For all readers that are not afraid to get out of their comfort zone, that want a cultural and technological exploration of a pre-modern society with great diversity, "The Dandelion Dynasty" is a great project to explore. Yes, it is true that the first book is more of a prologue, more plot focused, but all that gets expanded and improved upon in the next instalments. At this moment, this is my favorite Fantasy series.
Its really such a fantastic journey if you just take it for what it is and try to not force it to be something else but I do get when it doesn't work for people
This video was exactly what I was looking for when I typed Dandelion Dynasty into the CZcams search bar! Very thorough and detailed but spoiler free - helped me decide to finally give this series a shot. Thanks!
I’m so glad Liu already has a publisher before he was selling this book. The pitch for 300 pages of cooking contest would have been a challenge otherwise. (But it was SO good!)
🐢 Such a unique and thought-provoking series. I love Ken Liu's characters, and the "silk punk" aspect was so engrossing. The food competition made me soooo hungry 😋. You did a great job reviewing the series without giving anything away (though I would also love a spoiler-filled review)
This is a 'should you read' video worthy of this incredible series!! It's actually quite interesting, because based on some of the things you mentioned here, I would think that the story wouldn't be for me... and yet it's one of my all-time faves. Even if this sounds like it is out of your comfortzone, I think it is 100% worth giving a shot because Ken Liu is just a masterful storyteller and it is so exciting to read his refreshing take on my favourite genre. Great video! 🐢🤩
🐢🐢🐢 I definitely plan on reading this series within the next year...I think it will really work for me. I just need to finish some other things up first.
Fantastic ! I really need to get to book 3 this month, but I'm looking forward to it. I agree, Ken Liu's characters are fantastic, and I love how he deals with the changes of characters, and how at some points in the story you are important however some points we just won't hear from them for ages.
I’m very much looking forward to this series, but I’m waiting to be in the right headspace to start it. Thanks for this video series. It’s always helpful.
The short story feel is such an un-buzzword, but then you discuss exploration of civilizations and their development of technology and I can't not try it. Such a cool description of this series
I honestly think you might really like it, especially Wall of Storms. Like Grace of Kings might be only ok to good but Wall of Storms has a lot of the stuff we both geek out about
I somehow missed this video, but just wanted to say it rules, and if people are asking about Dandelion it will be a video I send to them. I find the series hard to recommend, because it is hard to feel confident that people will like Veiled Throne and Grace of Kings, as they are so different, but it is ultimately one of my absolute favorite series of all time, and I appreciate the video about it. Jia top 3 character in fantasy BTW, don't @ me
🐢🐢🐢 Despite feeling nervous for the page length, I am still looking forward to reading this series. I already own The Grace of Kings and planned to read it before the end of the year. The shifting genres sounds really interesting.
After watching your Ken Liu interview I bought The Grace of Kings. It is now sitting on my bedside table looking at me! I want to start reading it (okay I read the first chapter in the bookstore) but have two other books on the go I need to finish first. Watching this video has only increased my interest in reading this series. Thank you for bring it to my attention.
Your thoughts are similar to mine. The Dandelion Dynasty is my favorite series of all time. It’s so well crafted and brilliant on so many levels. I agree that I think reading through to the first part of wall of storms will give you a good sense of the series and will be a good time to decide to continue or give up. But I just can’t understand not loving this series. Quality wise, it’s at the top of the genre. There is so little out there that gets as good as this.
I do understand that people who want closer connection might not vibe with this but I am truly so impressed with the project and how it sticks the landing!
This comes at a great time as I just started book one the other day :) After 140pages, I have to say I'm interested in seeing where everything goes, and I'm definitely interested in what you've mentioned here: the change in time period from book 1 to book 2 (which I was not aware of, but I now look forward to. And no, I don't feel spoiled because I'm not really bothered about spoilers), the vast array of characters, the questions Liu poses and so on. What I am struggling with, tho, is the writing style. To me, it feels like something written with a younger audience in mind. Which is fine, I was just expecting something different. However, with your mention of book one being a prologue, and somewhat of a historical account, if I'm interpreting your comments correctly, I'm curious to see if that is on purpose and changes in the other books. Either way, I'll finish the series even if that doesn't change, as the story itself has been engrossing so far. Thanks for the overview :) 🐢
Maybe its because I have read the entire thing and its been a year since I have read the grace of kings but I never felt the "younger audience" intention in the writing style. But I do think the first one feels more like an epic like the Illiad which also has a pretty broad approach to story telling that in modern day we associate with works for a wider audience, including younger ones? Maybe? There are just scenes in later books I could never imagine being written for teens in mind 😅
@@LiteratureScienceAlliance you're absolutely right, epic myth is more accurate than younger audience. I just read the whole Phin/Mata/Kikomi passage and yeah, not for the kids ;) I should have realized that before because even tho I haven't read the Iliad, and it's been decades since I read any Greek or Roman mythology, but I have been going through a lot of Irish mythology recently and the narrative style is much the same. Thanks for, again, helping me sort through this :) Also, congrats on your wedding!
Most of this sounds super intriguing! I kind of want to read it? Two things worry me though: it might be too much like game of thrones, where none of the characters matter and arcs are left incomplete. And also that Liu doesn't have a lot of good female characters, which is a criticism I've seen around. What do you think? Are those true? I love fantasy that tries new boundaries and examines society and humanity, and engineering mixed with magic sounds so cool. We don't see enough of it in fiction. But I'm worried... Edit: typos
I personally found every arc to be completed in a satisfactory way and it gave me everything I always wished A Song of Ice and Fire would have given me. Also I am shocked that's a common complaint. Even in Grace of Kings one of our main characters is a female general I love and the cast of amazing female characters only expands in the later books as the world itself changes to allow for more women in positions of power. I think by the end there were more female main characters than male... and personally I felt they were all well realized and not two dimensional at all
@@LiteratureScienceAllianceThank you for answering! This clarifies a lot. I'm glad o hear my fears were unfounded haha I think this series is going on my tbr, then :) Though I feel I should read Paper Menagerie first, as I haven't read Ken Liu before and I hear from you and Liene's Library that his writing also gets a little to get used to. (Sorry for the million typos before 😅)
I was just thinking last night about how erudite those books are. And, as you can imagine, given what we do at Bar Cart Bookshelf, the cooking competition was a big hit. I'd named the GRACE OF KINGS drink "The Splendid Urn" before I started THE VEILED THRONE and how little I knew. Books that I look forward to rereading in five years or ten, books I know I'll have with me for the rest of my life.
🐢🐢I read this series last year and my expectations were not in the right place. I’d really like to reread the series at some point because I think I’ll really enjoy it knowing what I know now. On another note: the cooking competition was my favorite part of the whole series and I have no idea why. 😂
I think the veiled throne had nothing happen in it of importance, particularly with half the book featuring every established character spinning their wheels and complaining about how they are spinning their wheels, no progress made whatsoever, destroying any will to follow any of these characters, and follows up with what feels like a nonsensical cooking competition, that actually shoudl have been the entire focus of the book, because clearly looking at culture and getting a civilian perspective is infinitely more thematically relevant than anything else happening in this non-starter of a book. Not to mention, it butchers the daoist theming, I never want to hear the phrase "it was their nature" ever again, that is not daoism, that is reductionism, and its bad. And its not even half as bad as the dumpster fire that is the end of Speaking Bones. I don't understand how Grace of Kings can be so good and the rest can be so bad. The amount of tyranny apologia that he can shove into an ending is unbelievable.
![Does it stick the landing? || Should you read The Bone Shard Daughter? [CC]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/befS7Y_JFYk/mqdefault.jpg)
For all readers that are not afraid to get out of their comfort zone, that want a cultural and technological exploration of a pre-modern society with great diversity, "The Dandelion Dynasty" is a great project to explore. Yes, it is true that the first book is more of a prologue, more plot focused, but all that gets expanded and improved upon in the next instalments. At this moment, this is my favorite Fantasy series.
Its really such a fantastic journey if you just take it for what it is and try to not force it to be something else but I do get when it doesn't work for people
This video was exactly what I was looking for when I typed Dandelion Dynasty into the CZcams search bar! Very thorough and detailed but spoiler free - helped me decide to finally give this series a shot. Thanks!
I’m so glad Liu already has a publisher before he was selling this book. The pitch for 300 pages of cooking contest would have been a challenge otherwise. (But it was SO good!)
I am so glad this series got to be exactly what Ken Liu wanted it to be!
