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

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

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

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

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

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

I loved this story! If you like ancient Egypt, a cursed mummy, fate, Egyptian gods, murder, and the most loyal dog ever, you should read this book. It was so hard to put down!

There were five different points of view so if you dont like that, skip this book. Points of view: palace cat, princess, priestess, thief, and farmer/insurgent. The stories are so vividly written with so much heart and emotion. The characters have believable desires and drives.

I am thoroughly invested in this story and cannot wait for the second book to come out.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was immediately drawn to this title because of its Egyptian setting. The ancient gods pair well with the fantasy element and the history tie-in was enjoyable because it's such a rich and vibrant time and setting. Each chapter is from 1 of 4 different points of view and the characters are easily identifiable. Eventually, the characters begin to intertwine and I think this is really where the book hits its stride. The characters are fairly developed, but I do think we'll continue to get additional background throughout the rest of the series.

The settings are descriptive enough to immerse the reader and I could picture being in the desert, among the grand palaces, or even in the fields. One thing I think that would be helpful with the world-building would be a map of Khetara and outlying areas. Some characters are enjoyable, while others are despicable, which creates tension and sets up the rest of the series. I enjoyed the latter half of the book more than the first half, but I think that's because the characters are more developed.

All this to say that I am really looking forward to the second book and can't wait to see which characters prevail and which fall. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC!

Thank you Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was a little hard to get into at first with so many things going on in the beginning - which is completely fair to set up the world and get transported back to ancient Egypt. However the tone, personally, kind of kept throughout the entire book and while I could understand where they were going I found myself having to recheck where I was in the story and it felt a little jumbled - again personally. Overall I did enjoy the read and would love to see where this story goes in book 2.

The first 10-15% of the book was a bit of a slow start for me, probably because of the longer chapters to get into the POVs, but then it really moved along. It was actually quite easy to fall into this world as it felt familiar somehow. And sometimes I struggle between bouncing between different POVs in a fantasy world, but it felt seamless here. The characters were very distinct and the author was great at including subtle reminders to pull me back in.

The imagery was vivid - enough to spook me a little bit at night 😅 - and I loved seeing these characters finally run into each other. I’m excited to see where the story goes and look forward to the next book!

Read if you’re interested in Egyptian mythology, multi POVs, strong female characters, mysteries, and quests!

I thought this book was extremely interesting, although initially confusing due to the varied POVs. It wasn’t until I was about 50% through that I felt like I couldn’t put it down. The Egyptian lore was woven beautifully and the main characters, all of them flawed, became more and more intriguing.

I think the main thread of this story - the prophecy - was well executed and I can’t wait to see where this goes!

Neff and Karim were my favorite characters and Sitamun is growing on me. Rae’s storyline, while obviously necessary, didn’t have the same grip on me.

His Face is the Sun is the first installment of the Throne of Khetara series. The setting is in old world Egypt, and it is rich and vibrant. This book focuses on four main POVs, Sita, Karim, Rae, and Neff. All four people are of varying ages and come from different walks of life tied together by an ancient prophecy. The first book is chalk full of world building and sets up the overarching plot for the series, it is a medium to slow paced book with long heavy chapters. As much as I thought this book was a brilliant unique story, I felt that there was a giant need for some major editing. The chapters were long and overdone, and I felt that so little happened, and it only picked up the last 20%. With it being a 500-page book, I find it difficult to stay absorbed into the world when I am reading of them doing daily things. My thoughts are that this is the type of book you read when the whole series is out or when book two is out at least. To say very little happened in this book is an understatement, we basically spent the whole book following each character to understand their backstory instead of getting down to business. I understand the importance of the world building and the character arc building but I felt that many scenes could have been cut out and the reader would still be intrigued. I cannot say whether this is a fantastic high fantasy as this is only the first book and I can only hope that the second book will be more fruitful and full of action. The series has serious potential, but it is very slow moving which I know won't capture a lot of readers until more of the series is out and their work can have some pay off. Despite those criticisms, I did find the characters very alluring and well written, and the lore of the world is captivating. The relationships with the different gods and their hand in plot was super interesting and I am curious how that plays out in the rest of the series. I would definitely read the next book; the plot and fantasy aspect of the world is very unique. The world is well researched the well represented and I love when authors use their own culture's lore to craft unique fantasy realms.

Thank you NetGalley and SourceBooks Fire for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this advanced e-copy.

Holy smokes, this was exactly what I needed! My lore, as many others' did, started in part with the cinematic classic "The Mummy." This gives those vibes mixed with the political intrigue of Game of Thrones but set wholly in a fictionalized Egypt.

It starts with a prophecy. Ruin is coming to Khetara and four main characters are on a separate but intersecting journeys. We meet Sita, Rae, Neff, and Karim in various parts of the country, living very different lives. Sitamun is a princess, Rae is a brawler, Neff is a peasant turned prophetess, and Karim is tomb-robber. Karim finds the tomb of a long-dead pharaoh who has been erased from history and unlocks a great evil that will sweep through the land, throwing everything into disarray. As these characters come together, the story gets even more intricate and detailed.

I loved it all: the descriptions, the characters, the court intrigue, the Egyptian history. I cannot wait for book two. I was invested from page one and found the story simple, yet engrossing. The writing was superb (though I did notice some grammatical errors, pubs!). I would highly recommend this series starter.

Can there be more Kenna in book two?

