At a glance this is everything I love, a historical fantasy and a plot mostly focused on rescuing a sibling, but it just kind of fell flat. I've been struggling for months to get in to it and finish it and I wound up skimming the end. Also the implied feelings between Mirae and Siwon seemed to come out of nowhere just for the sake of the plot rather than their feelings be shown over time.

I will say I loved Mirae's devotion to her brothers and her stop-at-nothing mindset to get Minho back.

This was one of those, "it's just not for me" kind of books. I think other people can and will enjoy it and we need to have more historical fantasy books that don't draw on Western fantasy settings.

Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!

And Break the Pretty Kings, the first first book in the Sacred Bone series by debut author Lena Jeong, was a book I was really looking forward to that unfortunately fell well short of the target. Sadly, not every new YA fantasy series can please everyone straight out of the gate.

The market for folklore and mythological retellings from cultures and nations that aren’t European has been going through a golden age for about three years now, with no signs of stopping. Due to the large amount of interest coming from America in Asian cultures, that’s where the most adaptations, retellings, and remixings are coming from. So, in order to shine bright in the YA Fantasy Asian Folklore Retelling Book Series market, you need to make sure your book stands out from the crowd in some way and that the writing is polished until it gleams.

Sadly, neither one of those things is true about And Break the Pretty Kings. The book is poorly paced: the beginning is messy and confusing, and up until almost the 50% point of the book the whole thing feels like a bunch of what a lot of people call, “Hurry up and wait”. This stutter-start-stutter-start feeling has all the hallmarks of poor story mapping, down to including the dreaded exposition dumps. After the 50% mark all you have is bad writing, scenery, and a poorly thought-out climax and rush to a cliffhanger ending that reminded me of a great many episodes of Dragonball Z.

It would’ve helped if I’d liked any of the characters or if any of them had stayed consistent. Mirae, our protagonist, is naive and obviously has a case of selective hearing for the sake of the plot. She’s also clever when the plot calls for it but ignorant when the plot calls for it too. She’s utterly clueless, but everyone treats her as if she’s totally fierce. I didn’t understand anyone in this book. No one.

This book could’ve been made a great many pages shorter if less time had been spent waxing eloquent about every shiny thing in every room or table Mirae came across. This isn’t necessary, people. This is called purple prose. This level of description and how many pages it takes up doesn’t have anything to do with the plot. If you need to fill pages gushing about fabric or pottery in the middle of what is supposed to be an urgent quest, then you’re doing something wrong.

Everyone else seems to really like this book, and I don’t know why, but I’m not going to yuck their yum. This book just wasn’t for me and I won’t continue the series. If you did enjoy it, many well wishes to you and to Ms. Jeong as you continue the adventure.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas are mine and mine alone. Personal policy dictates that since this title received a rating of three stars or lower from me as a reviewer that it will not appear on any social media or bookseller website.

File Under: Coming of Age/Folklore Retelling/Historical Fantasy/Just Not For Me/LGBTQ Friendly/YA Book Series/YA Fantasy/YA Fiction

Cover? Beautiful
Story idea? Exciting
Execution of story? Disappointing

I had a lot of hopes for this story after reading the synopsis, but the writing style and flow were not good. I could not get into it, no matter how hard I tried. It felt like the way it was written was why I couldn't get into it.
Genuinely upset because SO MANY concepts were fascinating to me, the zodiac pearls, the magic, the conspiracy but all fell flat in the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper for this eARC. These opinions are my own.

This fantasy novel is inspired by Korean history and mythology, which I absolutely adored. The author also did not explain things to the reader and just allowed them to come to understanding through the story, which I thought was perfectly done.

I ADORED the body horror in this.

However, one of the challenges of this book lies in its narrative structure. The protagonist's ability to glimpse into the future introduces a level of ambiguity and interpretation that can be confusing at times. The absence of the future-self's perspective creates a disconnect, leaving some of the action off the page and making it difficult to fully engage with the unfolding events. Furthermore, the lack of clear villains and the constant shifting of trust among characters contribute to a sense of uncertainty and make it challenging to establish a strong connection with any particular individual. This ambiguity, while intended to add intrigue, leaves readers adrift without a clear anchor to root for. The inclusion of sudden interventions that resolve conflicts diminishes the impact of the story. Lastly, rather than a clear story arc, this story takes readers on a wild rollercoaster ride, leaving me with a sense of whiplash as the narrative rapidly twists and turns. Things are good and then bad rapidly and resolve just as quickly, leaving me a little exhausted at the conclusion.

