-
The Grace of Kings
- The Dandelion Dynasty
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Series: Dandelion Dynasty, Book 1
- Length: 21 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Action & Adventure
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $28.34
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Wall of Storms
- The Dandelion Dynasty, Book 2
- By: Ken Liu
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 28 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kuni Garu, now known as Emperor Ragin, runs the archipelago kingdom of Dara but struggles to maintain progress while serving the demands of the people and his vision. Then an unexpected invading force from the Lyucu Empire in the far distant west comes to the shores of Dara - and chaos results. But Emperor Kuni cannot go and lead his kingdom against the threat himself with his recently healed empire fraying at the seams, so he sends the only people he trusts to be Dara's savvy and cunning hopes against the invincible invaders: his children.
-
-
A new favorite!
- By Davis Tran on 04-21-20
By: Ken Liu
-
A Hero Born
- The Definitive Edition
- By: Jin Yong
- Narrated by: Carolyn Oldershaw, Daniel York Loh
- Length: 13 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After his father, a Song patriot, was murdered, Guo Jing and his mother fled to the plains and joined Ghengis Khan and his people. Loyal, humble, and driven, he learned all he could from the warlord and his army in hopes of one day joining them in their cause. But what Guo Jing doesn’t know is that he’s destined to battle an opponent that will challenge him in every way imaginable and with a connection to his past that no one envisioned.
-
-
Very good
- By Heather Kamine on 05-15-20
By: Jin Yong
-
The City of Brass
- A Novel
- By: S. A. Chakraborty
- Narrated by: Soneela Nankani
- Length: 20 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nahri has never believed in magic. Certainly, she has power; on the streets of 18th-century Cairo, she’s a con woman of unsurpassed talent. But she knows better than anyone that the trades she uses to get by - palm readings, zars, and a mysterious gift for healing - are all tricks, both the means to the delightful end of swindling Ottoman nobles and a reliable way to survive. But when Nahri accidentally summons Dara, an equally sly, darkly mysterious djinn warrior, to her side during one of her cons, she’s forced to reconsider her beliefs.
-
-
it's a love/hate thing
- By Zahai on 02-28-18
-
Ruin
- By: John Gwynne
- Narrated by: Damian Lynch
- Length: 28 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The cunning Queen Rhin has conquered the west and High King Nathair has the cauldron, most powerful of the seven treasures. At his back stands the scheming Calidus and a warband of the Kadoshim, dread demons of the Otherworld. They plan to bring Asroth and his host of the Fallen into the world of flesh, but to do so they need the seven treasures. Nathair has been deceived but now he knows the truth. He has choices to make, choices that will determine the fate of the Banished Lands.
-
-
It was ok
- By G. Redavid on 02-25-21
By: John Gwynne
-
Best Served Cold
- By: Joe Abercrombie
- Narrated by: Steven Pacey
- Length: 26 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There have been 19 years of blood. The ruthless Grand Duke Orso is locked in a vicious struggle with the squabbling League of Eight, and between them they have bled the land white. While armies march, heads roll and cities burn, and behind the scenes bankers, priests, and older, darker powers play a deadly game to choose who will be king.
-
-
Not everyone in life is likable.
- By Cameron on 06-28-19
By: Joe Abercrombie
-
The Hunger of the Gods
- By: John Gwynne
- Narrated by: Colin Mace
- Length: 22 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lik-Rifa, the dragon god of legend, has been freed from her eternal prison. Now she plots a new age of blood and conquest. As Orka continues the hunt for her missing son, the Bloodsworn sweep south in a desperate race to save one of their own - and Varg takes the first steps on the path of vengeance. Elvar has sworn to fulfil her blood oath and rescue a prisoner from the clutches of Lik-Rifa and her dragonborn followers, but first she must persuade the Battle-Grim to follow her. Yet even the might of the Bloodsworn and Battle-Grim cannot stand alone against a dragon god.
