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goldenleafbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This is the first book I've read by Nisha J Tuli, and I'm absolutely delighted to have found this author. Her characters are very well done, and I especially enjoy the way that she mixes in lore and history of the world throughout the novel. I never felt like they're was an exposition dump.
The book is part of an unfinished series, scheduled to be completed this year. HEA is not at the end of the books, it seems like it will be the end of the series.
The book is part of an unfinished series, scheduled to be completed this year. HEA is not at the end of the books, it seems like it will be the end of the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Kidnapping and Death of parent
Nothing in this book is gratuitous. All content warnings involve things that are genuinely necessary to the plot of the story.karapillar's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Misogyny and Vomit
rachelglazer's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
There are a few familiar beats, and some of the chatacters were underdeveloped, but overall it was entertaining and had enough intrigue to keep me going
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, and Kidnapping
Minor: Death of parent
LGBTQIA friendlybookishmillennial's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
This was an absolute blast in a glass! I went in with zero expectations and had such a great time😛 This is the first in a series of at least four books, I zoomed through it because it felt familiar (The Bachelor meets Hunger Games is pretty spot-on marketing) yet stood strong on its own, adding its own unique and playful twists.
I thoroughly enjoyed Lor as the main character (we receive her 1st person narration); she was scrappy, bold, fearless, unimpressed, and to her core, a fighter. She fought for her survival and kept pushing through the trials to hopefully find a way to save her siblings Tristan and Willow in any way she could. Lor logically knew that her odds as the Final Tribute were not in her favor, but that never stops her from fighting tooth and nail to live to see another day in the Sun King’s court. She was also hilarious and I would be friends with her, even if she would be a little abrasive to me & bring me to tears😂
Due to other romantasies, I almost never fully invest in the love interest introduced to us in first books in series. I am glad that I was correct in my predictions about Atlas, but it was still entertaining to watch as that connection built and eventually unfolded in the tumultuous way it did. Lor is not some naive, sheltered, lovesick kid though; she had enough self-awareness and skepticism about people/Fae to recognize that ‘hey, this is probably just lust and passion, but omg, have you *seen* how smokin’ hot this guy is? Don’t mind if I ride that real quick!’ I also generally appreciated that after a lifetime of sexual assault at the hands of the corrupt prison guards at Nostraza, Lor *chooses* to be intimate with Atlas. It’s a powerful feeling to be in charge of your body after it has not been for so long.
I know Gabriel pulled some shiesty bullshit, but I actually thoroughly enjoyed his banter with Lor. I wouldn’t doubt if these two were each other’s best friends by the end of this series! I can’t wait to see him rebel against Atlas; I was going to say, ‘I’d pay money to read that!’ & what a goofy thing to say because I absolutely *will* be buying whatever books are in this series hehehe. Anyway, don’t count Gabriel out, there’s my two cents!!
The magic system is pretty elementary; I’d say this is a fantastic book to recommend to someone who is new to romantasies & any kind of fantasy. It’s so easy to follow! Regarding the mystery of Lor’s true identity and why she is of paramount importance, I think most readers could have guessed something was afoot after reading the title. Though she does not come out as the “Sun Queen,” I pretty much knew she would be revealed as some royalty in a Jon Snow kinda way lol.
Nadir’s third-person chapters were interesting because we were introduced to the Aurora courts & the Princess Amyra too, & this is where Lor is originally from. I thought the format of the Final Tribute being from their rival court was so funny, like those rulers from hundreds of years ago were just men who “like to watch the world burn,” amirite?! Anyway, I can’t wait to see what happens next now that Lor is in the Aurora courts & with Nadir & Amya now!
steam rating: 2/5
This was an absolute blast in a glass! I went in with zero expectations and had such a great time😛 This is the first in a series of at least four books, I zoomed through it because it felt familiar (The Bachelor meets Hunger Games is pretty spot-on marketing) yet stood strong on its own, adding its own unique and playful twists.
I thoroughly enjoyed Lor as the main character (we receive her 1st person narration); she was scrappy, bold, fearless, unimpressed, and to her core, a fighter. She fought for her survival and kept pushing through the trials to hopefully find a way to save her siblings Tristan and Willow in any way she could. Lor logically knew that her odds as the Final Tribute were not in her favor, but that never stops her from fighting tooth and nail to live to see another day in the Sun King’s court. She was also hilarious and I would be friends with her, even if she would be a little abrasive to me & bring me to tears😂
Due to other romantasies, I almost never fully invest in the love interest introduced to us in first books in series. I am glad that I was correct in my predictions about Atlas, but it was still entertaining to watch as that connection built and eventually unfolded in the tumultuous way it did. Lor is not some naive, sheltered, lovesick kid though; she had enough self-awareness and skepticism about people/Fae to recognize that ‘hey, this is probably just lust and passion, but omg, have you *seen* how smokin’ hot this guy is? Don’t mind if I ride that real quick!’ I also generally appreciated that after a lifetime of sexual assault at the hands of the corrupt prison guards at Nostraza, Lor *chooses* to be intimate with Atlas. It’s a powerful feeling to be in charge of your body after it has not been for so long.
