The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu is EXCELLENT - No Spoiler Review (Book One The Dandelion Dynasty)

The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu is EXCELLENT - No Spoiler Review (Book One The Dandelion Dynasty)
#booktube #graceofkings #kenliu
I am finally getting the chance to do my no spoiler review of The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu! Ken Liu The Grace of Kings is book 1 in The Dandelion Dynasty series which is an epic fantasy that I think holds its own against decades worth of amazing works.. The Grace of Kings is an EXCELLENT first entry to a series and I have only heard the sequels in The Dandelion Dynasty get better as Ken Liu continues to impress.
I now have a Patreon that has some cool benefits, including access to my discord server! This is 100% optional and thank everyone for their support!
/ thefantasynuttwork

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Thanks for watching everyone!

[@Paul_van_Doleweerd]

Thanks for actually using the slipcover as a book mark and get away with it!

[@Bookborn]

Ahhh I’m so happy you loved it and also you did such a good job of actually describing why it’s so good. Also I’m so glad you defended third person omniscient lol like it works SO well here to tell the entire story

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I appreciate it, and I'm so glad you recommended it to me! The fact the next books are even better is mine blowing to me, I want to read them all right now 😂

[@readbykyle3082]

This is my favorite review of Grace of Kings haha. You absolutely nailed what makes this book so good. I can't wait until you read Wall of Storms, we're gonna have things to discuss. Wall of Storms is just unreal. Also regarding GoK's GR rating, I think it's a lot of factors but partially just that its such a unique writing style and also that it suffered from the ASOIAF comparisons and people expecting it to read like that (also some of the top negative reviews lament the lack of female characters, which like....lol). I'm always down to talk Dandelion Dynasty if you need more people for discussions. Also learn about dat Han dynasty boiiiiii

[@MacScarfield]

Yeah, the Lyuku from “WoS” make the Dothraki look like decent babysitters!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I really feel like anyone who complains about the female characters lacks reading comprehension lol

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Ken Liu is an author whose books I will be picking up someday, and your review confirmed that resolution for me. Thanks, my friend!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Anytime, I think you'd love it

[@MQLin910]

It TRULY is one of the best epics I've ever read. Note, the prose might not be for everyone, but DAMN does Ken Liu know how to layer and progress the intrigue and drama. You'll be on the edge of your seat throughout!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I agree!

[@thebrothersgwynne]

This was a fantastic review. The Grace of Kings is one of those we keep hearing about, but haven't really looked out. You have definitely added it to out TBR pile!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I hope you like it 🙂

[@BooksWithBenghisKahn]

That’s a review that’s definitely gonna get me to pick up the book!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Let's go!!

[@anthonymurphy8458]

For real!

[@curtjarrell9710]

Glad to hear this positive report. I have this series on my TBR. Looking forward to exploring later this year. Thanks Jimmy.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

My pleasure

[@adycardiac698]

Hey…saw this and a few other reviews of this recently….your review especially is one that got me into getting this….just over 100 pages in….it’s written so beautifully…cheers

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Glad to hear it 😊

[@chrismohan]

Making my way through The Paper Menagerie, I’m struck by how Liu’s prose speaks to the reader. Seeing how he takes this craft to a longer form has drawn me to this review. Love how you used text from the book itself to illustrate his style. Moved higher up the TBR. Cheers 👍

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Thank you for watching 😁

[@afantasybabble6222]

Glad you loved it. The Dandelion Dynasty is a series that required you to engage with the text. Challenges the reader to seek out outside information. I search all the time for series like this. My favorite ongoing epic fantasy series!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

It's up there for me!

[@Chaintis]

This is an excellent review of this book! I am also a fan of the third-person omniscient perspective. It is very effective if done right. It gives you a broader perspective of the world. It also allows you to get inside a character's head effectively as well. I have had "Grace of Kings" on my kindle for a long time. I started the book a few years ago, but I put it down. I guess I wasn't in the mood for it at the time. After watching your review, I have decided to finally read it. I would love to see you have further discussions devoted to the themes of this series!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I appreciate this so much, thank you!

[@daniellopez-py6lb]

So glad you liked this and that Ken Liu has another fan! I love Kuni because he genuinely wants to help the people, Mata in my opinion feels entitled to the throne(I dont like the guy). Bookborn and Read by Kyle' interview with Ken Liu convinced me to wait to read the final two books back to back since that is how he intended it to be read. I stopped after Wall of Storms. So excited for Speaking bones in June! So no worries that you read this later than you feel you wanted because you can binge once book 4 comes out.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I'll definitely be binging 3&4 back to back!

