The Grace of Kings (1) (The Dandelion Dynasty) Paperback – August 9, 2016

I’m not a huge fan of fantasy, but maybe the moniker Fantasy Grouch is a slight exaggeration. I’ll admit that a large portion of my novel-reading diet consists of science fiction but I do occasionally snack on a fantasy novel now and then. Bottom line - I cannot speak with any authority on the merits of The Grace of Kings in comparison to other works of the genre. I am certain there will be plenty of other reviews that will cover this ground.What business does the Fantasy Grouch have reviewing a Han Dynasty inspired fantasy? Ken Liu, ladies and gentleman. Ken Liu. Ever since reading “The Paper Menagerie”, in a 2011 issue of the magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, I have watched for his byline and have read everything I could get my hands on. Even when the news came that Mr. Liu’s first novel was going to be an epic fantasy, I was undeterred by this revelation and pre-ordered it on Amazon immediately.I know very little of the Han Dynasty, other than it had it’s fair share of violence, like every other period of human history, it seems. So don’t be surprised with all the battles, court intrigues, failed alliances and betrayed friendships. But it’s not all blood and guts, not by a long shot, even though much of the book is about that inevitable disagreement and clash of ideas that so often requires violence as a means to resolution. The descriptions of the geography and fauna of the islands of Dara are pleasant diversions. Indeed, I found myself occasionally wishing that there was a travel package available. Another aspect of the book I found interesting were the intricate rules governing relations with family and friends, even down to the proper sitting position in a given social interaction. In fact, most of Liu’s characters seem to be pre-occupied with social position and honor. I suspect that this focus mirrors the reality of the historical source material and to a larger extent, East versus West customs in general.The fantasy elements in the book are minimal, which depending on your taste, can be good or bad. Personally, I feel that less is more. But there are fantasy moments, do not worry. There are conjurers of hypnotic smoke, riders of fantastical sea creatures, gods and goddesses, and a magical book that I wish existed and was on my shelf right now. The science fiction fan in me appreciated the assortment of clever mechanical innovations (silk-punk, as Mr Liu has described it in an interview) and the story of my favorite character in the book, Luan Zya. In fact, once I started reading the book, I was reminded of “None Owns the Air”, a short story set years before The Grace of Kings, published in Lightspeed magazine. It explores the early days of the airship technology that is a large part of warfare on Dara.This is not a short book, but in comparison to many fantasy books I see on shelves these days, it is. Occasionally, I had trouble keeping track of a particular character and their place in the narrative, but this is not unusual in a book of this length and nature, and most likely a shortcoming of this reader. There is a map and glossary and a list of major characters, which were helpful. Because the historical inspiration is Asian in origin and my limited knowledge of history is for the most part of the West, I found the culture sufficiently different to think of it in science fictional terms. So, even though this is a fantasy, the self proclaimed Fantasy Grouch was pleased with the book. I’m a fan of film and it is no stretch to imagine this adapted as a series, with the marketing tag “The Chinese Game of Thrones”. Sorry Ken. I had to go there.I would recommend The Grace of Kings to anyone who is interested in a good story. If you are particularly interested in reading a fantasy that has a non-western flavor, then you should definitely pick up this book. And, if you are a fan of Mr. Liu’s previous work, it’s a no brainer.

Emperor Mapidéré conquered all the warring states of the Islands of Dara, thereby imposing “peace” on the known world. But he’s an old man, full of pride. He’s spent years now building monuments to himself, and crazy projects that impose an impossibly heavy burden on his conquered lands. Peace is tenuous. Not everyone has forgotten the conquest, or the independent states that existed before.The book opens with a daring assassination attempt, and widens to show the current situation in the empire, including the introduction of a number of characters who will become very important in coming years—some of them improbably so.According to the author, the book is inspired by the rise of the Han Dynasty, though the setting is not particularly Chinese—it’s an archipelago of islands, occupied by many different groups of people, with touches of magic and meddling but somewhat ineffective gods.This is a very long novel, nearly twice the length of a typical book, and it’s the first of three. That said, it covers more time and more characters at a significantly faster chronological pace than usual.Reviews have likened The Grace of Kings to The Game of Thrones. While there are superficial similarities, I think this is a poor comparison that may lead to unhappy readers. Yes, both are sprawling fantasy epics with large, morally-ambiguous casts, surprise deaths, and wars of conquest. But The Grace of Kings is much more thoughtful, slower paced, and removed from individual passions. As brutal as events on the Islands of Dara are, there is not the same pervasive tone of conscious violence and treachery. People in the Grace of Kings do bad things, no question, but it’s usually because they’re trying to achieve something they think is worthwhile, or they’re overwhelmed by sudden power and don’t know how to cope.By contrast, this means that the Grace of Kings is not quite as immediately gripping as GoT. I found the beginning rather slow. After an exciting first chapter, there are hundreds of pages of setup, essentially, before the various characters come into their own and start acting and having influence. To get technical for a moment, I think this is largely due to the author’s choice to tell the story in an omniscient viewpoint. Most epic fantasy is told from the focused perspective of one individual or another in turns, which leads, at least to me, to a more absorbing, personal reading experience.A better comparison I’ve heard is likening this book to War and Peace. For my part, I was reminded somewhat of James Michener’s historical sagas. While individuals are important, it’s the sweep of history over this region that takes precedence.The writing is itself quite beautiful and enjoyable, as I expected from this award-winning author. This is the first book in a trilogy, but pretty much every conflict and question posed at the start of the book is resolved by the end (while others have been introduced) so it feels satisfying, but like there’s more to come.Recommended, with the caveat to be patient, savor the journey, and don’t look for the same old epic fantasy here.