Firstborn of the Sun

Paperback Published on: 04/06/2026
Price: £9.99
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Bookseller Reviews

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Firstborn of the Sun
Epic fantasy done right
This is exactly what I’m looking for when I say I want to read an epic fantasy! Plot, character, worldbuilding, everything was done right. What this boo... READ MORE
Amy R at Cambridge

Synopsis

PRE-ORDER THE HEART-POUNDING YORUBA INSPIRED FANTASY NOVEL SET IN AN EPIC WORLD OF COURTLY INTRIGUE AND FORBIDDEN POWER . . .

'Rich worldbuilding inspired by Yoruba mythology and a strong cast of characters. This debut fantasy shines as bright as the sun' L. R. LAM

‘Absolutely Radiant’ BEA FITZGERALD
'Wildly Imaginative' HANNAH KANER
‘A Dazzling Debut’ ANDREA STEWART
‘Enthralling and epic’ ANNA DAY
'Gorgeously, powerfully written' INDIA HOLTON
‘Readers are going to LOVE THIS BOOK!’ ANGELA MONTOYA

In the Kingdom of Oru, power lies in agbára: the ability to harness the sun . . .

Young L'ore has no agbára. A truth she must conceal from everyone – including her best friend Alawani – on pain of death.
When the gods declare Alawani a High Priest – the Gods’ oracle – he faces a terrible trial likely to kill him. Unwilling to lose her friend, L'ore vows to save him. But as she does, a forbidden shadow magic pours out of her.
Exiled, L’ore and Alawani seek sanctuary in a forbidden land beyond Oru. Here lies the home of L’ore’s secret shadow magic.
But great powers are gathering. And L’ore and Alawani cannot help be at the centre of this conflict. A war that would split them apart and bring down their world . . .
_____________

Early Readers are fanning the flames of Firstborn of the Sun!

'I was completely hooked. The tale delves deeply into African mythology, with storytelling that feels timeless' ***** 5 star reader review

'This book is a breath of fresh, fiery air . . . the plot? Absolutely jaw-dropping. I'm talking "mouth open, phone slipping from my hands" levels of shock' ***** 5 star reader review

'Wowowow this book was incredible . . . a completely new vibe of its own - a richly layered magic system, stunning worldbuilding, and characters so compellingly complex you’ll root for all of them at some point (even when they’re at odds)' ***** 5 star reader review

'Both magical and meaningful ... a stunning tribute to Yoruba heritage, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves culturally rich fantasy' ***** 5 star reader review

‘Absolutely radiant. Anson has created a captivating, intricate world with characters who will stay with me for a long time. A perfect balance of political machinations and aching romance, wrapped up in a fast-paced action packed adventure. I loved it!’ BEA FITZGERALD, author of Girl Goddess Queen

'A searing tale of ambition, love and survival . . . This is a wildly imaginative debut which begins an epic story' HANNAH KANER, author of Godkiller

'A dazzling debut, with characters that leap off the page and burrow into your heart. Filled with love, betrayal, and questions of loyalty, the twists and turns this story takes will keep you reading late into the night' ANDREA STEWART, author of The Gods Below

‘Fierce, exciting and utterly original, Firstborn of the Sun is an enthralling and epic fantasy, with a beautiful and tender romance at its center’ ANNA DAY, author of The Girl who Grew Wings

'Epic and gorgeous, Firstborn of the Sun, enraptures readers in the rich, complex Kingdom of Oru with intricate magic, fascinating politics, swoony romance, and gasp-worthy twists. A radiant debut, not to miss!' DHONIELLE CLAYTON, author of The Conjurverse series

'Gorgeously, powerfully written, with wonderful characters and intricate, luxuriant worldbuilding - altogether really quite exceptional. I foresee it becoming a beloved classic amongst fantasy readers.' INDIA HOLTON, author of the Dangerous Damsels series

‘A rich and confident fantasy with expansive world building and a magic system as vicious as it is unique. Filled with intricately woven twists and action from beginning to end, readers will have a hard time putting this book down. Readers are going to LOVE THIS BOOK!’ - ANGELA MONTOYA, author of Sinner’s Isle and A Cruel Thirst

Publisher information

  • Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
  • ISBN: 9781405967594
  • Number of pages: 608
  • Dimensions: 214 x 133 x 41 mm
  • Weight: 414g
  • Languages: English

