Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for granting me an arc!

I need to know if there's going to be a sequel, hell I'd even scream for a prequel with Mirae's mother.

I had plenty of theories while reading the book, one of which proved to come to fruition, in a manner of speaking, right at the end. What I thought would happen, did, but not in the way I was expecting.

There's also a scene in which Hongbin tells her she must put her feelings aside to do whats right (that's not quite what he said but I don't want to spoil anything!) and I feel I know exactly what he was talking about, hopefully I'll get my answer in the sequel, if there is one. Again, I really hope there is because I'm not ready to finish Mirae's story.

Score another one for the 'I wanted to like this more than I actually did' column of this year's books. Disappointing, really, as And Break the Pretty Kings had so much going for it - a great cover and an interesting premise, being a fantasy set in a historical past heavily influenced by Korean culture. Unfortunately, the world-building far surpassed everything else going on and couldn't quite carry the weight of an unevenly-paced plot, the deeply YA tone and some odd choices around characterisation.

The basic premise of the book is that it's set in a peninsula split between two nations - the queendom of Seolla and its vassal state of Josan. Our protagonist is the crown princess of Seolla, who is getting ready to take over from her mother as the queen's mental health is deteriorating sharply because of a family curse. This is a nation where only women can wield magic and steps are taken to ensure that their male relatives literally can't, while the neighbouring kingdom cracks down on magic altogether (except that we later learn that it has female shamans working openly, so I'm not sure how that works coherently?).

Not only is she about to become queen, Mirae is also thought to be one prophesied about, who might unite the two nations or destroy Seolla (no pressure!). We're also very quickly introduced to Mirae's older and younger brothers, not to mention the first in a number of potential love interests in the shape of her older brother's servant. Said older brother is then kidnapped by order of the king of Josan, so Mirae sets out to rescue him and confusing hijinks ensue (not that this stops her getting to meet potential love interest #2 - how else is there going to be a love triangle at the end of this?).

This is the first book of a trilogy (?) so some stuff gets resolved but plenty of things don't and I found this a bit unsatisfying overall. There's not a massive amount of depth to any of the characters, with Mirae's younger brother being apparently there for comic relief as he's quite annoying and a real about-face at one point where a character who has been heavily involved in the kidnap and attempted magical enslavement of her older brother is suddenly a viable ally and everyone just accepts that he is now Good. It's a bit unrealistic and even if Mirae is taken in by his beautiful eyes, you might expect someone else to question this?

Overall, there's much to like about this novel but also much that could have been improved with a stronger editor to challenge some of the info-dumping and iron out some of the pacing issues. It's a real shame because there's definitely a good book within this premise, it's just never quite allowed to come out from behind pretty much all of the tropes that make up a decidedly YA first novel.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley. This is my honest review of the book in question.

This is an ambitious work, and compared to other YA fantasy novels based on East Asian myths (e.g., Six Crimson Cranes, Daughter of the Moon Goddess, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea) I’d say this seems to be targetted at a more mature audience because of the violence and the convoluted plot. It’s not at the same level as The Poppy War trilogy but it’s along that spectrum. The matriarchal premise and role reversal is interesting, but the magic system was a little confusing at first with all the switching and the tone felt a little uneven, especially when the narrative POV switched to that of the Netherking’s. Magic also conveniently saved the day and there were several literal deus ex machinas. I expected the complex lore to be fully elucidated here but it was actually all because of a simple and straightforward vendetta, which was a bit underwhelming. Overall, a reasonably engaging read and I would read the sequel when it comes out.

I'm on the fence because I loved the world building and the magic systerm. Mirae is a well plotted characters but there were some weird parts as she can see in the future but there's never s a sense of what she will be.
My main issue was the unevent pace: it took nearl 1/4 of the book to get some action and they moved a lot but there wasn't a lot going on.
I think there's potential and some editing would help.
3.5 upped to 4
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This one was really mixed for me, I must admit. It was strange because, while I was reading it, a lot of things didn't really bother me, but afterwards, when I was reflecting on the plot and characters, and saw some other reviews with varying opinions, I did agree with some of the issues they pointed out.

The plot is fast paced (perhaps a little too much so, as the characterisation suffers), and does draw you along. A lot of elements aren't explained, which I like sometimes as I don't want everything spoon-fed to me, but also there are times when things feel a bit disjointed and could do with a bit of clarification.

I love the Korean mythology and culture that's explored, and while people have said it's a retelling of an older story, I think it's great to have this brought to a new audience in a modern way. Occasionally elements like clothing or food is mentioned using the proper Korean terms, and not explained, which can be confusing in a majority English book, but I do think it's good that proper language is being used. I don't necessarily want to stop reading to have to Google a specific word, but I also don't think that Western audiences should be prioritised and end up ridding the book of important cultural terms.

A lot of people have mentioned a lack of clear romance as an issue - I think it's great that it's not centred on that. There are some hints, and it's possible something may happen in the next book (I believe it's a series), but it doesn't need to be the focal point of the plot. There are a few issues with the characterisation, and points where convenient things happen purely to get the main character closer to where she needs to be, so that could be improved.

It did feel exciting and unusual, and I think that for me was the Korean mythology and magic elements, so I'll read the next one as I'm invested in the story. I hope in the next one that the time skips are better explored, that the characters are better rounded and fleshed out, and hopefully we see some real development in the MC. I hope the mixed reviews don't put the author off, as there's a lot of potential.

I...I really didn't enjoy that. And I feel bad saying that about a new author and their debut book.

This had promise and a beautiful cover but also a lot of issues. Ok first, let's start with the plot.
"Mirae was meant to save her queendom, but the ceremony before her coronation ends in terror and death, unlocking a strange new power within her and foretelling the return of a monster even the gods fear. Amid the chaos, Mirae's beloved older brother is taken--threatening the peninsula's already tenuous truce."
I have very little issue with this from the blurb except the peninsula is mentioned constantly. The fate of the peninsula, uniting it, the threats, whatever. Why does she have to unite the peninsula? Why is that so important? What is so important about it being united rather than Josan being a vassal state? It's not ideal for Josan, I'll grant them that, but otherwise this is never explained.

There are also some other bits I'm confused about like violet flames but then someone else's were green. Does everyone just have different fire? It's small but I was definitely left with a head tilt and eyebrow raise at this.

Onto the characters.
"Desperate to save her brother and defeat this ancient enemy before the queendom is beset by war, Mirae sets out on a journey with an unlikely group of companions while her unpredictable magic gives her terrifying visions of a future she must stop at any cost." - which is good she'll do it at any cost since she literally makes mistakes at every turn. This isn't said in some way like 'Oh we watch this character grow and change.' Mirae has to be one of the most unlikeable characters I think I've ever read.

This isn't necessarily such a big thing because I didn't really care for any of the characters. Everyone was so...flat. Either they were self-important, self-righteous, forced down your throat as the victim/saviour, one dimensional or some combo of all that.

I am also baffled by some of the character changes. I can't even call them developments because they took like one sentence. Small example, Mirae stops to sit because she fell or something, I don't even remember and I just finished it, but Captain Jia says 'oh no, we have to keep going.' Mirae then responds with something like 'Ok! No more breaks if we can help it and we'll move quickly.' Girl, you are the reason they stopped. Don't act like moving fast is your idea.
And "The strength to believe in yourself and your calling as just prince of Josan." because people say these things and don't have some saviour complex. Don't even get me started on Hongbin and his comedic, light-hearted nonsense that was so OTT.

I'm just going to move on. The start of the book felt like we'd been dropped into the middle of a story that then progressed with weird pacing, some overly detailed sections (like Josan's markets), dialogue that make you wonder who the author is listening to to make them think that's natural and characters that I just absolutely did not care about partly because of everything above.

Good luck to Jeong for the second book, I really hope it gets some big fans for the series. I unfortunately am not going to be one of them.

Our main character has strange magic, and the queendom is at war. How she will use that power to save herself, her loved ones and her queendom along the way is full of magic. lore,. plot twists and a highly character driven story. An enjoyable read but nothing special. Its exciting, and very fast paced - and the myriad of plot twists keep you in suspense throuhgout.. Our main character is stubborn in her beleifs, a trait which is both excellent and infuriating all at once. I felt that there should have been an underelying romance somewhere as it felt the story hinted at it, and yet therer wasnt. It just felt like something was missing. But overall an enjoyable, fun, read, that keeps you on your toes.

A fun read!

This book follows Mirae who is desperate to save her brother with powers she doesn't really know how to control. I liked the writing and the characters, but the pacing is quite slow. This is definitely a character-driven book with great fantasy elements that include a unique world. There's no romance in this, which was a surprise, but I did enjoy it. Also, it's inspired by Korean history, which is so cool to read about and I loved the inspirations for this story!!

Highly recommend if you're looking for a slower paced fantasy with strong character motivations!

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

"And Break the Pretty Kings" by Lena Jeong follows Mirae who is the heir to the throne in a long line of empresses about to claim the throne but things go wrong and she must save her brother and kingdom.

I would give "And Break the Pretty Kings" by Lena Jeong a 3- star review because, I enjoyed the overall concept and how this was inspired by Korean history and myths but the author never really explained anything and I couldn't connect the any of the characters you get introduced to characters but you don't really learn more about the characters.

Unfortunately, this did not work for me. I'm sad because I really wanted to like this book but I lost interest not that far in.

I got to 69% in this book and could read no more, this is the first book I have not finished and I think that is why I got to 69% and didn’t stop at 40%

I was so looking forward to read this book but here are my problems

The war between Josan and Seolla hasn’t really been explained, the time jumping just leaves you confused, the characters just seem boring and need more development. The hints of romance don’t seem to be going anywhere.

Unfortunately I just got bored and that rarely happens to me.

I would like to take this opportunity and thank NetGalley for the chance to read this.

Sacred Bone's first book, And Break the Pretty Kings is Lena Jeong's first novel, and although It's always very difficult for me to give up a book or give it a low rating, especially when I've received an ARC (thank you HarperCollins UK and NetGalley) or worse when it's the author's debut novel. But I really don't care anymore what will happen in this book.

While some may find this book to be an enjoyable read, I personally as an Asian fantasy lover, find it unappealing to see old stories rewritten in uninteresting ways. But as I said before, maybe it's just me, I do not wish to discourage others from reading the book based on my review. It appears that many others like it, so please do not let me affect your decision, then I feel guilty.

The next main problem was characters, of course, I'm so character-oriented (which is not good I know), and in this case, I had a hard time connecting with or understanding the characters.

That's enough of me. Let me tell you about the story I read in the first 30 percent:
There is a well-known prophecy that said the High Daughters of the Sacred Bone had indeed foretold of a Seollan queen who would unite the peninsula, but not until she destroyed the queendom’s greatest enemy, an ancient evil whose name wasn’t allowed to utter.

Mirae had been studying Sacred Bone Magic, the ability to wield all three of Seolla’s magic systems (Ma-eum Mage, Jade Witch, and Horomancer) and the manipulation of the four elements in her whole life to prepare for her task, she is a next Seollan queen.

Mirae, her mother, her grandmother, and all her ancestors paid for being gods-touched guardians against Seolla’s ancient enemy. Uncontrollable madness runs deep in their royal family. Soon when the councilmembers had decreed that Mirae’s mother was no longer fit to rule and Mirae’s Ceremony would be scheduled.

The night when Mirae suppose to pass her three trials and earn the right to rule, her older brother, Minho is taken and the monster is released.

Mirae is really committed to saving her brother and beating the monster, she'll do whatever it takes at any cost to make it happen.

