3.5 ⭐️
The cover art is the first thing that drew me to this book and then I found the description intriguing. It was challenging for me to get into the book at first because I’d prefer a bit more background as the book moved from different viewpoints. Once I was able to get the viewpoints established in my mind I enjoyed the book. This is the first book I’ve read that’s been translated from Korean, so I don’t know if any of the nuances were lost in the translation.
The magic system was unique in that it the Empire uses the power of dead wizards. I do love the multiple viewpoints, and something that is interesting the different POVs don’t really overlap much, which gives a broader view of the story.
The audiobook is well produced and I love that there are multiple narrators for the various characters, that kept me engaged throughout the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance audiobook- all opinions are my own. Sorry it took me a bit to get to this review!

BOTOK tells a story about the loyalty and protection of the people's beloved country, Arland, and their journey to keep it safe. Oh! And there are dragons.

I chose to attack this novel via audio, with a multicast featuring the voices of Eunice Wong, Major Curda, and Suzy Jackson. I blazed through this narration in 9 hours and 45 minutes, only stopping to sleep and to catch some quiet time in my house.

BOTOK is a decent read. It was quick, the Fantasy elements weren't too complex, and the character-building is something most authors should take a page and study. The story started strong, reminding me of The Poppy War. The grit, hunger, and determination the first character's POV exuded gave me the impression that this would be an epic journey. However, as I continued to read, I think the synopsis gave more of an "Epic" feel than the story produced. I'm used to trials, and obstacle course work to get to the final battle, but BOTOK cut out a lot of the fluff and got straight to it. It left the desire for "epic," but I appreciated the story nonetheless.

For Fans of:
- Between Dragons and Their Wrath
- The Sky on Fire

This book includes:
- themes of colonialism, racism, systemic oppression, poverty, refuge
- multiple POVs with characters whose storylines merge and diverge
- dragons duh
- a classic hero's journey
- political subterfuge
- who done it

This book has so many great themes and takes an honest look at the impacts of imperialism on vulnerable populations. If you're the type of thinks fantasy reading is independent from politics, this book will prove you wrong several times over. While you will encounter dragons and other fantastic supernatural elements in this book, what really struck me was social and cultural depth.

I received this audiobook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Sung-il Kim, and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review this book. This review has been posted to GoodReads check out my profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863 and it will be posted to my bookstagram account https://www.instagram.com/tinynightingales/ and booktok https://www.tiktok.com/@tinynightingales?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me a copy of this audiobook! All opinions are my own!

For lovers of complex fantasy, this is going to be the new series for you! I absolutely adored learning this world and how it felt familiar in the realm of dragons and magical schools but that it was different and unique enough to be engaging and fun to discover! It felt very confusing at first (sometimes a little more than fantasy generally is), but it really came together to be fun and keep you on your toes with each new page!

I can't wait to see where this series goes, and I think it is going to become a new great fantasy series of the decade!

A widow who lost her young child as well determines to rebel against the oppressive conquerors who killed them, and seeks out the defeated dragon that used to protect her country for help. Meanwhile, a young sorcerer determines to escape her fate of being used as an undead power generator for the same empire, and a young man seeks to find the murderer of his friend, no matter who he angers in the process. The widow, Loren, doesn’t spend too much narrative time contemplating what she’s lost, although she does share a few memories; she’s too busy finding out that politics are complicated even in a rebellion against a terrible enemy. Unusually for the fantasies I tend to read, there’s also no romance or really sexual energy at all.

Blood of the Old Kings is a relatively unique take on the classic epic fantasy genre, where heroes must quest to save the world and wizards must work world-bending magic to support them. The magic system was not unfamiliar. Though unique in how it was approached, it bears the familiarity of magic systems built upon through the genre. The (spoiler) use of deceased magic users as batteries for magic fueled machines was a creative and unique touch that brought a refreshing twist to the classic genre. That the “king” rising from the proverbial ashes was not a long lost/forgotten/banished prince or royal cousin but a woman who just wanted to help her people was also a refreshing and enjoyable take. I personally got lost a little in the drama with our third main character and I couldn’t quite keep up with what his deal was. At times feeling like a private detective and at others like someone just trying to survive. Overall still a well written and entertaining novel

This was a fun fantasy for people looking for a good read without committing to a full series.

