The Hand of the Sun King
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- Create Date：2021-08-09 08:52:09
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：J.T. Greathouse
- ISBN：1473232872
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Summary
My name is Wen Alder。 My name is Foolish Cur。
All my life， I have been torn between two legacies: that of my father， whose roots trace back to the right hand of the Emperor。 That of my mother's family， who reject the oppressive Empire and embrace the resistance。
I can choose between them - between protecting my family， or protecting my people - or I can search out a better path 。 。 。 a magical path， filled with secrets， unbound by empire or resistance， which could shake my world to its very foundation。
But my search for freedom will entangle me in a war between the gods themselves 。 。 。
All my life， I have been torn between two legacies: that of my father， whose roots trace back to the right hand of the Emperor。 That of my mother's family， who reject the oppressive Empire and embrace the resistance。
I can choose between them - between protecting my family， or protecting my people - or I can search out a better path 。 。 。 a magical path， filled with secrets， unbound by empire or resistance， which could shake my world to its very foundation。
But my search for freedom will entangle me in a war between the gods themselves 。 。 。
Reviews
Tom
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Personally I really enjoyed this debut and I do think this is worth a read for most fantasy readers。 As a newbie too the genre what I'd say is that while its well written its also uncomplicated which is high praise in my opinion because some fantasy books do become a bit confusing at times。 I think most readers will enjoy this book。The way its executed it probably is a five star book but as its a debut and an introduction to JT Greathouse work heres to even greater things to come from this write Personally I really enjoyed this debut and I do think this is worth a read for most fantasy readers。 As a newbie too the genre what I'd say is that while its well written its also uncomplicated which is high praise in my opinion because some fantasy books do become a bit confusing at times。 I think most readers will enjoy this book。The way its executed it probably is a five star book but as its a debut and an introduction to JT Greathouse work heres to even greater things to come from this writer。 。。。more
FantasyBookNerd
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Review to come。
Annarella
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This is a fascinating start of a new fantasy series and I loved it。It's the slow burning story of Wen Alder/Foolish Cur。 He's a boy of mixed origin， ambitious and gifted。It's also the story of someone who's catch in the middle of clashing cultures， oppressors and oppressed。The world building is amazing and rich in details， it's clearly inspired by Chinese culture and loved the magic system。It's not a fast paced/action packed book as this is the story of coming of age and growing up。I can't wait This is a fascinating start of a new fantasy series and I loved it。It's the slow burning story of Wen Alder/Foolish Cur。 He's a boy of mixed origin， ambitious and gifted。It's also the story of someone who's catch in the middle of clashing cultures， oppressors and oppressed。The world building is amazing and rich in details， it's clearly inspired by Chinese culture and loved the magic system。It's not a fast paced/action packed book as this is the story of coming of age and growing up。I can't wait to read the next instalment as I loved this one。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine 。。。more
Ami
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**Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review**“The Hand of the Sun King” by JT Greathouse is an Asian inspired epic fantasy about Wen Alder， or Foolish Cur， a mixed race boy who longs to learn unconstricted magic。 This book had great conversations about being mixed and having expectations from both sides of your family that would be impossible to meet simultaneously。 I loved how Alder progressed thought the story and how he found his own path while **Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review**“The Hand of the Sun King” by JT Greathouse is an Asian inspired epic fantasy about Wen Alder， or Foolish Cur， a mixed race boy who longs to learn unconstricted magic。 This book had great conversations about being mixed and having expectations from both sides of your family that would be impossible to meet simultaneously。 I loved how Alder progressed thought the story and how he found his own path while integrating parts of both different upbringings he had。 It did take me a while to get into this book though， until about half I didn't get that grand feeling that I usually get with epic fantasy， like I'm peeking into a rich world， but after that， I enjoyed the world building and the magic systems a lot。 I don't know if the print book has one， but it really would've benefited from a map。 Though in the end I did get that feeling， I wish this first chapter of Alder's life was longer， not necessarily spanning more time， but more fleshed out and in depth around Alder， his thoughts， and his relationships。 There were two major problems I had with this book。 The first， I couldn't find another credible source for this， but I felt Alder's relationship with his best friend， Oriole， had some queerbaiting characteristics。 He's thinking of Oriole constantly all throughout the book， and even compares his actual love interest to him。 The other was that I found Alder's abilities hard to believe。 Maybe it will be explained in later books， but I don't understand why he， of all people， is so in rune with the magic and why no one has tried what he does before。 Overall， I give this 3/5 stars。 。。。more
Lou
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The Hand of the Sun King is the first instalment in the Pact and Pattern trilogy and Greathouse’s grimdark fantasy debut combining the intricate magic of Brent Weeks and the emotional heft of Robin Hobb， this is a novel about family and loyalty in the face of adversity。 Wen Alder was born into two worlds。 On his father’s side， a legacy of proud loyalty and service to the god-like Sienese Emperor spanning generations。 And it is expected that Alder， too， will follow this tradition by passing the I The Hand of the Sun King is the first instalment in the Pact and Pattern trilogy and Greathouse’s grimdark fantasy debut combining the intricate magic of Brent Weeks and the emotional heft of Robin Hobb， this is a novel about family and loyalty in the face of adversity。 Wen Alder was born into two worlds。 On his father’s side， a legacy of proud loyalty and service to the god-like Sienese Emperor spanning generations。 And it is expected that Alder， too， will follow this tradition by passing the Imperial exams， learning the accepted ways of legitimate magic and， if he serves with honour， enhancing his family's prominence by rising to take a most powerful position in Sien—the Hand of the Emperor。 But from his mother， he has inherited defiance from the Empire， a history of wild gods and magic， unlike anything the Imperial sorcerers could yet control。 It began when his spirited， rebellious grandmother took Alder into the woods and introduced him to her ways—ways he has never been able to forget。 The ways of forbidden witchcraft， before she abandoned him to join the resistance。Now， on the verge of taking the steps that will forge the path of his life， Alder discovers that the conflict between the Empire and the resistance is only the beginning of a war that will engulf both heaven and earth， gods and man—and he may be the key to final victory for whichever side can claim him as their own。 This is a captivating and superbly written novel woven into an intriguing first-person auto fictional tale。 Greathouse's writing flows like silk， the world he has created practically leaps off the page， and Alder’s conflicted journey kept me hooked from beginning to end。 It really it is something special and a standout fantasy of 2021 so far。 It is a gripping combination of history and philosophy， remixed with some of my favourite fantasy elements including a complex magic system， a coming-of-age story， a morally conflicted protagonist， ancient mysterious gods and a massive world-spanning empire。 An enchanting， intimate yet spacious world full of magic， intricate detail and richly imagined fantasy elements。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Laura
