Michelle Jabès Corpora (https://www.michellejcorpora.com) is the author of five novels. His Face is the Sun was published in early May of this year and is the first book in her Throne of Khetara series. It is the 49th title I’ve completed reading in 2025.

Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as R.

Khetara is a land much like our ancient Egypt, with the great river Iteru flowing through it. Pharaoh Amunmose assumed the throne after the warrior Pharaoh Sematawy had passed. Sematawy had led his army to unite High Khetera and Low Khetera into one country. Amunmose inherits a strong kingdom, but is not a strong leader. Khetara begins a slow slide into mediocrity.

The one high point of his reign was the birth of his children. On a terribly stormy night, Queen Bintanath gives birth to triplets. With her own medical staff unable to reach the palace, three unusual women appear and help Bintanath give birth. Sons Meryamun and Bakenamun, along with daughter Sitamun, are brought into the world. Against tradition, the strange women, rather than priests, name the three children. Then the women disappear.

The story picks up seventeen years later. The luster of Khetara has dimmed, and Pharaoh Amunmose is growing more ill by the day. Meryamun is the heir apparent, biding his time until he becomes Pharaoh. He is a devotee of Pharaoh Sematawy and his policies. Bakenamun devotes his time as a Sem priest. He studies the ancient scrolls and is the official embalmer. Sitamun enjoys all the benefits of being part of the Royal family. She is very close to her brother Meryamun, following his lead in all things.

Nefermaat is about 13 and comes from a merchant family in the town of Bubas, many miles from Thonis. When a statue of the God Bast is being transported from Bubas to Thonis, Nefermaat comes to the attention of the high priestess. Having demonstrated her fledgling ability to interpret dreams, the high priestess insists that Nefermaat join the holy entourage. She is to travel to Thonis and enter training for the priesthood.

Raetawy is a young woman living with her widower father in Sakesh, a town on the Itera in Lower Khetara. Her father had been a scribe to their last King, but Sematawy’s victory left him a farmer struggling to scratch out an existence. Raetawy has problems controlling her anger and often gets into fights. After she is beaten for speaking out against the tax collector, she follows the lead of her childhood friend Omari to join the local revolutionaries.

Karim is the oldest of the four main characters at 19. He is from the Red Lands, the barren desert, outside the fertile Itera valley. There is not much of a future for him in the land of the endless sand dunes. He joins a group of other young men calling themselves the Jackals. They spend most of their time searching for and then plundering any Khetaran tombs that they can find. Karim seems to be particularly good at finding the entrance to a tomb in what appears to be a barren desert.

Karim finds the undisturbed tomb of Setnakt, filled with treasure. He also discovers the sarcophagus of the long-dead Pharaoh. When the mummy rises from the dead and kills Karim’s companion, he runs. But Setnakt pursues him. Karim is heading for Thunis where he hopes to sell the treasure he has stolen, then disappear into the crowds around the capital city. Along the way, he meets a priest at a long-out-of-favor temple. There he learns of the Oracle of the Lamb - a painting more than a thousand years old that foretells of war and misery. Before he can find out more, Setnakt appears, and Karim must flee again.

Pharaoh Amunmose dies, and preparations are made to crown Meryamun the new Pharaoh. He ruthlessly cleanses the Royal court of his father’s close followers. He informs his sister Sitamun that he will be following ancient practices, and will be taking her as his new queen. Finally seeing Meryamun for what he really is, Sitamun flees the palace.

Karim takes to the Itera to continue his journey to Thunis, and he stops along the river at Sakesh seeking supplies. He randomly meets Raetawy, and she provides him with enough food to reach Thunis.

When Nefermaat reaches the temple in Thunis, she encounters Bakenamun. He becomes her only friend. Meryamun later visits the temple and insists that Nefermaat interpret a dream. While Meryamun is later hunting along the Itera, Nefermaat’s words save his life.

Karim makes it to Thunis and goes to the temple. There, he meets Nefermaat. She introduces him to Bakenamun. Karim reveals all that he has gone through, including being pursued by Setnakt and the Oracle of the Lamb. He describes the Oracle. The figures in the painting depicting Amunmose’s triplets. Figures representing himself, Raetawy, Nefermaat, and Princess Sitamun.

