The Dandelion Dynasty
#3324.01 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 4 books Status Complete 2015–2022 Reading commitment Medium Ken Liu Last reviewed 2026-08-11
Overview
A completed 'silkpunk' epic fantasy quartet drawing on Chinese history and mythology -- a fantastical retelling of the Chu-Han Contention, following rivals-turned-enemies Kuni Garu and Mata Zyndu across a war of rebellion and its long aftermath.
Epic fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (4 works) counts toward ranking
The Dandelion Dynasty Ken Liu
| Work | Year | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Grace of Kings | 2015 | core | 3.80 (31,554 ratings) |
 | The Wall of Storms | 2016 | core | 4.34 (10,835 ratings) |
 | The Veiled Throne | 2021 | core | 4.12 (5,563 ratings) |
 | Speaking Bones | 2022 | core | 4.53 (4,677 ratings) |
New author record. A 'silkpunk' epic fantasy quartet drawing on Chinese history and mythology (a fantastical retelling of the Chu-Han Contention), originally announced as a trilogy that grew to 4 volumes per the author's own account. The Grace of Kings WON the 2016 Locus Award for Best First Novel and was a 2016 Nebula Award for Best Novel nominee (both verified via sfadb.com); The Wall of Storms placed 3rd in the 2017 Locus Award (Fantasy Novel) poll. Completed with Speaking Bones (2022).
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Dandelion Dynasty? The Dandelion Dynasty's Core Canon is 4 books.
- What is the reading order for The Dandelion Dynasty? Publication order, starting with The Grace of Kings. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is The Dandelion Dynasty finished? Complete (2015–2022).
- How much reading does The Dandelion Dynasty take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 4 Core Canon books).
- How is The Dandelion Dynasty ranked? #332 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 52,629 reader ratings across 4 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #332?
Ranked #332 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 4.01 across 4 core books.
- A smaller readership (52,629 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Uneven reception: its books range from 3.80 to 4.53.
- Less than 0.01 behind #331, At the Back of the North Wind (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Well rated · 4 books · Complete · 53k ratings · Ranks #332 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length epic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (4 Core Canon books)
- The Grace of Kings (2015)
- The Wall of Storms (2016)
- The Veiled Throne (2021)
- Speaking Bones (2022)
Awards (verified)
- No awards found for this universe.
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.01 across 52,629 ratings on 4 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Run 6: 3 admissions -- The Well at the World's End, The Dandelion Dynasty, The Burning accepted 2026-08-11
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Wikipedia: Ken Liu Tier 2
- sfadb: Ken Liu Tier 1
Last reviewed: 2026-08-11
Rule: Core = the 4 completed novels (2015-2022). No Expanded Canon found.