-
-
The most underrated writer
- By Anonymous User on 04-12-22
By: John Gwynne
-
The Wall of Storms
- The Dandelion Dynasty, Book 2
- By: Ken Liu
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 28 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kuni Garu, now known as Emperor Ragin, runs the archipelago kingdom of Dara but struggles to maintain progress while serving the demands of the people and his vision. Then an unexpected invading force from the Lyucu Empire in the far distant west comes to the shores of Dara - and chaos results. But Emperor Kuni cannot go and lead his kingdom against the threat himself with his recently healed empire fraying at the seams, so he sends the only people he trusts to be Dara's savvy and cunning hopes against the invincible invaders: his children.
-
-
A new favorite!
- By Davis Tran on 04-21-20
By: Ken Liu
-
A Hero Born
- The Definitive Edition
- By: Jin Yong
- Narrated by: Carolyn Oldershaw, Daniel York Loh
- Length: 13 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After his father, a Song patriot, was murdered, Guo Jing and his mother fled to the plains and joined Ghengis Khan and his people. Loyal, humble, and driven, he learned all he could from the warlord and his army in hopes of one day joining them in their cause. But what Guo Jing doesn’t know is that he’s destined to battle an opponent that will challenge him in every way imaginable and with a connection to his past that no one envisioned.
-
-
Very good
- By Heather Kamine on 05-15-20
By: Jin Yong
-
The City of Brass
- A Novel
- By: S. A. Chakraborty
- Narrated by: Soneela Nankani
- Length: 20 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nahri has never believed in magic. Certainly, she has power; on the streets of 18th-century Cairo, she’s a con woman of unsurpassed talent. But she knows better than anyone that the trades she uses to get by - palm readings, zars, and a mysterious gift for healing - are all tricks, both the means to the delightful end of swindling Ottoman nobles and a reliable way to survive. But when Nahri accidentally summons Dara, an equally sly, darkly mysterious djinn warrior, to her side during one of her cons, she’s forced to reconsider her beliefs.
-
-
it's a love/hate thing
- By Zahai on 02-28-18
-
Ruin
- By: John Gwynne
- Narrated by: Damian Lynch
- Length: 28 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The cunning Queen Rhin has conquered the west and High King Nathair has the cauldron, most powerful of the seven treasures. At his back stands the scheming Calidus and a warband of the Kadoshim, dread demons of the Otherworld. They plan to bring Asroth and his host of the Fallen into the world of flesh, but to do so they need the seven treasures. Nathair has been deceived but now he knows the truth. He has choices to make, choices that will determine the fate of the Banished Lands.
-
-
It was ok
- By G. Redavid on 02-25-21
By: John Gwynne
-
Best Served Cold
- By: Joe Abercrombie
- Narrated by: Steven Pacey
- Length: 26 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There have been 19 years of blood. The ruthless Grand Duke Orso is locked in a vicious struggle with the squabbling League of Eight, and between them they have bled the land white. While armies march, heads roll and cities burn, and behind the scenes bankers, priests, and older, darker powers play a deadly game to choose who will be king.
-
-
Not everyone in life is likable.
- By Cameron on 06-28-19
By: Joe Abercrombie
-
The Hunger of the Gods
- By: John Gwynne
- Narrated by: Colin Mace
- Length: 22 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lik-Rifa, the dragon god of legend, has been freed from her eternal prison. Now she plots a new age of blood and conquest. As Orka continues the hunt for her missing son, the Bloodsworn sweep south in a desperate race to save one of their own - and Varg takes the first steps on the path of vengeance. Elvar has sworn to fulfil her blood oath and rescue a prisoner from the clutches of Lik-Rifa and her dragonborn followers, but first she must persuade the Battle-Grim to follow her. Yet even the might of the Bloodsworn and Battle-Grim cannot stand alone against a dragon god.
-
-
The most underrated writer
- By Anonymous User on 04-12-22
By: John Gwynne
-
The Shadow of What Was Lost
- The Licanius Trilogy, Book 1
- By: James Islington
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 25 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It has been 20 years since the end of the war. The dictatorial Augurs, once thought of almost as gods, were overthrown and wiped out during the conflict, their much-feared powers mysteriously failing them. Those who had ruled under them, men and women with a lesser ability known as the Gift, avoided the Augurs' fate only by submitting themselves to the rebellion's Four Tenets.
