This story has real potential. The plot and pacing are solid, and Mirage is a likeable main character in a world that feels easy to understand. The magic system is clearly thought through, and the characters show promise.

That said, the dialogue is clunky in places and often pulled me out of the moment. The opening chapters lean too heavily on exposition, making it hard to connect early on. Page breaks also felt misplaced and at times distracting.

Still, fans of fantasy, magical worlds and slow-burn might enjoy it. There are some intriguing threads left hanging that could pay off in later books.

At first, I had a bit of trouble getting into the swing of things. The narrative interweaves with constant point-of-view changes and scenes that are interrupted just when things get interesting. At first, I found it somewhat frustrating, as I felt they interrupted the flow of the story. But over time, I learned to stop paying so much attention to these interruptions and focus on the essentials: the characters and the main plot. And that's when I really started to enjoy the book.

What stands out most is how the author manages to build constant emotional tension between the protagonists. The relationship feels organic, with well-crafted moments of tenderness and conflict. While the development of the climax wasn't as shocking as I expected, the ending is left open in a way that left me eager to continue. There's a twist in the final pages that I didn't see coming, and it was intriguing enough that I'm already counting down the days for the sequel.

In short, *Whispers of the Hollow* is a solid offering within the genre. It has its flaws, especially in terms of pacing and narrative structure, but it also has a very well-built world and a leading couple worth following.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the ARC.

This was received as an ARC in exchange for an honest review — thank you HP Nero & NetGalley for the gifted eARC.
Book: Kingdom of the Sun.
Series: The Hollow Crown #1
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Rating: 4⭐

4/5 Relationships
4/5 Characters
4/5 Plot
3🌶

*:✿˚⋆ SPOILER FREE REVIEW *:✿˚⋆

Kingdom of the Sun follows the journey of a royal princess as she is thrown into a world of magic, where she must learn to grow into what she was meant to be through tireless training, identity crisis and preparations for an inevitable war. I was pleasantly surprised with this book. After getting the eARC, I saw some negative reviews that made me less enthusiastic to read it. I’m ashamed to admit that I delayed reading the book because of them, and downright regret doing so since I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The world building was very well done, in my opinion. From beginning to end, I found it extremely easy to navigate through the story and its world. The magic system & creatures, the political hierarchy, the kingdoms and locations were all very clear and easy to comprehend. This made the experience much better as I was able to completely understand where the characters were, what creature they were and how their magic functioned without having to go back and read the initial explanations. This is something big for me as I like to have clear pictures in my mind while reading, and sometimes I need to go back and forth between initial encounters, explanations and maps in order to assure complete comprehension before moving forward. So, when the world building is this well done, I enjoy the material that much more.

The pacing was great, not too fast or slow and not inconsistent. The story was easy to follow and I did not feel rushed or stalled at any point in the book.
The plot itself was a bit less extensive. I see where this series will go and I get why the events in this installment needed to happen, but I do wish a bit more of the plot would have unfolded. Since this is a 500 page book, I was hoping we would delve a bit further into the plot, but it still remained somewhat surface levelled. This is not to say that the plot is not good, because I really liked it and feel like it’s heading in the right direction; I just think that the book could have been a bit shorter or more of the plot could have been unwrapped. I did not see any significant plot-holes and the story is realistic in its genre.

I LOVED the characters. I think it was one of the best aspects of the book. We got to see enough depth to understand them, but some mystery was also left which allows for more character development throughout the next installment(s). The dynamics of the characters' relationships with one another was well done, and the “new found family” trope was present without being “too much”.
The romances were also great. We have a few slow burns that I’m assuming will only unfold in the next book(s), but we also had 1 or 2 fast burn romances to keep us satiated throughout the book. I think there is a lot of potential for the characters and the relationships/romance in the future of this series, and I’m excited to see where it will go.

As for the writing. This is what the negative reviews I saw were about. Personally, the writing, syntax, grammar or book format are not things that will make me automatically dislike a book. It might take me more time to get into the book because of it, or it might distract me a bit, but I won’t dock points because of it. However, I know that not everyone feels the same, so I think it’s important for me to talk about it.
The writing itself, in my opinion, is nothing to complain about. The language used was a mix of sophistication and slang without being too formal or informal. The syntax was consistently good and comprehensible and the grammar was great.
My only issue — and what seems to be the general “turn off” for some people — is the amount of paragraphs & story breaks. I have to agree that there are way too many of them and around 97% are unnecessary. There’s no reason for these breaks as the following paragraphs are usually of the same minute or scene, same key or of the same topic. Initially, I had a hard time getting into the story because these breaks are a distraction, but once I started ignoring them and just kept reading as if there were no breaks, I started really enjoying the book and hardly even saw the breaks at all anymore.

