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And Break the Pretty Kings (The Sacred Bone Series, Book 1)

And Break the Pretty Kings (The Sacred Bone Series, Book 1)

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Author(s)

Lena Jeong

Publisher

HarperCollins

Genre(s)

Age Range

13+

Release Date

June 20, 2023

ISBN

978-0063241640

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A crown princess. A monster the gods fear. A destiny no one can outrun.

Inspired by Korean history and myths, the first book in the Sacred Bone series is a rich and evocative high-stakes fantasy that is perfect for fans of Gallant and Six Crimson Cranes.

Mirae was meant to save her queendom, but the ceremony before her coronation ends in terror and death, unlocking a strange new power within her and foretelling the return of a monster even the gods fear. Amid the chaos, Mirae’s beloved older brother is taken—threatening the peninsula’s already tenuous truce.

Desperate to save her brother and defeat this ancient enemy before the queendom is beset by war, Mirae sets out on a journey with an unlikely group of companions while her unpredictable magic gives her terrifying visions of a future she must stop at any cost.

Editor review

1 review

And Break the Pretty Kings

April 30, 2025 (Updated: June 12, 2026)

Overall rating

4.0

Plot

4.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

I really enjoyed this book. I accidentally got the second book without realizing it was not a standalone so here is where our journey begins.

First, these covers are gorgeous and I'm a sucker for them all. And I'm so glad that another beautiful cover introduced me to a very interesting story.

I thought the idea behind this plot was really unique. There was a trapped bad guy in a cage that caused the Queens to go insane at a point. These Queens have magic powers that keep the bad guy in his cage but that connection causes the insanity. Mirae's mother's insanity happened way sooner than expected so Mirae now much complete the trials to take over her mother's duties.

However, it all goes wrong (because of course it does) and a bunch of people end up dead and her brother kidnapped all while her mother and father are unconscious. So begins our journey into rescuing Minho all without starting a war.

Obviously, there is more to the plot than that but that is the summary. The journey takes the whole part of the book and while somethings were obvious, I really enjoyed it.

I thought Mirae was a great main character and I loved her relationship with her brothers and friends. She never let the power go to her head and only harnessed it when she needed to. Otherwise she always wanted to put her queendom first but still protect those closest to her.

Hongbin was necessary but honestly I felt a lot of his character was over the top. Captain Jia was supposed to be one of Mirae's closest friends and protector. But her attitude didn't really seem to fit a lot of the time. The end of the book Captian Jia is the one I wish we got through the whole book.

Overall, And Break the Pretty Kings by Lena Jeong was a fun read. I really enjoyed the plot and the story behind this book. Mirae was a very enjoyable MC and I loved her voice throughout the book. While some plot points were obvious, I still enjoyed the story. There were some issues with other characters I had but they all played the part to keep the story moving. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Asian inspired fantasy, books filled with magic, and a Queen who will do anything to save those she loves.