Written by Hannah Bujold
The Seventh Sun follows two equally lost souls, conflicted in a world where one minuscule transgression might mean perpetual damnation. Inspired by ancient Aztec, Maya, and Inca civilisations and cultures, the novel is situated in the Chicome Empire, a land that has been devastated by six individual apocalypses; by water, storm, fire, famine, sickness, and beasts. It is because of this that the Chicome people endeavour to uphold the sacred sacraments of the creator goddess, either through blood or sacrifice. This fresh perspective on religion was refreshing, adding a new dimension to Forbes’ world-building, however, I did find the followers unsettling to the say the least—almost reminding me of the Ku Klux Klan because of the pathological devotement instilled into the society from birth.
In the opening chapter, the reader is introduced to the plagued notion that Chicome might be on the threshold of another apocalypse, as the sun sets earlier with each passing day. This imposes a short timeframe for which the novel spans, with the events of the storyline occurring within a mere two weeks. Due to this, I found that some negatives did eventuate from this, namely the unrealistic relationship between the main characters that progressed from like to love in a matter of days. However, there were positives, for instance, the time pressure subjected a certain amount of weight to each respective action of the characters and provoked a sense of distress for the welfare of the Chicome Empire.
Although, because of this brief timeline, I felt a portion of the chapters were unnecessary and rather out of place. Case in point, the battle that transpired against the Miquitz (who were kidnapping outskirt villagers for their own sacrifices) appeared as a foolish ploy for Prince Ahkin to validate his worth as a soldier. Moreover, the battle ensued far too hastily, with little show for war room strategies and tactics upon the field, both of which are significant factors of war.
Moving on to the primary protagonists, the plot reflected the perspectives of Mayana of Atl and Prince Ahkin of Chicome, both of whom followed expected tropes of the genre. Mayana represented the cliche nice girl, someone who is delicate, beautiful, and sympathetic to all, with an innocence to be unparalleled. She is someone who can do no wrong. Whilst Mayana is somewhat weak-minded, she does show a significant amount of resolve in refusing the ritual sacrifices of animals, something that I can respect in her character. However, I find this to be the only thing I can really connect with her on and have difficulties not showing disappoint towards the typical company Mayana keeps.
Firstly, she is surrounded by mostly vague side characters, such as Yoli, someone who is alleged to appear badass, but because of limited development and scant information provided, it’s tough to regard her as anything more than a blank canvas. Secondly, the other princesses selected for the chance at empress from their respective regions portray stereotypical behaviours, where there is one that exists solely to despise Mayana, attempting by any means to destroy Mayana’s social upstanding. Then, there is the compliant, feeble one, the one that Mayana coddles and protects, and yet inevitably hurts in her pursuit of empress. Despite this, I found each individual princess fascinating for their unique ability to employ elemental magic through the drawing of blood — taking the use of magic to a whole other level.
Otherwise, in analysing Prince Ahkin, his temperament indicated that of a usual fictional prince, with his prowess asserted at any given chance. However, there was one deviation, where Ahkin was actually shown to be unsure, to be indecisive and fear failure, a trait that is rarely acknowledged. This made Akin very much understandable as everyone throughout their lifetime worries that they are not enough or that their ability is not enough. In other respects, I would have preferred to see more of Prince Ahkin in the political field and the politics both within Chicome and outside its borders as I felt the novel lacked in this area. Moreover, I felt Ahkin advisors were not well suited or rather inconsequential in the Prince’s decisions, having let Ahkin trust the word of Miquitz soldiers, which displays an obvious absence of expertise on part of the council members.
Apart from this, there also should have been a justification for the evident fear of servants whom surrounded Ahkin, as they always stumbled, mumbled, and stuttered in their speech, sweating even at the presence of their Prince. To me, this kind of dread should not be condoned, as it indicates the servants are used to some degree of hostile treatment and thus are anxious around their perpetrators. In summary, although, Prince Ahkin’s personal development is one of my more favoured aspects of the book, with appealing prospects for future novels in Ahkin’s religious, personal and political stances.
Overall, I would have loved more description within the writing, but this was balanced by the compelling attention to detail in the world-building. With the politics, the gods, the magic system, and the societal structure all instrumental in the orchestration of the plot. So if you are one for world-building, then this is the story for you. In conclusion, in spite of the flaws in this novel, I found myself up all night reading The Seventh Sun, with each chapter leaving me wanting to know more.
The Seventh Sun is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers as of February 18th 2020.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
The sun of the Chicome people has been destroyed six times. First by water, then by storm, fire, famine, sickness, and beasts. After each apocalypse, the creator goddess allowed one of her divine children to sacrifice themselves to save civilization. The gods paid their blood as the price for the lives of the people, and the people owed them blood in return.
Mayana is a noble descendant of the water goddess and can control water whenever her blood is spilled. She has always despised the brutal rituals of her people — especially sacrifices. She can’t even make it through a routine animal sacrifice without embarrassing her family. Prince Ahkin has always known he would be emperor, but he didn’t expect his father to die so suddenly. Now he must raise the sun in the sky each day and read the signs in the stars. But the stars now hint at impending chaos and the sun has begun setting earlier each evening. Ahkin fears he might not be strong enough to save his people from another apocalypse. And to add to his list of worries, he can’t truly become emperor until he selects a wife.
Mayana and six other noble daughters are sent to the palace to compete for Ahkin’s hand. She must prove she is a true daughter of water and face the others who have their own magical gifts from wielding the elements to the control of animals, plants and healing. And in a society centered on rigid rituals, Mayana must conceal her traitorous beliefs because if she doesn’t make Ahkin love her, she will become a ceremonial sacrifice to bless his marriage. But darker forces are at play and it won’t matter if Mayana loses if the world ends first…
Rich in imagination and romance, and based on the legends and history of the Aztec and Mayan people, The Seventh Sun brings to vivid life a world on the edge of apocalyptic disaster.