Lastly, the book ends on a cliffhanger. The third act isn’t that surprising but the cliffhanger really is. I think it was well done and I wish the 2nd book was already out because I really need to know what happens.

Overall, I really enjoyed Kingdom of the Sun. I think it is a great Fantasy Romance with a lot of potential. I hope the author will consider avoiding unnecessary breaks in the next installments, as I truly think any fantasy reader could really enjoy this series if they are not initially put off by them. I think fans of Kindred Curse, ToG and War of Lost Hearts would thoroughly enjoy this series. Just remember to not get put off by the breaks and the story will captivate your attention and satiate your Fantasy-Romance needs.

Thank you to HP Nero and NetGalley for this e-ARC!

It is apparently a #romantasygirlsummer and this one did not disappoint. HP Nero creates a stunning world that was a joy for my imagination to envision. The magic system she's created is unique and intriguing--I really loved that so much of it was determined by seasons and that everyone's magic is particular and unique to each character. I am really hoping that she explores and explains this more in her next book.

I also loved the characters HP created to inhabit this world. I feel like we have just scratched the surface of them and I am really looking forward to hopefully a deeper dive into their backgrounds and particular magic skill sets in upcoming novels. I need Hiver to be able to fully be able to enjoy what he's been yearning for--that cliffhanger at the end was no fair! I also really want to know exactly what Jesper's purpose in taking Mirage back to the tenth kingdom was in the first place. I have so many questions left for these characters. If you're a fan of found family, this novel is a great one for you.

While I can agree with some other reviewers that the page breaks throughout the duration of the novel didn't always make the most sense and were a little distracting to me at first, I feel like the more interesting the story became, the more I was able to ignore them when necessary and continue my progression of the story. I believe in and love me a good page break, but in this instance I do agree and think that there were too many that weren't utilized to further the story, but were used more like paragraph breaks. However, I think that may be the biggest criticism of this novel but because it did not detract from my enjoyment of the book itself, I think it honestly is a minor issue that can be rectified in future novels for this series.

This book had me at the edge of my seat through its end and now I just want to know what happens next. This is a fun, new romantasy series and I am looking forward to the next book :)

One of the most refreshing aspects was how the author handled the initial setup. I particularly appreciated the decision to address a lot of the reader's pressing questions right from the beginning. This immediate sense of clarity didn't spoil the intrigue; instead, it grounded the narrative and allowed me to quickly invest in the world and its characters without feeling deliberately confused.

Despite this early transparency for the reader, the journey for the Female Main Character (FMC) was anything but clear-cut. So many crucial details and truths had been hidden from her, creating a powerful undercurrent of discovery and revelation. Witnessing her slowly piece together her past and understand the forces at play was captivating. Her personal growth arc was incredibly satisfying – she truly took her time to shed the layers of what had been hidden and beautifully grew into her own skin, discovering her true self and desires.

By the end, the payoff was immense. The FMC's transformation felt earned and deeply moving. To see her finally gain the family she always longed for, along with the genuine friendships that filled a noticeable void from her initial state, was incredibly heartwarming. It's a story of resilience, self-discovery, and ultimately, finding where you belong.

If you love a book with a strong character arc, surprising revelations, and a truly satisfying journey of belonging, this is definitely one to add to your reading list!

4⭐ – A promising start to a new romantasy series!

Kingdom of the Sun is a light and engaging fantasy romance with a plot-driven narrative that kept me turning the pages, especially in the final chapters. The worldbuilding is well done, with interesting powers and lore that made me excited to see how it will all expand in the next instalments.

While I enjoyed the overall cast, I didn’t feel deeply connected to any specific character, and some of the relationships felt a bit rushed or underdeveloped. Still, there’s clear potential for growth, and I’m hopeful that the sequels will dive deeper into the characters and their dynamics.

One thing that could enhance the reading experience is the addition of a map and a glossary—given the complexity of the world and terms introduced, these would help readers immerse themselves even further.

A solid and enjoyable read for fans of fantasy romance looking for a story that balances magical elements with fast-paced plot twists. Can’t wait to see where the story goes next!

Wow. What a read. So engaging and engrossing, I literally could not stop reading. I am ready for book 2.

