Quick Highlights :

- enemies to lovers
- one bed trope
- one horse (new trope lol)
- haven't read romantasy in a LOOONG time
- definitely haven't read Fae romance between two brown characters!!
- slowburnn
- also I'm a therapist, so obviously I LOVE Lor setting and enforcing her boundaries!
- SPICY!

"The Rule of the Aurora King" by Nisha Tuli, the second book in the Artefacts of Ouranos series, has me utterly obsessed – an understatement for my love of this series. Following the gripping "Trial of the Sun Queen" (see my previous review), this book continues to captivate with unveiled secrets, magic, deceit, and of course spice. The forced proximity trope is masterfully executed, creating tension that had me hooked from start to finish.

Anticipating the next book in the series, I am eager to delve deeper into Lor's story. The narrative unfolds in the enchanting land of the Aurora King, and the atmosphere is nothing short of a chef's kiss – a testament to Tuli's exceptional world-building.

In essence, "The Rule of the Aurora King" not only lives up to the high standards set by its predecessor but surpasses expectations, offering a compelling blend of intrigue, magic, and tantalizing plot twists. This series continues to be a literary gem, and I can't wait to see where it takes me next.

The story picks up from book one, with Lor being Nadir's prisoner. He knows she is hiding something and he is ready to do anything to figure out what it is. For he is certain that Lor's secret is gonna be the key in his plan to overthrow is father.
But after a life spent in jail and the betrayal of Atlas, Lor needs to keep her head cold. She can't trust anyone. Not even the attractive prince who obviously has it for her too.

The spice level picked up quite a few notches in this book. The story is interesting and the back and forth between the past and present helps clarify some details as to how and why Lor and her siblings where sent to Jail to begin with.
I really appreciate how the story treats the delicate subject of trauma and healing. It adds a perfect touch is sensibility and makes the characters even more relatable and lovable.

I love this series! It's fast paced and you dive right in. This is especially great for people new to the fantasy genre. The world building is woven in without a big info dump at the beginning. The world is rich without being overly complicated. I love that we get to see Nadir and Lor grow closer in this book. Although Lor is hesitant to let anyone have power over her ever again, especially the kind of power love creates.
I did find Lor to be kind of annoying in this second book, constantly complaining about the things the Aurora King did and how Nadir didn’t do anything to stop him. I also didn't like the flashbacks to Lor’s ancestors. It took me out of the story and I think that info could have been given to us in less detail.
But overall I enjoyed this book, I love the series and I'm looking forward to the third book!

Rule of the Aurora King by Nisha J. Tuli Book Review

Star rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Genre: Fantasy/Romance
Series: Artefacts of Ouranos - Book #2
POV: three POVs - 1st person (Lor), 1st person (Nadir), 3rd person (Serce)
Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, One bed, Fake Dating, One Horse, Secret Identity,

Thoughts:
This book blew me away.

Rule of the Aurora King was better than the first book, and I seriously LOVED the first book so that says a lot. I am obsessed with Lor and Nadir. The tension and banter between these two characters had me in a choke hold, I could NOT get enough of it. I was blushing and giggling .. IT WAS JUST SO GOOD. This is a true enemies to lovers. Nadir is my new book boyfriend for sure. If you are into morally grey, then NADIR IS FOR YOU UGH.

Beyond the spice, the plot was amazing. It was a bit slower than the first book, I thought the whole hunger games type trials were super captivating. But we still got hunting for treasures, secret spy missions, and flashbacks from the past. I didn't think I would enjoy the flashback chapters, but I actually did! I thought it was almost necessary to do that, and it was done in a way that didn't take much brain power to grasp. We learned a lot about why a specific Queendom was destroyed 286 years ago. Did anyone else FALL HEAD OVER HEELS in love with wolf?! Because I did.. he's such a gem.

I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL THE 3RD BOOK COMES OUT IN JUNE 2024 !!

