My final read of 2015:

The Grace of King – Ken Liu (courtesy of Netgalley)

The first in a planned series, The Grace of Kings was a good fantasy epic, with solid world-building and a fascinating mythology angle. It’s being hailed as the next Game of Thrones… I wouldn’t go that far, I’m afraid.

What worked…

Set in the fictional islands of Dara, relying heavily on China and Japanese history, the world building was really well thought and built. The author added an element of mythology reminiscent of the Iliad, which I thought worked wonderfully.

What didn’t work…

The book was just a bit too long, and the character development was odd. Some characters are given quite a lot of description, only to be discarded very quickly without much regard. After a very slow and paced build, the novel seems to rush to the end too quickly, and perhaps underwhelming.

Verdict

The novel could’ve used major editing, as it was just a bit too long and not paced well enough. Nonetheless, an interesting and enjoyable read, particularly as it had some great mythological elements that made it stand out of the rest. Would be looking out for the next in the series, but won’t be holding my breath for it.

4 out of 5 stars.