Despite its flaws, the novel successfully captures the essence of Korean mythology and offers a unique blend of fantasy and political intrigue. Readers will appreciate the rich world-building and the intricate webs of power and deception. The complex web of relationships and shifting loyalties may add to the unpredictability of the narrative, keeping readers on their toes, or it might just be disorienting.

And Break the Pretty Kings was wonderful, and not at all what I expected.

It begins by dropping us straight into the action, the magic, and the world. Very much show-don’t-tell, yet I felt I learnt quickly how the magic system worked and didn’t at any point feel like I was missing information - an excellent execution of this style.

Our main character, Mirae, is the only daughter in a long line of Seollan queens, and she’s destined to take up the mantle of keeping the kingdom’s long imprisoned enemy - the Inconstant Son - locked away, at the cost of her own sanity. Her mother has succumbed to the ‘generational madness’ much earlier than any previous ruler, and thus Mirae must undertake the trials to become queen much younger than any of her descendants. However the night of her trials is calamitous, and Mirae finds herself on a quest to save her brother which has her questioning her history, her loved ones, and herself.

Mirae’s magic, foresight, and confusion wound together in such a way that even when she made decisions I didn’t agree with, I could understand why. She’s lost, feels alone, and she’s so young to have the fate of a country resting on her shoulders. I loved some of the twists and turns that came up along the way, it sometimes felt like no one and nothing was what it seemed, and this kept the plot exciting and fast paced.

I was completely intrigued by the magic system and can’t wait to see more of it as the series progresses. The way that magic is separated into the three disciplines and each has a guardian ancestor was really interesting, and I’m excited to see how this develops throughout the sequel(s).

Overall, And Break the Pretty Kings was an exciting Korean inspired fantasy, and I will definitely be continuing the series.

I thought this was great for a younger audience, it was well written and fun but just felt a little too young, I think it dips its toes into middle grade a lot more than YA, I enjoyed the world building and the elements of Korean mythology

First off, thank you to HarperCollins Children’s for the eArc of this title!

I’ll start with the good: this story started off SO strong. I love an action filled entrance, and the stakes really felt very high. I was intrigued by the magic and the mythology, as well as the grand threat. There was so much that seemed to be working… at first

Unfortunately, things went downhill quite fast for me here. This novel moves ENTIRELY too fast. It’s the kind of fast paced that I can tell is meant to appeal to YA readers, but what it achieves is leaving the reader with a ton of questions. I don’t know the characters at all, I don’t know the motivations for why they do what they do, I don’t know enough about the magic, politics or world. This story just needed time to breathe, and it could have been wonderful. It was just doing too much too fast.

I do, however, like this authors writing style in the prose and in her way of writing action scenes. I am interested to pick up her later work regardless, after she has some time so slow down and mature into her writing a bit. This just really missed the mark for me.

Thank you to the author for letting me be a part of her street team and read this book a little early!

I ended up really enjoying this book. I was a little skeptical once I learned there was a time travel element because I absolutely despise time travel in books, movies, and tv shows because it’s often used as a cheap way to avoid any problems and get a happy ending without consequences (character goes back in time and “fixes” things thereby negating the progress or climax of the story). However, Mirae is a character who only gets brief glimpses of the future and cannot really change anything—despite the understandable desire to do so—because of how her power works and the limitations placed on it. The glimpses we get are so shocking and strange to Mirae that they leave more questions than answers—that will hopefully be addressed in the sequel!!

Which brings me to the magic system: Sacred bone magic is really interesting and while I am a little annoyed we didn’t get as much info about how it works, we got to the different ways characters used it to achieve their ends. Each character’s magic echoed their own personalities and goals despite the magic not being unique to the individual—which was really fascinating. I also enjoyed that the characters had depth and often experienced conflicting desires which forced them to make rough decisions—some of which I didn’t agree with, but I could understand how they got there (most of the time). These decisions put family and friends at odds and revealed secrets long buried—but no spoilers!

I found Mirae frustrating during the book because she is naive and a dreamer who has been indulged her entire life but who also believes that she has a responsibility to protect her people and that she can do anything—two things I thing we could all benefit from. She’s so young and experienced a burden few could carry but she does what she can with what she has and she gets support from a great cast of characters.

All in all, this was a fun fantasy that had “great epic” vibes without being a slog to get through. I would have liked more build up and character background, but it was still enjoyable and I look forward to the sequel!

