Excerpts Epic Fantasy Read an Excerpt From The Heart of the Nhaga by Lee Young-do A tale of castles built on the backs of flying mantas, giant birdmen, and heartless immortals. By Lee Young-do | Published on May 19, 2026 Comment 0 Share New Share We’re thrilled to share an excerpt from The Heart of the Nhaga by Lee Young-do, a Korean epic fantasy novel translated by Anton Hur—publishing with Harper Voyager on June 2nd. Three handles one.The world is divided by the Line of Limit. To the north are the Tokkebi—fire people able to manipulate flames as both weapons and illusions; Rekon—giant birdmen with immense strength and warrior acumen; and the humans—as divided as the other races are unified. To the south are the Nhaga—a reptilian people who relinquish their hearts for immortality. For centuries, the races didn’t cross that line, but change is in the air. A Nhaga is being sent North… and a trio is being dispatched to make sure this agent from the South makes it out alive—one from each race.But the illusion of a simple journey is quickly dispelled by the fact that the Tokkebi is merely a scholar, not an adventurer; the Rekon is deathly afraid of water; and the human hunts and eats Nhaga. And when the Nhaga they’re supposed to be escorting out of the Kiboren forest is murdered, the one sent in his place turns out to very much have a heart—meaning he’s quite vulnerable to the dangerous exodus.The four must quickly forge an alliance and shed the distrust and prejudice that plagues them if they are to survive. And just as crucial, they must figure out what this mission is actually about, because unbeknownst to them, the very fate of the world might rest on this one Nhaga making it to the North intact. 1 Rescue Mission When the humans brought a bit of the day into the darkness of the night with their torches and lamps, a fragment of the night lost its place and cowered at the edges of the light. A Tokkebi grabbed that fragment of night and pulled it into the artificial day. By gaining that fragment, he gained the five daughters of the night: Chaos, Seduction, Imprisonment, Concealment, and Dreams. With their help, the Tokkebi built a castle. There was a reason they did this, a very Tokkebi-like reason. They thought it would amuse them. Chaos decided the interior of the castle while Seduction decided the exterior. Imprisonment installed various dead ends, mazes, and traps, while Concealment created secret tunnels, hidden doors, and passwords. It was unknown how the fifth daughter contributed to this fortress. Dreams was very different from her sisters. The night wanted to hide and conceal and cover up, but Dreams wanted to uncover, discover, and open, which made her somewhat similar to the day. But she couldn’t be seen during the day and was visible only at night, like the stars. Even without the prospect of Dreams’s mystery contribution, the fortification of Jumunuri was strange enough. Only the lord of the castle knew precisely how many floors, rooms, corridors, and stairs Jumunuri had. There were, of course, a few facts known to those who visited the castle often. For example, the fourth floor could be reached only by going up to the seventh first, or turning three corners at any point of the castle would always lead you into the great hall, or if you stood at the top of the eastern tower and turned leftward twice, you’d land on your behind at the lord of the castle’s library. Depending on the taste of whoever was the current lord, they would put a cushion in the landing spot of the library or a bed of iron nails or place a lit candle or two. The candles were a very Tokkebi touch, as a singed posterior would be just the right amount of expected playfulness, but could the nail bed be more than mere rumor? It seemed a touch too harsh for a Tokkebi. But no one was sure of the truth. But the Jumunuri’s head of the sentries, Sabin Hasu’un, didn’t stare out at the black sky in melancholy because he was afraid of some prickly nails. He did so because he had witnessed the lord of the castle walk by carrying a pail full of beetle feces just now. The falling-on-one’s-posterior-in-the-library bit was usually undertaken by the lord of the castle’s valet, Byong. But the head of the sentries had a letter he had to hand over himself. He sighed and resigned himself to a stinky fate as he turned twice. His surroundings changed into something else entirely, and he fell on his behind. What’s this? There was nothing on the landing spot! Sabin dusted off his unharmed posterior as he got up and turned toward the letter-writing table of the lord of the castle. Buy the Book The Heart of the Nhaga Lee Young-do Buy Book The Heart of the Nhaga Lee Young-do Buy this book from: AmazonBarnes and NobleiBooksIndieBoundTarget Bao Moridol, the eleventh lord of Jumunuri, held a spade in his hand as he stared at Sabin. Only when Sabin saw the pail by his feet and the pots by the window did he feel a sense of relief. “You must’ve had a good dream, my lord. Is what’s in the pail manure?” “What?” “I had assumed, my lord, that you wanted to sprinkle it on the floor…” Sabin stopped. The lord of the castle’s eyes had flashed with inspiration. “Hmm…!” Sabin silently apologized to whoever had the lord’s audience after him and at the same time gleefully created a list of people in his head to tell that the lord of the castle wanted to see them at once. Who would be the best Tokkebi for this delightful honor? As he got lost in this daydream, Bao Moridol, slightly nervous, said, “What is your business?” “Well, my lord, don’t you think it’s more of a matter of how much sun those plants get, rather than manure? Because Jumunuri is so dim.” “Your business!” Sabin grinned. The lord of the