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The Hand of The Sun King， is a debut novel and by far the best debut I have ever come across。I took my time reading this book， I just devoured every word and was thoroughly lost within its pages。This novel follows Alders coming of age journey of self discovery trying to find his place in the world。 This proves difficult as his family is divided and he is torn between which side to align with or maybe a third way could be found。A very character driven story of success， failures， manipulation， dec The Hand of The Sun King， is a debut novel and by far the best debut I have ever come across。I took my time reading this book， I just devoured every word and was thoroughly lost within its pages。This novel follows Alders coming of age journey of self discovery trying to find his place in the world。 This proves difficult as his family is divided and he is torn between which side to align with or maybe a third way could be found。A very character driven story of success， failures， manipulation， deceit， curiosity and foolishness， I was unconditionally devoted to Alders story。Themes of anxiety are covered through out the book and as someone with GAD I completely related to Alders negative self talk especially when faced with the unknown and then at times when knew what he was doing （or at least thought he did） or upon undertaking something he excelled at his character came across as a little arrogant and obnoxious， this I related to as someone with an anxious mind as it is so satisfying to be good at something， therefore it can be easy too inadvertently come across this way upon doing something your not anxious about。 However that's just my personal take， others may read this differently。 I'm sure on the many re reads I have planned I may interpret this differently at a later date。 That being said， it is clear though that even with Alders self assured decisions his biggest lessons are learnt the hardway。Philosophical themes are also prominent throughout， lots to keep me pondering and so many affirmative quotes I am struggling to narrow down a favorite！The Magic System is unique and quite complex， details of this is withheld from Alder and he has to learn or at least gain an education of the different elements throughout， however it seems he is quite the natural BUT the key is knowing how and when to use it， as such were taking along for the ride as Alder acquires mastery in these magical abilities。The world building is vivid and covers politics， cultures and economics。 Written with such prose I cannot compliment the author enough for writing such a rich and brilliant and easy to navigate world， that is truly captivating to the reader。In relation， to the many side characters， enough is told that was sufficient to Alders journey and how each character influenced his path。Overall this book had me rooting for Alder even though he can be a literal fool but with good intentions。If you enjoy character driven fantasy such as the likes of Robb Hobb then this is a must read for you！I now have a favorite fantasy book。 This is 5 stars by far and I cannot wait to for the next installment。Thanks to netgalley， the author and the publisher for providing me with a free review copy of this book。 I am now however off to purchase a physical copy as this deserves a special place upon my bookshelf！ 。。。more
Jessica
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The Hand of the Sun King follows Alder， also known as Foolish Cur， a young man with torn loyalties。 Born of mixed race， he struggles with the decision to serve his father's Sianese side in the Empire or the Nayeni heritage of his mother that is wrapped up in rebellion。 There are two paths laid before him and he is determined to forge a third。I am absolutely blown away by this novel。 Don't get me wrong。 There were moments where the plot moved at a snail's pace and I wanted to throttle Alder。 But The Hand of the Sun King follows Alder， also known as Foolish Cur， a young man with torn loyalties。 Born of mixed race， he struggles with the decision to serve his father's Sianese side in the Empire or the Nayeni heritage of his mother that is wrapped up in rebellion。 There are two paths laid before him and he is determined to forge a third。I am absolutely blown away by this novel。 Don't get me wrong。 There were moments where the plot moved at a snail's pace and I wanted to throttle Alder。 But how can you stay frustrated with a protagonist that is actively learning and growing？ This is a wonderful coming of age story that deals with choices and the consequences that follow closely behind。 I loved how the story is broken up into four parts with each representing a different arc for Alder。 His quest for knowledge and understanding is what drives him， but in the end， he is able to discover so much more。 The people and connections he forges along the way are strategically placed within the plot。 Not one character felt misplaced or poorly constructed。 As the first in a series， I want nothing more than to dive back into this world。The magic system was very intriguing and not one that I have read anywhere else。 All wielders are marked on the hand。 On the Empire's side， those that wear the mark of the tetragram can access the canon: a system of sorcery that involves several channels， with each channel containing a type of magic。 The magic of those native to the lands （that the Empire is trying to conquer） is much more elemental and referred to as witchcraft。 These markings differ from region as does the magic。 I loved how intimate witchcraft was presented in certain parts of the story。 I was also really surprised by how much magical history and development Greathouse was able to include in just this single book。While this is considered a fantasy novel， I think it deals with much deeper themes that will attract readers of all genres。 Colonization， racism， and social class are woven throughout our character's journey and it's here that Alder begins to question the morality of the decisions made by not only himself but those surrounding him。 Don't let genre deter you from this thought-provoking debut。Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a gifted advanced copy for review。 。。。more
William Gwynne
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Happy publication day！ To hear a short pitch of this fantasy debut from J。 T。 Greathouse himself， to see if this is for you， you can click on a link here - The Brothers Gwynne Happy publication day！ To hear a short pitch of this fantasy debut from J。 T。 Greathouse himself， to see if this is for you， you can click on a link here - The Brothers Gwynne 。。。more
Sonia Williams
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Interesting fantasy premise where magic was free but due to a Pact with the Gods has been constrained and limited power for each region to set magical elements。 Our protagonist is Wen Alder or Foolish Cur， born of two different cultures， his fathers with ties to the conquering empire and his mothers with ties to native magic and rebellion。 Alder is consummed with passing the Imperial examinations to bring honour back to his fathers family name， however he has also been inducted into the Nanyen w Interesting fantasy premise where magic was free but due to a Pact with the Gods has been constrained and limited power for each region to set magical elements。 Our protagonist is Wen Alder or Foolish Cur， born of two different cultures， his fathers with ties to the conquering empire and his mothers with ties to native magic and rebellion。 Alder is consummed with passing the Imperial examinations to bring honour back to his fathers family name， however he has also been inducted into the Nanyen ways of magic which drives him to seek magical power from all the regions of the Empire。Initally I found Alder a difficult character to like as his driven nature， immaturity and arrogance were at the fore。 However as his story progresses through power， betrayal and realignment Alder deepens as a character and visibly learns from his errors which had me rooting for him at the climactic end to this book。A great read particularly in the latter two thirds for me - definitely worth trying。。My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for access to this ARC all views are my own。 。。。more
