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A review by moonchildshine
Istana Merah (The Red Palace) by June Hur
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I swear, the epilogue of this book is the best part. The ending was so satisfying, oh my god??? Maybe it hit even harder because I spent three-quarters of the book struggling with boredom… so when everything finally picked up and started making sense, it felt like such a relief.
Because, honestly? I was so underwhelmed at first. The romance felt underdeveloped, the pacing was slow, the mystery wasn’t all that intriguing, and the characters didn’t really stand out to me. But thank god for that last quarter—it finally did the story justice.
P.S. I can't help but imagine Hyeon (the MC) and Eojin (the ML) as Maomao and Jinshi from Kusuriya no Hitorigoto—I have no idea why, but I just do 😭
Because, honestly? I was so underwhelmed at first. The romance felt underdeveloped, the pacing was slow, the mystery wasn’t all that intriguing, and the characters didn’t really stand out to me. But thank god for that last quarter—it finally did the story justice.
P.S. I can't help but imagine Hyeon (the MC) and Eojin (the ML) as Maomao and Jinshi from Kusuriya no Hitorigoto—I have no idea why, but I just do 😭