This was an interesting magic system with lots of potential to develop into an amazing storyline. While the romance felt alittle rushed and the pacing felt off at times, I definitely want to follow this story and see where it goes from here. Second half captured my attention and kept me captivated through the end - couldn't put it down.

Much like our main character Mirage, this book read like an optical illusion. With moments jumping from one court to another and back again and with odd formatting that interrupts the flow of the reading.

Unfortunately this book was just not my cup of tea and I struggled with the wavering content.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

I can't give a great review of the entire story, as I could only make it 5% into this book. The format of the writing was all over the place, the drop caps at the beginning of the chapters were invisible, and there were random page breaks and spacing everywhere throughout the chapters that I did read.

Now, the content of the book that I was able to muddle through was just that–muddy. Right in the beginning, we're given a huge history dumb with constant page breaks and thought jumps. It felt like no concept or thought was ever finished. At the end of the first chapter, it just abruptly ended; it in no way felt finished.
The story after that was more of the same, half formed thoughts and repeated phrases that immediately took me out of the story. At one point you are told that the main character and her father look nothing alike, which is immediately followed by a description of similarities. I cannot continue reading this 500 page book in this format. It's too jarring.

While this book certainly has potential, I ended up DNF-ing around ten percent. The plot has an interesting premise, but the pacing of the book is all over the place.
The first chapter alone is difficult to muddle through, with the author jumping from place to place, trying to give us a spark notes version of the history of our protagonist. I'd love to delve more into Mirage's story in detail as opposed to multiple line breaks and scene jumping. I really wanted to continue this book, but the scattered pacing really threw me.

This book was a refreshing surprise! I went in expecting another typical Romantasy centered around Fae, but instead found myself immersed in a uniquely magical world with rich seasonal magic, mythological undertones, and a touch of spice that I wasn’t mad about one bit. While the story gives off subtle ACOTAR vibes, it maintains its originality and offers a fresh take that felt both familiar and new.

At the heart of the story is Princess Mirage—a young woman navigating life under the rule of her cruel father, sold off to a world she was raised to despise. Her journey is one of self-discovery, uncovering painful truths about her past, and confronting everything she thought she knew. The magic system here is inspired by the season in which characters are born, and while the author doesn’t use traditional fantasy labels like “witch” or “warlock,” that’s the closest way I can describe the feel—it leans more mystical and elemental than the usual winged Fae.

Mirage was an interesting protagonist. While I appreciated her arc and the strength she shows throughout the story, I did find myself wishing she was a bit more assertive or bold. If the goal was to present a strong female lead, I think she was almost there but didn’t quite hit the mark in some places.

A few critiques: I read this on Kindle, and the formatting felt off at times. Page breaks appeared in the middle of conversations, disrupting the flow and sometimes making it difficult to follow the dialogue. Additionally, there were world-building elements that felt slightly underdeveloped early on but were revisited later in a way that would’ve been more impactful had they been introduced earlier. These weren’t major issues for me, but they were noticeable.

All in all, this was an engaging and imaginative debut(?) that kept me hooked. The pacing was solid, the story compelling, and the ending… brutal in the best way. That cliffhanger left me needing book two immediately. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for the next installment!

The story has a beautiful world and rich descriptions that show a lot of effort in world-building. The setting feels detailed with imaginative elements like magical seasons and unusual customs, which I appreciated. The writing style creates vivid pictures, especially in describing clothes, places, and scents.

However, despite the strong world-building, the plot didn’t grab me as much as I hoped, and some parts felt drawn out without much happening. The characters, including the main one, Mirage, weren’t as deep or relatable as I wanted them to be, which made it harder to connect emotionally with the story. Still, it has interesting ideas and a unique setting that some fantasy readers will enjoy.

Instantly hooked and loved every moment of it. This book does end of a cliffhanger, so do be prepared for that!

The characters are the best part of this story. They're all so different and I found myself crying over them a few times throughout the story. The author really did a great job of conveying their feelings and showcasing their personalities.

I also appreciate that all characters had unique names and none were too similar, so it was easy to keep track of each person and their magic abilities.

There are only a few things that I think could improve this book.
- Typos/editing: I read an ARC, so it's likely these were resolved before the book published. There wasn't much to be edited out, but I do think that some sections (chapter 15) for example, could have used some fine tuning to make them perfect. Luckily chapter 15 is clarified later in the book (towards the last 15%).
- Formatting: There are so many page breaks! Like, too many. The page breaks make it confusing/choppy to read. Most books I've read typically use them to convey when there is a change in time/location/scene, but they would appear throughout the story frequently and in the middle of the scene.
- The synopsis on the author's IG is SO much more interesting that the one on NetGalley, GoodReads, and Amazon. I hope they considering updating those sites too.