I really enjoyed reading this book! It was an excellent debut fantasy, and I look forward to whatever else this author writes. The characters, writing, and plot were all great. Overall, iI would definitely recommend this book!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Destiny has always weighed heavy on Mirae’s mind, now more than ever. At the age of 16, she will soon become the youngest queen and protector of Seolla; destined to rule until madness takes her. But when the ceremony prior to her coronation ends in blood and the disappearance of her eldest brother, Mirae suddenly faces a dangerous and uncertain future. Armed with her newly awakened power to ‘switch’ through moments both past and future, Mirae and a small host of companions set off to save her brother. However, there is much that Mirae has yet to learn and the more she uncovers, the more she doubts what she knows. With the addition of cryptic visions of the future, what once seemed like a clear path has become far more complicated than Mirae could have imagined. Despite her good intentions, not even Mirae can tell if she will lead Seolla to its destruction or its salvation.
This YA fantasy based in Korean culture and mythology follows the story of Mirae; a strong willed young woman coming into her powers both politically and magically. It is immediately clear that Mirae is clever and strong for her age. However, Jeong is not afraid to make it clear from the beginning that Mirae still has a lot of growing to do and is far from untouchable. Mirae herself is quite self-aware and tries to think through her actions, but there are always small flaws in her thinking that show her inexperience and she still finds herself in difficult situations as a result. I was definitely annoyed with Mirae at times, especially with how she interacted with others outside of her friendship circle, but it’s never over the top. Mirae is a great example of someone raised in privilege discovering the world for the very first time and falls into many pitfalls even with good intentions. Despite the growing pains, she remains likable and understandable.
Unfortunately, most of the side characters do not get the same level of treatment as Mirae. Her companions definitely fall into particular tropes, but I don’t really mind this on the whole. This book is definitely action driven and each character is endearing enough to care about and they have good chemistry with each other. Jeong sews in some extra elements of intrigue with a few of the characters, but I ultimately felt these things contributed to the complicated plot rather than true, dynamic character building. This was all kind of expected for me, so it did not really change my feelings about the story either way. However, this might not be the book for you if you enjoy stories that are more character driven.
This book was definitely a ‘feast for the eyes’ so to speak. The descriptions of both the environments and the clothes people were wearing created such vivid, beautiful scenes that I wish I could see them on a screen. The book is a little slow in parts, but I did not mind lingering and learning more about each new place Mirae and her companions visit. Though it took awhile to understand, I really liked the concept of the magic system as well and thought it fit nicely into this world. The ‘time travel’ aspect is handled pretty well and I like what it adds to the story overall.
Despite all of its strengths, I did struggle a little with the plot of this book. This is the first book in a series and it is clear from about ⅓ of the way in that there are many elements acting as a setup for the following books. There was a good bit of this particular book that felt more predictable, but I think a lot of it was done with the future of the series as a whole in mind. There was simply too much going on for everything (or even most things) to be tied up in this book alone. Things started coming together in some intriguing ways in the last ¼ of the book which gives me a lot of hope for the future of this series and raised my overall rating from a 3.5 to a 4.

Special thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Everyone bow to the queen.

And Break the Pretty Kings follows the story of Crown Princess Mirae, the heir to a magical queendom, who must earn her crown earlier than expected. The queendom is in need of a new queen, one who has the power and the will to defeat their greatest enemy. To complicate matters, Mirae's beloved older brother disappears on the night of her trials to earn the crown, and she must embark on a perilous journey to bring him back.

This book delivered on the K-drama vibes, as promised. The magic system was also pretty compelling, with three different gifts offered to Mirae's line of queens. I also appreciated how the characters were fleshed out.

I did not see the plot twist coming so I was happy about that. And after that ending, I really want to know what happens next.

This was a strong debut, even with its few pacing issues. It's difficult to get a time travel story right or at least relatively believable, but the author did not shy away from the challenge, and I want to know what will happen to the queendom, and all the characters.

I give this 4 stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and HarperTeen for the e-arc!

Oh lord, I should've DNF this. Why didn't I DNF this...

With that being said, this was... Not good. I wasn't a fan of the writing style (it was very young YA/middle grade), or the story, or the characters.

I did like the Korean-inspired fantasy vibes though, so I'll give it that. That's not something you see often. And the fact that the author straight up used Korean terms without any handholding or explaining what they meant? Absolutely perfect. *chef's kiss* 10/10. And the ending with one of the antagonists gave me major East/Southeast Asian ghost vibes (yay nostalgia!), it was hard to hate on how silly the Big Bad's powers were.

But other than that... I didn't vibe with this at all. The storyline was so simplistic to the point where I didn't really need to do any thinking to figure out the twists. Not that there were really any twists.


**SPOILER AHEAD***

Well, there was a major twist at the ending with a Big Bad, but it felt so unrealistic... Kimoon saw Mirae break out of supposedly unbreakable chains and he turned to her side. Like, it was that easy for a Big Bad to turn good? I thought he hated magic. I was so confused then and I'm still confused now.

