Five Broken Blades

As the primary setting of Five Broken Blades, the country of Yusan is inspired by Korean mythology, legends, and culture. Comprised of four counties that were once kingdoms of their own—Umbria to the north, Rahway to the west, Tamneki to the east, and Gain to the south—the country has been ruled by the Baejkin family line for over 1,000 years. During the events of the novel, Yusan is ruled by King Joon Baejkin, a direct descendant of the Dragon Lord who first united the country. Yusan’s landscape is composed of a treacherous mountain range that harbors dangerous creatures like the samrocs, dense forests such as Westward Forest, and one important river, the Sol River, on which citizens travel via riverboats. Yusan is flanked by three other nations: the mysterious country of Wei, the golden country of Khitan, and the lawless country of Fallow. Driven by the efforts of King Theum, Joon’s father and predecessor, and later by Joon’s own thirst for riches, the army of Yusan crossed the Strait of Teeth and colonized the island country of Gaya to lay claim to its production of laoli, an addictive painkilling drug. Yusan’s capital, Tamneki, is particularly luxurious and wealthy, and the royal family residence of Qali Palace is its crowning jewel. The palace sits atop Idle Lake, a dangerous body of water that contains iku, half-human creatures who devour anyone who falls into the lake. 

The people of Yusan subscribe to a patriarchal value system that parallels Confucian family principles. For example, Euyn specifically espouses misogynistic views about women’s involvement in important affairs, but his beliefs are not shared by Mikail and many of their companions. While enslavement is outlawed, indentured servitude is an accepted practice in Yusan, and poverty-stricken people have the option of selling their children to pleasure houses or other ventures. In Sora’s case, she has been sold to Count Seok and his poison school. Indentured servants accumulate an interest rate over time, and although the indentured person may work to gain money, their enslavement is often extended when those who control them add the cost of food, lodging, and other expenses to their debt. For many who live in these circumstances, running away to Khitan is a common dream, as Khitan is the only country that does not support the practice of making people indentured servants.

Yusan’s national currency is known as mun, with the unit of most value being the gold mun. While Joon, the counts, and the other nobles enjoy copious wealth, poverty, gang-related violence, and extortion are widespread in the general population. Corland uses this setting to give Royo a tragic origin story and to explain how Sora came to be exploited by Count Seok and his poison school. These aspects of the plot are designed to serve as a sharp contrast with Euyn’s uniquely privileged life in the palace. While the primary plot of the novel is politically driven, Corland’s intricately designed world blends familiar historical notions of historical Korean society with magic, mythology, and folklore, and the narrative also celebrates the tenacity of the humans who attempt to survive this harsh world.