myself getting a bit sick of it. I really enjoy worlds with some more variety in history and culture, and The Sun and the Void’s South America-inspired setting hit the mark for me. The worldbuilding was intricate and detailed, and I felt very immersed.

However, this was the main highlight for me. Other aspects like the plot and characters seemed much less developed - the plot was entertaining enough but the characters didn’t have a lot of depth and made some odd choices. I also found the book very slow paced, especially at the beginning, and I really struggled to get engaged enough to continue. I think I would have much preferred a cut down version maybe 75% of the length.

I’d still recommend it to those who enjoy books more focused on worldbuilding and creating a unique and detailed setting. It was a good debut and I’d be interested to see what the rest of the series brings.

In a world brimming with life and lore reminiscent of South America's rich history and folklore, The Sun and the Void entranced me from the first page.

There's an inherent mastery in weaving characters as intricate and relatable as Reina and Eva Kesare. These young women, with their struggles, ambitions, and flaws, resonate deeply. Their journeys, driven by personal motivations and the intricate dance of societal pressures, are punctuated by choices that feel palpably real, even when they're fraught with mistakes.

But beyond the characters, it's the world itself that emerges as a vibrant tapestry of details. The echoes of colonialism, the raw depiction of a culture driven to extinction (in some cases quite literally), and the weight of historical oppressions felt hauntingly relevant and evocative. The way the narrative captures the invasive nature of settlers, erasing indigenous legacies, strikes a chord of familiarity and pain.

The magic and belief systems are crafted meticulously, seamlessly integrating into the narrative's fabric. It's not merely a backdrop but an active agent driving the story forward, adding layers of tension and allure.

While the book stands gloriously on its own, the hints at what's to come have me eagerly anticipating the sequel. The Sun and the Void isn't just a tale—it's an experience. One that resonates, challenges, and ultimately captivates.