**END SPOILER***


Anyway, my other huge issue with this novel is that every problem Mirae and co. encountered was easily solved with a deus ex machina. They're supposed to be in a lot of danger (kidnapped brother being mind-controlled, evil Netherking caged under a creepy magical lake mentally and magically torturing Mirae's mother, the queen of Seolla, Mirae and co. sneaking around in a kingdom that shunned magic when Mirae is literally oozing with magic, etc.) but the vibes were so lighthearted that I felt no danger. Which is a huge issue because every situation that Mirae was in was supposedly a "might start a war between two nations" level of high stakes.

I didn't feel any suspense either. I wasn't on the edge of my seat waiting to see how Mirae and co. would react. After the first few incidents where Mirae pretty much came out either unscathed, or just lightly scathed but with all the answers to her problems solved somehow (did I already mention deus ex machina? gotta emphasize it again lol), I gave up on any life-changing or life ending dramatic moments.

A couple of choice quotes to emphasize my point:

When Mirae and co. snuck into a border town and her side character besties just randomly showed up:

Mirae was desperate to know how her friends had managed to find her--and how they had guessed where she was going, no less..."

Because deus ex machina.

At the end (Mirae's parents were in a comatose-like state):

"Mirae wasn't sure how, or why, her mother had miraculously recovered, nor did she ask."

Yup, you guessed it. Deus ex machina.

Mirae experienced zero character development. She was the same selfish "it's my way or the highway" type of future queen both in the beginning and the end. She never bothered to listen to Captain Jia's very sound advice. Instead, she threw her weight around as the High Horomancer/~Chosen One~ to get things done her way. And other than Captain Jia, none of her close circle (Hongbin and Siwon) bothered to question her at all. Talk about being surrounded by yes-men.

The ending was strangely convoluted for a story that was so straightforward. There were character motivation and allegiance reveals with a side character and the antagonists, but the build-up was so minimal that it didn't throw me off or upset me. It just left me feeling confused and wondering how things ended so easily when the story finally started to get interesting.

Also, I had no idea what the point of the future time travel/switches were supposed to be. Apparently it meant a lot to Mirae by the end of the book, but each switch just left me scratching my head and wishing there was a crumb of context.

One more really nitpicky criticism, but I didn't really like how the novel started off. There were inside jokes between the MC, Mirae, and her close circle, and I felt like that awkward third wheel in a group of friends where everyone knows each other, but I only know one person.

Lastly, the side characters were just there to fill the side character quota and the magic system was bare minimum. Mirae was the Chosen One, so the magic system didn't really matter or mean much to her. She could practically do anything to solve her way out of everything.

Thank you to HarperTeen and NetGalley for this arc.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

And Break the Pretty Kings follows Crown Princess Mirae on the eve of a magical trial which, once successfully completed, will make her the new queen of a Korean-inspired queendom.

This was a fun adventure! It wasn't the tightest narrative -- I struggled with the pacing around act two of the story -- but it was definitely entertaining. The magic system and mythological inspiration lent the book a wonderful, riveting richness. There was also some queer rep which I wasn't expecting but definitely appreciated. Overall, I had a pretty fun time with this read, and I am definitely looking forward to the next installment!

I was really hoping for more out of this book. It sadly didn't hold my interested through the whole book. It was very boring. It could have used something to make it fun and exciting to me. I ended up dnfing this one.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book as an eArc.

I am so grateful to have received a copy of this incredible book!

It has become increasing hard for me to find a book which really captures my attention with both plot and characters but this book perfectly captures that!

It is a book rich in everything you’d want in fantasy, with a very interesting magic system, interesting cast of characters and intriguing history. If I could go and reread this book, I absolutely was.

Mirae was a treat to read about and her relationship with her siblings meant so much to me. She’s a realistic portrayal of a character her age and in her circumstance. For that, I applaud the author for how well she’s done.

The elemental magic system is what I ended up loving. The author never left me confused about what was going on with it.

Mirae is the crown princess of Seolla and she is meant to save them all. But when the ceremony that is meant to crown her as the new ruler of the land ends in terror and death, she finds herself with an unexpected new power, a missing brother, and an ancient threat looming. Desperate to save her brother, Mirae sets off on a journey to the sovereign land of Josan with an unlikely group of companions and an unsteady grip on her new power that is showing her visions of the future that terrify and confuse her.