An action-adventure set in a mystical, matriarchal version of South Korea where there’s a line of queens ruling the land. Our heroine is the heir to the throne and being tutored in all things necessary both to rule and use magic.

The book starts well but at the coronation ceremony/trial, it focuses more on action than description which makes things confusing as the reader tries to remember who the characters are, location descriptions, magic power descriptions as well as the action. Slowing down here with some more description would have been really beneficial. Unfortunately, this action-at-the-expense-of-description continues for the rest of the book. I finished the book so that I could write this review, not because I was gripped by it.

There are also lots of Korean terms. Unless you’re familiar with Korean culture, you’ll be left going “I think that’s an item of clothing / jewellery / food” which some readers may find off putting. There’s no glossary either to help you out.

This book has an interesting premise so I’d be willing to try book 2 of the series once it’s out but it’ll need more description otherwise it’ll end up as a DNF. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

DNF around 25%, Great concept and writing, but ultimately this one wasn't for me. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to give this one a look.

"I see your destiny, my little golden snake, and no one can take it from you. Never forget the dragons in your blood."

I have complicated feelings on this. I am exceedingly grateful to Netgalley and Magpie for sending me an advance copy for review in exchange for my unbiased review. And there's a lot that I want to say about And Break the Pretty Kings that's actually very good. But I really didn't enjoy reading it.
In many ways it reminded me a lot of the few historical K-dramas I've watched. The humour hits the same marks. The characters fall into broadly similar archetypes. It helped me relax into the opening of the novel, which I thought was wonderful. The first few chapters are really great. Well written and building a mystery with the right amount of tension.
And then it just goes a bit sideways. Without dropping too many spoilers, when Mirae and her friends first set off on their journey the narrative just stops feeling cohesive. It's almost as if Lena Jeong had planned the novel up to that poyint and then decided to wing it. It was hard to follow from scene to scene and the (mild spoiler) time travel only confused things further.
It's a shame because the setting is so wonderful, but the meandering plot and inconsistent characters just killed it for me.

One of my most anticipated Reads for this year!!!!
If you're like me and pick up any korean/chinese/japanese inspired book you can find, you'll love this.
It's brilliant and you need to read it!!!!

I really liked the magic in this world. It felt like Avatar: The Last Airbender meets Six Crimson Cranes. The main story had a lot of intrigue that I really enjoyed, but I wasn't able to connect with this style of writing.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for honest feedback.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc. I was looking forward to reading this one as it is inspired by Korean Mythology. I did enjoy the read however I finished feeling not completely satisfied. For me, the book is too fast paced and as a result other aspects suffered, including the world building and character development. It also made it hard to feel really drawn into the characters situations, as all are resolved in one way or another and they move swiftly on to the next. Recommended if you enjoy Asian inspired and lighter reads.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

As soon as I read the description of this book and saw the stunning cover, I knew I had to read it.

It ended up feeling like a pretty standard YA fantasy, with a lot of tropes you'll be familiar with if you read a lot of it - but I did really enjoy the unique setting. I studied Korean as my BA, so I'm familiar with a lot of the history and mythology, which is what drew me to read this in the first place. I've loved seeing this come alive in a fantasy context, as the mythology and folklore of Korea is so steeped in magic and mystery.

Mirae herself did at times come across as a bland and slightly frustrating character - but in some ways, this meant it was easy for the reader to project themselves on her, think Bella in Twilight. The way she handles the time switching and being thrust into this dangerous scenario is typical of a sheltered teenager though, so I feel like she reads as a realistic character.

I loved the supporting cast, even if some of them didn't get the ending I wanted for them in this book. There isn't a romantic subplot, necessarily, and I know for some that may come as a shock considering so many stories in the fantasy and YA market will heavily feature some kind of romance. I didn't feel it lacking though, as I was too busy caught up in all the politics and court intrigue and plots and magic to miss it.

Overall, a solid start to what I think will be an epic series, and wonderful to see another Own Voices Korean author expanding into the fantasy market alongside the likes of Kat Cho and Axie Oh.