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.

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.

In this vein, I think the audiobook narrators did an amazing job. If you plan on reading this book definitely consider listening to the audiobook version of it because the audiobook production and the narrators' acting skills were fantastic. I really liked that each of the three main characters had individual narrators, and each of the three of them were amazing narrators in their own rights. I sometimes find that audiobook narrators are unable to do voices for characters of the opposite sex, but I was delighted to find that all three narrators were able to comfortably do realistic voices for every type of character they encountered in the plot. And it was fun being able to hear one narrator do the voice of a different main character as the three of them slowly met and then split away from each other. Eunice Wong, Major Curda, Suzy Jackson were truly masters of the audiobook narration of this book, and I think listening to their narrations adds a layer that made the plot even more vibrant.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I was unsure about this especially with it being multiple povs but I really enjoyed it. The story was solid and and the word building was great.
I did have a bit of a problem with the characters as it felt like some were neglected and thus their chapters feel flat. That wasn't super common though. Overall I really liked the story. I definitely interested to see where this story goes.

I loved this book, and need the next STAT. It is perfect, the complex main characters, the court intrigue, the world and magic system, the mental health rep. It was a great start of an epic fantasy. I need to grab a physical copy for my shelf.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Thank you for the arc!
This should’ve really worked for me! I love grand scale fantasy novels, and such a variety of perspectives should’ve been fascinating. I loved Loran’s chapters, but Cain and Arienne didn’t click with me at all. The characters were painfully flat, but the plot was much stronger. I just wasn’t itching to pick this back up whenever I stopped. The audiobook was excellent though!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan for the e-arc!
Multicast narration! This is my absolute favorite type of audiobook and I think it brought so much depth to this book. I would firmly say that if you were interested in the story to check out the audiobook as I did a bit of a tandem read, doing some parts audio and some parts e-book and the audiobook just really blew me away.
The world is really interesting and I ended up really enjoying some of the characters but my biggest struggle was I think there needed to be a bit more exploration and information given on the world. If you love a book like it's right into the plot without a ton of exposition or overdone worldbuilding, then you'll probably really enjoy this. From the first chapter of each character's journey, we immediately start the plot. I could've used a bit more exposition but I still really enjoyed the characters themselves. I think I ended up being most interested in Arienne's and Cain's plotlines but overall I really enjoyed the exploration of all three and cannot wait for the next book!

Great epic fantasy! Loved it!

I've been obsessed with this book ever since I first saw the cover. I am a fan of multiple POVs in stories, so the book started just right for me. Usually, with multiple POVs, I'd get invested in some more than in others, but here I was completely captivated by all three.

The narrators were also amazing, I love when an audiobook has multiple narrators for different POVs, it makes the story much more immersive. I recommend this for fans of epic fantasy who want to start with an easy read. I can't wait for the next books in the trilogy!

Edit; changing this to 4.5 stars because I been and to do thinking about it

This book might win the award for the best opening scene ever. The first chapter had my jaw on the floor! I loved the take on the Evil Empire trope; the multi-POV felt like a jigsaw puzzle in all the best ways.

We have Loren, fighting for vengeance and working with an ancient dragon to make herself a king; Arienne, a sorcerer doomed to be made into a necromantic power source (!) who accidentally gets possessed; and Cain, the street savvy man-of-all-trades trying to solve his friend's murder. All of these stories look so different and are even set in different places, so we're not just getting the same events from three different angles. I loved this style of unfolding the story.

Although I was super interested in the plotlines, the worldbuilding, and the magic system, I never really felt emotionally invested. I think it might be because of the prose -- it was quite textbook-y rather than emotive. The climax fizzled a bit for me for this reason. I honestly wish this book had been 2 or 3 books, so we could have had more time to wallow in backstories and build the conflict more organically. But I still highly recommend and will probably buy a hard copy to reread. There is so much gold in this story!

Big thanks to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for letting me read this early! All opinions are my own.