I'm not a huge CZcams person and have never really dived into booktube, but when I finished this third book in my favorite series, I had to seek out others who've read it. Thank you for so eloquently filling that void! I look forward to your thoughts on Liu's fourth and final Dandelion Dynasty novel.
Just filmed my thoughts yesterday! Waiting to release it until the book is actually released, but just so you know...the last book is REALLY GOOD!! Always glad to find more Dandelion Dynasty fans!
@@Bookborn Can't wait! I actually won an ARC in a contest that should be arriving shortly, so I'll have a bit of a head start on others (except you, of course!).
Ken Liu became one of my favorite authors within a hundred pages of grace of kings. I absolutely adore every second of reading his work & you hit the reasons square on the head. Being in the middle of one of his books you almost forget that Dara isn't a real place, you so naturally fall into just knowing what things are that even the way a character sits while greeting a friend or rival becomes something that can make you gasp as if mipa rari & thakrido were as common in social life as shaking hands
YES! It feels like real history a lot even when you know it isn’t. And you spend so much time with the characters you start to feel like you really know them
I just saw your audit video and you started talking about the comment section. I thought I'd go to an old video and throw a comment on there about how much I love your channel. Also, Dandelion Dynasty has become my favorite completed series of all time! Thank you so much for your recommendations!!!
I watched a live discussion the other night with Liu and Fonda Lee. He stated he’s likely never going to write an epic fantasy again! That makes this series all the more precious to me.
Oh man WHAT?! I need to go see that interview if it's up. This one is so good! I wonder if he just prefers short fiction. His short stories are incredible, so I guess I'd understand that.
@@Bookborn I think he said he has another series in mind. I don’t recall where he said that. The discussion with Fonda Lee was with Copper Dog Books in MA, where he lives. Not sure if they recorded it or not.
This video got me to finally give this series a try and I am so thankful you made this video. More people need to read this book, while it has its flaws its definitely is a worth while read... I hope this video gets more views as I don't see a lot of the "Big booktubers" talking about this book Definitely a hidden gem!
@@Bookborn currently making my way through the wall of storms, so for it has been even better than the grace of kings, I left that comment the moment I finished the grace of kings xD
Really happy you made this review! Wall of storms is one of my favorite books of all time and I really hope more people find this series and especially read wall of storms! I love that you want to champion this series! Such an awesome aspiration! :)
This series is at the very top of my 2022 TBR, I cannot wait to get to it! I am definitely a reader who loves a good slow-burn fantasy, so I am quite optimistic about my chances of loving this. It is just wonderful to see that you have been enjoying this series so much :) Thanks for the great review!!
Ohh I hope you like it! Slow burns can just really hit the spot when you are in the mood for them. I've read a few back to back though, and now I'm ready for a fast-paced novel lol
All of this sounds really interesting! I'll dive into it after im done with my next few self pub's. As for the third person viewpoint with access to all characters, I was skeptic about this when i approached a book like it a year ago but ended up really liking it!! It's my fav book in Hebrew of all time I think! Not available in English tho :( such is life for self pubs. But I relate to the appreciation of this narration style. Looking forward, thx for the rec! ALSO GRATS FOR 9K!!!! OMG!!!!
I loved the first two books and I just ordered the 3rd one, I didn't know it was out until I saw your video so thank you so much for letting us know. :)
Great review! These books sound amazing. It's interesting that they are written in third person omniscient, and that you enjoyed that aspect. I feel like I'm seeing omniscient more often recently, and am glad for it. Writers, for years (decades?) have had it drilled into our heads that we MUST write only in deep pov as a hard-and-fast, never-to-be-broken rule. I've always disagreed with that, and would be so happy to see it change. Don't get me wrong, I love deep pov, I just don't think it's the only way to tell a story. Strange the Dreamer used omniscient to great effect, and I think it would have lost a lot in a singular or dual deep pov.
Totally agree that a variety is what makes books interesting. This perspective wouldn't work for everything, but I think it works really well in this setting; it helps it feel much more expansive then it would have normally.
I have long wanted to read this, and yet it has never been a priority. After your recommendation of Piranesi led to my best reading experience of the year, I've learned my lesson. The Grace of Kings will be my first read of 2022. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this series!
This series sounds right up my alley - it’s on the plan for next year! Glad to hear the last book drops in June, so I’ll plan accordingly. :D I love a slow burn
Thank you so much for this overview. This series is a masterpiece and it's criminally under-talked-about. I have faith that Ken Liu will stick the landing with the last book
Thank you for your review of "The Veiled Throne" and in particular, mentioning the cooking part. Since you warned that it would last a couple hundred pages, I didn't feel as eager about rushing through, in anticipation for the more high-stakes parts. This allowed me to enjoy the arc at a more leisurely pace. And upon reflection, maybe Liu chose to do this for a few possible reasons (minor spoilers ahead). * * * * * * * * * 1. Up to this point, there had been some really dark moments where horrendous acts of evil were committed. The cooking arc serves as a more light-hearted counterbalance. 2. It was also a chance to introduce some characters who later take on more serious roles. It's a bit like how Kuni Garu is introduced in "The Grace of Kings" as almost a comedic and endearing buffoon but ends up as Emperor Ragin. He still retained some of his personality but also, it's apparent that the weight of his responsibilities have changed him. It was moreover a chance to showcase their strengths (such as Rati's incredible inventions) which later play important roles in the battles in "Speaking Bones." 3. The cooking arc also highlighted aspects of the culture which reflects that of many real-world cultures, including those of ancient and modern China (I think Liu has said some of his inspiration for the series comes from the Three Kingdoms Period). I personally appreciated this a lot since I often think about how important food and dining is to social functions, the building of friendships and families, etc.
