A satisfying tale with great characters set in an intriguing world. There are familiar threads in this tale for anyone who loves fantasy, but there are also several fresh twists on the old tropes that make this book stand out for me.

“Nobody conquers the world with insincere lies.”

I LOVED this book! First, I was immediately drawn in by the cover art! A gorgeous piece of art that I want as a poster on the wall of my library!. Next, the story! A dark high fantasy novel about a ruling empire that uses the bodies of sorcerers as fuel?! I was hooked from page 1! The characters were real and engaging. The different points of view were interesting and varied which made for a very well written novel. The action was a lot of fun and very different from what I’ve read before. Overall, this novel kept me interested until the very end and left just enough for me to be craving more. Hoping for more novels from this author!

I always like to support foreign/translated authors, which piqued my interest when "Blood of the Old Kings" was available. Especially when foreign authors try to tackle certain genres like fantasy.

This book is one of the few exceptions to my normal preference away from "switching PoV" book styles. Cain and Loran were my favorite out of the three characters the book revolves around. Loran seems to be the fan-favorite though and understandably so in the struggles to rule as a king amidst no royal heritage and yet not giving up on the goals of kingship/being ruler.

I'm always a sucker for world-building, so I appreciate the thought put into this world and the magic system. Especially magic systems that (even to some extent) have rules and limitations.

Enjoyable read. The pacing gives whiplash sometimes, but remained enjoyable to see the character arcs. Clearly setting up for a series.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this copy. I apologize about the delayed review due to taking my time reading and adjusting to the multi-POV story format.

Final rating: 3.5/5 stars

This was definitely an intriguing start to a new fantasy series! I was very intrigued all the way through the story about each of the storylines - each of the characters was distinct, very different, and stood out. The whole book felt like the beginning of a fantasy book to me, though - this is definitely a set up to a series, and it feels that way.
My one problem with it is that it felt rushed in some places. I wish that Loran's storyline had been given more space to grow and build, rather than rushing through her pattern of sword/fight/fight/give up/change mind/fight; I wanted to dwell in her mind more, I wanted to feel the pull of the war path that she's chosen. But, I am definitely most intrigued by the aspect of kings in this world, and the choice of going against fate/destiny.
It was generally good, though! If this book had been given another hundred or so pages to flesh out each of the storylines even more, I think I would have been even more in love with it.
I am interested in continuing with the series.

Thank you to Tor and Netgalley for an early copy to review!

I'm always so torn on how to rate books that are translated. Sometimes I feel like my gripes could be attributed to the fact that I'm not reading this in the language it was written in/intended to be read in. For example, I found the world-building and cultural/historical context to often feel confusing. I am not certain if this was the way it was written or the way it was translated. I will say, though, that I did enjoy how the 3 POVs wove together and I appreciated that this wasn't an overly technical, or high, fantasy. I am looking forward to the sequel, mostly because I feel like the ending was just so fast and cut-and-dry, that I need to know if they're going to subvert it in the next installment!

In an Empire literally powered by the bodies of dead mages, three unconnected individuals begin journeys that could bring that empire to its knees. First there's a swordswoman out for revenge who is granted a magic sword by a dragon; in return, she vows to rise up, overthrow the empire, and become her homeland's king. Then there's a young man from the streets investigating his friend's murder and what it has to do with a secret resistance group in the capital. Lastly, there's a mage trying to escape the clutches of the empire, determined to avoid her fate of becoming just another battery to power the Empire's oppression. Their fates are intertwined, but will it be enough to destroy the Empire that conquered magic?

Despite a fascinating and unique premise, BLOOD OF THE OLD KINGS fails to deliver a memorable experience. To the book's credit, it starts out with its best foot forward. Each of the first three chapters starts in media res as our three POV characters are at a crucial juncture in their lives. We meet Loran, for instance, when she is already negotiating with a dragon for the sword that will give her the strength to battle the empire. I was immediately intrigued by all the storylines and couldn't wait to see where they went.

