Paperback, 656 pages
Published Aug. 8, 2016 by Gallery / Saga Press.
A TIME MAGAZINE BEST FANTASY BOOK OF ALL TIME
Emperor Mapidéré was the first to unite the island kingdoms of Dara under a single banner. But now the emperor is on his deathbed, his people are exhausted by his vast, conscriptive engineering projects and his counsellors conspire only for their own gain. Even the gods themselves are restless. A wily, charismatic bandit and the vengeance-sworn son of a deposed duke cross paths as they each lead their own rebellion against the emperor's brutal regime. Together, they will journey to the heart of the empire; witnessing the clash of armies, fleets of silk-draped airships, magical books and shapeshifting gods. Their unlikely friendship will drastically change the balance of power in Dara... but at what price?
The Grace of Kings is the first novel by Hugo-, Nebula- and World Fantasy Award-winner Ken Liu and the first in a monumental epic fantasy series.
I was excited to read a novel from Ken Liu after thoroughly enjoying the Paper Menagerie short story collection. I liked parts of this book, but character interactions often felt forced or hard to believe. I was curious enough to finish the book, but I don't expect to continue reading the series.
