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!

I came out of this appreciating the straightforward and interesting fantasy story we get, but feeling a little disappointed that it didn't really bring much new to the table.

Blood of the Old Kings takes place in a fantasy world where the all powerful empire maintains its power with magic. This magic is powered by the corpses of dead sorcerers, who keep being magical batteries forever and ever. Fucking fantastic magical premise, right? In this world we follow three characters who are bucking against the weight of the Empire and how it has affected their lives. Loran lost her family, and the story kicks off with her visiting a dragon and gaining power and a pretty rad sword from it and a destiny to become the next king of her conquered homeland. Cain lives in the capital, laying low and surviving as much as he can as he investigates the death of someone close to him. Arienne is magic student, taken from her home and put into school, except all this school really does is prepare their students to take care of themselves so they'll be very good, strong batteries for the Empire when they're dead.

Having three different main characters like this allowed for the story to explore this fantasy world and the politics and magic and revolution in three different ways...but the characters themselves mainly fell flat, and that's where the biggest disappointment stems for me.

Arienne probably had the most interesting storyline, as it digs into the weird, creepy, awful magic system. Her backstory and her motivations were the most interesting - she runs away because she doesn't want to spend her whole life under the thumb of the Empire, preparing for death. Unfortunately, Loran and Cain paled in comparison. Loran has a typical hero plot line (with some interesting magic), and Cain had a shadowy politics storyline that I was incredibly bored with.

The writing I think was the weakest part of the book as a whole, and led to the weak character work. I don't think this is a translation issue. The prose is serviceable. It's fine. It's so Just Fine that I didn't once feel any sort of expanded emotion toward anything except moments of "huh" and "wow, okay". I didn't feel truly connected to the plot or characters or world whatsoever, and I spent the last third of the book mentally checked out - which is terrible, because that's when all the action stuff happens. I just didn't care! Which is disappointing!

This story ends in a way that leaves things very much open for a series, but even if it doesn't continue on, then it still wraps up fine.

I keep thinking about how I wish I had enjoyed this more, and how much more interesting the story would have been if it had been much more about Arienne.

Anyway! A solid 3 stars, a decent fantasy romp. Nothing bad here, but nothing super great. This is actually a REALLY good beginner level fantasy recommendation for anyone looking to get into the genre, now that I'm thinking about it.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor for the e-arc!
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!

I'm running a bit behind due to sickness - but so far I am really enjoying this! I will update again once I complete the book, but wanted to show some love while I recover.

I loved this book!! I half read the e-galley and half listened to the audiobook.

I loved that the story was told from three perspectives and that they three stories slowly came together. The magic system was unique and interesting. I would love to know more so I'm really hoping that this is a series!

3.5⭐️
I liked this book, but it didn’t really engage me or pull me in like I had expected it too. I enjoyed the 3 POVs and how they all converged together at the end. However, separately they felt a little slow a lot of the time. Cain was the one who had me intrigued from the start and I think it is because there was a murder mystery to catch my interest. His big moment at the end was almost anticlimactic, but I think that was the point and it suited him well. Loran’s story had a lot of potential, but felt a little bland for the first half of the book. She definitely took on more character and strength after leaving the underground castle. Arienne, I think, had the most consistent arc and was interesting the whole way through the book. Especially with Eldred in the mix. The final battle(s) are really exciting and definitely what made this worth reading in the end. The final chapters don't give a HEA but they do give us a hope for the future.
Overall, I think I was a good story that fell a little flat. I would recommend it to the right person for sure. It just was not quite my thing.

Started off with a bang and then went through an ebb and flow of excitement. There were many times I sat in my car to wait until the chapter finished because I had to know what was going to happen next! At first, I was also struggling to see how the 3 storylines were going to connect, and when they did finally connect, I was quite happy. There were a few times I became lost with the action and how a certain thing happened, and I do not know if it was me, the story, or the narration.

All in all, quite happy. The climax did feel a bit rushed, and not well explained; but judging by the cliffhanger, I am sure we will get a better explanation in book two!

Blood of the Old Kings is a thrilling multiple pov fantasy with political intrigue, rebellion, and dragons. I requested it on NetGalley to fill my goal of reading 5 books originally written in other languages this year, and it has been such a fun read!

From the first three chapters, I was invested in all three main characters and couldn’t wait to see how their stories melded together. I really wish I had more insight into the characters, though. And I think some of the distinction between their voices may have been lost in translation.

To that end, I really recommend the audiobook. I did my first read on Kindle, but yesterday at the release, I started the audiobook, and all three pov characters have their own narrator, so it helps a lot with distinguishing the voices of the characters.

Overall, this is a strong recommendation, but not something I’m completely raving about.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor for the advance read of this title. All opinions are my own.