Yeah, I think once I read the fourth book, I appreciated the cooking scene a lot more, because I understood how it served to set up characters. I still think it was just a *tad* long for the overall pacing of that particular book.
Incredible series. Read Grace of Kings & Wall of Storms last year. Had to force myself to wait on Veiled Throne & Speaking Bones because I wanted to savour. Just finished, 10/10. Probably #2 all time series for me. OBSESSED.
The Paper Menagerie is making my top 5 of the year, pretty sure. Just sooo good. I had read Grace of Kings first, but didn't read Wall/Veiled until after. It's interesting seeing how different he is when he's writing long fiction vs. short.
Thanks for the shoutout! I admit...I was expecting to come to the video and be like "you summed it up great, but I'll also add that ______" but honestly you hit so many of the good aspects of this series. I will just say for anybody else reading this that I feel like Liu writes great female characters and there are a lot of dynamic ones in this series- that tends to be the biggest criticism I hear about Grace of Kings, but anybody with that concern- I encourage you to hang in there! Also I can confirm that the ASOIAF crowd will love this. The style is different but it hits on all the same topics and themes!
Yeah it's interesting because I always felt that in Grace of Kings, his female characters were really good. They were constrained by their society. But, I've seen a lot of criticism since then about how people felt they were weak, and so it seems that Liu really tried to correct that with Wall and Veiled. I thought it was always there, personally, and I tend to be sensitive about that stuff lol
@@Bookborn I talked to Liu at a convention about this. I felt it was an unfair criticism, because a) it was based on the actual history of ancient China, and b) he took the trouble to change one historically male general into a woman. He confirmed that the first book was intended to hew closely to “The Romance of the Three Kingdoms”, while the following books would depart from it and introduce stronger female characters.
@@Bookborn The main criticism I've heard re: Grace of Kings and female characters is page time. The women, I've heard, are great, but they get so little page time compared to the male characters that they can seem incidental, as if the author doesn't care as much about them. The Wall of Storms, however, doesn't have this problem.
I didn't watch the entire review since I haven't read the first book yet, but I'm definitely interested in this series now! I'd highly recommend reading ASOIF, his turn of phrase and how he writes characters tug on my heartstrings in a way most other authors don't.
I should mention in the title that this is no spoilers :) I figured a lot of people haven't read the series, so I don't go into details. I haven't read ASOIF for personal reasons; being that I really *really* don't enjoy reading books with lots of sexual assault, incest, etc. Nothing against the series, but I know thats a big portion of the book, so not my thing.
The Ken Lui covers are insanely good. Ken's prose is delicious.. And Saga Press allways does great covers. Saga nailed it on my book covers too. Dandelion is a Great series I just bought bk3
Shoutout to booktubers like you and Jimmy Nutts for bringing this series to my attention. Grace of Kings is one of the best novels I've ever read and Wall of Storms was an incredible follow up. Looking forward to starting the next one very soon.
I’ve let this series slide down my TBR, but I’m given it a bump up now that the finale is scheduled for release. This was one of the first series that caught my eye when I started exploring fantasy, behind ASOIF, Acacia, and Baru Cormorant. Really liked what I’ve read of Lui’s short fiction and the opening of The Grace of Kings.
Love to see more hype for this series! I've seen multiple reviews mention the cooking part so I'll keep that in mind as I'm reading. Also appreciate that this should be seen as part 3a and book 4 is really part 3b.
I'm so interested to hear what everyone says about the cooking scene. I think if I had the right expectations about it going in, it would've definitely helped.
This is one of my all time favorite underrated series- you’re so right it needs more time in the spotlight! I’m planning on squeezing in a quick reread before Veiled Throne, but it’s an absolute priority for the last few weeks of the year
I just saw this video exists, I don't know how I missed it. This was a series I went from never hearing about, to hearing about constantly basically overnight. Anyway, it is on my list of series that I am actively looking for whenever I enter a bookstore
This has been sitting on my "to read" list for a very very long time (Goodreads says that I add it in 2015 based off an article I read on io9). I saw in on your bookshelf in one of your videos so I'm glad you did a review of it!
Just picked up the Veiled Throne, haven't started it yet because I am rereading the first two. That is very rare for me, however the series is so good that it is worth it. Ken Liu is one of my favorite authors of all times, highly recommend checking out his two books that are collections of Chinese SF short stories as well, introduced me to some incredible authors I had never heard of.
I have bought all the books at cover price and not started the series. It just seems like it is exactly what I want to read. May just start it after this review.
I’m only three minutes into the video and I already know that I probably won’t read this series. Has nothing to do with the quality of the video. That’s great as always.
Hey! Loved the review as usual! Do you have a review of Speaking Bones on the roster in the future? Maybe a spoiler review? I gotta know what you think of some of the characters haha
*MINOR SPOILERS* I'll be honest, i *liked* Grace of Kings but I didn't *love* it and that was primarily due to the severe lack of female characters that weren't love interests except for Gin who shows up significantly later in the book. But then I read Wall of Storms and was obsessed. The women from the first book were wonderfully fleshed out and there is a significantly higher amount of female prime movers. There were a lot of years between the books so I don't know if this was his plan all along or if there had been some minor criticism on this issue for the first note and he took notes. Either case speaks well for the author though because the change came with general shifts in the society under the Dandelion Dynasty so he did a great job making that shift feel organic. I'm currently halfway through the fourth book and I'd almost say that the women make up most of the prime movers in the series
Yeah I actually had the amazing opportunity to interview Liu and he said it was always his plan! He wanted to show how the world was going through modernity and how that included the changing roles for women in the world. But I agree that was something I felt iffy about with GOK, I couldn't TELL yet if it was purposeful or not, so I was SO pleased in WOS when it turns out it was. Zomi and Thera are amazing! And even Jin though she changes a lot by Speaking bones lol
@@Bookborn Jia's actually my favorite character. In real life I'm very much for lessening military spending beyond what's necessary for actual defense in favor of programs that actually lead to prosperity for the general population. I just finished the chapter where Rata has a conversation with the woman who works at an Imperial laboratory and Rata is surprised at how Zomi can't just shift funds willy nilly because of the bureaucracy and is also surprised how much practical the research of the Imperial laboratories are. My real life career is about building institutional strength so I can't help but feel that Jia's goals are right even if her methods are shady
I'm planning to do Malazan! I read the first book about a decade ago and just didn't understand it. But I've had a decade more adult fantasy under my experience, and I'm ready to start again. Probably sometime next year!
@@Bookborn I can't wait to see it. The first one is the toughest to get through. And you're probably still not gonna understand it fully, that's part of the Malazan fun anyway, not understanding it but pressing on because you want to. So worth it.
I do respectfully disagree with your criticism of the Cooking Plotline. There were heartbreaking things happening with characters I deeply cared about at the same time that that plotline was happening, and so it was a huge breather from the stress you yourself mentioned (super relatable). Plus it was great world building at a point in this story that I thought had no more world left to build! It felt like something out of an anime lol
I love the Dandelion Dynasty so far but I fully agree with you about the cooking subplot in the in the third book....I guess it makes since that it has to happen in the plot for 2 important characters to meet each other.
Just finished the series today. WOW. I actually really liked the restaurant story--I found it quite amusing going on in between some very weighty plots.
Based on what you enjoyed about Dandelion Dynasty, you would probably also enjoy The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee. It's multigenerational. The characters make decisions true to their character and this moves the plot forward rather than random conflicts/events interjected by the author.
While I was interested in reading this at some point, I'll definitely try to get to this sooner now, hopefully 2022 but I've a bunch of other series to finish up first.
I just finished listening to the Veiled Throne. I listened to all 3 books in about 3 weeks. I agree about the slow burn and then they get really good. I think the stormlight archive series is also like this. I agree that the cooking part could have been reduced a lot more or been a novella. I really liked the series and have recommended it to other fantasy fans. I’m planning on reading his other short stories and books he has translated. Thanks for your recommendation to read this series.
I've watched Petrik's video on that first book, then Abby Salter raved about it in quite a few of her videos, and now this one. I was already sold on it, but your detailed analysis just hyped it even more for me. Historical fiction is my favourite genre, closely followed by Fantasy, so it sounds like a potential new favourite. ☺️ What you said about the omniscient writing style reminds me of First Law. In what way would you say Liu's writing diverges from Abercrombie's?
Read the Chinese classic "The Chu-Han Contention," it's the exact same story beat for beat. Although the added fantasy bits here and there are fun in Ken Liu's version, it bothers me a lot that he doesn't credit his source material nearly enough. It ruined the series for me.
I would argue the way Liu tells the story makes it worthwhile, however if this was something that really bothered you give the sequel a try....it no longer follows history. Liu was using inspiration from Chu-Han to set a foundational history for a people. WoS is its own thing!
@@readbykyle3082 I've watched several interviews and never heard him mention it though it really should be in the acknowledgments of the book or something. Grace of Kings was little more than a fanfic rip off of the Chu-Han Contention.
@@overcaffeinated_aeryn he mentioned it just recently in his Goodreads notes for Grace of Kings. I've seen him mention it in interviews also. Like I said it's fair if this is your criticism but I feel like he's upfront about it his influences and ultimately it brings more attention to the history. And once again...Wall of Storms is different haha
I'm unfamiliar with the book The Chu-Han Contention, but isn't that a real historical event? If that's the case, I don't think you can really rip off real events; those are used often in fantasy. Now, it may be that Grace of Kings follows that particular book super closely, I wouldn't know. But I do find that Liu is pretty open about his influences. At least in his short fiction, he literally lists sources at the end. I'll check Grace of Kings to see if there's a mention there, but I wouldn't be surprised if there was.
Indeed, a great sleeper series with amazing depth, lore, and intrigue. It's been quite a gap to book 3 and I've had to skim read/search for a synopsis of the Wall of storms as so much happened in the final third that I can't recall. Just started the first chapter (of the Veiled Throne) last night and i'm hopeful the next few chapters jog my memory......else I'll have to go back to WoS = no bad thing )
I used to love the famous three body problem series. Then I read the work of its translator Ken Liu's. In comparison the three body problem felt so amature-ish
Hi there. I have not read/listened to the audio Book of this series yet. I only recently, back in February of 2022, finished listening to the last 2 books in the Wheel of Time series. Right now, I am just about to finish listening to Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa. I know that I still need to finish listening to while reading the kindle version of Servant of the Empire by Janny Wurts.
How are you liking Shades of Magic? I really loved the first book, but the second one didn't do a ton for me. I'll keep my opinion of the third to myself since you haven't read it yet :)
Ken Liu did mention that the 3rd and 4th books need to be read as one continuous narrative at the end, I think it could also help if it was mentioned at the front instead (but from a marketing perspective that would also make some readers get turned off, I guess - but if readers are already on Book 3, I would think that they are committed to the series already).
