Take a photo of a barcode or cover
bites_of_books 's review for:
The Red Palace
by June Hur
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
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
I didn't know anything about this book going in and it's a pretty good way to dive into it to be honest.
This book is set in 1758 in Korea and is actually based on a prince who lived at the time. It is not a book trying to be historically accurate in terms of the plot but it certainly fills in all the details regarding the time period in regards to the culture, the food, the clothing, etc.
We follow a palace nurse, Hyeon, who has fought tooth and nail to gain the position she has in the palace. However, she ends up involved in a murder investigation that could put all of that into peril. She wants to impress her father and make a name for herself but is slowly realizing that that might not be possible if she continues down this road to find who is the serial killer in her community.
I loved that Hyeon is truly an independent woman who pushes to be recognized for her knowledge and achievements. Enter Eojin, the detective who is in charge of finding who the killer is, and who starts to see Hyeon for who she really is, a smart and capable nurse who can truly help him figure out this mystery. We follow as they join forces to discover the truth and as they start forming a slow burning friendship, and maybe something more.
All in all a fun and entertaining mystery that gave me all the K-drama feels along with a good bit of body horror and tension that had me on the edge of my seat as I read. I do recommend!
This book is set in 1758 in Korea and is actually based on a prince who lived at the time. It is not a book trying to be historically accurate in terms of the plot but it certainly fills in all the details regarding the time period in regards to the culture, the food, the clothing, etc.
We follow a palace nurse, Hyeon, who has fought tooth and nail to gain the position she has in the palace. However, she ends up involved in a murder investigation that could put all of that into peril. She wants to impress her father and make a name for herself but is slowly realizing that that might not be possible if she continues down this road to find who is the serial killer in her community.
I loved that Hyeon is truly an independent woman who pushes to be recognized for her knowledge and achievements. Enter Eojin, the detective who is in charge of finding who the killer is, and who starts to see Hyeon for who she really is, a smart and capable nurse who can truly help him figure out this mystery. We follow as they join forces to discover the truth and as they start forming a slow burning friendship, and maybe something more.
All in all a fun and entertaining mystery that gave me all the K-drama feels along with a good bit of body horror and tension that had me on the edge of my seat as I read. I do recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail