First I want to say thank you to NetGalley for allowing me the chance to read this ARC! All comments and thoughts are my own.

Whew, where to start?! I was immediately hooked on this book based on the synopsis that was posted and I was absolutely not disappointed. This book was enthralling from the very first page. As someone who loves all forms for mythology, I couldn’t get enough and am eagerly awaiting the rest of the series.

Michelle Jabès Corpora does a masterful job of shrouding the story in mystery, while giving you answers to questions you didn’t realize you had. You are consistently on the edge of your seat to see how the main characters will be brought together, what their purpose and arcs are, and to see how it will all fall together. Seeing as this will be the start of a series, you are left with questions but the build up throughout the book leaves you anticipating where the story will go.

I cannot wait to purchase a copy for my bookshelf when the book is published and I cannot wait to continue the series!

As someone who hadn’t read an Egyptian-inspired fantasy novel since the Kane Chronicles back in middle school, reading His Face is the Sun was a welcome return to familiar mythology mixed with a lush new world and intriguing characters. I was reminded a great deal of the intersecting character arcs and sociopolitical intrigue in Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse, albeit with this novel having a target younger audience, and I was quite impressed with how Corpora was able to balance each individual POV as interesting solo journeys and then building upon those as our characters’ paths crossed. This book had such great pacing and vibrant world-building, and I loved being along for the ride with our four central characters as they tackled issues of fate and destiny, self identity, politics and social privilege, all while trying to save the world and keep their own secrets. I’m very grateful to have been given access to this ARC by NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire, and can’t wait for the sequel to this explosive first book of a great new series!

Egyptian history is so fascinating to me, so when I saw that this was a fantasy novel set in ancient Egypt I was 100% on board. I think I’ve found my new favorite setting for novels.

The plot follows four different points of view: the princess of Egypt, a priestess in training, a peasant rebel, and a tomb robber. The Pharaoh grows more sick every day and the healers cannot find what ails the king. A rebellion grows nearby as the people tire of growing taxes, struggling to survive. A young girl has mysterious dreams which align with an ancient prophecy set in stone that a tomb robber finds on his adventure to the wrong tomb. The robber unleashes a dark evil that is now following him like a second shadow. Will the king survive this mysterious illness? Will the rebels rise up and finally have their voices heard? What will come of this ancient prophecy of the lamb?

I’m a sucker for books that have thrilling multiple points of view as long as it keeps the story moving and eventually tied together in mind boggling ways—and this Michelle DELIVERS big time! The characters get in depth page time where we really get to know who they are, how they interact with others, and what motivates them. All the characters are fun to read about and there is suspense and action in all four story lines (rare!).
The world building is fascinating because it’s all about ancient Egypt and their traditions and religion. What is interesting about this story is that the tomb that is uncovered and being robbed is a tomb of an unknown pharaoh. This means he was struck from the records for some reason. Also, the son of the pharaoh wants to bring back old traditions which turns society on its head and the chaos is just chef kiss! I was shaking in my boots. I felt spooky vibes during the tomb raider storyline, exhilaration when Rae was engaging in rebel warfare against the higher ups, mystery and suspense when the priestess uses her position to sabotage and manipulate, and all the feels of romance with the princess and another choice character when they fall in love and will NOT admit it! The writing is shocking with plot twists and pieces of the mysterious prophecy clicking into place. There is some reference to sex (not explicitly described but insinuated), as well as violence and death (descriptive scenes of blood and gore). The writing does not feel like your watered-down young adult novel—this book felt mature in all story elements across the board. I was completely and utterly taken aback in a refreshing way! I am completely addicted and cannot wait to continue reading about these characters and their harrowing adventures!

Romantasy lovers rejoice because there’s a new amazing book to absolutely ravage and devour!!! I will also be following Michelle Jabès Corpora and checking out some of her other works.

The first installment in the Throne of Khetara series, a YA epic fantasy with an ancient Egyptian setting. Four strangers are ripped from their lives and thrown into a conflict. These four unlikely heroes find themselves connected by a forgotten oracle that whispers insistently across the land. Only together can they save the kingdom from destruction, but when the bloodshed is done, who of Khetara’s children will sit on the throne?

The Plot: It felt like there were four different plots running at the same time until the very end of the book. I enjoy different perspectives but it felt very disjointed and confusing until we were almost all the way done with the book. I assume that this is likely due to it being the first of three in the series and the characters needed building and developing. The four individual stories were really enthralling and I enjoyed them. By the end of the book, I wanted things to keep going.

The characters: I can’t decide who I like and who I dislike, and I think that makes for a really fun read. Each individual main character has their own faults and strengths.

The setting: The setting was amazing. I absolutely love that it was set in ancient times in Egyptian lore. What a magical, creepy, moody vibe it gives to the story.

Overall I enjoyed the book and I will likely read the next two. It held my attention, kept me on the edge of my seat, and had me wanting to know what will happen. I felt tied to the characters and to their wellbeing. The author did a great job at the imagery in the book, making you feel like you were there. The pacing was a little slow but the payoff was worth it. This will be perfect for young adult fans who are looking for a less spicy game of thrones.

Thank you to the folks at Sourcebooks Fire for sharing an early copy with me in exchange for my honest review.

ARC read provided by Netgalley.
Uhmmm, this was really good. For the first 10 or so chapters were trying. This is a multi POV book, specifically 4, with many characters operating a complex political system based on Ancient Egypt. Now this is Fantasy lite, at least for most of the book, because it is based on ancient Egypt, it is leaning towards historical fiction with magic sprinkled in throughout it, at least until the end, where magic and prophecies take full steam. I loved the royal triplets and their dynamics. Sita, the princess, is well developed; she comes off as superficial and frivolous, but loves deeply. Neff is the youngest of the bunch at thirteen, but she is very aware. She is pushed into the world because she can interpret dreams and visions, but she is clever enough to know when she is in danger and whom to trust and not. Rae and Karim are the oldest at nineteen. Rae is a rebellious girl fighting for her family and people against oppressive royal soldiers. Karim is a Tomb Raider who discovers secrets long buried, he is very chivalrous.
The book is being advertised as Game of Thrones YA. It feels like that with this very complex story, where characters cross paths briefly and then separate. This, however, I would lean towards upper YA. Sita has a few scandalous rendezvous with a guard that are not super descriptive, but everything is implied. Because it Ancient Egyptian royal family incest is spoken about, and one of the princes has eyes for his sister. Blahh. However sister is not having it. Go girl. There is a lot of Violence in the Rae storyline and Karim. Neff's story starts with her being essentially kidnapped and forced into service as a priestess. She is exposed to a lot of terrible things, including drugs to help with her visions.
Overall, I enjoyed my experience with this book, and it left me with a very interesting cliffhanger, so I am excited for this story to continue.

His Face Is The Sun being set in Egypt with threads of history and culture throughout is what really drew me to this book. It's told through multiple POVs that change between each chapter, I found all of the characters very engaging and interesting and it was neat to experience the culture and history from a variety of perspectives across geography and socio-economic class; I think that was part of what made this story so immersive and really makes you think about the lens through which history and storytelling are viewed.

The books is very atmospheric, and the prose is captivating and detailed, I really love how Corpora brought Egypt and the characters and their clothes to life. I really enjoyed the growth of the characters and their changing motivations and the end left me anxious and ready for the next installment!

Thankyou to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for this eARC!

Sometimes a book is just so good that you want to read it slowly, savoring every nuance, while also racing toward the end because you cannot wait to see what happens. That is how His Face Is the Sun was - a 5 star read for 2025! Phenomenal world building and the cast of characters is fantastic. I'm so sad that I'll need to wait for what feels like forever for a second book! The setting of the book is a perfect choice. These pages are laden with court intrigue, mystery, murder, romance, betrayal, love, friendship, bravery and fear. Do not miss this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book.

Ancient Egyptian Game of Thrones? Just shut up and take my money! No seriously, I’ve been a sucker for Egyptian themed stories ever since I read Wilbur Smith’s River God back in the early 90s. With Michelle Jabès Corpora’s His Face Is the Sun offering the twists of it being not only YA but also Game of Throne-esque and I freely admit I was pretty much destined to love this one. Awesome setting? Yes. Wonderfully varied cast of intriguing/interesting characters? Yes. An intriguing storyline? Yes again. Once the story hits its stride you won’t be able to put it down. And while it may be a 500+ page book, it doesn’t feel like it. If anything it feels like it’s over all too soon. And now the wait for book 2 begins. Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me access to an ARC of His Face Is the Sun.

I have always been fascinated by Ancient Egyptian history. This book scratched that itch. The story started out a bit slow, but once we got going I was at the edge of my seat. By the end of the book I was so invested in the character that I was devastated to have to leave them

The tag line for this book was Ancient Egypt Game of Thrones for YA. So, one I was on board for Ancient Egypt (which we don't get enough of in my humble opinion.). Secondly, have you seen this cover?! Like excuse me. They knew what they were doing that's for ding dang sure. I also loved our crew of characters, a princess, a young priestess, a rebel, and a TOMB ROBBER! GAH. This book was great!

Think…young adult epic series with the action of Game of Thrones combined with Egyptian mythology. Triplets of the Egyptian king… who will take the throne, murder, mystery, intrigue, magic, and mythology. This is a great beginning of the series for your teen readers. Thanks to NetGalley for the early release.

I wish I loved this. I do. The premise is interesting. The characters are multi faceted. The writing isn’t hard to read. Unfortunately, this wasn’t for me. The plot was so boring to me, I kept waiting for a big climax, a super exciting moment in the book, anything… of course the ending had promise, but I have no interest in continuing this series after trudging through this one. I feel as though this could’ve been shortened significantly and that a lot of it was slower paced than it needed to be. I understand this is a set up for the action, but IMO the first book in a series still has to hook you in somehow to make you want to read the second. I knew I was in trouble when I reached the 90% mark and it just started to get interesting.

That being said, the plot really had promise! An oracle tells of ruin and tragedy and these four people are part of this thousand year old prophecy? Sign me up right? Karim’s POV was by far my favorite, he has the most interesting storyline and the most horror filled action. All of the POV’s definitely add something to the story, but altogether I just felt the story drag on unnecessarily. There’s a lot that happens, but nothing hits me quite as hard as I was hoping for.

I have never read a fantasy book set in ancient Egypt, so that was a cool learning experience for me. If there was an abridged version of this, I probably would’ve loved it. It wasn’t bad, but this felt like it could be a 300-400 page book instead of the 500+ it is.

✧₊‧˚⁀➷ 3.9/5 .ᐟ

ʚɞ ⁺˖ setting .ᐟ an ancient egypt-inspired land on the brink of war. features sitamun, the overly sheltered princess of khetara. raetawy, street fighter turned rebel leader. nefermaat, child priestess and dream interpreter. karim, tomb raider accidentally roped into a resurrection prophecy. and a cat goddess wandering the palace halls.

ʚɞ ⁺˖ worldbuilding .ᐟ utterly mesmerizing. each character's background was used to show a different aspect of khetara, from palace life to village farms and the political machinations that shroud both. khetara's gods and culture and clothes and history and people are perfectly designed.

ʚɞ ⁺˖ plot .ᐟ the reason why this isn't four stars. hfits is an extremely engaging read, but perhaps like many other first installments in ya fantasy series, it's almost entirely character outlines and buildup for the next book. important things do occur, but after i close the book, i'm left wondering what exactly happened that required 500 pages.

ʚɞ ⁺˖ characters .ᐟ the absolute highlight. i love everyone. so vivid and realistic.

➺ princess sita. she kind of annoyed me at the beginning, and admittedly, she is one of the weaker characters, but after [redacted event], she grows somewhat as a person. she's one of those people who makes the wrong choice every. single. time. and then two pages later, you find out how her decisions have fucked over a hundred thousand people. despite this, she is very well-written and pretty much impossible to hate.

➺ raetawy, my rebel queen. my LESBIAN rebel queen. i adore her so much. she can be impulsive and brash at times, but all her actions align with exactly what i wanted to happen. her chapters were usually the most satisfying. her balancing her duties to her people vs her family, becoming a leader in her community, earning the respect of the rebels was everything to me. she's like if fang runin was gay and less crazy. love her.

➺ nefermaat, dream priestess and my favorite angel. i loved her from the second she showed up. her merchant background and ability to lie and plot and wheedle everyone into giving her what she wants, and then still remain the sweetest person in the book is so funny. her going from awkward child thrown into an amoral priesthood to spy coralling a murderous king?? best character arc.

➺ karim, the grave robber. he's funny, he's cute, he's whatever. he's also the only male in an all female cast, which automatically makes me biased against him, and that's my bad, but he really doesn't do anything interesting enough to be on their level? like he's in the prophecy, which is great, good for him, but what does he even do? i think 90% of his povs were just him wandering the desert. the only interesting thing about him is chapter 39.

ʚɞ ⁺˖ writing .ᐟ descriptive and lovely, especially for a ya series. however, the dialogue occasionally did feel too modern, specifically the king's and meryamun's lines.

°˖➴ thank you to netgalley for the advanced copy!

Okay, so I finished this book yesterday—and I wanted to give it a little breathing room before saying anything about it. I needed a moment to just sit with it.

I was really torn between four and five stars, but I’ve decided to go with five. Why? Because it genuinely feels like this book is laying the foundation for something bigger—a whole adventure just waiting to bloom in future books.

Now, I’ll be honest—the first half moves slowly. But that’s because we’re meeting four different characters, all living completely separate lives. It’s like four individual stories are being woven together at once. And while it’s a lot of setup, the writing is so descriptive and thoughtfully detailed that it doesn’t feel overwhelming—it just takes its time.