This story takes place in a time where evil is on top. The Empire rules and is powered by the dead. Loran jumps into the action immediately bargaining with a dragon to take down the Empire together for her to become king. Loran has a reason to despise the Empire as they killed her family.

We follow Cain, who was abandoned by his parents for his own safety as they were wanted for treason. Arienne is a sorcerer working for the empire who starts hearing Eldrid, the necromancer, in her mind. And Loran who is seeking for revenge from the empire.

We get the POV of each of these characters and their journey to survive and fight for what is right.

The translation wasn’t clunky at all. I loved all of the narrators.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is very fast moving and doesn’t let up.

The plot, world, & ideas were very fascinating, but the fast pace did lead to me feeling emotionally detached from our main characters. I think this would’ve worked better for me if it was longer and started slightly earlier so that we got to know the characters a bit more before the plot kicks in.

My biggest issue is that all of the MCs have lost the people closest to them before the book even starts so they don’t really have anyone that they are close with. There is a distance between them and everyone they meet and also between them and me. Added to that, I never really felt like
any of them were in any danger or like their stakes were high even though there are *very* high stakes things happening plot wise, they just always conveniently had more power or would get lucky.

All of that said, I did really enjoy listening to this and I would 100% read more books set in this world, there were so many things mentioned in passing that would be fun to explore.

This book was a bit of a miss for me, but I think that it could be quite a hit for others.

The world building, as a concept, is so cool. However, it doesn't go much deeper than the concept explained in the synopsis on the back of the book. One of the characters is in school to become a sorcerer, but she is trying to escape to prevent herself from becoming a power vessel for the ruling class. COOL, RIGHT? Well, that's about the full extent we learn about that, so hope that suffices. This book is SHORT for the epic fantasy-type vibes it is giving, and in a way that feels lacking. I'm not someone who only reads 800+ page books, so I don't need my books to be giant to be satisfying. But this one felt like an underbaked cake that was absolutely inedible without giving it more time to cook. I'm so bummed, because this book had SO MUCH POTENTIAL, and it really felt like it was going to be great.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review!

My only complaint is that I wish it was longer. I wanted more of our protagonists as I felt that we had only scratched the surface of who they were. It was easy to form relational connections as Kim made them easily accessible in how they and their motives were written. As for the antagonist, I also wanted more of their backstory and the secrets that they are using to maintain control and power.

The pacing moves in this story, you will want to slow down as the author is not wasting time in getting to their end game. I highly recommend this read.

The different narrators for each character was an excellent choice. This was a great first book that really got you hooked in to every person's story and narrative, and I found myself constantly anticipating when all these characters would meet. No one character felt like the standout main, and everyone had their own important and fleshed out plot line. This is one of the best books I've read this year, and I will be eagerly anticipating the next instalment.

kinda mixed on this one.. the magic and world building is somewhat unique but there’s something missing that kept me from fully getting invested in the story. the 3 main povs: Loran, Arianne and Caine are actually really interesting (especially Arianne) but i feel like there was a lack of attention given to their personalities individually and i needed more background on why each character was on the path that they were on. i know this book is translated from Korean so im wondering if some things got lost in translation with this new version of the story. the ending left in a place where i can’t tell if this is a standalone or the start of a series but either way, i would say i still had a good time but i expected more. also, i need to comment on how well produced the audiobook is, i always appreciate when there’s multiple narrators for the characters and the cover is beautiful!

↛ many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Macmillan Audio for the arc, all opinions are my own.

<i>audio-ARC from NetGalley.</i>

The description of this story was far more interesting than the story itself. It wasn't very long, but it felt long. At the same time, many parts and characters felt majorly underdeveloped.

The character relationships were basically nonexistent. Not one of these characters has any friends nor builds any deep connections with those around them - Loran starts to, but then it's abruptly ended. I didn't understand the magic in this world, specifically with how it relates to power generators. The synopsis describes it as necromancy, but how/why it works and the reasons that sorcers a) don't combat the system and b) aren't killed immediately aren't explored or explained.

