The Sun Blessed Prince

The Burning, Lyrical Fantasy of Star-Crossed Lovers in a Mythological War

By: Lindsey Byrd

Narrated by: Joe Jameson

On a hotly-contested battlefield, a prince whose touch creates life meets a soldier chosen by death. But can they forge a future together, from opposite sides of a great war?

A lyrical and character-driven queer fantasy for those who loved She Who Became the Sun, The Song of Achilles and Sistersong.

Prince Elician is a Giver. He can heal wounds and return the dead to life. He also can’t be killed, so is cursed to watch his country wage an endless war. Reapers can kill with a single touch. And when one attacks Prince Elician, the Reaper expects a terrible punishment. Instead, Elician offers Cat sanctuary on enemy territory. Cat hadn't realized life could be worth living – until the prince. Yet Elician’s enemy plans to turn this kindness against him.

Elician's sister, Fen, must somehow master her own volatile powers to serve her country – while a deadly plot comes to light featuring abduction, treachery and forbidden magic. Tensions escalate from the court to the battlefield. And can those who wield the powers of life and death find a path to peace?

A powerful and richly-imagined tale from a bold new voice in fantasy fiction, Lindsey Byrd's The Sun Blessed Prince is a sweeping, enemies-to-lovers, found-family adventure.

Critic reviews

Bask in the rays of The Sun Blessed Prince, an ambitious and compelling tale of deadly court intrigue and star-crossed lovers. Thoughtful mythology and an unusually gentle queer love story set this book apart. It's a stellar start to a promising series

I loved this charming, slow burn queer fantasy romance with the most likeable characters that gave it a cosy feel. Byrd expertly weaves in war and intrigue, the games the powerful like to play, and contrasts that with the personal, the mundane, and the intimate. This delicious book leaves an aftertaste long after you’ve savoured the last page.

The delicious romance and thorny court intrigue keep the pages turning, and a clever late plot twist shocks. This hits all the right notes. ( Publisher's Weekly, starred review)