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Legends of Tivara
Crown of the Sundered Empire
A sundered realm. A missing crown. A coming war.
In a broken land where conquerors dream of empires, Tomas dreams of a day when the townsfolk won’t taunt him. After all, he’s the fishing village kid with a misshapen face.
Only the Rune vendor’s daughter treats him well. To win her heart, he relies on a quick wit and local superstitions to convince her he has Diviner’s Sight.
But if he did, he would’ve foreseen magic-fearing invaders plucking out his mismatched eye.
Or the demon trapped in the glass replacement. It reveals a world beyond human vision, while whispering temptations in his mind.
Now, with his village caught between the advancing armies of the Sun God’s mortal descendants and His Chosen People, Tomas must use a combination of calculation, cunning, and demonic insight to maneuver the forces of his world against each other—prince against prince, princess against princess, army against army—or see his home crushed forever beneath the wheels of war.
In a broken land where conquerors dream of empires, Tomas dreams of a day when the townsfolk won’t taunt him. After all, he’s the fishing village kid with a misshapen face.
Only the Rune vendor’s daughter treats him well. To win her heart, he relies on a quick wit and local superstitions to convince her he has Diviner’s Sight.
But if he did, he would’ve foreseen magic-fearing invaders plucking out his mismatched eye.
Or the demon trapped in the glass replacement. It reveals a world beyond human vision, while whispering temptations in his mind.
Now, with his village caught between the advancing armies of the Sun God’s mortal descendants and His Chosen People, Tomas must use a combination of calculation, cunning, and demonic insight to maneuver the forces of his world against each other—prince against prince, princess against princess, army against army—or see his home crushed forever beneath the wheels of war.
596 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 9, 2019
80 people are currently reading
185 people want to read
About the author
J.C. Kang
37 books457 followersJC Kang's unhealthy obsession with Fantasy and Sci-Fi began at an early age when his brother introduced him to The Chronicles of Narnia, Star Trek, and Star Wars. As an adult, he combines his geek roots with his professional experiences as a Chinese Medicine doctor, martial arts instructor, and technical writer to pen epic fantasy stories.
To learn more about what goes on in his twisted mind, follow his Facebook page:
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
May 23, 2020
I can't believe I didn't publish my review here!
Self-Published
Genre: Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery
Pages: 596
Format: ebook
Review Copy: offered me by the author in return for an honest review.
I approach the review of this one with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I enjoyed much of the story (after a fashion), loved the characters and found several of the plot threads nothing short of riveting. On the other, dozens of typos pulled me out of the action often, much to my annoyance. Further, I admit to some confusion on account of the blurb of this novel only concentrating on a third, at most, of the story it tells. The much more significant conflict, which embroiders four out of the five point-of-view characters of Crown is described by the succinct sentence, “A coming war,” and perhaps by the following line “a broken land where conquerors dream of empires”.
J. C. Kang’s world is multifaceted. History and mythology are one and the same, with fragments of once-corporeal gods empowering the mortal might of broken and aspirant empires both. There’s enough here to be daunting to a new reader to the world of Tivara - at times, I felt lost, uncertain of which of the characters were being introduced for the first time and which of them had starring or supporting roles in Kang's previous works.
I was entranced by Tomas’ story, the point of view which deals with the eponymous Crown of the Sundered Empire and with an invasion by the disgusting Bovyans, a race of large, militaristic males who procreate by forcing themselves on the women of those territories they subjugate through force. Tomas’ sharp wit is easy to grow fond of, and he goes through a dark hero’s journey, which sees him turn far more ruthless, at a very steep price. Only two instances come to mind as somewhat “off” in terms of his PoV sections, one of them when a soldier intent on not trusting the boy has a change of heart after stating very clearly he wouldn’t trust Tomas; the other involves a mid-wife in his village, of whom Tomas only ever thinks of as “the midwife.” This last one feels bizarrely archetypal and not at all like everyone in this tiny fishing and diving village has intimate knowledge of each other.
Our other characters, princes, princesses, bastards and a half-elf assassin, deal with the fallout of Crown Prince Elrayn’s attempt to unite two broken kingdoms in order to further his own power. At its best, this part of the novel reminded me of the plots of some Shakesperean comedies, with men and women desperate to get out of arranged marriages, falling in love with exactly whom they shouldn’t and creating plenty of amusing conflicts. At its worst, however, I just didn’t buy into the casual stupidity the Crown Prince exhibited in the midst of crisis – there’s incompetence, there’s short-sightedness and then there is whatever Elrayn suffers from. His early successes came across as no more than a stroke of luck, and his later failings appeared to me too artificial. Thankfully, he’s not one of the PoV characters – rather, the engine by which most of them come into the conflict.
I was familiar with the high-elf, Jie, from a short novella by the name of “Thorn of the Night Blossoms” and I enjoyed seeing her all grown-up and experienced but also struggling between duty and love. Her affair with Elrayn’s brother, Aryn, was a source of amusement and some well-appreciated tension, which ultimately didn’t come up to the sort of resolution I would’ve liked.
Alwrynn, royal bastard and brother to Elrayn and Aryn, whose overwhelming use of naval terms chafed during several instances, was otherwise an entertaining protagonist, skilled at sea but almost as helpless on land as in the world of politics. His connection with Alaena, the third PoV character and one of the princelings Elrayn attempts to marry into his family, is a source of plenty of tension that pays off really well towards the end of the story.
