Nisha J. Tuli

Trial of the Sun Queen

It started a bit slow for me but it picked up the pace as I continued. It reminded me a lot of acotar: good guys turning bad, bad guys turning good. The whole sun vs darkness theme as well. I didn’t find it much original. I also didn’t like the fmc much, but it still was an easy read and got me hooked. 

ovgun

Definitely fast-paced, which is what I think saved this book for me a little bit. I’m annoyed by the FMC and I think I’m starting to get tired of uber tough, fly off the handle angry FMCs. There are other ways to show toughness and anger, and this is the most base, unfleshed out way to accomplish it. You could argue that because she was jailed from 12 to 24 maybe she never matured but honestly, it reads as a bit lazy writing. Everything was telegraphed pretty clearly and early on, though I did like that Lor actually said no to the Atlas at the end, I wasn’t expecting her to do that. 

Katie Allard

Not the hand held shower - that took me out 

It's insane how many of this genre are just. The same book. Again. No originality, nothing inventive. Just prose that were rushed across the line, and characters to match the quality.

Alex T Hughes

Honestly, this book wasn’t my favourite. I liked it enough to continue the series, but I probably wouldn’t recommend it to a friend. It felt a bit like all of the popular romantasy tropes mashed into one book, without anything that really made it unique.

That said I enjoyed the way the story was told from dual POV. Primarily we see through Lor’s eyes where everything is new and confusing, but occasionally we have a scene from Nadir’s perspective that illustrates more of the realms politics and intricacies through his more experienced eye. I think it was a nice way to fill the reader in on some of the world-building without things being explicitly explained to the main character.

Alissa 

Honestly, this book wasn’t my favourite. I liked it enough to continue the series, but I probably wouldn’t recommend it to a friend. It felt a bit like all of the popular romantasy tropes mashed into one book, without anything that really made it unique.

That said I enjoyed the way the story was told from dual POV. Primarily we see through Lor’s eyes where everything is new and confusing, but occasionally we have a scene from Nadir’s perspective that illustrates more of the realms politics and intricacies through his more experienced eye. I think it was a nice way to fill the reader in on some of the world-building without things being explicitly explained to the main character.

Voices ruined this book. Plot was good and ended on a good cliff hanger but inner monologue was droning

Breonna Canova

Okay so the concept of this is giving The Selection, The Bachorlette, and add in a mix of trials and you have this book. I really enjoyed my whole reading experience. I think it was a great introduction book to the series to help you learn the basics. I do say this lightly but this first book reminds you ever so lighting of Throne of Glass. Don’t get me wrong TOG is better but it kind of just gives those vibes for me. Now I will say that it was predictable from the reveal that happened near the end of the book but I still enjoyed the reading experience. 

Priscilla Stanfield

4/5⭐️ • 2/5🌶️

Okay so the concept of this is giving The Selection, The Bachorlette, and add in a mix of trials and you have this book. I really enjoyed my whole reading experience. I think it was a great introduction book to the series to help you learn the basics. I do say this lightly but this first book reminds you ever so lighting of Throne of Glass. Don’t get me wrong TOG is better but it kind of just gives those vibes for me. Now I will say that it was predictable from the reveal that happened near the end of the book but I still enjoyed the reading experience. 

Jillian Roberts

Was addicted from page one! I really like the author’s use of figurative language and really enjoyed the main character. Lor was definitely a bit chaotic but she’s great. 

Hannah Williams

gracyn neely

I struggled to get into this book. I felt like there wasn't that much holding me in the story and I feel like the plot twists that should have been punching me in the face in the last chapter I could see in the first 1/3 of the book. 

Katie Avila

it was okay! vvvvv predictable but it was fun

Cassidy Nolan

This was very “The Selection” meets the “Hunger Games” type book. I was hooked by the concept so much I read it in 2 days. I like the idea of this series, that I’ll continue. But my feelings are still murky about the characters. 

Lor and her elder brother and sister have been incarcerated for over a decade.  Their crime... being seen as an "enemy" by the Aurora King.  She has faced the worst that prison can subject a young female to and she come out mentally stronger.  She never backs down from a fight and she'd rather fight to the death then let anything happen to her siblings.

But another "timeout" in The Hollow leads to her being abducted and transported to another part of the world.  And they somehow expect her to take part in the weirdest games ever.  They want her to compete to marry the Sun King.  She's just a prison rat from The Aurora - she has zero chance at winning, even with the Grumpy Gabriel assisting her.

