I had such fun with this book. The setting, for one — ancient Egypt — is novel, well-researched, and lushly described. The many gods, the priesthood, the different forms of writing, the different ethnic groups, the food, the decadence of the palace, all of it. The clothing and jewelry is well described, and I think the setting is my favorite part of the book.

Character wise, each of the POV characters is drawn in broad strokes: they’re all good, compassionate, and drawn from different walks of life. The spoiled princess who has been too comfortable, too complacent in her life; the new priestess whose visions of a terrifying future seem closer and closer to coming true; the farmer’s daughter who will not see injustice done; the tomb robber haunted by what he found in the forgotten and sealed crypt in the desert. The villains are just as broad, with the manipulative and lust-driven brother, the cruel bureaucrat, the evil mummy … while there are some nuances in the heroes and baddies alike, it’s still rather straightforward.

The writing is strong, clean and easy read. The pace is excellent, with never too much time spent with one character and every scene moving the story along. The plot itself is well done, and I’m looking forward to the second book in the series.

If you want an epic fantasy with a new setting, excellent world building and solid storytelling, give this book a try! Thank you so very much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.

Wow wow WOW this book was so good! Because there are 5 POVs I was a little concerned at first that they would be hard to track, but that wasn't the case at all. Each perspective is completely different and by the end of this first book I could kind of see how everything was starting to come together. I got completely swept up into the story and simply could not put this book down. I knew absolutely nothing about the book going into it, and I am so happy I gave this a chance. I cannot WAIT for the next installment in the series.
I will definitely be recommending this to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and sourcebooks for the arc! I freaking loved it!!! It was interesting reading from multiple characters pov and to read about Egypt and of course the magic during that time it was an interesting read and the reviews did not lie. This book did not put its full focus on the romance which im glad because there is a bigger story to tell. The author did an amazing job painting a vivid picture and bringing to the book to life. Can’t wait for the next one

This was a refreshing fantasy and I'm surprised there haven't been more inspired by ancient Egypt. I was worried that this was headed into romantasy territory with Sita's first chapter (she's a horny voyeuristic virgin), but I ended up being pleasantly surprised at the depth of the plot. The arcs of three of the four main characters revolve around politics, intrigue, and civil unrest (the pharoah's horny daughter, a royal priestess, and a rebel) and the fourth's (a grave robber and the lone male) was straight from The Mummy. Honestly I'd give this 4 stars just for The Mummy chapters and the cat POV. Those were so much fun. Sita, however, was the weakest character to me; she lacked agency and mostly just whined about being lonely or drank to avoid thinking.

I wanted more build-up for Mery's character -- he had serious vibes of the creepy elf prince from Hellboy II: The Golden Army -- but what we got was still YUCK YUCK YUCK. And YUCK again. I honestly can't wait to read the sequel and see how the four POV characters come together and begin to fulfill the prophesy.

4.5/5.0 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Poppy War x What the River Knows
(A movement towards war with feminine rage x ancient Egypt)

An Ancient Egyptian fantasy that follows four unique individuals of different backgrounds: a princess, a farmer/street fighter, a priestess, and a tomb robber.

This book took some time to dive into, but once you were caught in its lush descriptions and engaging plot, you couldn’t stop. The writing style is descriptive and does take some focus when first starting to follow along with, plus the switching between 4 different POV’s through the whole book took some getting used to.

Throughout the book you would think “I know exactly what is happening” and then a twist would pop out and keep you on your toes, always questioning whether what you think is true or not.

This book is a true fantasy with romance as a very, very minor subplot. While romance is there and sprinkled into some of the charatcters POV’s, it focuses on the growth and motives of them and their paths forward to the god lead destiny at hand.

I would recommend this book if you’re looking for a fantasy steeped in descriptions and ancient civilizations where gods meddle.

Thank you to Michelle, Sourcebooks Fire, and NetGalley for the eARC!

