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Dawn of the Obsidian Sun
It all burns in Her silver light...
Heart scarred by betrayal, Cyra loses all she holds dear in a single, bloody night. Seeking refuge deep in the human lowlands, she hides not just from painful memoires, but from a goddess who has anointed her as her champion.
Yet fate has other plans.
When a half-dead warrior stumbles into her secluded forest sanctuary, a moment of mercy sets into motion a cascade of events that will challenge her every resolve.
Malevolent forces track the warrior, and the destiny she spurned now beckons. With darkness closing in, bonds form and loyalties are tested. Shadows dance with passion and destinies are woven in blood and secrets.
In this enthralling saga of redemption and resilience, Cyra will face the shadows of her past and the daunting forces of the present. Embark on a journey where love blooms in unexpected places, and where one woman's story from betrayal to belonging will captivate your heart and imagination.
Yet fate has other plans.
When a half-dead warrior stumbles into her secluded forest sanctuary, a moment of mercy sets into motion a cascade of events that will challenge her every resolve.
Malevolent forces track the warrior, and the destiny she spurned now beckons. With darkness closing in, bonds form and loyalties are tested. Shadows dance with passion and destinies are woven in blood and secrets.
In this enthralling saga of redemption and resilience, Cyra will face the shadows of her past and the daunting forces of the present. Embark on a journey where love blooms in unexpected places, and where one woman's story from betrayal to belonging will captivate your heart and imagination.
456 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2025
7 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
About the author
R.N. Barbosa
10 books32 followersI love fantasy in nearly all its forms, and multidimensional characters, with complicated, dynamic relationships, and questionable morals.
I'm a queer, Brazilian-American Author, who writes diverse, queer characters in settings where that's the norm, and the drama lies elsewhere!
I'm a queer, Brazilian-American Author, who writes diverse, queer characters in settings where that's the norm, and the drama lies elsewhere!
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 30, 2025
This book has EVERYTHING I love in fantasy: compelling characters, intricate world building, love & angst, action, magic, ELVES, dark humor, fantastic spice, and incredible prose.
Cyra is an asocial healer elf with an acerbic wit trying to escape her traumatic past. Ezren is a wolf-riding thembo elf with a heart and hair of gold. Laeroth is a stoic, protective wolfrider elf just trying to get things done. Thrown together by a mysterious and terrifying threat, can they convince Cyra to trust them enough to help save the world? Or will her past catch up to her and unravel it all?
Amazing story and I cannot WAIT for the sequel. Please note, this book is dark and violent. Please check TW.
Cyra is an asocial healer elf with an acerbic wit trying to escape her traumatic past. Ezren is a wolf-riding thembo elf with a heart and hair of gold. Laeroth is a stoic, protective wolfrider elf just trying to get things done. Thrown together by a mysterious and terrifying threat, can they convince Cyra to trust them enough to help save the world? Or will her past catch up to her and unravel it all?
Amazing story and I cannot WAIT for the sequel. Please note, this book is dark and violent. Please check TW.
October 30, 2025
Let me preface this review by saying that Dawn of the Obsidian Sun (DotOS) was a book I received a free copy of, as it is slightly outside of my usual genre of interest. That said, this review contains my honest thoughts — and believe me when I say I wouldn't put this much effort into reviewing something I didn't like. I'll also put a little summary below for the people who want a quick overview.
Summary:
DotOS was overall an excellent book, in terms of both romance and fantasy. Its strengths are in its world-building, lore, and characters; in crafting a world that you can't help but be drawn into and captured by. It has a diverse cast and a lot of well-done representation. There is a good selection of tasteful spice/smut for people who enjoy it, but this remains unobtrusive for people who don't. The only real "weakness" of the book is the occasional syntax errors, which reduce the impact of some of the action scenes — particularly towards the beginning of the book. None of these were egregious enough to disrupt my enjoyment of the story though, and DotOS is still well worth a read!
