This book wins for the best first line ever! It definitely got me hooked from the start. Lor is a really fun FMC. She’s tough and a little chaotic, yet her bold personality is also a good mask for the fact that she’s vulnerable. She’s had a really shitty upbringing that’s made her the way she is, and she’s fiercely protective of the few people she has last to love. Her quick temper is a bit of a problem for her at times, but overall I think it adds to her strength to defend herself. 
I love me a nice set of deadly trials and the Sun Queen Trials did not disappoint. We even had the petty competitors to add to the drama. Gabriel is a very intriguing character and I would very much like to learn more of him as the series continues. I’m also incredibly curious about the identity of the male he was with during the ball . Maybe we will never find out, but it seemed to me that his identity was pointedly hidden. 
Atlas was an interesting character. I couldn’t quite reconcile myself with the side of him we saw, given he seemed pretty okay with the trials having happened more than once and young women dying. Plus it was mentioned he put the contestants in compromising situations in the past, which didn’t seem to fit with the tender face he presented most of the time. 
Nadir is obviously going to play a large part in the series at some point since we get his POV, but we mostly only get glimpses of him in this book. I look forward to seeing his role as the story continues. 
All in all, an awesome start to a series and I am immediately jumping into book 2.