The acclaimed author of the "sublime" (The New York Times) Far
North, a finalist for the National Book Award, returns with a
mesmerizing novel about a North Korean boy whose life is irrevocably
changed when he stumbles across a mysterious Western book--a guide to
Dungeons & Dragons.
Ten-year-old Jun-su is a bright and obedient boy whose only desire is to
be a credit to his family, his nation, and most importantly, his Dear
Leader. However, when he discovers a copy of The Dungeon Master's
Guide, left behind in a hotel room by a rare foreign visitor, a new and
colorful world opens up to him.
With the help of an English-speaking teacher, Jun-su deciphers the rules
of the famous role-playing game and his imaginary adventures sweep him
away from the harsh reality of a famine-stricken North Korea. Over time,
the game leads Jun-su on a spellbinding and unexpected journey through
the hidden layers of his country, toward precocious success, glory,
love, betrayal, prison, a spell at the pinnacle of the North Korean
elite, and an extraordinary kind of redemption.
A vivid, uplifting, and deeply researched novel, The Sorcerer of
Pyongyang is a love story and a tale of survival against the odds.
Inspired by the testimony of North Korean refugees and drawing on the
author's personal experience of North Korea, it explores the power of
empathy and imagination in a society where they are dangerous
liabilities.
