Blood of the Old Kings reads like an opener in a classic fantasy series. It reads really smoothly (and no surprises there, as I have already learnt to recognize and appreciate Anton Hur's job as a translator) but it did surprise me by being closer to fantasy classics than to what I have expected from a translated South Korean SFF author. I mean, it takes all kinds, of course! And I appreciate the chance to broaden my palate by reading what a classical fantasy feels like when written by a South Korean author. I had fun with the story: its strongest element, I felt, was its magical system, whereas the setting and the choice of POV characters was very staple. Enjoyable and easy to read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 rounded to 4

All the dragons are dead, and the bodies of sorcerers fuel the empire in this vaguely Eurocentric fantasy. While the world and magical system of this book are so interesting and original, I found some of the pacing a bit slow and the style of writing too simplistic at times. The three POVs are at least distinctive, and I found myself gravitating more towards Arienne - a sorcerer enslaved by the empire and forced into an academy to hone her for her fate as a power supply. My least favourite was Loran, whose chapters tended to feel repetitive with a lot of combat descriptions I wasn't overly enamoured with. The simple style of writing meant I read it very quickly, so if you're looking for a relatively easy read then this will do for you! Overall, an ambitious start to an interesting series, but it fell slightly flat in the execution.

Really enjoyed the premise; we follow a self-styled princess who makes a deal with a dragon to overthrow an empire, a student sorcerer with a mummy inside her head and a guy investigating his friend's murder. I don't think that the actual execution lives up to the premise, but it was an enjoyable enough read. There are some pacing issues throughout and there's a fair bit of deus ex machina going on, but I think if you're in the mood for a fun sword and sorcery fantasy that leans more YA then this is enjoyable enough and a fun diverting read.

If you take both Final Fantasy 15 & 16, mix in Blood Over Bright Haven, Dragon Age and a dash of Death Stranding you have Blood Of The Old Kings.

We follow three main characters, Loran who makes a pact with a dragon to become King and free her land. Cain, a unique MC who is investigating the murder of his old friend. We're first introduced to him as he allows himself to be beaten up to gather information on his opponents. Finally, Arienne a young sorcerer locked away to train before eventually dying and becoming a battery. She can hear a mysterious voice that will lead to her freedom.

The three characters stories are intertwined as they each deal with life under the Empire. The story was well paced & written, I devoured this in two sittings. The characters stood well on their own and were rather distinct from other fantasy characters.

My only quibble is really a personal preferenc, but the time difference between chapters was a bit disorientating. One character might mention 20 days had passed but another characters chapters are on the same day.
It worked well in the story hearing about events one character was doing before we had full details but I personally found it a bit difficult to understand at times!

However, I really enjoyed this one and will definitely pick up the sequel. I can't wait to see the rest of the story develop, it's worth mentioning though that you could read this book as a standalone if you really wanted. A tiny bit of an open ending and there's clearly more to say but everything gets wrapped up rather well!

Thanks to Netgalley & the Little Brown Book Group for this arc, it was a super immersive read.

Blood of the Old Kings is a gripping fantasy debut with an original and captivating magic system. The use of mummified sorcerers to power the Empire is both eerie and inventive, setting the stage for high-stakes drama. The three main characters, Loran, Cain, and Arienne, offer distinct perspectives that drive the plot forward with energy and depth. Sung-Il Kim’s worldbuilding shines, and the seamless translation by Anton Hur ensures a smooth read. A thrilling start to a promising trilogy—I'm eager for more

Blood of the Old Kings by Sung-Il Kim is classic epic fantasy that opens with a gripping first chapter. A young woman makes a deal with a chained dragon – she will restore the kingship to the repressed people of Arland and free the dragon from his prison, in return the dragon gives her a flaming sword and takes one of her eyes for himself. Two other characters are then introduced who have their own roles to play in the coming battles.
Readers, moviegoers and game players will recognise the set up of Blood of the Old Kings. An evil, bureaucratic Empire (called “the Empire”) has taken over the whole of the fantasy world, subjugating various different races and peoples. The three main characters are Arlanders, but they will start to unite the other peoples in a revolution against the Empire. Loran, who lost her husband and child when they sang protest songs, has taken up the dragon sword and starts to inadvertently gather people to her cause. Cain, who was sent to the capital when he was twelve, is trying to solve the mystery of the death of is friend Fienna who helped Arlandian refugees. And Arienne is trying to escape from the Sorcery school at the Imperial Academy, because it turns out that being a sorcerer is not all it is cracked up to be, and she has help from an unusual and dangerous source.
The magic elements of Blood of the Old Kings are the most unique. It turns out that the bodies of dead sorcerers are encased in special iron cases and used as the power source of the Empire. The better the sorcerer, the more power they generate. All of the Empire’s technology and weaponry is powered by this method and has been used to repress other forms of magic (such as the dragon). But other than that there is very little here that readers of fantasy will not have encountered before.
While translated from South Korean by Anton Hur, Blood of the Old Kings is not South Korean-inspired fantasy. While Kim might bring some of his cultural perspective subtly into the story, this is straight done-the-line epic fantasy in the current western mode. But all that said, Blood of the Old Kings is a fun read. The characters are engaging, there is some greyness in the plot (how far do you go to overthrow a tyrannical system?) and Kim delivers plenty of great cliffhangers along the way. Also, refreshingly, Blood of the Old Kings delivers a complete story in itself. The war is far from over and there are plenty of threads left dangling but he wraps the short term stories up in a satisfying way, leaving plenty of options open for the next book in the series.

The Blood of the Old Kings, translated from Korean by Anton Hur, is an immersive and imaginative epic fantasy that drew my attention the moment I laid eyes in the cover and read the blurb.

We follow three different characters with completely different backgrounds and P.O.Vs: Loran, who seeks to get revenge the death of her husband and child and ends up making a pact with a dragon to gain the power destined to the king of her people, becoming then the new king of their people and try to free her land from the brutal empire; Cain, who’s investigating the death of his dearest friend, no matter the cost or the danger to himself; and Arienne, a sorcerer that is able to run from the place where she was locked away, a sorcery school that doesn't teach sorcery at all, until she eventually died and became a power generator for the empire.

I was not bored for a single moment, as the narrative is very plot driven with some surprises in store along the way. It includes themes such as colonialism, power, betrayal, corruption and oppression but only in a very light way that complements the story line.

I had never read a fantasy novel translated from Korean, but I love to see how different cultures and perspectives are weaved into one of my favourite genres. I did, however, find myself wondering if any part of the writing or narrative style was lost through the translation or if the writing is supposed to be very straightforward, plain and to the point, since I wished to have more insights into the characters’ minds at times.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and I’m coming to appreciate the representation of older women as main character in epic fantasy novels.

Thank you so much Little, Brown Book Group UK | Orbit and NetGallery for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first ever review and I'm a little rusty!

"There is no escaping the Empire.
Even in death, you will serve."

The Blood of Old Kings by Sung-il Kim is not like other fantasy books I have read. You have fantasy, dragons, swords - the whole shabang. But there was something that made this stand out and I'm left wanting MORE.

I sometimes struggle with multiple POV in books as sometimes they muddle together, but each POV was so clearly separated from each other.

Arienne is a runaway sorcerer.
Cain is an orphaned character who I'm curious to read more about.
Loran has gained powers from a Dragon.

Somehow these three characters connect with each other which I'm eager to read about in the next two books in this trilogy!

Anton Hur did a wonderful job of translating this - the prose was wonderful and descriptions were full of detail.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The ideas in this book were amazing, but I am not convinced on the execution.
I don't feel the characters were fleshed out and I didn't fully realise why they were doing the things they were doing.
This book could have been longer and I feel this would have benefited it greatly.

This novel grabs the reader's attention from the very first page. Kim does a fantastic job of worldbuilding without detracting from the core story. Blood of the Old Kings has captivating characters, fierce female main characters and a seven-eyed dragon that will captivate you until the very end. Another noteworthy aspect of this book is that it is a translation, having been initially written in Korean. I really believe that not nearly enough novels are being translated into English from other languages.

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the ARC.

The good: three interesting, distinct POV characters & the concept of sorcerers' corpses as power generators which is rife with potential. The bad: it's all so... meh. Simple, even. From the wishy washy sorcery (we don't even know what the incantations are!) to the laughably incompetent intelligence group that serves the tyrannical Empire. It's not terrible; I do find the plot engaging enough. But it reads like a first draft with not enough complexity and depth in terms of worldbuilding, and I'm not even typically a stickler for that.

3.75 stars.

I really enjoyed this opening entry into a new epic fantasy! Each of the three perspectives brought something different to the story and wove together well throughout.

Loran - the commoner princess who makes a deal with a dragon to get vengeance for her murdered family. As a swordswoman, her perspective brought most of the epic battles and action of classic fantasy, which were great. I enjoyed watching her come into her own from making her initial declaration to become King to rising up with her people.
Arienne - a young girl born with magic attempting to escape her fate under the Empire, to become a glorified battery in death! The way her magic worked was sometimes a little too convenient or hand-wavy for my taste, but the world-building that her perspective brought with the power generators and sorcerers was wonderfully dark and the most interesting aspect of the story.
Cain - a bit of a loner, he simply wants to find out who murdered his best friend. Of the three perspectives I think I enjoyed Cain’s the most. I clicked the easiest with his personality as he investigated his friend’s death and using his wits to get himself into and out of trouble. Cain is the character I am most eager to see in future.


