The Legend of the Magpie King is an adventure unlike any other. In real-world Seoul, Korea, a Forest thrives in the middle of the city. Just across the Han River sits the ancient Buddhist Temple called Bongeunsa, home to an Order of monks, the abbot, Chuji Jun-Lee, and Seo-joon, a younger monk searching to find his place in the world. Together with a high-flying group of raptors and the Chuji’s cockatoo, Ju-Ju, they assist Makki, a magpie of unusual prowess, in his life-or-death challenge to prevent Corvus, an evil raven, from destroying the beloved woodlands and its inhabitants.
Set in real-world Korea, The Legend of the Magpie King is more than an ordinary adventure. Along with intense action and gripping drama, the sprawling novel touches seven decades, and is filled with anthropomorphized birds, Buddhist monks, faithful depictions of the country’s landscape, its modern history, and the hidden wilderness living amidst the glittering city of Seoul. At its core is a compelling fable of rising above all else to make one’s mark in the world…and how to own it.