Ken Liu did something ambitious. He dreamt up Dara from the depths of his imagination and crafted into a real place. This series is transportive and find myself grasping for the intangible. The Dandelion Dyntasy is very much a historical epic, written like a classic at times with luscious, layered prose. It spans decades in time and I love how so many characters and moments in the Grace of Kings have turn into myth and lore in-world. It’s going to be up there in my favorite political fantasies especially since this series ties so much historical elements into it. 

Speaking Bones runs with the groundwork set in the Veiled Throne. It’s battle after battle and TENSE. I’ve never been so stressed 😭😭 Characters have to reckon with who they are and decide whether to follow their natures and own the consequences. The characters in this series are polarizing, flawed, and they invoke feeling like a real person whether you like or dislike them. The politics are politicking! The themes and commentary are so important and relevant to today’s world without being heavy handed in its approach as well.

Jia is the most complex, fascinating character in the series for me and I loveddddddd her chapters. No one gets her like I do. I also loved Thèra and the rest of the dissolver of sorrows cast. There’s too many major and minor characters to note, but many impacted me. Ken can scope in on someone and really have you invested in them and their life in a couple pages. Cried so many times- 🥹

The philosophical elements to the story were some of the highlights for me too. Especially to how it pertains to what it means to govern and wield the Grace of Kings….. ahh!!!

Some nits were that the timeline kinda got repetitive for me. The whole flashback in the middle of a fight scene to see how characters invented something was just done too many time and took me out of the story. As much as I love the engineering in this series, I think it got way out of hand in Speaking Bones.

Some of my favorite lines, stories, and folk-tales were in this book! I loved the call backs too. “Teeth on the board” will forever live in my mind rent free.