Bakenamun and Nefermaat investigate the unknown Pharaoh Setnakt. They find that he had stirred up such dark forces that his name had been struck from their history.

After he has been named Pharaoh, Meryamun goes to the temple and asks Nefermaat to join him in the palace as his personal advisor. She is torn between staying at the temple to learn more and be close to Bakenamun, or joining Meryamun. It would be safer to stay, but she fears that she needs to go to the palace to secretly observe Meryamun and begin learning the magic known only to the Heka priests.

Sitamun now fears her brother and is horrified at the thought of becoming his bride. With the help of a guard she has become close to, she escapes the palace. She wanders through Thunis, with palace guards searching the city for her. Karim encounters her and saves her from the guards. Together, they make their way from the city.

As the novel approaches its conclusion, several questions remain. Is Setnakt still in pursuit of Karim? What will happen if Setnakt catches up with him? Can Sitamun escape from her brother’s clutches? Can Nefermaat maintain her subterfuge in the palace? Can Raetawy effectively lead the revolt? How does the Oracle of the Lamb fit in? Is it Setnakt or the revolt that will bring blood and terror to the Itera valley? How do Raetawy, Karim, Nefermaat, and Sitamun figure into the prophecy?

I enjoyed the 11 hours I spent reading this 530-page young adult fantasy. This novel is well written with vivid characters. I enjoyed the story and look forward to the next book in the series. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4.8 (rounded to 5) out of 5.

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This books felt very unique. I've never read anything in the world of Egyptian fantasy but was super intrigued by it. I will say I don't think it should be marketed as a romantasy. It is more of a political fantasy (reminds me a little of HBO style gladiator/game of thrones shows). I would probably read again and recommend to friends. Excited to see the rest of the trilogy evolve.

In the first book in this fascinating new trilogy inspired by ancient Egypt, readers follow four unlikely characters -- a princess, a priestess, a rebel, and a tomb robber -- as the kingdom of Khetara braces for an approaching political crisis. With the pharaoh dying, rebellion brewing in the southern half of the kingdom, members of his family plotting against the pharaoh, and an ancient evil waking, these strangers are brought together by a long-forgotten oracle to fight against the upcoming conflict as murder, betrayal, and violence break out in the palace and across Khetara. Packed with details and drawing on a fascinating historical period, the world-building and magical system in this book are brilliantly written and pull readers into the story, while the political intrigue and whispers of violence and rebellion add necessary tension and drama to the story. The characters are unique and complex, and they all have fascinating backstories; alternating perspectives between the characters allows each character to share their understanding of the events in Khetara, and the characters balance out perfectly. A brilliant and high-stakes start to a fascinating history-inspired fantasy series, readers will love the complex machinations and incredible details in this brilliant and totally immersive novel.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy. The descriptions fully immersed me. You can tell the author has done his research (sometimes to a horrifying degree when it comes to embalming), and his passion just pours off the pages. Yet, it is never overdone to draw you out of the story or flow. I enjoyed taking my time.

I think I just found a contender for my favorite read of 2025 🙂‍↕️✨

For years, I have been dying for a good and appropriately researched historical fantasy inspired by Ancient Egypt, and my goodness did this book deliver. I was initially a little wary because this book had insane comps like “YA Game of Thrones,” but this is the rare book that actually delivers on the premise. While not the most inventive book I’ve ever read, all the ingredients—magic, politics, romance, and prophecies—come together to make an exciting and page-turning YA fantasy that is criminally underrated.

I knew the book was going to be good when I immediately cared about every POV character (there’s four!!) after their introduction chapter and had to fight the urge to skip ahead and see how their story played out. Four POVs can be a lot to handle, but Corpora does a masterful job of pacing the story so that it never feels overwhelming or boring. Each character is richly developed with clear and relatable motives, and although they all follow different subplots—court politics, magic school, rebellion, and artifact quest—they intersect in unique and unexpected ways. Even with a prophecy foretelling their interactions, I felt this book barely scratches the surface of their fates, so I’m excited to see how they (re)unite in future installments. This is one of the things Corpora excels at—taking tried-and-true hallmarks of YA fantasy like prophecies and quest narratives and blending it with fantastic character work to make the story simultaneously feel new and familiar without being derivative. The plot beats hit at all the appropriate moments without feeling too predictable, and the satisfying split between plot and character kept the pacing tidy despite the considerable page length (500+ pages). The closest comparison I can think of is the first book in the Ember quartet by Sabaa Tahir—nothing mind-blowing, but excellently written and filled with morally complex characters.