Chris Monceaux
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Check out more of my reviews and other bookish content here！***Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of the book。 My review contains my honest assessment and reactions to the book。***I loved reading this book。 The prose was beautiful， and this story has probably become my favorite one to use first-person POV。 The pacing was steady throughout， and the world-building was integrated organically into the story-telling over the course of the novel。 The main character， Wen Alde Check out more of my reviews and other bookish content here！***Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of the book。 My review contains my honest assessment and reactions to the book。***I loved reading this book。 The prose was beautiful， and this story has probably become my favorite one to use first-person POV。 The pacing was steady throughout， and the world-building was integrated organically into the story-telling over the course of the novel。 The main character， Wen Alder， was a complex， interesting character even though he was not always likeable。 He definitely lived up to his other moniker， Foolish Cur， because he made some very foolish choices throughout the book。 However， I still found him to be endearing and enjoyed seeing him grow as the story progressed。 His journey was filled with hardship， friendship， loss， and love and served as an excellent coming-of-age story showcasing the shift from conventional to postconventional moral reasoning that can occur as one enters adulthood。 Alder's character also acted as an avatar to explore the impacts of colonialism， racism， and the limits society places on individuals。 In particular， he was an excellent example of the concept of proxy privilege and how intersectional identities can bring both varying degrees of privilege and oppression。 The plot and world were fascinating， and I loved the Eastern-inspired setting and the magic system based on calligraphy。 A couple of the plot points felt a bit forced， but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story or the important themes it explored。 I wish the next book was already available， and I recommend anyone who enjoys fantasy or coming-of-age stories to give this story a try。 I don't think you will be disappointed。 Therefore， I rate the book 5 out of 5 stars。 。。。more
Brigitte
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Wen Alder was torn between two destinies from the moment he was born。 With his mother being Nayeni and his father from the Sienese conquering Empire， he’s always struggled to reconcile his legacies and that marks his journey in the book。 As a child， he touched unbridled power and he spends the book trying to recapture that feeling。 It’s this ambition that sets him apart as a main character since it drives his every step。 He quickly discovers that every type of magic he encounters comes with limi Wen Alder was torn between two destinies from the moment he was born。 With his mother being Nayeni and his father from the Sienese conquering Empire， he’s always struggled to reconcile his legacies and that marks his journey in the book。 As a child， he touched unbridled power and he spends the book trying to recapture that feeling。 It’s this ambition that sets him apart as a main character since it drives his every step。 He quickly discovers that every type of magic he encounters comes with limitations that first taste didn’t， which only adds to his frustration。 As he grows， he comes to see the Empire as reductive at first， and then cruel， until finally he breaks from it。The first half of the book is dominated by his ambitions and frustrations。 He clings to them and propriety as he tries to erase his mother’s heritage and serve the empire。 I’ll admit， this part of the book was tedious， Alder’s extreme adherence to rank and his dwellings on whether or not someone of lower station insulted him made him thoroughly unlikable during the first part of his training。 His friendship with Oriole is the first step in him divesting himself of the empire and thus becoming a more interesting character。 Once he’s not held back， his quick thinking and kindness shine through and I genuinely liked being in his head。 I especially liked his progression in the final parts of the book， his decisions and actions showed how much the journey was worth it。Though this is a first person narrative， Greathouse takes care to have enough interactions with the side characters that they stay memorable。 Alder’s mother， his grandmother， his uncle Usher， Oriole and others make a lasting impression， even with brief interactions， which only served to enrich the story。However， I was less impressed by the romance。 I liked Atar when she was introduced， especially how she used dancing to express herself， but I don’t feel the romance added much to this particular book。 While it didn’t feel shoehorned in， Alder’s journey could have been the same without it。Greathouse lost a little with the worldbuilding。 Alder’s world is a fascinating one， with old gods that are very much alive， an undying emperor that can peer through the minds of his subordinates， and a complicated magical history enough to entice any fantasy fan。 However， vital parts of the world are left unexplained until late in the book， making it a lot to take in at that stage given the other events taking place。 Despite this， I am curious to see how it develops in further books as Greathouse’s writing does make his world come alive。The Hand Of The Sun King by J。T。 Greathouse contains some beautiful writing。 His descriptions are beautifully vibrant as he goes into depth about everything Alder encounters without being tedious。 Each province in the empire has a distinct feel to it with a rich history that ends up sucking readers in。However， the pacing was uneven at times， especially when Alder was travelling or arriving at a new place。 At first it would seem like every single hour in a day was described， then the narrative would skip weeks， months， even years at a time。 I appreciated the overview of Alder’s life， though， however awkward the pacing。The Hand Of The Sun King was a thrilling introduction to a new fantasy series。 Despite certain shortcomings， Alder’s world captivated my attention and his journey is one that I look forward to continuing in the sequel！ 。。。more
Aleksandra
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Thank you goes to Netgalley and Gollancz for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。In his debut novel titled “The Hand of the Sun King”， the author， J。T。 Greathouse， serves us a story submerged in a world greatly influenced by Asian history and culture （mostly Chinese）。It’s a story of Wen Alder told as an autobiography or a memoir of a sort。The main character spins a tale about his youth since being a child forced by a father into a path to elevate their f Thank you goes to Netgalley and Gollancz for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。In his debut novel titled “The Hand of the Sun King”， the author， J。T。 Greathouse， serves us a story submerged in a world greatly influenced by Asian history and culture （mostly Chinese）。It’s a story of Wen Alder told as an autobiography or a memoir of a sort。The main character spins a tale about his youth since being a child forced by a father into a path to elevate their family in the Empire。 At the same time， Alder’s grandmother teaches him about the history， culture， and language of her people， all of that banned in the Empire。 She names him Foolish Cur （very fitting as it turns out later） and shows him the secret of magic。Although torn by two colliding cultures， Alder works hard to fulfill his father’s will and becomes Hand of the Emperor， but all he dreams of is to know everything about unlimited magic。 And this brings him only suffering and troubles。 The world itself is quite coherent and rich with mythology and magic。 The magic system， its patterns and canons， may seem complicated， but somehow it fits the world it resides in。 It gives a vibe similar to “Avatar: The Last Airbender” since here， as well， the powers relying on elements depend on the land of their wielder。And that’s where the Empire comes into a play， or rather invade。 The Emperor conquers neighboring lands to steal the magic and add it to his canon。This is where my cognitive dissonance begins to scream。 This happens a lot when a white author is using Asian culture （or any other that is not theirs） to build their world。 The references may be quite thin veiled， but there’s no need for broad knowledge about Chinese culture to discern most of them。 I wouldn’t see that much problem if Alder was an outsider who tries to understand a world that’s new to him。For people who don’t perceive it as an issue， this book might be okay。 Despite the first-person point of view—which I， personally， don’t like very much—the story is quite fast-paced。 I found this weird and a little perverse pleasure in waiting to how fast the main character would get into trouble with the choices he made。What I did like， was the lack of excessive description of romance; we know it’s there， but the author spares us any detailed love or sex scenes。Since it is Greathouse’s debut novel， I’d rate this book 3/5 for quite delightful prose and how the story is strong with cultures clashing and colonization themes， but I find the world building choices troubling， problematic even。 。。。more
