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veed1ka 's review for:
The Red Palace
by June Hur
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
strong historical k-drama vibes with this one. it definitely scratched my historical fiction and it's really cool that it was inspired by real-life events. props to the author for her research, she really brought Joseon setting to life. i have a soft spot for romance sub-plots in mystery/crime novels so i really enjoyed the gentle and mutually respectful romance.
my only real qualm with the book is that the mystery itself didn't hook me. the investigation felt too linear and easy, especially considering the strict Confucian hierarchy it disrupted. i also wish the psyche and motivation of the killers themselves (Nurse Inyeong and the Crown Prince) were more developed and better explored. while i enjoyed the intense build-up and sequence in the forest, i felt the epilogue wrapped it up a bit too nicely.
overall, it was a light but interesting read that definitely got me out of my end-of-year reading slump. excited for my 2025 reads.
my only real qualm with the book is that the mystery itself didn't hook me. the investigation felt too linear and easy, especially considering the strict Confucian hierarchy it disrupted. i also wish the psyche and motivation of the killers themselves (Nurse Inyeong and the Crown Prince) were more developed and better explored. while i enjoyed the intense build-up and sequence in the forest, i felt the epilogue wrapped it up a bit too nicely.
overall, it was a light but interesting read that definitely got me out of my end-of-year reading slump. excited for my 2025 reads.