castle no doubt wanted to throw him out of the room as quickly as possible to test out this new idea. He decided to cooperate with the lord. From the corner, he dragged a chair closer and sat down. “A beetle, from those Kims who shave their own heads, brought a message for you.” “The Kims called monks? But why did you come with it? What is Byong doing?” Sabin shrugged. “This is what the Kims wanted. You know how they are. How they take care of any business having to do with people they deem important.” “Remind me how they take care of them again?” “They want the fewest possible people to know their business.” “Do they, now?” “This is only what I think, but the Kims seem to believe that the more important a business, the fewer people who should know of it. A most convoluted way of thinking, is it not? One needs many people to know if they want help.” “They’re weary of meddlers, I imagine.” “If it’s truly important business, who would dare meddle?” “The Kims fill their minds with useless thoughts. But if this is what they want, we can play along for now. It’s just between you and me, then. What is the message?” “The Kims have asked us to dispatch a Tokkebi.” “For what?” “They are assembling a rescue mission to go below the Line of Limit. They want a Tokkebi to be a part of the mission.” The lord of the castle looked intrigued. He was also aware that his head of the sentries, who respected the lord of the castle very much, liked to prank his lord and spent most of the hours of the day thinking of ways to do it. These pranks were a source of much mirth for Bao. Sabin Hasu’un detected scores of opportunities to prank his lord over the course of a day, barely executing a tenth of them. Which was why the lord enjoyed baiting his head of the sentries, provoking him to act. However, Sabin seemed serious this time. Bao said, “The Kims want to bring a Nhaga up north past the Line of Limit? For what?” “That’s the mystery. They refuse to say. Their tendency toward secrecy, I assume.” “As are the other members of the mission?” “Ah, they disclosed that part. The Kims seem to follow an old saying, how ‘Three handles one.’ There’s a Kim and a Rekon in the company as well.” “How amusing! What are they offering?” “Two hundred in gold.” “Astonishing. It makes me want to go myself. What? Why are you making that face?” “There’s no special reason. Just the expression of a head of the sentries pondering over whom to throw his support behind as the next lord of the castle.” Bao chuckled enough to satisfy his head of the sentries and said, in a more serious tone, “Then whom shall we send?” This was surprising. “You want to send someone? That ‘three handles one’ business is just old nonsense. No ragtag band of a rescue mission can withstand the murderous forces of the Kiboren jungle. They’ll be massacred in no time. I do not think there is any hope for them, my lord.” “Why not?” “Because of ignorance, mostly. Who knows anything about Kiboren or the Nhaga?” “That Kim would know.” “Pardon?” “That Kim—the one they’re sending on this mission. I’ve a feeling I know who it is. There’s only one who knows enough about Kiboren and the Nhaga to lead such a mission.” “There is such a Kim?” “Kagan Draca.” Sabin knew who this was. A wrestler who had scored a legendary win against a phalanx of Tokkebi champions. “He’s still alive?” “Alive and well. He hunts Nhaga for breakfast at the Line of Limit.” Sabin tried to smile. Surely this was a joke the lord of the castle was making, albeit a cryptic one. But Bao did not look expectant of a smile. “Hunts them for breakfast?” “Exactly that. He hunts them. And then eats them.” Sabin mimed cutting a piece of meat with utensils and eating. The lord of the castle nodded. Sabin’s face turned blue. “Is he… insane?” “Well, they say he’s an excellent cook.” “Oh… I see.” The lord of the castle entwined his fingers and placed them on his knee as his face took on a pensive look. “Kagan despises the Nhaga. Enough to hunt them down. That’s why he does what he does. Ambushes them near the Line of Limit. Chops them up. And eats them.” Sabin gulped. “I think hating someone enough to hunt them down and eat them is less of an example of staying true to one’s principles and more of a symptom of mind sickness.” “Well. He does have a good reason for doing it. You know very well that Nhaga are diffcult to kill, as they have no hearts.” “Is that why he, ah, chops them up? So they do not regenerate? But still. Isn’t the eating part somewhat… excessive?” “It’s a waste of perfectly good meat otherwise.” Now Sabin wondered if it was his lord of the castle who was indeed insane. Bao waved his hands at him. “No, no, that’s what Kagan would say. I’ve asked him the same question, and that was his answer. But there are other reasons. Hmm. One moment.” He opened a drawer, rummaged through it, and took out an old parchment scroll. “A letter Kagan sent me about six years ago. Read it.” Carefully taking it from him, Sabin started to read. Peace be unto you, this is Kagan.We haven’t spoken in a while. As you can imagine, weapons are easier to come across in this wasteland near the Line of Limit than paper would be. A peddler I came across yesterday happened to have some pages of parchment, which is how I am writing to you now.I thought about what you bade me to do in your last letter. But I’ve concluded that I cannot stop what I am doing now. Yes, I am still eating Nhaga. There’s no need to put terrible words onto paper, but I also find no need to talk around it.Have you heard of the tiger hunters of Kitaljer? When a tiger hunter in Kitaljer is eaten by a tiger, the dead hunter’s son becomes the son of all the other hunters. They teach that son everything they know. When