Thank you to the author and Forever Publishing for gifting me a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own. *ARC provided to me via NetGalley in exchange of an honest review*

Lots of thoughts on book 2 of the Artefacts of Ouranos...mostly positive! I definitely liked this one (slightly) more than its predecessor. I'd officially rate it a 3.8 (rounded up to 4). "Rule of the Aurora King" was very romance-heavy, focusing more on the characters and their relationships, whereas book 1 was of course focused on the world building and the Sun Queen Trials, which was what I enjoyed most about that book.

This book picked up right where the first book left off so it wasn't too difficult to jump back into the world. I had read Trial of the Sun Queen almost 3+ months ago and I was worried I'd forgotten most of the plot. 🥲

While I did love the angsty tension between Lor and Nadir, I really missed the high-stakes action in book 2. There wasn't really any life or death situations, heists, and/or quests for our main characters that have me at the edge of my seat. The characters were truly just battling themselves and their feelings for each other 😂 which again, I do love when men suffer, but even I just wanted the characters to just accept what we/the audience have known to be painfully obvious since probably book 1. IYKYK. Alas, I do appreciate the push and pull of romantasy series so I'm perfectly ok with being teased 🥲 I'm absolutely counting down the days until book 3's release!!

*ARC provided by Netgalley & Forever pub* (Rule of the Aurora King is available now in print & kindle unlimited!)

Another great one from Nisha! Book 2 was really good and I can't wait for book 3 now!! Though I don't want it to end!

Thank you to @readforeverpub for a copy Rule of the Aurora King in trade for an honest review.
This book was great, 4.5 stars!

I was thrilled to continue the adventure and romance of the main characters. I had a great time turning the pages to learn more. I did have a harder time getting into the chapters explaining the past, though important to the story. I found myself dragging at times especially during these chapters. I was more invested in the character growth and romance of the present day. I can’t wait for June!

I can't believe I read this book in 24 hours. I loved it so much and I am absolutely DYING for the 3rd book!

The writing and attention to detail is absolutely amazing. I have created such an attachment to the characters and the world. Nisha paints such an exceptional picture with her writing.

The multiple POV is one of my favorite aspects of this series, but then adding the past to present chapters was even better! Instead of a character just talking about the past, you actually get to visually see it.

The spice is just right where it compliments the story without overshadowing it, and don't get me started on the banter. I smiled, giggled and grinned WAY too much while reading this book.

I'm so glad I found this series and gave it a shot. It's been such a memorable read that I've immediately bought the physical books for my trophy shelf!

This book definitely has the spice!! The main character is still a little too self-deprecating for my taste but the plot makes it more bearable. I love the switching back and forth between the past and the present to give little glimpses of why the current struggle is happening. The enemies to lovers trope plays out well here without being too in your face but still has a little bit of cheesiness to it.

Also great continuation! Very valid love conflict between Nadir and Lor. I was really hoping we'd see her like powers more throughout but that's fine. Also the whole hiding in the castle literally under the King's nose...like how did they really think that was going to go. He was literally obssessed with her and definitely knows what she looks like.

This series is so good!! It is easily making it's way to one of my top series. I cannot wait to read the third book. I am actually kind of sad that it is going to end after 4 books! If you like Throne of Glass, the Selections, or any fantasy/dystopian/romace books like that, you will love these! I

Book two did not disappoint!!! Although, I was not ready for just how slow of a slow burn this series would be. I will say, there is enough happening with the other elements of the plot that when the heat does turn up, its so worth it. Book 3 cant come soon enough!

I’m so glad that we were able to go on adventures with the characters. To see them begin to gain a sense of self worth, who they are apart from what they’ve always known, and truly build the romance we all needed more of. The way this book ended was an absolute travesty - it felt like being left on read when what you sent was a very important question.

While the events in this book were fun, it didn’t quite hit as exciting as the first. I felt there was a lot of pandering around for something that could have finished in half the book. I truly wish these two things weren’t half of the book because I really wanted to love it. But the amount of space it took up just took too much time. Give me more, don’t graze over, and don’t drag out and this would have been top notch.