The action was fantastic, nothing less than what I've come to expect from Kang, based on my limited experience with his work.
Crown of the Sundered Empire is an intriguing read with plenty of positive elements. My enjoyment of it was mired by the typos and the extent to which I felt like a newcomer who lacked basic insight into some of the characters’ pasts and world events. Tomas’s story might’ve been a short novel of its own – and I would argue, it would’ve been a finer entry-point to the world for new readers such as myself. As it is, I liked J. C. Kang’s novel well enough, even with the issues I had, which is why I’m giving it 3/5 stars. I feel obliged to say that I’m in the minority – most of the readers who have scored this book over on Goodreads have given it either 4 or 5 stars. What didn’t work for me might very well work for you.
Self-Published
Genre: Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery
Pages: 596
Format: ebook
Review Copy: offered me by the author in return for an honest review.
I approach the review of this one with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I enjoyed much of the story (after a fashion), loved the characters and found several of the plot threads nothing short of riveting. On the other, dozens of typos pulled me out of the action often, much to my annoyance. Further, I admit to some confusion on account of the blurb of this novel only concentrating on a third, at most, of the story it tells. The much more significant conflict, which embroiders four out of the five point-of-view characters of Crown is described by the succinct sentence, “A coming war,” and perhaps by the following line “a broken land where conquerors dream of empires”.
J. C. Kang’s world is multifaceted. History and mythology are one and the same, with fragments of once-corporeal gods empowering the mortal might of broken and aspirant empires both. There’s enough here to be daunting to a new reader to the world of Tivara - at times, I felt lost, uncertain of which of the characters were being introduced for the first time and which of them had starring or supporting roles in Kang's previous works.
I was entranced by Tomas’ story, the point of view which deals with the eponymous Crown of the Sundered Empire and with an invasion by the disgusting Bovyans, a race of large, militaristic males who procreate by forcing themselves on the women of those territories they subjugate through force. Tomas’ sharp wit is easy to grow fond of, and he goes through a dark hero’s journey, which sees him turn far more ruthless, at a very steep price. Only two instances come to mind as somewhat “off” in terms of his PoV sections, one of them when a soldier intent on not trusting the boy has a change of heart after stating very clearly he wouldn’t trust Tomas; the other involves a mid-wife in his village, of whom Tomas only ever thinks of as “the midwife.” This last one feels bizarrely archetypal and not at all like everyone in this tiny fishing and diving village has intimate knowledge of each other.
Our other characters, princes, princesses, bastards and a half-elf assassin, deal with the fallout of Crown Prince Elrayn’s attempt to unite two broken kingdoms in order to further his own power. At its best, this part of the novel reminded me of the plots of some Shakesperean comedies, with men and women desperate to get out of arranged marriages, falling in love with exactly whom they shouldn’t and creating plenty of amusing conflicts. At its worst, however, I just didn’t buy into the casual stupidity the Crown Prince exhibited in the midst of crisis – there’s incompetence, there’s short-sightedness and then there is whatever Elrayn suffers from. His early successes came across as no more than a stroke of luck, and his later failings appeared to me too artificial. Thankfully, he’s not one of the PoV characters – rather, the engine by which most of them come into the conflict.
I was familiar with the high-elf, Jie, from a short novella by the name of “Thorn of the Night Blossoms” and I enjoyed seeing her all grown-up and experienced but also struggling between duty and love. Her affair with Elrayn’s brother, Aryn, was a source of amusement and some well-appreciated tension, which ultimately didn’t come up to the sort of resolution I would’ve liked.
Alwrynn, royal bastard and brother to Elrayn and Aryn, whose overwhelming use of naval terms chafed during several instances, was otherwise an entertaining protagonist, skilled at sea but almost as helpless on land as in the world of politics. His connection with Alaena, the third PoV character and one of the princelings Elrayn attempts to marry into his family, is a source of plenty of tension that pays off really well towards the end of the story.
The action was fantastic, nothing less than what I've come to expect from Kang, based on my limited experience with his work.
Crown of the Sundered Empire is an intriguing read with plenty of positive elements. My enjoyment of it was mired by the typos and the extent to which I felt like a newcomer who lacked basic insight into some of the characters’ pasts and world events. Tomas’s story might’ve been a short novel of its own – and I would argue, it would’ve been a finer entry-point to the world for new readers such as myself. As it is, I liked J. C. Kang’s novel well enough, even with the issues I had, which is why I’m giving it 3/5 stars. I feel obliged to say that I’m in the minority – most of the readers who have scored this book over on Goodreads have given it either 4 or 5 stars. What didn’t work for me might very well work for you.
June 18, 2021
I like J.C. Kang’s writing immensely! He has a knack of drawing you into the story immediately. As soon as I read the prologue and he mentions Avarax the dragon, I was hooked.
I always like the fact that at the beginning of the book, J. C. Kang gives us a cast of characters. I always find this useful. However, you never really need it as the characters are all distinctive and well imagined.
During the promotion for Crown of a Sundered Empire, I recently read in an interview with J. C. Kang that Crown of a Sundered Empire is his most accomplished work, and whilst I have very little to compare it to, it is very easy to tell that the story is a well-crafted piece of work. It is so slick in it’s writing, and it simply oozes charm.
