Trial of the Sun Queen

Ich bin ein riesen Fan von den Schreibstil und finde, dass die storytime sehr gelungen ist. Ich mag das niemand idealisiert wird es trotzdem eine klare Trennung zwischen Gut und Böse vorhanden ist, auch mit ein kleinen Plottwist ;)

Trial of the Sun Queen is set on the continent of Ouranos, which consists of eight districts ruled by imperial Fae kings. Lor, our FMC, was born in the Kingdom of Aurora – a part of Ouranos where the only light comes from the glow of the Aurora Borealis. Lor and her two siblings have been imprisoned in Nostraza for twelve years by the Aurora King. Her brother and sister were charged with murder and theft, while Lor (being the youngest) was never even formally accused of a crime and was simply locked away with them. Having spent half her life in prison, she remembers little of her childhood beyond the stories her siblings tell her. To protect each other, they have also chosen to keep their family ties a secret from guards and fellow prisoners. Nostraza is a prison for criminals and the Fallen, surrounded by a forest called "The Void", filled with deadly magical beasts. No one escapes. Survival alone is considered a miracle. Still, Lor dreams of freedom, vengeance, and one day saving her siblings. After a fight, Lor is sentenced to two weeks in "The Hollow" – a deep, muddy pit in the Void with no food or water. A death sentence. But shortly after she is thrown in, a riot breaks out, and Lor is unexpectedly rescued and transported to the Sun Palace, far from the Aurora King. There, she learns that Atlas – the Sun King – has requested her extraction to compete as the human Tribute in the Sun Queen Trial. The trial must always include one human contestant, meant to prove that anyone can win the queen’s crown and shape their own fate. The catch? In 8,000 years, not a single human Tribute has survived. Still, it’s Lor’s only chance at freedom and saving her siblings. Once Lor’s disappearance is discovered, the Aurora King sends his eldest son, Nadir, to retrieve her – dead or alive. I read this in one sitting. The writing is easy to follow and well-paced, making it a very bingeable read. The opening line – “That bitch took my soap.” – made me laugh and was a surprisingly funny way to start the story. The worldbuilding is a solid introduction to Ouranos, though I hope it will deepen in the next book. The plot itself is fairly predictable, and while the story isn’t particularly unique, it is undeniably entertaining. A few lines made me cringe a little, mostly involving the Sun King, because no, men don’t get to act and talk like that and just get away with it. I liked Lor as an FMC. She feels authentic and clearly shaped by her traumatic experiences. She speaks her mind, often without thinking, which can be irritating at times, but she’s also genuinely funny, compassionate and big-hearted. The minor characters stood out as well, especially Gabriel, the king’s guard captain. I also really enjoyed the stylist character, whose introduction strongly reminded me of "The Hunger Games" but added a fun touch to the story. If you’re not in the mood to read, I can also recommend the audiobook. The narrators did a great job bringing the story to life. Overall, while not perfect, this was a very entertaining read, and I will definitely be continuing the series. Story: 4 ⭐️ Spice: 1

Das Buch ist nicht schlecht, konnte mich aber leider nicht richtig in seinen Bann ziehen. Ich konnte keinen richtigen Draht zur Protagonistin entwickeln und auch die Prüfungen wirkten zu altbekannt. Es werden viele beliebte Tropes verwendet, aber irgendwie fehlt hier das Besondere, damit der Funke überspringt. Obwohl das Ende Fragen aufwirft, hat mich die Geschichte nicht genug gefesselt, um weiterlesen zu wollen.

Es fing spannend an und ließ dann sehr schnell nach. Aus einer toughen Frau wurde innerhalb von einem Kapitel eine sehr naive und blinde Hauptdarstellerin, die sich einfach nur hoffnungslos dem Typen hinwirft, auf einmal ihren eigenen Willen und Charakterzüge verloren hat und nichts an ihrer neuen Situation hinterfragt. Ganz schwierig finde ich auch, dass sie einfach zulässt, dass er ihre Grenzen nicht einhält bzw. er ganz offensichtlich mit ihren Gefühlen spielt. Ich habe es jetzt in der Hälfte abgebrochen, weil es mich einfach nur triggert und sauer macht.