I am so sorry to say that this one wasn’t for me. It’s a solid 2 / 5. The premise of the story is so intriguing and unique: Egyptian Game of Thrones! I was sold on the blurb alone. It was a unique setting - most fantasy novels aren’t showcasing Egypt or and other Middle Eastern countries. Ultimately it fell flat for me and truly felt like YA, and I couldn’t get invested in the characters or storylines.
The concepts and backgrounds of each of the characters were perfect. I could easily see how their stories would eventually converge, and how their temperaments would complement each other in their journey. Unfortunately, their dialogue and inner monologues fell flat. I couldn’t get emotionally invested in who they were, and I had trouble immersing myself in their thoughts and feelings, which usually isn’t very difficult for me. I also had difficulty remembering all of the names of the side characters and the main characters right off the bat. I did appreciate the queer representation though!
The world-building was very robust without feeling overwhelming. I could easily picture where we were in the world and what it might look like. Again, I loved that this was a less prominently featured location for fantasy books. I haven’t read any stories set in Egypt until this one. With all of that said, this book definitely felt very much like a setup book. I don’t mind a book that sets other events in motion. I felt as though this one didn’t have enough substance to hook me into the story enough to want to continue it. I couldn’t get invested.
In terms of complexity, there were very unique words used. “Akimbo” was used pretty frequently, for example, which originates from Middle English. I appreciate the variety of words used, but they didn’t seem to fit the timeframe where this took place. On the flip side, I really appreciated the explanations of the various gods and goddesses we were introduced to. The fact that they were explained and then personified was really cool! I’m invested in Egyptian lore now.
I truly wish that I liked this more, but I’ll just have to accept that this one wasn’t for me.

His Face Is the Sun is an immersive, Ancient Egyptian-inspired epic filled with magic, political intrigue, and a touch of horror. The story follows four unlikely heroes—a princess, a priestess, a rebel, and a tomb robber—whose fates intertwine through an ancient prophecy as rebellion brews and a deadly evil awakens.

The world-building is lush and atmospheric, bringing Khetara to life with its warring factions, divine forces, and gripping betrayals. While the pacing slows at times with multiple perspectives, the high stakes and rich mythology make this a compelling start to the trilogy.

I had a hard time getting into this one but loved the concept. Reminded me a lot of Sword Catcher, I also had a hard time getting through that book. Ultimately it sadly didn't click for me. I wasn't invested in the characters and with such a character driven story it left me struggling. It did pick up around the 75% mark and while the writing was technically great, I dnf'd multiple times. It clearly was setting up alot for the next in the series but its a chonky book to get through if you're not clicking with any of the characters. I think once you get through 17% you'll know if you'll love it or feel meh about it. I'm sad and annoyed that I didn't like this book more.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review the arc. I do appreciate it and am gutted I didn't like this story more.

Huge thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Be forewarned, this sucker is 500+ pages. For a YA novel, that is a chonky book. And it’s the first of a series as well. This one took me a minute to get into. We start into a prologue from a cat’s point of view of the pharaohs and witnessing a divine birth of triplets. From there we jump to the triplets at 17 on the verge of attending the festival of Bast.

We get other narratives in the subsequent chapters painting a picture of what life is like in this world modeled on ancient Egypt. Right now my absolute favorites are Neff and Karim. I love how both of them are starting to weave into the larger thread of the story. Ah, and Rae!

This story is incredible and sweeping. It marries together the magic of Egyptian gods and goddesses, palace intrigue, rebellion and human nature to be better. It’s written in such an engaging g way that you can’t help but feel you are IN the story. And that ending. My god, that ending was chef’s kiss perfect. Stunning!

I will definitely be getting a physical copy when it releases on May 6 and reading the rest of the series!

I absolutely loved this! Typical romantasy tropes, however the mix in of Egyptian culture/setting makes it so unique. This book was so good, from the world building to the character development, with wonderful and descriptive writing. 100% recommend!

A prophecy unfolds in a fantasy world akin to Ancient Egypt. Four wildly different characters: a tomb robber, a warrior, a priestess, and a princess find their lives intertwined as chaos and bloodshed reaches their lands.

This book was fast-paced and action-packed! I was immediately drawn in to each character’s storyline. Despite the oracle that is mentioned throughout the story, hinting at what is to come, I still found myself on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. I think the author did an incredible job of letting the events naturally unfold and connect the characters to each other. Needless to say, I cannot wait for the next book in the series!!

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC!

Michelle Jabès Corpora’s His Face is the Sun delivers an immersive, epic adventure set in ancient Egypt, weaving together magic, war, and political intrigue in a way that earns its Game of Thrones comparison. Since reading Babylonia last year, I’ve been craving a story set in ancient times, and this book definitely fit the bill.

