The Sun and the Void

Romero Lacruz debuts and launches her Warring Gods series with a spellbinding sapphic epic fantasy about two young women navigating a world steeped in prejudice, folklore, and ancient magic. When Reina Duvianos, a “half-nozariel in a country hostile to her kind,” receives a summons from her estranged, magic-wielding grandmother, Doña Ursulina Duvianos, she sets off across the treacherous mountains. On the way, she is attacked by some supernatural creatures and Doña Ursulina saves her life, leaving Reina indebted to her grandmother—and determined to stay in the powerful witch’s favor. Meanwhile, Eva Kesaré, human but “bastard born and ugly,” is shunned by her family because of her own affinity for magic. The arrival of Rahmagut’s Claw, an astrological event that leaves the veil between the human world and the gods at its thinnest, puts Reina and Eva in each other’s paths as Doña Ursulina schemes to summon the god of the Void to grant her more power. Both heroines search for a sense of belonging in a treacherous, colonized world where magic (called “geomancy”) is deeply tied to the earth. The lush worldbuilding and delightful blend of love, betrayal, and curses set the stage for a powerful and promising new series. This is a gem. Agent: Naomi Davis, BookEnds Literary. (July)