Blood of the Old Kings
an unmissable epic fantasy where three heroes stand against an empire powered by necromancy
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4.0 • 1 Rating
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- £0.99
Publisher Description
'Thrilling, inventive, and fierce - a tale of malevolent empire and those who stand against it. Not to be missed' Max Gladstone
There is no escaping the Empire. Even in death, you will serve.
In an Empire fuelled by necromancy, dead sorcerers are the lifeblood. Their corpses are wrapped in chains and drained of magic to feed the unquenchable hunger for imperial conquest.
Born with magic, Arienne has become resigned to her dark fate. But when the voice of a long-dead sorcerer begins to speak inside her head, she listens. There may be another future for her, if she's willing to fight for it.
Miles away, beneath a volcano, a seven-eyed dragon also wears the Empire's chains. Before the imperial fist closed around their lands, it was the people's sacred guardian.
Loran, a widowed swordswoman, is the first to kneel before the dragon in decades. She comes with a desperate plea, and will leave with a sword of dragon-fang in hand and a great purpose before her.
Blood of the Old Kings begins an epic fantasy adventure in which three strangers fight back against an all-powerful Empire, from award-winning author Sung-il Kim and translated by the highly-acclaimed Anton Hur.
'A woman's burning quest for vengeance and power leads to a thrilling magic-filled adventure. Absolutely captivating' K.S. Villoso
'Fast, fun and fabulous! Truly imaginative fantasy with a story that speeds along like a bullet train fueled by sorcery' Dyrk Ashton
'Epic underdog fantasy in which choice outweighs destiny . . . Readers seeking an exciting new fantasy world to sink into will find this hits the spot' Publishers Weekly
'A magnificent tapestry . . . If you're looking for something to scratch that sprawling epic itch, give Blood of the Old Kings a chance' Lightspeed
'Full on fantasy delight . . . expansive and exciting―it's a book that so clearly loves fantasy and gives readers classic elements of the genre in a totally new way. Blood of the Old Kings is just a goddamn blast to read' Reactor
'An immersive world that's sparking towards war' Library Journal
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Kim debuts with an epic underdog fantasy in which choice outweighs destiny. Running up against a world-spanning Empire that draws its powers from dead sorcerers, three outsiders become embroiled in rebellions and plots to free prisoners. Swordmaster Loran bargains with a captive dragon to fulfill its promise to preserve a kingdom conquered by the Empire. Sorcerer-in-training Arienne, tutored by an unliving mage, flees before the Empire can render her into a source of magic energy. Cain, an orphan in the capital, is haunted by the specter of a slain friend and strives to thwart the coup planned by her killers. The question that bedevils all three protagonists is how much their choices are driven by their own free will or forced by external powers. Kim avoids saddling his characters with the well-worn "chosen one" narrative, finding ways to make their destinies more a product of actions taken than of inheritance. Readers seeking an exciting new fantasy world to sink into will find this hits the spot.