Initially, the story revolves around an invasion of the village of Lorium by the Bovyans of the Teleri Empire, whose main motivations for invading the countries that they invade is due to their horrific ideals in relation to obtaining the next generation of soldiers. This is pretty awful, however, whilst sexual violence is referred to several times, it never occurs. However, that does not diminish the horror of the invasion.
In the midst of this, is Tomas, a young streetwise fisher boy who attempts to rescue the girl that he is smitten by. However, he is punished by the Bovyans who remove his eye as recompense.
However, Crown of a Sundered Empire revolves around five points of view, which includes the half-elf super-spy, Jie.
I love Jie, the half-elven spy. I met her first in Songs of Insurrection, and she stole the show in that book, and similarly, in Crown of a Sundered Empire, she steals the limelight each time the story centres on her.
When Jie enters the story, you know that there is going to be heaps of intrigue, and guess what Crown of the Sundered Empire is filled with the stuff. Even the subplots have subplots. But J.C. Kang is such a skilled writer that he keeps a tight leash on them all and then carefully draws them together at the end.
As I mentioned earlier, I had previously read Songs of Insurrection, so this aided me at times with Crown of a Sundered Empire as several times throughout the book, J. C. Kang puts in little easter eggs to other books, which I recognised. I don’t think it impacts on the story if you haven’t read any of the other books, but I did like these little references to the other books in the series.
There are a number of other storylines in the book, that include arranged marriages, the theft of priceless artefacts and infiltrating spies.
If you cannot guess, I enjoyed this book and there are many good things about J.C. Kang’s writings. One of these is his ability to write strong female characters. In fact, when it comes to characters, the female characters stand out more than the male characters and for me they appear to be the main driving force in his stories.
Additionally, I like the fact that he does not coddle the reader in his stories. He simply throws the reader in at the deep end and he expects that whilst the reader may find the introduction to the world and the environment a little confusing, he trusts that the reader will catch up and stick with it. If you do, you are richly rewarded with a satisfying tale of daring dos that and an intriguing plot.
If you like your books to be full of political intrigue, then Crown of a Sundered Empire is definitely a book for you.
I always like the fact that at the beginning of the book, J. C. Kang gives us a cast of characters. I always find this useful. However, you never really need it as the characters are all distinctive and well imagined.
During the promotion for Crown of a Sundered Empire, I recently read in an interview with J. C. Kang that Crown of a Sundered Empire is his most accomplished work, and whilst I have very little to compare it to, it is very easy to tell that the story is a well-crafted piece of work. It is so slick in it’s writing, and it simply oozes charm.
Initially, the story revolves around an invasion of the village of Lorium by the Bovyans of the Teleri Empire, whose main motivations for invading the countries that they invade is due to their horrific ideals in relation to obtaining the next generation of soldiers. This is pretty awful, however, whilst sexual violence is referred to several times, it never occurs. However, that does not diminish the horror of the invasion.
In the midst of this, is Tomas, a young streetwise fisher boy who attempts to rescue the girl that he is smitten by. However, he is punished by the Bovyans who remove his eye as recompense.
However, Crown of a Sundered Empire revolves around five points of view, which includes the half-elf super-spy, Jie.
I love Jie, the half-elven spy. I met her first in Songs of Insurrection, and she stole the show in that book, and similarly, in Crown of a Sundered Empire, she steals the limelight each time the story centres on her.
When Jie enters the story, you know that there is going to be heaps of intrigue, and guess what Crown of the Sundered Empire is filled with the stuff. Even the subplots have subplots. But J.C. Kang is such a skilled writer that he keeps a tight leash on them all and then carefully draws them together at the end.
As I mentioned earlier, I had previously read Songs of Insurrection, so this aided me at times with Crown of a Sundered Empire as several times throughout the book, J. C. Kang puts in little easter eggs to other books, which I recognised. I don’t think it impacts on the story if you haven’t read any of the other books, but I did like these little references to the other books in the series.
There are a number of other storylines in the book, that include arranged marriages, the theft of priceless artefacts and infiltrating spies.
If you cannot guess, I enjoyed this book and there are many good things about J.C. Kang’s writings. One of these is his ability to write strong female characters. In fact, when it comes to characters, the female characters stand out more than the male characters and for me they appear to be the main driving force in his stories.
Additionally, I like the fact that he does not coddle the reader in his stories. He simply throws the reader in at the deep end and he expects that whilst the reader may find the introduction to the world and the environment a little confusing, he trusts that the reader will catch up and stick with it. If you do, you are richly rewarded with a satisfying tale of daring dos that and an intriguing plot.
If you like your books to be full of political intrigue, then Crown of a Sundered Empire is definitely a book for you.
July 28, 2020
I enjoyed the first book I read in this particular world, "Masters of Deception" so when the author offered me this book to read for review, I was happy to agree!
There are some content warnings to be aware of. The character of Korryn has suicide ideation, regularly putting himself in harm's way with the intent of dying in battle. And there is much more emphasis in this book on the Bovyans sexual assault of the women in the lands they conquer. Nothing explicit is shown in the text, but it is referenced with discomforting regularity. These shouldn't be a problem for the average reader, but be aware if you are someone struggling with either of those things.
Admittedly, I was a bit sad that my favorite characters from the first ones wouldn't be in this one (it's not a direct sequel to Masters of Deception, revolving more around one of the protagonists and a new conflict) but I did enjoy Jie before. In this one she's a bit more fallible than her previous outing, meeting another character that can rival her at what she does. I appreciated seeing her on the backfoot.
