Trial of the Sun Queen

These chapters use parallel depictions of luxurious societies to explore the theme of Self-Determinism and Justice as Conditions for Freedom. While Lor is physically imprisoned by the Trials in the luxury of the palace, Prince Nadir is trapped by the oppressive authority and secrets of his father, King Rion. His covert search for prisoner 3452’s file within Rion’s warded study parallels Lor’s search for agency within Aphelion. Both characters operate as insurgents in hostile environments, seeking truth as a means of liberation. Rion’s power over his son is deeply psychological: His taunt that Nadir’s attempt to dismantle his wards was a “clumsy mess” (256) is designed to control him, reinforcing a prison built of familial manipulation. This dynamic mirrors the condescending control exerted over Lor. By juxtaposing Lor’s gilded cage with Nadir’s suffocating inheritance, the narrative argues that true imprisonment is a condition of powerlessness, regardless of one’s social standing. This parallel structure also equates the two characters, hinting at a future partnership between Lor and Nadir.

As the novel proceeds into the second trial, it increasingly critiques The Dehumanizing Effects of Power and Privilege by demonstrating how cruelty becomes normalized as entertainment. The stadium, with its festive atmosphere, transforms a life-or-death struggle into a public holiday. The crowd’s reaction to Hesperia’s death illustrates this moral decay; a momentary shock gives way to a voyeuristic fascination with the “unmistakable sounds of bones crunching and flesh slapping and teeth shredding” (238). This graphic detail underscores the audience’s inhumane detachment from the violent reality before them. This societal callousness is contrasted with Lor’s persistent humanity, as she risks her own survival to help others. She again prioritizes compassion over competition by helping both Griane and Halo, showing that her sense of collaboration and selflessness has grown rather than diminished. In defying the cruel rules of the game, Lor’s actions further the theme of Self-Determinism and Justice as Conditions for Freedom. Lor’s dinner conversation with Atlas, where she confronts him about systemic poverty, is another aspect of this theme. His admission that he has “never thought about it that way” (217) is an indictment of the willful ignorance that privilege affords. Lor’s compassionate outlook is a sign of her moral courage, underpinning her secret birthright to become ruler.

In this section, the novel increasingly draws on the physical body as a central site of control and resistance. The marks on Lor’s body are reminders of her subjugation, yet her survival transforms them into symbols of resilience. The novel also explores this through Lor’s physical interactions with Atlas. Their sexual encounter is framed as a transaction in which he holds all the power, and as an effort to diminish her agency and independence. By refusing to let her reciprocate pleasure, Atlas reinforces his superior status, stating, “Today, I’m content to just enjoy you” (228). His language positions her pleasure as a gift he bestows, maintaining control over their intimacy. Despite Atlas’s power-play, Lor maintains her agency by consciously framing the encounter as being her choice, a strategy that mirrors her negotiation of sexual coercion with the prison warden. As in many romantasy works, the novel equates the protagonist’s sexual desire with ambiguous moral danger, making the erotic tension between control and surrender a dilemma that the heroine must navigate and rationalize.

Through strategic shifts in perspective, the narrative craft continues to generate dramatic tension and heightens the stakes of Lor’s struggle through juxtaposition. The chapters alternate between the tension of political intrigue and the visceral horror of the Trials. This contrast emphasizes the multifaceted dangers Lor faces: the immediate physical threat of the thogrul and the psychological threat of Atlas’s manipulation. The return to Nadir’s viewpoint in Chapter 24 widens the narrative view, reminding the reader of the wider conspiracy that contextualizes the Trials and provides the longer narrative arc of the series. While Lor is focused on surviving the next obstacle, the reader learns of Rion’s true intentions. His command to Nadir to “Eliminate her” (255) transforms Lor from a competitor into the target of an assassination plot she knows nothing about. This creates dramatic irony, as her fight for the crown is unknowingly a fight for her life against forces outside Aphelion. This sets up the narrative arc as the wider struggle will become clearer as the novel proceeds.