La Junta de Puerto Carcosa—a yearly summit of the caudillos of Venazia, in which all matters of public policy are debated.
liqui liqui—a ceremonial outfit of a high-collared and long-sleeved shirt and straight pants, worn for revels and special occasions.
the Llanos—an area of tropical grasslands and savannas.
llanero—a rancher and landowner from the Llanos.
mal de ojo—an illness characterized by weakness, fever, and loose bowels, imparted by envious eyes, most notably on babes.
mora—a fruit endemic to the Páramo range, similar to a blackberry but sweeter and juicier.
nozariel—an intelligent bipedal species native to the Llanos and the Cow Sea coast. They are similar to humans in appearance, distinguishable by their pointed ears, sharp canines, prehensile tails, and scutes on skin—predominantly on the nose bridge, shoulders, elbows, and knees.
Pentimiento—the monotheistic religion of the humans of Segol.
Penitent—one who practices Pentimiento.
Princess Marle—a nozariel princess said to have been raised by a jaguar. She discovered the length of Río’e Marle astride the jaguar who’d reared her.
Rahmagut—a nozariel conqueror who ascended to godliness. He is believed to be master of the Void by the indigenous societies of Venazia and Fedria.
Sadul—a legendary valco warrior after whom Sadul Fuerte is named.
sea cow—a manatee.
Segol—the human empire across the ocean.
tigra mariposa—a speckled viper endemic to the Llanos.
tiniebla—chimeralike creatures spawned by Rahmagut’s attempts to create life. They are typically born from animals, corrupted and amalgamated, without a heart.
el Vacío—the Void, Rahmagut’s domain.
valco—an intelligent bipedal species native to the Páramo range. They are similar to humans in appearance, distinguishable by their antlers, the absence of hair melanin, and red-pigmented irises. They are of dense bone structure and muscle.
vals—a waltz, traditionally danced during quincea?eras.
Venazia—sovereign stratocracy west of Río’e Marle, first established in 344 KD upon the declaration of independence. Puerto Carcosa is its capital city.
the Virgin—the goddess of Pentimiento.
yares—an intelligent bipedal species native to the coast of the Mar Calavera. They are similar to humans in appearance, distinguishable by horns and lizard-like wings. Known as man-eaters, they were eradicated by Segol shortly after the humans’ arrival.
Acknowledgments
The Sun and the Void has gone through an incredibly long journey and would not be here without the support of so many people.
To Naomi Davis, my fierce yet kind agent, without whom this story would be gathering dust in a trunk, abandoned: Thank you for believing in this story and for always believing in me. You are a beacon of positivity and your kindness inspires me every day. Thank you for advocating for The Sun and the Void during both the exciting and sticky moments. Words alone cannot express my gratitude.
To Angeline Rodriguez, who brought The Sun and the Void to the Orbit family: You saw exactly what I was trying to do with this story. You were its first ideal reader. Thank you for your sharp editorial eye and for helping me elevate it to what it is now. Thank you for your advice and friendship. You were my first editor and I will always miss you!
To Nivia Evans, who adopted The Sun and the Void and shepherded it through the publishing machine: Thank you for putting up with me and for giving this book so much care and attention. I am so lucky The Sun and the Void landed in your hands, and I am so honored to get to work with you. You are amazing.
To Daphne Tonge, who opened up new avenues for readers to access this story: Thank you for believing in The Sun and the Void and for taking a chance on me. Thank you for liking and supporting my art. I am so delighted, honored, and lucky to work with you.
To Manu Velasco and Rachel Goldstein, who had to put up with my horrible English: Thank you so much for your patience and for editing The Sun and the Void with so much care and tenderness. I appreciate all the work and attention you put into this story and how you helped me elevate it even further. I’m sorry about all the prepositions. I still don’t get it…
Special thanks to Lisa Marie Pompilio for the beautiful Orbit US cover and to Jane Tibbetts for the stunning Daphne Press counterpart.
To Lauren Panepinto, Angelica Chong, Paola Crespo, Ellen Wright, Tim Holman, and the entire Orbit US team: Thank you for giving The Sun and the Void a warm home and for allowing me to share this story with the world.
To Caitlin Lomas, Davi Lancett, and the rest of the Daphne Press team: Thank you for publishing such a beautiful edition and for all the time and care you have put into this project.
To Maria José Morillo, who copyedited for Spanish: Thank you for easing my concerns and helping me seamlessly integrate Spanish into an English text. Also thank you for reading and critiquing an earlier version of The Sun and the Void, and for your enthusiasm!
To Isaiah Womble and Sana Qazi, who inspired this story in its earliest days: The Sun and the Void and its characters wouldn’t be the same without you. I’m so glad you came into my life. Thank you for inspiring me with your friendship.
To Rachel Fikes and Nemo Xū, who helped me through a dark time in my creative career: Thank you for your friendship, for your encouragement, and for steering me away from impostor syndrome.
I want to thank Dannielle Wicks, Edgar Robledo, Ashley Martinez, Circe Moskowitz, Carolina Flórez Cerchiaro, Lillie Vale, Bethan Rumsey, Jenna Goldsmith, Brett Linley, and Ana-Ilia Jackson for reading and critiquing The Sun and the Void during its various phases. Thank you to the Llama Squad for being my crew during the difficult querying times and for your support, camaraderie, and wisdom. Special thanks to Rachel Greenlaw, Sarah Jane Pounds, Cyla Panin, Susan Wallach, Nicole Aronis, Catherine Bakewell, Trisha Kelly, and Lyndall Clipstone for their advice and friendship. Thank you to Kristyn Merbeth and Sandy Roffey for their query-writing expertise.
To my writing siblings, Hannah M. Long, Essa Hansen, Chelsea Mueller, Kritika H. Rao, Melissa Caruso, Sunyi Dean, Sara M. Harvey, and Sue Lynn Tan: Thank you for your wise career counsel, enthusiasm, friendship, and support.
Special thanks to Zabé Ellor and Morgan Robles, whose ideas impacted the course of this story for the better.
Thanks to the people who supported me and gave me encouragement during this debut journey: the McWeeney family, Aggie, Paty Romero, Tomina, Chelsea Vuncannon, Jade Raven, Gyozados, Sunjuicy, Masamune “Jaiyah,” Phil Rogers, Aaron T., Erin D., Kelsey, Regi, Starr, and Jen Elrod. Thanks to my former colleagues Ogechi Chima, Jose Salgado, Sebastian Meza, Tobi Dipeolu, Assem Mahmoud, and Lauren Berlin, who put up with me while I drafted and edited this book.
To my patrons, who support me through this uncertain artistic journey: Thank you for your enthusiasm, and please know I wish I could name each and every one of you.
To Lisbeth and Pedro: Thank you for opening doors for me and giving me the foundation that allowed me to write this story. Thank you for working so hard to maintain our Venezuelan roots and for inspiring me to always seek greater heights. I love you with all my heart.
To my family—los Romero, los Cardona, los Lacruz, the Sefidrous, y los pollitos: Thank you for inspiring me with your tenacity, your endurance, and your stories. There’s a piece of each one of you in this tale. I hope one day you will see it.