The worldbuilding continues to be a struggle for me. There are multiple different kingdoms with a mixing of all the characters. The princess that was born in one country but heir to the throne of another, the difference between one particular race of people split up between two kingdoms (one of whom then split again), multiple different ancient races whose existence has a heavy influence on the modern culture, and so on. At certain points I just focused on the current McGuffin they were focused on, but even that got unwieldy. There was an ancient crown, a magical sphere of light, and blessed water said to have effects on fertility, all of whom were important to multiple groups for varying reasons. This is definitely a book to read slowly and make note of things.
My favorite part of the plot was the Shakespearean levels of melodrama. There were two arranged marriages between princes and princesses to secure alliances and none of them wanted a part of it. All four of them had secret lovers, with all manner of scheming and pretending to be someone else to get out of it. A princess disguised as a cabin boy, a prince disguised as a prostitute, an assassin wandering around in a princess's dress. I half expected someone to bite their thumb at someone else, it was great.
While the world and plot might have been confusing, the characters were clear as crystal. The overly daring prince with his endlessly loyal gay lover, the fiery redhead that knows she's sexy and capable, the adorkable navy lieutenant that's fearsome on a boat and clumsy as a baby giraffe on land, the fisherman that does way more lying and trap-setting than actually catching fish, it was a pretty impressive cast. I may not remember exactly who is with what country in what context, but I remember how much I couldn't decided if I wanted to be or be with Alaena. (Answer: both) It's for them that I read it. And why you should too.
There are some content warnings to be aware of. The character of Korryn has suicide ideation, regularly putting himself in harm's way with the intent of dying in battle. And there is much more emphasis in this book on the Bovyans sexual assault of the women in the lands they conquer. Nothing explicit is shown in the text, but it is referenced with discomforting regularity. These shouldn't be a problem for the average reader, but be aware if you are someone struggling with either of those things.
Admittedly, I was a bit sad that my favorite characters from the first ones wouldn't be in this one (it's not a direct sequel to Masters of Deception, revolving more around one of the protagonists and a new conflict) but I did enjoy Jie before. In this one she's a bit more fallible than her previous outing, meeting another character that can rival her at what she does. I appreciated seeing her on the backfoot.
The worldbuilding continues to be a struggle for me. There are multiple different kingdoms with a mixing of all the characters. The princess that was born in one country but heir to the throne of another, the difference between one particular race of people split up between two kingdoms (one of whom then split again), multiple different ancient races whose existence has a heavy influence on the modern culture, and so on. At certain points I just focused on the current McGuffin they were focused on, but even that got unwieldy. There was an ancient crown, a magical sphere of light, and blessed water said to have effects on fertility, all of whom were important to multiple groups for varying reasons. This is definitely a book to read slowly and make note of things.
My favorite part of the plot was the Shakespearean levels of melodrama. There were two arranged marriages between princes and princesses to secure alliances and none of them wanted a part of it. All four of them had secret lovers, with all manner of scheming and pretending to be someone else to get out of it. A princess disguised as a cabin boy, a prince disguised as a prostitute, an assassin wandering around in a princess's dress. I half expected someone to bite their thumb at someone else, it was great.
While the world and plot might have been confusing, the characters were clear as crystal. The overly daring prince with his endlessly loyal gay lover, the fiery redhead that knows she's sexy and capable, the adorkable navy lieutenant that's fearsome on a boat and clumsy as a baby giraffe on land, the fisherman that does way more lying and trap-setting than actually catching fish, it was a pretty impressive cast. I may not remember exactly who is with what country in what context, but I remember how much I couldn't decided if I wanted to be or be with Alaena. (Answer: both) It's for them that I read it. And why you should too.
June 18, 2021
Tomas has a misshapen face and a glass eye, so the townsfolk make fun of him. The only person that doesn’t is the Rune vendor’s daughter, and he tries to convince her that he has second sight to impress her. However, when magic-fearing invaders remove his mismatched eye, the glass replacement is actually demon-infested. Now he truly has second sight after a fashion and has to use his cunning to maneuver through the world without letting the surrounding armies know about the demon, which would carry a death sentence.
J.C. Kang has an immersive series of books known as the Legends of Tivara. Crown of the Sundered Empire is a separate entry point into the world, with all new characters to follow. (The publisher's website has some helpful genealogies and maps for the series, too.) Tomas’ village is caught in the middle of a war, as different descendants of the Sun God all have various claims on the land and the kingdoms. The Tarkothi, Serikoth and Bovyan cultures are all vying for power, so we see the royal houses and their machinations before we get back to Tomas. In that sense, we have four different story threads: the three royal factions (along with their retainers and spies) as well as Tomas, leading to a lot of characters to learn and follow as we go. This really gives depth to the world as well, because we hear about so many different kingdoms and cultures.
Even as a good entry point into the Tivara universe, there is still a lot going on here. It almost feels like too much, because I get sucked into one storyline, then it switches to another, and the storyline switches again just when I get into the next one. Each of the storylines eventually dovetails, with the royals all coalescing into one location due to Elrayn’s plot to consolidate their countries against the Bovyan. Crown Prince Elrayn didn’t bother to ask for consent to his plans, instead, coercing the others and attempting to use magic to alter their demeanor and willpower. Of course, this backfires, and we know there’s going to be bad ramifications for this, particularly when we’re only halfway through the book! In Tomas’s plotline, he gets his demonic glass eye a little before that and doesn’t understand the full ramifications of this other than the death that Bovyans would give him.
The second half of the book is full of battle and intrigue, on land and sea, as well as in different palaces. They’re all fascinating to read about, and the tensions remain high in the different plot threads. It’s a great look at the world of Tivara and the epic tales in this universe.
J.C. Kang has an immersive series of books known as the Legends of Tivara. Crown of the Sundered Empire is a separate entry point into the world, with all new characters to follow. (The publisher's website has some helpful genealogies and maps for the series, too.) Tomas’ village is caught in the middle of a war, as different descendants of the Sun God all have various claims on the land and the kingdoms. The Tarkothi, Serikoth and Bovyan cultures are all vying for power, so we see the royal houses and their machinations before we get back to Tomas. In that sense, we have four different story threads: the three royal factions (along with their retainers and spies) as well as Tomas, leading to a lot of characters to learn and follow as we go. This really gives depth to the world as well, because we hear about so many different kingdoms and cultures.
Even as a good entry point into the Tivara universe, there is still a lot going on here. It almost feels like too much, because I get sucked into one storyline, then it switches to another, and the storyline switches again just when I get into the next one. Each of the storylines eventually dovetails, with the royals all coalescing into one location due to Elrayn’s plot to consolidate their countries against the Bovyan. Crown Prince Elrayn didn’t bother to ask for consent to his plans, instead, coercing the others and attempting to use magic to alter their demeanor and willpower. Of course, this backfires, and we know there’s going to be bad ramifications for this, particularly when we’re only halfway through the book! In Tomas’s plotline, he gets his demonic glass eye a little before that and doesn’t understand the full ramifications of this other than the death that Bovyans would give him.
The second half of the book is full of battle and intrigue, on land and sea, as well as in different palaces. They’re all fascinating to read about, and the tensions remain high in the different plot threads. It’s a great look at the world of Tivara and the epic tales in this universe.
August 16, 2020
This is a great story! It takes place shortly after the events of Masters of Deception and while both are technically in different series’, they share some of the same characters. Jie, a half-elf on a mission to find a traitor to the Black Lotus Clan, finds herself caught in the middle of a conflict between the rival Eldaeri nations, Tarkoth and Serikoth. Can she help prevent war and complete her mission at the same time? Far away in a small village, Tomas just wants to sell the fish he catches and impress a pretty girl. But when his land is invaded by the feared Bovyans of the Teleri empire he will do whatever he can to save the girl and his village from their raping and murdering nature.
This book has truly exceptional story telling! The plot is complex and layered and you never know how things are going to turn out. And yet all the plot threads are neatly tied up by the end. The world building is excellent with a rich history and mythology. And lastly the characters are very well developed with depth and personalities all their own. I can’t wait to read the next book and find out where the story goes next!
This book has truly exceptional story telling! The plot is complex and layered and you never know how things are going to turn out. And yet all the plot threads are neatly tied up by the end. The world building is excellent with a rich history and mythology. And lastly the characters are very well developed with depth and personalities all their own. I can’t wait to read the next book and find out where the story goes next!
June 16, 2021
This is the first book I've read by this author and I absolutely loved it. I was originally gifted a copy of the ebook for a review but I ended up purchasing a printed copy as I loved it. I have also ordered the first book 'Master of Deception' to continue reading.
The world building is absolutely brilliant and it only gets better with strong female characters. It can be a little confusing at the beginning with different Kingdoms and a mixture of races. But trust me as you read along, yoh will simply end up flowing easily into the world.
I really enjoyed the plot, specially the two arranged marriages between the princes and princesses to secure alliances. If you are fantasy books lover, you will definitely enjoy this book with magical world, full of history, dragons, elves, orcs and halflings. I can not wait to read more of Kang's work. I highly recommend.
The world building is absolutely brilliant and it only gets better with strong female characters. It can be a little confusing at the beginning with different Kingdoms and a mixture of races. But trust me as you read along, yoh will simply end up flowing easily into the world.
I really enjoyed the plot, specially the two arranged marriages between the princes and princesses to secure alliances. If you are fantasy books lover, you will definitely enjoy this book with magical world, full of history, dragons, elves, orcs and halflings. I can not wait to read more of Kang's work. I highly recommend.
February 15, 2021
80%. A bit more cliffhanger-y ending than the other books so far.
Given the description is written from Tomas' PoV, I think he had much smaller role than I expected, at least in the first... 70% of the story. And I hoped to learn a bit more about the magic eye he got - all the book gives is Tomas' speculations - as well as at least a hint of resolution to his part of the plot - for the other plot threads, it's obvious those aren't over and some of them are part of the Dragon Songs series, so there's bound to be more than that.
It also made me wonder about continuity a bit as some characters from Masters of Deception don't really appear here, and apart from a mention at the end, there's almost no hint of what they're up to even though they and Jie left together.
Given the description is written from Tomas' PoV, I think he had much smaller role than I expected, at least in the first... 70% of the story. And I hoped to learn a bit more about the magic eye he got - all the book gives is Tomas' speculations - as well as at least a hint of resolution to his part of the plot - for the other plot threads, it's obvious those aren't over and some of them are part of the Dragon Songs series, so there's bound to be more than that.