[@bobbytran3878]

I would love if you somehow get to interview Ken Liu! every week i search if there's been any recent ken liu interview or podcast lol

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I'll try!

[@wormemperor4167]

Great review! My tbr hydra just popped a new head😃

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Hahahah glad to hear it 😂

[@v3rmilli0nair3]

Damnit Jimmy!😭I wasn't going to read this but you convinced me! You can't do this to me man! My TBR is already long enough😭

[@thefantasynuttwork]

It's my job 😂

[@christopherfly9374]

Wow! It sounds like the hype I'm hearing for Ken Liu is well deserved. The Grace of Kings sounds right up my alley. I completely agree with you on third person omniscient. If it's done well, it really opens up the narrative. I love flashbacks too. Thanks for convincing me on this book and series.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

It's my pleasure 😊

[@FineReads]

Such a great review!!! Yes on all points. You say it so well (I can’t sort my thoughts as adequately 🤣). The engineering and math totally had me geek out! I heard book two has more of that. So excited about that!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Thank you! I'm so ready for book 2!

[@mythicalthinker5233]

This is one of the best reviews I've seen of Ken Liu writing

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Thank you so much

[@TallGuyReads]

Picked this up last night and was planning on reading a little bit of this and another book and ended up reading 100 pages of GoK…Really enjoy Liu’s writing, puts you in a trance haha

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Yessss my friend!

[@the_eerie_faerie_tales]

I love tandem/companion/supplemental reading. Some books have inspired me to read a specific play, read specific poetry, read other specific books, learn chess, learn about Russian folklore, learn about octopi etc. I'm sure GoK would inspire me to learn more about the Han Dynasty and I'm excited to read all of it!

[@brettwaddingham3296]

Interested now....I don't mind a slow burn, as long as I'm in the mood/know about it ahead of time. Great review Jimmy!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

It's the best slow burn!

[@BookishChas]

This book definitely sounds like something I’ll love. Thanks for this review Jimmy.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

My pleasure! Hope you enjoy this one as much as I did!

[@RekindledReader]

Nice review, Jimmy, I've been thinking of picking this one up for a while. Once I get through my backlog, I'm checking this one out! Oss! -Theo

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Osss!

[@maddy0119]

Yes, another Dandelion Dynasty fan! Great point about what happens after the ruler is overthrown can be a much more interesting story than the overthrow itself, I totally agree. Would love to see discussions on the book and hope you continue to enjoy the series!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Appreciate you Maddy!

[@tovx76]

Great review Jimmy! Adding it to the ever growing list of books/series you have me excited to read😂

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Glad to help hahah

[@ChasingForever]

I don't know how I've overlooked this book, but based on your review, it is definitely on my TBR. Thanks for the review.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

My pleasure 😁

[@bentheoverlord]

Fantastic review man ! Im properly excited to get to this series, its one I know I'm gonna love

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Let me know how you find it!

[@bentheoverlord]

@@thefantasynuttwork I shall do, I'm thinking I can fit it in during May

[@thatsci-firogue]

I was enjoying it in the first half, but then when we got to the second half and showed us what the story was actually about and where it was going, I fell in love. I'm diving into Wall of Storms ASAP.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Yesssss

[@safinan8008]

Hi 👋 great review video... I did like this book 😀 happy reading to u!! 🌸🦋🌼

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Thank you!

[@MacScarfield]

I am so glad that you so thoroughly enjoyed this book (that I consider my personal favourite Modern Fantasy Novel of the last 10-20 years) Jimmy! You throughly hit the nail in the head with your point that this made you more interested in Ancient Chinese History: The biggest criticism I have seen of this book, is that it lifts most of its characters and beats from the official history on the origin of the Qin and Han dynasties and therefore lacks “originality” and is simple “copy and paste” of it. While valid, this criticism ignore that a lot of fantasy does this, either to make traditional stories and myths more accessible for a modern audience or as jumping points for modern interpretations/criticism/review. And in my book Ken Liu succeeds on all these points, and his story slaps! The amazing characters, the awesome battles (not one them had repeating tactics: psychological warfare, logistics, tech, heck even Airships and paratroopers!), and I simply love how Mata’s hatred of how the Xana Empire has suppressed “the natural state” of Dara’s Nations and Societies, is contrasted with Kuni’s Cosmopolitan view of the Empire as “good ideas with horrible methods” (Blooming trade, infrastructure, technology and cultural exchange, but under a brutal tyranny that stifle its further potential) and do not want Dara to return of its previous divisions and rule by Nobles without regard for how their petty wars hurt the peoples of Dara. I also fully agree with Liu when he said in an interview, that he views “The Grace of Kings” as much as an American fantasy as a Chinese-inspired one: This is a multiethnic setting, with several characters having mindsets resembling more those of Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison or the Wright Brothers, as much as there are those that resemble Confucius and Laozi. There are parallels to “Manifest Destiny” and the Sinicization of what is now Modern Southern China and Taiwan, and to the Iliad and the Odyssey in how the Gods interact internally and on the ground. Would love to see you interview Liu and discuss this book with other fellow booktubers in the near future! Happy Easter Holiday!

