Book Review: The Hidden Sun by J. Lloyd Morgan

Title: The Hidden Sun

Author: J. Lloyd Morgan

Pages: 328 Paperback

My Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Source: I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review

The kingdom of Bariwon is at a crossroads. Ever since Eliana was born, she has been primed to become the kingdom’s leader. But she is not to rule Bariwon alone. A contest of sorts, called the Shoginoc, is to be held when Eliana turns twenty one. The victor gains the right to marry Eliana and become king of Bariwon. Rumor has it that the favorite to win the Shoginoc is Daimh, son of malevolent Governor Abrecan. However, Eliana has fallen in love with her personal guardian, Rinan. She is torn between renouncing her title to be with the man she loves or marrying to keep the kingdom out of the hands of those who would rule it unjustly. A plan is hatched to keep her in power while allowing her to marry Rinan, but little does she know the impact this deception will have on everyone in Bariwon for years to come.

This story came as such a wonderful surprise to me. I am fascinated with stories of far away kingdoms, princesses, and knights (or in the case of this book, guardians). Every author who writes about these far away places seems to bring something new to the table and that is most certainly true with J. Lloyd Morgan!

The characters in this book were rich, vibrant, and so full of life. There are so many characters that you are introduced to in a short amount of time but J. Lloyd Morgan does a phenomenal job introducing us to each and every one. With quirky names to match their quirky personality traits, I seemed to recognize every character with ease. I knew Rinan was a strong, protective, kind man. I knew Eliana was vibrant and full of life. I could tell from the very beginning just how sinister Abrecan could be. I was able to understand where all the characters were coming from and that made this super interesting. The awkward characters like Bertram made me laugh quite frequently. The evil characters like Abrecan, easily made my skin crawl. And then there are the lovely characters of Eliana, Rinan, Rayne, and Sunshine. They were such a joy to learn about, I loved meeting each and every one of them.

The story held my interest the whole entire time which is a huge plus! There were action scenes, mystery and romance, basically everything I need in a good book. The author keeps us on top of our toes by switching from character to character. Just when something big and epic is about to be revealed, J. Lloyd Morgan will flip to a different scene. While this would annoy me in many other stories, I found it added so much to The Hidden Sun!

On top of great characters and an interesting plot line, J. Lloyd Morgan did a PHENOMENAL job with his attention to detail. I could picture the characters in my mind. I could see the grand halls and tapestries of the castle. I could imagine the competitions playing out in my head. J. Lloyd Morgan did so well describing everything in his story that it was almost like a mental movie in my head while reading it!

In the end, I am so happy that I was able to read this book. At a first glance, I thought it was something I’d enjoy but I never would have guessed I’d love it this much.Beautiful, enchanting characters, a twisting plot-line and vivid visuals, what is not to love?

I would love to thank J. Lloyd Morgan for allowing me to be a part of his blog tour! This book turned out to be a wonderful read and I can’t wait to see what is next from him!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

J. Lloyd Morgan is an award-winning television director. He graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in communications and a minor in English. Morgan has lived all over the United States, but now resides in North Carolina with his wife and four daughters. Aside from writing, Morgan is an avid reader. He’s also a huge fan of baseball and enjoys listening to progressive rock. One of his goals is to visit Littledean Hill in England, where his Morgan ancestors are from. The Hidden Sun is Morgan’s first published novel. For a glimpse at the upcoming sequel, The Waxing Moon, please visit http://www.jlloydmorgan.com. Once there, be sure to read the “secrets” behind The Hidden Sun. The third book in the Bariwon series is still rattling around Morgan’s brain, waiting to escape.