1.02k reviews for:

The Silence of Bones

June Hur

3.76 AVERAGE

birte's profile picture

birte's review

4.0
dark emotional informative mysterious sad 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

misstiffany's review

3.0

It *could* have been a great story. Under utilized setting and historical era. Culture that is often unexplored by Western readers. However...1)this book felt really, really padded. So much could’ve been left out for a better paced story. 2) the MC is not a great detective. She follows just *every* red herring. She’s got heart but isn’t great at interrogating her own biases.
adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious fast-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: No

abbysiemen's review

4.0

I really enjoyed reading this historical fiction/mystery book set in Jeseon Korea. As the story unravels, it feels like a classic detective story, with complicated and complex characters and an investigator whose story is tangled within the case she seeks to solve. Seoul’s status as a damo creates an interesting layer to the novel, as she is both integral to the investigation but also considered to be somehow outside of it. I am excited to read more from June Hur and would love more book recommendations about this setting.
kara_bianca_reads's profile picture

kara_bianca_reads's review

5.0

- twisty, turny, gasp-out-loudy
- really liked Seol as a character
- world-building and descriptions of the setting, culture etc were incredibly rich and beautiful
- character dynamics were KILLER
blurry_reads's profile picture

blurry_reads's review

4.0

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

This book was part of my highly anticipated releases for this year. I was so happy that I was able to find this at my local library and I breezed through it. The story is set in Korea during the 1800s and follows a girl named Seol who is indentured to helping the police bureau. It was really fascinating seeing what life was like during the 1800s in Korea. The mystery was enticing and had lots of twists and turns. I loved Seol and was very interested in her storyline. My only complaint with this story is that it is really slow so it can be dragging at times. Otherwise, this was such a fantastic read and I'm really excited to check out more novels from June Hur.

“… хората искат да бъдат добри и да ги обичат. Повечето им пороци практически са опит да стигнат по най-късия път до обичта.” - тези думи на Стайнбек се въртяха в главата ми, докато дочитах последните страници на книгата.
Ще започна с това, че “The Silence Of Bones” е роман с чудесна атмосфера, през цялото време, докато четях, си представях ясно униформите на полицейските служителите, копринените одежди на благородниците, широкополите шапки, памучните поли в убити цветове на дамо-тата.
Книгата обхваща един от мрачните периоди в корейската история - кралят е мъртъв, а кралицата регент едва дочаква да приключи шестмесечният период на траур, преди да започне да разчиства сметките си с членовете на опозиционната партия. Вече споменатата партия е била съюзник на мъртвия крал, отнел властта и богатствата на кралицата регент. Ширещата се католическа ерес е използвана като претекст, оправдаващ гоненията. На фона на сложната политическа обстановка в страната, в столицата се развилнява сериен убиец.

Беше интересно да проследя как се провежда разследване без модерни технологии. Че стана ясно кой е убиецът още щом се изрече първата лъжа е друга тема. Все пак беше интересна мотивацията. А мотивацията на всички герои в романа сякаш е една и съща - да спечелят на любовта на онези, които са ги отхвърлили, независимо дали става въпрос за обществото или семейството. И са готови да заплатят всяка цена. Тежките дилеми, пред които се изправят постоянно, и израстването им наклониха оценката в положителна посока за мен.

Авторката се е постарала да предаде достоверно образът на лейди Канг, която е реална историческа личност и е била възхитителна за времето си жена.


Малко извадки от текста:

“What better way to defy the role of servants than to teach them how to read and write? To equip them with the same knowledge and power as their own masters and mistresses.”

“When we believe, we hold on to what we think is true. But when we have a conviction, that truth holds on to us.”

“Evil comed from the unfulfilled need for significance.”

fischbre18's review

4.0

this is how i feel: 🤕
dark mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: N/A
Loveable characters: N/A
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

silverphoenix817's review

5.0
dark emotional mysterious medium-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