--- product_id: 271302156 title: "The Grace of Kings: Volume 1" price: "AR$111327" currency: ARS in_stock: true reviews_count: 5 url: https://www.desertcart.com.ar/products/271302156-the-grace-of-kings-volume-1 store_origin: AR region: Argentina --- # Unique Silk Road-inspired setting Epic 600+ pages saga Complex political & battle strategy The Grace of Kings: Volume 1 **Price:** AR$111327 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > ⚔️📚 Where ancient epics meet modern rebellion — don’t miss the fantasy revolution! ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Grace of Kings: Volume 1 - **How much does it cost?** AR$111327 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.com.ar](https://www.desertcart.com.ar/products/271302156-the-grace-of-kings-volume-1) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Epic storytelling redefined:** Dive into a 600+ page saga blending classical epics with modern fantasy innovation. - • **Culturally rich world-building:** Experience a Silk Road-inspired archipelago where ancient traditions meet inventive technology. - • **Philosophical depth with a twist:** Engage with moral dilemmas and gods who comment on the story, adding layers of wit and wisdom. - • **Masterclass in political intrigue:** Navigate shifting governance models and power struggles that challenge every assumption. - • **Empowered, multidimensional characters:** Follow protagonists and heroines who break molds and redefine agency in fantasy. ## Overview The Grace of Kings: Volume 1 by Ken Liu is a critically acclaimed epic fantasy novel that combines traditional Chinese storytelling with a unique Pacific island setting. Praised for its intricate political narratives, empowered characters, and philosophical depth, this 600+ page saga reimagines classic epic poetry through a modern lens. Ranked among the top Asian Myth & Legend and Historical Fantasy books, it’s a must-read for fans craving a fresh, immersive fantasy experience. ## Description 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 Review: Bought as a gift and the book it was well received - My son likes the book well received Review: Mesmerising - Ken Liu is mostly known for his prolific output as a short story writer. He's also an author that rarely disappoints; I've liked, if not loved, all of his stories I've read. When Saga Press announced they'd snapped up his long-awaited novel it immediately went on my must-read list. The Grace of Kings is an epic Silk Road fantasy with added -punk elements; it combines traditional Chinese story elements with a Pacific Ocean islands locale and some clever technological inventions that feel organic to the setting. In other words, once again Liu didn't disappoint. What immediately sets The Grace of Kings apart is Liu's writing style. Of course the story is written in his usual beautiful prose, but he adds interesting stylistic choices in the form of recognisable story-telling elements from differing oral traditions. For example, he employs the repeated descriptive terms for people or places familiar from the Classical epics that served the bards of Greece and Rome as mnemonics and also kennings as used in Anglo-Saxon poetry. Undoubtedly, Liu incorporated more of these, but those are the ones I was already familiar with. Together they create the sense that The Grace of Kings falls in the tradition of the classic epic poems meant to be recited and told around the fire on a number of consecutive nights, but with far more modern attitudes to societal development. The pacing of the narrative, the location hopping and the sometimes rather abrupt exits - temporary or very much permanent - for various characters all add to this impression. The plot can seem somewhat sketchy, in the sense that there isn't a strong, linear plot going from A to B, which might be off-putting to some readers, but which I found mesmerising. There is so much to talk about with this book; I don't even know where to start. Liu throws in everything and the kitchen sink at his story and somehow it doesn't just stick, it works beautifully. First of all and perhaps most clearly, there are the intricate politics at the heart of the plot. While Kuni does fight outright battles, most of his battles are fought in the political field and through good governance. In fact, we see several forms of governance being implemented from a feudal system, to a federation of states, to a straight-out dictatorship and all of them have their pros and their cons. The philosophy of governance that Liu explores in the book is fascinating. But it's not just serious philosophy, some of it is honestly hilarious, for example the scheme Cogo and Kuni come up with to ensure that merchants don't cook their books and evade taxes. I also liked that one of the most successful generals in the Empire's army wasn't actually a military commander, but the chief tax collector and finance minister, whose managerial skills are what make him successful, not his prowess with a sword. I also really appreciated Liu's treatment of his female characters. The main female characters, Jia, Gin, Kikomi, Mira and Risana all had agency. True, two of them sort of get fridged--I mean their fates serve to spur one of the protagonists on, but they choose their ultimate fate themselves, so perhaps they were semi-fridged? Yet all of them find strength in their own