Overall, this was fast-paced and action packed with fresh takes on necromancy and dragon lore and I eagerly await the next book.

This was so good! I'm thrilled, because Blood of the Old Kings is one of my most anticipated books of the year. The cover is stunning and the premise sounds so unique. So many of my favourite tropes are included in the book, as well - necromancy, dragons, female warriors, political intrigue, I could go on and on!

Even though this book is translated, I never felt like the pace was dragging or the writing was stilted. I was engaged with each of the three POVs, and I was always dying to know what would happen next. The translator, Anton Hur, is a fantastic writer and it shows through their translation. I think this is going to be a series and if so, I will definitely be reading the next installment!

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this one!

It was very easy to read and to follow. I read it in two sittings.

I enjoyed diving into this new world with a female heroine at the front of this adventure. Even though the characters were quite flat for me, this didn't spoil my enjoyment of this book (usually that is the case with other books like this one).

When I was done, I wanted more so now I have to wait until it is published in English, translated amazingly once again by Anton Hur.

I loved this book. What an exciting read!! The world building and 3 person POV storytelling were amazing. I can't wait for the other books in this trilogy.

*Blood of the Old Kings* by Sung-il Kim is a solid 4/5 for me! This book brings together some epic fantasy elements—necromancy-powered empires, a dragon under a volcano, and a swordswoman wielding a fang-sword. The worldbuilding is fantastic, with dead sorcerers literally fueling the Empire's power, which makes for a fascinating and dark backdrop.

The three POVs—Arienne, a rebellious sorcerer; Loran, a warrior on a vengeance mission; and Cain, an investigator—add variety to the story, though Loran's arc definitely stole the show for me. She has the most depth and the most exciting plot, especially with the whole dragon partnership. Arienne’s story is also engaging, but Cain’s felt a bit isolated and not as impactful.

What really works is the pacing—it’s fast, which kept things exciting, but sometimes it felt like the story was rushing from scene to scene. I would’ve loved more time to dig into the characters. They’re interesting but not super fleshed out beyond their roles in the plot. That said, the magic system and the way necromancy is used are super creative and definitely a highlight.

Overall, this is a fun, fast-paced read with some really cool ideas. If you're into epic fantasy with dragons, necromancy, and a dash of rebellion, this is worth checking out!

I was really excited to read Sung-Il Kim's <i>Blood of the Old Kings</i>, mostly because I admittedly don't think I've read much Korean fantasy if at all. Anton Hur is an excellent translator, and it shows in this work as well.
Still, in the end this wasn't a book for me. The story ideas were intriguing and the characters seemed interesting at first. Sadly, I found the world-building a bit lacking, the plot rather convoluted and the characters incredibly one-dimensional. I didn't care for any of the three big ones and couldn't tell you much about them, either. I loved the idea of sorcerers as power generators and Arienne as a fugitive sorcerer fleeing from an academy that would habe killed her to become such a power generator was SUCH a good character concept, and Loran, our warrior "princess", making a deal with a dragon and fighting the Imperium with a huge ass dragon sword is just as amazing a concept. But there was just no meat to them. Add to that a rather quick pacing and I never felt like I actually got to know them.
So in the end, that's what made me feel more or less indifferent towards the book. It didn't manage to make me care about anything - the characters, the plot, the world. The concepts are great, the execution less so.

"Blood of the Old Kings" will grab yours attention and not let go, any time I wasn't reading, I was thinking about what would happen next.

From page one, I was hooked. Blood of the Old Kings is incredible in its world-building and characters and its unique magic system. Beginning as a tale of revenge against the Empire who have conquered the world, and murdered thousands we meet one of our main POV's, a revenge driven mother who throws herself in a volcano and makes an life altering pact with a dragon . (We love a sword wielding mother out for revenge for her murdered husband and child). We also follow a sorcerer, disillusioned in the Empire, I mean what sorcerer wouldn't be then the Empire only keeps you around so they can use your corpse as a power device and Cain, who came to the city after his homeland was invaded and conquered. who doesn't care about much, but his mentor who's body showed up in the river.

Expect political intrigue, rebellion plots and more.
I NEED MORE

Absolutely loved this. A fascinating world encompassed with brilliant writing. I need more from Kim!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me an advanced copy for an honest review.

I was really excited to read this as it had a lot of promise: great cover art, three POV characters - a princess leading a rebellion with a dragon sword, a murder mystery and an escaping sorceress. But the characters were pretty flat so I didn't connect with them, the plot was fairly linear and there was a lot more telling than showing, so a big disappointment overall. I won't be continuing with the series.