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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
It was an enjoyable read, but it felt like it was lacking in a few places. It felt a bit too repetitive at times with a lot of show don't tells, but also some where it should have been a tell. At some point, it started to feel more like a romance first, mystery second rather than a mystery first. At the beginning, it felt like it was setting up more for a second novel rather than just a single. The character descriptions of their lives were okay to say the least. It was a little underwhelming, I couldn't find myself caring for her mentor as she had so described. Her mother also took quite a turn for the best so randomly that it felt out of place. There being an Epilogue and an Extra Epoligue seems a bit unnecessary in the way it was structured. The Epilogue should have just been Chapter 20 and the Extra should have been the single Epilogue, but that's just a bit of a nitpick. The reveal scene was really nice, the descriptions and the depravity were good to see.
emotional
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:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
2.5 stars
*celebrates finishing a book after a reading slump that felt like forever*
*celebrates finishing a book after a reading slump that felt like forever*
I picked this one up because this was touted as a historical murder mystery that was set in Korea. I don't know if I've ever read a book set in Korea, let alone a historical novel set there. So this immediately intrigued me. Also, I don't know that I've ever seen another murder mystery in historical Korea. Reading this felt like watching a historical, rather murderous k-drama. This is an intricately plotted mystery where the drama is real. You never know who our main character should trust, and I was still guessing who was behind the murders until the end. I also enjoyed the very slow-burn love story side-plot. It was adorable and I was happy when they reunited at the end. Along the way, you really do learn a lot about historical Korean culture and day-to-day life.
Overall, I really enjoyed this. It's definite a slower burn mystery that is steeped in historical details. But I felt it was worth the read. I hope to read more from this author in the near future!
Overall, I really enjoyed this. It's definite a slower burn mystery that is steeped in historical details. But I felt it was worth the read. I hope to read more from this author in the near future!
Cukup mengejutkan, ternyata ini fiksi historis bertudung kisah detektif. Aku kira sekedar menyajikan gambaran kerasnya diskriminasi kelas di Dinasti Joseon (cerita berlatar di Korea 1758), serta konsep konfusionisme mereka, eh... ternyataa ada sejarah tokoh yang sebenarnya menjadi titik fokus: Putra Mahkota Jangheon atau Putra Mahkota Sado. Mengilhami cerita, namun tidak terlalu menonjol.
Banyak emosi terkumpul jadi satu dalam menemukan misteri yang berusaha dipecahkan Hyeon dan Eonji. Penasaran, ngos-ngosan, takut, ngilu, sebal, pengen ngamuk, tapi tiba-tiba ikut giggling atau blushing, bahkan nangis... bener-bener ngasih feel menonton drama korea. Hubungan antar tokohnya kuat-kuat, kompleks, tapi surprisingly menghangatkan. Keluarga, persahabatan, hubungan guru dengan murid, naksir temen tapi malu-malu kucing, aduhhh... komplit! Aku puas banget!
Pemecahan misterinya tbh kurang greget, walau banyak bagian mencekam—selain adegan laga—yang bikin ikut ketar-ketir.
Banyak emosi terkumpul jadi satu dalam menemukan misteri yang berusaha dipecahkan Hyeon dan Eonji. Penasaran, ngos-ngosan, takut, ngilu, sebal, pengen ngamuk, tapi tiba-tiba ikut giggling atau blushing, bahkan nangis... bener-bener ngasih feel menonton drama korea. Hubungan antar tokohnya kuat-kuat, kompleks, tapi surprisingly menghangatkan. Keluarga, persahabatan, hubungan guru dengan murid, naksir temen tapi malu-malu kucing, aduhhh... komplit! Aku puas banget!
Pemecahan misterinya tbh kurang greget, walau banyak bagian mencekam—selain adegan laga—yang bikin ikut ketar-ketir.
If you enjoy historical kdrama with a murder mystery at the heart of the story, you’re in for a treat. In a realm where palace intrigue and treachery reign, the lives of palace nurses hang by a thread. When four of them are discovered lifeless, Hyeon finds herself plunged into a perilous world of court politics, with her own mentor as the prime suspect. Determination fuels her quest to clear her mentor’s name, but the path to truth is shadowed by danger. Enter Eojin, an enigmatic inspector hot on the killer’s trail.
As the pages turn, we’re drawn into a narrative inspired by the haunting real-life saga of Prince Sado, set in the year 1758. The author, Hur, masterfully weaves a gripping tale that thrusts us headlong into a maelstrom of action and tension, holding us captive until the very last page. And let me tell you, the plot twists are so cunning, they’ll leave you breathless.
But this book is more than a mystery; it’s a mesmerizing glimpse into the hidden lives of the palace’s lowborn denizens, the injustices they endure, and the heartbreaking expendability of their existence in the name of preserving the honor of the elite.
It delves deep into the unforgiving crucible of royal power, exposing the unrelenting pressures and harsh realities that come with proximity to the throne. It masterfully unravels the compelling motives that drive individuals to the precipice of violence, shedding light on the hidden forces that propel their desperate actions.
As the pages turn, we’re drawn into a narrative inspired by the haunting real-life saga of Prince Sado, set in the year 1758. The author, Hur, masterfully weaves a gripping tale that thrusts us headlong into a maelstrom of action and tension, holding us captive until the very last page. And let me tell you, the plot twists are so cunning, they’ll leave you breathless.
But this book is more than a mystery; it’s a mesmerizing glimpse into the hidden lives of the palace’s lowborn denizens, the injustices they endure, and the heartbreaking expendability of their existence in the name of preserving the honor of the elite.
It delves deep into the unforgiving crucible of royal power, exposing the unrelenting pressures and harsh realities that come with proximity to the throne. It masterfully unravels the compelling motives that drive individuals to the precipice of violence, shedding light on the hidden forces that propel their desperate actions.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
1. I would not love, unless I was loved first and loved the most.
I would be nothing at all, if I could not be first.
I would not sit silently wasting away as the world passed me by.
I was determined to be heard, to have my thoughts considered.
2. Revenge begets revenge; the anger is unquenchable. We become the monsters we are trying to punish. Justice, however, brings closure, and that is what I want. It can only be achieved by remaining sober-minded and rational. And, in the end, it is not my place to punish the prince. It is the king’s, and only the king’s.
3. “Some dreams, I’d learned, were meant to fade away. And to let go of them didn’t mean to let go of myself, but to release the life I’d imagined I wanted.”
I would be nothing at all, if I could not be first.
I would not sit silently wasting away as the world passed me by.
I was determined to be heard, to have my thoughts considered.
2. Revenge begets revenge; the anger is unquenchable. We become the monsters we are trying to punish. Justice, however, brings closure, and that is what I want. It can only be achieved by remaining sober-minded and rational. And, in the end, it is not my place to punish the prince. It is the king’s, and only the king’s.
3. “Some dreams, I’d learned, were meant to fade away. And to let go of them didn’t mean to let go of myself, but to release the life I’d imagined I wanted.”