The Kingdom of the Gods

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Set in the 16th century and three years after the end of the Imjin War, Kingdom takes place in a fictional, medieval-inspired Joseon (modern-day Korea) and blends political thriller and elements from zombie horror. When Juu is dumped there for his exile, he spends the next year trying to kill Kim Han who had previously killed everyone else who has come there before (by flaying their skin off). It is revealed that after the Haewon Cho took Mu-yeong's pregnant wife, Mu-yeong became a spy under their employ.

I initially thought this story would tie into The Kingdom of the Gods as a prequel, but that never happened. Netflix approached Eun-hee, after Signal ended its run, to work on a future project that she could helm. An odd duo between a prince presumed to be dead by the public and a mountain thief with exceptional fighting prowess and a mysterious disease travel together to reach the prince's home. The story follows Lee Chang, the Crown Prince of Joseon, who attempts to investigate the mysterious illness recently afflicting the King, only to find himself caught in the middle of a deadly epidemic ravaging the Kingdom of Joseon. The shock destroys part of the underpalace of the city of Sky, and sends Sieh from the mortal realm to recover for around eight years.

Three years prior, as the Koreans are on the verge of defeat during the Japanese invasions, Lord Cho Hak-ju learns of the resurrection plant. She's strong, capable, and completely determined to help people no matter the personal risk or cost.

I also love her TV show equivalent Seo-bi (one of my favourite female protagonists in any Korean drama) who is played by the absolutely iconic Bae Doona. With this supposed proof of Lee Chang's treachery, the Haewon Cho clan consolidate their power as the Queen Regent prepares to deliver a false son, kidnapped from the pregnant women gathered. Considering what actually happens to them (both lose an eye, some limbs, etc), it’s impossible to believe they lived for a year. Where Kingedom is balanced, this had too man bells and whistles - and not enough plot for me to be amused by it.

I really enjoyed the dynamic between them and can imagine them battling for eternity, more invested in the enjoyment they derive from each other than actually winning. The period feels like a feudal Japan era, but the mention of Joseon places that in a period of time prior to the formation of Korea, somewhere between the 14th and 19th Centuries, though bits all still in a fantasy setting. War and famine have ravaged Joseon, and now the Prince is on the run after assassins kill his retainers. The characterisation of our protagonists achieved something I didn't think was possible in only around 167 pages - making me care about a set of characters.

I also have a major soft spot for him because he is the basis for my favourite character in the TV show (Crown Prince Lee Chang) and I can see exactly where the (much older) prince's character comes from. Ahad - The former shell of Nahadoth during his enslavement with the Arameri, now a godling in the city of Shadow. The concept has also found itself drifting into sci-fi from time to time, but it has found a home for itself in fantasy, since the cyclical nature of the concept lends itself very well to many fantasy stories.This volume is only 4 chapters long, with the bonus story Burning Hell that is also 4 chapters long, so it just cracks the surface of the story by introducing the characters and the Living Dead Curse. They run, they're nocturnal (gods this is well developed in the show), they're in a historical setting which means Mr. When he awakes, he’s chained to a large boulder, surrounded by skinned humans and a Korean medic named Han, who was sent to the island for killing and dissecting a lot of people.