August 2024 review:
Since this was a re-read, I knew what to expect and the whole "it feels like ACOTAR too much" thing didn't bother me as much. I wasn't a fan of the tension between Lor and Nadir. It felt too forced, and it made things yet-to-be-revealed way too obvious. It also felt like it took up too much space, so to speak.

October 2023 review (no rating):
I am not giving a rating because I'm really conflicted about this book. On the one hand, I really liked it. I liked the story, the suspense scenes, and the spicy scenes. On the other hand, I felt like I was reading A Court of Mist and Fury, so much so that it was making me really, really uncomfortable. Rule of the Aurora King is just way too similar to ACOMAF for my taste. I went through the same thing when I was reading the first book in this series, Trial of the Sun Queen. That book had very strong ACOTAR vibes, but I brushed it off because.... I honestly don't know why. Maybe it was the whole Hunger Games/Bachelor thing.

Like I said, Rule of the Aurora King was a good book. But the similarities—it’s too much. The whole "sunny kingdom" vs "dark kingdom." The FMC being with the Sun King in the first book but it turns out he was a controlling asshole (sound familiar!!!???), and then switching sides in the second book and being with the Aurora Prince, who acts like an asshole but is really a softy. The Aurora Prince's "secret" manor!!! Even the scene where Lor has dinner with Amya & company in the Violet District. And lastly, that dreaded M-word — mates!! It was all just too fucking similar and left me disappointed.

I was really looking forward to this book and even the next book when I finished book 1, but now I'm not sure. Maybe if I need an ACOTAR fix I'll read book 3 when it comes out.

I'm not saying I don't recommend this book, but I can't in good conscience actually recommend it. It feels wrong to do so.