The seventh sun

Gr 7 Up--Magic is real, godlike power resides in the blood of leaders, and celestial signs all point to a dire, uncertain future. Set at the height of the Aztec Empire among fictional Chicome people, the book stars Prince Ahkin, who must take over as emperor at merely 18 following the abrupt death of his father. Observing the required ritual, his mother self-sacrifices to follow her husband into death, leaving Ahkin to navigate this huge burden alone. Mayana is the only daughter of her people's leader. She loathes the cruel blood rituals, believing they're not dictated by the gods. However, everyone worries disbelief will bring calamity. Ahkin must have a bride to become emperor and tradition dictates that all leaders send a daughter as a candidate. After the prince chooses, the others will be sacrificed to bless the new empress and their reign. Mayana disrupts the process, despite being the favorite, upending tradition with her attempts to abolish the sacrifices. But everyone has been misled as a villain attempts a power grab, duping the prince into dying for his people. Debut author Forbes tells a story rich with Aztec traditions, foods, names, and mythology. Predominately a romance between the two protagonists, the book encourages readers to ponder deeper questions like the value of life and pitfalls of blind faith. A map and an author's note detailing her research are appended. VERDICT Despite occasional awkward writing, the story fills a gap in Indigenous narratives. A good purchase for romance fans.--Kristen Rademacher, Marist High School, Chicago

Mesoamerican mythology gets a long overdue epic fantasy treatment.Prince Ahkin is immersed in interpreting concerning signs among the stars when he receives the tragic news of his father's passing. With his untimely death, the mantle of leadership for the Chicome people falls to Ahkin. In order to ascend the throne, Ahkin must choose a wife from among the royal daughters who, like him, are descended from the gods. Each has been blessed with unique abilities through the blood of their ancestors, but the first to catch his eye is the tempestuous Mayana. Descended from the goddess of water, Atlacoya, Mayana's compassion and courage are quickly apparent. As she falls for the young prince however, her empathic heart leads her to question the blood sacrifice on which the religious traditions and future of the empire hinge. Can she lead a people whose traditions she cannot agree with? Though debut author Forbes uses Aztec mythology as her inspiration, she takes poetic license with the actual history and geography of the Aztec empire, downplaying the role of human sacrifice and including locations and deities not found in the original Aztec tradition. In the vein of Percy Jackson, take these wanderings from the source material with a grain of salt and simply enjoy the captivating story.A page-turning adventure that, though imperfect, highlights a rich and relatively unknown mythological heritage that begs to be explored. (map, author's note) (Fantasy. 13-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.