The Dandelion Dynasty
#3814.01 in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 4 books Status Complete 2015–2022 Reading commitment Medium Ken Liu Last reviewed 2026-08-11
Overview
The Dandelion Dynasty is a completed "silkpunk" epic fantasy quartet by Ken Liu, drawing on Chinese history and mythology for a fantastical retelling of the Chu-Han Contention, following rivals-turned-allies-turned-enemies Kuni Garu and Mata Zyndu across a war of rebellion and its long aftermath. Published between 2015 and 2022, beginning with The Grace of Kings and closing with Speaking Bones, the quartet coined the term "silkpunk" for its blend of East Asian-inflected technology, bioengineered airships and submersibles built from silk, bamboo, and coral, with epic-fantasy scale and classical Chinese narrative structure. Liu, already established as a major short-fiction writer and translator before the series began, built the quartet around competing political philosophies and the human costs of empire-building rather than a single clear hero and villain. The Grace of Kings was a finalist for the 2016 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel.
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 (31,961 ratings) |
 | The Wall of Storms | 2016 | core | 4.34 (10,998 ratings) |
 | The Veiled Throne | 2021 | core | 4.12 (5,687 ratings) |
 | Speaking Bones | 2022 | core | 4.53 (4,788 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? #381 in this site's official ranking, based on 53,434 reader ratings across 4 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #381?
Ranked #381 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 4.01 across 4 core books.
- A smaller readership (53,434 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 #380, The Ocean at the End of the Lane (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 #381 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 53,434 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.