The high-stakes of the Hunger Games meet the trials of the Selection. The novel The Trial of the Sun Queen by Nisha J. Tuli is a fantasy romance novel where a tormented prisoner, Lor, is forced into deadly Sun Queen trials. Here, she competes against other women for the Sun King’s heart as well as her own freedom, all the while navigating magic, enemies-to-lovers tropes, and featuring complex characters and gripping plot twists. 

When I first read this series this summer, I was shocked at how beautifully written it was, with the world-building and character development being so vivid and detailed. I could not put this series down, reading through it rapidly. I was surprised to see how quickly Ouranos became one of my favorite fantasy worlds, especially for a series I had not seen mentioned on social media or book recommendations! I really enjoyed how each part of Ouranos had unique flares; The Aurora’s Aurobilious lights shining over the mountains, and Aphelion’s complexity of appearing sunny and beautiful, yet having dark secrets lying within. Furthermore, I loved, loved, loved how the rest of the series, despite having a Hunger Games and Selection-esque vibe to the first book, didn’t drag on this plotline, and instead built off of it to reveal a truly incredible, yet shocking story. 

Overall, I really recommend this series to anyone who’s getting tired of reading the same tropes and needs amazing world-building and well-written characters!