[@readbykyle3082]

Love this comment, completely agree with it. The "lacking originality" criticism legitimately sends me up a wall haha

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Terrific comment, very well said

[@timsmith2193]

This book had a lot of parallels to Siddhartha, which I read just before Grace of Kings. Also, I would recommend the wiki for this book - lots of info to help keep the story straight.

[@brancellbooks]

Thanks for uploading! I’ve been eyeing this book for a while. I’ve still got quite a few things on the TBR before I can get to this, but when I do, I’m sure I’ll love it! From what I’ve seen, we’ve definitely got similar taste!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I'd feel comfortable bumping this one up the tbr!

[@brancellbooks]

@@thefantasynuttwork Update: after that excerpt you read, it absolutely will be!!

[@covi_reads7398]

Great review

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Hahah thank you 😁

[@bobbytran3878]

oh man if you really love the idea of "overthrowing the empire is the easy part, and what comes after is the hard point", you're going to love the second book and onward!! second book is about the internal administration and of discriminated groups seizing power in this new evolving society, especially women, the poor, and the disabled and yes, the second book onward veers away from the historical source- it becomes more fantastical, compelling, and modern

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I'm hyped!

[@brycesummers1020]

Another great video from you as always! I have a quick question. I’m a sucker for scope and spectacle. What are some of the most eye-popping (in a readerly sense) and spectacular series that you’ve read, with the scale of things we’ve seen in media most recently with the infinity saga

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I think Malazan and Sanderson cosmere are the two that truly stand out when it comes to an epic scale

[@johngomez849]

Great review going to check this out

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Hope you like it!

[@JJJKKK445]

Watched your review, bought it on kindle, 40 pages in I bought the entire series in paperback... yeah... guess if I'm hooked? Second time this happens (first was with Memory, Sorrow and Thorn, thanks for that one btw) you have such a way of distilling the essence of a book or series that it is so easy to figure if I am going to love it or not. (also 3rd person omni is sheer perfection when done right, this is basically a silkpunk Dune) You are a treasure trove of intelligent fantasy lol.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Wow that's some serious praise. I really can't tell you how happy that makes me. Thank you!

[@scottrussell04]

Awesome review mate!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Thank you!

[@AnotherTurning]

I'm so glad you liked this one, and I can't wait for your thoughts on the rest of the series! Based on your thoughts on book 1, I think you might like the next books even more. There's a couple different things in particular I'm looking forward to seeing what you think about.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Ohhhh I'm so excited!!! I'm going to continue ASAP 😁

[@TheBookishMom]

I just picked this up not too long ago and I can't wait to get to it.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Let me know how you enjoy it 🙂

[@vincaalkaloids6732]

I finished The Grace Of Kings yesterday... and yes, it is excellent and very epic in scale. However, my main issue is that there is hardly any magic or a well-established magic system. Yes, the gods directly intervene in mortal matters but they work in background. The characterization is well done; the plot, however, sometimes seemed... it's like Kuni seemed to win quite a lot of excursions and battles. Overall, I admire The Grace Of Kings, but would classify it as kind of war fiction with a trace of fantasy..... What about Wall Of Storms? Is it better?

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Much better and there’s is some fantasy elements but it’s low fantasy for sure. You’re not going to get a hard magic system ala Brandon Sanderson here

[@angelaholmes8888]

Glad you enjoyed the grace of kings I hope you will enjoy the wall of storms 🙂📖📚

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Me too and thanks!!

[@user-zc4fj4dc4p]

Just finished The Grace of Kings and wow.. what a moving story. There were so many incredibly poignant scenes, so many quotable sections. Can't wait to get into The Wall of Storms

[@thefantasynuttwork]

In every way I found WoS to be better, so enjoy!

