‘Sacred Sun’ by Alejandro Marrero —BOOK REVIEW

About ‘Sacred Sun’ (Sacred Series Book 1) by Alejandro Marrero::

Genre: Gay; Romance; Fantasy; Adventure

Beyond the knowledge of Donovan a twenty-one year old guy, the supernatural exists. Only, all have been hidden from him and most human’s on Earth by a Veil which is now weakening. With the help of Leilah his best friend who is more than she appears, Donovan discovers all is not as mundane as it seems. He even meets a handsome Vampire and a sexy as sin Angel.
Though Donovan is gay he thinks that’s the least interesting thing about him. He simply hopes he will find the right guy one day. Yet, Donovan soon discovers the world is about to be forever changed and it’s all up to him to figure out how or if it does.
One thing is for sure, all the creatures of myth and magic exist! They’ve simply, been shrouded by wards in their veiled realms.
What come’s as a shock to him, is finding out his destiny was written by the very stars themselves and without his say on the matter. Would he be able to handle what the fates have in store for him? Will he find love based on attraction or did the stars have something truer in mind?

I’m always interested in seeing new takes on known mythological and religious beings (such as gods, demons, vampires…) and ‘Sacred Sun’ was an awesome collection of creatures incorporating both real-life lore and the author’s own spin. There were angels from religious text as well as ones created for the story; god(s) were a mash-up of Abrahamic, Eastern, and new beliefs; and there were even Fae and witches. The introduction of ‘vampires’ or ‘Kindred’ in the story show a more magical, energy centered beings than the typical supernatural, carnal strength ones. The way these beings saw and manipulated energy was amazing and helped paint a bright atmosphere.

I also loved the author’s use of Pagan and Buddhist beliefs in not only the magic, but in character development. I mean, it’s not often you read fantasy stories focused on a new-age Buddhist. On the topic of characters, about half the story is told from the points-of-view of the two love interests: Donovan and Jeremiah, before perspective from other characters begin to be worked into the narrative as well.

The first chapter is in Donovan’s POV which to be perfectly honest, may be a little difficult for some people to get through, but I urge you not to dip out before getting into the second-fourth chapters. Donovan has some trouble in the attention department (ie ADHD) so his perspective follows how his mind wanders and rambles. It’s obviously a purposeful writing technique to display the individuality of his mind/personality and not the slight of an amateur writer, as chapters in the other characters’ POVs are not written in the same wandering way.

The contrast of the the two main love interests is endearing. While Donovan is a quirky, hyper ‘roll with the punches’ person, Jeremiah is the reserved, serious one. Both are very loving. Donovan is sucked in to his new counterpart’s beauty, kindness, and class. It is the purity of his own energy and positive attitude that Jeremiah falls for. It’s actually quite beautiful and sweet to see their interactions, especially Jeremiah’s awe of Donovan’s radiant light and untapped magical potential. This said, as the story progresses, the reader can see a clear shift from the hyperactive, offbeat Donovan to a better-focused man when truths about his existence and purpose come into play.

‘Sacred Sun’ has a well-developed universe of existential proportions. It is a long book, but even thus, there is so much going on. The author’s writing style is very descriptive. It’s easy to picture everything that’s happening, though some may feel the monologued explanations a bit tedious at times. However, that is a writing style some prefer and overall it’s a greatly thought out story that’s a fun reprieve from real life. And isn’t that why most of us read in the first place? I definitely plan on getting the sequel ‘Sacred Moon’ soon.

Side Note- I get tickled when the being ‘Abaddon’ is used in stories (regardless of Biblical accuracy) since that happens to be my middle name. Also, I noticed the incantation for a spell used in the book was ‘duermese’ which I believe was an excellent touch, given that Donovan is of Spanish descent.

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Alejandro Marrero can be found on:
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~Sahreth ‘Baphy’ Bowden