I know Gabriel pulled some shiesty bullshit, but I actually thoroughly enjoyed his banter with Lor. I wouldn’t doubt if these two were each other’s best friends by the end of this series! I can’t wait to see him rebel against Atlas; I was going to say, ‘I’d pay money to read that!’ & what a goofy thing to say because I absolutely *will* be buying whatever books are in this series hehehe. Anyway, don’t count Gabriel out, there’s my two cents!!
The magic system is pretty elementary; I’d say this is a fantastic book to recommend to someone who is new to romantasies & any kind of fantasy. It’s so easy to follow! Regarding the mystery of Lor’s true identity and why she is of paramount importance, I think most readers could have guessed something was afoot after reading the title. Though she does not come out as the “Sun Queen,” I pretty much knew she would be revealed as some royalty in a Jon Snow kinda way lol.
Nadir’s third-person chapters were interesting because we were introduced to the Aurora courts & the Princess Amyra too, & this is where Lor is originally from. I thought the format of the Final Tribute being from their rival court was so funny, like those rulers from hundreds of years ago were just men who “like to watch the world burn,” amirite?! Anyway, I can’t wait to see what happens next now that Lor is in the Aurora courts & with Nadir & Amya now!
steam rating: 2/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
xapoptosisx's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I thoroughly enjoyed this book there's so many mysterious and theories and I'm so excited to read the next book to find out the truth. Also excited cause I to was fooled by atlas and I need to see his inevitable downfall.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Blood, Death of parent, and Alcohol
hann_cant_read's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I liked it, but I didn't love it.
I think the premise was okay, but it really felt like it needed to be a little more fleshed out. There was a lot that we just needed to accept as "this is how it works in this world" for no real reason.
As far as characters go, I feel like our FMC was inconsistent.Based on the "secrets" she knows that she isn't telling the audience it feels like she'd be more savvy / have a better idea of what is happening, so it's weird that the reader could sus things out quicker even without having as much insider info.
The book is 1st person, so it was also strange to me when she would have revelations that didn't have much build up.Like "I" thought the Sun King was sus from the get-go, but she was lusting hard, until suddenly she was like " there was always something off" Girl I was in your head, you were way too in your own head / with your own hangups to suspect he had an ulterior motive past just being horny.
She also is supposed to be 24, and yes I know she's lived in a prison for half her life so there is going to be trauma behaviors with that, but there was a weird level of self-awareness about her behaviors, like she'd been to therapy or something.
Other characters were also kind of off and I can't place them. I can't tell whether we're supposed to like Gabriel or not, he's so inconsistent. He's an ass, but then sometimes he looks at her nicely and that was enough for her to be cool with him? I think he was supposed to have a bit of a teasing older brother vibe but I don't think it succeeded. He's just a dick.
The world feels so vague. A lot of it can be chalked up to our FMC not knowing shit, but also she was 12 when she was imprisoned, not 4. She should have some idea of the world around her.Again, I get the impression she knows a lot more than she's saying, but for some reason her inner monologue is still confused.
My other complaint isn't just a this book problem, but it feels like "New Adult" is written less as YA with Spice, but like Middle Grade with Spice, which gives those scenes a weird icky quality even though they're technically happening between adults.
I'll give book 2 in the series a chance I think, but I really need to see some real world building and character development/growth to go any further than that.
I think the premise was okay, but it really felt like it needed to be a little more fleshed out. There was a lot that we just needed to accept as "this is how it works in this world" for no real reason.
As far as characters go, I feel like our FMC was inconsistent.
The book is 1st person, so it was also strange to me when she would have revelations that didn't have much build up.
She also is supposed to be 24, and yes I know she's lived in a prison for half her life so there is going to be trauma behaviors with that, but there was a weird level of self-awareness about her behaviors, like she'd been to therapy or something.
Other characters were also kind of off and I can't place them. I can't tell whether we're supposed to like Gabriel or not, he's so inconsistent. He's an ass, but then sometimes he looks at her nicely and that was enough for her to be cool with him? I think he was supposed to have a bit of a teasing older brother vibe but I don't think it succeeded. He's just a dick.