the son is ready, he goes out to hunt tigers with the other hunters. And when they catch one, they cut it open and feed its liver to the son.I am the son that survived, my lord.The Nhaga have swallowed everything that was precious and meaningful to me aside from this worthless body of mine. So I eat them. Maybe someday, I shall be the one eaten by them. I try not to cross the Line of Limit, but in pursuit of another stumbling Nhaga, I sometimes find myself inside their jungle forest. When I realize I’ve given up my one advantage over the Nhaga, it makes me feel the cold of the jungle forest just like them, even as the winds of the jungle sizzle on my skin. I hastily make my way back up north, but just a few days later, I find myself under the line again.And then, one day, when I can no longer swing my Baragi against my enemies, I shall die. I do not care if you see it as the death of a madman and forget me accordingly.I do not think there is any other destination for me than insanity. Beneath these words was not a signature but a strange symbol. When Sabin lifted his head, the lord of the castle said, “It’s the insignia of the Kitaljer hunters. The black lion and the dragon.” “The black lion and the dragon?” “‘Kagan’ and ‘draca,’ respectively, in Kitaljer hunter language. Both were killed off by the Nhaga. That’s where he gets his name.” “Ah. So that’s not his real name?” “No. But I can’t tell you his real name without his consent.” Bao took back the letter and returned it to his drawer before he faced his head of the sentries once more. “So. What do you think?” “So this… wrestler exacts revenge on the Nhaga using the methods of Kitaljer hunters who disappeared hundreds of years ago? Which is to murder and eat their enemies?” “Rather succinct, but yes.” “What did they do to that Kim to drive him to such mad revenge?” “A terrible thing.” Sabin waited, but the lord of the castle did not elaborate. The lower-ranked Tokkebi was about to nod in unspoken understanding when he happened to glimpse a change in his lord’s face. Bao looked stricken. “A most terrible thing indeed.” Sabin couldn’t help but ask. “What deed, my lord?” Bao sighed and shook his head. “It’s the same as his real name. I cannot tell you without his consent. In any case, you see how this friend would understand the Nhaga and Kiboren better than anyone else? A predator naturally knows much about their prey.” “That may be true,” said Sabin uneasily, “but I would much prefer to enter such a place with companions who have their wits about them. What if this Kim gets tired of his regular meals of Nhaga and decides to add some Tokkebi to his diet for variety?” This was not a joke, but Bao laughed heartily. “Don’t you worry about that. Kagan’s rage is directed exclusively at the Nhaga. He is capable of no other rage at this point.” “How could you be sure of that?” “Look at what he’s written. He’s got nothing to lose now. The Nhaga took everything. This may sound like nonsense, but for anyone who isn’t a Nhaga, Kagan may be the safest person to be with in the world. Because he can’t get angry at anyone or anything else.” “What a sad state that is.” “Truly. A sad state. And it’s the truth. I can guarantee Kagan is safe for everyone else.” Sabin found it difficult to agree. But he also couldn’t find it in him to disagree out loud. There were many things one didn’t need to do to the lord of the castle at Jumunuri and one of them was to argue the logic of the lord. Sabin changed the subject back to the matter at hand. “If the champion Kagan is indeed safe, and at the same time eats Nhaga for breakfast, he is indeed the perfect someone to send someone with into Kiboren. Will you send someone?” “‘Three handles one.’ And they need a Tokkebi to make three. So I shall send someone.” “Who?” He thought on it. “No one has the qualifications for this sort of thing. There isn’t a single Tokkebi who knows anything about the Nhaga or Kiboren. Which means all Tokkebi are equally eligible. There’s no need to think too much about it, then. I shall send whichever Tokkebi enters this room next.” “…. The very next Tokkebi?” “Precisely.” If they’d been outside Jumunuri’s walls, Sabin Hasu’un would’ve gently ignored the lord of the castle’s words just because the lord of the castle had uttered them, and it wouldn’t have passed for disobedience. Sabin also knew that the lord of the castle wasn’t very wise. Both he and Bao knew this didn’t affect his great respect for his lord. But here, inside these walls, he had to obey the words of the lord of the castle. Sabin didn’t bother to ask any more questions. He did manage a short complaint, though. “May I wait with you for that? If I leave here, I’m afraid I may inadvertently become that very Tokkebi.” The lord of the castle chuckled. And so, the two of them began their wait. They didn’t have long. Shortly, a very angry Tokkebi appeared in the middle of the room and fell on his behind. At the sight of the head of the sentries, he shouted, “You! Are you trying to steal my work from me? Then from this day forth, I shall be the head of the sentries, by the name of the God That Kills Himself! Do you yield?” The lord of the castle’s valet Byong Srabble loved his work. Sabin considered it his downfall in this case and shook his head. Bao grinned. “That won’t do. Because you, Byong, are to be dispatched on a rescue mission.” Byong blinked as he considered Bao’s words. “A rescue mission?” “Yes. You have to go into a place no one has gone into for several hundred years. And rescue someone.” Excerpted from The Heart of the Nhaga, copyright © 2026 by Lee Young-do. The post Read an Excerpt From <i>The Heart of the Nhaga</i> by Lee Young-do appeared first on Reactor.