Alyssa （Intotheheartwyld）
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Thank you Netgalley and JABberwocky for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review。The Hand of the Sun King was a book I was super excited for and with other early reviews stating this was the “best debut of the year” I thought I was going to be walking into something that was going to blow my mind。 Unfortunately I wasn’t blown away， and for me this doesn’t stand out as the best debut of the year。 It’s a pleasing book with a lot of interesting ideas and themes but it lacked Thank you Netgalley and JABberwocky for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review。The Hand of the Sun King was a book I was super excited for and with other early reviews stating this was the “best debut of the year” I thought I was going to be walking into something that was going to blow my mind。 Unfortunately I wasn’t blown away， and for me this doesn’t stand out as the best debut of the year。 It’s a pleasing book with a lot of interesting ideas and themes but it lacked that mind blowing piazza that others had me thinking it contained。Right from the start we met Wen Alder， a boy learning he is apart of two conflicting worlds， his mothers side of the family and his fathers side and these two sides are drastically different。 On one side he is being tutored on how to be the best citizen he can be to uphold the laws and ways of the Sienese and to hopefully one day be honored enough to be chosen as one of the Hands of the Emperor but in the dark of the night he is taught the old ways of witchcraft that are considered wrong and forbidden。 But Alder is a boy who wants to forge is own path， he doesn’t want others telling him what to do， and how to do it。 The story focuses heavily on this aspect and as Alder progresses in the story he learns more and more about the world around him and how he won’t be able to forge that 3rd path he wants without going one of the two ways to get there。 Everything he desires to know is kept behind locked doors and he is constantly struggling to find the answers he seeks。Alder as a character didn’t stand out to me but he also didn’t bore me either， he is just kind of meh。 He has his mind set on what he wants and at times comes off as rude， and brash， but other times his ability to understand and be sensitive to others plights shines through， along with his own internal struggles。 He spends a lot of time trying to make connections with others and each one has bumps along the way， which make them more believable but for me the depth of each of these relationships didn’t hit。 I believe a lot of this stems from the way the story was written。The Hand of the Sun King is split into 4 parts and each part reads like it own book， almost as if each part is a novella and its all bound into one。 This created a weird rolling shift in the narrative making it hard to stay interested。 Each part started out slow and then the end picked up and was action packed。 So I was constantly falling out of the story only to be pulled back in， which might be something that works for others but for me， when ever the story came to a dull portion it made it feel like a chore to push through。 This and the first person narrative really make me believe this is why I had hard time believing the depth of any of the character relationships。 The time frames spent with other characters are short livid in each separate part of the story so you don’t spend a lot of time with them， sure a few come back at the end but even that is short and I feel that made their moments suffer and are what contribute to the lack of depth Alder had with each of them。 Between his teacher， his friend， his lover and more， I couldn’t really see or feel the depth of their connections to one another。 So when something sad happened to them I was just left with this feeling of “oh that’s sad…。anyways”。 I would have loved to see more time with each of these “important” people in Alder’s life， they just didn’t feel as fleshed out as they could have been。The magic and the plot around the magic in this world was the most intriguing part overall for me， it totally gives off Avatar: The Last Airbender vibes， and this is in terms of how the magic is dealt out。 Each nation has their own type of magic that is specific to them。 There are old gods of magic and humans with the ability to use magic with the use of pacts that are made with the old gods。 And then of course there is that one super big headed jerk who takes this and just goes way to far with it。 It’s a story steeped in nations being conquered and destroyed all for the sake of stealing their magic and running them out of the world so only one true way can be present。 We learn the most about the Sienese people and were given small sights into the plights of the other nations that are or have already dealt with the Empire， and I can only hope there is still more to learn about the world， its intriguing and I would love to see it fleshed out even more。The Hand of the Sun King is a well written， unique and a fresh story in its own way。 It’s a debut worth checking out and I’ll be keeping my eye out for the follow up！3。5 out of 5 starsYou can find this review along with all my others on my blog Into the Heartwyld 。。。more
Anj✨
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It's a coming-of-age story of Wen Alder aka Foolish Cur。 A boy torn between two worlds due to his Nayeni and Sianese heritage。 When the time came to pick a side， he decided to carve his own path， a path that would allow him to attain freedom from the shackles of the legacies that binds him。First of all， the world-building is East Asian-inspired and vividly imagined。 We see and experience the picturesque world through Wen Alder's eyes。 It is rich in culture and folklore， and history。 It explores It's a coming-of-age story of Wen Alder aka Foolish Cur。 A boy torn between two worlds due to his Nayeni and Sianese heritage。 When the time came to pick a side， he decided to carve his own path， a path that would allow him to attain freedom from the shackles of the legacies that binds him。First of all， the world-building is East Asian-inspired and vividly imagined。 We see and experience the picturesque world through Wen Alder's eyes。 It is rich in culture and folklore， and history。 It explores themes such as war and its aftermath， poverty， oppression， and colonialism。The magic system is complex and fascinating。 Each country has their own unique magic。 And we learn as Wen Alder learn to wield it。Also， J。T。 Greathouse's prose is beautiful and poetic。 The prose flowed naturally which was perfect for the slow pacing of the book。 I savored it and the lush descriptions painted the scenes vividly。Wen Alder's characterization is well done。 He's a deeply flawed character who longs for knowledge and prone to being cold and proud due to his upbringing。 He is impatient， arrogant since he's smarter than most people and he makes poor choices due to this。 His relationship with his grandmother， friendship and loyalty are an important part in shaping his character arc。𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒖𝒏 𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒈 is a beautiful and refreshing read。 It has intricate plot， political maneuvering， and tragic events that Robin Hobb's fans would love。 It's definitely one of the best debuts I read this year and I'm eagerly anticipating to see where it goes next。 。。。more
