Ira Perkins's Reviews > The Grace of Kings

A masterpiece. An absolute flipping masterpiece. Take a bow Ken Liu, and enjoy only my second five star rating of the year!!

Final Rating: 5.0/5🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕

Let me level with you—'The Grace of Kings' might not land in everyone's fantasy favorites. Obviously. It's sitting around a 3.7 out of 5 on Goodreads, and it bucks a lot of the typical genre trends, which (if you go into it with normal fantasy book expectations) can be a bit jarring. But stick with me here, I'm going to do my best (although this was a tricky review to write) and lay out why this book deserves a spot on your shelf. If you're anything like me it will absolutely blow your mind!

World Building: 5/5
Right. For starters this might almost be a blur of historical fiction and fantasy. Liu offers a nuanced tapestry of historical fantasy, deftly weaving elements of the Chu-Han Contention and the fall of the Qin Dynasty into the fictional realm of the Islands of Dara. This is not merely an alternative version of China; it is an entirely new world. The best part of this is the inclusion of a pantheon of gods whose indirect influence underlies the unfolding human drama. These deities, though barred from direct intervention, cleverly find ways to bend the tides of human affairs to their will.

This isn’t your typical high fantasy with elfen wizards throwing spells left and right. Liu reimagines the fabric of this world with a subtle touch of the fantastical. Airships roam the skies, gods meddle from their ethereal realms, and unique creatures like the Cruben add a layer of mystique. Despite the fantastical elements being understated, I think they are integral, woven seamlessly into the fabric of the story, enhancing the plot without overwhelming it.


A "silk-punk" world full of political intrigue

The real highlight of the world of Dara (and why I rate the world building as a 5) though are the high level political machinations and strategic battles between various factions. So if politics or grand stratagems aren’t your thing, steer clear. This setting, combined with the historical ebbs and flows of alliances and empires, crafts a world-building experience that is as relentless in its engagement as it is unique in its conception.

Which leads me to the best bit about this book...The plot!

Story Telling: 5/5
“Ambitious” doesn’t quite cover it. Indeed, “ambitious” actually feels more like an understatement than anything else. This novel packs in more action, more intrigue, more backstabbings than you'd typically expect even from heavyweight series like George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire." And all of this is crammed into a single, 600-page volume.

This, of course, won’t suit everyone. Because the book has so many different plot points in so few pages, the narrative style necessitates a rather distant tone. Sort of like watching the action from a mountaintop rather than being in the thick of it. It means that characters' conversations might come off more as brisk summaries rather than fully-fleshed dialogues, and there are moments that in other books would be entire chapters, but here are just a paragraph, so that if you lose focus you might miss something.

“Old friends are like old clothes: they fit the best.”

However, for me (as a primarily plot driven reader), any potential drawbacks are overshadowed by how much I just loved the ride. Sure, the rapid-fire delivery might make some scenes feel more like historical reportage than intimate storytelling, but I was all in. This is an absolute whirlwind of a story. The plot doesn't just twist; it does full acrobatic flips. Turn the page, big event, next page, another big event - over and over again, meaning there is just never a dull moment. You're barely over one shock when the next one rolls in—it's a page-turner, no doubt, with an intensity that I would say approaches addictive levels. I devoured every page, hungry for what was coming next. Ken Liu has written a story that's like a grand feast for fans of fast-paced, epic storytelling—and I happily gorged on every bit of it.

Characters: 5/5
The jam packed plot also means that characters in "The Grace of Kings" might not be front and center. But they definitely stand out. Kuni Garu and Jia grabbed my interest early on, proving that even in a wide scope plot-driven narrative, people matter.


Mata - the ultilitarian warrior driven by honour

Kuni and Mata, the two leads spearheading the rebellion, couldn’t be more different. Their friendship is tested by their conflicting ideals, and it's fascinating to see how their differing strategies and personalities play off each other. As the story progresses and the empire's power shifts, their relationship becomes the battleground for a war waged on many levels.

“A lord who knows how to wield men is ten times more fearsome than one who knows only how to wield a sword.”

As a side note - and countering a common critique I’ve seen in other reviews, the presence of strong female characters in "The Grace of Kings" really stands out, especially considering its inspiration from historical Chinese dynasties where you might expect women to take a back seat. Characters like Soto, Jia, and Kikomi shine in their own right, but Gin Mazoti is the real standout—she's simply freaking awesome and easily clinched the spot as my favorite character. She storms into the story later on, but from the moment she appears, she's unforgettable. Her journey from the streets to becoming a master strategist is as gripping as any hero's quest. She brings a layer of toughness and complexity to the book, making a mark in a world where the guys typically get all the limelight.

Writing Style: 5/5
Ken Liu's writing style is like the secret sauce in "The Grace of Kings" – it’s gonna click for some and not for others. The thing is he doesn't mess around with fluffy descriptions; he gets straight to the point. That's pretty refreshing in a genre where authors can get a bit carried away describing every leaf on a tree. Liu's got a background in short stories, and it shows. He's all about packing a punch with fewer words and keeping things moving.

The way he tells the story is kind of like he’s giving us the bird's eye view – big picture, with bold strokes. Don’t expect to zoom in on the thread count of the royal curtains. Instead, it’s more about the heavyweight bouts between empires and less about what everyone’s eating for breakfast.

“There’s never going to be an end to suffering if ‘he deserves it’ is all the justification people need for inflicting pain.”

For the hardcore fantasy readers who live for the nitty-gritty, Liu’s style might come off more history textbook than fantasy epic. Indeed, I imagine in a normally scoped fantasy novel was written with this style I'd likely give it a 1/5. But I reckon the whole no-frills thing he’s got going on is pretty much necessitated (and spot on) for the epic tale he’s telling. It keeps things epic without dragging you through pages of fluff. Sure, he could’ve chopped it into a bunch of books, but it’s the jam-packed, one-book wonder that makes it stand out.

Enjoyment: 5/5
I base my enjoyment of a book typically by how fast I read it. I read this book in three days. With full time work. With two children under the age of 5 - and another one due in a couple of weeks. That's pretty much speed reading for me. In other words I loved this book.

Final Rating: 5.0/5 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕

My favourite books of 2023 in preferential order
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕:
1. The Shadow of the Gods - (My Review)
2. The Grace of Kings - (My Review)
3. The Lies of Locke Lamora
4. The Forgetting Moon - (My Review)
5. The Justice of Kings - (My Review)
6. Kings of the Wyld - (My Review)
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗:
7. Morning Star - (My Review)
8. The Blade Itself - (My Review)
9. Tress of the Emerald Sea - (My Review)
10. Red Seas Under Red Skies - (My Review)
11. The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World
12. Empire of the Vampire - (My Review)
13. Assassin's Apprentice - (My Review)
14. Malice - (My Review)
15. Golden Son
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑:
16. Leviathan Wakes - (My Review)
17. The Winter King - (My Review)
18. Of Blood and Fire - (My Review)
19. Gardens of the Moon - (My Review)
🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑:
20. Deadhouse Gates - (My Review)
🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑:
21. The Song of Achilles - (My Review)
22. Red Sister - (My Review)
🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑:
23. Babel: An Arcane History - (My Review)