Tuesday Reviews: The Oracle of Dusk by Elyse Thomson

 

An oracle should know better than to fall for a doomed king.

Aurora is a scholar—not a prophesied hero. But the day she finds her first artefact, destiny pits her against the primordial monster that has repeatedly destroyed her world. Cornered by the beast and reeling from a devastating loss, her artefact sends her to the ancient past and gives her a chance to change history. Except it also lands her in the arms of King Theron, a handsome schemer infamous for his tragic fate.

Theron is a bad man but an excellent king. When a battlefield mishap sends him to an enemy queendom in chains, the last thing he expects to find is a beauty with the knowledge to save his kingdom and crush his enemies. Tempted by Aurora’s uncanny foresight, Theron vows to possess her at any cost.

Aurora’s only hope to defeat the monster in the ancient past is Theron’s army. Knowing he’s meant for another and with her world’s future at stake, she can’t risk succumbing to Theron's seduction. But as Aurora awakens magic that torments her with visions of predestined tragedies, she begins to fear her heart is as doomed as the man—and world—she’s trying to save.

The Oracle of Dusk is the first epic fantasy romance novel in the Cycle of Calamity series where The Legend of Zelda meets a Bronze Age Outlander. If you love fated romance, height differences, time travel, and morally grey men, escape into The Oracle of Dusk!

I really enjoyed The Oracle of Dusk. It has a little bit of everything I love in fantasy—time travel, royalty, danger, romance, and plenty of drama. Aurora was easy to root for from the start. She gets thrown into a completely different time and world, only to be treated like a criminal when she's actually trying to save everyone from a deadly threat. I felt so frustrated for her during those scenes, especially when no one seemed willing to listen.

The relationship between Aurora and King Theron kept me interested throughout the story. Theron isn't your typical perfect king, and some of his choices definitely made me question him. The tension between them, along with the betrayals and misunderstandings, added a lot to the story and kept me turning the pages.

The world-building was detailed without being overwhelming, and I liked how the time-travel element was woven into the plot. There were a few slower moments here and there, but overall I was invested in finding out what would happen next.

If you enjoy fantasy romance with royal intrigue, strong heroines, monsters, and a touch of time travel, this is definitely worth checking out. I'm looking forward to seeing where the series goes next.