ARC Review: Blood of the Old Kings by Sung-il Kim, Translated by Anton Hur
Release date: 8 October 2024
Rating: 5/5
Book box(es): Inkstone Quarter 4 selection, Fae Crate October
Synopsis: There is no escaping the Empire.
Even in death, you will serve.
In an Empire run on necromancy, dead sorcerers are the lifeblood. Their corpses are wrapped in chains and drained of magic to feed the unquenchable hunger for imperial conquest.
Born with magic, Arienne has become resigned to her dark fate. But when the voice of a long-dead sorcerer begins to speak inside her head, she listens. There may be another future for her, if she’s willing to fight for it.
Miles away, beneath a volcano, a seven-eyed dragon also wears the Empire’s chains. Before the imperial fist closed around their lands, it was the people’s sacred guardian.
Loran, a widowed swordswoman, is the first to kneel before the dragon in decades. She comes with a desperate plea, and will leave with a sword of dragon-fang in hand and a great purpose before her.
In the heart of the Imperial capital, Cain is known as a man who gets things done. When his best friend and mentor is found murdered, he will leave no stone unturned to find those responsible, even if it means starting a war.
Step into a world of necromancy, murder, and twisted magic. A world in need of a hero.
Review
Dang. I was excited about this book, but I was not expecting to love it so much. Because it’s a fantasy import, I knew it would be different from the typical fare on the B5 market. I’m always desperate for fantasy stories that don’t fit in the mold, and Blood of the Old Kings hit the spot for me. Originally published in 2016 as 메르시아의 별, or Star of Mercia, Kim brings a world to life full of dragons, magic, and devious political intrigue. I really hope this series gets a full run because I can’t wait to read what’s next. I’ll be incredibly disappointed if the rest of these stories don’t make their way into readers’ hands.
The art of fantastic storytelling, for me, boils down to characters and story. The better the characters and more intricately (and cleverly) plotted a fantasy tale, the more I will like it. Blood of the Old Kings follows three separate characters--Cain, Adrienne, and Loran—as they navigate their lives under the tyranny of the Empire, a brutal regime that uses the sorcerers it trains as power generators for the magical machines it uses to dominate the world. Somehow, these three characters find themselves involved in the same conflict, and the artful way Kim weaves their lives together really made the book stand out for me.
Loran really provided the hinge for the book, as all the characters really connect through her efforts to resist the Empire. An atypical main character for a dragon novel, as she’s neither romantically involved with anyone in the book nor barely in her 20’s, she’s desperate to throw the yoke of the Empire off her and her country’s back—and get some justice/vengeance in the process. What I love most is that she does not compromise her basic human integrity and morals in order to do so. The people of her country are just as important to her as anything—and she’ll protect them to the detriment of her own goals.
Arienne, a sorcerer, and Cain, a street-smart investigator of sorts, come from the Capital of the Empire, though their origins are provincial. I love the way Kim writes these two—they each possess an intelligence and empathy I love seeing in fantasy characters. Cain searches for the murderer of his friend, and Arienne seeks to escape the Academy because she does not want to end up wrapped in magical chains as a prisoner for her afterlife. The nuances of these characters and the roles they play in the rebellion impressed me immensely. Kim shows through them that resisting a powerful tyrant requires equal power and destruction, and the cost may not be something they wish to pay.
As I journey through the fantasy bookverse, I have noticed narrative techniques in stories I love, and Kim’s fantasy really has all of them in it. It’s not a simple cookie-cutter copy-and-paste offering. I first saw this book in March, and I’ve been stoked for it—my expectations were met and exceeded. If you’re looking for a fantasy that’s not like the others, definitely pick this one up. I highly recommend it. If you can swing it, buy a copy. If you can’t, please be sure to request your local library get a copy for circulation. Fantasy lovers won’t want to miss this one.
Whatever beautiful ARC mailing overlord at Tor sent me this print galley—you’re awesome. Thanks very much; I will treasure this beauty. Also, thanks to NetGalley for the eARC. I’m very glad to willingly offer my honest review. Also, I’m pretty sure I’m buying at least two copies of this book. Maybe three.
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