🩸🖤 Blood of the Old Kings Review 🖤🩸

Thank you so much to Sung-il Kim, translator Anton Hur and Tor publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book

Blood of the Old Kings is a fantasy novel and the first book of a trilogy. The empire uses the powers of dead sorcerers to fuel the kingdom and those born with magic are destined to die for the greater good. When three strangers all find themselves with a greater purpose, will they start a war that could topple empires?

This was an interesting read. This book followed three characters - Loran, Cain and Arienne - as they all endure trials that set them on different paths in the empire. Overall I enjoyed their stories and am curious how they’ll intertwine more in future books. While this book had some complex world building, it didn’t feel overwhelming or confusing which I really liked

Overall this was a four star read. I enjoyed this world and am curious to see where it goes in the future. This book did have some triggers, so please check if you’re sensitive. This book did not have any romantic subplots, so no rating for spice will be given

If you’re a fan of fantasy novels with interesting world building, unique magic and a smidge of necromancy, then absolutely pick this one up.

I think this was one of those cases where I saw the artistry, I appreciated the skill it took, and in theory I like all the elements, but this particular book was not for me. I don't have any specific complaints, no part of it was BAD, but it didn't really leave an impact on me.
However, I can see how this will absolutely be IT for a lot of other people.
Translation was good, never felt clunky or lost with it, so shoutout to the translator/translating team.

I hope this book finds it's audience, because I really think it does deserve attention. I just wasn't the right person for it.
Books are like wands. The wand chooses the wizard. Just because we don't match up, doesn't mean either of us is bad, it's just waiting for someone else to love it the way it deserves <3

I was so excited for a standalone dragon fantasy book. However, there was barely any world building, and almost no backstory for anything (people/events/kingdoms/etc). The characters are very 2 dimensional and don’t have much personality. I thought this was going to be a group of 3 fighting together for atleast a portion of this book, but the main characters never all meet up together. and when two are in the same scenes, it’s for about 5 pages and doesn’t add too much to the story.

Cain is probably the most interesting of the three. He’s on a mission to find out how his best friend was murdered. He had balls, took risks, stood up and fought for what he believed in, and I did enjoy his chapters. I was confused when he was said to be a silent King? not sure if that was setting up for another book, but that sense of general confusion was pretty on par for the entire book.

Arienne is a sorcerer who frees some bad guy that lives in her head, and she has all of these powers that she’s not supposed to have. I wish we learned more about the school, what type of things the students learn and can do, and overall what sorcerers provide to their society. She’s somehow this extremely powerful sorcerer who has barely any training, just suddenly knows spells, and can do what no one else can. Like this is mentioned multiple times in the book with no explanation.

Loran is my least favorite character. She makes a deal with a dragon, an eye for a sword as long as she become King. For someone who brought back the dragon, I found her to be the most boring. She didn’t really fight for anything. She didn’t make a difference to society or her “people”. and her followers just magically appeared whenever it was convenient for her. I wish we saw more of her back story, how she came to the decision to be King, how she learned what to do with the dragon, any sort of training involved, etc.

This is an extremely short fantasy book, but I’ve read novellas with explanations that make more sense. The acknowledgements page says this is based of TTRPG and yes, I can 100% see that. There’s a lot of “here’s how it is, wait no here’s how it is, except this person can do this. oh and now this is happening”. It felt like 3 underdeveloped stories in one, which did it a huge disservice. The ending was also super rushed, and I found myself skimming the last 3 chapters.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Dang. I was excited about this book, but I was not expecting to love it so much. Because it’s a fantasy import, I knew it would be different from the typical fare on the B5 market. I’m always desperate for fantasy stories that don’t fit in the mold, and Blood of the Old Kings hit the spot for me. Originally published in 2016 as 메르시아의 별, or Star of Mercia, Kim brings a world to life full of dragons, magic, and devious political intrigue. I really hope this series gets a full run because I can’t wait to read what’s next. I’ll be incredibly disappointed if the rest of these stories don’t make their way into readers’ hands.

The art of fantastic storytelling, for me, boils down to characters and story. The better the characters and more intricately (and cleverly) plotted a fantasy tale, the more I will like it. Blood of the Old Kings follows three separate characters--Cain, Adrienne, and Loran—as they navigate their lives under the tyranny of the Empire, a brutal regime that uses the sorcerers it trains as power generators for the magical machines it uses to dominate the world. Somehow, these three characters find themselves involved in the same conflict, and the artful way Kim weaves their lives together really made the book stand out for me.