One thing to clarify—while it’s marketed for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sarah J. Maas, it aligns more with Shadow and Bone and Throne of Glass rather than Ninth House or ACOTAR. This is a grand, sweeping quest with just a hint of romance, rather than a romance-forward fantasy.

The character-driven storytelling was one of the highlights for me. While I loved every character’s journey, I especially enjoyed reading Neff and Paws (the cat’s) chapters the most. The worldbuilding was also so vivid that I could easily picture every scene—so much so that I even put on Ancient Egypt ambiance in the background to enhance the experience.

However, the book did have a slow start. The introductory chapters for each character were quite long, making it difficult to fully dive in at first. But once the story picked up, I was hooked. I also expected a bit more in terms of the promised "monsters," but I suspect this is a setup for future installments—perhaps a White Walkers in Season 1 of GOT kind of situation.

Overall, this was a solid four-star read for me. The intricate character connections and unfolding mysteries have me eager for the next book, and I can’t wait to see how everything comes together. A huge thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the free eARC in exchange for my honest feedback!

Bookended at the beginning and end with the perspective of a magical being just as happy to watch the chaos and magic unfold as we the readers are: this book is a gem. Like the blood red ruby that’s first floating over a pool in a garden and later becomes integral to the plot in a large way - this story is faceted with the shine of adventure, intrigue, romance, danger, and mysticism. Being only the first in the series I am eager to see where this goes!

This book is likened to an ancient Egyptian Game of Thrones and it really is. This story includes supernatural and human threats to the kingdom, multiple character’s perspectives from all “walks of life”, magic, history, ancient religious beliefs, world building, and gorgeous descriptions of characters, clothing, food, buildings, and the Egyptian desert. This is marketed as a YA book and I believe that it would be better for the older half of that age group for some sexual content and violence. Showing my age here, but anyone that grew up on and loves “The Mummy” movies should give it a read!

A decent first novel in the series with compelling characters and a unique setting. However, I do think that things got a bit lost between the four different points of view at times, making it hard to follow some of the major events. Overall a fun read that will be great for anyone wanting a YA novel that's a bit different.

His Face Is The Sun – Review
I have always been captivated by Egyptian history, mythology, and culture, so when I came across a historical fiction novel infused with fantasy and mythology, my curiosity was instantly piqued.

His Face Is The Sun takes place in the Kingdom of Khetara, a land still reeling from the forced unification of its northern and southern territories a generation prior. This political upheaval has left behind deep unrest, heavy taxation on the “lesser” southern city, and a pharaoh afflicted by a mysterious illness.
At the heart of the story lies an ancient prophecy that will determine the kingdom’s fate. The narrative weaves together the journeys of four unlikely characters—a cunning tomb raider, a devoted young priestess, a rebel, and the princess of Khetara—each with a role to play in the unfolding destiny of their world.

Told through four distinct points of view, the story gains momentum when the pharaoh dies, and his son ascends the throne with ruthless ambition, determined to restore Khetara to its former glory—no matter the cost.

This novel feels like an Egyptian Game of Thrones, brimming with political intrigue, secrets, rebellion, betrayal, and the ever-present weight of prophecy. It begins with a gripping and exciting pace, but the middle slows down before ramping up again towards the end. However, just as I became fully invested, I realized there would be no resolution—this book primarily sets the stage for the next installment. While that left me a bit disappointed, it also left me eager for what’s to come.
Although His Face Is The Sun is categorized as YA, I believe it leans more toward mature YA due to its themes and complexity.

I’m definitely curious to see where the story goes next and look forward to the sequel. Thank you, SOURCEBOOKS Fire and NetGalley, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

DNF at 7% due to lack of interest. The intrigue for this didn’t spark interest so I won’t waste my time only to give a bad review.
Also dnf’ed partly due to mention of sexual content in a YA book, should be advertised as NA instead.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged and it only took a few days to read. I think this is going to be a good book club option for several clubs. I plan recommending to my book friends and I look forward to reading more by this author.

MY KANE CHRONICLES HEART!!! This was a wonderful dive back into ancient Egypt through a richly textured fantasy. Loved it every step of the way.

This book was described as an Ancient Egyptian Game of Thrones and thats exactly what it was. Highly recommend.