Josh Schmidtka
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Thanks， NetGalley for letting me review this。J。T。 Greathouse's "The Hand of the Sun King" is a great fantasy story with a writing style that was nice as Rothfuss' style in his Kingkiller Chronicles。 The story takes place in a world with two groups of people with a different magic， religion， and ideas with the main character， who we follow， being of both groups trying to figure his way in his confusing/dangerous world。Great worldbuilding， loved the magic， and great characters。 Well done J。T。 Grea Thanks， NetGalley for letting me review this。J。T。 Greathouse's "The Hand of the Sun King" is a great fantasy story with a writing style that was nice as Rothfuss' style in his Kingkiller Chronicles。 The story takes place in a world with two groups of people with a different magic， religion， and ideas with the main character， who we follow， being of both groups trying to figure his way in his confusing/dangerous world。Great worldbuilding， loved the magic， and great characters。 Well done J。T。 Great house， now I have to sit here and wait for a sequel because I want more。 😁 。。。more
Diana In the Nook
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Thank you Netgalley and Gollancz for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。This book wasn’t for me。The story follows the main protagonist Wen Alder， born to a Sienese father and a Nayeni mother。The Sienese empire has conquered many lands， destroying native culture and magic。 Alder’s father dreams of restoring the Wen family name and he spends a lot of money hiring tutors for his son to pass an exam that will give him a high position within the Empire。 Whil Thank you Netgalley and Gollancz for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。This book wasn’t for me。The story follows the main protagonist Wen Alder， born to a Sienese father and a Nayeni mother。The Sienese empire has conquered many lands， destroying native culture and magic。 Alder’s father dreams of restoring the Wen family name and he spends a lot of money hiring tutors for his son to pass an exam that will give him a high position within the Empire。 While Alder is studying the empire’s doctrines and history from an early age， his grandmother also tells him stories about the Nayeni traditions and their ancestors' magic。 He also learns about the rebellion led by his uncle against the empire。 During most of the book Alder finds himself struggling and trying to decide if he will fulfill his father’s dream of returning prestige to his family or his grandmother’s dream of a Nayen free of the oppressing empire。 To follow one of them would mean betraying the other。 Alder is young， inexperienced and only wants to learn to use magic but he must decide which path he will follow。Let’s say that this book wasn’t for me。 I was bored。 The pace is slow， Alder’s inner struggles are repetitive and the magic system is soft， which is not a bad thing as long as it's innovative and this wasn’t the case。Although the writing isn’t bad， the story was lackluster for the first 90% of the book。 Nothing exciting or thrilling happened until I hit the last 10% of the story and it was only then that it started catching my interest。 I didn’t care about the characters either。 The story just felt…flat for me。I hope you enjoy it if you decide to pick it up。 。。。more
Sidney Cannan
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*Thank you NetGalley and JABberwocky Literary Agency for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review！*3/5 stars。The Hand of the Sun King is a promising debut filled with beautiful prose， strong world-building and lush with magic。 I really enjoyed the writing style and the way it kept me interested even during the moments where nothing was really happening。 I liked reading about all the different cultures/societies in the book， especially their beliefs and magic and how everything is interconnected。 *Thank you NetGalley and JABberwocky Literary Agency for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review！*3/5 stars。The Hand of the Sun King is a promising debut filled with beautiful prose， strong world-building and lush with magic。 I really enjoyed the writing style and the way it kept me interested even during the moments where nothing was really happening。 I liked reading about all the different cultures/societies in the book， especially their beliefs and magic and how everything is interconnected。This is a strong debut with a lot of potential， however there were a few aspects of the book that left me feeling disconnected。 For starters I wasn't the biggest fan of the pacing。 I really enjoyed it at some points， however it just felt a little too dragged out and slow especially in the middle。 I felt disjointed from the characters and wished I felt an emotional pull to them （as I am a huge fan of character-driven stories）。 I really enjoyed the plot line with Atar， however if felt very rushed and I would have loved to have seen that part of the book slowed down a bit。Overall， this book is definitely a great debut novel and the author has a ton of potential。 I think many fantasy readers will love this book and I'm excited to see where this series ends up next。 。。。more
Susanna
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I had to give up around mid-point。 This wasn’t a bad book。 The Asia-inspired world worked well， with rich details， and the language was good。 The magic system was interesting， if baffling。 Yet it couldn’t hold my interest。 The plot didn’t go anywhere even though something was constantly going on。 Events simply sprang out of the blue， taking the main character， Wen Alder， with them and leaving the reader as baffled as him。More importantly， I didn’t like Wen （or was it Alder？）。 I found him both se I had to give up around mid-point。 This wasn’t a bad book。 The Asia-inspired world worked well， with rich details， and the language was good。 The magic system was interesting， if baffling。 Yet it couldn’t hold my interest。 The plot didn’t go anywhere even though something was constantly going on。 Events simply sprang out of the blue， taking the main character， Wen Alder， with them and leaving the reader as baffled as him。More importantly， I didn’t like Wen （or was it Alder？）。 I found him both selfish and boring。 Having read quite a few Asian historical fantasies recently， the westernization of his attitudes to his family and future expectations didn’t fit the book’s world that relied on filial duty like the cultures it’s based on。Maybe I wouldn’t have minded as much if the author had westernized the entire culture similarly。 Now Wen’s attitude seemed incompatible and gave a notion that the author hasn’t really understood the culture he emulates。 It made Wen seem petulant and childish as he struggled against his expectations， and I simply couldn’t root for him。I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
MattWiz19
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Overall， I thought the book had an interesting concept and a compelling plot that left me interested in the rest of the series。 The author did an amazing job in creating a rich and detailed culture between the different societies， which in turn led to a unique texture of the world。 The use of the different magic systems within the story was interesting to read in that all magic seemed to derive from the same place， just in different methods of practice。 I especially like how the main character， Overall， I thought the book had an interesting concept and a compelling plot that left me interested in the rest of the series。 The author did an amazing job in creating a rich and detailed culture between the different societies， which in turn led to a unique texture of the world。 The use of the different magic systems within the story was interesting to read in that all magic seemed to derive from the same place， just in different methods of practice。 I especially like how the main character， Alder， was flawed in that for the majority of the story he craved power in whatever form he came across。 It gave insight for the reader in just how much of a price this put on his head。I ended up giving the story three stars for a few reasons。 The biggest reason was the pacing。 I found the time skips between chapters and sections of the book jarring at times， especially when years would go by。 