Fate of the Sun King by Nisha J. Tuli

Book 3 of the Artefacts of Ouranos series
Rating - 1/2
Release - June 4, 2024
Genre - Fantasy Romance / enemies to lovers
POV - Multiple 1st person
Heat - descriptive
Source - eARC provided by the author
Length - 556 pages
Previous books in the series - Trial of the Sun Queen and Rule of the Aurora King




Seriously Nisha?! You're gonna do me like that???!!!

The entire entourage is hiding in plain sight and I was anxious for them. Who would find them first — Nadir's dad or the equally awful Sun King? While I waited to find out, I learned so much more about the history of the realms, the diabolical schemes of those in power, and what must happen to make things right. I think I know, but I need more details to be sure. Book four needs to appear in my hands pronto.

I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoyed getting other perspectives for this story. I could finally root for these characters, understanding their motives and emotions. All I wanted was for Lor to finally see Nadir and when she finally did, when she finally accepted that her anger wasn't truly with him, when she recognized everything they could be together, I was delirious with hope and happiness. All I want is to see this couple triumph over it all, knowing they are end game.

This was my favourite book of the series so far, even though it practically killed me in the end. While I'm tired of the heroines of fantasy books being the 'greatest person of all time', I do believe Lor and her siblings deserve all of the blessings that seem to be in store for them. They've suffered more than anyone should have to, especially when their suffering was due to their ancestor's transgressions. But it seems that there is so much more to the story and I'm loving how complicated everything is getting.

Kudos to the author for keeping all of these facts straight, tempting me with juicy morsels, leaving me begging for more. I'm sitting here absolutely devastated and excited for the next book.



Nisha J. Tuli is the bestselling author of Trial of the Sun Queen—the first in the Artefacts of Ouranos series—which became a BookTok hit thanks to her amazing fans. The originally self-published series was acquired by Forever Publishing and Orbit UK in 2023, and will soon be published in 15 other languages around the world.

She's also the author of Heart of Night and Fire, a South Asian-inspired fantasy romance and the first in a four-book series. Look for her rom-com debut in 2025 with NSFW (Not Suitable for Work), a workplace rivals to lovers rom-com publishing with Forever.

Nisha lives in Canada, where she spends most of her time reading and writing while enjoying travel, food, and camping with her partner, two kids, and their fluffy Samoyed, Mora.

Visit https://nishajtuli.com for more information.

Hello and happy Monday! I'm back with a series of books I read back in the day, enjoyed, and wanted to share. Have you read these books? Hopefully my review inspires someone to give this series a try.

Book One

When Sarah "Red" Ryder loses her job as an art critic for a Boston newspaper, she's brokenhearted. Worse than that? She's broke. Her boyfriend recently left her, so she's stuck paying her hefty apartment rent alone. After two months unemployed, there's no money left. With no immediate family to turn to, Red reaches out to her estranged grandmother, a reclusive writer living on an island off the coast of Charleston. Several days later, Red receives $30,000 and an invitation to visit.

James Wolfe is not Red's grandmother - but he's the only person waiting for her at the boat dock. Red has something he needs. He won't take "no" for an answer, and he doesn't mind screwing her over to get it. He lost his conscience six years ago, when he went off the grid. Since then, life is about him - and the renowned oil paintings he does under the mysterious pseudonym "W."

Until the moment he sees her. Then Red is all he wants. And Wolfe will have her - any way he can.

I gave it 3 stars.
From what I've seen, I'm guessing this is a spin on Little Red Riding Hood? I'm not sure I really got that other than the characters names. I haven't quite connected to Red or Wolfe yet. Red annoyed me so it will take a bit to endear her to me. While she was busy selling her worldly possessions, I kept wondering why she doesn't move?! When I read that she had granite countertops, I was baffled. Surely the cheapest places in Boston don't have granite countertops! Wth was wrong with this picture?! So yeah, I had no sympathy for the character. However, I'm interested in finding out more about Wolfe so I'm going to keep reading.

Book Two

Return to Rabbit Island for the erotic second installment of Red & Wolfe, the sensual story of exiled playboy James Wolfe and writer Sarah "Red" Ryder.

This is an erotic fairy tale inspired by Little Red Riding Hood.

I gave it 4 stars.
Damn that Wolfe is one sexy as f**k dominant. I didn't expect that and I like the surprise.

In this book, Red finally acknowledges how alone she is now that she has no family left. She also starts realizing, with Wolfe's help, that she's a natural submissive, at least for him.

I'm really interested to find out how she figures out who he is (she calls him Race Hollister but we know he's James Wolfe).

Book Three

Return to Rabbit Island with Red & the illusive Rafe for the hottest serial installment so far.

I'd bring at least two pairs of extra panties if I were you.

I gave it 4 stars.
What I found funny about this installment was that even though it was less than 40 pages, so much was happening that it felt longer. I'm still very intrigued by the mysterious James Wolfe. There seems to be so many interesting points to his story, such as his relationship then marriage to Cookie, her subsequent death, his trial for her murder, his relationship with his father and brother, his cousin Bob, and his relationship with Red's grandmother Gertrude. Because of how short each part is, I'm guessing I won't see further development on these areas, which sucks because I would definitely read that. I think of Red as a side character, simply because she's not a strong enough character to carry the plot on her own. She offers very little IMO. I hope to get some answers and maybe the start of a relationship between these two because they're hot together (although that's mainly because of Wolfe).

Book Four

Return to Rabbit Island for the heart-pounding conclusion to Red and Wolfe's story.

Don't forget your extra panties - but this time, you might also want to bring your gun.

I gave it 4 stars.
This is a new author for me and I found her writing unique, different and refreshing. This book for instance had so much packed into so little. Sex, betrayal, sex, guns, sex, knives, sex, secrets revealed, sex. Wow there was a lot of sex lol. But I'm not complaining about that. Nosiree. However, I am complaining about the use of the term 'f**k doll'. I absolutely did not like it. I could have truly done without it. But I liked everything else about Wolfe so it didn't completely turn me off from him. I enjoyed this series and I'm sure I will enjoy other books from this author.

The adopted human daughter of the Nightborn vampire king, Oraya carved her place in a world designed to kill her. Her only chance to become something more than prey is entering the Kejari: a legendary tournament held by the goddess of death herself.

But winning won’t be easy amongst the most vicious warriors from all three vampire houses. To survive, Oraya is forced to make an alliance with a mysterious rival.

Everything about Raihn is dangerous. He is a ruthless vampire, an efficient killer, an enemy to her father’s crown… and her greatest competition. Yet, what terrifies Oraya most of all is that she finds herself oddly drawn to him.

But there’s no room for compassion in the Kejari. War for the House of Night brews, shattering everything that Oraya thought she knew about her home. And Raihn may understand her more than anyone – but their blossoming attraction could be her downfall, in a kingdom where nothing is more deadly than love.



In the wake of the Kejari, everything Oraya once thought to be true has been destroyed. A prisoner in her own kingdom, grieving the only family she ever had, and reeling from a gutting betrayal, she no longer even knows the truth of her own blood. She’s left only with one certainty: she cannot trust anyone, least of all Raihn.

The House of Night, too, is surrounded by enemies. Raihn’s own nobles are none too eager to accept a Turned king, especially one who was once a slave. And the House of Blood digs their claws into the kingdom, threatening to tear it apart from the inside.

When Raihn offers Oraya a secret alliance, taking the deal is her only chance at reclaiming her kingdom–and gaining her vengeance against the lover who betrayed her. But to do so, she’ll need to harness a devastating ancient power, intertwined with her father’s greatest secrets.

But with enemies closing in on all sides, nothing is as it seems. As she unravels her past and faces her future, Oraya finds herself forced to choose between the bloody reality of seizing power – and the devastating love that could be her downfall.



After sooo many people recommended this series to me, I finally took the plunge... and I enjoyed it!

Everyone and their mama knows that I'm picky about heroines and Oraya had plenty for me to pick apart. But for every moment she irked me, she made me so proud of her too. She was the human daughter of the vampire king and her whole life was lived in terror. Constantly looking over her shoulder, trusting no one, and always on the brink of having to defend herself. When she joins the Kejari, she goes in with one goal — win at all costs. It was the start of a horrifying adventure and a journey toward her true path. She annoyed me to no end, but I was excited to see her triumph.

Raihn was hard to like in the beginning but this male quickly grew on me. He did a lot of the unexpected and I didn't doubt for one minute how much he truly valued Oraya. I loved whenever they got the chance to fight together. It was them against the world... until it wasn't. Raihn did some things that were hard to forgive and boy did Oraya make him work for it.

When I got to the end I found myself wishing for more. Raihn and Oraya had fought for most of this story and I wanted to spend more time with them as a couple. I can only hope to see more of them in the books to come.

My personal notes on the book:
* am I the only one tired of the whole "the heroine is the most beautiful, strongest, powerful person on Earth and the hero worships at her feet" trope? What is wrong with them being on equal footing?
* the amount of times Oraya said she won the Kejari when she only won because Raihn gave her the win.
* will all of the side characters get a story? Oops, just checked and saw that The Songbird & the Heart of Stone is about Mische.


PER THE AUTHOR:

I’ve been freaking out teachers and parents with mercilessly grim tales since I was roughly nine years old. Since then, my stories have gotten (slightly) less depressing and (hopefully a lot?) more readable. Today, I write fantasy novels with a heaping dose of badass ladies and a big pinch of romance. My books include the Crowns of Nyaxia series, the War of Lost Hearts series, and hopefully many more to come!

I live with my husband, one very well behaved rabbit, one very poorly behaved rabbit, and one perpetually skeptical cat in the extremely underrated state of Rhode Island.

You can find me around the internet on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Visit carissabroadbentbooks.com for more information.

The Hellfire Riders: Saxon & Jenny by Kati Wilde

Books 1-3 - The Hellfire Riders
Rating -
Release - December 1, 2014
Genre - MC Romance / instalove
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - explicit
Source - Kindle Unlimited
Length - 406 pages



When Saxon and Jenny first met, he was defending her from an attack. He spent years in prison because he saved her and he didn't regret one moment of it. While he served his time, Jenny was free to live her life, pining for the man who stepped in when no one else did.

Years later, the danger is back and only Saxon can give Jenny the protection she needs. And finally, the stars aligned because they both reveal their true affection for one another and it was really sweet. I loved how this big, tough biker was such a softy for the woman he loved. I really liked how the author imbued this hero with the qualities of a very honorable man and the heroine with the perfect features to complement her other half.

This story was a bit scary, but full of heart, heat and hope. I love when Amazon gives me a recommendation that is just right for me. I'm new to this author, but after reading this story, I'll definitely be back for more.


Kati Wilde is a tight-lipped, loose-hipped woman of indeterminate age and low breeding. Born into a very large family, she now has a very small family (no laws were broken in this transition), and she writes romantic fiction to assuage her darker urge to write Transformers erotica.

Visit katiwilde.com for more information.

Wed to the Ice Giant by Layla Fae

Arranged Monster Mates #1
Paranormal Romance, dual POV, explicit heat, 137 pages

As king of the ice giants, I must have heirs. But our customs do not satisfy me. I do not want a giantess who will bear me a child and then leave to be with another. I would much rather pursue a union the human way: find a partner who will share my bed, bear my children, and stay by my side.

Until death do us part.

One drop of blood is all it takes to get a match. And when I see her, my cool blood rushes faster in a daze of heat. Only one thought is clear in my mind: she belongs to me. I must claim her before my subjects to prove once and for all this female will not take lovers. She will be mine forever.

I will show her vigorously how different I am from puny human males. And once she knows what it means to be with the king of the giants, she will never want to leave.

What is Love? by Jen Comfort

Answer: From the Latin word for crossroads, this is knowledge so common as to be obscure, the pursuit of which engages millions daily. Question: What is trivia?

Trivia is the magic in the mundane, the connection in the commonplace, and Maxine Hart’s second-favorite pastime. A self-proclaimed Brooklyn street rat and a high school dropout, Maxine has never been a fan of formal education, but thanks to her ADHD “superpowers,” she’s a glutton for knowledge—and a good fight. And when Maxine enters the trivia game show Answers!, her brilliance, coupled with her penchant for big bets, devastates her competition. Even record-holding, 76-time-winner Teddy Ferguson.

Or was it their kiss the night before they faced off that threw the buttoned-up professor off his game?

Now, Maxine and Teddy cross paths again in a high-stakes tournament against all-time Answers! winners, including undefeated champion Hercules McKnight. With nothing in common but an insatiable appetite for knowledge and a desire to win, Maxine offers Teddy a deal: combine their strengths to shore up their weaknesses. She’ll push his tolerance for risk and improve his buzzer speed, if he’ll find creative ways to fill in the gaps in her education.

Except neither one of them foresaw just how scintillating learning could be…

The Midwinter Mail-Order Bride by Kati Wilde

The Dead Lands #1
Fantasy Romance, dual POV, explicit heat, 180 pages

Some might call Princess Anja of Ivermere brave for offering herself up as a bride to Kael the Conqueror, a barbarian warlord who'd won his crown by the bloodied edge of his sword. It was not courage that drove Anja from her magic-wielding family’s enchanted palace, however, but a desperate attempt to secure a kingdom of her own — even if she has to kill the Conqueror to do it. She expects pain beneath his brutal touch as she awaits her chance. She expects death if he discovers the truth of her intentions.

Raised in the ashes of the Dead Lands, Kael fears nothing — certainly not the beautiful sorceress who arrives at his mountain stronghold. And no matter how painful his need for her, he has no use for a bride who would only tolerate his kiss. Yet the more of Anja's secrets he uncovers during their journey to return her home, the more determined he becomes to win the princess's wary heart.

The Wastelander by E.S. Luck

Book #1
Post-Apocalyptic Romance, dual POV, explicit sex, 356 pages

Born in a secure compound amidst the ashes of a world long dead, Claire Ainsley knows her place in the world: work her assigned job, live with her assigned husband, and keep her head down and her mouth shut. She knows what every compound resident has been the world outside is a Wasteland, and the only thing more terrifying than leaving the compound is being forced to confront those who live outside—the ones left behind.

But her safe, contained life is destroyed when she narrowly survives an attack conceived by a conspiracy from within the compound itself. Only by fleeing into the terrifying Wasteland, a vast wilderness peopled by bloodthirsty, cannibalistic Wastelanders, can she escape a violent end at the hands of her fellow compound dwellers.

Captured by the very savages she feared, she is saved by John Madigan, a mysterious and capable survivor—and a Wastelander. She tries to deny the instant chemistry she feels with a man that is one moment terrifying, the next patient and caring, but eventually, neither of them are able to resist the blazing passion between them. But the Wasteland is harsh, and her time with John fleeting. As his own personal mission comes to an end, he must return to his ancestral homeland, leaving her with little choice but to learn to survive without the man whose protection is her only salvation in a harsh, uncompromising post-apocalyptic landscape.

The Wasteland of this world has not been kind to those unchosen.