That being said, I did like all of our characters. I appreciated Arienne's stubbornness, Loran's compassion, and Cain's loyalty. I wanted them all to succeed and, though I was never particularly attached to them, I was eager to see them play their parts in this world.

This story feels like it was based on a legend, but with added scifi elements that weren't fully thought out. Definitely the kind of speculative SFF that appeals to many, but I prefer mine to be a little more character focused and fully fleshed out for me to understand.

Great world building with very interesting POV characters. The opening chapter is one of the best I have read. It’s a personal journey on an epic scale with one of the most unique dragons I have ever read about. I am looking forward to book two.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me an audiobook arc of this title.

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!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this.

I loved the narrators for this and we switch between 3 different characters POVs. Usually in a story like that, I tend to have one I don’t care for. That wasn’t the case here. I loved all three.

This ended in a way that it could just be left as it is, but I am really hoping that there is a sequel to this.

I really enjoyed all three narrators and their respective storylines. The overarching story was well thought out with great world building and fully realized characters. Although this was a stand-alone novel, I would be interested in reading more about the characters. Maybe a prequel?

I’m pretty sure this is the first time I’ve read a book translated from Korean. While I have no idea how this book reads in its native language, I found the translation to be quite enjoyable. And the story itself hooked me. The story focuses around three main characters: Loran, a woman desperate to get revenge for the deaths of her husband and daughter. Her intro was extremely cool, as was the scene where we first witness the awakening of her powers. Cain, a man focused on discovering who murdered his closest friend. And Arienne, a sorceress determined to escape not only her school but her fate. And while all aspects of this book were engaging, I have to say it’s Arienne’s story that really drew me in. The idea that sorcerers are used as a power source after they die just struck something in my imagination. Not gonna lie, it also kind of made me think of the original Matrix film, though of course this story and The Matrix aren’t really alike beyond this one facet. The characters are good, the world building and lore I found fascinating, the story quite adventurous, and as for the narration, which is carried out by three different narrators, (one for each of the main characters) this was done extremely well. I’m going to give this one 4.5 stars (rounding up to 5) and some may feel that’s a little high, but I have to admit I tend to give extra consideration to any story if it offers up something new or novel, and I definitely think this one does. I’d like to thank Macmillan audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review an advanced audio copy of Blood of the Old Kings.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blood-of-the-old-kings-sung-il-kim/1144473346?ean=2940191708959&bvnotificationId=4f90bb75-8b04-11ef-b964-12c4135ab079&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/321160038

3.5 stars rounded up.

This is a pretty decent fantasy for readers who are new to the genre, or readers who don't have time to commit to a really long series. But I'm neither of those readers, so it was just an okay experience for me.

It hit all the story beats perfectly, utilizes all of the typical tropes found in fantasy (chosen one, heeding the call to adventure, etc.), had characters you could root for and were fleshed out, etc. It did all of those pretty well without truly subverting the established conventions in fantasy. The whole dead sorcerers being used as power generators was giving The Matrix, but I wasn't too put off by how unoriginal it was.

I did love the multiple narrators used in the audiobook. All three were very well done and made each character their own, which was why I enjoyed this book more than I probably would if I only read it with my eyes.

There's definitely an audience for this, and that doesn't include me, so take my review with a grain of salt.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for this arc.

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."***

Narration

All three PoVs have a very district voice. Suzy Jackson is one of my favorite narrators for characters that are 16-25, She made Arienne's voice stand out in this narration capturing the strength and the unsurity the character has about her journey. Eunice Wong as Loren was able to make be feel for the mother who lost everything and the future King that wants better for her people. She was able to capture the essence of what I thought Loren character represented. Major Curda as Cain gave a really good performance as well. He is still so young in this tail and he was able to capture both his youth and the experience of his hard knock life in a major city of the Empire. All narrators brought the characters to life and performed their parts with clear diction and cadences that helped the story flow even when the PoVs changed. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.