Trial of the Sun Queen

Trial of the Sun Queen is the first installment in the Artefacts of Ouranos series, launching a narrative arc that extends across four volumes. All four books are now published (2022-2024), and Trial of the Sun Queen made explicit references to the forthcoming sequels. In her author’s note, Tuli confirmed her plan for a four-book series, encouraging readers to look for “easter eggs scattered throughout the story” that will resolve in later volumes (ix). This trailing or teasing is characteristic of the online market, in which audiences consume large volumes of material and authors must actively compete to capture and maintain attention.

As the opening book, Trial of the Sun Queen’s structural function is to establish the foundational elements of the fantasy world and set up the beginning of the series plot arc. The narrative introduces the continent of Ouranos, a realm divided into rival kingdoms, most notably the dark, northern Aurora Court and the bright, southern Sun Court of Aphelion. This geopolitical rivalry forms the central conflict driving the plot. The novel also lays the groundwork for the series’ overarching magical framework, which revolves around powerful Fae, oppressed mortals, and the titular “Artefacts” of immense power, one of which Lor’s sister, Willow, was imprisoned for supposedly stealing (31).