Blood for the Undying Throne, the sequel to Blood of the Old Kings, from award-winning Korean author Sung-il Kim and translated by the world-renowned Anton Hur, is an epic fantasy adventure where the corpses of sorcerers power an empire and ordinary people rise up to tear it down

The Empire scorns all invisible gods.

The Empire kills all visible ones.

The Empire continues to enforce its so-called peace with massive war machines that destroy even gods and monsters, leaving the conquered with nothing to worship or fear except the might of the Empire. But desperate odds such as these can inspire resistance.

Last seen rallying under Loran’s banner, Emere survives an assassination attempt that will lead him to uncover sinister plots at the very heart of the Empire.

Arienne has crossed the continent to learn more about the Star of Mersia, the famed weapon that wiped Mersia from the map. But when she arrives in the lifeless land, Arienne finds much more than ruins.

One hundred and seventy years ago, Yuma dares to defy Mersia’s ruthless Grim King Eldred. When she meets an emissary from the Empire, she realizes that they might just have the power to overthrow the Grim King—but is there a cost to aligning with the Empire?

All must decide what they are willing to sacrifice in order to fight tyranny.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.



Praise for this book

PRAISE FOR BLOOD OF THE OLD KINGS:

"Thrilling, inventive, and fierce—a tale of chained magic and giant mechs, of malevolent empire and those who stand against it. Not to be missed."—Max Gladstone, New York Times bestselling co-author of This Is How You Lose the Time War

"Refreshingly different . . . blends classic genre elements together in fresh ways.”—Paste

"Epic underdog fantasy in which choice outweighs destiny. . . Readers seeking an exciting new fantasy world to sink into will find this hits the spot."—Publishers Weekly

"A hell of a good time!”—Book Riot

"Breathes new life into classic fantasy tropes.”—Town & Country

"A woman's burning quest for vengeance and power leads to a thrilling magic-filled adventure. Absolutely captivating."—K.S. Villoso, author of The Wolf of Oren-Yaro

"Full on fantasy delight. . . expansive and exciting—it’s a book that so clearly loves fantasy and gives readers classic elements of the genre in a totally new way. Blood of the Old Kings is just a goddamn blast to read.”—Reactor

“A magnificent tapestry. . . If you’re looking for something to scratch that sprawling epic itch, give Blood of the Old Kings a chance.”—Lightspeed

“Kim masterfully weaves together [three characters'] stories, which each embody a different style of fantasy, creating an immersive, thorough world that’s sparking towards war. . . . Readers will crave further works from Kim after reading his English-language debut.”—Library Journal

“I loved it. Fast, fun and fabulous! Truly imaginative fantasy with a story that speeds along like a bullet train fueled by sorcery.”—Dyrk Ashton, author of the Paternus trilogy

"High epic fantasy mixing necromancy, dragons, and sorcery-powered automatons with fast-paced action and solid characters.”—Booklist

“Sweeping, epic fantasy with more than a hint of darkness.”—Fangirlish

"Blood of the Old Kings features heroic characters and an innovative, engaging magic system. . . . breathlessly propulsive.”—Locus

"A world of intrigue and heart-pounding drama. . . [Kim's] focus on ordinary people becoming reluctant heroes is a fresh contribution to the fantasy trope of rebellion against an imperial power. Exciting plot twists and nail-bitingly narrow escapes crescendo as passion for revolution ignites."—Shelf Awareness




About the Author

SUNG-IL KIM (he/him) was born in Seoul in 1974. Despite his lifelong dream of writing fiction, he only got around to it in his forties. He writes science fiction, fantasy, horror, or some blend of those. In South Korea, he is known for Blood of the Old Kings, I Will Go to Earth to See You, Wolf Hunt, and “The Knight of La Mancha,” the last two of which earned him a Grand Prize and an Excellence Award at the Korean SF Awards in 2024 and 2018, respectively. He spends most of his time in his downtown Seoul apartment with his wife and two cats.

ANTON HUR (he/him) is the author of Toward Eternity. He has translated several books, including Bora Chung's Cursed Bunny, which was nominated for both the International Booker Prize and the National Book Award for Translated Literature. He lives in Seoul.


Title: Blood for the Undying Throne
Author(s): Sung-il Kim, Anton Hur
Volume: 2
ISBN: 9781250895370
Copyright 2025
Release Date: October 28, 2025
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group
Countries: United States, Canada | Learn more about available countries
Language: English
Format: None available | Learn More about our supported formats
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