Cerrin is a young woman with a relentless drive, unapologetic leadership, and unchallenged faith in herself and a particular god of battle. Sonus is an engineer with a sharp brain, negotiation skills, and compassionate heart. The one thing they have in common: they are both slaves. Wild Sun by Ehsan Ahmad and Shakil Ahmad tells the inspirational story of characters from different tribes, enslaved in different regions of their home planet Corvos, yet both work on their own means of escaping the powerful and highly-advanced Vitaari invaders. The human spirit knows no bounds in this story. 

Wild Sun switches between characters’ points of view to tell the story. Cerrin is an Echobe woman who has attempted and failed multiple times to escape her captors. Her fellow slaves/tribespeople resent her for her tenacious spirit, since they are often punished for her actions. Sonus is a Palanian man whose tech-savviness has made him valuable among the Vitaari, allowing him to learn the inner workings of their systems and staff. Vellerick is a military captain of the Vitaari, trying to get through his last days of duty before retiring. However, a civilian commander named Talazeer and his terrifying reptilian bodyguard Marl come to shake things up, making it very clear that they will be significant players in the events to come. 

Wild Sun is the first book in the series by the Ahmad brothers. Readers are introduced to the main characters and Corvos, with some background of the invasion sprinkled in there. The Vitaari invaded Corvos to mine valuable minerals, and enslave tribespeople to get the work done. Of course there was resistance, but the Vitaari are much more physically powerful and technologically advanced and ultimately conquered the planet. However, even though it’s been years since the invasion, not all slaves have accepted defeat just yet. 

As a sucker for character development, I’m happy that this story includes equal parts character moments and action/suspense. The Ahmad brothers paced the story well and still created characters that are relatable, likable, and doing their best under their unique circumstances. In the event of any sort of apocalypse, I would likely try to tag along on Cerrin and Sonus’s survival squad (and likely adding nothing valuable other than loyalty and compliance). I even sympathized with Vellerick, who remembers every Corvosian he killed.

If enslavement wasn’t enough to tug at the heartstrings and have readers root for their escape, the Ahmad brothers don’t shy away from traumatic events that ultimately shape the characters’ experiences and propel more of the action (trigger warnings include infant loss and sexual assault). These are the stories that stick with us – Cerrin and Sonus’s fights for freedom proved that the human spirit cannot be crushed so easily, no matter the odds. 

Wild Sun: Unbound is the next installment in the series (WARNING: SPOILERS for Wild Sun). Cerrin, Sonus, and the rest of the escapees from Mine Three are running for their lives, trying to outsmart the Vitaari pursuers and simply survive each day. The threat becomes more serious (if that was possible) when new reinforcements under Commander Elezz show up to assist Talazeer in fixing his mistake from the first book (i.e. losing 60+ slaves and allowing the deaths of some very important people). 

Wild Sun: Unbound takes the suspense up a notch, with our characters narrowly escaping each encounter with Vataari and their advanced weaponry. We also get Talazeer as a new point of view – and even though he is a horrible scumbag, we now have insight into his family background and what he himself is up against, both of which (somewhat) explain his gross and ruthless attitude. Following the events of the first book, he is now an embarrassment to his family and has his sights set on revenge against Cerrin and Sonus. 

The Ahmad brothers display their talent for delivering captivating arcs for the main characters and story as a whole (I would follow Cerrin and Sonus into battle). I also appreciated the universe expanding a bit in Wild Sun: Unbound – readers are introduced to new lands, new life forms, and a much bigger game at play (through the POVs of both sides), which foreshadows a bigger struggle for power coming in future installments. 

The Ahmad brothers were generous enough to meet with me for an interview about their books, Wild Sun and Wild Sun: Unbound. We discussed their background, how they came up with the fascinating world and characters, and plans for the future. Stay tuned for an upcoming Cantina Conversation and pre-order Wild Sun: Unbound, available February 16. Wild Sun is available now.