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libraryofdreaming's review against another edition
5.0
This book is *chef's kiss*
“To enter the palace means to walk a path stained in blood...”
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Thank you to Macmillan Publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review one of my most anticipated 2022 releases from a long time fave author! June Hur has done it again and created another MASTERPIECE historical mystery that has become an automatic 5 star read for me.
The Red Palace follows the story of Hyeon, an ambitious teenaged palace nurse in 18th century Korea who becomes embroiled in a murder mystery. When her mentor is imprisoned after being accused of killing four women, she becomes determined to clear her name and find the true murderer. But her investigation leads her to the darkest heart of the palace where her path crosses with a young royal inspector conducting his own investigation…
This book is the perfect combination of Hur’s signature style, incredible historical detail, and complexity with the perfect cherry on top of slow burn romance. The one thing I felt was missing from Hur’s previous books was romance and our patience has been rewarded in The Red Palace with a subtle yet poignant relationship. This book pulls no punches when it comes to palace intrigue and social commentary. It’s deeply layered and impossible to put down.
Fellow mystery fans, RUN don’t walk to snag your copy! You’ll be kept up all night but you’ll thank me later…
Content warning: The Red Palace depicts several graphic murders, the after effects of torture, as well as scenes of intense suspense. It’s also tangentially related to one of the most disturbing events in Korean history which is not depicted on page but is described in the author’s afterword.
“To enter the palace means to walk a path stained in blood...”
/
Thank you to Macmillan Publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review one of my most anticipated 2022 releases from a long time fave author! June Hur has done it again and created another MASTERPIECE historical mystery that has become an automatic 5 star read for me.
The Red Palace follows the story of Hyeon, an ambitious teenaged palace nurse in 18th century Korea who becomes embroiled in a murder mystery. When her mentor is imprisoned after being accused of killing four women, she becomes determined to clear her name and find the true murderer. But her investigation leads her to the darkest heart of the palace where her path crosses with a young royal inspector conducting his own investigation…
This book is the perfect combination of Hur’s signature style, incredible historical detail, and complexity with the perfect cherry on top of slow burn romance. The one thing I felt was missing from Hur’s previous books was romance and our patience has been rewarded in The Red Palace with a subtle yet poignant relationship. This book pulls no punches when it comes to palace intrigue and social commentary. It’s deeply layered and impossible to put down.
Fellow mystery fans, RUN don’t walk to snag your copy! You’ll be kept up all night but you’ll thank me later…
Content warning: The Red Palace depicts several graphic murders, the after effects of torture, as well as scenes of intense suspense. It’s also tangentially related to one of the most disturbing events in Korean history which is not depicted on page but is described in the author’s afterword.
tavi_vse's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
vishaka's review
4.0
3.75 stars! This book was definitely an engaging read, with the murder mystery and background romance. I liked Hyeon as a character, with her facing the challenges of being a women “bastard” child in Joseon Korea, along with her life in the palace. I loved how detailed the aspects of Joseon Korean were, with the medical practices, the classes and the social hierarchy, and the murder mystery aspect was great. The plot twists were good, but nothing really shocking.
One thing I didn’t really enjoy was the characters themselves. I found I wasn’t really able to connect with them, which is why when something sad or happy happened I just went “okay, sure”. I liked Eojin, he was sweet and kind but other than that there wasn’t really much depth to him. The pacing was a bit of an issue for me as well. It was fast at the beginning, then slowed down, and then towards the very end it all went super fast and I had to go through it a few times to comprehend what actually happened.
All in all, it was an above average read, and anyone who enjoys historical murder mysteries and slow burn (by which I mean SLOW. BURN.) would definitely enjoy this!
One thing I didn’t really enjoy was the characters themselves. I found I wasn’t really able to connect with them, which is why when something sad or happy happened I just went “okay, sure”. I liked Eojin, he was sweet and kind but other than that there wasn’t really much depth to him. The pacing was a bit of an issue for me as well. It was fast at the beginning, then slowed down, and then towards the very end it all went super fast and I had to go through it a few times to comprehend what actually happened.
All in all, it was an above average read, and anyone who enjoys historical murder mysteries and slow burn (by which I mean SLOW. BURN.) would definitely enjoy this!
macari's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
ashction's review
5.0
This is probably my favorite June Hur so far! I really enjoyed the mystery as well as the romance.
katterz's review
5.0
I absolutely loved this book. I absolutely have no words to describe how much I enjoyed reading this. The way the book was wrote, the characters, everything was written impeccably. I cannot wait to read the author's next book, A Crane Among Wolves.
thenymphsvoice's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
4.0
Dialogue is not the greatest but it doesn’t hamper the story either. Very enjoyable mystery and cute romance.
annieni's review
3.0
The story & mystery were fine, I enjoyed the historical setting, but there were definitely moments where I thought Eojin was written to make mistakes on purpose to force the plot to continue and make Hyeon contribute more to the plot. However I think the relationship development between Hyeon & Eojin was done pretty well and naturally. I wasn’t a big fan of the writing style, definitely feels very cookie-cutter YA Fiction writing. Overall a fine read, but I wanted more from it.