Unfortunately, there wasn't a lot of substance to support the setup. Everything about the world-building felt very surface level, even as it tries to have complexity. There's different factions trying to overthrow the empire, for instance, each with different lengths they are willing to go to in order to win. But the leaders of those factions felt one dimensional, or sometimes barely appeared on the page at all.

Likewise, the plot and the characters felt very uneven. The story of Loran the swordswoman, for instance, would take sporadic time jumps. That wouldn't be bad itself if it didn't seem to also skip over things that felt like they should be big set pieces or sequences, like Loran's first fights with her new swords or a battle to take a key fort. And while a couple of the POVs do intersect with each other, two major storylines end up being largely separate from each other, resulting in a book that didn't feel like it had a cohesive narrative.

Loran did have the most interesting character arc as she wrestles with the notion of what it means to be king. When she starts the story, she feels like a fraud for declaring herself king because she has no royal blood. Her emotional journey of realizing what it means to assume responsibility for a people was one of the more compelling aspects of the story.

There are enough good pieces in this book that I thought I'd write a review recommending a flawed but interesting new entry in the epic fantasy space. I liked Cain's investigation into his friend's murder, especially as it runs him afoul of both an extremist group and the Empire's secret police. I liked Arienne's strange memory magic and watching her learn to warp reality around her.

Unfortunately, the ending of the book left me underwhelmed. At least two characters made some truly baffling decisions at major story points. The final chapter, which jumps forward in time and serves almost as an epilogue, felt like a poor attempt to tie a neat bow on the story. Perhaps the author was going for a realistic ending, but it left me deeply frustrated and unsatisfied.

BLOOD OF THE OLD KINGS reads like a book where the broad story beats have been laid out, but it really needed another writing pass to deepen the world and the relationships. I will still fully credit it for a creative idea for a premise, but unfortunately, that alone was not enough to hold my interest. At the end of the day, this sadly isn't a read that I recommend.

Note: I was provided a free ARC by the publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review.

This book was translated incredibly well!
I throughly enjoyed the 3 perspectives we followed and how the story weaved together.
A great lighter fantasy for those new to the genre.
I myself would have liked a bit more descriptive prose especially when it came to the world building and history. At times I felt a bit confused on what to imagine some of the things we got introduced to, to look like.
The ending came a bit fast and also a bit too neat but I will be looking forward to to sequel.

Rarely do I find a novel that captures the feeling of classic fantasy novels and yet improves upon them by bringing the subject matter and characters into the modern era. It is also rare to find a fantasy novel written by a man with a female lead who is in her late 30's/early 40's with life experience to show, and a novel so uninterested in the looks or attractiveness of its female leads or making them be in love with someone.

This novel is a breath of fresh air into the English fantasy scene, with a beautifully constructed world, dense and in-depth magic system, leads that you feel connected to and want to see make it to the end, and something to say. It doesn't let you sit easy for a second thinking you understand the world and keeps you hooked chapter after chapter right from the start, with each chapter building on the one before it while easily bouncing between the leads point of views, using all three to give us the reader a clear understanding of the world while leaving them confused and clueless about the overarching plot.

The writing style reminded me of Le Guin's novels, with less prose and significantly more action. On the note of the action, it was a bright spot every time a fight scene appeared with the style of writing making the scene easy to follow without drowning out the epic battle waging in the pages of the novel. The care that was taken with all three leads, with Loran standing out as a personal favorite, was wonderful to read. Each was extremely well written, and I could both tell I was jumping between them without losing the overarching plot at any point.

On plot, this is a high fantasy, with a magic system, dragons, knights, kings, and all the classic markers of fantasy but also is doing something new with them. The magic system where dead magic users are even more in demand then live ones stands out, as does the world building of tying in lights and powered machines to those dead magic users. This is a story of rebellion towards an empire with an extreme amount of power, and dead magic users to power its armies, by the common folk who decided it was enough.

I would recommend this to those who enjoy:
- Epic Fantasy
- Female leads that standout as well written
- Rebelling against empires
- Dragons
- Complex Magic systems
- Stories that care about the common folk as much as the kings

I received an advance review copy of this book, and I am leaving this review voluntarily and all thoughts and opinions are wholly my own and unbiased.