-
-
Maybe a fun read for someone younger
- By Dave on 11-30-18
By: James Islington
-
Jade War
- By: Fonda Lee
- Narrated by: Andrew Kishino
- Length: 24 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the island of Kekon, the Kaul family is locked in a violent feud for control of the capital city and the supply of magical jade that endows trained Green Bone warriors with supernatural powers they alone have possessed for hundreds of years. Beyond Kekon's borders, war is brewing. Powerful foreign governments and mercenary criminal kingpins alike turn their eyes on the island nation. Jade, Kekon's most prized resource, could make them rich - or give them the edge they'd need to topple their rivals.
-
-
Socks the Sophomore Slump Right in the Jaw
- By HuangChu on 11-17-19
By: Fonda Lee
-
The King's Blood
- By: Daniel Abraham
- Narrated by: Pete Bradbury
- Length: 14 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
War and madness cast shadows over the lands dragons once ruled. Geder Palliako's star is rising. He is a hero of Antea, protector to the crown prince, and darling of the court. But storms from his past are gathering, and with them, a war that will change everything. Cithrin bel Sarcour founded a powerful bank on stolen wealth, forged papers, and ready blades. Now every move she makes is observed, recorded, and controlled. Unless Cithrin can free herself from her gilded cage, the life she made will be for naught; war may provide just the opportunity she needs.
-
-
Keeps getting better with every chapter.
- By Jason Neuwirth on 05-11-22
By: Daniel Abraham
-
The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories
- By: Ken Liu
- Narrated by: Corey Brill, Joy Osmanski
- Length: 15 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With his debut novel, The Grace of Kings, taking the literary world by storm, Ken Liu now shares his finest short fiction in The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories. This mesmerizing collection features all of Ken's award-winning and award-finalist stories.
-
-
Fantastic collection, great stories!
- By Renee Tang on 05-17-18
By: Ken Liu
-
The Autumn Republic
- By: Brian McClellan
- Narrated by: Christian Rodska
- Length: 19 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The capital has fallen...Field Marshal Tamas returns to his beloved country to find that for the first time in history, the capital city of Adro lies in the hands of a foreign invader. His son is missing, his allies are indistinguishable from his foes, and reinforcements are several weeks away. An army divided...With the Kez still bearing down upon them and without clear leadership, the Adran army has turned against itself. Inspector Adamat is drawn into the very heart of this new mutiny with promises of finding his kidnapped son.
-
-
Fantastic Trilogy!!!
- By Hassan on 02-12-15
By: Brian McClellan
-
Empire of Silence
- By: Christopher Ruocchio
- Narrated by: Samuel Roukin
- Length: 26 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The galaxy remembers Hadrian Marlowe as a hero: the man who burned every last alien Cielcin from the sky. They remember him as a monster: the devil who destroyed a sun, casually annihilating four billion human lives - even the emperor himself - against Imperial orders. But Hadrian was not a hero. He was not a monster. He was not even a soldier. Fleeing his father and a future as a torturer, Hadrian finds himself stranded on a strange, backwater world.
-
-
Intelligent Sci-fi
- By cms on 11-05-18
-
The Fires of Vengeance
- By: Evan Winter
- Narrated by: Prentice Onayemi
- Length: 15 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tau and his Queen, desperate to delay the impending attack on the capital by the indigenous people of Xidda, craft a dangerous plan. If Tau succeeds, the Queen will have the time she needs to assemble her forces and launch an all out assault on her own capital city, where her sister is being propped up as the "true" Queen of the Omehi.
-
-
Was so hopeful....
- By TJ on 03-09-21
By: Evan Winter
-
The Way of Kings
- The Stormlight Archive, Book 1
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: Kate Reading, Michael Kramer
- Length: 45 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter. It has been centuries since the fall of the 10 consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor.
