The Sorcerer of Pyongyang

A Novel

By: Marcel Theroux

Narrated by: Marcel Theroux

Written “with intelligence, compassion, and an occasional quiet lyricism” (Krys Lee, The Guardian), this mesmerizing novel is about a North Korean boy whose life is irrevocably changed when he stumbles across a mysterious Western book—a guide to Dungeons & Dragons—from the acclaimed author of the “sublime” (The New York Times) Far North.

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.

An “expert, engrossing” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), and uplifting 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.

Critic reviews

"Author/journalist Marcel Theroux narrates his fascinating story of everyday life in North Korea with graceful aplomb. In 1995, when Cho Jun-Su was 11, he found a smuggled copy of Dungeons and Dragons. A teacher helps him understand the game by translating it for him. The game changes the trajectory of his life forever. Cho Jun-Su lives through a brutally oppressive regime, trying to love and flourish in a society that won't allow it. Theroux details his inspiration and research in a lengthy explanation at the end of the book. He narrates in his English accent with a neutral tone, which allows listeners to relish the story. Listeners will come away with a new, albeit heartbreaking, understanding of North Korea. This audiobook is not to be missed!"

surprisingly realistic

I have read many North Korean escapees' books. I had to check and see that this one was fiction. The author clearly did his homework. It was a fascinating story and I binged it over two days.

It’s personal!

I'm a reader who can only get into books where the main character shows some quality of goodness and the antagonist is three dimensional. If these are ingredients you also need from your reading then this book will probably fit the bill.

The main character Jin-su develops unique interests that run counter to the North Korean state's demand for complete, focused loyalty. When the young Jin-su stumbles across an instruction manual for how to play D&D he becomes fascinated. Unfortunately, since the game is a western invention and inspires creative thinking he will be in serious trouble if his hobby is detected. Letting your true self out of the box can get you dead in North Korea.

A tail of hardship can be easier to metabolize when it contains the little (and big) personal details of a real life. There is such a heartfelt portrait of life in Jin-su's town and in his family. There is a terrible famine going on but his mom has a trick up her sleeve to ward off starvation and his dad takes young Jin-su fishing for extra food. The novel shares a whole life with us; he develops a career and a first love. It doesn't end there. He does come to the attention of the government. What sets him apart will get him in trouble and it may also be away for him to get to safety. The author says that Jin-su is based on a real person's story. Truth is stranger than fiction and Jin-su's path gets very strange indeed. The book develops the extreme contrast between the distinctiveness of an individual person and a complete totalitarian government. This theme really throws a light on the nature of life. We all need to express our individuality. We also live in groups that require we make at least some concessions to our individuality. By the end of the novel, we find a very human reminder of how we can pursue personal freedom and live in a group.

There is not much D&D play in this book. The discussions of the game and game play of Dungeons & Dragons are used as a lens to learn about the inner workings of the human mind and how we engage in the world.

The author is also the reader and he did a heck of a job. His voice is easy to listen to, absorbing and has a nice quality.