This was a translation of a Korean novel (translated by Anton Hur) that I am happy to say I enjoyed quite a lot.
The three protagonists (Loran, Cain, Arienne) are all from Arland, a small kingdom which was conquered by the all-encompassing Empire several decades before the story begins. I’m assuming Arland is meant to be inspired by Korea, and there were a number of things that suggested to me it was inspired by the Three Kingdoms period specifically, but I don’t know enough about Korean history to be sure or even say anything intelligent here. Moving on.
Loran’s husband and daughter were killed by the Empire during a crackdown against unrest (which they were not involved in). She seeks out the dragon that is the guardian of Arland. The dragon was defeated and chained when the Empire conquered the kingdom, but she still hopes to get the dragon’s help or at least its blessing.
Cain was sent to the Imperial capital when he was young, before his parents could be swept up in the same kind of crackdown (they seem to be a semi-regular thing). He doesn’t feel a strong connection to Arland as such, but he does connect strongly to the Arland expatriate community in the capital. He is seeking to learn who killed a dear friend who devoted herself to helping her fellow Arlanders, and why she died.
Arienne is a student sorcerer. The power of the Empire depends on sorcerers, though not in the sense one usually finds in a fantasy story. They are not taught magic, save for some very specific ways that can serve the Empire. But upon their deaths (at least what the Empire says is their deaths) their bodies are locked in lead sarcophagi and provide the power for the Empire and its war machines. Arienne will do anything to avoid this fate.
What follows is three interwoven stories, as Loran seeks to lead Arland in rebellion and become king, Cain tries to find out what happened to his friend, and Arienne tries to flee the academy where she lives and/or is imprisoned. The three together form a greater story, with some surprising connections (and some connections I was expecting but was surprised not to find).
I’m not certain if this is intended to be the first in a series or not. I’ve seen it described as book 1 in some places, but not others. There’s room for sequels, but it also works perfectly well as a standalone. Overall strongly recommended.
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