-
-
Great Story!! Cons: slow start & poor narration
- By Monica on 01-17-17
-
Bloody Rose
- By: Nicholas Eames
- Narrated by: Katherine Fenton
- Length: 18 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Live fast, die young. Tam Hashford is tired of working at her local pub, slinging drinks for world-famous mercenaries and listening to the bards sing of adventure and glory in the world beyond her sleepy hometown. When the biggest mercenary band of all rolls into town, led by the infamous Bloody Rose, Tam jumps at the chance to sign on as their bard. It's adventure she wants - and adventure she gets as the crew embark on a quest that will end in one of two ways: glory or death.
-
-
Don't even bother.
- By M. R. ROBERTS on 04-18-19
By: Nicholas Eames
-
The Kingdom of Gods
- By: N. K. Jemisin
- Narrated by: Casaundra Freeman
- Length: 16 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For 2,000 years, the Arameri family has ruled the world by enslaving the very gods that created mortalkind. Now, the gods are free, and the Arameri's ruthless grip is slipping. Yet they are all that stands between peace and world-spanning, unending war. Shahar, last scion of the family, must choose her loyalties. She yearns to trust Sieh, the godling she loves. Yet her duty as Arameri heir is to uphold the family's interests, even if that means using and destroying everyone she cares for.
-
-
Frustrating Inconsistencies
- By AmazonCustomer on 05-07-19
By: N. K. Jemisin
-
Emperor of Thorns
- A Broken Empire Novel
- By: Mark Lawrence
- Narrated by: James Clamp
- Length: 13 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jorg would be emperor. It is a position not to be gained by the sword but rather by vote. And never in living memory has anyone secured a majority of the vote, leaving the Broken Empire long without a leader. Jorg has plans to change that - one way or the other. He’s uncovered even more of the lost technology of the land, and he won’t hesitate to use it. But he soon finds an adversary standing in his way, a necromancer unlike any he has ever faced - a figure hated and feared even more than himself: the Dead King. The boy who would rule all may have finally met his match....
-
-
Lacks anticipation
- By Climbersteve on 02-17-19
By: Mark Lawrence
-
The Eye of the World
- Book One of The Wheel of Time
- By: Robert Jordan
- Narrated by: Kate Reading, Michael Kramer
- Length: 29 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When their village is attacked by trollocs, monsters thought to be only legends, three young men, Rand, Matt, and Perrin, flee in the company of the Lady Moiraine, a sinister visitor of unsuspected powers. Thus begins an epic adventure set in a world of wonders and horror, where what was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.
-
-
Mixed feelings
- By macyok9s on 09-04-19
By: Robert Jordan
Interview: Ken Liu on The Dandelion Dynasty series
Publisher's Summary
Two men rebel together against tyranny - and then become rivals - in this first sweeping book of an epic fantasy series from Ken Liu, recipient of Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards.
Wily, charming Kuni Garu, a bandit, and stern, fearless Mata Zyndu, the son of a deposed duke, seem like polar opposites. Yet in the uprising against the emperor, the two quickly become the best of friends after a series of adventures fighting against vast conscripted armies, silk-draped airships, and shapeshifting gods. Once the emperor has been overthrown, however, they both find themselves the leaders of separate factions - two sides with very different ideas about how the world should be run and the meaning of justice.
Fans of intrigue, intimate plots, and action will find a new series to embrace in the Dandelion Dynasty.
Featured Article: The Best Listens by East Asian Authors
The geographical region that comprises Asia is vast and varied—and so are the stories that have emerged from it. And as the continent consists of more than 50 countries, it is nearly impossible to narrow down a list of the best Asian literature. So, for this collection, we’ve elected to highlight the wonderful works crafted by authors who are from the East Asian region or are of East Asian descent. We’ve chosen some of the greatest works by genre to get you started.
What listeners say about The Grace of Kings
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Eric
- 05-21-16
Unfortunately cannot recommend
I came to this title with high hopes.
Fan of GRR Martin and Patrick Rothfuss, I've also read my share of Raymond Feist, Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson.
Love world building, I enjoy delving into well developed intricate worlds and characters . Over 20 hours? Yay!
I also think a lot of Ken Liu. I've had the pleasure of reading and hearing ( through podcasts like podcastle) short stories he wrote or translated. Great stuff, highly recommended.
So.
Great author, big world. Check
Add the Asian template and I was sure I was going to love this.