I really needed more Nadir in this book and for that reason, I will absolutely be reading book three.

3.5/5

An awesome second book to continue this series!

It’s veryyyy similar to another book series we all love and adore so can be super predictable at times but still enjoyable. I liked the flashbacks in this one to help explain the downfall of Heart, although there’s still lots of questions! I know there will be adventure and pining in book three. Can’t wait!

ENEMIES TO LOVERS

WOW, did this book deliver!!! I really enjoyed Sun Queen, but this book took it to the next level. Aurora King has everything you could possibly want in a romantasy..... fated mates, dual pov, enemies to lovers, one horse, angsty, found family, violence, spice galore. The inner monologues were perfection. There's so much beautiful tension and hostility between the two main characters and it is delicious. I was hooked from page one.

The plot was a bit slower in this book, but still intriguing. Lor continues to develop as a character and we get to see another side of her emerge in Aurora King.

If you like spicy, genuine enemies to lovers fantasy romance — quickly read Trial of the Sun Queen so you can devour this book.

So far this has been a great series for me. The book picks up right where the first one left off, with Lor escaping from the clutches of the Sun King and finding herself in the hands of the Aurora Prince, Nadir.
From the very first page, I was drawn into the world of Ouranos and couldn't put the book down. The author has created a rich and complex world filled with fae, magic, and political intrigue. Tuli's writing is beautiful and vivid, painting a clear picture of each scene and making it easy to imagine myself in the story.
One of the things I loved most about this book was the growth and development of the main character, Lor. After being betrayed by the Sun King in the first book, she is now wary of trusting anyone, especially another royal fae. But as she and Nadir team up to search for a lost item, she begins to open up and let him in, showing a vulnerable side to her that we didn't see in the first book. It was refreshing to see her character evolve and become more complex.
The relationship between Lor and Nadir was also a highlight of the book for me. Their banter and chemistry were entertaining to read, and I loved seeing them work together to overcome obstacles. It was clear that they both had their own agendas, but as they got to know each other, they began to trust and rely on each other.
I think overall, this was a fantastic read that had me fully immersed in the world of Ouranos and the relationship between Nadir and Lor.

Amazing! I already want more. I was so excited for this to be released and was honestly so mad at real life getting in the way of me binging this. I liked the pace of this a lot, especially after the quick pace of book 1. This one had a good balance of action and personal storylines with the main characters. Obsessed with the dual POVs and cannot wait for more from these characters!!

I love how much Lor grows in this book and how much there is still room for her to come into herself. She is one of my favorite fantasy MCs and I’m so eager to see where book 3 is going to take her. Hopefully, more time with Nadir.

I love Tuli’s writing. It’s beautifully done and adds a lot of value to the story without making it feel heavy or dense to get through. This series is so bingeable and I’m counting down the days to book 3!

Thanks to Forever Pub for the copy of this book!

The Artefacts of Ouranos series continues in a sizzling follow up to TRIAL OF THE SUN QUEEN. This book was exciting with romance, court intrigue, and adventure. And that cliffhanger at the end! I need book three. This is a great romantasy series if you’re looking for something bingeable or similar to A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES.

This is a wonderful follow up to the first book.

It nearly picks up right where the previous one left off. The plot is well paced and we get to learn much more about the characters.

Going from one kind of prison to another, Lor is pressured to share her secrets and give her trust, both of which she's clutched tightly. She has to play a deadly game of hiding in plain sight, hoping it won't blow up in her face. If that wasn't tedious enough, she's also trying to ignore the dangerous pull and attraction she has to the intense Aurora prince.

Focusing on her family and legacy, Lor will do anything to keep herself free from any restraints. She belongs to no one but herself and will make sure that is never forgotten.

I'm delighted that this was my first read of the new year ♥️