[@user-zc4fj4dc4p]

@@thefantasynuttwork I am circling back to this comment because hot damn! You were right I am only a few chapters into the second act (Gusts and Gales) I would really love to see someone's analysis on the different philosophical ideas the Liu plays with (Moralists, Incentivists, Fluxists, ect) I also see some Sun Tzu playing out as well and I'm here for it! Thank you for motivating me to pick this up sooner rather than later. Cheers!

[@crystalsingh7325]

😮 Well I guess I have to read this now.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I hope you like it!

[@ToddsBookTube91]

Nice review.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Thanks!

[@jasonvizcarra709]

Just finished the book and wow. I have no idea why it’s rated so low on goodreads, and the criticisms it gets make me wonder if people even finished reading the book. Looking forward to the rest of the series

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I loved it!

[@stuart1346]

I’ll get there one day 👍

[@thefantasynuttwork]

You better 😛

[@the_eerie_faerie_tales]

The more reviews I hear of this series, the higher it is on my Master TBR... Did it just get bumped up from "Save Later" to "Move to Cart"? yep ✔

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Yayyyyy

[@gordonmckenzie5354]

This review is UTTERLY SPOT ON : FACT

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@gordonmckenzie5354 thank you hahah

[@amandaluceroserenity4804]

I'm reading it right now and love it only 120 pages in

[@thefantasynuttwork]

So happy to hear it!

[@amandaluceroserenity4804]

@@thefantasynuttwork reading Wall of Storms later on this month

[@TheNickcone]

The book was just a retelling of the founding of the Han Dynasty. it's fun but it's really telling when you hold the story up to the actual history. it's like one for one. Doesn't make it a bad book necessarily just uninspired. That's just me and I'm glad other people enjoyed it.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

After this book he goes way into his own thing, so for me it’s a good starting point

[@jakebishop7822]

Can't wait to read this and like it slightly less than The Lions of Al-Rassan

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Yeah I don't think you'll enjoy this as much, or find it to be special at all given our track record lol

[@shelfunstable]

ok I'm convinced

[@thefantasynuttwork]

YESSS

[@JayBigDadyCy]

If you are looking to read this than just know it starts off a little slow. There is a ton of character development, but once the ball gets rolling, the sh!t hits the fan fast lol.

[@angelamccollister]

Like your shirt.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Thanks!

[@jejejewiwiw2904]

Super weird people complain about third person omniscient, it feels very common if you need to tell a complex multi-characters story. If Tolstoi can do it, why not Ken Liu :D

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I agree

[@finalfrontier001]

Is the story like final fantasy 12?

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Couldn't say, haven't played it haha

[@Rendref]

Haha, I wouldn't call this book a slow burner at all. Every 50 pages there's like a culmination event and things change completely, and then it goes into telling chapters of lives of all the characters involved again, several of 5-10 fabled-language kinda stories that culminate again and change things drastically for the balance of power. That happens like an entirety of the book. Hard to call it a slowburner. I mean, I compare it with my favorite Hobb where really nothing can happen for 200 pages except character development... Or my not favorite at all Tad Williams, where nothing happens for almost 2100 pages of his MST trilogy, lol (don't kill me). Those are real slowburners :-)

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Slow burn in the sense that the greater overall messages and attachment to the cast take some time due to some distance from perspective. Hobb is definitely a slow burn and how dare you slander my main man Tad 😂

[@Rendref]

@@thefantasynuttwork MST didn't vibe with me at all :-) So in a world where everyone loves Tad I feel it is my duty to remember that Simon scrubs pots for 200 pages of the first book, haha. But Hobb is awesome. The second book, The Wall of Storms, is magnificent by the way :-)

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@Rendref your love of Hobb can cancel out this treachery 😬🤣

[@bobbytran3878]

did he say if he was going to read the wall of storms this month/ immediately?

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I'll be reading it in May 🙂

[@bobbytran3878]

@@thefantasynuttwork awesome! will you be reading veiled throne and speaking bones in june? its recommended you read veiled throne and speaking bones back to back because the author wrote the two books as a single volume before he was forced to slice his concluding volume into 2 for publication reasons

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@bobbytran3878 yup

[@kendawooda]

Ken Liu slaps no other way to say it

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Big facts

[@Marcus-id5ur]

Interesting seeing somebody else's perspective after I just DNF at 47% just two days ago. I felt the pacing was too fast if anything, characters had no depth, too many coincidences and things that just didn't make sense (pissing on the gates? Courage powder?). Being plot heavy is fine, but I feel like it came at the expense of meaningful characters as the plot points were just being thrown at me rapid fire. Events were never given room to breath so their importance never really sunk in. Kind of reminded me of a poor mans Bernard Cornwell in style. Obviously some would say that is a compliment so people can take my opinion with a grain of salt. Major disappointment for me as I was really looking forward to this series with their gorgeous covers.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Sorry to hear that! I actually agree with the Cornwell comparison but I think it's just as good in my opinion. Hope your next read is better!

