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The Grace of Kings (Dandelion Dynasty, The)

Ken Liu

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One of the Time 100 Best Fantasy Books Of All Time

Two men rebel together against tyranny—and then become rivals—in this first sweeping book of an epic fantasy series from Ken Liu, recipient of Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards. Hailed as one of the best books of 2015 by NPR.

Wily, charming Kuni Garu, a bandit, and stern, fearless Mata Zyndu, the son of a deposed duke, seem like polar opposites. Yet, in the uprising against the emperor, the two quickly become the best of friends after a series of adventures fighting against vast conscripted armies, silk-draped airships, and shapeshifting gods.

Once the emperor has been overthrown, however, they each find themselves the leader of separate factions—two sides with very different ideas about how the world should be run and the meaning of justice.

Fans of intrigue, intimate plots, and action will find a new series to embrace in the Dandelion Dynasty.

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Posts about this title from Written Reveries

Written Reveries\ \ Krystal\ \ • Jan 17 2025

Vlog: The Dandelion Dynasty | Katabasis | What I've Read | Book Mail | An Author I No Longer Support

my first weekly vlog! I chat about a new favorite series, hopes of getting 1 of 200 Katabasis proofs, update you on what I've read so far this year, book mail and some thoughts on a recent Vulture article.

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11 books

Posts about this book from across Bindery

Alysha Fortune Reads\ \ Alysha\ \ • Mar 17

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Here are five book series that gave me Game of Thrones vibes! #books #booktok #bookstagram #gameofthrones

Here are five book series that gave me Game of Thrones vibes! #books #booktok #bookstagram #gameofthrones #fantasybooks

5 books

The Biblio(files)\ \ Brooke \ \ • Feb 6

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\ \ Join for free or login](https://onthebrookeshelves.binderybooks.com/item/4cqSakCox2ToMgvqwmf8/)

All the series I loved before...

tackle my long list of series i have left unfinished with me

14 books

The Coterie\ \ Mikah Mia Reads\ \ • Oct 27 2025

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\ \ Our November book club pick is The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu! I’m so excited to start this series with you all. I’ve heard really great things about The Dandelion Dynasty and hope it’s just as good as everyone says it is 🤞🏼Love that we’re starting a new fantasy series just in time for the chilly months and holidays! Also, don’t forget to check the Discord for our giveaway winner this month 📱](https://thecoterie.binderybooks.com/item/kuPvSamXhikoyeQY9OkD/)

November Pick: THE GRACE OF KINGS BY KEN LIU

1 book

The Coterie\ \ Mikah Mia Reads\ \ • Oct 17 2025

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Poll:\ \ what should we read in nov?\ \ I hope you all are having a fantastic October! While doing a lighter horror read for Halloween has been so fun, I’ve been feeling a pull to go back to our fantasy roots for November. With that in mind, here are the three options for this month! Voting will close in one week and the giveaway winner will be announced then too 📖\ \ The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu\ \ Genre: Epic High Fantasy\ \ Wily, charming Kuni Garu, a bandit, and stern, fearless Mata Zyndu, the son of a deposed duke, seem like polar opposites. Yet, in the uprising against the emperor, the two quickly become the best of friends after a series of adventures fighting against vast conscripted armies, silk-draped airships, and shapeshifting gods. Once the emperor has been overthrown, however, they each find themselves the leader of separate factions—two sides with very different ideas about how the world should be run and the meaning of justice.\ \ Heart’s Blood by Juliette Marillier\ \ Genre: Folktale Retelling\ \ Whistling Tor is a place of secrets—a mysterious, wooded hill housing the crumbling fortress of a chieftain whose name is spoken throughout the district in tones of revulsion and bitterness. A curse lies over Anluan's family and his people; those woods hold a perilous force whose every whisper threatens doom.\ \ For young scribe Caitrin it is a safe haven. This place where nobody else is prepared to go seems exactly what she needs, for Caitrin is fleeing her own demons. As Caitrin comes to know Anluan and his home in more depth she realizes that it is only through her love and determination that the curse can be broken and Anluan and his people set free.\ \ Silvercloak by L.K. Stephen\ \ Genre: Fantasy Romance\ \ Two decades ago, the Bloodmoons ruthlessly murdered Saffron Killoran’s parents, destroying her idyllic childhood. Hell-bent on revenge, she lies her way into Silvercloak Academy—the training ground for her city’s elite order of detectives—with a single goal: to bring the Bloodmoons to justice. But when Saff’s deception is exposed, rather than being cast out, she’s given a rare opportunity: to go undercover and tear the Bloodmoons down from the inside.\ \ Join for free or login

