Fate of the Sun King - Review

Fate of the Sun King (Artefacts of Ouranos, # 3)

By: Nisha J Tuli

Publication: June 4, 2024 by Forever

556 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Fae

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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Goodreads description--The highly anticipated third installment of the steamy Artefacts of Ouranos series journeys deeper into the glittering fae world as Lor puts both her life and her heart on the line in this enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance.

With the Heart Crown now in her possession, Lor must navigate the dangers of being an heir on the run, knowing more than one power-hungry ruler is after her blood. When she returns to Aphelion to unlock her magic and recover her family's legacy, it becomes clearer than ever that all that’s gold doesn’t sparkle. No stranger to battles, she continues to fight her attraction to the Aurora Prince, understanding this might be the one she finally loses.

As the past mixes with the present, Lor uncovers the truth about the Artefacts and their role in shaping her destiny. Now, her future hangs in the balance, leaving her closer than ever to getting everything she's ever wanted... or losing it all forever.

I did it again. I finished Fate of the Sun King nearly two months before writing my review. So sorry guys. I've got to find a better system for getting in front of the computer regularly.

Anyway, Fate of the Sun King starts with tension between Lor and Nadir. They had a moment in the previous book and Lor freaked out. She's determined that she will never "belong" to another man. And Nadir has to back off his pursuit of her until she's ready. In the meantime, they're trying to find the crown of Heart and then return to the mirror of Aphelion. But the mirror is in the Aphelion throne room and Atlas is still searching for Lor. Even though the mirror rejected her as the next queen of Aphelion, he hasn't given up the idea of bonding with her and tapping into her power.

We have some additional narrators in Fate of the Sun King that we didn't have in the previous two books. We still have Lor and Nadir. But now we also have Gabriel, Cloris Payne, Zerra the Sun Queen (flashback), and King Herric (flashback). Cloris Payne's storyline ties into Lor's grandmother's storyline. And then Zerra and Herric go back to the formation of the "world" that the books are set in. Cloris's storyline makes sense in connection with what we've been exposed to previously. Zerra and Herric were confusing and left me wondering how exactly their stories were connected to the future events of the series. I'm sure we'll find out, but I didn't enjoy their pieces or storylines. I have some critiques of the storyline, but at this point, those would be spoilers, so I won't address them beyond saying that it reminds me of my previous complaints about this series.

Gabriel was the best new narrator. He shared a lot more information about what was going on in the Sun court with Atlas, and his own limitations due to the bonds placed upon him. I can't say I love everything about his storyline or character, but I'm intrigued to see more.

I mentioned in my review of Rule of the Aurora King that I was somewhat reminded of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. There was one line in this book that I thought could have been a nod to that series as well, but I might have been reading too much into things.

I also mentioned in my previous reviews that weak writing presents easy conflict or conflict resolution in this series. I found myself questioning the same when the characters show up at The Woodlands on the run but decide to participate in a big party being celebrated. How does this make any sense?

Fate of the Sun King gets 3.5 Stars from me. I do think this was a better installment in the series overall. I have a few irritations and a couple of things I'm uncertain of where they are going. But overall, I read this book quickly. I wanted to keep reading, and I enjoyed the characters' development. Overall, I am looking forward to continuing the series. Have you read Fate of the Sun King? What did you think? Let me know!