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shinku's review against another edition
4.0
As far as the mystery goes, it was quite predictable and would've been even easier to solve if the book spends more time on it instead of steering the plot into several different directions at once. It starts off pretty strong by mentioning the series of murders, up to the point where a certain royal guard falls victim to it. The scene where Prince Daehyun finds the body is top tier thriller experience, and I was hoping the book would maintain the bone-chilling, harrowing tone… but it doesn't. Instead, it turns to highlight the rebellion instead, and admittedly I lost focus many times because of it. It's good in the sense that it offers the suffocating air of corruption and oppression, but the fact that the investigation is so blatantly pushed aside to make room for this bothered me quite a bit.
“Because rape is about power; it is never about desire or love.”
The romance is also notably more present than June Hur's previous works. Not saying that I didn't enjoy it though, because I did. Both Iseul and Daehyun have massive character growth throughout the book. Iseul starts off as pretty insufferable while Daehyun is used to being emotionally numb. While I do feel like they could've used more build-up to bond beyond having butterflies due to close proximity, they push each other to be better. There are plenty of important messages subtly woven in, and it feels good to see it as a contrast to how King Yeonsan and his officials treat women like dirt.
“Why is it so irrationally difficult for men to simply leave women alone?!”
Overall, it was a pretty engrossing read. It's always fun to see the author's notes too, to see which parts are facts are which ones are fiction. The writing is beautiful and atmospheric, it'll definitely draw you into 1506 Joseon with the tragedies and nightmares it has to offer. Plus points for the sisterhood and especially the beauty that is chapter 42. 🫠
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Rape and Kidnapping
Minor: Incest
serendipity421's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Rape
221bpinkst's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and War
Minor: Cursing, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, Stalking, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
amyteurhour's review
3.75
There's a content warning list at the beginning of the book provided by the author which I appreciated. This is really dark. Maybe it's because I recently read Burial Rites by Hannah Kent, but I found myself getting similar vibes from the two. Things start out kind of slow, and I found Iseul to be a bit frustrating at first (but I think that was kind of Hur's point).
If you're going to check this out, I'd recommend listening to the audiobook narrated by Greg Chun and Michelle H. Lee; I enjoyed their performances and listening helped me visualize what was happening. If you've watched historical k-dramas and are a fan of the political intrigue-y shows, then I think you would enjoy this book.
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy
whomever_0's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Rape and Suicide
cepbreed's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
"History moves its course...But it is the youth who point the current in its direction."
She's done it again! Another irresistible Korean historical romance/mystery fusion by June Hur! I totally fell in love with Daehyun over and over again. There is something so compelling about an exiled prince that I think all girls agree with. From the start the tension between him and Iseul was DELICIOUS. Somehow June Hur could stick to her guns (mystery-solving-slow-burn-couple-with-headstrong-female-lead-and-concerned-but-strong-male-lead) without losing any impact. It's very obvious the tropes are recycled but that isn't to say they're boring. Hur is loyal to what she knows and we love her for it. The formula just works and boy does it work well. The devastation felt once I reached chapter 42 was stronger than my ability to brace for tragedy. All over her social media, Hur has made it known that something happens in chapter 42 but I just wasn't prepared. The entire novel was a lot darker than I expected. I really appreciate the time Hur spent researching this period of Korean history because it really shows. To know so much of the plot was rooted in the actions of real men hurts my heart. I can only hope all those girls found peace in whatever afterlife there may be.
As much as I love Hur's novels I found myself dealing with the same gripes I had during The Red Palace. Something about her writing can come off as clumsy. I think Hur wants to extend out of her comfort zone but the figurative language often feels out of place because it isn't cushioned by prose of particular note. When the writing is mostly on the level you expect a YA mystery/romance to be on it is glaringly obvious when some overly flowery metaphor is suddenly shoved in the mix. I also love a dual POV but the fact that Hur wrote Iseul exclusively in the first person and then would switch to Daehyun exclusively in the third person gave me whiplash. It was so disconnected. Plus I am a proud lover of the 3rd person POV so if Hur had made that choice consistently I would've been grateful. Daehyun's chapters deserved to be longer!
The cover art is gorgeous and reminds me of La Belle Dame Sans Merci by Francis Dicksee.
Songs:
- 바라만 본다 - 정세운
- Would've, Could've, Should've - Taylor Swift
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Rape
hauntedchaossandwich's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexism
Minor: Incest, Rape, and Suicide
jartone93's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
phoenixfire88's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Minor: Death, Rape, Suicide, Violence, and Death of parent
dreamer626's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Sexual content, and Violence