The Grace of Kings: Volume 1

My son likes the book well received

Ken Liu is mostly known for his prolific output as a short story writer. He's also an author that rarely disappoints; I've liked, if not loved, all of his stories I've read. When Saga Press announced they'd snapped up his long-awaited novel it immediately went on my must-read list. The Grace of Kings is an epic Silk Road fantasy with added -punk elements; it combines traditional Chinese story elements with a Pacific Ocean islands locale and some clever technological inventions that feel organic to the setting. In other words, once again Liu didn't disappoint. What immediately sets The Grace of Kings apart is Liu's writing style. Of course the story is written in his usual beautiful prose, but he adds interesting stylistic choices in the form of recognisable story-telling elements from differing oral traditions. For example, he employs the repeated descriptive terms for people or places familiar from the Classical epics that served the bards of Greece and Rome as mnemonics and also kennings as used in Anglo-Saxon poetry. Undoubtedly, Liu incorporated more of these, but those are the ones I was already familiar with. Together they create the sense that The Grace of Kings falls in the tradition of the classic epic poems meant to be recited and told around the fire on a number of consecutive nights, but with far more modern attitudes to societal development. The pacing of the narrative, the location hopping and the sometimes rather abrupt exits - temporary or very much permanent - for various characters all add to this impression. The plot can seem somewhat sketchy, in the sense that there isn't a strong, linear plot going from A to B, which might be off-putting to some readers, but which I found mesmerising. There is so much to talk about with this book; I don't even know where to start. Liu throws in everything and the kitchen sink at his story and somehow it doesn't just stick, it works beautifully. First of all and perhaps most clearly, there are the intricate politics at the heart of the plot. While Kuni does fight outright battles, most of his battles are fought in the political field and through good governance. In fact, we see several forms of governance being implemented from a feudal system, to a federation of states, to a straight-out dictatorship and all of them have their pros and their cons. The philosophy of governance that Liu explores in the book is fascinating. But it's not just serious philosophy, some of it is honestly hilarious, for example the scheme Cogo and Kuni come up with to ensure that merchants don't cook their books and evade taxes. I also liked that one of the most successful generals in the Empire's army wasn't actually a military commander, but the chief tax collector and finance minister, whose managerial skills are what make him successful, not his prowess with a sword. I also really appreciated Liu's treatment of his female characters. The main female characters, Jia, Gin, Kikomi, Mira and Risana all had agency. True, two of them sort of get fridged--I mean their fates serve to spur one of the protagonists on, but they choose their ultimate fate themselves, so perhaps they were semi-fridged? Yet all of them find strength in their own way, whether it is Kikomi who learns to wield her beauty as a weapon or Gin who wields an actual sword in battle, they all have their strengths and goals they attain. Jia, Gin, and Risana all advocate for equal opportunities for women in a proactive way, which I really enjoyed, especially how startled the men are when their suggestions actually work. Jia also has the strength to recognise that since she and Kuni can't be together, they should have other loves and in fact there seems to be a form of polyamory in the book, especially once Kuni, Jia and Risana are all reunited. It'll be interesting to see how this situation develops in the future, whether they can build a harmonious household with the four partners and the children or whether it becomes a power struggle between the two women to be first in Kuni's affections. Before I go on to Kuni, Mata and some of the other characters, I have to mention how awesome the gods of the Islands of Dara are. Liu incorporates them into the story in an active role, having them show up in the narrative itself and in little insets, where they comment on events that went before, actually taking stock and declaring wins and losses for themselves. These scenes were brilliant and often also quite funny. What I really liked about their inserting themselves into the action, was that at one point I found myself distrusting or suspecting different characters of being incarnations of the gods and being surprised when they weren't or vice versa when someone who I hadn't suspected was revealed to be an avatar. Liu's characters are wonderful and very compelling. My favourites were Kuni, Jia, Luan, Gin, and perhaps surprisingly, Marana. What I liked about these characters was that they were unexpected; whether they were unconventional in their choices, surprisingly suited to a task they were given or just rising far beyond what anyone could have foreseen, they all do things that surprise even the gods. There are also no good guys or bad guys here. While Mata perpetrates horrible atrocities - and those are never excused in any way in the narrative - we're also shown that he doesn't do these things because he wants to do evil, but because he wants to do what is right and honourable. Similarly, Kuni is a decent man with a compassionate heart, but circumstances force him to make horrible decisions and order his troops to perform despicable acts knowing that they are awful, but the right thing to do. The book is filled with philosophical dilemmas and none of them are easily answered. I loved The Grace of Kings. I loved the sprawling breadth and depth of the narrative. I fell in love with the characters and the Islands of Dara and I can't wait to spend more time there. Liu brings something fresh and new through channelling classical traditions. If you love epic fantasy I can't recommend The Grace of Kings highly enough. This book was provided for review by the publisher.

A pesar de que, atendiendo a lo que se percibe, el autor debe tener muchos lectores, la lectura me resultó pesada porque el estilo del autor es bastante plano: no hay énfasis, no hay tensión, sino que se explican los acontecimientos uno tras otro como si nos contaran un cuento, en lugar de vivirlos como logran, por ejemplo, George RR Martin en "Canción de Hielo y Fuego". Como punto positivo, el argumento es entretenido (ocurren muchas cosas) y el autor no pierde el tiempo en acontecimientos o descripciones secundarias.

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.

Après avoir reçu un extrait du livre sur mon kindle(3 premiers chapitres palpitants) j'ai commandé le livre papier! Hélas 3 fois hélas la suite se noie dans une écriture mièvre et sans profondeur. Ce genre de littérature exige une histoire très charpentée servie par des personnages solides et authentiques. Ici il n'y a ni l'une ni les autres......