I’ve been so desperate for a book inspired by Ancient Egypt that I was 1) immediately sold on this book without even knowing the plot and 2) willing to overlook inconsistencies if the setting and historical inspiration was handled well. Thankfully, this book delivers on both! I was particularly impressed by the worldbuilding and the way Corpora brings the setting to life. The writing is descriptive without verging into flowery, and the characters’ interactions with their environment really elevated the worldbuilding. I liked that Corpora pays tribute to her real-world references—for example, the ancient Egyptians’ lifestyles and worldviews were almost solely dictated by the Nile and the desert), so it was great seeing how the characters of this book operate in an environment that closely mirrors that. I studied Ancient Egyptian religion and literature as an undergrad, so the references were quite obvious to me (ex. gods, religious texts, etc.) but still integrated well with the plot. I also enjoyed the focus on Egyptian mysticism as well as the close parallels to the Amarna period!

Perhaps this is a byproduct of my undergrad studies and being an ancient history enthusiast in general, but I couldn’t help but wonder if this book was better off set in actual history (ie historical fantasy) instead of second-world fantasy. According to the map, the geography of Khetara is basically the Nile Delta with very little changes (it even preserves the upper/lower-river geography!) and the religious system was cut and pasted from actual ancient Egyptian religion. I think Corpora handles this nicely without making it seem artificial or uninspired, but the frequent references to real religious texts like the Book of the Dead really blurred the lines between inspiration vs. being set in the time period. Similarly, Karim’s subplot very clearly deals with a dead king and lost city that is basically Akhenaten and Amarna 2.0, so I was a bit confused as to why Corpora chose to make this second-world fantasy instead of historical fantasy. It’s not a huge issue, but I’d be curious to learn more about the author’s creative choices because she clearly did her research beforehand.

Teeny tiny historical qualm aside, His Face is the Sun is a *fantastic* YA fantasy that checks all the boxes. I can’t believe more people aren’t talking about this book because it absolutely lives up to its lofty comps. The physical edition also has beautiful scarab sprayed edges, so I cannot recommend this enough!

A short note on the target age demographic: although this book is categorized as YA (which it definitely is considering that one of the characters is a pre-teen and the older teenaged characters still feel like teenagers), it has really great fantastic cross-over appeal and definitely toes the line between YA and adult. This isn’t too surprising considering that life in ancient Egypt was legitimately brutal (they lived and died by the environment) and ancient warfare/court politics was not for the faint of heart, but there are some surprisingly frank descriptions of sex and violence that may be too sensitive for a younger YA reader. Just something to keep in mind!

5/5 stars
Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for the e-ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book had me in a chokehold!!!! I don't think I have ever read anything like this in my life. The author did an amazing job creating such a unique and original story.I loved the Ancient Egyptian fantasy vibe that it has. Truly is such a great book

From Pacheco one to the last it kept me so interested and wanted more to read. Highly recommend to anyone that wants an amazing book to keep them hooked.

I’m truly surprised this book isn’t viral. Intricate storytelling, complicated and well developed characters, an Ancient Egyptian like setting, magic, betrayal, this book has everything you could want.


I savored this story because I didn’t want it to end. At the same time, the multiple POVs keeping you turning pages to find out what happens next. I flew through the second half because I had to know what was going to be thrown into my new favorite characters paths.


A princess, a farmer’s daughter, a young priestess, and a tomb robber each have their own parts to play. Each character is endearing in their own way, but each are flawed. If this book being in the young adult category is giving you pause, press play because you won’t be disappointed.


If you enjoy books by Leigh Bardugo and Sabaa Tahir, you’re in for a treat. There’s action, political intrigue, and magic. I can’t say enough good things about His Face is the Sun.


Thank you to Source Books and Netgalley for my copy. I am salivating for book two.