November Voting 🍂

3 books

Boundless Press\ \ Jananie\ \ • Jun 26 2025

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\ \ Upgrade for $5 or login](https://boundless.binderybooks.com/item/o398xglpHGAqTm1eiK8N/)

NEW YORK CITY BOOK HAUL | 💖 Zoran Mamdani for NYC mayor 💖

all the books I grabbed while in NYC for the Bindery Spring Launch!

27 books

The Inkborne Society\ \ Azhangia\ \ • May 29 2025

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My Top 5 of the Month \ \ ⭐ 4.50 - The Grace of Kings (Ken Liu)\ \ I finally picked up The Grace of Kings this month after years of having it on my TBR and was NOT disappointed. The first book of the Dandelion Dynasty series, TGoK is a silkpunk fantasy tale of rebellion, treachery, sacrifice, and dynamic politics. One of my favorite things about this book was the minor characters - even though you don’t necessarily spend that much time with them, they all feel so three-dimensional, with rich lives of their own that piece together into the greater tapestry of the story. The book also featured exciting action sequences, fascinating biomimetic technology, and complex relationships that really brought the tale to life. I think this series will likely become one of my all-time favs, and I can’t wait to read the rest of the books!!!\ \ ⭐ 4.50 - House of the Beast (Michelle Wong)\ \ I’m always on the hunt for a good standalone fantasy, and House of the Beast is the latest gem I wanted to share. Full of morally complex characters and set in an Asian-inspired world with an anime vibe that I really enjoyed, this was a captivating dark fantasy tale of revenge, codependency, and obsession that I could not put it down. The book also features illustrations done by the author herself (she was the illustrator of The Legend of Korra graphic novels!), and they were such a delight to look at throughout the course of the story. \ \ ⭐ 4.50 - The Devils (Joe Abercrombie)\ \ The Devils by Joe Abercrombie is now what I would consider the best starting point for readers new to Abercrombie’s works, and is a delightful story of found family and adventure that somehow managed to be tragic, hilarious, and thought-provoking all at once. It’s grimdark fantasy, so yes, there is the violence, the brutality, the futility, but Abercrombie does a fantastic job amping up the humor and wit without losing the core of the story, which in The Devils, is about finding self, belonging, purpose in a cruel and chaotic world. Additionally, the book delves into the hypocrisy of the Church, the blurred lines of good and evil, and concepts of damnation and redemption. One chapter in particular, “A War in Miniature,” stood out to me as especially well-written, and it’s one of the most memorable chapters I’ve read in recent years. \ \ ⭐ 4.25 - Coldwire (Chloe Gong)\ \ I grew up during the peak era of YA dystopia (YA books in the early 2010’s just hit different), and Coldwire was a book that felt conceptually fresh, but also nostalgic of that time. Given the rise of AI, this book felt particularly fascinating and relevant, and my favorite thing about it was the premise of the world being separated into “upcountry” and “downcountry” - those with financial resources can escape the economic and environmental catastrophes of “downcountry” by living almost entirely in a virtual reality known as “upcountry”. I am eagerly awaiting book 2 of this series, because man, there were so many twists and turns in the last 30% of the book and I need to see how the full story plays out!!\ \ ⭐ 4.25 - Royal Assassin (Robin Hobb)\ \ Robin Hobb sure knows how to write a compelling character-driven story, and I enjoyed this second leg of Fitz’s journey. This series has such a classic fantasy feel to it, and while I’m slightly terrified to see where this story is going (must protect Fitz at all costs), I am excited to see how this trilogy concludes in the next book!