[@bottle1211]

You still excited about this series? I want to give it a try.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Yup! Have a full series review on the channel now too 🙂

[@bottle1211]

@@thefantasynuttwork Cool, I will take a looksie. Thanks!

[@hunterghobadi1269]

The Grace of Kings' style is somewhat emotionally distant, filing through history with a sort of technical accuracy. It has in my humble opinion too much information, too much plotting, and too little heart. People say the book is slow, and yet is goes through multiple climatic events at break neck speed, the problem is there is hardly any tension so those 'events' come off as footnotes. I wish fantasy would move beyond this analytical perception and obsession with scale that began with Tolkien, but alas...

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Ahh I'm sorry it didn't land with you. I found myself feeling pretty much the opposite of you, with genuine emotions flooding me at certain steps.

[@bobbytran3878]

I’m surprised you found that the grace of kings lacked heart In my opinion, the grace of kings has so much heart! I can totally see all the passions and personal interests the author put into the book For example, the author is an engineer, tax lawyer (also patent lawyer), programmer, and a huge fan of foundational epics, especially Paradise Lost and the Aeneid. You can see all these aspects in his writing- there’s an iconic scene where the characters come up with an ingenious method of collecting tax which I found extremely compelling. The author said that if you could make taxes fun then everything else he included would also be fun. In regards to the distant perspective, I think this is where the book having too much heart is a detriment for many readers, in that the author has stated in many interviews that he intentionally chose this epic scope/ omniscient perspective because he wanted to write a story in the style of his favorite foundation epics. The author was aware that in writing a book for himself, that many people would not like it since everyone has different tastes. I can definitely see why the grace of kings wouldn’t appeal to many readers because of this unique style. I also found it a bit jarring in the beginning but in my case I swiftly adjusted and fell in love. You might enjoy the sequel the Wall of Stars because the author stated that he wanted to write grace of kings in an older tradition and style, because, in keeping with the theme of revolution of the series, the future books will continue to become more modern. In book two, the emotional distance between the narrator and character is closer and since Dara as a society is evolving, there are now budding female characters that are seizing power and influence. “I wish fantasy would move beyond this analytical perception and obsession with scale that began with Tolkien, but alas…” I’m also surprised by this, because the author said that he wanted to write something different than the modern fantasy approach of having third person limited tightly emotional protagonists. So the author was saying he wanted to write in a style that is considered old fashion, but your statement seems to suggest Tolkien's style is the modern norm. “the problem is there is hardly any tension so those 'events' come off as footnotes.” I agree with this. The first book is based on the fall of the qin and the chu-han contention so i already knew which characters were historical parallels and which side would win, so the victory and climax in the book does seem lack tension However, in my humble opinion, the sequel is a huge improvement in that the climax is not just emotional, but the tension is suffocating! So much action and feels I highly recommend book 2. It’s written in a more modern style, has even more heart than the first, and since book 2 finally veers from its historical source the series be comes more fantastical and gripping character-wise sorry for the long reply and typos and such. wrote this in a rush

[@hunterghobadi1269]

@@bobbytran3878 Keep in mind, by heart I don't mean the author did not show passion for the subject material, but that the emotionally resonant parts fell flat for me.

[@Marcus-id5ur]

Footnotes... yes that's a good description of what this book felt like.

[@currangill430]

Great there goes my wallet

[@thefantasynuttwork]

You may hate it so don’t take my word for it haha I’ve had more people disagree after reading than agree. Always makes me feel bad

[@currangill430]

@@thefantasynuttwork Well for me the only series our tastes differ on is Prince of Nothing, Sanderson and Malazan. Oh and LOTR. Besides that I feel like we 80-90% have similar tastes.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@currangill430 well I hope you like it lol

[@currangill430]

@@thefantasynuttwork I'm starting with the short stories before I start this

[@tyke2026]

You sure know how to sell a book

[@thefantasynuttwork]

Only when I really love something 😜