Name: The Hand of the Sun King
ISBN: 9781473232907

J.T. Greathouse

'A great coming of age story about a foolish boy who seeks to unravel the secrets of magic and maybe do something good in the process. I absolutely loved it' Nick Martell My name is Wen Alder. My name is Foolish Cur. All my life, I have been torn between two legacies: that of my father, whose roots trace back to the right hand of the Emperor. That of my mother's family, who reject the oppressive Empire and embrace the resistance. I can choose between them - between protecting my family, or protecting my people - or I can search out a better path . . . a magical path, filled with secrets, unbound by empire or resistance, which could shake my world to its very foundation. But my search for freedom will entangle me in a war between the gods themselves . . . The first book in the Pact and Pattern series. Fans of Robin Hobb, Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn and R.F. Kuang's The Poppy War will love the magic running through every page. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 'An original fantasy filled with magic and culture, the story of a character torn between two names, two loyalties, and two definitions of good and evil' Kevin J. Anderson, New York Times bestselling author

Book One

The Hand of the Sun King

Paige Leitner

" 'I think not,' the vixen said. 'It will never be enough to make you a man, for you want to be a cat doing man-things, which the world will not abide.'"

I think overall the pacing of this book was a little strange. I liked the unique ideas of magic, however, the many varying levels of magic got a little confusing during some parts. The language was elevated and philosophical, which I enjoyed especially when it felt like there was a deeper meaning to be explored in many of the adventures the main character went on. I don't think I'll reread but I liked how conceptual this book was. 

“An original fantasy filled with magic and culture, the story of a character torn between two names, two loyalties, and two definitions of good and evil.”—Kevin J. Anderson, New York Times bestselling author of Spine of the Dragon Wen Alder was born into two worlds. On his father’s side, a legacy of proud loyalty and service to the god-like Sienese Emperor spanning generations. And it is expected that Alder, too, will follow this tradition by passing the Imperial exams, learning the accepted ways of magic and, if he serves with honor, enhancing his family's prominence by rising to take a most powerful position in Sien—the Hand of the Emperor. But from his mother he has inherited defiance from the Empire, a history of wild gods and magic unlike anything the Imperial sorcerers could yet control. It began when his spirited, rebellious grandmother took Alder into the woods and introduced him to her ways—ways he has never been able to forget. Now, on the verge of taking the steps that will forge the path of his life, Alder discovers that the conflict between the Empire and the resistance is only the beginning of a war that will engulf both heaven and earth, gods and man—and he may be the key to final victory for whichever side can claim him as their own... “Sublime prose and pin-sharp characterisation combine to produce a captivating epic of conflicted loyalties and dangerous ambition.” —Anthony Ryan, New York Times bestselling author “The Hand of the Sun King is not the gentle story of a boy’s rise to power; instead, it digs its fingernails into the layers of an empire that would consume and erase half that boy’s identity. Brilliantly told and immediately engrossing, filled with magic, mistakes and their merciless consequences.” —Andrea Stewart, author of The Bone Shard Daughter “The Hand of the Sun King is an outstanding debut novel with very well-conceived world building and an excellent, original magic system, and twists that will keep you reading late into the night and guessing until the very end. The thing that really makes it shine is the main character—I really loved his development throughout the story. Alder is a character I look forward to following for multiple books to come.” —Michael Mammay, author of the Planetside series “A great coming of age story about a foolish boy who seeks to unravel the secrets of magic and maybe do something good in the process. I absolutely loved it.” —Nick Martell, author of Kingdom of Liars “Well written, thought provoking and enjoyable, The Hand of the Sun King is an impressive debut novel that left me eager for more.” —Lisbeth Campbell, author of The Vanished Queen “A great debut novel.” —SFFWorld “A spellbinding debut with terrific characterisations, immersive world-building, and prose that swept me away ... hands down the best debut of the year. Scratch that; this is one of the best debuts I've ever read.” —Novel Notions “Exquisite ... Greathouse's characterisation, his prose, and worldbuilding are an absolute triumph.” —The Fantasy Hive “An excellent mix of classic and modern fantasy with a grimdark undertone of despair.” —Grimdark Magazine “The Hand of the Sun King is an enjoyable novel that pays great homage to the traditions and mythologies it borrows from.” —Quill to Live “Teeming with culture, doused in war, political intrigue ... but strikes out its own path in the genre.” —FanFiAddict “Set in a fantastical world of magic with a rich history, this novel fits beautifully into its genre while also addressing some failings of the genre by turning them on their head.” —Dawn Vogel, History That Never Was

Lia Yuliana

Update 22/07/2021

Find me review on :  An Ode to Fiction
Official Release Date : 5th August 2021
Buy the book :
 Amazon |  Book Depository


4.5/5 rounded up to 5 ⭐

Though at some moments the pacing is quite slow, the character development, the battle sequences, the magic system, the world building, and everything else in between is phenomenal.
--


  
    To serve one would be to betray the other.
  