\ \ Other May Reads & Ratings \ \ ⭐ 4.25 - A Treachery of Swans (A.B. Poranek) \ \ I grew up doing ballet and am a sucker for Swan Lake retellings, so I was super excited to pick up this book. The writing was so lyrical and lush, and the gothic atmosphere was perfect for the story. I loved this sapphic twist on the Swan Lake tale, and thought the writing was engaging throughout. I do wish this had been a duology rather than a standalone, because there was a lot of potential at the end to expand the story, rather than force a conclusion, but overall, I enjoyed my time with this one!\ \ ⭐ 4.00 - A Forgery of Fate (Elizabeth Lim) \ \ YA books are a hit or miss for me these days, but this was a hit! I loved how Asian folklore was woven into this undersea Beauty and the Beast retelling, and really enjoyed the enchanted, aquatic vibes. This is a super-digestible, action-packed book and is very suitable for those looking to get more into the fantasy genre.\ \ ⭐ 4.00 - The Incandescent (Emily Tesh)\ \ The Incandescent features an older FMC (late 30’s), a highly detailed and well-developed magic system, and sapphic relationships all tied together in a story of self-discovery, belonging, and power. I have never read a dark academia fantasy book told from the perspective of the faculty, rather than the students, and I really appreciated this fresh perspective - if you're a teacher, I think you will especially like this one! \ \ ⭐ 4.00 - My Friends (Fredrik Backman)\ \ This was a beautiful story about how special childhood friendships are, and the beauty and power of art. I particularly loved the dedication of the book, so I wanted to share it below:\ \ "To anyone who is young and wants to create something. Do it."\ \ ⭐ 3.75 - Behooved (M. Stevenson)\ \ I was devastated when My Lady Jane was canceled on Prime Video after one season, but this book slightly eased the pain (yes, there is somehow another fantasy in which the MMC turns into a horse after sunset). Wish there was a little more depth to the story, but overall, this was a delightful romp of a story, and I had a lot of fun reading it!\ \ ⭐ 3.75 - A Man Called Ove (Fredrik Backman)\ \ Stories about the elderly always wreck me, and this was no exception. That said, I didn’t find this one quite as moving as And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer, another one of Backman’s books about an elderly man, but thought it was still beautifully written overall.\ \ ⭐ 3.75 - The Summer Palace and Other Stories (C.S. Pacat)\ \ This was a collection of short stories set in the same universe as the Captive Prince series, and I enjoyed getting to learn more about some of the side characters from the original trilogy, as well as glimpse the lives of Laurent and Damen following Kings Rising.\ \ ⭐ 3.25 - A Song of Legends Lost (M.H. Ayinde)\ \ This book had a really intriguing magic system centered around ancestral summoning and featured a cool sci-fi element called techwork, but I had a difficult time getting emotionally invested in the story because of how flat the characters felt. That said, if you’re more of a plot-driven reader, you may still really enjoy this one!\ \ Join for free or login

May Reading Wrap-Up (Reviews & Favorites)

Reviews and ratings of the 13 books I read in May - quite a few that I enjoyed this month!

12 books

The Bibliothecary\ \ Samantha\ \ • Apr 16 2025

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Q1 Series Wrap Up | 2025

In which I discuss my progress with series goals for Q1... it's not a lot :)

4 books

Kist Reads\ \ Kist\ \ • Apr 2 2025

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March Reading Wrap 📚 10 Book Reviews!

Rating and (spoiler-free) reviewing the 10 books I read in March, with a great mix of science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, and ancient/modern history!

8 books

The Bibliothecary\ \ Samantha\ \ • Mar 26 2025

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Recent Fiction Reads Wrapup | 2025

In which I discuss the fiction books I've read recently...

7 books

The Bibliothecary\ \ Samantha\ \ • Mar 3 2025

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The Grace of Kings (Spoiler Free) | REVIEW

In which I discuss my spoiler free thoughts on The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu...

1 book

Elsewhen\ \ Emma Gardner\ \ • Jan 27 2025