I understand the point that the author is most likely putting across in that not much of interest is worth writing about during those sections of time， but there were moments like between chapter 15 and 16 when I saw a lot of potential character plot that could have been written for Alder and for those around him at the time。 Maybe this is just me wishing that the story was a little more flushed out， but it still left me wanting to have learned more about the cultures and people around Alder as he traveled between the different locations。There were also some instances at the beginning of the book where the narrator （Alder？） foreshadowed moments in time that would become difficult or hard to look back on later。 I found these narrative moments。。。unnecessary。 Honestly， they could have just been taken out entirely and it would have been better off。 I also felt that the love interest for Alder was rushed， but that might have been me just wanting more at the time。 I think that was a big moment for him since he was only thinking about the Empire and his power， and not really about himself， but then at that point in the story， he finally let himself be the young man that he was。 I wanted to see that more！With these comments aside， I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I am anticipating the continuation of the story in the future。 。。。more
Oliver
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ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。The Hand of the Sun King is the debut novel by the author J。 T。 Greathouse and I had a blast with it。 It ticks a lot of the boxes I enjoy in fantasy and executes them in a captivating way。 We have a coming-of-age story， tons of magic， action， and emotion。 It talks about cultural identity， fitting in， and really discovering who you are as a person。 The story takes place in an empire that is slowly taking over the nearby lands。 The empire ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。The Hand of the Sun King is the debut novel by the author J。 T。 Greathouse and I had a blast with it。 It ticks a lot of the boxes I enjoy in fantasy and executes them in a captivating way。 We have a coming-of-age story， tons of magic， action， and emotion。 It talks about cultural identity， fitting in， and really discovering who you are as a person。 The story takes place in an empire that is slowly taking over the nearby lands。 The empire is currently in the midst of a war with native rebels who are trying to fiercely uphold the old traditions and folklore of their people。 Our protagonist Wen Alder is a young boy that is torn between the two sides of the conflict due to the aspects of his ancestry。 By day he follows the studies of his father who is a dedicated subject of the empire and whose only wish is for his son is to advance his family's position within the empire。 Alder's father has him spend his days with a tutor studying philosophy and other academical subjects to prepare for an upcoming examination that is to determine Alder's position and rank for the future。 By night he is sneaking out to a hidden temple where his grandmother is teaching him the old ways of his ancestors。 Alder is learning about folk takes and his cultural heritage。 It is there where he gets the first glimpse of the rituals invoking the magic his people had access to and where he truly develops the will to pursue power。 Alder is constantly torn about his place in the world due to the contradictory nature of what he is being taught and following him on this journey is brilliant。 Throughout the journey， we visit a lot of vibrant locations and I really enjoyed the diversity of it all。 The book is divided into multiple parts that are all distinctive in what they offer whether it is by location or subject matter。 We are not held back to only seeing the world from the perspective of the two cultures that I focused on before but we do get an in-depth look into how other lands have to deal with the Empire。 Learning about the different cultures， their rituals and their magic was fascinating。 I loved the focus on self-betterment and study that this book had。 Alder is always gaining knowledge during his travels and it was fascinating to see him progress。 The nature of the study is also something different from a usual school scenario because it mostly happens through private tutoring sessions and philosophical arguments rather than a traditional classroom。 Another aspect that is freely used is learning from actual experience which allows our character to visit different places of the world。 The writing is beautiful and at the same time fast-paced。 The plot is moving on with every page and everything has a meaning to it。 I know I focused a lot on the nature of the study and exploring new cultures before but the book also has a lot of conflict in it related to the ongoing rebellion。 We get to see battles and sieges on both a smaller scale and a more epic one。 We get to learn a lot about magic as it is deeply rooted in the identity of the people。 Every nation and land has a distinct form of magic that they rely on although it has become a taboo thing with the conquering empire wishing to control the use of it。 There are countless different magical archetypes。 You have control over fire， making barriers， controlling the wind， transmitting information， shapeshifting and most likely many more。 It makes for some really engaging moments and an absolutely explosive finale that leaves me excited for the next entry of the series。Reading this was an entertaining time and I definitely recommend it to anyone who feels intrigued。 。。。more
Aashi Rath
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Thank you NetGalley and Gollancz for providing me with a digital arc of this book in exchange for a honest reviewOne of the most painful moments in history is when you hold great expectations for a book but it fails you。 This was one of such moments。 The beginning parts were really fascinating and adorable but then it got worse。 It became slow and I didn’t know what the hell was going on and then just like I every other dam human being in the world~ no I didn’t dnf it。 I started skimming pages a Thank you NetGalley and Gollancz for providing me with a digital arc of this book in exchange for a honest reviewOne of the most painful moments in history is when you hold great expectations for a book but it fails you。 This was one of such moments。 The beginning parts were really fascinating and adorable but then it got worse。 It became slow and I didn’t know what the hell was going on and then just like I every other dam human being in the world~ no I didn’t dnf it。 I started skimming pages and man！ The torture I hate to endure from this book is just ‘askjbdajdbhjsdsh’。Synopsis: My name is Wen Alder。 My name is Foolish Cur。All my life， I have been torn between two legacies: that of my father， whose roots trace back to the right hand of the Emperor。 That of my mother's family， who reject the oppressive Empire and embrace the resistance。I can choose between them - between protecting my family， or protecting my people - or I can search out a better path 。 。 。 a magical path， filled with secrets， unbound by Empire or resistance， which could shake my world to its very foundation。But my search for freedom will entangle me in a war between the gods themselves 。 。 。 I'm really glad there is a second book coming because I'm not gonna read it :）Some of the ‘plot twists’ we actually predictable like I actually really expected them。 You ain’t fooling me bro。 And where did some of the characters that came in the beginning go？ Did they mysteriously disappear。 One thing that I want to talk about is the world building。World Building:One of the major parts of this book that I really liked but of course THIS TOO has to be ✨Confusion✨ Our MC Wen Alder is a half Nayen and half Sienese and in the Sienese society， the Nayens are not trusted。 Nor respected。 This is what Wen is trying to get。 Respect。 Or at least that’s what is his father want to get after marrying a Nayeni。 I am sorry， if you didn’t want to be ridiculed， you shouldn’t have married her。 Don’t you dare scream ‘Its loooveee’ to me mister！But we don’t get more detains on it…like how many ‘Hands’ can the emperor have？ Why don’t we get more info on the sun king？ I need more info on the cultures and all which I’m sure will be there in the next book which I’m sure I wont be reading ha！ One bonus question。 Can the non-hands use magic too？I also am not a big fan of Wen Alder。 I just felt ‘wrong’ whenever I wanted to like him as a character。 He is no biggie。 Just another one of your foolish （ah the irony）， stupid， naïve， egoistic， vain， kiddo here to save the day！ And his mother can go die in Tartarus。 His grandmother was the only character I like。 Yay！ 。。。more
