Name: Regan O’Neill's review of The Seventh Sun by Lani Forbes
Item: The Seventh Sun
Rating: 5
Author: Regan O’Neill

Lani Forbes

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 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.

The Seventh Sun

elle sommer

Regan O’Neill

Eryn Bradshaw

Mystery. Aztec/Mayan Myths. Romance. Magic. Blood Sacrifices.
COUNT ME IN!
The Seventh Sun by Lani Forbes follows two points of views. Set in South America, based off of Aztec and Mayan myths and history, this book weaves a beautiful, magical story. The emperor of Chicome has died, leaving his son Ahkin to take over as emperor and to raise the sun each day. Through studying the skies and the sun setting earlier and earlier each day, hints of chaos looming over his nation. He also cannot fully inherit the title of emperor until he chooses a wife.

The wife he chooses must be a noble descendant of one gods who are continually worshiped for the sacrifices to keep the Chicome people alive. Of the six noble daughters sent, Mayana, descended from the water goddess, is sent. She must prove to Ahkin she is worthy of his hand in marriage. However, she disagrees with the traditional sacrifices her people make in honor of the gods. She must hide this secret belief in order to win over Ahkin and not be sentenced to become a ceremonial sacrifice to bless Ahkin's rule and marriage.

This is a book I didn't want to put down!
Not going to lie, but I accidentally stayed up until 2 AM finishing this book (midnight has been my bedtime for the past week or two in attempted to wake up early). My husband came in to come to bed asking if I knew what time it was. I didn't care, I had about 2% left in the book.

Firstly, this book is not a sappy romance novel.
Which in my opinion is a good thing. There are romantic elements to it. Even a little bit of insta-love. The book's timeframe is about 2-3 weeks-ish. I understand why it's like that though. The impending doom looming over the nation and the belief that the last four days in the calendar are bad luck so Ahkin has a tight window to find a wife and adhere to his people's beliefs. And Mayana is trying to avoid death.

Let's talk about our two main characters.
Ahkin is a great worrier. At the age of 18, he is left without his parents' guidance on picking a wife and ruling over a nation. There's a lot of conflict within himself because while he knows he must follow tradition and rules, he doubts their validity at times. He is in turmoil because of the death of his parents and has to remain strong, unable to really mourn his loss.

Mayana is an empath. She cares deeply for her family, friends, and even animals. She tries her best to make her father proud of her by performing the rituals required of her as a noble's daughter but is constantly letting him down when she can't perform animal sacrifices. She studied the Codices, the religious text, and found nothing about blood sacrifice.

I loved the balance between Ahkin and Mayana. I really felt for both of them while they both tried to deal with their own conflicts. There were so many times I wanted to scream at Ahkin because he didn't know things about Mayana or things she knew. This book really set up their relationship though. I really got to know each of them as a character and look forward to seeing their relationship meld in the next book.

One thing I didn't quite enjoy was how much of a pushover Mayana was at times. She was so strong and willful during parts of the book, but there were times where she seemed to shrink back into the background. Though claiming she is stubborn, sometimes I thought she allowed herself to get pushed around by some of the other princesses.

Speaking of other princesses.
HOLY SHIT! So each of these noble daughters, or princesses, have powers. Water, fire, wind, plants, animals, healing. Each princess seems to be developed with amazing backstories that I would love to delve deeper into. Yemania, the healing princess, is so sweet, but timid and shy at times. She and the princess of fire befriend Mayana. I really liked Yemania until Yoli, the fire princess stepped in. Yoli takes the cake for just a badass girl who is secretly kind and friendly. I hope we can see more of each of these princess in the next book.

Blood controls magic!
Okay. I won't lie. When I first read that blood controls magic and our leading lady controls water, I thought, Water bender? Elemental magic to control animals, plants, healing, fire, AND WIND? LONG AGO, THE FOUR NATIONS LIVED TOGETHER IN HARMONY. THEN EVERYTHING CHANGED WHEN THE FIRE NATION ATTACKED! Before I get too carried away, no it's not Avatar. In order for any one of the descendants of the gods to use their powers, they must first cut themselves (please don't cut yourself to control elements, it won't work). By spilling their noble blood they can do things their god or goddess could do like raise the sun, move water, or grow plants.