ARC provided by the publisher JABberwocky Literary Agency, Inc (US) and Gollancz – Orion Publishing (UK) through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A well rounded compelling coming of age story; The Hand of the Sun King by J. T. Greathouse joins the list of amazing 2021 debuts.

Truthfully, I was burnt out from all the YA books I’ve read these past few months. They are all great it’s just that I was craving for something a bit heavier and complex to stimulate my mind. Requesting more ARCs (Advance Readers Copy) on NetGalley was not in the plan either because of my current feedback ratio, but I needed something new. When I saw the cover of The Hand of the Sun King, it made me feel intrigued then checked out Goodreads then turns out Petrik has read it and loved it. Which lead to me requesting the ARC then receiving it. In terms of story I did not know anything about it and the synopsis is pretty vague about it which is what I prefer. So I jumped the gun on this book by trusting my friend’s review and just went for it.


  
    It was the only thing in the world that I yearned to understand for its own sake, not because an authority had decided that I must learn it. Once I had mastered it, it would be mine, to do with as I would. Neither bound to my father’s dreams of a restored Wen family, nor my grandmother’s for a Nayen free of the Empire.
  


The Hand of the Sun King is the debut and first book of the Pact and Pattern trilogy by J. T. Greathouse. It is the coming of age story following half Sienese and half Nayeni boy named Wen Alder or Foolish Cur. Since Alder was a child he has stood between two paths, the path that his father has paved for him to continue the Wen family legacy and the path of the Nayeni paved by his grandmother and uncle who rejects the empire. From a young age Alder’s father has paid for his education to prepare him for the Imperial Examination, a stepping stone for all Sienese men that will decide their status and well being for the rest of their life. Fearing that her grandson might not know the history of Nayeni people, Alder’s grandmother took it upon herself to teach him about the Nayeni and their gods. One night Alder’s took him to the Temple of Flame offering Alder to the old Nayeni gods in a naming ritual bestowing upon him a new name Foolish Cur. During this ritual Alder gets a glimpse of his grandmother’s magic, since then Alder has never looked back and sought out ways to feel the power of magic himself. Believing that a third path of magic will lead Alder to his freedom.


  
    “If the choice is between understanding some deeper truth or fighting for a chance to make good on all the harm I have done, then I choose to fight.”
  


One of the most prominent things in The Hand of the Sun King is the emphasis on culture in it’s vivid, expansive, and intricate world building. With the main character coming from a Sienese and Nayeni background there are bounds to be a lot of contrasting and conflicting things. Readers will understand the importance of culture as it molds Alder to decide his fate and find within himself his true identity. Greathouse did a great job in showing the differences through Alder as he experience everything first hand all the while giving well detailed accounts. It’s as though an older version of Alder is recounting the story of his life in a book he written. This factor made the book more addicting to read as Alder’s desperation and hunger bleeds out of the page. Greathouse’s writing style fits perfectly with the first person POV, it is done in an efficient and well structured manner that it made reading the book more enjoyable. The beautiful prose and exquisite writing will surely pull readers into the story. The way Greathouse writes his prose is reminiscent to the feelings I felt reading the Shelley Parker-Chan’s prose in She Who Became the Sun, it engages you right away not letting your attention falter. Though reading the earlier chapters is a challenge for me because of the slower pacing, I admit that this problem is caused by the fact that I’ve been reading a lot of fast paced books and doesn’t have anything to do with the story at all. But the pacing does escalate slowly as Alder starts exploring other parts of the Empire outside of Nayen.

Greathouse’s characterization in The Hand of the Sun King is complex and well fleshed out. Wen Alder is conflicted young man that wants to break free from the expectations of his family members. The story spans from Alder’s adolescence years into his adulthood, I admire Greathouse for showing a consistent gradual growth in Alder as he becomes a full fledge adult. Growing up Alder is very ambitious, competitive, smart, and quick with his wits. Though Alder’s lack of patience and ego got the best of him which lead to him making some poor choices. What I find compelling is Greathouse’s ability in writing Alder’s inner conflict and eventual realization. The themes of war, loyalty, and friendship are the pivotal catalyst in Alder’s growth that is weaved skillfully by Greathouse. The relationships Alder forms with all of the people that raised and taught him also plays a part in shaping him. The three stand out relationships to me is between Alder and his grandmother, Koro Ha, and Oriole. In my opinion, they were the foundations that deeply affected Alder’s whole characterization.

It’s been a while since I read a book that solely focuses on one character’s coming of age story complete with a variety of relationship dynamics. The last time is probably when I read The Book of the Ancestor series by Mark Lawrence. I forgot how much I love stories like this and I am so happy to be reminded of it while reading The Hand of the Sun King. There are moments in Alder’s story which shows the typical struggles of a young adult after moving out of their family homes. It’s interesting to see Alder go through all the typical hardships that we all go through such as the frustrations from the boring day to day routines, making regrettable decisions, wanting to rebel against the constraints of being a bureaucrat, etc. It gives opportunity for Alder to mature as a character and learn the ways of the world to become wiser. The scene that left an impression is when Alder was dealing with loneliness and isolation of adulthood. For me the feelings of loneliness that Alder felt being by himself while travelling alone is deeply engrained within me, it is something I whole heartedly relate to.


