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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
dark
inspiring
mysterious
sad
fast-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
June Hur can do no wrong
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a very poignant historical narrative. I enjoyed learning a piece of history I know very little about.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
it was alright until 50 percent in, then I got invested. I think I was unsure which direction it was going so I was hesitant, but once it hit halfway mark I really loved it
Review copy: Purchased
[Content notes: This book includes violence, murder, torture, (past) branding, misogyny, mention/description of animal abuse, and mention/description of suicide. Also, one of the major plots in the book is the violent persecution of Korean Catholics.]
My favorite historicals are ones that have a close focus on a “normal” person who gets swept up in events far larger than them (and frequently out of their control). My favorite mysteries center curious protagonists who stumble onto a small piece of some greater story and keep unravelling. Author June Hur gave me an expert blending of both those things in THE SILENCE OF BONES.
As a police bureau damo, our protagonist Seol is initially viewed and acts as an extension of the male officers’ hands. As a woman, she can go where the men can’t, and they see her as a useful tool to interrogate or arrest female suspects, search women’s rooms, and haul female corpses—the latter of which is one of the first things Seol is ordered to do in the opening chapter.
Seol, meanwhile, wants to find her missing brother, who left her and her older sister behind several years ago. All she has are childhood memories and a faded sketch of his likeness, but she is determined to find him—somehow. (I quite enjoyed how Hur slowly revealed Seol and her missing brother’s story throughout the larger mystery.) But when Lady O is murdered, Seol quickly finds herself caught up in a rapidly expanding mystery/conspiracy that could very easily get her killed.
Rather than having the royals/nobility as significant players in the book, much of what goes on politically happens in the background or over Seol’s head, where she can do little at all to affect those greater events. THE SILENCE OF BONES instead sticks closely with Seol while she searches for the murderer, and that makes the book feel very personal. The threats are aimed at her, or people she knows, which keeps the tension high and the story engaging.
Seol is a fantastic protagonist. She is curious and clever and keenly aware of how dangerous that can be to her, especially when she doesn’t know who she can trust in the police bureau. As a damo, her resources and power are limited even with an ally, but she still does what she can to uncover the truth behind everything.
Recommendation: Get it soon. June Hur’s debut novel is a great blend of historical fiction and mystery. I am very much looking forward to her next book.
[Content notes: This book includes violence, murder, torture, (past) branding, misogyny, mention/description of animal abuse, and mention/description of suicide. Also, one of the major plots in the book is the violent persecution of Korean Catholics.]
My favorite historicals are ones that have a close focus on a “normal” person who gets swept up in events far larger than them (and frequently out of their control). My favorite mysteries center curious protagonists who stumble onto a small piece of some greater story and keep unravelling. Author June Hur gave me an expert blending of both those things in THE SILENCE OF BONES.
As a police bureau damo, our protagonist Seol is initially viewed and acts as an extension of the male officers’ hands. As a woman, she can go where the men can’t, and they see her as a useful tool to interrogate or arrest female suspects, search women’s rooms, and haul female corpses—the latter of which is one of the first things Seol is ordered to do in the opening chapter.
Seol, meanwhile, wants to find her missing brother, who left her and her older sister behind several years ago. All she has are childhood memories and a faded sketch of his likeness, but she is determined to find him—somehow. (I quite enjoyed how Hur slowly revealed Seol and her missing brother’s story throughout the larger mystery.) But when Lady O is murdered, Seol quickly finds herself caught up in a rapidly expanding mystery/conspiracy that could very easily get her killed.
Rather than having the royals/nobility as significant players in the book, much of what goes on politically happens in the background or over Seol’s head, where she can do little at all to affect those greater events. THE SILENCE OF BONES instead sticks closely with Seol while she searches for the murderer, and that makes the book feel very personal. The threats are aimed at her, or people she knows, which keeps the tension high and the story engaging.
Seol is a fantastic protagonist. She is curious and clever and keenly aware of how dangerous that can be to her, especially when she doesn’t know who she can trust in the police bureau. As a damo, her resources and power are limited even with an ally, but she still does what she can to uncover the truth behind everything.
Recommendation: Get it soon. June Hur’s debut novel is a great blend of historical fiction and mystery. I am very much looking forward to her next book.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Probably my least favorite of her books that I’ve read so far, but only because it didn’t feel quite as tight as The Red Palace did in regards to the mystery. I still thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I will never shut up about how her books read so much like a k-drama. They're so readable, entertaining and a little bit dark.
This one was no exception, I enjoyed it quite a lot.
This one was no exception, I enjoyed it quite a lot.