It also made me wonder about continuity a bit as some characters from Masters of Deception don't really appear here, and apart from a mention at the end, there's almost no hint of what they're up to even though they and Jie left together.
November 29, 2022
This is another excellent novel in the Tivara series that follows on from The Masters of Deception and contains all the aspects you would expect.
This is full of mystery, intrigue, and political plotting as well as some good action sequences, making it a compulsive read.
As usual, all the characters are well-written with interesting and engaging personalities.
One problem with this kindle version was the number of typo errors, which must have been around the three to four dozen mark, give or take, most of which were situated in the latter half of the book, and while not a great number, it was more than enough to spoil my overall enjoyment of the story.
This is full of mystery, intrigue, and political plotting as well as some good action sequences, making it a compulsive read.
As usual, all the characters are well-written with interesting and engaging personalities.
One problem with this kindle version was the number of typo errors, which must have been around the three to four dozen mark, give or take, most of which were situated in the latter half of the book, and while not a great number, it was more than enough to spoil my overall enjoyment of the story.
September 2, 2020
Write down the relations
In this story, there are 3 princes, 3 princesses, and 4 or more countries. I advise writing them down as they are introduced or the story gets a little confusing. Personally, my favorite character was Tomas, who was a fisherman. See, even more characters! And then there is the mysterious Jie. An entertaining read.
In this story, there are 3 princes, 3 princesses, and 4 or more countries. I advise writing them down as they are introduced or the story gets a little confusing. Personally, my favorite character was Tomas, who was a fisherman. See, even more characters! And then there is the mysterious Jie. An entertaining read.
April 26, 2021
A long & winding tale
Swords & sorcery, betrayals & misbegotten gains, this story tracks multiple POVs that are all intertwined. The darkness is underfoot & working the long game to win it's way back to power but there are still those who honour the light and work tirelessly to root out the darkness.
Swords & sorcery, betrayals & misbegotten gains, this story tracks multiple POVs that are all intertwined. The darkness is underfoot & working the long game to win it's way back to power but there are still those who honour the light and work tirelessly to root out the darkness.
April 27, 2021
EXCELLENT!!! Not to be missed...
JC Kang is a master story teller! His world building skill draws you in, keeps you holding your breath, and begging for the next book!
MORE PLEASE!?!
JC Kang is a master story teller! His world building skill draws you in, keeps you holding your breath, and begging for the next book!
MORE PLEASE!?!
July 9, 2021
A lovely and compelling read that has action, witty characters and a world just waiting for you to dive in. I like the character, Tomas but he is second to Jie. Sorry, Tomas.
The story's a real eye opener actually. Yeah, I'm using it.🙈😂
The story's a real eye opener actually. Yeah, I'm using it.🙈😂
June 3, 2020
First time reading this author...
And I'll be back for more.
Thank you for a well laid out tale
Characters have depth, and interact nicely. The world is very well constructed.
And I'll be back for more.
Thank you for a well laid out tale
Characters have depth, and interact nicely. The world is very well constructed.
December 28, 2022
Great story, great characters
After reading another series by this author I was intrigued when I saw this one. Was a great read, was hard to put down.
After reading another series by this author I was intrigued when I saw this one. Was a great read, was hard to put down.
March 7, 2023
Another page turner
I love the rich clash if cultures and plots. Great characters, intriguing magic systems... What's not to like? On to the next book.
I love the rich clash if cultures and plots. Great characters, intriguing magic systems... What's not to like? On to the next book.
October 11, 2019
Where in Tivara do I begin?!
Let me start with the story telling. Kang has a unique way of developing fantastic plot lines with multiple subplots, layered on top of more subplots, that ultimately create the highest achievable guessing game experience of its kind. You NEVER know what is going to happen next. It is completely unpredictable and brimming with suspense. But no matter how many threads there are, there are never any loose ends. He has a way of weaving together a tapestry of stories so intricately that you will be left dumbfounded at the pure genious of it all.
Next, let me mention the world building. If you have read anything from his previous series, you already know that Kang is a master at his craft. If you haven't, let me tell you he is brilliant. Tivara is a perfectly balanced world that is rich in magic, culture, politics, history, even martial arts, and has a variety of well developed races. If you like dragons, elves, orcs, humans, and halflings, then Tivara is the world for you. Also, Kang is especially great at the details. He is able to paint a vivid picture of each scene without it ever feeling bogged down with irrelevant information. There are so many layers to Tivara, and the more you read, the bigger it gets... Which is eerily similar to his plot lines...
Lastly, I'll mention the characters. Kang has brought back a few characters from previous series, including the beloved Jie, but he has introduced a fair amount of new ones as well. In both respects, each character has been fleshed out beautifully and all have a story of their own. They are imaginative and relatable, but so very different. The variety of personalities within the abundance of characters allows the reader a chance to connect on an emotional level, and truly invest themselves in the story. The magic, however, happens when all of their stories collide.
To sum it up, Crown of the Sundered Empire is simply another masterpiece. The action, suspense, diversity, creativity, intricacy, and not to mention intimacy, is so well thought out it's absolutely mind blowing. I highly recommend it and I am beyond excited for the journey to continue. Two thumbs up.
Let me start with the story telling. Kang has a unique way of developing fantastic plot lines with multiple subplots, layered on top of more subplots, that ultimately create the highest achievable guessing game experience of its kind. You NEVER know what is going to happen next. It is completely unpredictable and brimming with suspense. But no matter how many threads there are, there are never any loose ends. He has a way of weaving together a tapestry of stories so intricately that you will be left dumbfounded at the pure genious of it all.
Next, let me mention the world building. If you have read anything from his previous series, you already know that Kang is a master at his craft. If you haven't, let me tell you he is brilliant. Tivara is a perfectly balanced world that is rich in magic, culture, politics, history, even martial arts, and has a variety of well developed races. If you like dragons, elves, orcs, humans, and halflings, then Tivara is the world for you. Also, Kang is especially great at the details. He is able to paint a vivid picture of each scene without it ever feeling bogged down with irrelevant information. There are so many layers to Tivara, and the more you read, the bigger it gets... Which is eerily similar to his plot lines...
Lastly, I'll mention the characters. Kang has brought back a few characters from previous series, including the beloved Jie, but he has introduced a fair amount of new ones as well. In both respects, each character has been fleshed out beautifully and all have a story of their own. They are imaginative and relatable, but so very different. The variety of personalities within the abundance of characters allows the reader a chance to connect on an emotional level, and truly invest themselves in the story. The magic, however, happens when all of their stories collide.
To sum it up, Crown of the Sundered Empire is simply another masterpiece. The action, suspense, diversity, creativity, intricacy, and not to mention intimacy, is so well thought out it's absolutely mind blowing. I highly recommend it and I am beyond excited for the journey to continue. Two thumbs up.
September 20, 2020
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book! The fantasy elements were amazing. Fast moving, adrenaline pumping plot, full of vivid adventure. Renewed my love for fantasy—I’ve been waiting for a book like this. So glad I found it on here. Honestly one of the first multiple POV books where I truly enjoyed each and every POV! When I read GRRM, I dread some his of his POVs. Here, all of the characters were so well developed and had their own character arcs that worked well together. While reading I was most interested in the Tarkoth and Serikoth political dynamics. Loved all those royals and their issues. But on the other hand I did equally enjoy Tomas’ chapters and his new abilities. The whole world is so well-crafted, I ate it all up. Want to learn more about the Sundered Empire and the conspiracies afoot.
Kang has a neat dynamic with Serikoth and Tarkoth. I appreciate Tarkothi values more, but I relate to the Serikoth characters more—they’re my kind of people. Koryn and Alaena were amazing characters that I wanted badly to succeed. Excited to learn more about them, as well as meet their younger sibling in the future.
And again, all the characters and their interactions are great. Even brief appearances like the one by Fleet the Halfling—I’d read a spin off with him and Jie hands down.
Best fantasy book I’ve read in years. Cannot wait for the sequel. Read this back in March and have been checking back frequently to see if the sequel has come out. Super excited to read more about this awesome cast’s adventures. While I’m most interested in this series, I will check out other books by this author as clearly Kang is a very talented writer.
Kang has a neat dynamic with Serikoth and Tarkoth. I appreciate Tarkothi values more, but I relate to the Serikoth characters more—they’re my kind of people. Koryn and Alaena were amazing characters that I wanted badly to succeed. Excited to learn more about them, as well as meet their younger sibling in the future.
And again, all the characters and their interactions are great. Even brief appearances like the one by Fleet the Halfling—I’d read a spin off with him and Jie hands down.
Best fantasy book I’ve read in years. Cannot wait for the sequel. Read this back in March and have been checking back frequently to see if the sequel has come out. Super excited to read more about this awesome cast’s adventures. While I’m most interested in this series, I will check out other books by this author as clearly Kang is a very talented writer.
February 6, 2020
There is trouble in the realms, lots of trouble and keeping track of friend and foe is very challenging.
This book is set in the same realms as many (most?) of the author's other stories, but it is written as a standalone. It is not necessary to read any of the other books in order to understand this one, although it might help.
Why do i say that? Because this story and its setting is very complex. The setting has multiple realms with ancient complaints that keeps everyone at each other's throat. The story also features multiple characters each seemingly pursuing their own agendas and mysteries, but it all ties together very skillfully in the end. Once I wrapped my mind around the essentials, I really enjoyed the complexity of the story and the characters. The characters have unique and distinct personalities which helps move the story alone and provide moments of both conflict and compassion. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and look forward to exploring more of this world.
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout for review purposes
This book is set in the same realms as many (most?) of the author's other stories, but it is written as a standalone. It is not necessary to read any of the other books in order to understand this one, although it might help.
Why do i say that? Because this story and its setting is very complex. The setting has multiple realms with ancient complaints that keeps everyone at each other's throat. The story also features multiple characters each seemingly pursuing their own agendas and mysteries, but it all ties together very skillfully in the end. Once I wrapped my mind around the essentials, I really enjoyed the complexity of the story and the characters. The characters have unique and distinct personalities which helps move the story alone and provide moments of both conflict and compassion. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and look forward to exploring more of this world.
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout for review purposes
October 11, 2019
A very intricate tale in the Tivara series full of adventure, great sword fights, magic and magical artefacts, backstabbing traitors, and a wonderful cast of characters who are all thrown together through the desperate pacts of forced marriages of the respective royals. Prince Elrayn wanted to unite the nations of Serikoth and Tarkoth, a noble goal in itself as these had once been a unified empire, however he was using underhanded measures to reach this goal. He might also have been plotting all these manoeuvres just to secure power for himself, and now these only resulted in a war looming on the horizon. The Empire needed to become whole once again if they ever were to survive the Bovyan’s taking command of their land and enslaving their people especially their women, however forcing their Princes into marrying one another was not going to gain anyone’s trust. I particularly loved reading about the very courageous young boy, Tomas who struggled so hard to save the girl he loved and the people on the island he came from against all odds. I also loved Alaena for being more than a simpering princess, and Aryn for being more than a Prince and for loving Jie, and of course Keryn for loving his beautiful Cavalier. As usual Jie, is brilliant in what she does best, and this time Fleet joins in on the action. The world building in this story and interweaving strands to form the whole picture are awesome. This is a story that just needs to be read.
October 13, 2019
I adore JC Kang’s Legends of Tivara stories. They are the definition of what constitutes epic sword and sorcery storytelling - and have turned me into a believer that a medieval Asia (mixture of ancient Japan and other Asian cultures) setting is far better for fantasy than a Euro-centric one. No surprise then that I loved the latest installment of these tales, Crown of the Sundered Empire. I love the lead character here, Tomas. It’s incredible what he goes through and overcomes. From a fishing village kid with a misshapen face to someone who is able to use a combination of calculation, cunning and demonic insight to manipulate the forces of his world against each other. Pretty incredible stuff. Pretty incredible story-telling too. Perfectly written, with a great plot, a perfect cast and perfect world-building. Also totally fun. Exactly what I look for and easily worth five stars.
November 27, 2019
Tomas a simple fisherman from a remote island that protects legends is believed to be able to predict the future, see how he makes them believe but then has to sacrifice himself. K.C.Lang puts this character through hell and back but grows him in strength and favour. Meantime another story runs alongside it which took me a while to understand the different empires and who was who, once I did the story was captivating as 2 princesses are destined to be bartered alongside princes who have to many secrets to keep. This was my first book I had read by K.C.Lang and it came alive in my mind as these characters came alive. I don’t leave spoilers so it’s hard to describe without giving things away. You will find plenty of action, political deception, legends , battles, love & loyalty plus so much more.
October 19, 2019
Wow a fantastic read. Tomas dreams of better days he has quite a few hurdles to deal with. This read grabbed me from the first page to the last. This is definitely one of favorite reads. There is epic battles lots of twists and turns. And a roller coaster of adventure. This is a huge read but it totally never has a dull moment the world building and characters are written so well that with this page turner I totally got lost while reading. This would make a fantastic series on netflix. I definitely recommend this read.
Shauna Joesten
Shauna Joesten
November 8, 2019
Simply put this book was a developed fantasy that went way beyond the pages. But I am not simple. This book was pretty good. The plot and politics were well developed and I felt like it was a history of my own world that I was reading. It was a little hard to keep the characters straight but that is because all the families and people were so intertwined with one another. It made for a few interesting plot points in the story. I would recommend it to all fantasy lovers but be ready to invest in the book because you will need to be if you want any hope of keeping it all straight.
October 15, 2019
Loved it Loved all of the the great twist and turns and the great characters. It is impossible to go into depth and talk about this book. I don't read reviews for that. What I want to know is should I waste my time and money on this book and I say if you want to read a book that that will entertain you you and keep you up reading than yes this book is for you! Anything by K C Kang is first rate.
January 13, 2020
A thrilling adventure every step of the way!
I find myself immersed in the Tivaran world as I read it from start to finish. The author brings the characters alive and connects me to them emotionally making me care about them and their story, and leaves me eager to continue along with them as the journey continues. Kudos to the author for a beautifully imagined world with realistic people in it that are completely relatable.
I find myself immersed in the Tivaran world as I read it from start to finish. The author brings the characters alive and connects me to them emotionally making me care about them and their story, and leaves me eager to continue along with them as the journey continues. Kudos to the author for a beautifully imagined world with realistic people in it that are completely relatable.
October 11, 2019
Plot and counter - plot, spies and counter - spies,
trickery, treachery, malice and mayhem, ambitious,
would - be rulers and, of course, romantic entanglements
all create one ** very ** busy story !!
Settle in for a good read and put your thinking - cap on.
You're going to need it !!
Enjoy !!
Phyllis S.
trickery, treachery, malice and mayhem, ambitious,
would - be rulers and, of course, romantic entanglements
all create one ** very ** busy story !!
Settle in for a good read and put your thinking - cap on.
You're going to need it !!
Enjoy !!
Phyllis S.
November 10, 2019
Kang never ceases to amaze me with his stories and world building. I have to read his books from start to finish or I can't sleep. This book follows Tomas as he battles the Boyans, looses an eye, and learns life gives us hard choices; and Jie as she follows the assassin she is charged to find and ends up in a side war that makes her choose between love and duty.
October 11, 2019
I absolutely loved reading about Tomas and his adventures! He’s such an underdog that I found myself cheering him on at every step. The story had me experiencing a range of emotions right along with Tomas and I was genuinely heartbroken at the end of the book. I can’t wait for more!
October 12, 2019
Full of battles, wars, hardship, destruction, romance, triumphs, rebuilding and all the great world building and awesome characters you come to expect from a great storyteller like J C Kang. Highly recommend.
November 3, 2019
This was my first book by this author and wow, what can I say. There is so much going on, I was a bit lost at first, but soon was totally drawn into this world. I really enjoyed getting to know all the different. strong characters. I can't wait to see where this goes in the future.
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