Filled with Korean mythology, this book was a sweeping adventure that I couldn’t put down. On its surface, it is a story of a girl trying to find her lost brother, but she has a lot to learn along the way. Told from Mirae‘s point of view, we are able to see what goes on inside her mind and how she’s handling the stress of all that is put upon her. Despite having a destiny that has been foretold for generations, she is at her very core a young girl who is just trying to find her place in the world and I think that is something that we can all relate to. She may be the chosen one, but she’s not perfect and she’s not meant to be.

The world building is spectacular in this story and the magic systems are easy to understand so you never feel taken out of this world for one moment. While a story that is built around a journey from one place to another in search of something has the potential to get very monotonous, there are enough stops along the way that you never feel like it’s repetitive. Each distinct point along the way feels like a different adventure, even though it’s all part of the same journey.

Filled with twist and turns, I found myself constantly surprised by what came next, even when I predicted some plot points along the way. Lena has the ability to foreshadow what’s going to happen next without making it too easy to guess. And the ending? I am unwell. The fact that I have to wait until Fall 2024 to find out what happens next is actually cruel and unusual punishment. A stellar debut, Lena Jeong has planted her flag in the YA Fantasy genre and I don’t expect she’s gonna leave anytime soon.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the author for free and have voluntarily written this review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Lena Jeong for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The synopsis sounded interesting, but the execution left a lot to be desired. The world building and magic system felt a lot like a Korean historical fantasy with a mix of avatar the last air bender mixed in. There were many times where it was a REAL STRUGGLE to get through and make it to the next chapter.
I really liked the characters and their relationships with each other. The pacing was quick, and the story moved along well without much filler. I really liked the incorporation of Korean mythology and terminology. If you are a reader who aren’t familiar, you be really lost when it comes to this book as it offered no explanations as to what a gumiho is.
Overall, if there is a next book, I hope the story would be better flushed out.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Lena Jeong for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for And Break the Pretty Kings coming out June 20, 2023. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Inspired by Korean history and mythology, this book is perfect for fans of historical fantasy.
Mirae with the armor of magic was destined to save her queendom, but the ceremony before her coronation ends in fear and death. She unlocks a strange new power inside herself and foretelling the return of a monster even the gods fear. Amid the battle, Mirae’s beloved older brother is taken—threatening the peninsula’s already weakening truce.

Desperate to save her brother and stop this ancient enemy before the queendom is thrown into war, Mirae sets out on a journey with a misfit group of companions. During the trip, her unpredictable magic gives her horrifying visions of a future she must defeat, no matter the cost.

I love Korean historical fantasy, so I was really excited for this book from a new Korean author! Overall, I loved the world building and writing. I think some of the plot was a little slow during the middle when I thought the action would pick up. But then things got more interesting towards the end. I would’ve liked to see a little more evidence of romance with Mirae and Siwon. It made it seem like they had an epic romance, but didn’t show it as much. I think the book focused more on Mirae and her brothers which is great, but not what I was expecting. Maybe there will be more romance in the second book.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Korean historical fantasy!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, HarperCollins Children's Books/HarperTeen for this eARC to review.

DNF for now.

Unfortunately, I'm having a really hard time keeping my focus on the book and feeling invested with both the plot and the characters. There's nothing inherently WRONG with either, but there's just not enough happening to really grip me into the story and want to keep reading. I will most likely come back to this at a later date, but for now I need to move on.

3.5 stars
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
And Break the Pretty Kings is a debut YA fantasy that has a lot of potential, but fell a bit flat in execution. There are some good ideas here, especially the world building, that do help it stand out, but they are let down by some other aspects.
The promise of the world building was the draw for me, and the pull for me to keep going. Even with the recent explosion of Asian fantasy, I can’t remember too many that are based on Korean history or mythology, with this one being influenced by Korean mythology. I loved the feel of the world, as it felt like dropping into a historical K-Drama with a magical twist. While it’s definitely more vague, and it’s one of those “sink-or-swim” styles of world building, I enjoyed the overall vibe with the political machinations, and I could see it evolving as the series went on.
The characters have potential, but were a bit of a weaker point for me (although again, it has potential for growth). Mirae is the crown princess of a nation that has had magic for several hundred years, and is expected to train her Bone Magic to be prepared to take over as queen, despite her young age. This makes for some interesting stakes, especially as she’s plagued by her insecurities for a lot of the book, even as she’s also quite headstrong. Sometimes she felt a little inconsistent as a result, but she has potential for growth.
The plot has a lot going on, with the intrigue, but I think the choice of inconsistent pacing weakened it. At times, there’s a lot thrown at the reader, and at other times, it’s a bit of a slog. The end is when it gets most interesting, meaning I may pick up the next book to see where it goes from here.
While this has a lot of flaws, it also has a lot of promise, especially for a debut author, I still recommend this to anyone looking for multicultural YA fantasy.