by Ellen Oh
Published January 2nd 2013
by HarperTeen
ARC from Netgalley
Summary from Goodreads:
The greatest warrior in all of the Seven Kingdoms... is a girl with yellow eyes.
Kira’s the only female in the king’s army, and the prince’s bodyguard. She’s a demon slayer and an outcast, hated by nearly everyone in her home city of Hansong. And, she’s their only hope...
Murdered kings and discovered traitors point to a demon invasion, sending Kira on the run with the young prince. He may be the savior predicted in the Dragon King Prophecy, but the missing treasure of myth may be the true key. With only the guidance of the cryptic prophecy, Kira must battle demon soldiers, evil shaman, and the Demon Lord himself to find what was once lost and raise a prince into a king.
Thoughts:
Some readers and bloggers I knew were displeased with the comparison made with Graceling which is certainly one of the most memorable YA fantasy I've come across. This could be easily an Asian version of Graceling with so many glaring similarities. There's the pre-requisite feared female assassin with royal blood who become a trusted guardian to the wimpy prince, an unwanted noble suitor and enough twists and turns that will definitely make your head spin. But there's also many elements like powerful monks, ancient goddess, dragons and a prophecy about 'The One' which makes the book unique in my opinion.
I ended up really liking the story despite the obvious plotline and the simple writing. Maybe because of the Korean setting or the fact that Kira turned out to be a very likeable demon slayer. And the fact that the romance is very subdued (just like in Graceling) makes me appreciate the book even more.
Although a lot is resolved at the end of the story, I'm guessing that the writer will introduced some new conflict to keep the series going. And Kira's new love interest; Jaewon might provide for an interesting plot what with his mysterious past and the fact that he seemed like some runaway noble from a distant land. I really can't wait for that.
Verdict: 5 stars.
Available on: Amazon
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