The Ruin of Kings (Chorus of Dragons, #1)

by Jenn Lyons

In this thunderously good read, prophecy and magic combine in an incredible epic fantasy of imperial politics, gods and demons. The Ruin of Kings is the first book in Jenn Lyons's extraordinary series, A Chorus of Dragons.

When destiny calls, there's no fighting back . . .

As a bard’s apprentice, Kihrin grew up with tales of legendary deeds. He also steals, desperate to buy a way out of Quur’s slums. But when he raids the wrong house, he’s marked by a demon and life will never be the same again.

Kihrin’s plight brings him to the attention of royalty, who claim him as the lost son of their immoral prince. But far from living the dream, Kihrin’s at the mercy of his new family’s ruthless ambitions. However, escaping his jewelled cage just makes matters worse. Kihrin is horrified to learn he’s at the centre of an ancient prophecy. And every side – from gods and demons to dragons and mages – want him as their pawn. Those old stories lied about many things too, especially the myth that the hero always wins.

Then again, maybe Kihrin isn’t the hero, for he’s not destined to save the empire. He’s destined to destroy it.

Continue the epic fantasy adventure with The Name of All Things and The Memory of Souls.

‘What an extraordinary book . . . enthralling and deeply, deeply satisfying. I loved it' - Lev Grossman, author of The Magicians

‘A fantastic page-turner with a heady blend of great characters' - John Gwynne, author of A Time of Dread

'A virtually un-put-down-able read' - Kirkus Reviews

• ISBN10: 150987948X
• ISBN13: 9781509879489
• Publish Date: 7 February 2019 (first published 5 February 2019)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 18 June 2023
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Imprint: Tor
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 560
• Language: English

Reviews

I couldn't put it down. Came to me at the right time. Confusing at points but I'm excited for the presumed sequel.

This is a difficult book to review. It has footnotes, complex family trees, soul switching, and it changes from first-person writing to third-person writing regularly. I get why some people hated it. It is confusing, complex, and has so many elements to it, that it might be overwhelming for a lot of people.

However, I loved it because of all those reasons. The complexity, the changing narratives, the soul switching, and all the other elements. I loved all the characters, the friendships felt real, and enough time passed for everything to make sense.

[Beth C.]

This book is truly epic in scope. There is a lot happening, and a lot of characters, so keeping everything straight was at times a challenge. But it *is* fascinating, and now that so much of the history/background has been taken care of, I wonder if the next book will feel a little less...complicated. The book is told in alternating viewpoints of two different characters - but both talking about the same character who happens to be one whose viewpoint we are reading - while a third character is sort of interjecting here and there. And yes, it was initially just as confusing as it sounds. It took a few chapters to sort of settle in for the ride and really get the hang of it, but once I did, there wasn't any further issue.

The story is fascinating - gods and demons and dragons, prophecies and death, revenge and betrayal. Really, it covers just about everything - no surprise, since it's not a small book. But it's well written, absorbing, and is definitely a good start to what promises to be a fantastic epic fantasy.