Customer Reviews

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Firstborn of the Sun
A must read - Rich fantasy
Wow! What an amazing and captivating fantasy novel African mythology done to the finest. Lots of tension and immesly great world building! Interesting poli... READ MORE
Ash Reads
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Firstborn of the Sun
Kickstarts an epic series that you cannot let pass you by
Firstborn of the Sun was such a bold and brilliant book. This is the perfect treat for fantasy fans with a vividly imagined world, fantastic characters and... READ MORE
Emily (ashortbooklover)
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Firstborn of the Sun
Brighter than the sun! Buy it!!
I cannot WAIT to re-read this alongside the audio which has Adjoa Andoh and Folake Olowofoyeku as narrators First off I have to say that Yoruba is not ... READ MORE
Lauren S
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Firstborn of the Sun
Peak epic fantasy!
Firstly, a huge thank you to Michael Joseph, Marvellous and NetGalley for sending me an eARC of Firstborn of the Sun to read and review. OK, I ADORED th... READ MORE
Steph Barker
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Firstborn of the Sun
A Yoruba Fantasy Epic That Had Me in My Feelings (and on the Floor)
So, this book took me a while to get through, not because it was slow, but because I genuinely thought Alawani and L’ore were siblings falling in love. The... READ MORE
Ayo's Fantasy Reads
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Firstborn of the Sun
Brilliant debut!
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the opportunity to read this book! As soon as I saw the author talking about Firstborn of the Sun on TikTok,... READ MORE
Ana Bastos
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Firstborn of the Sun
The best debut of the year
Firstborn of the Sun was my most anticipated debut of the year. Honestly, I wasn’t this excited by a new author in a long, long time. So, yes, my expectati... READ MORE
Patricia Santos
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Firstborn of the Sun
Scorching Yoruba-inspired fantasy!
If you’re a fan of fantasy but ready to branch out from predictable British and Greek mythology-inspired worlds, Firstborn of the Sun is for you! A story o... READ MORE
Batya’s Books
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Firstborn of the Sun
Firstborn of the Sun
They say not to judge a book by its cover, but this one makes it impossible not to. The artwork is stunning, giving black girl magic, and the moment I saw ... READ MORE
Stacey  Miller
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.Verified Purchase
Firstborn of the Sun
Exciting Yoruba mythology inspired fantasy
“On the night of a great blood moon, seven children were born to a man. Nearly two decades later, the mysteries of that night still haunt the kingdom.” ... READ MORE
Ditalion Werner
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Firstborn of the Sun
Captivatingly explosive debut!
What a fantastically captivating and explosive debut! Firstborn of the Sun is an epic fantasy deeply rooted in Yoruba Mythology. I was truly gripped fr... READ MORE
Rebecca J
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Firstborn of the Sun
Incredible debut
I really loved this book! That opening scene is going to live rent free in my head forever. As someone who doesn’t visualise a lot when reading, I saw abso... READ MORE
hoola.books
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Firstborn of the Sun
Epic and Exciting
“Agbára oru is a curse that blinded our kind to what the gods truly were. Cursed are those born of the sun and sands. Cursed are we all who wield the powe... READ MORE
Erika George
Verified Purchase
Firstborn of the Sun
Epic and different
“Eternity is unkind to those who go down to the grave with secrets meant for the living.” I have to admit, I felt quite intimidated by the 600 pages of ... READ MORE
The Bookish Chimera
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Firstborn of the Sun
Would I recommend? Absolutely yes
Absolutely OBSESSED. I finished this, and all i want to do is start the audiobook, like, IMMEDIATELY. Notes: Amazing opening sequence, love a good (and... READ MORE
Erika George
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.Verified Purchase
Firstborn of the Sun
Authentically Engaging!
It took me a while to get to this as it looked really epic and i wasnt sure i was in the right headspace but im glad i finally got around to it. This is a ... READ MORE
Charli
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.Verified Purchase
Firstborn of the Sun
A stunning African inspired fantasy, for fans of GOT meets Children of Blood and Bone.
For fans of: children of blood and bone, ember in the ashes, & GOT. The Firstborn of the Sun is a stunning fantasy novel! It will have your heart in your m... READ MORE
Leena Patel
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Firstborn of the Sun
Absolutely stunning
I received an ARC of this from Netgalley but also brought it for myself. I loved this book. It was so refreshing to read a fantasy steeped in a culture ... READ MORE
lesley Aylett
Firstborn of the Sun
Yoruba-inspired epic fantasy
Firstborn of the Sun is a new epic fantasy, set in an intricately built world. There is so much to this story! It is brimming with secrets, political intri... READ MORE
Janine
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Firstborn of the Sun
A YORUBA MYTHOLOGY WELL-DONE!
The strongest aspect of Firstborn of The Sun is the world-building (the vastness of the world is chef's kiss) and magic systems (yes we have multiple), Ms.... READ MORE
Olajumoke O, Bookishwule
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.Verified Purchase
Firstborn of the Sun
epic fantasy inspired by Yoruba mythology and culture
There’s no such things as a justified massacre”
Ashlea Williams
Verified Purchase
Firstborn of the Sun
An amazing African mythology fantasy book
Storyline Kingdom of Oru L'ore has an amazing gift called agbára,  however there is one person who has lived without agbára which is the ability to harne... READ MORE
Louise  Barrett
Firstborn of the Sun
Explosive debut
What a fantastically captivating and explosive debut! Firstborn of the Sun is an epic fantasy deeply rooted in Yoruba Mythology. I was truly gripped fro... READ MORE
Rebecca J
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.Verified Purchase