Gods, it's finally over! Well, that was terrible, honestly, some really fucked up intersection of Hunger Games, Selection & ACOTAR. I struggled incredibly hard by the time it ended, oh my goodness.

Lor wasn't that terrible, by the way, although one would think that prison years would make a person distrustful, weak and maybe a little unpredictable, both mentally and physically, but not her. That would be fine, but the fact that she was so terribly naïve (after all of that!) is not. She keeps saying she doesn't need anyone, etc., but she's still helping others — which no sane person would do. I can't figure her out — and I honestly don't want to — but I liked that she had an animalistic rage and a willingness to act. Either way, this martyr role went terribly wrong for her. Atlas, I knew — I felt — that we were going to get another Tamlin, even with a not-so-big change lol. A red flag for everyone, another toxic alpha male that no one needs. When it comes to Nadir, I can't decide what the hell he's doing or who he's having what relationship with, to be honest. He has a goal — an infinitely vague and unnecessary goal — that he pursues like a hound, but I cannot figure out why he does it, and I honestly don't care why he (and everyone else) needs Lor so much. Of the other characters, Gabriel was surprisingly quite tolerable with his duality, but I didn't like him either. Maybe it was Halo who grew a bit close to my heart. 

The love story (can I even call it that?) was just so out of the blue that I shook my head. There was no chemistry between them, as if we were trying to put a stone and ice together — there are similarities, but not much. (And by the way, it seems okay to spread your legs the very first time after being raped and abused repeatedly for years at the first opportunity???? What the hell was that??? Who writes such a thing??)

The plot was horribly messed up. No beginning or end, everything was so tuggy and still too fast (a bit counterproductive, but I can't say it any better) all at once. The author should have spent a lot more time and energy building the world (I never thought I'd say that, lol) and leaving eroticism in the background for once in a lifetime. Otherwise, the pace was quite good - not the best, but still not so bad. The wording was fine, although I read it on my mother tongue, so I can't add much. And the end; What was that? I felt the author tried – unsuccessfully – to add a Rhysand rescue expedition (why I don't know) so that if it had fairies, it wouldn't miss the ACOTAR reference. It made no sense or any use. 

Overall, there are no gods that would make me volunteer to continue this series, that was more than enough (maybe even a lot) for a lifetime.

PS: that map was terrible. 

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.

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!

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

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 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.