way, whether it is Kikomi who learns to wield her beauty as a weapon or Gin who wields an actual sword in battle, they all have their strengths and goals they attain. Jia, Gin, and Risana all advocate for equal opportunities for women in a proactive way, which I really enjoyed, especially how startled the men are when their suggestions actually work. Jia also has the strength to recognise that since she and Kuni can't be together, they should have other loves and in fact there seems to be a form of polyamory in the book, especially once Kuni, Jia and Risana are all reunited. It'll be interesting to see how this situation develops in the future, whether they can build a harmonious household with the four partners and the children or whether it becomes a power struggle between the two women to be first in Kuni's affections. Before I go on to Kuni, Mata and some of the other characters, I have to mention how awesome the gods of the Islands of Dara are. Liu incorporates them into the story in an active role, having them show up in the narrative itself and in little insets, where they comment on events that went before, actually taking stock and declaring wins and losses for themselves. These scenes were brilliant and often also quite funny. What I really liked about their inserting themselves into the action, was that at one point I found myself distrusting or suspecting different characters of being incarnations of the gods and being surprised when they weren't or vice versa when someone who I hadn't suspected was revealed to be an avatar. Liu's characters are wonderful and very compelling. My favourites were Kuni, Jia, Luan, Gin, and perhaps surprisingly, Marana. What I liked about these characters was that they were unexpected; whether they were unconventional in their choices, surprisingly suited to a task they were given or just rising far beyond what anyone could have foreseen, they all do things that surprise even the gods. There are also no good guys or bad guys here. While Mata perpetrates horrible atrocities - and those are never excused in any way in the narrative - we're also shown that he doesn't do these things because he wants to do evil, but because he wants to do what is right and honourable. Similarly, Kuni is a decent man with a compassionate heart, but circumstances force him to make horrible decisions and order his troops to perform despicable acts knowing that they are awful, but the right thing to do. The book is filled with philosophical dilemmas and none of them are easily answered. I loved The Grace of Kings. I loved the sprawling breadth and depth of the narrative. I fell in love with the characters and the Islands of Dara and I can't wait to spend more time there. Liu brings something fresh and new through channelling classical traditions. If you love epic fantasy I can't recommend The Grace of Kings highly enough. This book was provided for review by the publisher. ## Features - Saga Press ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #395,659 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #356 in Asian Myth & Legend #896 in Historical Fantasy #1,257 in Sword & Sorcery Fantasy | | Customer Reviews | 4.3 out of 5 stars 305 Reviews | ## Images ![The Grace of Kings: Volume 1 - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/914pHyAv3BL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Bought as a gift and the book it was well received *by M***O on 7 July 2025* My son likes the book well received ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Mesmerising *by M***M on 15 April 2015* Ken Liu is mostly known for his prolific output as a short story writer. He's also an author that rarely disappoints; I've liked, if not loved, all of his stories I've read. When Saga Press announced they'd snapped up his long-awaited novel it immediately went on my must-read list. The Grace of Kings is an epic Silk Road fantasy with added -punk elements; it combines traditional Chinese story elements with a Pacific Ocean islands locale and some clever technological inventions that feel organic to the setting. In other words, once again Liu didn't disappoint. What immediately sets The Grace of Kings apart is Liu's writing style. Of course the story is written in his usual beautiful prose, but he adds interesting stylistic choices in the form of recognisable story-telling elements from differing oral traditions. For example, he employs the repeated descriptive terms for people or places familiar from the Classical epics that served the bards of Greece and Rome as mnemonics and also kennings as used in Anglo-Saxon poetry. Undoubtedly, Liu incorporated more of these, but those are the ones I was already familiar with. Together they create the sense that The Grace of Kings falls in the tradition of the classic epic poems meant to be recited and told around the fire on a number of consecutive nights, but with far more modern attitudes to societal development. The pacing of the narrative, the location hopping and the sometimes rather abrupt exits - temporary or very much permanent - for various characters all add to this impression. The plot can seem somewhat sketchy, in the sense that there isn't a strong, linear plot going from A to B, which might be off-putting to some readers, but which I found mesmerising. There is so much to talk about with this book; I don't even know where to start. Liu throws in everything and the kitchen sink at his story and somehow it doesn't just stick, it works beautifully. First of all and perhaps most clearly, there are the intricate politics at the heart of the plot. While Kuni does fight outright battles, most of his battles are fought in the political field and through good governance. In fact, we see several forms of governance being implemented from a feudal system, to a federation of states, to a straight-out dictatorship and all of them have their pros and their cons. The philosophy of governance that Liu explores in the book is fascinating. But it's not just serious philosophy, some of it is honestly hilarious, for example the scheme Cogo and Kuni come up with to ensure that merchants don't cook their books and evade taxes. I also liked that one of the most successful generals in the Empire's army wasn't actually a military commander, but the chief tax collector and finance minister, whose managerial skills are what make him successful, not his prowess with a sword. I also really appreciated Liu's treatment of his female characters. The main female characters, Jia, Gin, Kikomi, Mira and Risana all had agency. True, two of them sort of get fridged--I mean their fates serve to spur one of the protagonists on, but they choose their ultimate fate themselves, so perhaps they were semi-fridged? Yet all of them find strength in their own way, whether it is Kikomi who learns to wield her beauty as a weapon or Gin who wields an actual sword in battle, they all have their strengths and goals they attain. Jia, Gin, and Risana all advocate for equal opportunities for women in a proactive way, which I really enjoyed, especially how startled the men are when their suggestions actually work. Jia also has the strength to recognise that since she and Kuni can't be together, they should have other loves and in fact there seems to be a form of polyamory in the book, especially once Kuni, Jia and Risana are all reunited. It'll be interesting to see how this situation develops in the future, whether they can build a harmonious household with the four partners and the children or whether it becomes a power struggle between the two women to be first in Kuni's affections. Before I go on to Kuni, Mata and some of the other characters, I have to mention how awesome the gods of the Islands of Dara are. Liu incorporates them into the story in an active role, having them show up in the narrative itself and in little insets, where they comment on events that went before, actually taking stock and declaring wins and losses for themselves. These scenes were brilliant and often also quite funny. What I really liked about their inserting themselves into the action, was that at one point I found myself distrusting or suspecting different characters of being incarnations of the gods and being surprised when they weren't or vice versa when someone who I hadn't suspected was revealed to be an avatar. Liu's characters are wonderful and very compelling. My favourites were Kuni, Jia, Luan, Gin, and perhaps surprisingly, Marana. What I liked about these characters was that they were unexpected; whether they were unconventional in their choices, surprisingly suited to a task they were given or just rising far beyond what anyone could have foreseen, they all do things that surprise even the gods. There are also no good guys or bad guys here. While Mata perpetrates horrible atrocities - and those are never excused in any way in the narrative - we're also shown that he doesn't do these things because he wants to do evil, but because he wants to do what is right and honourable. Similarly, Kuni is a decent man with a compassionate heart, but circumstances force him to make horrible decisions and order his troops to perform despicable acts knowing that they are awful, but the right thing to do. The book is filled with philosophical dilemmas and none of them are easily answered. I loved The Grace of Kings. I loved the sprawling breadth and depth of the narrative. I fell in love with the characters and the Islands of Dara and I can't wait to spend more time there. Liu brings something fresh and new through channelling classical traditions. If you love epic fantasy I can't recommend The Grace of Kings highly enough. This book was provided for review by the publisher. ### ⭐⭐⭐ Decepcionante *by J***S on 18 July 2017* A pesar de que, atendiendo a lo que se percibe, el autor debe tener muchos lectores, la lectura me resultó pesada porque el estilo del autor es bastante plano: no hay énfasis, no hay tensión, sino que se explican los acontecimientos uno tras otro como si nos contaran un cuento, en lugar de vivirlos como logran, por ejemplo, George RR Martin en "Canción de Hielo y Fuego". Como punto positivo, el argumento es entretenido (ocurren muchas cosas) y el autor no pierde el tiempo en acontecimientos o descripciones secundarias. ## Frequently Bought Together - The Grace of Kings (1) (The Dandelion Dynasty) - The Wall of Storms (2) (The Dandelion Dynasty) - Speaking Bones (4) (The Dandelion Dynasty) --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.com.ar/products/271302156-the-grace-of-kings-volume-1](https://www.desertcart.com.ar/products/271302156-the-grace-of-kings-volume-1) --- *Product available on Desertcart Argentina* *Store origin: AR* *Last updated: 2026-08-19*