KING

In the conclusion to the Prophecy trilogy, Kira must decide if she can fully embrace her destiny as the Dragon Musado.

A malevolent dragon has abducted Kira’s royal cousin, Taejo, and given her just 10 days to exchange the two magical treasures in her possession for Taejo’s life (Warrior, 2013). Making the trade isn’t an option: Kira needs the treasures to defeat the Yamato invaders and their demon lord, and she needs Taejo to survive to become king. So Kira and Jaewon race to rescue Taejo and claim the third and final treasure before the final battle. Though the story starts slowly—Kira and Jaewon’s journey has more awkward flirting than fight scenes—it offers readers plenty of action by the end. However, reading the novel is rather like watching another person clear the levels of a video game en route to a showdown with the final boss: It’s hard to feel much emotional investment in the outcome. Old friends and enemies return, but they don’t make much of an impression thanks to their flat characterization. In addition, the colloquial dialogue continues to feel too contemporary for a story set in an alternate feudal Korea. It takes a skilled stylist to pull off such a fusion, and Oh’s attempt unfortunately falls short.

This finale is recommended only for completists.