Michael Mammay
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There have been so many good fantasy debuts this year -- this one certainly belongs in the conversation。 Really good。 I look forward to reading the next one when it comes out。With that said， this is quite different from any of the other fantasy I've read this year。 It has an excellent， completely original magic system， that doesn't feel like anything else I've read， and the focus for most of the book is not on the external conflict， but rather the character's journey。 Another thing that's diffe There have been so many good fantasy debuts this year -- this one certainly belongs in the conversation。 Really good。 I look forward to reading the next one when it comes out。With that said， this is quite different from any of the other fantasy I've read this year。 It has an excellent， completely original magic system， that doesn't feel like anything else I've read， and the focus for most of the book is not on the external conflict， but rather the character's journey。 Another thing that's different is that this book is told in first person， which is pretty unusual for adult fantasy。 I happen to like first person a lot， so to me， that was something I especially enjoyed。 I will be interested to see what other fantasy fans think about that。With the first person narrative and a young main character （The character starts as a child and finishes at about 23。。。the book covers a large timespan） at times it has almost a YA feel。 I do think it will be shelved with adult， but it is a great crossover， I think， for YA fans who are looking to try out some adult fantasy。 i got a free copy of this book provided by the US publisher。 That is pretty common for me， and didn't affect my opinion of the book or my review in any way。 。。。more
Dawn
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"The Hand of the Sun King" instantly hooked me。 At first， it was the writing （excellent！） and the characters （all brilliantly brought to life！）， and then， as the story built， the plot had me in a choke-hold。 I absolutely loved this book， and I'm so excited that it's the first in a series。 The following books have a lot to live up to。 Don't miss this book if you love fantasy。My thanks to the author， publisher， and NetGalley。 This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own， unbiased， op "The Hand of the Sun King" instantly hooked me。 At first， it was the writing （excellent！） and the characters （all brilliantly brought to life！）， and then， as the story built， the plot had me in a choke-hold。 I absolutely loved this book， and I'm so excited that it's the first in a series。 The following books have a lot to live up to。 Don't miss this book if you love fantasy。My thanks to the author， publisher， and NetGalley。 This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own， unbiased， opinion。 。。。more
Pelden Wangchuk
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Thank you so much Netgalley for this beautiful arc and I loved this book beyond my expectations。 "Resistance was the only path toward freedom。 "Wen Alder is a young boy who is trained by his father since young to become a Hand of the Emperor but from her mothers side is a different path where his grandmother is a witch。 He is confused to choose which path。 Soon he became a hand of the emperor like what his father designed him to be but when he paved that journey that he realize the truth and a d Thank you so much Netgalley for this beautiful arc and I loved this book beyond my expectations。 "Resistance was the only path toward freedom。 "Wen Alder is a young boy who is trained by his father since young to become a Hand of the Emperor but from her mothers side is a different path where his grandmother is a witch。 He is confused to choose which path。 Soon he became a hand of the emperor like what his father designed him to be but when he paved that journey that he realize the truth and a deadly secret that holds in his choice。 Is his choice wrong？ Should he have chosen his grandmothers path？ Through his series adventures he will have so many questions and doubts that he is time and again thrown into a pool of dilemma。 The book is adventures packed and beautiful dogma and doctrines。 The world is beautifully crafted， the characters are easy to drawn to and I loved every scenes and some I could relate to my own life。 Five stars！ 。。。more
FanFiAddict
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Rating: 9。25/10Thanks to the publisher and author for an advance reading copy of The Hand of the Sun King （Pact and Pattern #1） for review consideration。 This did not influence my thoughts or opinions。The Hand of the Sun King is a staggering fantasy debut with poetic prose and near flawless characterization。 Wen Alder， aka Foolish Cur， is another noteworthy protagonist to add to the ones I have had the company of journeying with this year， alongside Kinch Na Shannack， Alwyn Scribe， and Aram Rayt Rating: 9。25/10Thanks to the publisher and author for an advance reading copy of The Hand of the Sun King （Pact and Pattern #1） for review consideration。 This did not influence my thoughts or opinions。The Hand of the Sun King is a staggering fantasy debut with poetic prose and near flawless characterization。 Wen Alder， aka Foolish Cur， is another noteworthy protagonist to add to the ones I have had the company of journeying with this year， alongside Kinch Na Shannack， Alwyn Scribe， and Aram Raythe。 Greathouse will become a household name before too long， and I can only imagine will make plenty of 2021 ‘Best of’ lists。I can’t really start the meat of this review without mentioning the cover。 What I love so much about it is that as you journey further into the novel， the cover starts making more and more of an impact on you as a reader。 You pick out details here and there from the story that just fit。 So， Patrick Knowles， massive kudos on the perfect cover art。So， let’s get into the writing。This does not read like a debut novel whatsoever。 I was swept away by Greathouse’s prose and his ability to have me completely enamored with his protagonist。 The journey we take with Alder throughout the novel is one rife with obstacles， disappointments， trials， tribulations， tiny arrays of hope， and a ton of injustice; and you as the reader are there with him through every。 single。 step。 You’ll applaud when he succeeds， scratch your head with multiple decisions he makes， and feel for him as he attempts to strike a balance between what is right， wrong， and easy。The toughest part about his journey is choosing what path he will take: the one forged by his father or the one brought to light by his mother’s heritage。 It is almost like making a choice between your mother and your father。 Which one do you want to go with， and which will you leave behind？ Best hope the old “the grass is always greener” adage doesn’t come back to bite you， leading your mind to drown in chaos。While the world-building takes a bit of a backseat to the character-driven narrative， it is still something to behold。 There is plenty of history spilled out and over throughout the many page turns and the descriptive terms the author employs really bring the reader into the setting with ease。 The magic system itself is very intriguing， especially with its limitations， and still doesn’t feel fully fleshed out。 I believe I could watch as Alder tries， fails， and learns about his craft long into the night。The Hand of the Sun King will be one of my top reads in 2021， there is no doubt。 It is a coming-of-age fantasy story with hope， friendship， loss， grief， magic， and a focus on the choices we make alongside the repercussions that come with them。 It is a brilliant novel， and one that I liken to The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison。 One that I did not want to end， and can only imagine where it is headed next。 。。。more
Mark
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With the current revival of Fantasy books with an Asian or Oriental tone， this novel is rather appropriate。 It also helps that it is a great debut novel。The story deals with one of those traditional tropes - that of the opposing perspectives of good and evil。 Wen Alder is a person in a Chinese style Empire from a humble background。 His father’s merchant family is one who has been disgraced before， but now is on the rise， mainly due to Alder’s father’s connections to the Emperor and Alder becomin With the current revival of Fantasy books with an Asian or Oriental tone， this novel is rather appropriate。 It also helps that it is a great debut novel。The story deals with one of those traditional tropes - that of the opposing perspectives of good and evil。 Wen Alder is a person in a Chinese style Empire from a humble background。 His father’s merchant family is one who has been disgraced before， but now is on the rise， mainly due to Alder’s father’s connections to the Emperor and Alder becoming the Emperor of the Hand – a senior assistant to the Emperor。However， Alder’s mother was one of the oppressed Nayeni – a group whose magical beliefs were suppressed by the invading Sienese Empire years ago。 Wen’s grandmother had powers， magical abilities that she believes are also in Alder， and at the beginning of the novel trains Wen in secret to develop them。 This is something that if found out by the Emperor or any of his officials would lead to Wen’s execution。He is given a secret， alternate name， that of Foolish Cur， and has secret marks cut into his right hand by his Grandmother， in order to stop unfortunate magical accidents happening in the future。 This happens to Alder early in the novel as he is testing his latent abilities and he is aware that it must not happen again。So: with lots of set up， the first part of this story is a rite-of-passage/coming-of-age story told by the protagonist。 Alder becomes elevated to a new position working for the Emperor and makes friends with the son of one of his important advisors known as Voices。In the second part of the book Alder， with new responsibilities， is sent to war against the Nayeni at Iron Town with disastrous results。 He is then sent to far-away An-Zabat where he meets new people， falls in love and learns about himself。 This has consequences which the last part of the book brings to a conclusion。The novel deals with the indecisions of life as Wen is growing into adulthood。 Not only is he trying to deal with changing circumstances， but as the story develops， we find Wen wrestling with that age-old dilemma of having to choose between two life-options。 One of them will lead to Wen being a hero， the other to being the villain。 But which path is right？ Or is there a third option？Throughout all of this， the setting is different enough to keep the readers attention。 Greathouse holds a BA in history and philosophy with a minor in Asian studies as well as a Master's in Teaching from Whitworth University， and he spent four months of intensive study in Chinese language and culture at Minzu University of China in Beijing， which has clearly influenced him and this work。Without being “all that I know， because I’ve researched it”， Greathouse uses this knowledge and understanding to create not just a difference in cultures but differences in philosophy as well。 The plot is enhanced by the use of allegory， parables and folk-stories throughout to create a depth to the story that is not typical to many of this type。What really makes this better than many is the thought and detail given to the background。 The magic and its consequences are examined in detail as Alder tries to determine the best way forward。 Neither path is particularly obvious in its benefits and the author does well to point out that， in the time-honoured tradition， that for every action there are consequences。 Which makes Wen’s choice all the more difficult。After a slow-ish start， there are some expected plot points along the way but some unexpected twists too which make the story more than you might expect originating from such traditional tropes。 I found this to be one of the better written stories of this type， and by the end I really wanted to know where the characters go to。 Told in an Asian style setting and with a logical magical aspect， here you have a story that soon picks up pace and engages the reader until the end。 The ending shows that there is more to tell in this story， which succeeding books will no doubt tell。 I am looking forward to seeing where this one will go to。 。。。more
Lee
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Unfortunately this book wasn't for me。 I really liked the worldbuilding and the concept and the writing was really good， but I didn't connect with the main character。 The story is about his desire for power and the powers of his mixed heritage warring， but I found myself not liking him and not really rooting for him to succeed。 I put it down at about the 50% mark; I wish I liked this one more than I did！ Unfortunately this book wasn't for me。 I really liked the worldbuilding and the concept and the writing was really good， but I didn't connect with the main character。 The story is about his desire for power and the powers of his mixed heritage warring， but I found myself not liking him and not really rooting for him to succeed。 I put it down at about the 50% mark; I wish I liked this one more than I did！ 。。。more
Angela
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It's been a long time since a fantasy novel was so good I rushed to goodreads after to find out if it was the beginning of a series， and I'm so glad to find this is the first of more to come。 The worldbuilding done in this novel is detailed， created with obvious care and love， multifaceted while not being a burden to follow with a completely original premise and unique magic。 The MC is a deeply flawed person and we get to follow his journey through life from a very young age to early 20s， watch It's been a long time since a fantasy novel was so good I rushed to goodreads after to find out if it was the beginning of a series， and I'm so glad to find this is the first of more to come。 The worldbuilding done in this novel is detailed， created with obvious care and love， multifaceted while not being a burden to follow with a completely original premise and unique magic。 The MC is a deeply flawed person and we get to follow his journey through life from a very young age to early 20s， watch him as he's torn between family and politically collectivist loyalties and is shaped by the trauma and losses he endures。 It's unputdownable， evocative as hell， and just a really beautiful read。 Eagerly looking forward to the next book！ 。。。more
Hannah
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Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。I don't often give fantasy debuts/first of a series 5 stars。 This is because there is always so much to learn in regards to magic， culture， maps， people etc。 that it's just a lot on your noggin。 The Hand of the Sun King however manages to explain everything in a really clear way that still progresses the story。The main character Wen Alder， or Foolish Cur， is fascinating。 He has 2 legacies to choose from。 Hi Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。I don't often give fantasy debuts/first of a series 5 stars。 This is because there is always so much to learn in regards to magic， culture， maps， people etc。 that it's just a lot on your noggin。 The Hand of the Sun King however manages to explain everything in a really clear way that still progresses the story。The main character Wen Alder， or Foolish Cur， is fascinating。 He has 2 legacies to choose from。 His father's who trace back to the Emperor， or his mother's who trace back to the early god's and witches in opposition to the empire。 The character arc is brilliant。 He's not a 'good' character。 He's selfish and greedy but at the same time he's just a young boy coming of age。 We as readers get to follow all his terrible decisions understanding that he has literally been thrown in at the deep end。 The world is rich and captivating。 So many cultures， magic， folklore etc。 The magic systems are complex and detailed yet explained in such a clear way。 I honestly loved the end of the novel where he finds his own way without the usual tools （trying not to spoil the story）。 A thoroughly engaging read that I will definitely be purchasing。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Hand of the Sun King
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Hand of the Sun King&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft