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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
This was my first read of a historical fiction from this era. It was super captivating and mysterious! I loved it
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I clearly waited way too long to read this book. This Korean historical mystery is so intricate with its sweeping plot and immersive setting. June Hur definitely put the WORK into this WORK OF ART and it shows!! The sheer amount of research required to write a book like this is incredible!
And if I’m completely honest, I just need more and more Asian history in my life. I connect to eastern stories at a soul level, and I’m so glad that I made it a goal to read more books by Asian authors. My quality of life has increased proportionally to the amount of content that has connected me to my Asian roots.
You might feel like a Korean historical is not for you, but Hur made me feel so drenched in the story that it became my Roman Empire. Her writing is skillful. Her characters are relatable. The romance was romancing in the most intoxicating, realistic-for-Korea-in-the-1700s way. This story is a perfect storm of murder and romance and history, and I swear you will never be the same.
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
solid 4!! the mystery+politics were well thought out, the romance was cute and it had a good cast of characters. i really enjoyed the attention to detail when it came to historical accuracy, the author evidently did her research and i got to learn some things about korean history!
Murder and Palace Intrigue
Enter the world of the Royal Palace where everyone is a spy and motives are always suspect. Add in a solid murder mystery with lots of suspects and motives.
Enter the world of the Royal Palace where everyone is a spy and motives are always suspect. Add in a solid murder mystery with lots of suspects and motives.
this was very enjoyable.
however, i didn’t give it five stars because
1. the characters didn’t seem fully developed (secondary or otherwise)
2. problems kind of resolved themselves too easily
3. people were really out there just spilling the beans on all the deep dark secrets. one would think they’d be more hesitant to do so.
june hur writes well, though, and the setting is top notch, so these “issues” aren’t that big of a deal to me and i would still recommend the book.
however, i didn’t give it five stars because
1. the characters didn’t seem fully developed (secondary or otherwise)
2. problems kind of resolved themselves too easily
3. people were really out there just spilling the beans on all the deep dark secrets. one would think they’d be more hesitant to do so.
june hur writes well, though, and the setting is top notch, so these “issues” aren’t that big of a deal to me and i would still recommend the book.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I LOVED this book. The characters were so likable, and realistic. The world building was stellar—I felt like I was there, in the story, watching as everything unfolded. The plot was gripping and well-paced. The romance was SO PERFECT in the time period and culture—so poignantly written. I really enjoyed the author’s note at the end and the glimpse into a part of history that I haven’t ever heard much about before.
I LOVED this book. The characters were so likable, and realistic. The world building was stellar—I felt like I was there, in the story, watching as everything unfolded. The plot was gripping and well-paced. The romance was SO PERFECT in the time period and culture—so poignantly written. I really enjoyed the author’s note at the end and the glimpse into a part of history that I haven’t ever heard much about before.
If you are a mystery fan and enjoy kdramas (Sageuks in particular), this one is for you!
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Complicated
4/5—
June Hur did not disappoint!! Damn, the intricts, politics, investigation and subtle romance melt into one book~ at first, i was like oh.. this nurse is kinda nosy but i get wherr she came from and later on, the reasoning is only getting stronger and i am way amazed how she packed her wit in her brain. So. So good.
Loveee thisss suka suka. atau it is just me who loves the hisfic hahaha! One of great read to start the year!
June Hur did not disappoint!! Damn, the intricts, politics, investigation and subtle romance melt into one book~ at first, i was like oh.. this nurse is kinda nosy but i get wherr she came from and later on, the reasoning is only getting stronger and i am way amazed how she packed her wit in her brain. So. So good.
Loveee thisss suka suka. atau it is just me who loves the hisfic hahaha! One of great read to start the year!