This book really surprised me in the best way. It’s got everything—desire, war, ancient gods, monsters, and a creeping evil threatening to destroy it all. The world of Khetara, inspired by Ancient Egypt, was so vivid I could practically feel the desert heat and hear the whispers of old magic in the air. The whole mythology-based magic system was a huge win for me—fresh, fascinating, and really well thought out.

We follow four totally different characters—a princess, a priestess, a rebel, and a tomb robber—and I genuinely liked all of them. The story jumps between their POVs each chapter, and I never found myself wishing to get back to one over the other. Each had their own vibe, struggles, and stakes, and watching their stories slowly start to overlap was so satisfying. There were some wild twists too—definitely kept me flipping pages.

The only thing that pulled me out a bit was the language. Some of the dialogue and descriptions felt super modern, which made it harder to stay fully immersed in the ancient setting at times. It wasn’t a dealbreaker, but it did stand out.

Still, this was such a fun, engaging read, and I’m very ready for the next book. If you’re into fantasy with mythology, rich world-building, and strong character arcs, definitely give this one a shot.

My copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

Wow! This book was fantastic!

When I first started reading it, I didn't think it was for me, but about a quarter of the way in i became totally invested. At the end I couldn't put it down.

A slow build, but so worth the read!

I enjoyed this book so much. There was lots of lore and intrigue surrounding the plot. I was hooked from page one. Ive never read a book by this author before this one. I think i will keep a lookout for new releases now on. It was a fresh concept.

You hade me at ancient Egypt. But kept me with game of thrones. Lately ive found myself a bit bored with the typical Romantasy novels and I’ve been craving a more plot driven story and this delivered. I found myself immersed in an ancient world and though some chapter moved a bit slower than others sometimes, by the midpoint of the story I was hooked. I couldn’t put it down. I’m very eager to see what happens next in the series.

this was fine. the setting was original, and i always enjoy picking up anything egyptian-based, but in a sea of YA fantasy this just didn’t fully find its footing for me, nor did it feel wholly immersive. i will say the writing is excellent and SO descriptive!

This was such a cool start to a new YA fantasy series! His Face Is the Sun is set in a lush, ancient Egypt inspired world full of magic, politics, betrayal, and prophecy, and once it gets going, it really doesn’t let up.

It did take me a few chapters to find my footing, lots of characters and worldbuilding right out of the gate, but I loved how everything slowly came together and the characters’ individual arcs started weaving into the larger story.

This one definitely gave me fantasy mystery vibes with a darker edge. The mix of political intrigue, ancient gods, and mystical prophecies made the stakes feel high without ever being too overwhelming. The POVs were all strong, and I enjoyed the sapphic romantic subplot and the strong emotional threads throughout. I’m really curious to see how the story continues, especially with that cliffhanger! Definitely excited for book two.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

His Face Is The Sun is one of the best book I've read in regard to Egyptian mythology. The use of realism and magic brought the story to life. The characters were complex and had great depth. Many of the turns and twists within the book were not easily anticipated which mad the book so much more enjoyable. Without giving away any spoilers the characters that you think are heroes and the characters we think to be villains might surprise the reader. The book inspires the reader to look beyond the surface of appearance and appreciate the importance of deeper vaules. When you pick up this book be prepared for a float down the rivers of Egyptian mythology, magic, heroic antics, unexpected plot twists, gasps, and a truly majestic read. This book breaks away from the typical fantasy books following the same magical culture and creates something new from a mythology no since abandoned. Truly a beautiful read.

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: His Face is the Sun by Michelle Jabès Corpora
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Upper YA Fantasy
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: May 6, 2025
📖 528 pages

✨️ Inspired by Ancient Egypt
✨️ Multiple POV
✨️ Prophetic Dreams
✨️ Deadly Secrets
✨️ Lore Galore

His Face is the Sun is written beautifully and I adore the ancient Egyptian setting! There are devastating betrayals, deadly secrets, a sapphic romantic subplot, and a prophecy that began on the fateful night of the royal triplets birth.

While the beginning is a bit slow, mainly due to world/lore building and character introductions, once it picks up you won't be able to put it down! I appreciated how the characters' individual stories intertwined to fulfill the prophecy and the artful use of POV to keep us on edge. It was so cute that we also get a couple chapters in Paw's POV, though I would've also enjoyed more from Kenna and Neff and hope we get more of them in book 2! The cliffhanger is pretty amazing, I can't wait to see where the story goes!!

Thank you so much Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for the digital review copy!

PG-13⚠️: mild sexual content (open door but not explicit), violence

His Face Is the Sun by Michelle Jabès Corpora started off with a mystical intrigue that captured my attention immediately and ended with an explosive collision of cliffhangers and twists. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the Egyptian gods and mysticism as well as the lush settings of the desert, temples, markets and palaces. The author paints an immersive picture of the ancient world and fills the story with fantastical monsters and curses.

Like most people, I am fascinated by anything Ancient Egyptian, so I was quick to pick this one up! A lot of this book worked for me, and a lot of it did. I really enjoyed the multi-POV storytelling...but at the same time, I wondered if this book--especially with the politics-heavy worldbuilding--would have worked so much better if it was for an Adult audience. A lot of this book felt like a missed opportunity, hemmed in with the restrictions that come along with writing YA. I would say that the "GoT meets Ancient Egyptian worldbuilding," is very accurate in this sense.

If you like your fantasy books with a strong focus on politics flavored with Ancient Egypt, then I would recommend this one.

Thank you for the ARC!

Starting out strong the cat's POV was a fun and interesting way to start the book but ultimately I DNFed. There are so many characters and none are catching my interest sorry I just could not get into it.