Reviews

The Red Palace by June Hur 허주은

ashction's review

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5.0

This is probably my favorite June Hur so far! I really enjoyed the mystery as well as the romance.

gio_bs's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional informative medium-paced

5.0

katterz's review

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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

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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

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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.

marleen04's review against another edition

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challenging emotional inspiring slow-paced

3.75

kiana2173's review

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5.0

The Red Palace by June Hur is an exciting murder mystery book taken place in Joseon Era, Korea. The main character is a strong female character, that is quite adamant in protecting her values, even when her own reputation and life is at stake. Often times when I read stories regarding a culture that I am not really familiar with, I am always worried whether or not I will be to understand the foundation of the story, because sometimes the author writes the book for the audience that already understands. But when I read this book, the author, June Hur, introduced many of these cultural concepts in a way that is easy to understand, and did not interrupt with the story at all. Some concepts included, explaining the roles of women during the Joseon Era, the rules of the society during the time, and even expanding on real historical events.

The story kept me on the edge of my seat, and nothing was too obvious at the beginning of the story or even throughout, so I didn’t expect the twist when the true “villain” was revealed. The author also wrote the story in a way that never left me feeling bored reading unnecessary details, it felt as if she crafted the story with very careful attention and detail. I felt the fear of the main character when she was scared, I felt the dedication of the main character towards the things and people she felt important, I also cheered when she succeeded. I also fell in love with the main male character due to his dedication and their shared values and sheer respect for her.

I would recommend this book to those who are interested in a murder mystery, and fans of Korea who simply want to learn more about the culture. This book is definitely a book that can let you experience a little bit of Korea.

Repost of review on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CxZQzD8p_Wj/

Tags: Mystery, Korea, Joseon Era, Confucius

showthisbooksomelove's review against another edition

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3.5

I found I like both historical fiction and murder mystery better when they are smashed together with interesting characters and a touch of romance. 

ashleyfleming4's review

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4.0

"I closed my eyes, too afraid to keep them open, and listened through the tips of my fingers, to the three beating threads, whispers that told one story:
Of our fragile existence, yet our determination to survive.
Of secret pains, and the yearning for love.
This was the story of all lives, and I felt its dearness so deeply, so painfully, as one faded beneath my touch. Fading, fading, like the pulse of the murdered victims, whose cold wrists I had read. Too many had died, their lives gone like a flash of lightning, consumed by another’s rage.
And I swore to myself—you must always remember them, Hyeon-ah. Never forget."

jemsgreatsin's review

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4.0

this book is so underappreciated??

anyways if you love a good historical mystery with an immavulate slow burn. this should be your next read!!