The Seventh Sun

Age of the Seventh Sun, Book 1

By: Lani Forbes

Narrated by: Stacy Gonzalez

Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's Summary

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 blood-red 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.

©2020 Lani Forbes (P)2020 Blackstone Publishing

Seventh Sun

I really enjoyed this book. The research was obvious, with enough manic thrown in to keep it interesting. I had no hesitation recommending it to my 16 year old daughter and we plan to have a book club type discussion once she's finished. I will definitely buy the next one when it comes out.

This is a MUST read!

I loved learning tales about acient South American civilizations in this book! And more than anything else, I love the world-building and romance! Lani Forbes did a fabulous job and I stuck with Mayana from start to end. I can't wait for her next book! ♥️

Rich worldbuding

I adored the Mesoamerican world building, the twist ending, the high stakes, the magic, and the themes of sacrifice and love. Read this! Can’t wait until the next one comes out!

Compelling and Original

This was a really strong debut by Lani Forbes set in a Mesoamerican-inspired setting. It draws heavily from various Mesoamerican traditions (Aztec, Mayan, Mexica, etc) and also adds a sprinkling of Egyptian and Christian influences. This is a setting I rarely see explored in traditional fantasy, and I was eager to see how well Forbes tackled this challenge – and I'm pleased to say she did very well.

This is an exceptional Mesoamerican-inspired fantasy that is both compelling and digestible. Forbes has the unique talent of knowing the perfect balance between vivid world-building and character-driven plots.

I’ll admit that the setup had me expecting something similar to the Hunger Games (with the potential brides using their magic to fight and kill one another – which I would have been totally down for, by the way), but instead Lani Forbes has written her own story ... and it’s a good one. The magic system was really interesting and one of my favorite parts of the book, and the world-building was equally vibrant and engaging.

There were some aspects that lacked the depth that I was hoping for (the challenges for the princesses were too easy and too few, I felt Prince Ahkin fell in love too quickly and didn't give the other girls a chance to prove themselves, the battle with the Mequitz felt too rushed, and Yemenia's character comes off a bit whiny), but most of those complaints come from my preference for reading 600+ page adult fantasy novels. Within the context of the YA fantasy genre, The Seventh Sun met my expectations and surprised me in a lot of pleasant ways. The story likewise felt geared towards a female readership (lots of focus on the relationship between Mayana and Ahkin), but I still found myself enjoying the interplay of relationships between the competing princesses, the politics of the kingdom and priesthood, and the inherent challenges of a magic system built on human/blood sacrifices). As I read the novel, I speculated that the book would probably end without any of the young women being sacrificed, but I wasn't sure how Forbes would pull it off. Fortunately, the ending was the strongest part of the book (I really loved the giant crocodile demi-god that guards the land of the dead), and I was satisfied with Forbes' resolution of the novel. It's a bit of a cliffhanger, but it was well earned and was a great stopping point between books 1 and 2.

I look forward to reading book 2, The Jade Bones, and to learning more about the mythology of this world that Forbes has forged from non-traditional fantasy cultures and mythic traditions.

Sun & water Gods= color

This was very enjoyable. I wish it hadn’t ended and I have to wait for book 2. It kept me going. Love the magic of each God. The way they accessed it seemed new to me. Also enough conspiracy and mystery to see who dunnit at the end. Romance was not cheeseball.

Water and Sun what a combination!

Lani & Stacy do an incredible job building this world for us that reminds us of all the stories and legends learned growing up this is the story of 2 souls trying to find their way to each other while honoring the Gods and ancestors. Can't wait to read the next book or as it was my case to listen to the 2nd book great performance from the narrator of the story as well she was able to captivate me from the start.