And Break the Pretty Kings


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Copyright
 
 This book is a work of fiction. As such, it is not intended to be historically
 accurate; rather, it is a fantasy novel set in a different world, featuring realms
 inspired by Korean history, culture, and myth. All characters, places, lore,
 and incidents are products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously.
 Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments,
 events, or locales is entirely coincidental. For an accurate portrayal of
 Korean history, please turn to nonfiction sources.
 
 
 
 HarperTeen is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
 
 AND BREAK THE PRETTY KINGS. Copyright © 2023 by Lena Jeong. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment
 of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book
 on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or
 introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical,
 now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins Publishers. 
 
 
 
 www.epicreads.com
 
 Cover art © 2023 by Priscilla Hyun KimCover design by Chris Kwon and Jessie Gang
 
 Digital Edition JUNE 2023 ISBN: 978-0-06324166-4Print Edition ISBN: 978-0-06324164-0
 
 first edition
 
 
 
 
 
 Dedication
 
 
 
 
 Dedicated to Emmelineand all oldest daughters everywhere
 
 
 
 
 
 Contents
 
 Cover
 Title Page
 Dedication
 Contents
 Chapter One
 Chapter Two
 Chapter Three
 Chapter Four
 Chapter Five
 Chapter Six
 Chapter Seven
 Chapter Eight
 Chapter Nine
 Chapter Ten
 Chapter Eleven
 Chapter Twelve
 Chapter Thirteen
 Chapter Fourteen
 Chapter Fifteen
 Chapter Sixteen
 Chapter Seventeen
 Chapter Eighteen
 Chapter Nineteen
 Chapter Twenty
 Chapter Twenty-One
 Chapter Twenty-Two
 Chapter Twenty-Three
 Chapter Twenty-Four
 Chapter Twenty-Five
 Chapter Twenty-Six
 Chapter Twenty-Seven
 Chapter Twenty-Eight
 Chapter Twenty-Nine
 Chapter Thirty
 Acknowledgments
 About the Author
 Back Ad
 Books by Lena Jeong 
 Copyright
 About the Publisher
 
 
 
 
 
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 ChapterOne
 
 Summoning fire was easy. Mirae had been studying the manipulation of the four elements her whole life. Scorching the woman
 in front of her, however, was something she hadn’t managed even once in the past three months.
 
 
 Nevertheless, Mirae raised a hand to the heavens as if pulling fire from the sun. A small white-hot orb appeared in her palm;
 before its sharp heat could blister her skin, Mirae lobbed it with all her strength at her opponent. 
 
 
 Captain Jia, head of the palace guards, swatted Mirae’s orb into wisps of harmless steam, then glanced down at her barely
 smoking wrist guard. “Have you considered a career in the sauna industry, Gongju?” she asked wryly. “You seem much more adept
 at making people sweat than burning them alive.”
 
 
 Mirae wiped her brow, careful not to pull any more hair loose. The palace women were starting to get suspicious about the “long morning walks” that kept ruining all their hard work, and with tonight’s pre-coronation ceremony only hours away, they would be loath to redo her hair completely. It was a blessing that Captain Jia, at least, could be trusted to keep Mirae’s morning