You’ve probably heard the hype, or maybe you saw that massive gold-and-black cover at a bookstore and wondered if it was worth the wrist strain. The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons didn't just arrive in 2019; it basically kicked the door down. It’s a brick. It’s dense. It’s also one of the most mechanically complex pieces of storytelling I’ve ever seen in the genre. Honestly, it’s a bit of a nightmare for some readers, while others treat it like the second coming of Steven Erikson.
Kihrin D'Mon isn't your standard farm boy with a destiny. He’s a thief who grows up in the slums of Quur, and his life is basically a series of "out of the frying pan, into the literal dragon fire" moments. But here’s the thing: the book isn't told linearly. It’s a nested doll of a narrative.
The Footnotes and the Frame: Why People Get Confused
Most fantasy novels follow a straight line. You start at point A, you walk to point B, you kill the dark lord at point C. The Ruin of Kings laughs at that. The story is told through a transcript written by a character named Thurlow, who is recording the accounts of Kihrin and another character named Talon. They’re sitting in a jail cell. Oh, and there are footnotes.
Yes, footnotes.
Usually, when we see footnotes in fantasy, we think of Terry Pratchett’s witty asides or Susanna Clarke’s world-building in Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. Here, they serve a different purpose. They’re written by a character who has a very specific, very biased perspective on the events being described. It adds a layer of "unreliable narrator" that makes you question everything Kihrin says. Is it a gimmick? Some people think so. I’d argue it’s a necessary tool for a story this massive. It’s meta-commentary happening in real-time.
Breaking Down the Quur Empire
The world-building is where Lyons really flexes. We aren't just talking about different names for horses and swords. Quur is a place built on the backs of slaves, governed by a hierarchy of "Houses" that make the Lannisters look like a bunch of friendly neighbors.
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You have the Goldy-Gods. You have Eight Immortals. You have demons that aren't just monsters, but entities with legal standing and complex motivations. The magic system isn't "soft" or "hard" in the traditional sense; it’s more like a series of cosmic laws that the characters are constantly trying to find loopholes in.
- The Vané are basically immortal elves, but they're terrifyingly alien rather than graceful and wise.
- Dragons in this world are a mess. They’re not noble companions. They’re soul-sucking nightmares that basically act as nuclear deterrents for the various factions.
It's a lot. If you aren't paying attention for even five pages, you’re going to lose the thread of who is related to whom. And trust me, the genealogy is a mess. There’s reincarnation, soul-swapping, and secret lineages. It’s the kind of book that practically requires you to keep a notebook on your nightstand.
What Everyone Gets Wrong About Kihrin
People often label Kihrin as a "Chosen One" trope. On the surface, sure. He’s the lost prince. He has the special sword. He’s got the mark. But The Ruin of Kings is actually a deconstruction of that entire trope. Kihrin doesn't want the destiny. More importantly, the destiny itself is a trap.
In many ways, the book is about the horror of being "the protagonist." When gods and demons decide you’re the center of the universe, they don't do it because they like you. They do it because you’re a useful tool. Kihrin spends a significant portion of the book being traumatized, sold into slavery, and manipulated by people who have been playing the long game for centuries. It’s not a power fantasy. It’s a survival story.
The Problem with the "Standard" Fantasy Review
If you look at Goodreads or Amazon, the reviews for The Ruin of Kings are polarized. There’s no middle ground. You either love the complexity or you find it completely impenetrable.
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A common complaint is that the characters all sound the same. I disagree. While the "voice" of the transcript is filtered through Thurlow, the actual dialogue reflects the specific cultural backgrounds of the characters. The problem is usually that readers expect a "Malazan-lite" experience, but Lyons is doing something much more focused on identity and the fluidity of the self.
Think about the gender roles in the book. Lyons creates a society where gender is far more fluid than what we see in standard Tolkien-clone fantasy. It’s handled naturally, without a five-page lecture on the sociology of the world. It’s just there. If you miss it, that’s on you.
Why the Ending Actually Works
No spoilers, but the finale of the first book is a chaotic mess of revelations. Everything you thought you knew about Kihrin’s parentage gets flipped. Twice.
It’s a "convergence" in the truest sense. All those disparate timelines and footnotes finally start to bleed into each other. By the time you hit the last fifty pages, the pacing shifts from a crawl to a sprint. It’s exhausting, honestly. But it provides a level of payoff that justifies the 500 pages of setup.
Is it Worth the Time?
Look, I’ll be real. If you want a cozy read or something to skim before bed, stay away from this. It’s a "commitment" book. You have to buy into the conceit of the transcript. You have to be okay with feeling lost for the first 100 pages.
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However, if you’re tired of the same three plots being recycled in epic fantasy, this is the antidote. It’s ambitious. Sometimes it’s too ambitious for its own good, but I’d rather read a book that tries to do too much than one that does nothing at all.
Actionable Tips for First-Time Readers
If you're going to dive into this series, do yourself a favor and follow these steps. It will save you a lot of headache.
- Don't ignore the Dramatis Personae. There is a list of characters at the beginning. Use it. Flip back to it every time a new "Prince of House whatever" shows up.
- Read the footnotes. They aren't flavor text. They contain vital information about the reliability of the narrator and the history of the world that explains why certain characters are acting the way they do.
- Accept the confusion. You are supposed to feel a bit disoriented. Kihrin is disoriented. The story is being pieced together from fragments. Let the world wash over you before you try to map it out perfectly.
- Check the glossary. There are specific terms for magic and social castes that are easy to mix up.
- Audiobook vs. Physical. Some people find the audiobook easier because different narrators handle the different perspectives, but I personally find the physical book better because you can see the footnote markers.
The A Chorus of Dragons series only gets weirder from here. The second book, The Name of All Things, shifts perspective again, and by the time you reach the fifth book, the scale is literally cosmic. The Ruin of Kings is just the entry point. It’s a test. If you can pass the test of the first volume, you’re in for one of the most rewarding—and insane—marathons in modern fantasy.
Don't let the "complexity" labels scare you off. It's just a different way of telling a story. Sometimes, a story is too big for a single straight line. Sometimes, you need the footnotes to tell the truth. Keep your eyes on the soul-shackle and don't trust any of the gods. You'll probably be fine. Probably.
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