Scan barcode
A review by lostlenore_
Descendant of the Crane by Joan He
5.0
Joan He has to be my new contemporary YA fantasy/SF author!
This is her debut novel and it's completely different from "The Ones We're Meant to Find." It's a Chinese-inspired fantasy/saga of a princess turning into a queen and trying to navigate court intrigue and family politics. It's thought-provoking, well-written, rich in details of era-appropriate attire and consistent worldbuilding.
Something I admire in Joan He's books is the subtext. There are so many Easter eggs and so many implications of things happening that frame the text, not only on a narrative but also on a formatting level, that when you actually realize what the author has been up to, you can't help but admire her thinking outside the box.
Some plot points could be called, yes, and some character reactions could have been treated more naturally, but that doesn't mean that this book shouldn't be in everyone's TBR list. It's a YA but with so much more than just the standard YA talking about love and finding your identity--it's a social critique of excluding certain people from certain backgrounds and ethnicities and it greatly focuses on the meaning of truth, family, and being sympathetic in a world that calls for blood.
I HOPE that we'll have a sequel!!
This is her debut novel and it's completely different from "The Ones We're Meant to Find." It's a Chinese-inspired fantasy/saga of a princess turning into a queen and trying to navigate court intrigue and family politics. It's thought-provoking, well-written, rich in details of era-appropriate attire and consistent worldbuilding.
Something I admire in Joan He's books is the subtext. There are so many Easter eggs and so many implications of things happening that frame the text, not only on a narrative but also on a formatting level, that when you actually realize what the author has been up to, you can't help but admire her thinking outside the box.
Some plot points could be called, yes, and some character reactions could have been treated more naturally, but that doesn't mean that this book shouldn't be in everyone's TBR list. It's a YA but with so much more than just the standard YA talking about love and finding your identity--it's a social critique of excluding certain people from certain backgrounds and ethnicities and it greatly focuses on the meaning of truth, family, and being sympathetic in a world that calls for blood.
I HOPE that we'll have a sequel!!