Today’s book review is for Trial of the Sun Queen (Artefacts Ouranos, Book #1) by Nisha J. Tuli, a fantasy novel about a freed prisoner attempting to win the Sun Queen Trials and become the next Queen of Aphelion.
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Book Synopsis
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. From Goodreads.
“Everything is on temporary loan, including our bodies and definitely our souls. The only thing they haven’t claimed yet is my mind, though it seems less true with each passing year.”
The Basics
Category: Fantasy
Tags: Fantasy, Romance, Adult, Fae, Magic, Fiction, High Fantasy
Author: Nisha J. Tuli
Publisher: Forever, September 2023
Where to Find: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, !ndigo
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
**Spoilers Ahead**
Tossed into Nostraza by The Aurora King at the age of 12, Lor and her two siblings have managed to survive the brutal and unforgiving prison for over a decade. When a fight over a bar of soap breaks out between another inmate and Lor, she is sentenced to two weeks in the Hollow. A glorified pit in the middle of a monster-infested forest, no inmate has ever survived there more than one week – meaning her punishment was tantamount to a death sentence. Lor accepts her fate, but fate seems to have other plans. . A mysterious winged Fae “rescues” (captures) her from the Hollow and delivers her to The Sun King’s palace, where Lor is told she will compete in the Sun Queen Trials as the Final Tribute. Confused on what is going on? So was Lor.
“And in nearly eight thousand years of the Sun Queen Trials, the Final Tribute has never once survived.”
So Let’s Get Into it…
Before we continue on Lors unsuspecting journey, let’s take a step back and get a lay of the land. . The story takes place on the continent of Ouranos. The country is split into seven different kingdoms, with the main portion of our story taking place in Aphelion. We find out that prior to Lor and her siblings being condemned to rot in Nostraza, their parents were brutally murdered by The Aurora King’s men for reasons unknown to them.
After the mysterious winged fae, Gabriel, abducts Lor from the Hollow, she is completely disoriented and continually questions her reality. After being given her own room in The Sun King’s palace, Lor is treated to luxury after luxury – plates of food and piles of gowns. Distressed and disoriented, Lor needs to find answers to the multitude of questions swirling in her mind. Why was she taken from Nostraza and deposited in the royal Aphelion palace?. What is she being pampered and prepared for? And most importantly, what happened to her siblings?
“It turns out I have been kidnapped and been made to wear a dress fit for a queen, wrapped in luxurious sheets, and fed buttered toast. But it’s clear none of it was done out of kindness.”
Lor’s captor, Gabriel, is gruff and doesn’t offer much help. When questioned all he will say is that The Sun King, Atlas, ordered him to apprehend Lor from Nostraza to compete in the Sun Queen Trials. He claims to know nothing else. We find out that the Sun Queen Trials are a long standing tradition in Aphelion used to determine who will bond with the Sun King to become the next Sun Queen. The trials consist of multiple difficult and sometimes deadly challenges meant to weed out the weak. All contestants that survive and make it past the final challenge will stand in front of Aphelion’s Artefact, The Mirror. The Mirror will then pass judgment on each contestant and decide who is worthy of being the next Sun Queen.
When Lor meets the other tributes competing in the trials, it is clear that she does not belong. All of the other tributes come from high fae families, whereas Lor is a malnourished human with no royal training. As the trials begin, Lor is ordered by Gabriel not to tell anyone that she is not from Aphelion – else she wants to end up back in prison. She is forced to pretend she is from the slums of Aphelion, The Umbra. Lor is faced with three paths: be sent back to Nostraza, win the competition, or die trying. In order to be reunited with her siblings Lor makes it her mission to overcome the odds and beat the trials.
“One human Tribute is selected from The Umbra, whereby they, too, will have the chance to win this most coveted prizes. It is a reminder to all mortals that anyone with the acuity and desire can change their lot in life if they choose. A reminder that we are the ones in charge of our own destinies.”
As the trials continue and Lor advances further and further in the competition, she begins to suspect that King Atlas wants her to win. Why would a ruler want to marry and bond with a former prisoner? Atlas showers Lor with attention and gives her clues on what to expect during the trials, and she finds herself falling for Atlas as the competition goes on. After living in a prison for over a decade, Lor craves attention and interaction.
“I’m too stunned to respond. The king is watching me with a smile more brilliant than the sun itself.”
