The novel “The Shadowed Sun” by N. K. Jemisin was published for the first time in 2012. It’s the second book in the Dreamblood series and follows “The Killing Moon“.
Gujaareh seems to be struck by some sort of plague but it’s not a common disease because it seems to afflict people in the world of dreams causing their death during sleep after an agony that can last a long time. The priests try to keep the gravity of the situation secret so as not to create panic and because it’s a crucial moment for the future of the city.
Hanani and her mentor Mni-inh are charged with accompanying Wanahomen, the son of the old prince of Gujaareh, as part of a new alliance that involves the Banbarra tribes as well. Their task is to assist the allies as healers but the agendas that the various parties have in mind are not always aligned.
“The Shadowed Sun” is set about a decade after the events told in “The Killing Moon” and only some of the characters from the first novel return in this sequel. However, the foundations of this fictional universe and in particular narcomancy, a form of magic linked to the world of dreams, are at the center of the first novel and make many parts of the sequel much easier to understand.
The plot of “The Shadowed Sun” focuses on the preparation for a war to control Gujaareh, but don’t expect great battles. N. K. Jemisin is much more interested in further exploring the world of dreams and the societies in which the novels of the Dreamblood series are set. The events described in “The Killing Moon” had several important consequences in Gujaareh but the Banbarra society is central.
The inhabitants of Gujaareh and Kisua tend to see the semi-nomadic Banbarra tribes as barbarians. N. K. Jemisin shows various aspects that make the Banbarra no less civilized than the city dwellers who look down on them. Inspired by Native Americans, Banbarra men represent various types that range from the cruel warrior to the refined chieftain. Banbarra women are also given room, showing their importance within their tribes, also through Hanani’s eyes and the interactions she has with some of them.
For the Banbarra tribes, fighting together against a common enemy is the exception and not the rule. Unusual alliances can lead to more or less major changes that also have consequences for the protagonists. N. K. Jemisin describes their reactions and aspirations in the face of those changes.
For Hanani, handling all this is complex even if it’s precisely the changes that have occurred in Gujaareh that allowed her to become the first female apprentice to join the priests of the city. I must say that I don’t particularly like characters who make mental masturbations about everything all the time and have a thousand doubts about their skills even when they repeatedly prove to be out of the ordinary. However, it must be said that Hanani is under pressure because of her situation and is chosen for a mission that is out of the ordinary even for her mentor.
In terms of personal issues, “The Shadowed Sun” falls more into the standards of tragedy I expect from N. K. Jemisin in the sense that the lives of the important characters all seem to be marked by some negative event. Certain secrets that emerge during the novel reveal some truly hideous situations that show the darkest sides of humanity.
“The Shadowed Sun” offers more action than “The Killing Moon” for everything that happens among the Banbarra in the physical world but the world of dreams and the characters’ psychological side remain central. As with the first book, readers looking for progressive immersion in a fantasy fictional universe can find great satisfaction, so in that case, I highly recommend reading both novels by N. K. Jemisin.
