A review by cortanasreadingnook
The Red Palace by June Hur 허주은

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is definitely perfect for fans of historical korean dramas. I’m one of the kdrama girlies, and The Red Palace has so much to offer! I finished it in one sitting because I could not put it down. June Hur is the definition of damn good writing. The mid-paced story and exhilirating prose gives us a strangers-to-friends-to-lovers story about a police investigator and a palace nurse set out to solve a conspiracy and a series of murder in which the Crown Prince is allegedly tied to. In this book, we see Hyeon and Eojin fall in love and have their sweetest, most subtle moments while traversing through a crazy maze of suspects and a killing spree with no possible end to it. I’ve always loved the thrill and action from korean historical fiction and this gave me feelings of nostalgia and longing for the thirteen year-old me who bingewatched kdramas at 3 in the morning because I was literally making up fancasts in my head reading this. Not only that, but this book will take you through the brutal realities of the older Korean dynasties. Moreso, it subtly explores the extremely complex familial relationships and forgiveness in Asian households. I would absolutely recommend to anyone looking for a quick, thriller read with the barest bits of romance throughout.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings