I just finished reading The Dandelion Dynasty, and I need to let more people know about it because the series was so good!
There are four books in this silkpunk fantasy series:
I rated each book 5 stars, which I don't often do even for series I really like. Every book was great on its own, and the end result is one of my favorite epic fantasy series of all time. Among epic fantasy series that are already complete, The Dandelion Dynasty might be my favorite.
There are two aspects of The Dandelion Dynasty that set it apart from other books (not just fantasy books) I've read. No series has taken me on an emotional roller coaster like this one did. Whenever I thought things were going well for the protagonists, Ken Liu would throw a wrench into their plans, and whenever the characters faced seemingly insurmountable odds, a ray of light appeared. It was gut wrenching to read the books, but thankfully, by the time I read Speaking Bones, I was used to the ups and downs, so I could handle what happened and how the various character arcs concluded. But boy, was it stressful, in a good way though.
I have also never saved quotes from a book like I did with these. There were so many nuggets of wisdom littered throughout each book that I found myself wanting to write them all down. This series could serve as philosophy text as easily as an enjoyable fantasy story. I didn't get to take all the notes I wanted to, so I will definitely need to re-read the series and jot down everything that I found noteworthy.
Not only did I think The Dandelion Dynasty was a wonderful series, but I also don't feel like it's gotten the recognition and popularity it deserves. I hardly hear anyone talk about it, so I want to promote it as much as I can. If you're a fan of the fantasy genre or just want to try books that are thought-provoking with brilliant world-building and character development, give The Dandelion Dynasty a read!