I need for every single person who reads fantasy to pick this book up immediately. The entire time I just kept thinking it is basically the love child of The Mummy and Game of Thrones—two of my absolute favorites! I’m absolutely gobsmacked by this book and I’ll never ever be over it.

His Face is the Sun follows four main characters: the princess Sita, the priestess-in-training Neff, the farmers daughter Rae, and the tomb robber Karim. These young individuals come from all walks of life and regions of the land, but they have one thing in common. They were all prophesied to save the kingdom from destruction—they just don’t know it yet. Plus, there are some chapters from the POV of a stray cat that walks among the palace.

You don’t understand how absolutely obsessed I am with this book. It is all of the things I loved about Game of Thrones but set in ancient Egypt with some pretty major parallels to the 1999 film The Mummy. Every single narrating character is compelling in their own way, with distinct voices. Not a single word or scene felt like it was without purpose and once everything started coming together I had literal goosebumps. This is probably more than a five star read for me because it’s consumed my every thought even though I finished reading days ago. I cannot wait to see what happens next in this series.

I RECOMMEND IF:
If you enjoy the politics, many narrating POVs, a prophecy no one believes, an ancient come again, converging characters, and overall vibe of Game of Thrones but wished it was mixed up with the 1999 film The Mummy, then you will LOVE His Face is The Sun.

WHAT TO EXPECT:
• The Mummy meets Game of Thrones
• YA ancient Egypt based fantasy
• Prophecy, plots, betrayals, adventures, & secrets
• 4 POVs (plus a cat POV)
• No one’s life will ever be there same
• It will make you want to leave the lights on at night
• “What in the Game of Thrones is happening?!” - me, while reading
• Death is only the beginning

Thank you Sourcebooks and Netgalley for the eArc in exchange for an honest review.

While this is a fantasy setting, the inspiration is clearly the Ancient Egypt, which is reproduced with so much respect for the history and myths of those times , it becomes clear the author did a ton of research just to craft her worldbuilding and characters in a way that felt real. If I could rate it on worldbuilding alone, this would have been a 5-star reads.

If you enjoy Sabaa Tahir's multi-POV storytelling, you will probably really enjoy picking this one up. Not only are each perspectives interesting but their intersection makes sense, as does their motivations. Each character has their own development but my favorite was Sita's. Her arc was truly a blessing to read and I cannot wait to see what is coming next for her now that she is fully detached from her world.

The plot definitely moves slowly, which impacted pacing in my opinion. I think there were certain moments that were important for the worldbuilding and setting of these characters that ended up dragging the narrative a little bit, which is ultimately why this is not a 5-star read. I had to push myself to read through it because I wanted to complete the book rather than my curiosity toward the plotline, which was only peaked at about 3/4 into it.

I will probably pick up book 2 though because I feel like the groundwork has been laid sufficiently well that the next one will be more action packed and will also have higher stakes due to the ending of this one.

A princess, a priestess, a rebel, and a thief. They couldn't be more different, yet the gods of ancient Egyptian mythology bring them together to save their kingdom (Khetara) from inner divisions, the Pharaoh's illness, monsters and curses, and betrayals you won't see coming! Only together do these four have the potential to save the kingdom from destruction. But when the dust has settled, who will sit on the throne of Khetara?

So excited for an Ancient Egytian setting and some complex female MCs!

I ended up liking this one a lot more than I had anticipated afte a somewhat slow start and some characters that seemed flat (though I'm glad I kept reading ot see the development!)

Would have really liked some more attention paid to the worldbuilding and details of the Ancient Egyptian mythology--the last 20 pages had most of the interesting aspects of it displayed, which left about 500 pages with only some very general descriptions and hints of how integral and comprehensive the gods and their history were to the people in the book (both specific people and "people" as general society). Hopefully the next book in the series will expand on that incredible ending and integrate that more fully into the world.



***Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book to review.***

I need the second book, now.

This is giving Game of Thrones for me. Specifically the political intrigue, the rebellion, royal siblings, multiple POVs that we see start to converge, the heavy character-driven plots, longer chapters & a little bit of incest (only mentioned in this book).

This is definitely a little slower in order to set up this lush world and give these characters life. Again, this is character-driven but I think it is executed so well. I am invested in all POVs, they are so unique & different as well which is so impressive.