I would definitely recommend this book as a refreshing take on the romance and fantasy genres, particularly for people interested in an experience that truly explores an intricate fantasy world and/or normalises healthy and queer relationships. Please do check trigger warnings though, as this is a dark fantasy — there is a helpful list provided by the author.
Final rating: 4.67 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In-depth review (or, the literal essay I wrote by accident):
As far as fantasy stories go, the underlying plot of DotOS is nothing groundbreaking (at least, not so far) — a standard battle of light vs dark at its core, albeit with some interesting caveats — but the world and characters that R.N. Barbosa has created are where this book truly shines.
To begin with, the writing is wonderfully descriptive, painting high-stakes scenes and breathtaking vistas alike with a few lines of ink. One of the main reasons I read fantasy is to experience new and magical worlds, and DotOS delivered spectacularly. There are so many intricate details in the world-building, from a pantheon of fascinating deities (I especially liked that the god of motherhood also governs war), to a diverse selection of fantasy races: from elves and dwarves, to satyrs and pixies that "speak" in song. Something particularly noteworthy is that each race has variation in appearance, beliefs, and other characteristics depending on geographical region and ancestry, just like you'd see in a real life setting, and I think this speaks to the care and love that the author has put into their world.
The characters are the real lifeblood of the book though. The protagonist, Cyra, has a jaded outlook on life and a barbed tongue she uses liberally to keep people at arm's length, but manages to be entirely charming nonetheless. She is also a certifiable badass and gets things done... even if a lot of screaming is involved in the process. The wolf riders — because yes, there are giant wolf mounts in this book on top of all the other good things and I am obsessed with them — Ezren and Laeroth are wonderfully endearing as well. Ezren is about as close a person could get to being a ray of sunshine, golden hair and all, while Laeroth is stoic, but protective and caring. There are also more lovable cast members that I couldn't help getting attached to by the end of the book. The development that each of these characters undergo feels very believable and has tangible effects on their behaviour instead of the "tell, don't show" approach that has spawned many ridiculously inconsistent characterisations across popular media.
The development of the three main characters — as friends and romantic partners — is full of ups and downs but ultimately feels very natural too. Very importantly, there is communication and mutual respect between them: no women (or anyone else, really) are being manhandled or manipulated "for their own good". It feels like a very healthy relationship, which is quite the achievement in the romantasy genre. I also adore the asexual romance representation, which was done really well in my opinion. As someone who doesn't particularly enjoy smut, all I can say about the spicy scenes were that there were a good selection of them spaced out throughout the book and they were generally pretty tasteful and didn't make me want to claw my eyes out. The scenes are also quite easy to skim over or avoid if that isn't your thing — there is relationship development outside of them.
Another part of this book that I really enjoyed was the wide range of normalised representation in terms of gender, sexuality, and even body type (because body positivity in media is something that's about as rare as good asexual representation). I've since learnt that this is one of R. N. Barbosa's specialties, and I can definitely agree. The representation felt like something that was lovingly baked into the story and not just performative.
As for things that could have been improved on — there were occasional syntax errors that muddled the intent of the narrative. Some of the action scenes, particularly the one in the prologue, lacked impact in places because the narration and phrasing took a more passive route. However, this criticism is largely subjective and did not really affect my enjoyment of the story. There were plenty of well-written sections that punched me in the gut as they were meant to, and I highly recommend giving this book the chance it deserves. DotOS also contains a consistent stream of flashback chapters, which is something I usually don't particularly enjoy — but in this case, I felt they were important in conveying the nuances of Cyra's story and added intrigue and spice to the plot.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed this book. It's the first romantasy I've read in a while and it feels like a breath of fresh air. If you're interested in fantasy worlds with detailed lore and world-building, and a diverse cast in many senses of the word, and/or romance with healthy and interesting relationship dynamics, I would highly recommend Dawn of the Obsidian Sun. I'm also definitely keeping an eye out for the sequel, because that ending left me on the edge of my seat.
Summary:
DotOS was overall an excellent book, in terms of both romance and fantasy. Its strengths are in its world-building, lore, and characters; in crafting a world that you can't help but be drawn into and captured by. It has a diverse cast and a lot of well-done representation. There is a good selection of tasteful spice/smut for people who enjoy it, but this remains unobtrusive for people who don't. The only real "weakness" of the book is the occasional syntax errors, which reduce the impact of some of the action scenes — particularly towards the beginning of the book. None of these were egregious enough to disrupt my enjoyment of the story though, and DotOS is still well worth a read!
I would definitely recommend this book as a refreshing take on the romance and fantasy genres, particularly for people interested in an experience that truly explores an intricate fantasy world and/or normalises healthy and queer relationships. Please do check trigger warnings though, as this is a dark fantasy — there is a helpful list provided by the author.
Final rating: 4.67 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In-depth review (or, the literal essay I wrote by accident):
As far as fantasy stories go, the underlying plot of DotOS is nothing groundbreaking (at least, not so far) — a standard battle of light vs dark at its core, albeit with some interesting caveats — but the world and characters that R.N. Barbosa has created are where this book truly shines.
To begin with, the writing is wonderfully descriptive, painting high-stakes scenes and breathtaking vistas alike with a few lines of ink. One of the main reasons I read fantasy is to experience new and magical worlds, and DotOS delivered spectacularly. There are so many intricate details in the world-building, from a pantheon of fascinating deities (I especially liked that the god of motherhood also governs war), to a diverse selection of fantasy races: from elves and dwarves, to satyrs and pixies that "speak" in song. Something particularly noteworthy is that each race has variation in appearance, beliefs, and other characteristics depending on geographical region and ancestry, just like you'd see in a real life setting, and I think this speaks to the care and love that the author has put into their world.
The characters are the real lifeblood of the book though. The protagonist, Cyra, has a jaded outlook on life and a barbed tongue she uses liberally to keep people at arm's length, but manages to be entirely charming nonetheless. She is also a certifiable badass and gets things done... even if a lot of screaming is involved in the process. The wolf riders — because yes, there are giant wolf mounts in this book on top of all the other good things and I am obsessed with them — Ezren and Laeroth are wonderfully endearing as well. Ezren is about as close a person could get to being a ray of sunshine, golden hair and all, while Laeroth is stoic, but protective and caring. There are also more lovable cast members that I couldn't help getting attached to by the end of the book. The development that each of these characters undergo feels very believable and has tangible effects on their behaviour instead of the "tell, don't show" approach that has spawned many ridiculously inconsistent characterisations across popular media.
The development of the three main characters — as friends and romantic partners — is full of ups and downs but ultimately feels very natural too. Very importantly, there is communication and mutual respect between them: no women (or anyone else, really) are being manhandled or manipulated "for their own good". It feels like a very healthy relationship, which is quite the achievement in the romantasy genre. I also adore the asexual romance representation, which was done really well in my opinion. As someone who doesn't particularly enjoy smut, all I can say about the spicy scenes were that there were a good selection of them spaced out throughout the book and they were generally pretty tasteful and didn't make me want to claw my eyes out. The scenes are also quite easy to skim over or avoid if that isn't your thing — there is relationship development outside of them.
Another part of this book that I really enjoyed was the wide range of normalised representation in terms of gender, sexuality, and even body type (because body positivity in media is something that's about as rare as good asexual representation). I've since learnt that this is one of R. N. Barbosa's specialties, and I can definitely agree. The representation felt like something that was lovingly baked into the story and not just performative.
As for things that could have been improved on — there were occasional syntax errors that muddled the intent of the narrative. Some of the action scenes, particularly the one in the prologue, lacked impact in places because the narration and phrasing took a more passive route. However, this criticism is largely subjective and did not really affect my enjoyment of the story. There were plenty of well-written sections that punched me in the gut as they were meant to, and I highly recommend giving this book the chance it deserves. DotOS also contains a consistent stream of flashback chapters, which is something I usually don't particularly enjoy — but in this case, I felt they were important in conveying the nuances of Cyra's story and added intrigue and spice to the plot.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed this book. It's the first romantasy I've read in a while and it feels like a breath of fresh air. If you're interested in fantasy worlds with detailed lore and world-building, and a diverse cast in many senses of the word, and/or romance with healthy and interesting relationship dynamics, I would highly recommend Dawn of the Obsidian Sun. I'm also definitely keeping an eye out for the sequel, because that ending left me on the edge of my seat.
March 31, 2025
The tropes made me read it, but the book did NOT disappoint.
✨Queer Poly Romance
✨Ace Romance (Equal Attention to the rest)
✨Grumpy + Grumpier + Sunshine
✨Black Cat + Doberman + Golden Retriever
✨Queernorm Setting
✨Sapphic Flashbacks
✨Hurt/Comfort
✨Adult Characters with Baggage
✨Plus Sized WMC
✨Wolf Mounts
This is an emotionally rich and diverse romantasy that truly shines through its characters and relationships. Cyra is a standout character—older than most romantasy leads, deeply complex, and shaped by her past in ways that make her feel refreshingly genuine. She’s a little bitter, very witty, and undeniably strong, but there’s a soft vulnerability beneath her pain that makes her journey all the more captivating.
Her dynamic with Ezren and Laeroth is phenomenal, balancing a grumpy, grumpier, and sunshine trio that plays off each other beautifully. Their slow-burn romance—despite some well-placed and excellent early spice—feels natural and DEEPLY earned. The book also boasts some of the best queer and nonbinary representation I’ve read, including an ace character in a romance arc, which is incredibly rare and handled exceptionally. His relationship with his partners is given equal time and that so incredibly refreshing. Each character feels distinct, with their own struggles and strengths, making their bonds feel authentic and powerful.
While the relationships are the highlight, the story itself doesn’t fall short. Cyra’s past, particularly the betrayal that still haunts her, adds emotional depth and intrigue as the truth slowly unfolds. And that ending? Absolutely shocking. I cannot wait to see how this new twist shakes up both the relationships and the broader plot.
The worldbuilding is strong, but it’s the characters that steal the show—something I absolutely love in a book. This was a fantastic read, and I’m already eager for more.
✨Queer Poly Romance
✨Ace Romance (Equal Attention to the rest)
✨Grumpy + Grumpier + Sunshine
✨Black Cat + Doberman + Golden Retriever
✨Queernorm Setting
✨Sapphic Flashbacks
✨Hurt/Comfort
✨Adult Characters with Baggage
✨Plus Sized WMC
✨Wolf Mounts
This is an emotionally rich and diverse romantasy that truly shines through its characters and relationships. Cyra is a standout character—older than most romantasy leads, deeply complex, and shaped by her past in ways that make her feel refreshingly genuine. She’s a little bitter, very witty, and undeniably strong, but there’s a soft vulnerability beneath her pain that makes her journey all the more captivating.
Her dynamic with Ezren and Laeroth is phenomenal, balancing a grumpy, grumpier, and sunshine trio that plays off each other beautifully. Their slow-burn romance—despite some well-placed and excellent early spice—feels natural and DEEPLY earned. The book also boasts some of the best queer and nonbinary representation I’ve read, including an ace character in a romance arc, which is incredibly rare and handled exceptionally. His relationship with his partners is given equal time and that so incredibly refreshing. Each character feels distinct, with their own struggles and strengths, making their bonds feel authentic and powerful.
While the relationships are the highlight, the story itself doesn’t fall short. Cyra’s past, particularly the betrayal that still haunts her, adds emotional depth and intrigue as the truth slowly unfolds. And that ending? Absolutely shocking. I cannot wait to see how this new twist shakes up both the relationships and the broader plot.
The worldbuilding is strong, but it’s the characters that steal the show—something I absolutely love in a book. This was a fantastic read, and I’m already eager for more.
February 25, 2025
Method Of Reading: Ereader
Book Publication Date: January 1, 2025
How I Acquired Book: Kindle Unlimited
Pre-read Thoughts: THE COVER
During Read Thoughts: So so so so good!
Post Read Thoughts: Need to process how good that was.
Found this book on Threads and WOW it is amazing. There’s a good amount of realllly good spice in it, you have a main character that is a complete badass.Also the cover is next level gorgeous. UGH YES.
Tropes include:
Grumpy, Grumpier, Sunshine
Hurt/Comfort
Swords and Magic
Ace Romance
Soulmates
Black Cat FMC
Book Publication Date: January 1, 2025
How I Acquired Book: Kindle Unlimited
Pre-read Thoughts: THE COVER
During Read Thoughts: So so so so good!
Post Read Thoughts: Need to process how good that was.
Found this book on Threads and WOW it is amazing. There’s a good amount of realllly good spice in it, you have a main character that is a complete badass.Also the cover is next level gorgeous. UGH YES.
Tropes include:
Grumpy, Grumpier, Sunshine
Hurt/Comfort
Swords and Magic
Ace Romance
Soulmates
Black Cat FMC
January 4, 2026
Hi, hello, READ THIS BOOK.
My brain is trying and failing to come up with a succinct way to tell you that you’re missing out if you haven’t already, but all I can think is ‘OMG WTF JUST HAPPENED??’
My heart will never be the same. YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID, BARBOSA.
The worldbuilding is immaculate, and I’d like a front row seat in the author’s brain because ??? Best of all, as someone who has aphantasia, the scenes were SO vivid that even I had no problem picturing them. There’s a scene where Cyra is dancing that was probably one of the best things I’ve ever read because I felt like I was t h e r e.
Cyra is grumpy in the most hilarious way and I immediately adored her. I LOVE A GRUMPY BITCH. Ezren made me want to adopt a grown adult. And of course, Roth, my ace baby. I want to run to you, and I want one of those hugs. Stat.
That’s not to say this doesn’t touch on many heavy topics, but it does so always with respect, care and a healthy counterbalance of humour in surrounding scenes. I laughed a lot, even as my heart hurt, and my ghasts were flabbered.
Plus, POC (creatures of colour? Idk) in fantasy is ALWAYS a win in my book. Too many pasty white elves out there. Give me dark elves!! (Barbosa does give us dark elves!)
Suffice to say, I will be reading part 2. Eagerly awaiting more.
Thank you to the author for the review copy ❤️
My brain is trying and failing to come up with a succinct way to tell you that you’re missing out if you haven’t already, but all I can think is ‘OMG WTF JUST HAPPENED??’
My heart will never be the same. YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID, BARBOSA.
The worldbuilding is immaculate, and I’d like a front row seat in the author’s brain because ??? Best of all, as someone who has aphantasia, the scenes were SO vivid that even I had no problem picturing them. There’s a scene where Cyra is dancing that was probably one of the best things I’ve ever read because I felt like I was t h e r e.
Cyra is grumpy in the most hilarious way and I immediately adored her. I LOVE A GRUMPY BITCH. Ezren made me want to adopt a grown adult. And of course, Roth, my ace baby. I want to run to you, and I want one of those hugs. Stat.
That’s not to say this doesn’t touch on many heavy topics, but it does so always with respect, care and a healthy counterbalance of humour in surrounding scenes. I laughed a lot, even as my heart hurt, and my ghasts were flabbered.
Plus, POC (creatures of colour? Idk) in fantasy is ALWAYS a win in my book. Too many pasty white elves out there. Give me dark elves!! (Barbosa does give us dark elves!)
Suffice to say, I will be reading part 2. Eagerly awaiting more.
Thank you to the author for the review copy ❤️
March 10, 2025
Dawn of the Obsidian Sun sank its claws deep into my heart and didn't free me until I turned the final page. Even now, I feel my heart has been properly ripped from my chest.
This novel features transcendental world-building and breathtaking imagery throughout a dual timeline and a thick plot with complex characters.
Author R. N. Barbosa writes of found family, religious trauma, and familial expectations in a queernormative, fantastical setting. Deserving of accolades, their characters form profound connections in this action-packed, adventure-filled, dark fantasy with romantic elements.
A high fantasy tale with a fascinating magic system, this story is enthralling, at times comedic, and full of angst as well as yearning. I absolutely loved this book and look forward to what Barbosa writes next!
This novel features transcendental world-building and breathtaking imagery throughout a dual timeline and a thick plot with complex characters.
Author R. N. Barbosa writes of found family, religious trauma, and familial expectations in a queernormative, fantastical setting. Deserving of accolades, their characters form profound connections in this action-packed, adventure-filled, dark fantasy with romantic elements.
A high fantasy tale with a fascinating magic system, this story is enthralling, at times comedic, and full of angst as well as yearning. I absolutely loved this book and look forward to what Barbosa writes next!
December 15, 2025
I really liked Dawn of the Obsidian Sun. I got into it pretty quickly and I really enjoyed the characters and the story.
The world and magic were interesting without being hard to follow, and the relationships felt natural and added a lot to the story. Overall, it was an enjoyable and kept my attention!
The world and magic were interesting without being hard to follow, and the relationships felt natural and added a lot to the story. Overall, it was an enjoyable and kept my attention!
December 15, 2025
Great read so far the world building is great and the main character is so lovable. Very much recommended.
September 24, 2025
Barbosa managed to not only rekindle my love for high fantasy, they also gave me everything I ever wanted in a fantasy book.
I stopped reading fantasy in my tweens because - quite frankly - all fantasy books blurred into one. With the exception of a few most lacked diversity and the storylines all blended onto the exact same one.
Barbosa's Dawn of the Obsidian offers something new and refreshing. They bring us diversity in a queer normative fantasy world.
The book starts with a life changing event for the fmc, which turns her into a grumpy hermit who prefers to hide from the world and refuses to play the games of her Goddess. That all changes when a wounded elf arrives near her cottage and she reluctantly nurses them back to health. Soon she's trust out into the world, forced to work together and thaw her heart.
In a second timeline we explore the past sapphic relationship of the fmc that eventually leads up to the events from the first chapter.
Barbosa is solid and bold in their worldbuilding and doesn't shy away from topics that are still very relevant today.
Absolutely a must read!
I stopped reading fantasy in my tweens because - quite frankly - all fantasy books blurred into one. With the exception of a few most lacked diversity and the storylines all blended onto the exact same one.
Barbosa's Dawn of the Obsidian offers something new and refreshing. They bring us diversity in a queer normative fantasy world.
The book starts with a life changing event for the fmc, which turns her into a grumpy hermit who prefers to hide from the world and refuses to play the games of her Goddess. That all changes when a wounded elf arrives near her cottage and she reluctantly nurses them back to health. Soon she's trust out into the world, forced to work together and thaw her heart.
In a second timeline we explore the past sapphic relationship of the fmc that eventually leads up to the events from the first chapter.
Barbosa is solid and bold in their worldbuilding and doesn't shy away from topics that are still very relevant today.
Absolutely a must read!
December 1, 2025
Received a gifted copy a while ago, and I meant to post my thoughts, but kept forgetting.
Thank you, R.N Barbosa.
You always write such exciting worlds, though dangerous at times (or most of the time), I still find myself wanting to get lost in them. And your characters 😍🔥 I love every single one of them, yes, even the villains.😈
Thank you, R.N Barbosa.
You always write such exciting worlds, though dangerous at times (or most of the time), I still find myself wanting to get lost in them. And your characters 😍🔥 I love every single one of them, yes, even the villains.😈
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews