Amanda
The veil that protects the kingdom of Ardenia is failing and evil is slowly seeping into the land. King Richard must find a way to protect his kingdom while navigating complex political and personal relationships.
First, I love how Briar Niran balances all of the different parts of the story. There are action sequences, court politics, personal relationships, research trips, inter-kingdom politics, and horror scenes, but I never felt lost by all the goings on or that any aspect of the story was being sacrificed in favor of another.
The force that is corrupting the land is not just written as a vague menace, but a genuinely terrifying force that is mutating things into creatures that could have stepped out of a David Cronenberg film. The antagonist is a true threat, and has actual motivations for his actions rather than just being evil for the sake of it.
What I like best about this book is the relationships between Richard and his siblings. It's a delight to read about a healthy family with members who may disagree and fight, but who also love and respect one another.
Richard and Kaelen's romantic relationship is progressing slowly, but it feels realistic to me. They have known each other all their lives, but changing the nature of the relationship is a huge step and I like that Niran is treating it with care.
I know it's only March, but I'm pretty sure The Sun King and His Knight series is going to be at the top of my favorite finds of 2026 list.
Received via the author.
The veil that protects the kingdom of Ardenia is failing and evil is slowly seeping into the land. King Richard must find a way to protect his kingdom while navigating complex political and personal relationships.
First, I love how Briar Niran balances all of the different parts of the story. There are action sequences, court politics, personal relationships, research trips, inter-kingdom politics, and horror scenes, but I never felt lost by all the goings on or that any aspect of the story was being sacrificed in favor of another.
The force that is corrupting the land is not just written as a vague menace, but a genuinely terrifying force that is mutating things into creatures that could have stepped out of a David Cronenberg film. The antagonist is a true threat, and has actual motivations for his actions rather than just being evil for the sake of it.
What I like best about this book is the relationships between Richard and his siblings. It's a delight to read about a healthy family with members who may disagree and fight, but who also love and respect one another.
Richard and Kaelen's romantic relationship is progressing slowly, but it feels realistic to me. They have known each other all their lives, but changing the nature of the relationship is a huge step and I like that Niran is treating it with care.
I know it's only March, but I'm pretty sure The Sun King and His Knight series is going to be at the top of my favorite finds of 2026 list.
Received via the author.