Everyone needs to be reading this and talking about it.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Dnf'd at 50%

I 100% blame the marketing for this. It was marketed as an SJM-like Egyptian fantasy book full of romance and adventure...it was not. There was no romance, the chapters were insanely long, and the entire book (at least the half that I read) was all world-building, like, get to the plot already. I have read 50% of this book, and the four POV characters haven't met each other yet, like how long is it going to take to get the plot started? I enjoyed the writing; it was beautiful, and the characters were well-written, but this book was just far too boring for me to keep going. I really tried, as I enjoyed some of the plot points, but there were so many other issues that I could not finish it. This book would be good for people who enjoy epic fantasy, but I am not one of those people. I like romance-filled, engaging fantasies, and this just wasn't for me.

I’m really on the fence about this book. While many of the individual chapters were compelling and well written, the overall story felt overwhelming. There was just too much happening at once and at times, it felt like there were four or five different plots competing for attention, which left me confused about the overall plot.
I had also hoped for more of a focus on Egyptian mythology, which seemed like it would be a key element but ended up feeling more like a background detail than the main plot. By the time I reached the end, I was left unsure of what the story was truly about, or why it took 500 pages to get there.
There’s a lot of potential here, but for me, it just didn’t come together in a clear or satisfying way.

*Thank you to Michelle Jabès Corpora, Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for the digital copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

3.5 stars. I still don't really know how I feel about this one.

What I liked:
- Neff and Karim's dynamic was so interesting. Karim in general is a compelling character, since he's from outside the Khetaran Empire, and it was cool to see him discover the world of "civilization".
- Sita's chapters had the most plot, and they were very enjoyable to read for the most part. She makes a lot of mistakes but remains sympathetic the whole time.
- One of the characters is in a sapphic relationship, which I wasn't expecting for a book based on ancient Egypt.

What I didn't like:
- It was such a slow build, which normally doesn't bother me, but then I got to the end and it felt like nothing was even close to resolved. I understand that it's a series, but I think it would be hard to delineate where one book ends and another begins.
- The first scene includes some weird voyeurism, which is not at all in keeping with the tone of the rest of the book.
- Rae doesn't really feel unique

4.5/5 Stars

Summary: In the desert kingdom of Khetara, once unified by war but still deeply divided, a dying pharaoh’s illness sparks political unrest and rebellion. As a forgotten ancient evil rises from the sands, threatening the entire realm, four unlikely heroes—a princess, a priestess, a rebel, and a tomb robber—are drawn together by a mysterious oracle. Amidst magic, monsters, betrayal, and war, they must confront their destinies and work together to save Khetara. But when the dust settles, who will claim the throne?

This book was so good, and it's very clear that this was a passion project for which Michelle Jabès Corpora did thorough research. I truly enjoyed learning more about Egyptian culture and traditions while still immersing myself in a fantasy book with magic concepts. I can't say I disliked any of the characters, as they each had their strengths and weaknesses. I personally love when there is a POV switch, and more than two POVs can muddle a story. However, in "His Face is the Sun," I felt like the four main characters' POVs only added to the suspense and the overall story. I also loved the way the authors started and ended with the palace cat's POV and sprinkled it in during the story to give a description of a scene that the reader otherwise wouldn't have been privy to. The only reason I took off half a star was that the pacing was a tad slow at times, but the overall story was beautifully written, and I will definitely be reading book 2 when it comes out!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It has a mystery, suspense, action, romance, with historical and cultural insights. With the Pharaoh's demise, there is an uprising that is beginning to brew. While in the desert, there is unlocked a prophecy that will brink together four strangers, who have the potential to save the kingdom.

His Face Is the Sun is a rich and detailed beginning to a well-drawn new fantasy world. The author uses the mythology and history of ancient Egypt as a basis for an original story. Used skillfully, this allows the reader to visualize and orient themselves more quickly in an unknown setting, but allows the author room to create new ideas and events. Multiple POV characters also work well here, offering the reader a view of many levels of the society, from the royal family, to the outcast herdsman, to the rebels. The story so far is well done, but unfortunately there isn't enough of it. I can handle a cliff hanger ending, and am happy to wait for a sequel, but the first volume should have some form of story arc of its own. This felt like only the beginning of a story, not a full novel.