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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
emotional
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was a thrilling- investigative experience!
Historical Fiction has been one of my comfort zones and I am elated to read somewhere here in Asia.
Truly this book has a tremendous effort in showing what happened during the persecution of Catholics in Joseon Korea.
Hur lead me to a K drama like the scene in this book and I love how she portrays her main female protagonist empowered.
My mind just keeps on thinking who were the suspects since everyone sounds suspicious and you have just a little hint of clue(which makes the story more exciting).
Overall I have had a great thrilling journey reading this novel.
Historical Fiction has been one of my comfort zones and I am elated to read somewhere here in Asia.
Truly this book has a tremendous effort in showing what happened during the persecution of Catholics in Joseon Korea.
Hur lead me to a K drama like the scene in this book and I love how she portrays her main female protagonist empowered.
My mind just keeps on thinking who were the suspects since everyone sounds suspicious and you have just a little hint of clue(which makes the story more exciting).
Overall I have had a great thrilling journey reading this novel.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Genuinely one of my favorite books ever!! From moment one I was hooked and couldn’t stand to stop reading until I uncovered the answers to all of this book’s mysteries. I absolutely adored the main character as she is (in my opinion) one of the most well written and compelling female characters I’ve ever read about. (Honestly all the characters in this book were great). Also the historical setting was super interesting and very well crafted so the history buff part of me was happy with this novel too. Definitely worth reading!!
What an absolute treat of a book. I went into this book knowing pretty much nothing about Korean history, especially the Joseon dynasty, but I was immediately pulled in by atmosphere of the book and by our main character. Quietly strong, incredibly curious, and resilient, Seol is the underdog of the story. Her efforts to succeed, despite all those who shove her down and push her out, made her someone I couldn’t help but root for. I’m not someone who typically reads historical fiction novels, but June Hur’s books are forever an exception to this now. She made it easy to slip into Joseon dynasty Korea. The mystery was very very well plotted and I did not see the twist(s) coming. If you’re someone who’s not a typical historical fiction reader, this is a great book to get into. It’s also a gem because it’s the rare book not set in western society.
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
TLDR: stellar book with lots of mystery and political intrigue, fleshed out characters, and plot twists to keep you on your toes. Highly recommend to mystery and historical fiction lovers!
I haven’t been able to find a good mystery that really pulled me in lately, and then I picked this book up. I love the historical details. It makes you feel like you’re in the setting and you can see the struggles everyone went through at the time. After reading this book I want to go research more about Joseon Korea. The mystery was well written and kept me on my toes. We as the readers are looking through the lens of naive Seol, so every time I thought I had the mystery unraveled, she brings up a new point or discovers new evidence that completely destroys my theories. The writing itself is very good. Seol is a phenomenal character and I feel like she is one of the only characters I’ve read who truly seems to act appropriate to her age and situation. She’s always put in a position harmful to her and yet her curiosity and loyalty makes her a wonderful lead character to follow. She inspires me to be more observant and curious about my surroundings as well. But the best part of the book is the dynamic between Seol and Inspector Han (my favorite character). Their friend or foe struggle elevates the outer conflict to another level, and almost had me in tears at the end. I was kind of losing my rhythm when it came to reading, but this book reminded me why I love to read so much. And that’s why it’s deserving of 5 stars.
I haven’t been able to find a good mystery that really pulled me in lately, and then I picked this book up. I love the historical details. It makes you feel like you’re in the setting and you can see the struggles everyone went through at the time. After reading this book I want to go research more about Joseon Korea. The mystery was well written and kept me on my toes. We as the readers are looking through the lens of naive Seol, so every time I thought I had the mystery unraveled, she brings up a new point or discovers new evidence that completely destroys my theories. The writing itself is very good. Seol is a phenomenal character and I feel like she is one of the only characters I’ve read who truly seems to act appropriate to her age and situation. She’s always put in a position harmful to her and yet her curiosity and loyalty makes her a wonderful lead character to follow. She inspires me to be more observant and curious about my surroundings as well. But the best part of the book is the dynamic between Seol and Inspector Han (my favorite character). Their friend or foe struggle elevates the outer conflict to another level, and almost had me in tears at the end. I was kind of losing my rhythm when it came to reading, but this book reminded me why I love to read so much. And that’s why it’s deserving of 5 stars.
i’ve been wanting to read mystery books and murder mystery books, since like forever, and now that i finally am, i can say, i liked this book a lot. i had no clue what i was getting into and then i just became intrigued. i couldn’t put the book down. i love the historical back ground to it too!! i also loved learning a bit of the history. honestly, i recommend if you’re firstly getting into mystery books or reading over all!!