What could go wrong?
Unfortunately ... Lots of stuff.
While the epic scale certainly seems to be there : the fate of island kingdoms in a time of turmoil while men and gods challenge each other etc.
all the parts just never fit together.
The book comes across as clunky, by-the-numbers painting and just not working. At all.
The 2 main characters are not caricatures exactly but certainly not subtly developed either, I never real felt anything for the majority of the multitude of characters that are introduced so a main part of the story just didn't work.
I actually found the beginning promising , with the description of colorful new kingdoms and states, heroes and ideas but the second and third act are just lazy.
Don't get me started on the info dumping.
Characters lumber towards their inevitable conflicts with all the predictability of spaghetti westerns and high-noon showdowns .
My personal low-point in this book is the treatment of gods and their struggles. It almost feel like the were inserted as an editorial afterthought .
Remove any reference of them out from the book and hardly anything seems to change . At all.
A tale of two brothers who - sigh- end up on opposite sides is supposed to illustrate... Something . (A weathervane I suppose for the overall struggle), but the characterization just left me yawning.
Overall:
It's not dreadful. ( and btw, great performance from the narrator )
Just not good.
Skip it .
A bad misfire from a good author.
112 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ryan
- 12-27-15
Eastern-flavored epic fantasy
3.5 stars. Inspired by ancient Chinese epics, The Grace of Kings is a worthy entry into contemporary fantasy. The characters combine larger-than-life qualities of cleverness, wisdom, strength, and courage with familiar human flaws and frailties to produce a story that's as much a play of ideas as an adventure.
The novel is set in a world where seven distinct cultures (some more "Asian" than others) have always resided on seven different islands, constantly fighting with each other, but maintaining a balance of power. However, that ended when one nation developed a powerful fleet of airships and conquered all the others. The new emperor, now in power for some years, has labored to impose a single system on all the nations. But the forced peace begins to unravel when a scheming official assassinates the Emperor and installs a new, more pliable ruler, who doesn't understand that power is a double-edged sword.
Living on one conquered island, indifferent to politics, is the clever but shiftless young Kuni Garu, whose personal philosophy is all about making the most interesting, if not necessarily the most responsible, choices. Growing up elsewhere is an imposing young man named Mata, who burns for revenge against the Empire after what it did to his family, and has little patience for anyone he considers weak or cowardly. And in the background are the gods, who are carrying out their own celestial struggle through small acts of manipulating human affairs.
In their own ways, Mata and Kuni are each pulled into leadership roles when a rebellion begins, the former as an uncompromising warrior, the latter as a bandit leader who reluctantly accepts the mantle of greater responsibility. The two join forces and eventually vanquish the enemy in a series of tough battles and daring schemes.
However, that's only the halfway point of the book. In in addition to the usual political upheaval that accompanies a conflict's end, the outcome of the war sows seeds of division between the two friends, and Kuni exiled to his own small domain, while Mata goes on to prove that a warrior's strength and uncompromising will don't always translate to being a good ruler. And so the novel's real struggle begins, not just over territory, but over values and ideas. The world of the seven islands can't go back to what it was, but where should it go?
As a writer, Liu seems as interested in instruction as storytelling, using characters to embody different philosophies about religion, governance, leniency vs. force, the roles of men and women, science, how to reconcile differing cultural ideas, how to live, love, etc. As a result, most of the characters aren't as well-developed or permanent to the story as Kuni and Mata, and I found myself losing track of who was who at times, especially given that some names sounded similar in the audiobook. The different cultures and gods were also a little confusing to keep in order.
Still, even if the lessons in the story were conspicuous, Liu's insights found their way in with sufficiently light, humorous touch for me to enjoy the novel and its Eastern flavors. If the years to come bring more fantasy set in a Chinese, rather than Western European, milieu, I won't be disappointed.
73 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Joseph Tingle
- 06-01-15
Worldbuilding trumps plot
Is there anything you would change about this book?
The story seems to following the model of ancient Chinese classics like The Romance of Three Kingdoms a bit too closely - Grace of Kings attempts to portray generations of history and myth, unfortunately characters and finer plot points get swallowed up in the confusion. This could be three or four moderately long novels instead of one big epic.
