Reviews with content warning for Murder - A Crane Among Wolves

“You needn’t look at me in such a manner.”
“In what manner?”
“As though I will force you.”
“You do not wish to… kiss me?”
“What does it matter what I wish? You said no, and I will receive your word as a royal command”
This dialogue AH.
All of the romantic interactions were so well written

OH MY WORD

I started this book at 6:30 and had it finished in 3 hours. It was so good.

The King was a genuinely horrible man, and I appreciated that the book didn’t try to make him redeemable to make him act out of character. He was a garbage man and acted like it all throughout the book.

The enemies to lovers had me hooked, with me actually screaming and crying about what was happening. It was such a nice path from enemies to lovers and it didn’t feel rushed at all, and their ending was honestly one of the best for characters in a book like this.

It was amazing, and if I could pay to read this book again for the first time I would.

Content Warnings

amyteurhour's review

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3.75

Content warning: murder, kidnapping, rape, torture, blood, violence, death of a parent, death of a child, physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexism, sexual violence, imprisonment, pregnancy, miscarriage, suicide, suicidal thoughts

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.

Content Warnings

brinipor's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

For the majority of this book, Iseul REALLY wanted me to remember that she is 17 years old and a youngest child. Like sooo much omg

Content Warnings

whomever_0's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes

4.0

Hur is great at creating an intriguing mystery set in historical setting that I often know little about. Despite the the summary, the novel wasn't as coup focused as I thought it was going to be, but I still enjoyed the plot. I have read other books by Hur and she very formulaic and recycle the same tropes, but I like the formula ~ so if you are interested in reading be aware.

Content Warnings

cepbreed's review

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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.

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