Loran really provided the hinge for the book, as all the characters really connect through her efforts to resist the Empire. An atypical main character for a dragon novel, as she’s neither romantically involved with anyone in the book nor barely in her 20’s, she’s desperate to throw the yoke of the Empire off her and her country’s back—and get some justice/vengeance in the process. What I love most is that she does not compromise her basic human integrity and morals in order to do so. The people of her country are just as important to her as anything—and she’ll protect them to the detriment of her own goals.

Arienne, a sorcerer, and Cain, a street-smart investigator of sorts, come from the Capital of the Empire, though their origins are provincial. I love the way Kim writes these two—they each possess an intelligence and empathy I love seeing in fantasy characters. Cain searches for the murderer of his friend, and Arienne seeks to escape the Academy because she does not want to end up wrapped in magical chains as a prisoner for her afterlife. The nuances of these characters and the roles they play in the rebellion impressed me immensely. Kim shows through them that resisting a powerful tyrant requires equal power and destruction, and the cost may not be something they wish to pay.

As I journey through the fantasy bookverse, I have noticed narrative techniques in stories I love, and Kim’s fantasy really has all of them in it. It’s not a simple cookie-cutter copy-and-paste offering. I first saw this book in March, and I’ve been stoked for it—my expectations were met and exceeded. If you’re looking for a fantasy that’s not like the others, definitely pick this one up. I highly recommend it. If you can swing it, buy a copy. If you can’t, please be sure to request your local library get a copy for circulation. Fantasy lovers won’t want to miss this one.

Whatever beautiful ARC mailing overlord at Tor sent me this print galley—you’re awesome. Thanks very much; I will treasure this beauty. Also, thanks to NetGalley for the eARC. I’m very glad to willingly offer my honest review. Also, I’m pretty sure I’m buying at least two copies of this book. Maybe three.

I really wanted to love this one, but it fell short for me. The first chapter was so captivating, the dragon magic was so cool, but then…the story progression was so choppy. I felt that the character arcs moved forward way too fast, with too little opportunities for growth and development. The lack of a great “main villain” (other than the all-encompassing empire) and great side characters made it feel empty to me. This could be my own preference for character driven stories. But anytime characters did something cool or an interesting magical thing was introduced, it was hastily just skipped over. The story needed to be much longer in my opinion, to fully develop all the compelling components to lead to a satisfying end.

Really good world building. Interesting 3 main point of view characters. I admit I read the description and didn’t pay much attention to the cover. I thought the writing was just slightly stilted but good. Then after reading it I saw the translated by in the cover. That totally explained the very slightly stilted writing still. It’s a good choice if you like the big story evil empire type of fantasy novels!

Blood of the Old Kings by Sung-il Kim is an epic fantasy that blends adventure, magic, and political intrigue across a vividly built world. The story revolves around three main characters: Loran, a fierce warrior fueled by revenge for her family’s murder; Arienne, a sorcerer trapped in a terrifying fate as a necromantic power source; and Cain, a street-savvy investigator searching for his friend’s killer. Their stories unfold in different parts of the world, offering a multi-POV experience that feels like piecing together a puzzle, with dragons, magic-fueled tech, and rich lore throughout.

The narration, delivered by Eunice Wong, Major Curda, and Suzy Jackson, enhances the experience, with each voice perfectly capturing the essence of their respective character. The multiple narrators help make the distinct storylines feel more immersive and engaging, pulling you deeper into the plot. While the pacing picks up, especially in intense scenes, the emotional connection to the characters and the unfolding world keeps you hooked. If you're into intricate world-building, a unique magic system, and layered, unpredictable characters, this book won’t disappoint!

Blood of the Old Kings is an entertaining and innovative addition anti-imperialist epic fantasy. What I enjoyed most about this book was how different the perspectives were of the three main characters. Each has extremely different motives and end goals. Loran, a woman who swears to become king of her conquered nation and free the fire-dragon trapped in a volcano, wants vengeance as much as she wants freedom. Although occasionally melodramatic, her time with the common people, and with their hopes for her, leads her to a greater destiny. Arienne is a sorcerer student who only wants to be free of the doom the Empire has sentenced all sorcerers too - to be used as a power generator in death. She makes a deal with a strange voice in her head (a favorite trope of mine) that will lead her to darker deeds and better places than she could have imagined. And Cain, who has put so much distance between himself and his homeland in the imperial capitol, will discover what community means as he seeks justice for a friend. The interweaving of these three characters really kept me on my toes for the whole story. With a seamless translation by Anton Hur to boot, Blood of the Old Kings was an easy page-turner. And the ending was epic on the battle front - although Kim often took the final strokes off-page in a slightly strange move - but reserved in its outcomes. It was a change of pace I actually appreciated quite a bit. I'll be very excited to see where Sung-Il Kim takes this story next!