What do you think your next listen will be?
This didn't scratch my fantasy itch - maybe I'll check out Wheel of Time finally, or the audiobook version of Game of Thrones.
Which character – as performed by Michael Kramer – was your favorite?
Honestly - I don't remember them.
Do you think The Grace of Kings needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?
Unfortunately, no. There is enough material here for at least a trilogy, which is part of the problem. Perhaps a new series in the same world would be interesting, as long as the author takes his time.
Any additional comments?
Despite feeling like this book was a bit of a dud, I do like Liu's style and feel his future work may be worth a try.
43 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Hjalti Þorsteinsson
- 10-17-18
Absolutely amazing high fantasy!
If you're not a fan of 'fated' stories where every success or failure is due to a very clear personal flaw of the character and where every character slighted or rewarded comes back to right the scales in some way, then this book is not for you. If you can't handle too many names (especially Chinese ones) and characters then this story is not for you. If neither sounds boring to you then you will delight in this story. The author had built a fantastic world based on South Asia (mostly China) with fantastical elements thrown in for spice. The world comes off as very believable (besides the many inventions near the end of the book) and the character are all quite interesting. The story flows quite well and is really long. I honestly thought this would be the first book in a series as it went on, but it finished up quite nicely and in a satisfying way.
Really recommend it!
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Robert
- 03-07-19
not a fantasy novel
this is an embellished telling of the beginning of the han dynasty. the names and places have been made up but significant events in the book are directly lifted from the written histories.
18 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 12-05-18
Lackluster
I mean, it was alright. The concept is actually very cool. I've never heard of anyone attempting a "silkpunk" fantasy before but the story was flat. I was only compelled by the characters at certain moments. The stakes didn't seem very high because they escalated so quickly to encompass the whole world the book takes place in. Then there's like a second plot that occurs after they accomplish the first. I will cede that the way the first resolution folds into the second and ultimate conflict of the story is thought out and executed well. It did not feel that the book was going any direction. The narration often jumps from the main part of the story to flash backs that are rife with exposition. However, that might be a personal aesthetic decision because I much prefer a narrative that stays with the character throughout the story, not flashing back to expose certain aspects of the narrative. Preferences I guess.
Overall I greatly enjoyed the piece, but felt the execution lacking
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Andrew
- 10-12-18
I’m at war with myself over this book.
Though I was not a huge fan of the story telling style at times I will have to admit that there is beauty in the way this story is told. It does jump around and sometimes I did have to go back because I simply missed a large battle that was only a paragraph long but at other times the story was so heartbreaking and beautiful.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kindle Customer
- 04-07-17
Blew me AWAY
I lack the words to express my true love of this novel. I read 3-4 books a week, yet this one is this year's favorite, without a doubt.
I finished it moments ago, paused to write this review, then will play book 2.
Thank you, Audible, from taking me away from a tough time in life. Thank YOU, Ken Liu, for gracing the world with your idea. Thanks to your wife as well, as you have said this book was a joint effort.
This book is HUGE in its ideas; stupendous in its breadth and content! Gorgeously composed, and wonderfully recited. Highly recommended!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mark Hancock
- 05-19-15
Conceptually good, but too many short-cuts
In many ways, this had the makings of a good story. But it fell short of the "epic" it is advertised as, and that's too bad. I don't want to inadvertently spoil anything, but it seemed that too often when a crucial moment was upon a leader or main character, betrayal was a foregone conclusion, or a leader or character made a snap decision or went against their previous nature & it seemed done more to advance the storyline, rather than to remain true to what we believed about the character. It just rang false several times, which took me away from the story or caring about it any more. And that seemed to happen too often. Which may even be true to human nature...history is, after all, full of decisions made by leaders to advance agendas rather than out of concern for humanity or the world.
Anyway, it was obviously a good enough story, as I completed it. I just don't know that if recommend it.
24 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Liz Argall
- 03-15-18
Gorgeous
Full of interesting details while maintaining a light touch. It's hard to write a decent review. I'm just really happy this book exists.
3 people found this helpful