Black Sun

How does the setting of a secondary world fantasy relate to the lived historical realities of pre-Columbian Indigenous peoples, especially in the Caribbean and in Central America? What common experiences do Roanhorse’s characters and these real-life people share?

How do the magic systems in Black Sun draw from human relationships to the natural world?

What role does the third-person point of view play in how plot information is conveyed to the reader? What might differ if the point of view took a different form?

What relationship does Xiala’s Teek heritage have to cultural mythologies? What stories, songs, and other elements of oral culture does her transformation on the ship evoke?

Using relationship and positionality, consider how various intersections of LGBTQ+ identities are represented throughout the book.

What role does prophecy play in the major plot arcs of Black Sun? What is the effect of prophecies being fulfilled (or not fulfilled)?

Serapio is one of the main protagonists, a character we root for, but he also murders a mass number of people. Do Serapio’s actions as the vessel change how you felt about him? Why or why not? How do you think Roanhorse wants us to feel about Serapio?

How does ceremony operate in Black Sun in both plot and setting?