I thought I’d naturally gravitate toward a favorite character, but surprisingly, I liked all of them for different reasons. They each brought something unique to the table—different struggles, different lifestyles—and I found myself looking forward to every single POV.

The chapters are a little on the longer side, but not in a discouraging way. And the pacing between characters is just so well done. Each chapter leaves you hanging just a little, and then you jump into someone else’s world—and suddenly, you’re completely invested all over again. I kept forgetting how much I cared about each character until their chapters rolled back around, and it was like, “Oh yeah! I love this one too!”

At first, I wasn’t sure I felt super connected to any of them. But then—somewhere along the way—I realized I was connected. Just not in the way I’m used to. I think it’s because I wasn’t focused on just one or two people like in most books. The connection was more subtle, spread across all four. And honestly? That was kind of beautiful.

The story itself? Really intriguing. There’s this moment where the mummification process is explained, and it was so interesting that I actually looked it up—and yep, it’s accurate! It made me appreciate how much research must have gone into the writing. Even if I can’t confirm everything about the mythology or historical elements, I loved that there were these real, tangible touches of truth.

Now, if you’re someone who needs a big, tied-up plot at the end of every book—just a heads up: you won’t get that here. But I think that’s okay. This feels like the first piece of a much larger puzzle, and I’m honestly excited to see where it all goes next.

Oh—and just to mention: I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump lately, and I still enjoyed this. I didn’t race through it, but every time I picked it back up, I was instantly back in it. The kind of story that patiently waits for you to return, and then wraps you right back up like you never left.

So yes—five stars. I’m really glad I read this one.

Game of Thrones meets the Mummy in this fantastic, immersive read. I absolutely love how easy it was to dive into the ancient Egyptian culture and customs in the read. The way it was presented didn't take away from the reading experience and make it fee like reading a non-fiction book. I also liked how we were introduced to each of the main characters. We got to learn about them as individuals before they were 'thrown' together in the main plot. I cannot WAIT to see where this series goes.

Reading this blurb of romance and comparing to Sarah J. Maas, I expected it to be more spicy. I absolutely love the Egypt references; I haven't read anything like this before. I already can't wait for the rest of the trilogy! I love the connection of the four characters of the Oracle.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is what I would imagine if you took The Mummy, Gods of Egypt, and Game of Thrones and did a massive mash up. This book isn't out till May and I cant wait for everyone to get a chance to read it. Its really good. At first its kind of slow until you get about almost half way done then it picks up and gets really interesting. The thing that drew me in to put in for arc copy was the fact that it is based on Ancient Egypt and I really loved that idea. The cover is just absolute attractive and that another thing that lead me to pick this book up. I am really looking forward to see what happens in the next book. This book is about an ancient prophecy and you get multiple point of views which I thought was nice so you can get a nice understanding of what's going on everywhere from different areas. You will meet a tomb raider, princess, a priestess and rebel who all have more in common then what they think they do and in the grand scheme of things all have there part to play in the prophecy

This was amazing, the world building was super immersive and captivating, ancient Egypt and game of thrones? Pretty spot on, I really enjoyed this, compelling storyline with characters I didn't want to leave!

gorgeous fantasy with a strong sense of location. i was SUPER hyped to have one set in an Ancient Egypt themed world and this worked really well: myth tieins were A+ too. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

His Face is the Sun is described as “ancient egyptian game of thrones,” and honestly… yeah, that’s exactly what it felt like, but in the best way. i’ve always been so interested by ancient civilizations, so i’m kind of shocked this might be the first ancient egyptian inspired fantasy i’ve picked up. and now i want so many more

the book is told through four main POVs: a princess, a rebel, a thief, and a priestess, with the occasional fifth POV from a very mysterious (and kind of delightful) cat. i’ll admit it took me a little while to really understand and connect with each character, but by the end, i genuinely loved all of them. they’re all so different from each other, and yet their stories are complete intertwined with each other. i would have loved to have seen more of them all together in this book, the majority of the book felt like it was their four separate stories until about the last 30%. but i already know we’ll get so much more of them together in the next book and i’m excited for that to happen.

what really stood out for me was the setting. the story itself has a lot of the classic and familiar fantasy elements: rebellion, a corrupt ruler, divine magic, but with the ancient egyptian spin on it, it made the story feel incredibly fresh and unique to me. i wasn’t entirely sure what i was getting into with this book, and it’s a bit darker than I expected, but in the best way possible.

this book did a great job laying the groundwork for what i think will be an amazing trilogy, and i’m absolutely looking forward to seeing where things go next 🤍

thank you netgalley and the publishers for sending me this ARC 🫶