3.5 rounded to 4 stars

Blood of the Old Kings is a standalone Korean fantasy novel filled with dragons, sorcerers, and political intrigue. In this world, the empire’s magic is powered by the corpses of dead sorcerers, serving as eternal batteries. The story follows three characters resisting the empire’s grip: Loran, who seeks revenge after losing her family and gains a powerful sword from a dragon; Cain, a loose cannon investigating a loved one’s death in the capital; and Arienne, a magic student hearing the voice of a dead sorcerer, introducing us to the book’s unique magic system.

Each character offers a fresh perspective on the empire’s control, politics, and revolution. Loran is relentless in her quest for vengeance, Cain’s shady connections keep his chapters exciting, and Arienne’s journey into magic discovery was especially engaging.

While I enjoyed the book, some character developments felt unearned, and more time spent on growth would have been appreciated.

One aspect I loved was the representation of a character who wears glasses and is impaired without them—something rarely seen in fantasy. I also appreciated that one of the main heroines is an over-30-year-old badass! We definitely need more non-male characters in fantasy with agency who are over 30.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the advanced reader’s copy of Blood of the Old Kings.

I enjoyed The Blood of the Old Kings, but I didn't love it. While there are some really interesting world-building and magic systems, nothing is ever fully explained. I enjoyed the characters, especially when their storylines overlapped but all felt flat. Loren is my favorite of the three POVs, and I wish more time was spent explaining her storylines. My biggest problem was the sudden time jumps. Certain chapters would suddenly jump ahead an unspecified amount of time and it was sometimes hard to tell what and when things were happening. The ending feels a bit rushed but does seem to leave the story open for sequels. Overall not a bad fantasy read but not my favorite and I do not think it will leave a lasting impression. Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for the ARC!

korean translated fantasy with revolution, dragons, and complicated magic that could easily be a new favorite

likes:
- 3 pov that were mostly separate but it was so fun when they did cross paths
- the characters and their own development
- lauren is a fascinating character and she's so honor and revenge driven i loved her arc
- arienne is so loveable cause she's like a little dumb but unknowingly so powerful
- cain is sooooo endearing with his revenge mission for his friends death and the way he stuck to his principles in the end
- writing style is really imerseive and keeps you so hooked
- no romantic plots
- revolution and revolt plots, themes about how revolutions have to be violent
- dragons <333333

the style of this book really reminded me of Robert Jackson Bennett like a little bit foundryside and the tainted cup. i really hope that more books from Kim get translated because i'm eager to read more of his work!!

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!

this was a fantastic debut, with a fantastic translation. the world building and magical system that sung-il kim has created is interesting and done in such an intricate yet accessible well. it’s gruesome and yet so unique that the empire uses the dead bodies of its sorcerers to power the machinery to colonize surrounding countries.

i also love a fantasy novel with ONLY a few povs that are interconnected — anything over four is just frustrating to keep track of when you’re introduced to a new world and magic system. alas, the cast of characters sung-il kim creates are not only easy to keep track of, but they are all likable with similar goals and motivations.

as for the audio — i love that we had a different narrator for each of our three mcs, as i feel it adds that much more nuance to the characters. all three narrators were fantastic.

sung-il kim’s debut is another instant five star read for me in 2024, and i will be sure to read whatever comes next!

Highly enjoyable book. I hope there is another one. An original fantasy world will well written characters and excellent worldbuilding.

This standalone dark fantasy definitely delivered on what it promised! The world and plot are fantastic and extremely interesting to read about. My only big issue was that I didn’t feel a connection to any of the main characters. We’re introduced to three different people on very different paths that cleverly merge in some ways. They each had a distinct voice that you could tell who you’re reading about. And each of their stories are interesting in their own right. Despite all that I still didn’t feel that love for them.
Overall this was a fantastic story and I hope people decide to read this!

Blood of the Old Kings is a Korean novel translated to English. As I've found with other writers from other countries there is a distinct type of storytelling/flow that wasn't specifically what I'm used to in American novels but might be more prevalent in Korean ones. I don't think if you didn't know the original was in Korean, you would be able to tell in the translation as it was smooth. I just want to mention the cover is fantastic and 3/4 of the reason I picked the book up .

