Showing all posts labelled: Ellen Oh
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It’s to spotlight upcoming books that I’m DYING to get my hands on!
This week’s WoW is:
King by Ellen Oh
**WARNING: contains spoilers from Prophecy and Warrior**
Girl warrior, demon slayer, Tiger spirit of the Yellow Eyes—Kira is ready for her final quest. In this thrilling finale to the Prophecy trilogy, fans will get even more of the fierce Kira and her quest to save her kingdom!
All eyes are on her. Kira, once an outcast in her home village of Hansong, is now the only one with the power to save her kingdom. She must save her cousin, the boy fated to be the future king, uncover the third lost treasure, and face innumerable enemies in order to fulfill the famed prophecy.
Kira braves a sea of tigers and battles armies of demons as she musters her inner strength and learns to trust herself, the romantic feelings for Jaewon that are growing within her, and the destiny that must be hers.
I’ve been waiting for this one since the start of this year after finishing Prophecy (review here) and Warrior (review here). I’m afraid though, that I can’t really remember some details from the previous book(s) so I’m a little hesitant getting into this one without re-reading the first two in the trilogy. Anyway, I’ve really enjoyed this series so far and I’m excited (and sad) to see how it ends!
What are you waiting on?
Warrior by Ellen Oh
Release Date: December 31, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Series: The Dragon King Chronicles, Book 2
Rated: YA 14+
Format: eGalley
Source: Edelweiss
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website
Read my review of Prophecy HERE
First an outcast, now a hero.
But her fight rages on.
Kira, the yellow-eyed demon slayer who fiercely protected her kingdom—and the crown prince—has been proclaimed the Dragon Musado of the prophecy. With the defeated the evil shaman.
But it wasn’t enough.
Hansong is in chaos. The Demon Lord’s minions have infiltrated the city, treason is brewing among the military ranks, and Kira is buried by the overwhelming loss of her parents. She’s also plagued by the annoying feelings that blossom whenever she’s around Jaewon. But she is determined that nothing will stop her from finding the second treasure needed to fulfill the Dragon King’s prophecy. Not even the army of half-breed demons hot on their trail. If only she could learn to trust others…
Her father always said one person can change the world. Will it be Kira?
I managed to get Warrior as an eGalley and that was what launched me into reading this amazing fantasy series. I loved Prophecy, but I'll admit, I was a little bit afraid of getting into this one. Quite a lot of series have a really bad follow-up to the first book, or one that doesn't live up to what happens in the first book. However, I'm happy to say that Warrior was as awesome as the first book. I was completely blown away with the action and plot in this one! I enjoyed the return of characters, the plot twists and the new character developments with this second instalment and it just left me hungry for more.
This book's events takes place ten days after where Prophecy leaves off. I like that I read this as a continuation because everything was so fresh in my mind, concerning the plot and characters in the first book, and that just made me love this one even more. I tend to forget things quite often, so that's why it's really important that I read a series in one go!
We get a slightly more feminine side to Kira this time round – slightly meaning a teensy spoonful – as she battles her emotions towards *certain* characters, emotions that might mean more than just friendship. I love Kira, she's such a kick-ass character! However, I feel that there's some lack of connection to her character. It might just be the third-person narrative though, because while we find out how she reacts to certain things, there's a lack of describing how she feels. It's pretty much what's on the outside (besides her inner thoughts) and some general comments. It didn't bother me much in the first book because I was more interested in the world-building, but in the second I was looking forward to learning more about her character, but was a little let down instead. Other than this though, I do love her determination and will-power.
The return of old characters! Of course, we have the Taejo, Kira's brothers, Major Pak, Jaewon, Brother Woojin, Seung, and the adorable dog Jindo. I love them all, and feel like while we don't learn much about their characters, their roles in the book are significant. We also have the return of a character from the first book (I'm not spoiling this!) and so there's a lot of conflict on whether or not to trust this person.
While the romance was barely there in Prophecy, it's featured a lot more in Warrior. I was quite glad that it didn't take up and overshadow the important events, but was there nonetheless. I'm kind of split about it, because I don't think I know Jaewon's character still as much as I would have liked to, but it's still an interesting development, especially as Kira hasn't grown up with much of female influence, and so I thought Oh depicted her struggle really well.
The ending was pretty intense. It was actually quite Lord of the Rings-esque, because it ended in a cliffhanger, and now I desperately need the next book! So much happens, and the epic journey is clearly not yet at it's end, which leaves me excited for more.
Warrior lived up to my expectations and even soared far beyond that– this sequel to Prophecy will entice fans of the first and will leave them hungry for more. Ellen Oh's storytelling is masterfully epic, and will have you spellbound with her take on Korean myths and folklore. I'm excited to learn more about the next book, because I can't wait for the journey of the Dragon Musado to continue. More please!
If you like this, try...
Prophecy by Ellen Oh
Release Date: January 2, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Series: The Dragon King Chronicles, Book 1
Rated: YA 13+
Format: Hardcover
Source: Borrowed
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website
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.
Intrigue and mystery, ancient lore and action-packed fantasy come together in this heart-stopping first book in a trilogy.
Wow. When a fantasy is done-well it's amazing, and ladies and gents, this was not only done-well but done-to-perfection. Prophecy was a breath of fresh air mingled with the foundation of all great fantasy novels. It was not only fantasy though– to my delight, it's also blended in quite a lot of Korean mythology. I feel that Asia is completely under-represented in YA fiction, and I'm so glad that some of the stories from this culture are integrated into this novel.
The reason how I came about to picking up this book is because I actually got an eGalley of the sequel, Warrior. I've heard so many people rave about this book, being one of the strongest debuts this year with a totally kick-ass cover, and so I knew that I would never really get the chance to read this one until WAY later in the future (my TBR pile is just massive). I'm so glad that I got the chance to, because I fell instantly in love. Literally, and I'm not exaggerating, from the first line, I was sold.
Kira! For some reason or the other, I kept picturing Mulan, the Once Upon a Time television series version, as her...and for a good reason! They're both such incredible characters– girl power truly represented here folks. I like that she's an outcast, and has to keep hiding the pain. Though the book is told from a third-person point of view, which totally worked by the way, you could really see why she needs to constantly put on a cold exterior. Being a female warrior truly must be tough, because some of the things she has to go through, whether it's socially, physically or emotionally, is quite sad and you really can sympathize with her character.
The supporting cast was also amazing. Even though there are so many names and being only somewhat familiar with Korean culture, I was still actually able to recognize who was who, and didn't end up confused like I normally do with fantasy novels and the billion minor characters. I loved the prince, Kira's cousin, and Kawn, Kira's brother, as well as some interesting developments with what I hope is a possible love interest. I was just glad the whole story in fact did not revolve about a teenage girl finding love when clearly the story line is so much more important. It was a refreshing take on fantasy, compared to so many others where in fact it becomes more about the romance than what is actually going on. Points to Ellen Oh for this!
Prophecy is a promising and enticing beginning to what will be an amazing trilogy. I'm excited to find out more about the stories in Korean mythology, because the little additions here and there in this story were fantastic, and really made the story richer by adding much more depth. Ellen Oh's debut is absolutely riveting and spellbinding, and will be sure to capture the attentions of readers of all ages. I'm hooked onto this series and can't WAIT to venture in Warrior.
If you like this, try...
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