  
    Magic could reshape the world. Its power was undeniable. It needed no argument to bolster it, nor any faith to make it true.
  


In my opinion what became the highlight of The Hand of the Sun King is the magic system. Magic is the main thing that the protagonist desperately pursues and yearns for. The magic that is present in the story is a form of magic that stems from gods that existed long before the empire existed. Each nation has it’s own god that they worship that blesses magic wielders abilities that varies from controlling the elements (ex. fire, wind, thunder, water), veering, sending, curing wounds, etc. What I find fascinating is the lore surrounding the existence of magic and the gods. What bumped my rating for this book is the battle scenes! The battle scenes are explosive and intense from large scale army sequences to close contact combat it is vivid and well done that it made my hand sweaty. Personally, I was as desperate as Alder to see some action which is absent for a good 45-50% of the book. Even though The Hand of the Sun King isn’t an action packed book, as it mainly focuses on Alder’s upbringing and apprenticeship, in the few action scenes that is present Greathouse executes it wonderfully.


  
    The feeling that the path of my life had been leading me through trial after trial toward some purpose, finally achieved.
  


Final thoughts, The Hand of the Sun King is another solid debut book about a character’s coming of age story filled to the brim with beautiful prose, gripping plot, and compelling characters. A magic system that is unique, complex and engrained deeply into the world shrouded in conspiracy that extends beyond the worldly issues. For a first book The Hand of the Sun King establishes the back of story of the main character wonderfully. I’m looking forward to how Greathouse will continue this epic tale of resistance and magic. I highly recommend for readers who love coming of age stories in a fantasy setting to pick up this book. I can assure you that The Hand of the Sung King has joined the ranks of amazing debut books this year and I am truly happy I picked it up. To end this review I would like to quote a writer named DJ Khaled, “Another one!”.

The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

Sahi K

I’m still hedging between a 3 and 3.5. 

This is not the kind of book that would usually be on my radar but I added this to my TBR as well as requested the arc because I saw how much my favorite reviewer and booktuber Petrik loved it, and wanted to give it a try myself. Now after finishing it, I’m unsure how I feel about it. 

I have to start by saying the prose is very very good and you really don’t feel like it’s a debut while reading it. There’s a very engaging quality to the writing and even when I was apprehensive about my enjoyment of the story, I still kept going. The relatively fast pace also helped, but it also had its disadvantages because there were a lot of time jumps in the story, some of which I felt hindered any relationship development. I had read reviews about this one very long ago, so I didn’t remember much, but I was pleasantly surprised to realize that this world and part of the cultures were Asian inspired and that always makes me happy. The magic system is elemental but also involves tetragrams and patterns in the world as well as a war between gods and witches, so it was all fascinating to read about but there were some explanations I didn’t understand, and I couldn’t truly wrap my head around what happened at the end. 

This year has seen a lot of books published with empires and colonialism as the norm as rebellion as the core of the story, and this one is no different. But we get to see this story through the eyes of a biracial young man, who has to make a choice between following his mother’s heritage and be ostracized for it or take the oath that is laid out to him by his father and become a tool of the empire. This is a coming of age story and we see Alder grow as the book goes on, but this journey was definitely bumpy. He is a petulant child who grows up in privilege, even if deprived of love, and basically wants to do what he wants instead of others dictating his choices. He hardly understands right from wrong, doesn’t try much to know the world beyond his bubble, and acts impulsively that lead to drastic consequences. He never thinks first before acting and only learns from his mistakes. I did however understand his hunger for knowledge, but at the same time it also manifested as a hunger for unbridled magic. It wasn’t till almost the end that I finally saw that he could be more than his ambition, and can use his magic to fight the oppressive empire. 

There are many characters who come and go from his life, but he remains the center of this story. There were only two characters who left a good impression one me - his grandmother who taught him the ways of her people and developed the curiosity in him; his tutor Koro Ha without whose diligence Alder would never have set on his path towards the empire. Both these characters had his well being in their hearts and were deeply responsible for shaping his personality. The only friend he makes Oriole, and his first love Atar, could have been written with more depth, but I felt that ultimately they both came across as plot devices, who taught him things he needed to know and pushed him onto the path of his destiny. The book would have surely been better if these two relationships were written with more depth. 

Finally, I think this is an interesting coming of age story which spans almost a decade of the main character’s life. While the world building, prose, and magic system found me fascinated, I found the character and relationship development lacking which ultimately left me dissatisfied. However, it might still be the the book for you, as evidenced by the many glowing reviews this debut has received.

Rina

A story with the themes of creating your own path, and rebellion. This has a unique world and magic system! It was immersive, lush, and well-executed. Loved the atmosphere and how everything was complex here, especially the characters - the protagonist most of all. The writing was great, it may be quite dense but I thought it fit the book; somehow I don't think simple writing would have pulled this off. Full review here.

The Hand of the Sun King Book One

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