The Grace of Kings is one I bought that went into the huge pile of books next to my bed, but I haven't even cracked it open yet. I will have to move it up the list.
I noticed that some CZcamsr usually champion a particular series or a writer, and that helps they standout as a influencer. Maybe Ken Liu or this series of his could be your what you champion from here on out. If not, then it would be interesting if you ever do champion a particular writer or series.
I have a lot of things I get annoying about championing tbh 😂 I champion Sanderson (I mean, look at my channel name lol) and this year I've particularly annoyed people about Piranesi and Sword of Kaigen. I'm positive Liu is added to this list. The more I read of his stuff the more I love it.
I as a Chinese person have read the Grace of Kings, and unfortunately it was...a bit disappointing. The story was practically a word to word copy of the words written by historian Sima Qian (145BC - 86BC) about the Chu-Han Contention, an interregnum period in ancient China between the fallen Qin dynasty and the subsequent Han dynasty. It has received very mixed reaction in China for its lack of originality, but that being said, I still adored the way Ken Liu writes, and for those who are unfamiliar with that part of history, it may still be a very enjoyable read. For me, if the book is a success, the advantage will be in satisfying the market and foreigners' curiosity, not the success of the story itself, let alone the success of Silkpunk.
Just started reading/listening to this series based on your review. Michael Kramer does the audiobook and it’s hard to not hear Stormlight Archives or Wheel of Time characters. Why is Rand and Kaladin in this story? 😃
LOL I never even thought of how confusing it must be to hear the same sort of character voices in other series! I don't listen to books much, so I haven't run into this yet.
"This is a finished series, no shade." 🤔 Funny. The book sounds interesting, I'm going to give it a shot. I love a good slow burn but the longer the burn the bigger the payoff has to be.
It's true. I think these have a really good pay off, personally. It reminds me of other long series where the books are huge, but the final interactions between the characters is so much more rewarding because you really know everything that's going on.
I'd say this story's world has less magic and more sort of Asian-aesthetic steampunk technology. Though the gods directly do magical things and there are fantastical creatures and so on.
Means something isn’t shown; it comes from when movies will “fade to black” when a scene ends. Usually it’s used to refer to sex scenes: if it’s fade to black, it means the content is implied but not explicitly shown.
I was actually very disappointed by The Grace of Kings :( I really liked some parts of it : the thoughts given to politics and corruption of power (which indeed reminded me of ASOIAF) were very well put. And some scenes were fantastic. But the characters (especially secondary) didn't work in my eyes : they're all geniuses on paper... But we never see them in action. Show don't tell! And female characters were particularly tropy. That was actually weird because some statements were actually pretty feminist, fealing almost forced, and then the characters themselves were clichés... (and my other issue was that I read the French translation and it was awful!)
Book 3 was awful started to fast forward this series is a super let down now. Also don't wait to read book 3 get that massive disappointment out of the way. Started the 4th book and starts just as bad sooo yeah 40hrs of the author lost
![Is this unique epic fantasy for you? || Should you read The Dandelion Dynasty by Ken Liu? [CC]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Bh4mDZOwubM/mqdefault.jpg)
Bookborn, thank you so much for championing this series! 🙏🙏🙏
I'm not a huge CZcams person and have never really dived into booktube, but when I finished this third book in my favorite series, I had to seek out others who've read it. Thank you for so eloquently filling that void! I look forward to your thoughts on Liu's fourth and final Dandelion Dynasty novel.
Just filmed my thoughts yesterday! Waiting to release it until the book is actually released, but just so you know...the last book is REALLY GOOD!! Always glad to find more Dandelion Dynasty fans!
@@Bookborn Can't wait! I actually won an ARC in a contest that should be arriving shortly, so I'll have a bit of a head start on others (except you, of course!).
Ken Liu became one of my favorite authors within a hundred pages of grace of kings. I absolutely adore every second of reading his work & you hit the reasons square on the head. Being in the middle of one of his books you almost forget that Dara isn't a real place, you so naturally fall into just knowing what things are that even the way a character sits while greeting a friend or rival becomes something that can make you gasp as if mipa rari & thakrido were as common in social life as shaking hands
YES! It feels like real history a lot even when you know it isn’t. And you spend so much time with the characters you start to feel like you really know them
I just saw your audit video and you started talking about the comment section. I thought I'd go to an old video and throw a comment on there about how much I love your channel. Also, Dandelion Dynasty has become my favorite completed series of all time! Thank you so much for your recommendations!!!
I watched a live discussion the other night with Liu and Fonda Lee. He stated he’s likely never going to write an epic fantasy again! That makes this series all the more precious to me.
Oh man WHAT?! I need to go see that interview if it's up. This one is so good! I wonder if he just prefers short fiction. His short stories are incredible, so I guess I'd understand that.
@@Bookborn I think he said he has another series in mind. I don’t recall where he said that. The discussion with Fonda Lee was with Copper Dog Books in MA, where he lives. Not sure if they recorded it or not.
This video got me to finally give this series a try and I am so thankful you made this video. More people need to read this book, while it has its flaws its definitely is a worth while read... I hope this video gets more views as I don't see a lot of the "Big booktubers" talking about this book
Definitely a hidden gem!
Did you finish Speaking Bones? I'm SO glad you liked the series!
@@Bookborn currently making my way through the wall of storms, so for it has been even better than the grace of kings, I left that comment the moment I finished the grace of kings xD
Really happy you made this review!
Wall of storms is one of my favorite books of all time and I really hope more people find this series and especially read wall of storms!
I love that you want to champion this series!
Such an awesome aspiration! :)
This series is at the very top of my 2022 TBR, I cannot wait to get to it! I am definitely a reader who loves a good slow-burn fantasy, so I am quite optimistic about my chances of loving this. It is just wonderful to see that you have been enjoying this series so much :) Thanks for the great review!!
Ohh I hope you like it! Slow burns can just really hit the spot when you are in the mood for them. I've read a few back to back though, and now I'm ready for a fast-paced novel lol
All of this sounds really interesting! I'll dive into it after im done with my next few self pub's.
As for the third person viewpoint with access to all characters, I was skeptic about this when i approached a book like it a year ago but ended up really liking it!! It's my fav book in Hebrew of all time I think!
Not available in English tho :(
such is life for self pubs.
But I relate to the appreciation of this narration style. Looking forward, thx for the rec!
ALSO GRATS FOR 9K!!!! OMG!!!!
With so much stuff available in English that doesn't get translated, I try not to be too salty about missing out on stuff, but it's hard 😭
I loved the first two books and I just ordered the 3rd one, I didn't know it was out until I saw your video so thank you so much for letting us know. :)
Ooh I hope you enjoy it!!
Great review! These books sound amazing. It's interesting that they are written in third person omniscient, and that you enjoyed that aspect. I feel like I'm seeing omniscient more often recently, and am glad for it. Writers, for years (decades?) have had it drilled into our heads that we MUST write only in deep pov as a hard-and-fast, never-to-be-broken rule. I've always disagreed with that, and would be so happy to see it change. Don't get me wrong, I love deep pov, I just don't think it's the only way to tell a story. Strange the Dreamer used omniscient to great effect, and I think it would have lost a lot in a singular or dual deep pov.
Totally agree that a variety is what makes books interesting. This perspective wouldn't work for everything, but I think it works really well in this setting; it helps it feel much more expansive then it would have normally.
Have wanted to read this for so long, admittedly been waiting a bit for it to be finished. May just need to jump in soon
Great video
I was actually going to message you asking if you had read it. It *feels* like it would something you'd like and I want to discuss it with you haha
@@Bookborn I'll bump it up the TBR even more then. Anything like ASOIAF, I'm in lol
I have long wanted to read this, and yet it has never been a priority. After your recommendation of Piranesi led to my best reading experience of the year, I've learned my lesson. The Grace of Kings will be my first read of 2022. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this series!
Ohhh I hope you like this one as much as I did 🙏 It is a little harder than Piranesi to fit in, since it is...3 900 page books haha
This series sounds right up my alley - it’s on the plan for next year! Glad to hear the last book drops in June, so I’ll plan accordingly. :D I love a slow burn
Ooohh I'd love to hear your thoughts on this one! Start soon...they take a while to read (although not at your pace probably 😅)
Thank you so much for this overview. This series is a masterpiece and it's criminally under-talked-about. I have faith that Ken Liu will stick the landing with the last book
Thank you for your review of "The Veiled Throne" and in particular, mentioning the cooking part. Since you warned that it would last a couple hundred pages, I didn't feel as eager about rushing through, in anticipation for the more high-stakes parts. This allowed me to enjoy the arc at a more leisurely pace. And upon reflection, maybe Liu chose to do this for a few possible reasons (minor spoilers ahead).
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1. Up to this point, there had been some really dark moments where horrendous acts of evil were committed. The cooking arc serves as a more light-hearted counterbalance.
2. It was also a chance to introduce some characters who later take on more serious roles. It's a bit like how Kuni Garu is introduced in "The Grace of Kings" as almost a comedic and endearing buffoon but ends up as Emperor Ragin. He still retained some of his personality but also, it's apparent that the weight of his responsibilities have changed him. It was moreover a chance to showcase their strengths (such as Rati's incredible inventions) which later play important roles in the battles in "Speaking Bones."
3. The cooking arc also highlighted aspects of the culture which reflects that of many real-world cultures, including those of ancient and modern China (I think Liu has said some of his inspiration for the series comes from the Three Kingdoms Period). I personally appreciated this a lot since I often think about how important food and dining is to social functions, the building of friendships and families, etc.
Yeah, I think once I read the fourth book, I appreciated the cooking scene a lot more, because I understood how it served to set up characters. I still think it was just a *tad* long for the overall pacing of that particular book.
Incredible series. Read Grace of Kings & Wall of Storms last year. Had to force myself to wait on Veiled Throne & Speaking Bones because I wanted to savour.
Just finished, 10/10. Probably #2 all time series for me.
OBSESSED.
Ever since I read The Paper Menagerie collection, this series skyrocketed up my tbr. Reassuring to hear you like it.
The Paper Menagerie is making my top 5 of the year, pretty sure. Just sooo good. I had read Grace of Kings first, but didn't read Wall/Veiled until after. It's interesting seeing how different he is when he's writing long fiction vs. short.
YES!!!!! seeing a character like Kuni is refreshing
Thanks for the shoutout! I admit...I was expecting to come to the video and be like "you summed it up great, but I'll also add that ______" but honestly you hit so many of the good aspects of this series. I will just say for anybody else reading this that I feel like Liu writes great female characters and there are a lot of dynamic ones in this series- that tends to be the biggest criticism I hear about Grace of Kings, but anybody with that concern- I encourage you to hang in there!
Also I can confirm that the ASOIAF crowd will love this. The style is different but it hits on all the same topics and themes!
Yeah it's interesting because I always felt that in Grace of Kings, his female characters were really good. They were constrained by their society. But, I've seen a lot of criticism since then about how people felt they were weak, and so it seems that Liu really tried to correct that with Wall and Veiled. I thought it was always there, personally, and I tend to be sensitive about that stuff lol
@@Bookborn I talked to Liu at a convention about this. I felt it was an unfair criticism, because a) it was based on the actual history of ancient China, and b) he took the trouble to change one historically male general into a woman. He confirmed that the first book was intended to hew closely to “The Romance of the Three Kingdoms”, while the following books would depart from it and introduce stronger female characters.
@@Bookborn The main criticism I've heard re: Grace of Kings and female characters is page time. The women, I've heard, are great, but they get so little page time compared to the male characters that they can seem incidental, as if the author doesn't care as much about them. The Wall of Storms, however, doesn't have this problem.
I didn't watch the entire review since I haven't read the first book yet, but I'm definitely interested in this series now! I'd highly recommend reading ASOIF, his turn of phrase and how he writes characters tug on my heartstrings in a way most other authors don't.
I should mention in the title that this is no spoilers :) I figured a lot of people haven't read the series, so I don't go into details.
I haven't read ASOIF for personal reasons; being that I really *really* don't enjoy reading books with lots of sexual assault, incest, etc. Nothing against the series, but I know thats a big portion of the book, so not my thing.
@@Bookborn I personally am not reading it until he finishes the series. I don’t want to get caught up and then left hanging without a resolution.
I really want to read that first book now and hopefully the whole series! You sold it well 🥰
The Ken Lui covers are insanely good. Ken's prose is delicious.. And Saga Press allways does great covers. Saga nailed it on my book covers too. Dandelion is a Great series I just bought bk3
I freaking love his covers. Perfect blend of fantasy but also simple.
Shoutout to booktubers like you and Jimmy Nutts for bringing this series to my attention. Grace of Kings is one of the best novels I've ever read and Wall of Storms was an incredible follow up. Looking forward to starting the next one very soon.
OK I'm in! I just checked out Grace of Kings from my local library as you were speaking...win!🤗
I’ve let this series slide down my TBR, but I’m given it a bump up now that the finale is scheduled for release. This was one of the first series that caught my eye when I started exploring fantasy, behind ASOIF, Acacia, and Baru Cormorant. Really liked what I’ve read of Lui’s short fiction and the opening of The Grace of Kings.
I hope you enjoy it! Always easier to get into a series when you know you don't have to wait for the final one
Love to see more hype for this series! I've seen multiple reviews mention the cooking part so I'll keep that in mind as I'm reading. Also appreciate that this should be seen as part 3a and book 4 is really part 3b.
I'm so interested to hear what everyone says about the cooking scene. I think if I had the right expectations about it going in, it would've definitely helped.
This is one of my all time favorite underrated series- you’re so right it needs more time in the spotlight! I’m planning on squeezing in a quick reread before Veiled Throne, but it’s an absolute priority for the last few weeks of the year
I just saw this video exists, I don't know how I missed it.
This was a series I went from never hearing about, to hearing about constantly basically overnight.
Anyway, it is on my list of series that I am actively looking for whenever I enter a bookstore
I think it's gaining traction which makes me excited. I honestly think you're going to like it...
I've had The Grace of Kings and The Wall of Storms on my shelf for about a year but I haven't read them yet. I'll have to get to them soon!
I know it's hard to start a longer series, but this one is worth it I feel like!
This has been sitting on my "to read" list for a very very long time (Goodreads says that I add it in 2015 based off an article I read on io9). I saw in on your bookshelf in one of your videos so I'm glad you did a review of it!
It's hard to get started on a series you know will be long, so I get it. But I think this one is worth it!
YES!!! This finally pushed me to read at least the first chapter of The Grace of Kings and I. AM. READY.
Just picked up the Veiled Throne, haven't started it yet because I am rereading the first two. That is very rare for me, however the series is so good that it is worth it. Ken Liu is one of my favorite authors of all times, highly recommend checking out his two books that are collections of Chinese SF short stories as well, introduced me to some incredible authors I had never heard of.
You mean his collections where he collected other authors or the ones he wrote?
Hi 👋 thank you for the review of the books, I’ve just purchased this series recently... like ur videos and happy reading to you!! 🎬☃️🎥🍁❄️🥳
Thanks! Have a good day! I hope you like the books!
Apparently I have this on my tbr already! Have no idea what book tuber talked about it before.😅 I'll definitely give this series a go!
I've so done that. That's the problem with endless TBRs...you forget what's on them 😅
I have bought all the books at cover price and not started the series. It just seems like it is exactly what I want to read. May just start it after this review.
I hope you like it!
I’m only three minutes into the video and I already know that I probably won’t read this series. Has nothing to do with the quality of the video. That’s great as always.
Long, slow burns with lots of politics are for sure not for everyone.
Between you and Jimmy, this definitely shot up my tbr.
yayay 👏
Great review!! adding the series to my list 👍
I hope you like it!
Hey! Loved the review as usual! Do you have a review of Speaking Bones on the roster in the future? Maybe a spoiler review? I gotta know what you think of some of the characters haha
Actually yes I did a full spoiler review of Speaking Bones! It came out a few weeks ago.
Im 10% into Grace of Kings right now and really enjoying it
Yessss I hope you continue to love it.
*MINOR SPOILERS* I'll be honest, i *liked* Grace of Kings but I didn't *love* it and that was primarily due to the severe lack of female characters that weren't love interests except for Gin who shows up significantly later in the book. But then I read Wall of Storms and was obsessed. The women from the first book were wonderfully fleshed out and there is a significantly higher amount of female prime movers. There were a lot of years between the books so I don't know if this was his plan all along or if there had been some minor criticism on this issue for the first note and he took notes. Either case speaks well for the author though because the change came with general shifts in the society under the Dandelion Dynasty so he did a great job making that shift feel organic. I'm currently halfway through the fourth book and I'd almost say that the women make up most of the prime movers in the series
Yeah I actually had the amazing opportunity to interview Liu and he said it was always his plan! He wanted to show how the world was going through modernity and how that included the changing roles for women in the world. But I agree that was something I felt iffy about with GOK, I couldn't TELL yet if it was purposeful or not, so I was SO pleased in WOS when it turns out it was. Zomi and Thera are amazing! And even Jin though she changes a lot by Speaking bones lol
@@Bookborn Jia's actually my favorite character. In real life I'm very much for lessening military spending beyond what's necessary for actual defense in favor of programs that actually lead to prosperity for the general population. I just finished the chapter where Rata has a conversation with the woman who works at an Imperial laboratory and Rata is surprised at how Zomi can't just shift funds willy nilly because of the bureaucracy and is also surprised how much practical the research of the Imperial laboratories are. My real life career is about building institutional strength so I can't help but feel that Jia's goals are right even if her methods are shady
I just found your channel and I really enjoy your content. I'm sure it's been suggested a million times, but I'd love to see your take on Malazan.
I'm planning to do Malazan! I read the first book about a decade ago and just didn't understand it. But I've had a decade more adult fantasy under my experience, and I'm ready to start again. Probably sometime next year!
@@Bookborn I can't wait to see it. The first one is the toughest to get through. And you're probably still not gonna understand it fully, that's part of the Malazan fun anyway, not understanding it but pressing on because you want to. So worth it.
I do respectfully disagree with your criticism of the Cooking Plotline. There were heartbreaking things happening with characters I deeply cared about at the same time that that plotline was happening, and so it was a huge breather from the stress you yourself mentioned (super relatable). Plus it was great world building at a point in this story that I thought had no more world left to build! It felt like something out of an anime lol
I love the Dandelion Dynasty so far but I fully agree with you about the cooking subplot in the in the third book....I guess it makes since that it has to happen in the plot for 2 important characters to meet each other.
It def ends up coming around full circle and meaning a lot...I still think it could've been slightly shorter 😂
Just finished the series today. WOW.
I actually really liked the restaurant story--I found it quite amusing going on in between some very weighty plots.
Based on what you enjoyed about Dandelion Dynasty, you would probably also enjoy The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee. It's multigenerational. The characters make decisions true to their character and this moves the plot forward rather than random conflicts/events interjected by the author.
Oh I finished that trilogy last month and LOVED it. Legacy will for sure be a top 5 book of the year for me!
I plan to read it soon. I can’t wait
I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!
That intro sounded like you were talking about Jade legacy which I like!!
100 pages into Wall of Storms... its fantastic!
While I was interested in reading this at some point, I'll definitely try to get to this sooner now, hopefully 2022 but I've a bunch of other series to finish up first.
It does take some investment since it's so long, so I do get why it's hard to just...fit in to an already long tbr haha
I'm looking to start a new series and love a slow burn!
Thanks for great info! Dandelion Dynesty, next up! Not a quote saver either!
I just finished listening to the Veiled Throne. I listened to all 3 books in about 3 weeks. I agree about the slow burn and then they get really good. I think the stormlight archive series is also like this. I agree that the cooking part could have been reduced a lot more or been a novella. I really liked the series and have recommended it to other fantasy fans. I’m planning on reading his other short stories and books he has translated. Thanks for your recommendation to read this series.
Absolutely. “Thoughtfully written” 💕
I've watched Petrik's video on that first book, then Abby Salter raved about it in quite a few of her videos, and now this one. I was already sold on it, but your detailed analysis just hyped it even more for me. Historical fiction is my favourite genre, closely followed by Fantasy, so it sounds like a potential new favourite. ☺️
What you said about the omniscient writing style reminds me of First Law. In what way would you say Liu's writing diverges from Abercrombie's?
Got the first two books in my library. They're looking at me and judging my extremely slow reading habits 😂
Read the Chinese classic "The Chu-Han Contention," it's the exact same story beat for beat. Although the added fantasy bits here and there are fun in Ken Liu's version, it bothers me a lot that he doesn't credit his source material nearly enough. It ruined the series for me.
I would argue the way Liu tells the story makes it worthwhile, however if this was something that really bothered you give the sequel a try....it no longer follows history. Liu was using inspiration from Chu-Han to set a foundational history for a people. WoS is its own thing!
He also says pretty openly that it's based on the Chu-Han contention haha
@@readbykyle3082 I've watched several interviews and never heard him mention it though it really should be in the acknowledgments of the book or something. Grace of Kings was little more than a fanfic rip off of the Chu-Han Contention.
@@overcaffeinated_aeryn he mentioned it just recently in his Goodreads notes for Grace of Kings. I've seen him mention it in interviews also. Like I said it's fair if this is your criticism but I feel like he's upfront about it his influences and ultimately it brings more attention to the history. And once again...Wall of Storms is different haha
I'm unfamiliar with the book The Chu-Han Contention, but isn't that a real historical event? If that's the case, I don't think you can really rip off real events; those are used often in fantasy. Now, it may be that Grace of Kings follows that particular book super closely, I wouldn't know. But I do find that Liu is pretty open about his influences. At least in his short fiction, he literally lists sources at the end. I'll check Grace of Kings to see if there's a mention there, but I wouldn't be surprised if there was.
Just checked and it's on my list!
Indeed, a great sleeper series with amazing depth, lore, and intrigue. It's been quite a gap to book 3 and I've had to skim read/search for a synopsis of the Wall of storms as so much happened in the final third that I can't recall. Just started the first chapter (of the Veiled Throne) last night and i'm hopeful the next few chapters jog my memory......else I'll have to go back to WoS = no bad thing )
I used to love the famous three body problem series. Then I read the work of its translator Ken Liu's.
In comparison the three body problem felt so amature-ish
Hi there. I have not read/listened to the audio Book of this series yet. I only recently, back in February of 2022, finished listening to the last 2 books in the Wheel of Time series. Right now, I am just about to finish listening to Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa. I know that I still need to finish listening to while reading the kindle version of Servant of the Empire by Janny Wurts.
It looks like a great series. I have to finish up The Shades of Magic Trilogy and then I think I will start this series.
How are you liking Shades of Magic? I really loved the first book, but the second one didn't do a ton for me. I'll keep my opinion of the third to myself since you haven't read it yet :)
"no shade"
absolutely deceased ROTFL
💀 Couldn't help myself
It's on my StoryGraph shortlist!
yay! Also another person using story graph! I've been trying to use it too
Ken Liu did mention that the 3rd and 4th books need to be read as one continuous narrative at the end, I think it could also help if it was mentioned at the front instead (but from a marketing perspective that would also make some readers get turned off, I guess - but if readers are already on Book 3, I would think that they are committed to the series already).
The Grace of Kings is one I bought that went into the huge pile of books next to my bed, but I haven't even cracked it open yet. I will have to move it up the list.
Wall of Storms was so good!!!
I noticed that some CZcamsr usually champion a particular series or a writer, and that helps they standout as a influencer. Maybe Ken Liu or this series of his could be your what you champion from here on out. If not, then it would be interesting if you ever do champion a particular writer or series.
I have a lot of things I get annoying about championing tbh 😂 I champion Sanderson (I mean, look at my channel name lol) and this year I've particularly annoyed people about Piranesi and Sword of Kaigen. I'm positive Liu is added to this list. The more I read of his stuff the more I love it.
I as a Chinese person have read the Grace of Kings, and unfortunately it was...a bit disappointing. The story was practically a word to word copy of the words written by historian Sima Qian (145BC - 86BC) about the Chu-Han Contention, an interregnum period in ancient China between the fallen Qin dynasty and the subsequent Han dynasty. It has received very mixed reaction in China for its lack of originality, but that being said, I still adored the way Ken Liu writes, and for those who are unfamiliar with that part of history, it may still be a very enjoyable read.
For me, if the book is a success, the advantage will be in satisfying the market and foreigners' curiosity, not the success of the story itself, let alone the success of Silkpunk.
You should try book two! GoK borrows heavily from Chu-Han but Wall of Storms becomes its own thing entirely.
We need to get Daniel Greene to read it so the Dandelion Dynasty can spread among fantasy book pop culture with his CZcams channel.
Just started reading/listening to this series based on your review. Michael Kramer does the audiobook and it’s hard to not hear Stormlight Archives or Wheel of Time characters. Why is Rand and Kaladin in this story? 😃
LOL I never even thought of how confusing it must be to hear the same sort of character voices in other series! I don't listen to books much, so I haven't run into this yet.
"This is a finished series, no shade." 🤔 Funny. The book sounds interesting, I'm going to give it a shot. I love a good slow burn but the longer the burn the bigger the payoff has to be.
It's true. I think these have a really good pay off, personally. It reminds me of other long series where the books are huge, but the final interactions between the characters is so much more rewarding because you really know everything that's going on.
This series really needs some good fan art to do it justice
where can i find your review of the grace of kings?
Do these books have a good magic system?
I'd say this story's world has less magic and more sort of Asian-aesthetic steampunk technology. Though the gods directly do magical things and there are fantastical creatures and so on.
lol okgo, good taste
What does fade to Black mean?
Means something isn’t shown; it comes from when movies will “fade to black” when a scene ends. Usually it’s used to refer to sex scenes: if it’s fade to black, it means the content is implied but not explicitly shown.
I literally started this series yesterday! Thanks @bookborn for the timely video and validating my decision 😂
I was actually very disappointed by The Grace of Kings :( I really liked some parts of it : the thoughts given to politics and corruption of power (which indeed reminded me of ASOIAF) were very well put. And some scenes were fantastic. But the characters (especially secondary) didn't work in my eyes : they're all geniuses on paper... But we never see them in action. Show don't tell! And female characters were particularly tropy. That was actually weird because some statements were actually pretty feminist, fealing almost forced, and then the characters themselves were clichés... (and my other issue was that I read the French translation and it was awful!)
You look like Sandra Bullock.
Book 3 was awful started to fast forward this series is a super let down now. Also don't wait to read book 3 get that massive disappointment out of the way. Started the 4th book and starts just as bad sooo yeah 40hrs of the author lost
I started it recently, but I just found it a bit... Boring. I'm not finding this engaging enough.
It's definitely a slowburn - you've got to be in it for the long haul, a little like Hobb or Jordan.