At the same time, Lor begins questioning the humanity of the trials. Why are women put through these tests, some of which end with casualties? Even if a tribute(s) makes it to the end of the trials, The Mirror ultimately decides who is worthy of bonding to Atlas and becoming the Sun Queen.
Why is bonding so important? When the King bonds with another, the couple’s magic As the trials progress, and we learn more about the importance of bonding. When the King bonds with another, the couple’s magic becomes amplified, turning both into Imperial Fae. Imperial fae dominate the social hierarchy of this world, which has tiers based on class: Imperial Fae > High Fae > Fae > Low Fae > Humans. Bonding to Atlas would transform Lor from human to imperial fae, giving her the powers to exact her revenge on The Aurora King and free her siblings from prison.
“If I ascend to Imperial Fae, I’d have magic and resources. Money. A Crown. A f*cking army.”
Interspersed throughout Lor’s story we also read from the perspective of another character: Nadir, Prince of The Aurora and son of The Aurora King. When The Aurora King discovers that Lor (prisoner 3452) is presumed dead but no body was recovered, the King commands Nadir to uncover why her presumed remains are missing. Nadir has never heard of this prisoner before now and wonders why his father has taken such an interest in this seemingly random young woman.
“The black tattoo of three wavy lines set against a circle. The unmistakable brand burned into any prisoner who had ever been thrown into Nostraza.”
Nadir sets off to uncover what secrets his father is hiding about prisoner 3452. Why does The Aurora King need to know what happened to her? Nadir’s father may be the king, but after years of abuse Nadir will do anything to undermine his authority. He is determined to find the prisoner before his father does and discover her importance.
Our stories converge when Nadir and Lor cross paths at a ball held in Aphelion. When Nadir realizes one of the tributes is the prisoner his father is looking for, he tries to devise a plan to kidnap Lor. Besides the whole kidnapping a tribute from another kingdom issue, a new complication arises when Nadir draws the eye of King Atlas. After spotting him and Lor dancing together, the ruler of Aurelion banishes Nadir from the kingdom in fit of jealous rage.
“I think of when I danced with the prince. When our gazes met, there was a different kind of pull there. Not the same thing I feel around Atlas, but something wider and deeper. Like being tossed around in a hurricane versus thrashing against a single wave.”
After Atlas’ outburst Lor begins to suspect a more sinister reason Atlas “rescued” her from Nostraza. As the trials near their end Lor begins to question Atlas’ intentions more and more, spotting cracks in the kind and attentive persona he displays when he’s with her.
“I was a fool in a dream, and I need to remember they brought me here against my will to die in a contest I never entered.”
This book will have you questioning who is the “bad” guy and who is the “good” guy throughout, and does a good job allowing the reader to interpret the moral ambiguity of the characters. Trial of the Sun Queen ends on a cliffhanger, but the good news is this 4 book series is complete! At the time of writing this review all books in the series are included with a Kindle Unlimited membership.
“The list of people counting on me to win the Sun Queen Trials is getting longer and longer.”
So Bookmark or Bin it?
Conclusion: Bookmark it
I love this book (and the series overall) so much! And the best part about this series is that it was recently completed, so you don’t have to wait months for the next book. Lor is an amazing female main character who perseveres through an unfair situation that would overcome many, using her quest for revenge and desire to protect her siblings to keep her going. Throughout the first book (and the rest of the series) Lor’s character experiences so much growth and builds confidence for herself. The concept of the trials is interesting and the world building is solid. Tuli has mastered the art of revealing just enough information to keep readers on the edge of their seats, while still explaining the necessary nuances of Ouranos and its magic system so the readers aren’t left totally in the dark. So buckle up and get ready for some fantasy, adventure, and steamy enemies to lovers vibes in Rule of the Aurora King (Artefacts of Ouranos, Book 2)!
Fun Extra Tidbit
Trial of the Sun Queen became an instant hit BookTok (this is where I first heard of the book)! Additionally, actress Katherine Heigl read and praised the book. Nisha is currently working on debut book in the contemporary romance genre called “Not Safe for Work,” and is planning on writing her first YA dystopian romance in 2026.
Thanks so much for reading my book review for Trial of the Sun Queen by Nisha J. Tuli. Now it’s your turn! Have you read this novel or any others by Tuli and if so, what are your thoughts? Please feel free to share in the comments below!
Happy reading 😊