The world feels so vague. A lot of it can be chalked up to our FMC not knowing shit, but also she was 12 when she was imprisoned, not 4. She should have some idea of the world around her.
My other complaint isn't just a this book problem, but it feels like "New Adult" is written less as YA with Spice, but like Middle Grade with Spice, which gives those scenes a weird icky quality even though they're technically happening between adults.
I'll give book 2 in the series a chance I think, but I really need to see some real world building and character development/growth to go any further than that.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexism, Sexual content, Kidnapping, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual assault
booksalacarte's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Trial of the sun queen- 3.75⭐️ 2.5🌶️
New Adult
High Romantasy
Romantic Fantasy
Dual POV
Bipoc
Fae Courts
Magic
Politics
Feuding Kingdoms
Secrets
Bride Trials
Rags to Riches
Slow Burn
🏳️🌈 Side Character Rep
Tw- adult themes, definitly check the trigger warnings.
The first line- “That bitch took my soap.” I was immediately invested in this FMC. I wanted to know her story, her hardships. The time in the prison made this story unique and compelling. I wish there had been more of the story developed there.
Thank goodness the trials in this book were heavy in the plot and revealed character growth. They took up space and were well laid out. There was a little bit of haziness around the 2nd. I was more than a little turned around on the obstacle course in where the competitors were in relation to each other. But I was relieved for them to be as central to the plot in how they were played out and not just that they happened. It helped with more than just the FMC’s character development, I feel like it really moved the side characters forward as well.
If the secret had been known, I feel like it would have added to the tension and stakes of the plot. Instead I felt left out and that the FMC was untrustworthy.
I found the romance to be very naive right off the bat, making it feel more YA. The FMC’s defined character from her time in prison immediately disappeared once she was in the trials. In the prison she was independent, untrusting, self-sufficient, with feminine rage for days. When she was in the palace, all of a sudden she had absolutely no self preservation or suspicion until further in the plot than you would expect.
I had a great time reading this book!
Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Gran Central Publishing) for an Advanced eReader Copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Homophobia, Rape, and Sexual assault
amanda_reads13's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Lor has spent 12 years imprisoned, though she has committed no crime. One day she wakes up to find herself in a castle far from the prison and her siblings. She becomes one of the ten women who are competing in a deadly contest to become bonded to the Sun King.
This is a very predictable book. I was able to see the big surprise pretty early on. The character and plot are pretty unoriginal. It is basically a mashup of other popular books and characters (think The Selection + Hunger Games + ACOTAR + Red Queen) but not as well written or developed.
This is trying very hard to be ACOTAR. The Aurora= Night court, Atlas=Tamlin, Nadhir=Rhys etc...
Lor started out very independent and strong willed, but ended up being extremely naive. She is supposed to be a strong woman shaped by her tough life, but she just crumbles at the smallest setback.
I found the way that the dual POV was written to be interesting. Lor was written in 1st person where as the Aurora Prince was written in 3rd. It threw me off at first.
Tropes: slow burn, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, fantasy
This is a very predictable book. I was able to see the big surprise pretty early on. The character and plot are pretty unoriginal. It is basically a mashup of other popular books and characters (think The Selection + Hunger Games + ACOTAR + Red Queen) but not as well written or developed.
Lor started out very independent and strong willed, but ended up being extremely naive. She is supposed to be a strong woman shaped by her tough life, but she just crumbles at the smallest setback.
I found the way that the dual POV was written to be interesting. Lor was written in 1st person where as the Aurora Prince was written in 3rd. It threw me off at first.
Tropes: slow burn, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, fantasy
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
jayne_waser's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I would first like to establish, that overall the writing was pretty good. This review is probably harsher than it might have been if I hadn't just finished Fourth Wing before picking this one up. But here are my thoughts:
It felt like the FMC was a little bit all over the place. It felt like the way that the author wrote the FMC, didn't match to her backstory. It felt unrealistic that girl had be treated like shit, worse than shit. But didn't seem to have any common sense or self preservation instincts. To be honest with you, she came across as a spoiled brat.The fact that she instantly was like "Yep I'm going to win, so I can marry the King. Sorry I meant, so that I can save my family. That's totally what I meant. But also... the king". It was also super predictable in the sense that it had a similar plotline to ACOTAR. Anyone who has already read would see it coming from a mile away ACOTAR
It felt like the FMC was a little bit all over the place. It felt like the way that the author wrote the FMC, didn't match to her backstory. It felt unrealistic that girl had be treated like shit, worse than shit. But didn't seem to have any common sense or self preservation instincts. To be honest with you, she came across as a spoiled brat.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Rape, Sexual content, Violence, and Kidnapping
Minor: Torture
alilbitofeveryth1ng's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment