The Heart of the Nhaga cover art

The Heart of the Nhaga

Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

£5.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options

The Heart of the Nhaga

By: Lee Young-do
Narrated by: Tim Lounibos
Try for £0.00

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £16.36

Buy Now for £16.36

Season's Savings | £0.99/mo for 3 months

£5.99/mo after 3 months - terms apply. Cancel monthly

Discover the bestselling epic fantasy series from the grandmaster of Korean SFF, available for the first time in English by award-winning translator Anton Hur. A can't-miss for readers of the great classics and giants of fantasy, from J.R.R Tolkien to Ursula K. Le Guin

Three handles one.

The world is divided by the Line of Limit. To the north are the Tokkebifire people able to manipulate flames as both weapons and illusions; Rekon – giant birdmen with immense strength and warrior acumen; and the humans – as divided as the other races are unified. To the south are the Nhaga – a reptilian people who relinquish their hearts for immortality. For centuries, the races didn’t cross that line, but change is in the air. A Nhaga is being sent North…and a trio is being dispatched to make sure this agent from the South makes it out alive – one from each race.

But the illusion of a simple journey is quickly dispelled by the fact that the Tokkebi is merely a scholar, not an adventurer; the Rekon is deathly afraid of water; and the human hunts and eats Nhaga. And when the Nhaga they’re supposed to be escorting out of the Kiboren forest is murdered, the one sent in his place turns out to very much have a heart – meaning he’s quite vulnerable to the dangerous exodus.

The four must quickly forge an alliance and shed the distrust and prejudice that plagues them if they are to survive. And just as crucial, they must figure out what this mission is actually about, because unbeknownst to them, the very fate of the world might rest on this one Nhaga making it to the North intact.

A classic not to be missed, Heart of the Nhaga is epic fantasy at its best, translated into English for the first time ever by award-winning translator Anton Hur.

©2003 Lee Young-do (P)2026 HarperCollins Publishers
Action & Adventure Dark Fantasy Dragons & Mythical Creatures Epic Fantasy Historical
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1

Critic reviews

'Lee, South Korea’s leading fantasy writer, is a skilled worldbuilder in the Tolkien vein… A pleasure for readers of fantasy outside the Western tradition'
Kirkus Reviews ​​​​​​​
'This extremely accessible epic fantasy, a Korean classic available for the first time in English, uses familiar genre foundations with exciting South Korean twists to create an unputdownable read that feels part Nicholas Eames’s Kings of the Wyld and part T. Kingfisher’s Nettle and Bone'
Library Journal
'This series will be catnip to readers that love epic journeys, high stakes adventures, intricate societies, an amazing plot, and a world on the cusp of change. Fans of Marlon James’ Dark Star trilogy will devour this and anticipate the next in the series'
Booklist
All stars
Most relevant
I think that this is a good book. Although, tbh it's hard to know for sure, since half of the time I am gritting my teeth while the narrator imitates different characters from the Muppets. I've got nothing against the Muppets, actually, I love them. Just maybe not for this type of story.

It's like listening to an episode of the Muppets

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I liked it, it was good but I did find myself bored and a little lost at times. It was quite a fast read and it could have done with a much more detailed and engaging description of the story but I liked the contents that existed. It just needs that little bit more of a push for it to be brilliant. I still enjoyed it though, I would recommend it for those that enjoy a read from authors such as Brandon Sanderson or Taran Matharu. I just wish this one had a little bit more of the world building development.

It passes the time

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.