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goldenleafbooks's review
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: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Death, Police brutality, Confinement, Classism, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Cursing, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Death of parent and Kidnapping
Nothing in this book is gratuitous. All content warnings involve things that are genuinely necessary to the plot of the story.chi__'s review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Bullying, Confinement, Sexual content, and Torture
Minor: Violence
deniseneutel's review
The pitting of grown women against each other over some man. The two main characters haven't even interacted.
Oh and I'm pretty sure Lor is the lost queen of hearts or some shit. I mean she has the red stone right.
The writing is terrible. And it's as anti feminist as it gets.
I mean: "He's just a male and can't be held responsible for his actions"
Uh victim blaming, rape culture. Just a big fat nope on this one.
Oh and I'm pretty sure Lor is the lost queen of hearts or some shit. I mean she has the red stone right.
The writing is terrible. And it's as anti feminist as it gets.
I mean: "He's just a male and can't be held responsible for his actions"
Uh victim blaming, rape culture. Just a big fat nope on this one.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Cursing, Ableism, Bullying, Confinement, and Misogyny
karapillar's review
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: Murder, Kidnapping, Death, Sexual content, Death of parent, Cursing, Confinement, Abandonment, Alcohol, Bullying, Violence, Blood, Body shaming, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Misogyny and Vomit
marisabenn's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
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
4.25
This was good! But it was missing... something. I'm not sure what.
Did Lor know she was lost royalty or not? Did she truly like Atlas or was she only using him? Do the failed Tributes get killed or nah?
There were a lot of unclear parts, and I got kinda bored in the middle, but I still enjoyed this. I'm excited for the others now that (hopefully) most of the world building is done!
Did Lor know she was lost royalty or not? Did she truly like Atlas or was she only using him? Do the failed Tributes get killed or nah?
There were a lot of unclear parts, and I got kinda bored in the middle, but I still enjoyed this. I'm excited for the others now that (hopefully) most of the world building is done!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, and Confinement
Moderate: Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Violence
Minor: Rape
kassidyreads's review against another edition
DNF @ 30%
Honestly, the writing isn't great and the characters are annoying me.
Honestly, the writing isn't great and the characters are annoying me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Confinement
bookishmillennial's review
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: Kidnapping, Death, Violence, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, and Confinement
jadeandherbunny's review
adventurous
tense
fast-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
3.25
The world is interesting, I'm excited to see more in the sequel.
I like Lor (fmc) but she is dumb AF, for example, this discussion: Mag : I hear rumors. The servants talk.
Lor : What rumors?
Mag : I'm sure they're not true.
Lor : What rumors?
Mag : *says said rumors*
Lor : Is tHaT tRuE?
Mag : No.
Lor : *in her head* MaG mUsT bE mIsTaKeN. ThEsE aRe jUsT cRuEL rUmOrS [...]
I like how she fights everyone though.
I just hope the ennemies to lovers banter is worth it and Lor has a great development in the sequel.
I like Lor (fmc) but she is dumb AF, for example, this discussion: Mag : I hear rumors. The servants talk.
Lor : What rumors?
Mag : I'm sure they're not true.
Lor : What rumors?
Mag : *says said rumors*
Lor : Is tHaT tRuE?
Mag : No.
Lor : *in her head* MaG mUsT bE mIsTaKeN. ThEsE aRe jUsT cRuEL rUmOrS [...]
I like how she fights everyone though.
I just hope the ennemies to lovers banter is worth it and Lor has a great development in the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Grief
Minor: Rape, Sexual violence, and Death of parent
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: Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Violence, Sexual content, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, War, and Rape
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, and Death of parent
taylormshipley's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Death
Moderate: Confinement, Sexual assault, and Torture