Overall, a solid read and I can't wait for book two!

Kingdom of the Sun is a creative and immersive fantasy with some really cool worldbuilding and a strong mythological vibe. H.P. Nero paints a vivid picture of a magical world full of ancient powers, political intrigue, and big questions about fate and identity.
The setting was definitely my favorite part—unique, detailed, and easy to get lost in. There were some beautifully written moments, and I liked the way the story tackled themes like rebellion and self-discovery.
That said, the pacing was a bit uneven for me, and I didn’t always feel fully connected to the characters or their journeys. Some parts felt rushed, while others dragged a little. Still, the overall story kept me interested, and I think fantasy fans who love detailed lore will enjoy this one.

Kingdom of the Sun was an alright book.
The plot was well thought out, and the pacing was good, however I couldn't read it past the 50% mark.
The MC Mirage was likeable and well thought out. The world building was thought out and easy to follow, and the magic system was well written.
However, the dialog was poorly written, and unbelievable and kept pulling me out of the book.
The first two chapters felt like info dumping instead of me being able to fully bond with the character.
I recomend you try this book, but it just wasn't for me.
I feel like it would be a wonderful book, if it wasn't for the dialog and the random moments of info dumping that pulled me out of the book.

I’m giving it 2 stars because I liked the premise of the story, however I DNF’d at 10% because i could not get past the jumpy writing. There was way too much description but not enough detail, and it was as if the author wanted us to know everything we could possibly know in the first 2 chapters without giving us time to find out for ourselves. There were also many moments when the paragraph was talking about one thing and then in suddenly switched to noticing a random unnecessary detail that’s not relevant to the rest of the paragraph.

I had high hopes for this because the premise was interesting, but unfortunately I would not recommend it to any of my friends and/or followers.

I had to DNF this book. The writing style pulled me out of the story multiple times, they have line breaks every 2 paragraphs it feels like and it’s not even changing scenes or POVs. Sadly I couldn’t get into it because of this, but if you can look past it I’m sure it’s a great book

DNF at 33% of the way through. The premise of this book has a lot of potential; the world itself and the magic system are interesting and unique. However, I struggled to follow the thread of the story regularly where the writing went in to too much depth in some areas and not enough in others. Some aspects of the worldbuilding felt out of place and laboured on a point too much, meaning the point of their introduction or inclusion was hard to track. The characters were interesting, but sometimes felt rushed in their introduction - where the general worldbuilding seemed a bit too in depth at times, the characters were sometimes introduced too quickly and without the same level of detail.

Very appreciative of the opportunity to review this ARC, and hope to see more from this author in the future!

This was an interesting read. And fun.

The world-building and magic system is quite interesting, fun to navigate, easy to follow.

The writing, however, annoyed me sometimes. Not the writing itself, but the dividing. Scenes are separated for no apparent reason other than style, which cuts the natural flow of the scene. We're in the middle of a scene and then suddenly a divider between two paragraphs. Why? I don't get it. [*edit to update:* it seems my Kobo version had some issues and these dividres are not supposed to be there. The author kindly reached out to me regarding this issue and it my be because of the file itself.]

*SPOILERS AHEAD*
The pace of the story is good, but I think the romance(s) happened too fast. There was no building, especially with Stygian. One day they meet, the next one they're engulfed in passion and Mira thinks she kinda loves him. With Hiver it's a bit more natural, but still lacks a bit of intimacy. You know, conversations and silence, the things where love blooms. The spicy parts are alright. I do think Mira and Hiver have a lot more sexual tension than Mira and Stygian, but I guess that's the point.

The protagonist is not a Mary Sue - instead, she has depth and dimensions. Yes, she's weak at first, but she works it out. Yes, she's the definition of a hero, but she's not a natural hero. She needs to work her power and learn how to control it. That's lovely. Makes her more human and real.

*END OF SPOILERS*

The beginning was slow, but I do understand why. It needed to give us the background to understand what was to come. The second half, however, was a complete whirlwind. I couldn't put it down.

If this was from a publishing house, I'd give it maybe a three, because it lacks some editing. However, since this is a work entirely independent, where the author had to work on it herself, I'll give it a four. Because, all things considered, it is a good book. Especially considering it's indie.