Reviews with content warning for Fire/Fire injury - Descendant of the Crane

This book took me too long to get fully invested because I'm not (usually) a fan of slow burn royal court drama however this book has incredible features that won me over in the end. I was really engrossed by the mystical and enriched world building, the murder mystery (and the plot twist regarding it that honest to god made my mouth drop bc I didn't see it!), the magic of sooths and I'm a huge wuxia movies stan so this book gave me all those feels. Also while I was reading Hesina and Akira's first encounter I couldn't help but feel so many The Mummy (1999) feels too lol and I loved that bc it's one of my favorite movies. I enjoyed reading this a lot for giving me another favorite character to add to my collection (Sanjing baby I'll protect you!) though it's also hard to drudge through at points bc Hesina is a difficult character to follow along bc she's exasperating when she can't see beyond her nostrils holy shit! And most characters suffer from “stock one dimensionalism” the worst of them being Lilian who's just the sassy no life other than being the MC's bestie sacrificeable character. Also, I feel the epilogue was a letdown and the reveal weakened the ending bc it's very bullshitty to me. But overall this book is an alluring read except when it isn't (like the beginning and when it gets kinda confusing) but if you have enough patience and time then it is a treat.

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astoryofpages's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This is the first audiobook I listened to, and I liked it, although it was a bit complicated at first due to the format. I did this listening on Spotify, and I am delighted to have been able to discover this author. Descendant of the Crane is her first novel (if I'm not mistaken), and I think it's pretty successful! The plot is axed on politics, with lots of plot twists and stories of betrayals and alliances. Those who follow me know that I love these kinds of books, and Descendant of the Crane did not disappoint me on this point! It is also a gorgeous book in terms of worldbuilding. The story takes root in a universe that is inspired by imperial China. It addresses many themes, such as racism, justice or even the family. The way with words of the author is sumptuous. It was beautiful and calm to listen to!

The only point that could be negative is the characters, and more precisely Hesina. But it's pretty subjective. I really liked this image of a strong young woman who wants above all to rule her kingdom. But I gradually disconnected from her. And, in the end, I remained quite indifferent concerning her character, her decisions and what she was living. Admittedly the ending has an effect, but I ended up missing a little empathy for her. It was the same for Akira, who isn't, for me, extremely important to the story. I had more connections with Caiyan and Lilian. Lilian is full of life, and in a way, she reminded me of Genya Safin or Nina Zenik from the Grishaverse. Caiyan is more calculating, whereas Hesina is more empathetic. I had a little more trouble figuring out Sanjing. But I think he's still a great character, just as calculating as Caiyan but in a different way.

I really loved the relationship between the characters. I think that's a significant positive point too! And if some wonder if there is romance: yes, there is, but it is still very light. Besides, I haven't really noticed it. And I'm pretty happy because I find that there is no need to have some characters in a relationship, which changes from other YA books we are used to reading!

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reading_gives_serotonin's review

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mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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aidamaria_reads's review

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

This book is honestly such a rollercoaster of plottwists, and I still need answers! If the author doesn’t write a sequel, there’ll be riots. It’s a great book if you’re looking for something that’s Asian-inspired, fast-paced and mind-blowing.

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corvicore's review

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mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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btwnprintedpgs's review against another edition

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challenging reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

What an absolutely stunning book. I read this back in 2019 as an eARC, but I didn't have the words at the time to properly express how amazing I found this book, even more so today than I did back then.

At its heart, Descendant of the Crane is a book about morality. We all want to do the right thing, we all want to believe in the systems that have been put in place, and we all want to hope that the people around us are true, faithful, and honest. This book breaks down the concept of morality and truth and makes Hesina, our MC, question what is real and what is a veneer over a broken system.

What I love most about this book is that it showed the truth of humanity - no matter your position, your intentions, or your heart, humans are fallible and we make mistakes. Hesina makes choices that she believes are right and will lead her to the truth, but the brokenness of the system results in consequence after consequence, loss after loss. And she owns up to them, which is so rare to see, but you can see her taking accountability and bearing the weight of the losses on her shoulder.

The twist at the end still haunts me and I wish that we could've gotten a sequel for this one. Alas, not in the cards, but where it ends, there's hope for everyone left and I loved the potential we're left with.

Descendant of the Crane remains a favourite for me, and I definitely recommend picking this one up. I think it'll surprise you.

TW: death, grief, torture, violence, blood, injury detail, genocide, slavery, racism (of a magical group of people); mentions suicide, war, vomit

Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
World Building: 4.5/5
Writing: 5/5
Pacing: 5/5
Overall: 5/5

eARC gifted by Joan He's previous problematic publisher, so I won't be thanking them, but acknowledging the gifted copy.

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