Even the sea cannot stay calm before the storm. —Teek saying
Serapio, avatar of the Crow God Reborn and the newly crowned Carrion King, rules Tova. But his enemies gather both on distant shores and within his own city as the matrons of the clans scheme to destroy him. And deep in the alleys of the Maw, a new prophecy is whispered, this one from the Coyote God. It promises Serapio certain doom if its terrible dictates are not fulfilled.
Meanwhile, Xiala is thrust back amongst her people as war comes first to the island of Teek. With their way of life and their magic under threat, she is their last best hope. But the sea won’t talk to her the way it used to, and doubts riddle her mind. She will have to sacrifice the things that matter most to unleash her powers and become the queen they were promised.
And in the far northern wastelands, Naranpa, avatar of the Sun God, seeks a way to save Tova from the visions of fire that engulf her dreams. But another presence has begun stalking her nightmares, and the Jaguar God is on the hunt.
***
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.
Review:
The Between Earth and Sky trilogy has had its ups and downs, but as a huge Serapio stan, I had to know how this book ended. And I think throughout the course of this series, it’s become clear that Serapio is Roanhorse’s favorite character. His character arc between the three books felt like a complete journey, from the young brash child, seemingly unafraid and dedicated to his purpose, to the conflicted god-bearer who should not have survived, to this final book, where he’s finally come into his power and standing. I think for Serapio alone, this book is very much worth reading. Xiala and Naranpa, on the other hand, kinda get shafted, Naranpa especially. In book three, all three characters are split, off to complete their own tasks. For Xiala, that’s finally returning to Teek to acknowledge the family she left behind. While I wished she and Serapio got more moments together, she has her badass moments and her actions are extremely relevant to the final climax. Naranpa, on the other hand, could have been entirely cut from the book with almost no consequences. Her getting together with Iktan was really sweet, but with how much I was starting to like her character in book 2, she’s been basically written out of Mirrored Heavens. Her arc reveals some of the cooler supernatural elements of the world-building of this series, but I honestly could not tell you how her actions impacted the other characters at all. Overall, I rate this book a 3.5/5.
r/Fantasy 2024-25 Bingo Squares:
- Multi POV
- Character with a disability (hard mode)
- Author of Color
Publication Date: 4 June 2024
Publisher: Saga Press
Format: eBook, ARC
Pages: 597
Word Count: ~166,000
ISBN: 9781534437708
Buy It Here: Amazon | Google Books | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads