Reviews tagging 'Gore'

Blood of the Old Kings by Sung-il Kim

2 reviews

thewitchykitty's review

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adventurous dark emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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sarrie's review

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dark emotional hopeful reflective tense fast-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

4.75

 
TL;DR: This was a sleeper hit for me - I loved it.
Source: eArc via Netgalley and a physical book via the publisher - THANK YOU! 

Plot: Three PoVs each fight and rebel against the Empire that has conquered them in their own ways.
Characters: I found myself loving each and every PoV character and many of the side characters, I was very invested.
Setting: The setting felt very real and alive for me. I still think about this one, even days later.
Fantasy: A classic rebellion plot with dragons and some final fantasy style machines 

Thoughts: 
I would describe Blood the Old Kings as a classic rebellion fantasy meets Final Fantasy - specifically the machinery in FFXIV and the related games. I would also recommend this as similar to The Grace of Kings with a lot less bloat. 

This follows three individuals who each end up fighting against a conquering empire in their own ways. One woman makes a deal with a dragon to become the next King, a young student ends up following a voice in her head who leads her down a dangerous path and straight into the empire’s crosshairs, and a young man working in an olive oil shop tries to solve the murder of his close friend. 

For me each of these view points was radically different and I wasn’t completely sold on each of them till the final stages when it began to knit together. The pacing wasn’t quite perfect, and my interest lagged a tiny bit in the first half, but once you begin to see the connections - and connect they do, it becomes fantastic. The world perhaps needed a little bit of fleshing out, but it was vivid enough to support our characters wonderfully. 

I’m also desperate for more of this story as it was teased there was more in store for our characters. I can’t stop thinking about this and I recommend for any Fantasy fans who are looking for something a little different. 

4.75 out of 5 Eight Eyed Dragons 
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