The story is experienced through three different characters. Each with their own arc in the story that impacts the others at some point. Through them the reader explores different parts of this Feudal world and some of the magic in it. With a foe powered by powerful magic that is harnessed from sorcerers after they die to run mechanical chariots, tanks and sometimes city killing machines.

Loren has gone into the volcano where the last dragon is held prisoner to make a bargain. She will bond with him and go after the people who captured and occupy her land. She will attempt to drive out the people who killed her husband and daughter and so doing become King of Arland. The effects of her bargain are subtle at first but as the story goes on the reader gets to explore how her transformation is changing her and how a former teacher of the sword could become king of a nation.

***"A sword needs a scabbard, as fury needs restraint."***

Cain lives in a large city in the heart of the empire. He came there as a child when his parents were going to be killed for being part of a rebellion. Left in a strange city with no family, he has become the person other refugees and lower members of society come to when they have a mystery to solve. Now he is trying to solve the murder of a friend, the woman that first helped him when we came to the city. But, there is danger around every corner and Cain quickly finds that whatever she was caught up in might just get him killed too. As he uncovers a plot in the city, he sees how it is tied to the Princess who would become King of Arland and has to decide who he helps, the people in the city he has lived in most his life or the country of his birth.

Arienne was taken from Arland as a child to go to the sorcerer school. It used to be a place where they were trained in spells and magic. The school is no longer that, it is more of a holding pen and brainwashing camp to keep people with magic because when they die they are turned into generators for the Empire to power cities and the war machines. She is doing the unthinkable; she is escaping the school and stealing one of the generators. If she is caught they won't wait for her to die, they will turn her into a generator now, which seems like a fate worse than death. The voice of the generator she stole is in her head and while he might have a use for her now and promises of teaching her magic, he has an agenda of his own as well.

***"Have you already forgotten what I said about that book? Think of who it was that wrote it. The wretch Lysandros, as befits an agent of the Empire, conquers through lies."
Arienne scoffed. "This book doesn't read like lies. I'd say the author's tone is very sincere."
"Nobody conquers the world with insincere lies."***

Overall this is a pretty interesting fantasy story. I liked the characters and the journeys they are on, that are all transforming them into something more. Loren was one of my favorites as she accidentally inspires a broken nation to rise up against their oppressors. I do wish that a few of the battles had a little more detail to them but I think if you aren't a huge fantasy reader those will actually flow better for you. This read like the first book in a series, with the opportunity in future books to explore more nations and more stories of the primary characters. However, it ends in such a way that this could also be a standalone and left to the readers imagination the world the characters build after. In Korean, this is a planned trilogy so I assume if it does well in the US we will see two more books in this world.

***"Destiny may offer men and women who would be kings, but only the people may exalt them."***

I loved the world and the magic system in this world. Besides that fact that there are sorcerers, we learn through one of our POV characters, Arienne, that many parts of the world function off of the power of the corpses of sorcerers as power generators. Depending on the strength of the sorcerer, depends on how much they can do when they are dead. These generators power many things in the empire, leaving it vulnerable if something were to ever happen to them.

We had two other POVS: Loran, who is ready for revenge against the Empire for everything they took from her - so much so that she makes a pact with a dragon and gets badass powerful sword to help her in this quest; and Cain, who is often getting into some trouble, but really just wants to find out what happened to his friend, who mysteriously died. We find out how connected these three characters may already be along the way as they get into some very sticky situations.

Anton Hur nailed the translations on this story because I never felt like any part of the story did not flow the way it should have done. Everything felt smooth and perfect.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to @torbooks for the ARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.

I absolutely adored this book. I wasn't sure I'd love the switching between points of view from chapter to chapter, because not all authors can do it well, but Sung-Il Kim did a stunning job of telling a story split between three main characters and making each of those characters feel unique and relatable. I felt like I truly understood the motivations and personalities of Loran, Cain, and Arienne, and more than that, I liked each of them as individuals. Every time a chapter ended I was sad to leave the character that chapter was focused on, only to be immediately thrust into the exciting drama and plot surrounding the focus character of this new chapter.