Nostraza just gave me the ick.  The guards and Warden are worse than the other prisoners.  SA is a way of life for the inmates.  Starvation is the norm.  I would have happily razed the place to the ground and laughed as it burned!

Atlas, the Sun King.  Gabriel, Captain of the Guard.  They both seem to want her to win but they both have their own agendas.  These two I'd trust about as far as I could throw them!  

The Trials are the deadliest kind of "Bachelor" game I've ever seen.  The girls are cutthroat, determined, and ready to do whatever to win.  But Lor does have a few allies and she'll need them if she ever hopes to survive! The plot is twisty, little nuggets of info are dropped here and there to lead you through the story.  The world building is really good and no huge info dumps to ruin the pacing of the story and a map to help you keep everything orderly.

I seem to be on a fantasy kick at the moment and really enjoyed finding this little gem by a new to me author.  I'm about to happily dive into book 2 and see where Lor and Co. end up next!

Tropes: Slow Burn/Low spice (few smexy scenes), enemies to lovers, competition to survive, forced proximity/morally grey MC

TW: Abduction/Kidnapping/SA alluded to/death of parents/false imprisonment

Nicola Sarah Brooks

Lor and her elder brother and sister have been incarcerated for over a decade.  Their crime... being seen as an "enemy" by the Aurora King.  She has faced the worst that prison can subject a young female to and she come out mentally stronger.  She never backs down from a fight and she'd rather fight to the death then let anything happen to her siblings.

But another "timeout" in The Hollow leads to her being abducted and transported to another part of the world.  And they somehow expect her to take part in the weirdest games ever.  They want her to compete to marry the Sun King.  She's just a prison rat from The Aurora - she has zero chance at winning, even with the Grumpy Gabriel assisting her.

Nostraza just gave me the ick.  The guards and Warden are worse than the other prisoners.  SA is a way of life for the inmates.  Starvation is the norm.  I would have happily razed the place to the ground and laughed as it burned!

Atlas, the Sun King.  Gabriel, Captain of the Guard.  They both seem to want her to win but they both have their own agendas.  These two I'd trust about as far as I could throw them!  

The Trials are the deadliest kind of "Bachelor" game I've ever seen.  The girls are cutthroat, determined, and ready to do whatever to win.  But Lor does have a few allies and she'll need them if she ever hopes to survive! The plot is twisty, little nuggets of info are dropped here and there to lead you through the story.  The world building is really good and no huge info dumps to ruin the pacing of the story and a map to help you keep everything orderly.

I seem to be on a fantasy kick at the moment and really enjoyed finding this little gem by a new to me author.  I'm about to happily dive into book 2 and see where Lor and Co. end up next!

Tropes: Slow Burn/Low spice (few smexy scenes), enemies to lovers, competition to survive, forced proximity/morally grey MC

TW: Abduction/Kidnapping/SA alluded to/death of parents/false imprisonment

Def a hunger games type book, but I found it a little hard to follow. Interested to see what happens in the next book though

Shelby Brooks

Cameryn Wright

this book really did not do it for me. felt like 4 other books smushed together, not in a fun way

abi a

Exciting read that leaves you with a lot of questions

Sasha

Enjoyed more than I thought I would? Still easy read with easy writing. The description is correct, it is like the Bachelor meets Hunger Games but with fae. 

Some odd choice with POV, switching between third and first. But overall it was fun, will probably read the next one. 

taryn

Enjoyed more than I thought I would? Still easy read with easy writing. The description is correct, it is like the Bachelor meets Hunger Games but with fae. 

Some odd choice with POV, switching between third and first. But overall it was fun, will probably read the next one. 

Ten women. A deadly contest. Only one can win the Sun King's heart. Lor has endured twelve long years of torment under the Aurora King's rule. Her only desire is to escape and pay him back for every moment of misery she's endured. When a surprise release finds her in the hands of the rival Sun King, Lor is thrust into the spotlight as she competes against nine other Tributes for the role of queen. If she wins his heart, she'll earn her freedom and finally get her revenge. But Lor doesn't belong in the Sun Queen Trials. Not only does she not understand why she was freed, she isn't a citizen of the Sun King's court. The other Tributes resent her presence and will stop at nothing to ensure Lor is removed from the competition, permanently. Now Lor must win, because if she loses, she dies. Or worse, she'll be returned to the evil--and now vengeful--Aurora King.

Trial of the Sun Queen

Reviews

Highlights