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4.63 AVERAGE
4.63 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A beautiful conclusion to a thrilling saga. Although this book was longer than the others, it truly didn’t feel like it. The pacing was solid, witnessing the emotional journey of these characters was very much worth it. And the ending was satisfying without being too cliche. The whole series did a good job at trying to understand human nature, it was quite easy to relate to these flawed characters. I’m very thankful for this series; it served drama, political warfare, hope, love and everything in between
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
slow-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“The world may not be fair, but we must strive to make it so. The world is a dark place, but we must strive to make it brighter.”
This series has been an experience for me throughout the last couple of months (& despite a reading slump due to university stress) I have exclusively read & thoroughly enjoyed this series.
I do not believe that anything I write can do this series justice. The political intrigue has been a focal point throughout the entirety of the Dandelion Dynasty & that did not stop in this book. However, this book saw battles which were intertwined with chapters detailing the mechanical engineering behind the warfare & I really enjoyed that this lengthened these scenes. The warfare within this novel was devastatingly well crafted, from battles you find yourself longing to have been avoided to conflict with unexpected (and at times heartbreaking) outcomes. While, it could be argued the battles & rebellions are the focus of this series I, however, believe it is in the interpersonal relationships of all the characters, how they evolve, deceit, lies, hunger for glory, pain, loss, heartache, longing, love, contempt, prejudice, fear - they are complex, multifaceted characters, some whom reflected the very worst qualities in people & others reflecting the best, with a beautifully crafted continuum of individuals striving to do what they believed to be right with the wrong intentions.
I have finished series in the past that have left me feeling unfulfilled & longing for a sense of closure whereas this novel did not do this at all, it was so well written that I could not have wished for anything more.
I urge everyone to read this series, it is truly captivating and I enjoyed how the arts, politics, engineering and fantasy elements were woven together throughout.
Ken Liu is genuinely one of the most underrated authors.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm of two minds about Speaking Bones. On the one hand, this story is a worthy conclusion to Ken Liu's ambitious vision of The Dandelion Dynasty. On the other, the book is ponderous and perhaps over-long.
While The Veiled Throne does act like a part one to this book, Speaking Bones still begins with a significant amount of setup. While conclusions to long running plot elements do come in this novel, it takes a long time to get there. This is in large part due to the book's complex structure. Whenever he writes a battle or other major conflict, Liu likes to unveil a new development, then write a whole chapter explaining how the development came to be, then flip back to the battle, stilting what is otherwise well written action scenes. Liu's choice to structure numerous plot beats this way and desire to make multiple revelations known in each makes what would otherwise be exciting sections of the book drag on.
Although the conclusions take a while to get to, they are still worth it, at least thematically. This book completes an intense arc on the complexities of assimilation, colonialism, and conflict between different groups. While Liu provides some answers, he also leaves the end result somewhat up to interpretation. The issues he presents are challenging and worthy of further thought, complimenting his choice to leave lingering questions about the stability of the society remaining in Dara. The ending of Speaking Bones begs the question, is the end of the dynasty of Kuni Garu upon us or will it continue? This book wraps up the character and plot arcs as well particularly in the case of Jia Matiza, who is one of the most fascinating antigonists(?) that I've ever read but I felt that more time could have been spent with some of the most likeable protagonists in this series , Thera and Zomi .
I've heard people online say that The Dandelion Dynasty is not for everyone, but if it is for you, you'll absolutely love it. In this series, Liu crafts one of the most special fantasy worlds I've read by drawing on the real history and fanciful "silkpunk" engineering. From smokecrafting to the crubens and Wall of Storms, Dara has plenty of real magic too. While incredibly written, the topics Liu chose to focus his page time on were not always my favorite. While this series is not a new top 5 for me, it's worth checking out because of its unique perspective and focus. It seems to me that a read through of the modern fantasy staples would not be complete without Liu's seminal work, and who knows, perhaps this will become your new favorite series.
While The Veiled Throne does act like a part one to this book, Speaking Bones still begins with a significant amount of setup. While conclusions to long running plot elements do come in this novel, it takes a long time to get there. This is in large part due to the book's complex structure. Whenever he writes a battle or other major conflict, Liu likes to unveil a new development, then write a whole chapter explaining how the development came to be, then flip back to the battle, stilting what is otherwise well written action scenes. Liu's choice to structure numerous plot beats this way and desire to make multiple revelations known in each makes what would otherwise be exciting sections of the book drag on.
Although the conclusions take a while to get to, they are still worth it, at least thematically. This book completes an intense arc on the complexities of assimilation, colonialism, and conflict between different groups. While Liu provides some answers, he also leaves the end result somewhat up to interpretation. The issues he presents are challenging and worthy of further thought, complimenting his choice to leave lingering questions about the stability of the society remaining in Dara.
I've heard people online say that The Dandelion Dynasty is not for everyone, but if it is for you, you'll absolutely love it. In this series, Liu crafts one of the most special fantasy worlds I've read by drawing on the real history and fanciful "silkpunk" engineering. From smokecrafting to the crubens and Wall of Storms, Dara has plenty of real magic too. While incredibly written, the topics Liu chose to focus his page time on were not always my favorite. While this series is not a new top 5 for me, it's worth checking out because of its unique perspective and focus. It seems to me that a read through of the modern fantasy staples would not be complete without Liu's seminal work, and who knows, perhaps this will become your new favorite series.
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
While I love, love, love the themes explored in this book and series, I wish the plot had been more evenly distributed between this and the previous book. This book and the series has made a huge mark on my person by the way in which it tells the story of an empire, through the eyes of characters small and big. Ken Liu remains one of my favourite authors who can handle complex themes with ease and dexterity.