This is a magic system I really liked. Although the healing seemed a little "overpowered," it was reserved only for nobles and emperors. The healers also gave the others chances to use their powers without losing too much blood, even for daily tasks like the emperor having to raise the sun each day. I think what I liked about it most was it's not like they could continually use these powers. They had to spill their own blood while also being careful to not let too much spill (or, you know, they'd die).

The looming apocalypse.
I don't want to give too much away here. So this will be brief and mostly taken from the summary. The sun has been destroyed six different times by various disasters (hence the name The Seventh Sun lel). After each of these apocalypses, the creator god/goddess allowed one of her children to sacrifice themselves in order to save the Chicome people. Ahkin's father, the emperor, dies in his sleep suddenly and his mother takes her life to travel with him in the afterlife. Ahkin inherits the throne, but a red comet is spotted in the sky and the sun sets earlier each day. He fears the worst, that the seventh sun is dying for reasons he can't understand. Because of this, he must figure out if the apocalypse is near whilst also dealing with a neighboring nation, the Miquitz who are kidnapping villagers.

This. Is the blood magic isn't going to convince you to read this book, I LOVED this plot element. There's mystery. You want to know what is up. What is happening? Is everyone going to die in an apocalypse or will Ahkin save his people?

Overall...
I loved this book. I was sucked into from the moment I picked it up and didn't want to put it down. I loved the characters so much. I'm rooting for you, Ahkin and Mayana! I am so excited to read a book set in South America too. I need to read more Native American/South American books.

  Blackstone Publishing provided a copy of
   
  The Seventh Sun through Edelweiss.Plus in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to read this book!

Sheila Goicea

I'm excited to be a part of THE SEVENTH SUN blog tour with The Fantastic Flying Book Club, from February 12th - February 18th, 2020!

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, Blackstone Publishing via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! In no way does this affect my rating or review.



All included quotes have been taken from an ARC and may not match the finished publication. 

Content Warning: Death of a loved one and animal, Suicide, Human & Animal sacrifice, Self harm (cutting palm to perform magical rituals)

  The entire Chicome Empire now relied on him. Hundreds of thousands of lives depended on his blood. He and his twin sister, Metzi, were now the only two surviving descendants of the sun god.

To what lengths must a leader go to bring honor to their deities? It is a question that Prince Ahkin asks himself shortly after the passing of his father. Due to tradition, Ahkin’s mother takes her own life so that the emperor will not pass through the Underworld alone. But Ahkin is not ready to lead an entire nation. Without the guidance of his parents, Ahkin must grow accustomed to his new position. His first task to truly claim his title is to pick an empress to rule Chicome at his side.

  She was sick of the stifling and suffocating shackles of the rituals. She had fought against her heart for years to submit to them, constantly wrestling between what she wanted to do and what she should do. They had stolen the joy from her life. Now, they demanded her actual life.

Mayana is the daughter of the leader to Alt--the water region of the kingdom. Due to being born into royalty, Mayana is from a line directly derived from the water goddess, and is able to bend water to her will. The magic calls for a price, and can only be summoned by blood.

Sacrifices are a daily reality for the Chicome people. Due to the sacrifice Ōmeteōtl made for them when sacrificing her children to reinstate a new sun, the people must pay the gods back in blood. For some, like Mayana, these traditions don’t make sense. Why would a god, who supposedly loves the people, call for such a violent recompense? It is heresy to question the beliefs and practices of the gods, by Mayana cannot ignore her intuition that something isn’t correct.

Upon the death of the emperor, the prominent families in neighboring cities must send their most worthy daughters to compete for the hand of Prince Ahkin. Mayana is chosen, but at the apprehension of her father. Mayana hates making sacrifices--so much so that her family has to make excuses for her and why she won’t do them. One of six contenders, Mayana must win against descendents of gods with fire, air, earth, healing, and animal powers. But if she doesn’t win, she will see her end with the others that aren’t chosen, as the losers will be sacrificed to strengthen the waning sun.

