Blood to the True Crown (The Bleeding Empire, 3) by Sung-il Kim, Anton Hur (Hardcover) (PREORDER)

Fiction - Fantasy - Epic

RELEASE DATE: 11/17/2026  (WILL SHIP DIRECTLY FROM OUR SUPPLIER'S WAREHOUSE)

Translated from the Korean by: Anton Hur. 

“A must-read series for epic fantasy lovers."―Library Journal

The fate of the world will be decided in Blood to the True Crown, the epic conclusion to the Bleeding Empire trilogy, from award-winning Korean author Sung-il Kim and translated by the world-renowned Anton Hur.

The Empire faces a reckoning that could destroy the world itself.
But hope can be found even in the darkest despair.

Chaos reigns after the fateful decision to unleash the weapon known as the Star of Mersia, and a pervasive, deadly new magic wreaks devastation across the Empire.

When Arienne discovers the origin of this sinister magic, her sole purpose becomes to stop its spread. But this mission will bring her into the very heart of The Empire and test everything she has learned as a sorcerer.

Meanwhile, Loran has sworn to bring true freedom to Arland, but the Empire’s hold over the people is too strong. When she finds an unlikely ally, Loran will have to decide what she is willing to do in the name of freedom.

Join the battle to win a new destiny, but do not lose yourself to the fight.

AUTHOR BIO: 

SUNG-IL KIM (he/him) was born in Seoul in 1974. Despite his lifelong dream of writing fiction, he only got around to it in his forties. He writes science fiction, fantasy, horror, or some blend of those. In South Korea, he is known for Blood of the Old Kings, I Will Go to Earth to See You, Wolf Hunt, and "The Knight of La Mancha," the last two of which earned him a Grand Prize and an Excellence Award at the Korean SF Awards in 2024 and 2018, respectively. He spends most of his time in his downtown Seoul apartment with his wife and two cats.

TRANSLATOR BIO: 

ANTON HUR (he/him) is the author of Toward Eternity. He has translated several books, including Bora Chung's Cursed Bunny, which was nominated for both the International Booker Prize and the National Book Award for Translated Literature. He lives in Seoul.

Review Quotes:

"A plot-forward, exhilaratingly paced narrative populated with thrilling battle scenes, satisfying character moments, and an examination of the power of hope."--Library Journal, STARRED review

PRAISE FOR THE BLEEDING EMPIRE TRILOGY:

"Refreshingly different . . . blends classic genre elements together in fresh ways."-- Paste

"Inventive and fiercely engaging."-- Booklist

"A hell of a good time!"-- Book Riot

"Epic underdog fantasy. . . Readers seeking an exciting new fantasy world to sink into will find this hits the spot."-- Publishers Weekly

"Breathes new life into classic fantasy tropes."-- Town & Country

"A must-read series for epic fantasy lovers."-- Library Journal, STARRED review

"Full on fantasy delight. . . it's a book that so clearly loves fantasy and gives readers classic elements of the genre in a totally new way. Blood of the Old Kings is just a goddamn blast to read."-- Reactor

"Breathlessly propulsive."-- Locus