Reviews - The Red Palace | The StoryGraph

2.2k reviews for:

The Red Palace

June Hur

4.11 AVERAGE

cheerfully_chaotic_leo's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

romancelibrary's review against another edition

4.0

The Red Palace is a historical mystery with a romance suplot, set in 1758 Joseon (Korea). Hyeon is an illegitimate daughter who worked hard to become an uinyeo, a palace nurse. Hyeon's goal in life is to lie low and do her job so that one day her father might acknowledge her. But her life turns upside down when four women, including nurses, get murdered one night. And when her mentor becomes the prime suspect, Hyeon is determined to try and exonerate her. That's how she gets drawn into the investigation with Eojin, a young police inspector, who is searching for the killer.

This book has the same vibes as Kingdom, one of my top dramas of all time. Blood, terror, deadly secrets, and political intrigue, all within the palace walls. It was very atmospheric; I could really feel the creepiness of the palace. The vibe and tone of the story really lived up to the title of the book.

The mystery was well done and the romance was soooo cute. The pace of the story was steady for the most part, but the transition to the epilogue was a bit abrupt. I definitely recommend reading the author's note about how she was inspired by the life of Crown Prince Jangheon. It provides answers to some remaining questions.

This was my first time reading a Korean historical book. I've seen a lot of sageuks, so it was very easy for me to picture the setting and the outfits. June Hur also has an easy breezy writing style that eased my immersion into the time period. It was interesting reading the dialogues in English, but I somehow heard them in Korean in my head?? LOL I guess I've watched too many dramas. This book reminded me to watch Damo, a drama I've had on my list for so long, but somehow never got around to watching.

irishmbk's review

4.0

When four women are brutally murdered at the Hyeminseo, where nurses learn their practice, palace nurse, Hyeon, is compelled to investigate. Though she is warned not to interfere, she continues to look into the murders when her mentor is charged with the crime. I truly enjoyed the story, both the intrigue of the murder and the historical background. The backstabbing and spying within the palace grounds and the corruption of the town officials makes the reader feel as if sand if shifting constantly beneath their feet. A well written mystery in a fascinating historical period.

biancakumar's review

2.0

Started off interesting, but I think my interest in YA has waned.

meg37's review

3.0

I enjoyed the story and writing style. The mystery kept me guessing. The epilogue came quicker than I was expecting. I was really curious how accurate this living environment was to the time period and location, so I was fascinated by the Author's Note that spoke to the story's connection to real life.