  The true core of a person encompassed their whole being. Now that she saw Yemania’s heart, the girl radiated beauty. Mayana hoped the prince would see Yemania’s beauty as she did, but at the same time, she realized that if he did, it would seal her own fate. How was she supposed to hope for Yemania without dooming herself?

The ceremony of choosing an empress naturally sets the girls against one another. For a compassionate soul like Mayana, the thought of sending someone to their death if she is chosen tears her apart. She makes fast friends with Yemania, a girl sent for her mediocre looks by a father who doesn’t care about her fate. It highlights the intimately harsh reality that most women encounter throughout life, wondering if their beauty will measure up for others.

As the competition unfolds, Mayana finds herself in the prince’s favor, but for reasons that aren’t her truth. Believed to be a pious follower of the gods’ and the codex of beliefs, Mayana knows that the prince is falling for someone that isn’t the real her. Her mission becomes proving to not only herself, but to others that the codex they follow isn’t entirely true. This, however, always puts her at risk to fall out of favor with the prince once he discovers her true beliefs. Mayana finds herself positioned between a competition to literally fight for her life, but another that requires her to remain true to herself. 

The Seventh Sun will keep any reader at the edge of their seat. This isn’t entirely always for a good reason, as human sacrifice is a terrible reality in the Aztec and Mayan-inspired culture represented. I thought that this book gave a fantastic look into the lives of those that followed these traditions day-to-day. Sacrifice was a norm, but should never be taken lightly. Mayana’s character was far too soft for this society, and it makes me wonder what the souls of others’ were like. Of course, this is a work of fantasy, so liberties may have been taken when compared to one hundred percent accurate historical fact of practices and traditions. 

A strong, sometimes disturbing, but deep read The Seventh Sun promises much more to come as Ahkin and Mayana must figure out their stance with the gods, and with one another. I’m curious if the threat from the Miquitz and their soul-abilities will reappear and pose an even deeper threat due to the positioning of Ahkin and Mayana at the conclusion of this installment.

Vulgarity: None that I recall.
Sexual content: Kissing.
Violence: A lot. This read is, in my opinion, not appropriate for younger readers due to the material discussed at length about human and animal sacrifice.

My Rating:★★★★

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Jennifer

Lani Forbes' The Seventh Sun had been on my tbr for more than a year and I finally got to read it this month. Seeing that the worldbuilding of the novel is inspired by legends of the ancient Mayan & Aztec civilisation definitely piqued my interest. 

Without giving away too much, I liked the book. As what the premise promised, I really liked the worldbuilding and the fantasy elements. I think it's really creative and intriguing. I think Lani Forbe's atmospheric writing really brings out the intricate details of the world of The Seventh Sun in a way that's easy to visualise.

On the flipside, I do think the execution of the characters & plot falls a bit short of my expectations. I feel like the main characters & the plots are pretty typical YA: Mayana and prince Ahkin predictably came together (despite their different backgrounds). I also personally hoped that more about the other girls Mayana was competing with were more thoroughly fleshed out, because a number of them could had promising character arcs.

Concerns aside, I nevertheless enjoyed the worldbuilding of The Seventh Sun: it's intricate, creative, and diverse. If you are looking for quick read and a fantasy book that's set in a non-Western inspired fictional world, this one is worth checking out! Just be aware of the major content warnings beforehand.

N.B. Content warnings: blood mention, weapons, and death

(3.5 stars out of 5)

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received two books from the publisher, one for review and one for giveaway. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Seventh Sun

Author: Lani Forbes

Book Series: The Age of the Seventh Sun Book1

Diversity: Inspired by Aztec, Mayan, and Inca cultures

Rating: 4/5

Publication Date: February 18, 2020

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Recommended Age: 16+ (world ending, romance, TW sacrifice and suicide, violence, gore)

Synopsis: 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 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.