😮💨 Now I am not sure if I want to read...300 pages really show 😟
🐢 Such a unique and thought-provoking series. I love Ken Liu's characters, and the "silk punk" aspect was so engrossing. The food competition made me soooo hungry 😋. You did a great job reviewing the series without giving anything away (though I would also love a spoiler-filled review)
🐢🐢🐢you are single handily responsible for an entire shelf of books in my library 🤠 definitely going to try this one 😁
This is a 'should you read' video worthy of this incredible series!! It's actually quite interesting, because based on some of the things you mentioned here, I would think that the story wouldn't be for me... and yet it's one of my all-time faves. Even if this sounds like it is out of your comfortzone, I think it is 100% worth giving a shot because Ken Liu is just a masterful storyteller and it is so exciting to read his refreshing take on my favourite genre. Great video! 🐢🤩
Yea its truly a try and find out sort of thing but also make sure you know what its trying to do, cause its not trying to be something its not
🐢🐢🐢 I definitely plan on reading this series within the next year...I think it will really work for me. I just need to finish some other things up first.
I hope it ends up working out for you!
Fantastic ! I really need to get to book 3 this month, but I'm looking forward to it. I agree, Ken Liu's characters are fantastic, and I love how he deals with the changes of characters, and how at some points in the story you are important however some points we just won't hear from them for ages.
Some character arcs are so good and SO frustrating all at the same time, its fantastic
If I'm being beaten over the head with a word, I'd take 'nature' over 'bodice' or 'mead' any day.
Hahaha yea it wasn't too bad, it was just very noticeable after awhile
I’m very much looking forward to this series, but I’m waiting to be in the right headspace to start it. Thanks for this video series. It’s always helpful.
Hope the right head space finds you soon!
The short story feel is such an un-buzzword, but then you discuss exploration of civilizations and their development of technology and I can't not try it. Such a cool description of this series
I honestly think you might really like it, especially Wall of Storms. Like Grace of Kings might be only ok to good but Wall of Storms has a lot of the stuff we both geek out about
I somehow missed this video, but just wanted to say it rules, and if people are asking about Dandelion it will be a video I send to them.
I find the series hard to recommend, because it is hard to feel confident that people will like Veiled Throne and Grace of Kings, as they are so different, but it is ultimately one of my absolute favorite series of all time, and I appreciate the video about it.
Jia top 3 character in fantasy BTW, don't @ me
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🐢🐢🐢 Despite feeling nervous for the page length, I am still looking forward to reading this series. I already own The Grace of Kings and planned to read it before the end of the year. The shifting genres sounds really interesting.
I will say although its long, its not hard to read on a sentence by sentence level. Best of luck when you pick it up!
After watching your Ken Liu interview I bought The Grace of Kings. It is now sitting on my bedside table looking at me! I want to start reading it (okay I read the first chapter in the bookstore) but have two other books on the go I need to finish first. Watching this video has only increased my interest in reading this series. Thank you for bring it to my attention.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
🐢 You’ve got me hooked. It sounds so unique and interesting. I will definitely pick it up soon.🐢
Yesss hope its a new fave for you as well!
Always ready for some dandelion content!!!😍
Its so good!!!
Your thoughts are similar to mine. The Dandelion Dynasty is my favorite series of all time. It’s so well crafted and brilliant on so many levels. I agree that I think reading through to the first part of wall of storms will give you a good sense of the series and will be a good time to decide to continue or give up. But I just can’t understand not loving this series. Quality wise, it’s at the top of the genre. There is so little out there that gets as good as this.
I do understand that people who want closer connection might not vibe with this but I am truly so impressed with the project and how it sticks the landing!
I've been eying this series for so long. I just need to find the time
No time like now 😏
This comes at a great time as I just started book one the other day :) After 140pages, I have to say I'm interested in seeing where everything goes, and I'm definitely interested in what you've mentioned here: the change in time period from book 1 to book 2 (which I was not aware of, but I now look forward to. And no, I don't feel spoiled because I'm not really bothered about spoilers), the vast array of characters, the questions Liu poses and so on.
What I am struggling with, tho, is the writing style. To me, it feels like something written with a younger audience in mind. Which is fine, I was just expecting something different. However, with your mention of book one being a prologue, and somewhat of a historical account, if I'm interpreting your comments correctly, I'm curious to see if that is on purpose and changes in the other books.
Either way, I'll finish the series even if that doesn't change, as the story itself has been engrossing so far. Thanks for the overview :)
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Maybe its because I have read the entire thing and its been a year since I have read the grace of kings but I never felt the "younger audience" intention in the writing style. But I do think the first one feels more like an epic like the Illiad which also has a pretty broad approach to story telling that in modern day we associate with works for a wider audience, including younger ones? Maybe? There are just scenes in later books I could never imagine being written for teens in mind 😅
@@LiteratureScienceAlliance you're absolutely right, epic myth is more accurate than younger audience. I just read the whole Phin/Mata/Kikomi passage and yeah, not for the kids ;) I should have realized that before because even tho I haven't read the Iliad, and it's been decades since I read any Greek or Roman mythology, but I have been going through a lot of Irish mythology recently and the narrative style is much the same. Thanks for, again, helping me sort through this :)
Also, congrats on your wedding!
I always go back and forth on whether or not this series sounds amazing or not for me but I own book one and plan to give it a shot at some point
I have soft DNFd grace of kings 2x because of head space. I am determined but I want to love it and not just power through♥️
I hope it works better for you on the third time!
🐢🐢🐢🐢 glad I bought all the books already!😃 going by your view on this series...I have a high chance of loving this!☺
I hope you do!
Most of this sounds super intriguing! I kind of want to read it? Two things worry me though: it might be too much like game of thrones, where none of the characters matter and arcs are left incomplete. And also that Liu doesn't have a lot of good female characters, which is a criticism I've seen around. What do you think? Are those true?
I love fantasy that tries new boundaries and examines society and humanity, and engineering mixed with magic sounds so cool. We don't see enough of it in fiction. But I'm worried...
Edit: typos
I personally found every arc to be completed in a satisfactory way and it gave me everything I always wished A Song of Ice and Fire would have given me. Also I am shocked that's a common complaint. Even in Grace of Kings one of our main characters is a female general I love and the cast of amazing female characters only expands in the later books as the world itself changes to allow for more women in positions of power. I think by the end there were more female main characters than male... and personally I felt they were all well realized and not two dimensional at all
@@LiteratureScienceAllianceThank you for answering! This clarifies a lot. I'm glad o hear my fears were unfounded haha I think this series is going on my tbr, then :) Though I feel I should read Paper Menagerie first, as I haven't read Ken Liu before and I hear from you and Liene's Library that his writing also gets a little to get used to. (Sorry for the million typos before 😅)
I'm going to bookmark this so I can share it as the epitome of a useful spoiler free review.
Thank you for the compliment 😊
I didn’t realise Grace of Kings is a prequel. I’m planning on finishing the series this year.
I was just thinking last night about how erudite those books are. And, as you can imagine, given what we do at Bar Cart Bookshelf, the cooking competition was a big hit. I'd named the GRACE OF KINGS drink "The Splendid Urn" before I started THE VEILED THRONE and how little I knew. Books that I look forward to rereading in five years or ten, books I know I'll have with me for the rest of my life.
You were predicting the future with that drink!
@@LiteratureScienceAlliance The gods speak in mysterious ways!
🐢🐢I read this series last year and my expectations were not in the right place. I’d really like to reread the series at some point because I think I’ll really enjoy it knowing what I know now. On another note: the cooking competition was my favorite part of the whole series and I have no idea why. 😂
Its his favorite too I think haha its such an untraditional battle sequence but works so well!
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I think the veiled throne had nothing happen in it of importance, particularly with half the book featuring every established character spinning their wheels and complaining about how they are spinning their wheels, no progress made whatsoever, destroying any will to follow any of these characters, and follows up with what feels like a nonsensical cooking competition, that actually shoudl have been the entire focus of the book, because clearly looking at culture and getting a civilian perspective is infinitely more thematically relevant than anything else happening in this non-starter of a book. Not to mention, it butchers the daoist theming, I never want to hear the phrase "it was their nature" ever again, that is not daoism, that is reductionism, and its bad.
And its not even half as bad as the dumpster fire that is the end of Speaking Bones. I don't understand how Grace of Kings can be so good and the rest can be so bad. The amount of tyranny apologia that he can shove into an ending is unbelievable.
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