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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
emotional
mysterious
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:
Yes
It's one of my favourite books of 2025 so far! The murder intrigue was nice, exploring Joseong era Korea was a nice change for me and I liked the historical aspects of it, and the romance was adorable. I adored this book and devoured it with much joy.
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I swear, the epilogue of this book is the best part. The ending was so satisfying, oh my god??? Maybe it hit even harder because I spent three-quarters of the book struggling with boredom… so when everything finally picked up and started making sense, it felt like such a relief.
Because, honestly? I was so underwhelmed at first. The romance felt underdeveloped, the pacing was slow, the mystery wasn’t all that intriguing, and the characters didn’t really stand out to me. But thank god for that last quarter—it finally did the story justice.
P.S. I can't help but imagine Hyeon (the MC) and Eojin (the ML) as Maomao and Jinshi from Kusuriya no Hitorigoto—I have no idea why, but I just do 😭
Because, honestly? I was so underwhelmed at first. The romance felt underdeveloped, the pacing was slow, the mystery wasn’t all that intriguing, and the characters didn’t really stand out to me. But thank god for that last quarter—it finally did the story justice.
P.S. I can't help but imagine Hyeon (the MC) and Eojin (the ML) as Maomao and Jinshi from Kusuriya no Hitorigoto—I have no idea why, but I just do 😭
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
mysterious
medium-paced
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
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book was amazing! It had a compelling plot, strong characters, a well-developed mystery, and the cutest romance.
To start, I loved the premise so much that I read the blurb a good three times to absorb it all. After reading the masterpiece A Crane Among Wolves, I knew I had to read more of June Hur’s works, and I was sooo excited to finally read this.
The mystery in this book was so intricate. There were so many different connections with even the most minute details playing a part in find who the killer was. And the moment where it all came together was so satisfying, yet alarming. The killer was definitely not who I expected it to be, but I loved how even the culprit had a story. They weren’t just killing to kill, not that it makes them any less of a criminal. It just feels a lot more realistic and adds depth when even a killer has their own story, their own reasons for their actions. It’s this type of stories that always make me think “what if…” If certain things happened differently, would the murders have even occurred? Would the person who had ended up a murderer have lived a different life? Happier? Just as miserable?
I loved Hyeon’s character so much. She’s given almost nothing in life, as an illegitimate daughter who believed that even her own mother hated her. Yet, she was able to work towards becoming a palace nurse, which is not an easy feat. For her mentor, she wanted to investigate the murder on her own, even though so much could have gone wrong. She could have lost her own life trying to save someone else’s. I don’t annotate when I read, but if I had, at least half of my annotations would have been “you go girl!” every time Hyeon did something amazing 😭. Eojin was just as impressive, an inspector at 18, and working on his own, against the wishes of his supervisor, to find a killer. And the romance… so cute 😊. It was a slow-burn, but worth every second until the end. I also loved the side characters, and although I have a lot to say about them, I don’t want to spoil anything.
To start, I loved the premise so much that I read the blurb a good three times to absorb it all. After reading the masterpiece A Crane Among Wolves, I knew I had to read more of June Hur’s works, and I was sooo excited to finally read this.
The mystery in this book was so intricate. There were so many different connections with even the most minute details playing a part in find who the killer was. And the moment where it all came together was so satisfying, yet alarming. The killer was definitely not who I expected it to be, but I loved how even the culprit had a story. They weren’t just killing to kill, not that it makes them any less of a criminal. It just feels a lot more realistic and adds depth when even a killer has their own story, their own reasons for their actions. It’s this type of stories that always make me think “what if…” If certain things happened differently, would the murders have even occurred? Would the person who had ended up a murderer have lived a different life? Happier? Just as miserable?
I loved Hyeon’s character so much. She’s given almost nothing in life, as an illegitimate daughter who believed that even her own mother hated her. Yet, she was able to work towards becoming a palace nurse, which is not an easy feat. For her mentor, she wanted to investigate the murder on her own, even though so much could have gone wrong. She could have lost her own life trying to save someone else’s. I don’t annotate when I read, but if I had, at least half of my annotations would have been “you go girl!” every time Hyeon did something amazing 😭. Eojin was just as impressive, an inspector at 18, and working on his own, against the wishes of his supervisor, to find a killer. And the romance… so cute 😊. It was a slow-burn, but worth every second until the end. I also loved the side characters, and although I have a lot to say about them, I don’t want to spoil anything.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
I devoured this book! The plot is amazing and intricate and the characters are complicated and multi-layered. If you are a fan of Korean dramas and/or historical dramas, pick this book up at your local library or bookstore ASAP! June Hur is a fantastic writer and I can’t wait to read thr rest of her novels!
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Torture, Medical content, Grief
Minor: Mental illness, Death of parent
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No