And the plot was just fantastic. I loved the world building, learning about the interconnectivity between the magic and technology in this universe, discovering how power generators work in this world, learning about the different cultures and their beliefs-- I loved every bit of it. Having two main characters be powerful women was refreshing and delightful. Loran was strong and fearless and kind, and the fact that she was a wife and mother did not at all hinder, or alternatively encompass, her strength or her desire for justice, and for vengeance. She knew that the only thing that she could do to get revenge was to become King, and to ask for help from a dragon, and she did everything in her power to make that happen. I loved that Arienne learned to be confident, and learned that power can come from imagination and that not everything that we are taught is correct for everyone. Arienne is strong as well, but she had to learn what kind of strength is important, that could help her and that she coould use to help others. As for Cain, our male main character, he was clever and sneaky and smart, and I loved that he put his desire to help others above gaining power and influence. Also, and this is a small thing, but I loved that Cain wore spectacles and was repeatedly putting his glasses away in dangerous situations in order to protect them. As a glasses-wearer I felt that was very relatable.

I'm so glad that I read this book. I loved seeing the characters explore the Empire and Arland and everything in between, from farmland to cities to taverns to towers, and I loved getting to know the magic and technology used in this world. It felt new and overflowing with creativity, and had me hooked from start to finish.

The Empire rules over all, wielding Powered armor and vehicles to overwhelm any who might try to stand against them. Those who have survived its onslaughts now struggle to maintain the ways of their ancestors. The Empire claims to be a force for good, but anyone who lost family, friends, or land knows that for the lie that it is.

In the territory once known as Arland, a woman named Loran seeks revenge for the death of her husband and children. In her desperation, she seeks out the dragon that is rumored to live beneath a volcano. There, she finds a living (albeit sleeping) legend who grants her tremendous power in the form of a flaming sword.

In the Capital, Cain is an orphan, a now-grown child of anti-Imperialist parents who were killed for their resistance. Cain is hunting for answers as to who killed his friend and why. His search quickly brings him under the scrutiny of the Empire as he learns more about the Arlanders his friend was helping.

And at a school for mages, mediocre student Arienne is feeling at the end of her rope. The best future she can hope for is to become a Power generator upon her death, sealed into a lead coffin to provide energy for the Empire’s machinery. Such is the fate of almost all sorcerers in the Empire, but she’s been offered a new chance. A mysterious voice is guiding her to escape the school and the Capital altogether, promising her the chance to learn real magic.

On their own, each of these three is potentially a threat to the stability of the Empire. Between the three of them, they might just topple it. Blood of the Old Kings is a clever and creative fantasy novel, spectacularly translated from the original Korean text. Familiar elements like a Roman Empire-inspired military legion in Warhammer-esque armor make for a thrilling bit of reading. I couldn’t help being reminded of Boudicca and her efforts against Rome. Sung-il Kim has provided a fresh perspective on a European-inspired world, and I’m happy to say it’s a lot of fun to read. My utmost thanks to him, NetGalley, and Tor for the eARC in exchange for a fair review. Blood of the Old Kings has been out in the world since last Tuesday, 10/8/24. Go check it out!

This review originally appeared here: https://swordsoftheancients.com/2024/10/14/blood-of-the-old-kings-a-review/

Thank you for the arc!
This should’ve been a perfect book for me. I love high fantasy and this sounded so interesting! But this just didn’t make me itch to pick it up. It’s technically very good and well written, I just never felt the need to keep reading. I loved Loran’s chapters, but Arienne took over 70% to grow on me and Cain never did. The characters flattened an otherwise pretty fascinating concept.

This is a really interesting translated Korean fantasy. First book to a trilogy that is well known in South Korea. All about a world under control of a vast empire. What’s really cool is the military elements in the story involve powered armor and swords giant freaking fighting machines. We follow 3 protagonists who are all very different but weave through the story together smoothly while they resist this ever looming enemy. Plus a badass cover!