Review: I really loved this look at a mix of Aztec, Mayan, and Inca cultures and I thought the plot was really interesting. I really liked the energy between Mayana and Ahkin and I liked the developed religion in the book. The book was also well paced and well wrote.

However, the book, in my opinion, focused a lot on the romance aspect and it felt really bachelor-esque with the choosing of the new wife and stuff. I didn't much care for that but I really did like Mayana and Ahkin, although they're kinda niche characters. I also liked and disliked how devoted the followers were, it was also cult-ish to an extent but I just have some other thoughts about religion as a whole. 

Verdict: Overall though, I finished this super quickly and it was a great read.

Leelynn Brady

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Fantastic Flying Book Club, Netgalley, and Blackstone Publishing for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

Oh my gosh. I’m legit just kind of blown away about how much this book messed me up. In a good way of course. I was shocked because I don’t think I’ve ever seen a book like this, and I’m so glad that I got to read a copy of this early.

I think one of the aspects that really got to me was how many apocalypses that the Chicome ended up going through. It makes me think about all the movies and TV shows about the apocalypse and how it’s supposed to be the end of the world and no civilization can truly recover from something like that. Yet, in this case, you see that the Chicome have had multiple apocalypses, and they were able to save the civilization through a sacrifice. I guess this is one of those instances where the lives of the few – in this case one person per apocalypse – aren’t worth more than the lives of the many, and I don’t blame them at this point. If you had the chance to save everyone in your world, at the cost of one person, would you do it?

Then we have the magical aspect involved and how different people have different powers, whether it’s coming from the elements to other powers like healing or controlling animals… oh man that was pretty interesting. I think that Forbes did this magical system really well, and I was actually really glad to see a novel that involved Mayan influences. I still can’t really tell if Forbes has some Mexican roots, although her biography said her parents are living in Mexico but is a California native, but I feel like she did a really good job giving proper justice to the Mayan culture in this novel.

I’m just so obsessed with this novel, and I’m so glad that I got to read it. I know I said that multiple times but I’m serious. I can’t freaking WAIT for the next book in the series, and I’m so curious to know what happens next. Which I guess would be the point of reading the next book, duh. You know what I mean!

Tiffany Engler

Don't forget to visit my blog! Tiffany Reads Books

I can't believe how long it has taken me to read this book! I honestly purchased this book because of the hype surrounding it when it was released back in 2020. I was very intimidated by this book. Couldn't begin to tell you why.

The Seventh Sun follows our main character Mayana. A girl who questions everything and who has a kind heart. She wants to know why they do sacrifices. She also cannot perform any of the sacrifices because of her kind heart. 

Mayana gets chosen to compete to become Queen by marrying Prince Ahkin after his father's sudden death. While at the palace, Mayana begins to question more and makes others question things as well. 

Ahkin and Mayana have an instant attraction and connection. The other girls don't stand a chance... which means they will all be sacrificed if Mayana is chosen to be Ahkin's queen.

I had such a fun time reading this book! I'm not gonna lie, I thought this book was going to be more like the masterpiece that is The Mummy. That's okay, I still loved this book. 

I loved Mayana. She's so kind and has the biggest heart. It just sucks that everyone around her doesn't see that and only sees her as weak. I'm hoping that in the next book Ahkin forgives her for not being able to do the sacrifice that he asked her to do. 

I'm happy the second book is already out and I won't have to wait to pick it up!

Lauren James

Full review on my blog, Storied Adventures!

*I received a copy for the MTMC tour in exchange for an honest review!*

This one took me by surprise! I actually quite enjoyed this! It was just fun! Normally I don't like insta-love BUT Forbes somehow made it right. Probably because the whole if you don't win the prince's heart you die within two weeks thing, but still. DONE RIGHT. Mayana and Ahkin had great chemistry. And I actually laughed out loud a few times! Forbes writes some quick wit! I am very excited for the sequel!

elle sommer &
The Seventh Sun by Lani Forbes

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